Malaysians are hooked on Chinese micro-dramas. Can local creators cash in?

They’re like mini grenades of love, betrayal and revenge – and Malaysians can’t get enough. Now to cook up some home-made titles

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A promotional poster for Chinese micro-drama “Addicted Only To You”. Photo: Handout

Published: 3:00pm, 15 Mar 2025

With their addictive mix of family scandals, jaw-dropping betrayals and steamy romances – all packed into bite-sized, minute-long episodes – Chinese micro-dramas have become a daily indulgence for many Malaysians.

From quick fixes during the morning commute to stolen moments in a busy workday, these fast-paced tales have been tailor-made for smartphone viewing. Now, local content makers are also eyeing the format, hoping to replicate the quick-click, multi-episode formula for home-grown success.

Shows like Addicted Only to You and White Moonlight have won legions of loyal fans across Malaysia’s multicultural society, serving up classic underdog tales of revenge and rags-to-riches transformations. Some dismiss them as “lowbrow and vulgar” – a critique even levelled by China’s own media regulator – but for fans like 26-year-old Cassie Ng, they’re the perfect antidote to the monotony of work.

“I just love how everything is so over the top,” said Ng, a cosmetics sales representative who sneaks in episodes whenever she can. “You get so angry, and then 15 seconds later, there’s a twist, and it ends with a cliffhanger. And because it only lasts one minute, it’s easy for me to stop and attend to a customer.”

You get so angry, and then 15 seconds later, there’s a twist, and it ends with a cliffhanger

Cassie Ng, Malaysian fan of Chinese micro-dramas

China’s micro-drama industry raked in a staggering US$5 billion last year and looks set to grow even further, driven by the steady stream of content that’s easily available on apps like RedNote, Douyin – the Chinese version of TikTok – and video-streaming platform Bilibili.