Sheng Xia Fen De La (Summer Rose) Surpasses 10 Billion Views on Hongguo Short Drama
Recently produced by Majiu Studio, the mini series Sheng Xia Fen De La (Summer Rose) premiered on the Hongguo short drama platform, breaking records with over 100 million in platform heat and views on its first day. For three consecutive days, it set new platform records for the highest engagement. The series has currently reached 123.47 million heat index on Hongguo, with cumulative views exceeding 10 billion, dominating the platform's top charts for trending shows, new releases, and hot searches.
Industry analysts note that the series' ability to convey emotion through subtle details signals the maturation of mini series storytelling. Rather than relying on exaggerated plots, it resonates with audiences through nuanced depictions of everyday life. Sheng Xia Fen De La may have unlocked two new audience segments: literary-minded viewers accustomed to long-form dramas, who now recognize the comparable quality of mini series, and previously uninterested viewers who had grown tired of formulaic short-form content.
Mini Series Feng Meng Long Hui Xiang Ji (The Homecoming of Feng Menglong) Launches
As part of the seventh batch of recommended titles under the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA)'s "Travel with Mini Series" initiative, the 12-episode cultural tourism mini series Feng Meng Long Hui Xiang Ji (The Homecoming of Feng Menglong) was released online on September 24. Jointly produced by Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation, the Publicity Department of the CPC Xiangcheng District Committee in Suzhou, and the Suzhou Xiangcheng District Office of Civility Enhancement, the series stars National Class-A Actor Zhou Huilin and popular mini series actress Lyu Zhao.
Blending time travel, rural life, light comedy, and cultural tourism, the story follows Feng Menglong (played by Zhou Huilin) as he experiences modern innovations like live-streamed crab sales, drone farming, and smart factories. Through his "search for people" event, he also discovers Xiangcheng's achievements in cultural development and rural revitalization.
Zibo's First Liuli Art-Themed Mini Series Liu Li Qi Yuan (Glazed Destiny) Premieres on September 26
Liu Li Qi Yuan (Glazed Destiny), the first mini series focusing on the national intangible cultural heritage of the "Liuli (colored glass) firing technique," is set to premiere on iQIYI on September 26, with simultaneous releases on Youku and Sohu. Centered on Zibo's liuli craftsmanship, the series portrays the emotional entanglements and technical legacy across three generations of liuli-making families. Incorporating elements such as Zibo's scenic spots, barbecue culture, Boshan cuisine, and online live-streaming, it explores the theme that "love and tolerance are the only ways to heal grievances" from a youthful perspective.
2025 Beijing Culture Forum Mini Series Content and Technology Innovation Salon Kicks off
On September 24, co-organized by the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau and supported by Baidu App, the "Blending Real and Virtual: Breaking Barriers in the Audiovisual Industry" parallel forum was successfully held in Beijing, titled "Infinite AI, Growing Stories: Mini Series Content and Technology Innovation Salon."As one of the more than 20 professional salons of the 2025 Beijing Culture Forum, the session brought together leading mini series companies, academic scholars, and industry experts to explore strategies for breaking barriers and driving growth for mini series in the AI era. Nearly 100 guests attended the salon, and promoted the deep high-quality exchanges. The salon helped build industry consensus and jointly promoted the deep integration of AI technology and mini series for high-quality innovation and development.
Hongguo Short Drama Launches "Guoran Plan" Broadcasting Partnership
On September 23, at the 2025 Zhengzhou Mini Series High Quality Development Conference, Hongguo Short Drama officially launched the "Guoran Plan" broadcasting partnership program. In its first phase, the program will collaborate with 14 major national media platforms, including the Xinhua News App, CCTV.com App, Daxiang News App, Zhejiang TV, and Dragon TV, to distribute premium mini series content. Through in-depth cooperation featuring "joint promotion of quality content and integration across big and small screens," the initiative aims to drive premium mini series beyond short-term popularity toward long-term, sustainable growth.
Breaking the Formula: How Mini Series Transform Online Literature Narratives
In the first half of 2025, the mini series market experienced explosive growth, with both overall viewership and performance of top titles rising sharply. Behind this boom lies nearly three decades of genre accumulation in online literature, along with shifts in popular taste. Mini series integrate the audiovisual language style and communication logic of the short video era, bring notable innovations in thematic integration, social reflection, and emotional structures. They have become a key lens through which to observe the latest developments in contemporary popular culture.Much like trends in online literature, mini series creation is gradually moving beyond single narrative lines, incorporating richer genre elements and world-building, exhibiting a distinct trend of genre hybridity. The current landscape is witnessing an aesthetic shift from an emphasis on "instant gratification" to a broader range of emotional appeals, including "healing" narratives.The "anti-formula" techniques commonly found in online literature, using plot twists and innovative character setups, are also being mirrored in the adaptation of romantic mini series. Many titles are revitalizing the sweet romance genre by introducing reversals of character roles, reconfiguring power dynamics, and shifting narrative perspectives. These strategies allow sweet romance narratives move beyond the constraints of one-directional affection, bringing fresh vitality to the genre.
