According to Japan's "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" report on April 16, in Japan, vertical screen short dramas for smartphone viewing will be launched online. Japanese startup gokko has partnered with a Chinese company to launch nearly 60 episodes of short dramas this month.
According to reports, China’s short drama market is nearly 1 trillion yen (100 million yen is approximately 4.68 million yuan), and in the United States, short dramas are also becoming increasingly popular. Short dramas with only 90 seconds each episode have the potential to gain popularity in Japan, especially among young people who use their time efficiently.
gokko's newly produced short dramas are 60-90 seconds each. If you watch 58 episodes continuously, it will take about 90 minutes. In China, where short dramas are popular, this is standard. Chinese company Jia Shu Technology provides gokko with original stories for the short series. gokko regards the cooperation with Jia Shu Technology as the cornerstone of its overseas expansion. According to predictions by Chinese research firm iiMedia Consulting, China’s short drama market will exceed 100 billion yuan by 2027. Tanaka Satoshi, the person in charge of
gokko, said: "Even in a highly competitive market, as long as Japanese culture can be well presented, there is room for entry." He said that vertical screen short dramas are easy for startups to participate because the production cost can be Control it at "less than 1/10 of the average cost of commercial movies per film, which is 350 million yen." This is because the camera is positioned vertically, minimizing the need for actors and props. At the same time, if subtitles and dubbing are used, a content can be spread around the world.
Senior analyst at Toyo Securities Yasuda Hideki believes: "In fact, short dramas are more popular with young people such as Generation Z than TV dramas."
Following comics and games, can short dramas have a place in the new entertainment market? There are high expectations for start-ups that combine flexibility and a spirit of challenge.
(Yangcheng Evening News·Yangcheng School Comprehensive China Economic Network, Global Network, The Paper)
