Chinese mini-dramas are taking the world by storm. While the United States remains a key market, Southeast Asia has emerged as the latest hotspot for global expansion. Last year, the number of new downloads of mini-drama apps in the region surpassed those in North America. Higher-income markets like Singapore and Thailand have also begun localized production, incorporating elements of local culture, festivals, tourism, and urban life. Although Southeast Asian companies lag far behind China in filming and production speed, the region’s immense market potential continues to attract significant capital investment.
For example, Singapore’s Viddsee announced a mini-drama plan targeting Southeast Asia and broader markets in October last year. Indonesia is the most active mini-drama market in Southeast Asia, with over 50 million downloads last year, ranking second globally outside the U.S. As of May this year, the three major apps—DramaBox, Micro Drama, and FlickReels—far exceeded the download numbers of Netflix, HBO, and other OTT platforms in Indonesia, marking a turning point in Chinese cultural influence surpassing that of the U.S. in the streaming platform arena. Earlier this year, Indonesia overtook the U.S. to become the largest TikTok market globally by user count, providing fertile ground for local mini-drama development.
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, launched Melolo, a mini-drama app tailored for the Indonesian market, adopting a free-viewing model. In March, it achieved a 45% month-on-month user growth rate, quickly capturing the youth market. Additionally, FlexTV, a Chinese mini-drama company that previously produced Thai-language dramas, has partnered with Indonesian telecom provider Telkomsel to offer data plans that include access to 140,000 episodes of Indonesian-language mini-dramas. Why are Indonesian viewers drawn to mini-dramas? Active internet user Ishana points out that although mini-drama plots are often formulaic and “very soap-opera-like,” that is precisely their appeal.
She says, “Maybe it’s because I don’t have to think while watching, so it’s relaxing and stress-free. The acting is exaggerated, but somehow that becomes entertaining… Whether a mini-drama is good depends on the story. If it becomes too heavy and serious, it might lose its fun—just like Indian movies. If they are too well-produced, they might not be as entertaining.” 1. Scenic Settings and Low Production Costs From a production standpoint, Indonesia is an ideal market for mini-drama development. Production costs in Indonesia are only one-third of those in the U.S. or other countries, and the country boasts exotic and beautiful natural landscapes—including volcanoes and beaches—that are perfect for filming.
For instance, one of the most popular series in the Indonesian market today is Love of Architecture in the Eighties, which skillfully incorporates local historical and architectural elements. By blending cultural commonalities, family values, and historical storytelling, it has successfully attracted a large audience. The mini-drama boom has also created business opportunities for local production teams. Indonesian online story creation platform KaryaKarsa believes that the mini-drama format can connect Indonesian creators with audiences across Southeast Asia, offering significant opportunities for regional expansion.
Ario Tamat, CEO of KaryaKarsa, notes, “We believe our concept can work well in other Southeast Asian countries, creating the best Southeast Asian story IPs.” Recently, KaryaKarsa launched the mini-drama Falling in Love and is preparing another work for Ramadan. Both productions are adapted from bestselling romance stories on the KaryaKarsa app. Tamat describes the move into mini-dramas as both an evolution and a business experiment. Currently, KaryaKarsa’s mini-dramas are available as paid episodes on its app and TikTok, though the team is still exploring other revenue models. “The biggest challenges are cost management and expertise,” says Tamat.
“While KaryaKarsa is currently capable of producing mini-dramas profitably, we have not fully transitioned into a mini-drama platform… [We need to] focus on enriching creators’ intellectual property to grow the business.” The micropayment model of mini-dramas is also more appealing to audiences in Southeast Asia, where incomes are relatively lower. Episodes cost only $1–2, but even this is not affordable for everyone. Therefore, most Indonesian mini-dramas currently rely on advertising revenue. Other monetization models include product placement. Ignatius Untung, Marketing Director of Biensi Fesyindo, emphasizes the importance of creating content that resonates with viewers without feeling like hard promotion.
“It’s about sparking consumer interest through entertaining ads while seamlessly integrating the brand—achieving this balance is not easy.” 2. Investments from South Korea and India in Local Productions Looking beyond Southeast Asia to the broader Asian market, the user base for mini-dramas outside China has exceeded 150 million. South Korea is another key growth market for short video content, with streaming platforms Tving and Watcha already launching mini-dramas locally. South Korean PUBG developer Krafton has invested $90 million in Seoul-based Spoonlabs, which operates the mini-drama platform Vigloo.
Meanwhile, game companies are also entering the mini-drama space. For example, Indian gaming company Nazara Technologies has invested $250,000 in mini-drama producer ReelSaga Innovations. This article was published in Yazhou Zhoukan (Asia Weekly), Issue 32, 2025.