Feature: Episodes that travel: how Chinese dramas speak universally

SINGAPORE, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- For Zhou Yu, the question began as a quiet uncertainty: Could a drama set in China's insurance industry possibly find an audience overseas?

Earlier this year, the metropolitan workplace drama A Better Life became a major hit in China. Zhou, general manager of SMG Pictures, one of the producers, sent its translated episodes to a few European and American partners -- more an act of curiosity than confidence.

The reply came sooner than she expected. A British distributor wrote back after watching five episodes: they "loved it." What captivated them were not the policies or corporate procedures, but the two protagonists -- one twenty-eight, one thirty-nine -- each mired in personal crises, yet gradually becoming mentor and student, and in that pairing, helping each other grow.

Zhou realized that the world of the story was deeply Chinese, but the emotional grammar was universal.

From Wednesday to Friday, Zhou brought the series to the 26th Asia TV Forum and Market in Singapore, one of the region's most significant trading floors for screen content. Buyers from across Southeast Asia stopped by to ask Zhou about licensing, and some inquired about local remake possibilities.

This year, China's presence at the forum was more visible than ever. Guided by China's State Council Information Office and National Radio and Television Administration, the China Pavilion expanded to 270 square meters, hosting 24 companies and a slate of projects moving toward concrete deals.

Among them was Swords into Plowshares, a historical drama produced by Huace Group. Thai broadcaster True Visions announced it would air the series in Thailand simultaneously with China. The team explained that Thai audiences now expect to watch the latest C-dramas "almost immediately after they are released in China or even simulcast."

Türkiye has been watching as well. Selcuk Yavuzkanat, deputy director general of cinema at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, noted that in recent years, Chinese production quality has risen markedly, and Turkish audiences have shown a particular fondness for historical epics.

"Our public broadcaster TRT has aired Chinese series before, and people liked them," he said. "I hope in the coming years we can buy more."

For industry veteran Zhao Yifang, CEO of Huace Group, none of these developments comes as a surprise. She has pursued international outreach since the 1990s, and she believes a major transformation in recent years has been a shift toward a global mindset in content creation. "From the beginning," she said, "we keep international audiences in mind."

With Swords into Plowshares, that meant using AI during the script stage to analyze emotional preferences in overseas markets, and later adjusting international trailers for regions such as Europe and Southeast Asia -- same story, different emphases.

Practice has validated this approach. In August, The Thirsty Thirty, a Thai remake of Linmon Media's urban hit Nothing But Thirty, was released simultaneously on Tencent Video and Disney+. General Manager of Linmon International, Lu Yu, said that as the Thai series gained global momentum, Linmon chose to invest directly and oversee the Thai adaptation, working with local writers and actors to shape the cross-border remake.

"We kept the original framework and character design, along with the iconic scenes audiences remember," Lu said. "But we also searched for what best fits the local market." Still, he added, complete localization was not the goal -- they wanted to preserve the distinct "Thai flavor" that international audiences increasingly appreciate.

Across the industry, such collaborations are becoming a pattern. Data presented at the forum by Liu Anqi, senior analyst at French-based media research firm Glance, showed that from 2020 to 2025, China ranks first in Asia in both intent to collaborate and the number of co-produced projects.

Indonesia's largest mobile operator, Telkomsel, has extensive experience in co-productions with Chinese partners. Lesley Simpson, the company's vice president of digital lifestyle, said Telkomsel provides local expertise and a strong user base for Chinese collaborators, while Indonesian industry players need a wide variety of content.

"Local content and Chinese content are very different in style, but Indonesian audiences enjoy both," Simpson said. "Indonesia has many islands and a large population, and audience preferences can vary from one island to another. That's why it's essential to offer a wide variety of content."

For Zhao, who has spent decades leading Huace Group's international outreach, such transformations underscore what she has long observed. "Before, a Chinese episode might sell for a few thousand U.S. dollars," she said. "Now, strong titles can sell for more than one hundred thousand per episode."

Yet, she added, economic value is only part of the story. The deeper significance lies in culture. "Good storytelling ultimately depends on understanding the spiritual core of Chinese people and embedding it in the narrative." Swords into Plowshares centers on the longing for national stability and everyday peace, desires that cross eras and borders.

"A thousand years ago or today, people yearn for a world without war," Zhao said. "It is a Chinese story, but also a human one." ■