C-drama craze sweeps across Southeast Asia

Polished plots, fine costumes, cultural familiarity win over young viewers

Chinese costume dramas are gaining immense popularity on Southeast Asia's streaming platforms, driven by polished production values and cultural familiarity.

In Thailand, conscription posters featuring characters from a historical romance series have gone viral on social media, highlighting the genre's growing cultural reach.

Recruitment posters, released by the Royal Thai Army on its official Facebook account a few weeks ago, highlighted characters from Pursuit of Jade — a recently released Chinese costume drama that boasts beautiful visuals and dramatic plot twists.