China’s micro-dramas: packed with cliffhangers, attracting audiences, but struggling to turn a profit

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If a newly released drama series had nearly 100 episodes, would you be willing to spend time watching it? Short dramas are also in tune with the latest trend of mobile-first consumption and bite-size entertainment, according to Burns. Male-oriented “Nanpin” and female-oriented “Nvpin” are the two major narrative styles in Chinese drama content, characterized by their focus on appealing to each gender’s supposed preferences. The ultrashort drama accumulated over RMB 12 million ($1.66 million) in user payment recharges within 24 hours, Chinese media outlets reported. On the one hand, producers of short dramas rely on guiding users to pay to watch what happens next for monetization.