If you don’t have TikTok downloaded, you might not know what “His Nerd” is. But if you’ve doom-scrolled long enough, chances are you’ve stumbled across an ad for a microdrama. Titles like “His Nerd” and “Loving My Brother’s Best Friend” have become ubiquitous online, enticing viewers with quick romance and melodramatic twists.
By definition, microdramas are exactly what they sound like — short-form dramas. Each episode runs about two minutes, is shot vertically to fit a phone screen and is built around a punchy hook and a dramatic cliffhanger. Popular platforms for these microdramas include CandyJarTV, ReelShort and DramaBox.
Though they may feel like a sudden phenomenon, microdramas trace their roots back to China. Known as duanju — literally ‘short drama’ — the format surged in popularity around 2020, when streaming platforms and short-form video apps realized viewers wanted fast, bingeable stories that could be consumed on the go. According to CNBC, China’s microdrama market reached close to $7 billion in 2024, even overtaking the national film box office in revenue.
From there, the model spread worldwide. Companies like ReelShort and DramaBox tailored storylines for Western audiences but preserved the same formula: rapid setups, intense romance and cliffhangers designed to keep viewers swiping through dozens of episodes at a time. Business Insider projects the microdrama market, excluding China, could reach nearly $3 billion by the end of this year.
So why are people watching? Part of the answer lies in how we already consume media. Just as TikTok transformed how we discover music, microdramas fit perfectly into scrolling culture. They’re quick, easy to follow and steeped in familiar tropes — wealthy CEOs, forbidden crushes, supernatural twists. Production efficiency also fuels the trend. A full microdrama can span 80 or more episodes, each just a couple of minutes long, shot quickly with small crews and simple sets. That speed and scale enable platforms to test ideas cost-effectively and inundate audiences with new content, a sharp contrast to the years-long cycles of traditional television.
Perhaps what distinguishes microdramas most is that many apps use a ‘freemium’ model: After a few free episodes, viewers must pay with in-app currency, coins or a subscription to continue. According to Business Insider, about 75% of revenue from U.S. microdrama apps now comes from viewer payments under this model.
Though the duanju format that took hold in China is now influencing TikTok feeds worldwide, U.S. studios have adapted it for Western tastes. CandyJarTV, for example, specializes in short, romance-driven content, while ReelShort is experimenting with thrillers and fantasy alongside love stories.
Still, the rise of microdramas is not without critics. In China, regulators have condemned some shows as ‘low-brow’ or ‘vulgar,’ arguing that mass-produced melodramas dilute artistic value. In addition, commentary within China has criticized the reliance on recycled tropes — scheming mothers-in-law, exaggerated conflicts, unrealistic plot twists — and has expressed concern about oversaturation of similar storylines which may lead to audience fatigue. Some observers also warn that the rapid pace and formulaic structure of many microdramas undermine their artistic credibility.
Despite all of that, the numbers suggest microdramas are here to stay. Platforms are branching into new genres and using TikTok and Instagram to funnel audiences directly into their apps. For traditional television, the shift is significant. Short-form dramas won’t replace prestige series, but they do compete for audience attention — and ad dollars. As Time reported in a recent profile of ReelShort’s CEO, microdrama platforms can adjust storylines based on audience data in real time, a flexibility Hollywood networks can’t match.
Challenges remain: maintaining quality amid mass production, managing regulatory scrutiny and preventing burnout among viewers. But if current growth continues, microdramas could become not just a trend, but a permanent fixture in the global entertainment landscape.
