Douyin Group Vice President Li Liang recently advised creators to exercise caution regarding AI-generated short dramas. He highlighted the Hongguo series Armed Into the Song Dynasty, which reached over 12 billion views by November 7. Since its August launch, the production has expanded to approximately 1,000 episodes spanning 10 seasons.
Data from QuestMobile indicates that Hongguo reached 430 million users in September. This milestone made it the second-largest application under ByteDance, surpassing the AI chatbot Doubao and trailing only Douyin. The platform utilizes a free, ad-supported model that allows users to access content without paying for individual episodes.
The production landscape is shifting as AI tools reduce costs and development time. According to the State Council Information Office, over 90% of the approximately 430,000 short dramas released in China during the first eight months of 2026 incorporated AI technologies. These tools have lowered entry barriers for smaller production teams.
Analysts suggest that ByteDance is diversifying its entertainment offerings by separating short-form video on Douyin from episodic storytelling on Hongguo. While Douyin provides quick bursts of content, Hongguo focuses on serialized narratives. Additionally, stricter content moderation on Douyin may have contributed to the migration of creators toward Hongguo.
