One of the hottest trends in Chinese consumer internet this year … Revenue from short video dramas 短剧 — serialized stories of 1-2 minute episodes typically totaling 60-120 minutes, designed for vertical viewing on phones—has surpassed movie box office. Operators compare them to “mini games” rather than traditional long-form media. Creators attribute their addictiveness to the fact that they cram “2-3 movies’ worth of drama into one series” and the “3-7-21 rule,” where every 21 seconds must evoke a new emotion to maintain engagement. I forgot what the 3 & 7 stand for though 😂