Chinese costume dramas top Southeast Asian streaming platforms

Chinese costume dramas are gaining immense popularity on Southeast Asian streaming platforms with conscription posters featuring protagonists from a historical romance series going viral on Thailand's social media recently.

Released by the Royal Thai Army on its official Facebook account, the recruitment posters featured characters from Pursuit of Jade — a newly released Chinese costume drama with beautiful visuals and dramatic plot twists.

"Do you want a boyfriend full of heroic spirit the same as Marquis Wu'an (who is a leading male character) in Pursuit of Jade? Ask your mate to join the cavalry!" said one poster, which earned nearly 100,000 likes from netizens, most of whom praised the military's creative use of current trends.

"This is one of the most interesting posters I've seen recently. The army really keeps pace with the times," a netizen, Ratchaneekorn, commented. Others exchanged banter with the army's account administrator, asking if they were also a fan of the drama — a series that has found a massive audience overseas on China's online entertainment platform, iQIYI.

Since its premiere in March, Google Trends showed that Pursuit of Jade ranked first in search volume for Chinese dramas across 15 markets, including Thailand, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore. The drama achieved record-breaking popularity on iQIYI International and was the first to trend on Netflix in multiple Asian regions, fueled by strong viewer engagement and high ratings on MyDramaList.

"I have followed Chinese dramas for years, and Pursuit of Jade is my latest favorite," said Amy Chen, 34, a Malaysian Chinese who works in Kuala Lumpur.

Apart from cultural proximity, Chen attributed her enthusiasm for Chinese TV series and short films to "opulent production design, actors' exquisite makeup and costumes, well-designed storylines, and high-quality streaming platforms".

Weaving traditional cultural elements such as Qin opera and shadow puppetry, Pursuit of Jade showcases the unique charm of Chinese culture while its success serves a microcosm of the growing popularity of Chinese dramas overseas.

China's export revenue of television series increased from $24 million in 2012 to $70 million in 2023 -- an approximate three-fold growth, according to a report by the Chinese National Radio and Television Administration's Development and Research Center.

Among the various offerings, costume dramas, one of the earliest genres to attract overseas audiences, continue to be the most popular type of Chinese television drama in the international market, according to the NRTA. Last year, titles such as Bright Moon Citation, The Song Inquisitor, and Flourished Peony all achieved high rankings in overseas markets.

As a core market for Chinese TV series, Southeast Asia's growing market potential has attracted leading Chinese online video platforms such as WeTV, iQIYI, Youku, and Mango TV to launch overseas services, making Thailand a key location for their operations.

Following the craze for Korean dramas, their Chinese counterparts have won over a large number of Thai viewers in recent years, said Sirisak Koshpasharin, vice-chairman of Thailand's National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Associations.

In the past, he said Thailand's older generations loved classic dramas such as Justice Pao because many Thais were Chinese immigrants. "But what is more surprising is that a growing number of young people now also like Chinese series too," he said, attributing the new trend to cultural and lifestyle similarities between the two countries.

"Now many Chinese dramas have good stories, production value and hooks that make Thai people like them. The applications for short films and over-the-top streaming platforms have started to show more Chinese dramas as well. So this is why the new generation likes it," Sirisak added.

Apart from TV series, Southeast Asia's growing number of internet users also offers fertile ground for the overseas expansion of Chinese micro-dramas, which commonly runs one to 10 minutes per episode and hundreds of episodes per series.

According to data statistics company DataEye, paying micro-drama users in the region increased by 28 percent year-on-year, solidifying the region as a core market with both commercial viability and a solid audience foundation.

Beyond entertainment, watching Chinese dramas or short films has also sparked interest among the young generations overseas to explore China further.

"Chinese dramas, as well as video products had a strong impact on me during my childhood," said a 21-year-old Thai college student known only as Chompoo. A fan of the Chinese costume drama My Fair Princess, she now also follows Pursuit of Jade.

"I have never been to China before and really want to in the future. Its sceneries, new trends, and foods are all attractive to me. China's technologies and innovations are also awesome. And I really admire how Chinese people can integrate everything together and aren't afraid to learn from others and improve on existing ideas," Chompoo added.

Kampol Piyasirikul, head of the Chinese Studies Program at Thammasat University, said:

"Beyond TV series, boy bands, pop singers, and fashion toys from China are also popular among young Thais. Such cultural exchanges play an increasingly important role in enhancing mutual understanding and trust between the people of China and the rest of the world," he said.

Jan Yumul in Hong Kong and Jantarawan Thrakulphiw in Bangkok contributed to this story.