微短剧

Meaning:

Translating as “micro series” or “ultra-short series,” this Chinese term refers to bite-sized scripted dramas viewed on mobile apps or livestreaming sites. With each episode running between less than a minute to 15 minutes, and in most cases around 2 minutes, such a form, played on portrait mode, allows no time for subtlety. Shocking revelations and plot twists drive each episode, leaving viewers hanging on cliffhangers and craving for the next binge. Viewers can binge episodes for free alongside commercials. To unlock full seasons ad-free, they purchase virtual “coins” at around 50 yuan (US$7) per series. Often targeting blue-collar males and middle-aged females, such series have plots centered around marital affairs, family rifts, rags-to-riches stories, or vengeances on an ex.

Example:

A: 听说有一部微短剧特别火。

Tīngshuō yǒu yībù wēiduǎnjù tèbié huǒ。

I’ve heard that a recent micro series is a huge hit.

B: 你说的是《我在八零年代当后妈》吧。

Nǐshuō de shì《wǒ zài bālíng niándài dāng hòumā》 bā。

You must be talking about “I Became a Stepmother in the 1980s.”