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| Scroll, Watch, Repeat: The Wild Rise of Chinese Short Dramas (and One Viral Divorce) (Photo: Instagram) |
Chinese short drama craze isn’t just a passing trend anymore — it’s a full-blown global phenomenon. These mini-series, often no longer than a few minutes per episode, are dominating social media feeds across Asia, the US, and even parts of Europe.
Fast-paced, dramatic, and sometimes downright ridiculous, they’ve created a new form of binge-watching that’s tailor-made for the digital generation.
Many of these stories dive into familiar tropes — revenge arcs, reincarnation tales, tragic romance, and of course the evergreen “CEO falls for the poor girl” setup.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the over-the-top plots, audiences can’t look away.
The result? A booming market where around 30% of digital adaptations now come from short-form scripts or online fiction IPs.
In fact, some scenes have become memes in their own right. One viral series famously featured a character giving birth to 99 babies in one go — sparking half horror, half laughter on Weibo.
Netizens dubbed such titles “absurd but addictive dramas”, a label that’s somehow become a badge of honour in the scene.
A Serious Side: When Short Dramas Get It Right
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It’s not all chaos and cheap thrills, though. There’s a growing movement of well-produced short dramas that have earned real respect. The Glory of Judge, for instance, took inspiration from real-life legal cases — tackling domestic abuse and online fraud.
The result? An 8.2 Douban rating and over 300 million views on Douyin. Meanwhile, Escape from the British Museum fused history with emotional storytelling and went viral for its creativity and cultural resonance.
These hits prove that short dramas can go beyond shock value. With the right writing and production, they can tell moving, meaningful stories in under ten minutes.
Unfortunately, that level of quality is still rare — with high costs, low returns, and an industry still chasing quick clicks rather than long-term storytelling.
Experts now say it’s time for the short-drama boom to evolve from mass production to serious creation. As one media analyst put it, “The format’s not the problem — the lack of imagination is.”
When Fiction Starts to Affect Reality
But here’s where things take a strange turn: short dramas aren’t just shaping entertainment habits — they’re reshaping relationships too.
Recently, Indonesian influencer Clara Shinta made headlines after revealing that her marriage collapsed partly because of her husband’s obsession with Chinese short dramas.
Speaking on fellow influencer Denny Sumargo’s podcast, Clara said,
“From the moment we walked to when we got home, he held my hand — but his eyes were on the screen. No talking, no looking at me. I even said, maybe I should become a Chinese drama myself!”
Her marriage to Muhammad Alexander Assad reportedly ended just 52 days after their wedding.
Fans were shocked, but many also admitted they could relate — the endless scroll of addictive content is taking over evenings, relationships, and even mental space.
A Similar Story in China
Interestingly, China has seen similar cases.
In one widely reported incident, a husband filed for divorce at the Shucheng People’s Court after claiming his wife’s obsession with Empresses in the Palace ruined their marriage.
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| Empress in the Palace |
She would spend hours rewatching episodes, neglecting daily life, and even quoting palace dialogue during arguments.
When confronted, she told the court,
“Every couple argues, but if every quarrel ends in divorce, what about the children?”
Still, the court eventually approved the split, with custody and assets awarded to her — a bittersweet ending that mirrored the dramas she loved so much.
Screen Time vs. Real Time: The Thin Line Between Escape and Addiction
Both stories — Clara’s viral confession and the Chinese courtroom case — highlight something modern couples across Asia are starting to face: how much screen time is too much?
While there’s no official data linking short dramas directly to rising divorce rates, lawyers in Beijing report that nine out of ten divorce cases they handle now involve disputes triggered by social media or online entertainment habits.
As the line between fiction and reality blurs, emotional neglect and digital escapism are becoming quiet relationship killers.
Chinese short dramas have conquered the internet — blending emotional intensity with bite-sized convenience.
They’re absurd, dramatic, romantic, and at times, socially revealing. But as screens become constant companions, stories that once existed to escape reality are starting to affect it.
Maybe the next great short drama isn’t about a CEO falling in love with a village girl… but about a couple trying to reconnect — offline.