In a potential turning point for vertical video, COL Group has greenlit a sequel to its hit microdrama “From Rags to Rank One,” a rarity in a format that typically tells stories in a single season.
The move signals ambitions beyond the CEO romances and supernatural love triangles that have dominated the space. COL is betting that the format can support serialized storytelling with real franchise potential.
Based on a popular novel, the original series follows protagonist Xu Mu, a contemporary figure thrust into a chaotic historical realm where his journey takes him from basic survival to saving a nation. The show became a smash hit in China, attracting nearly a quarter of a billion views in its first day. Users stayed glued for over an hour on average, helping it surpass the two billion views mark.
Demand has not cooled. Nearly three million viewers have already expressed interest in the sequel, suggesting audiences want deeper stories despite the format’s reduced distribution.
Follow-up ups the ante considerably. Filmed over the course of a month-long production at Hengdian World Studios, the series deployed a cast of more than 40 leads supported by a crew of a thousand people. The scale includes enhanced production design, period-accurate wardrobe, and large-scale action sets – a significant leap for vertical content.
“This is a telling sign that the microdrama format is evolving,” said Timothy Oh, COL Group chief executive. “What started as quick, snackable storytelling has evolved into a platform for long-form, serialized IP that audiences really connect with. The typical CEO-and-werewolves romantic storylines are a thing of the past – we’re entering a new era of content that spans genres from fantasy and sci-fi to men’s adventure and epics historical. This is happening now, and we expect this trend to accelerate internationally. ”
Ray Tong, CEO of COL Group, sees broader industry dynamics behind this shift. “With the recent shift in focus toward microdramas in Hollywood, we will likely see an even more creative evolution in this space,” he said. “The stories are becoming more complex, the storytelling more cinematic, and the appeal more and more universal. It’s an exciting time for us and for everyone who is shaping what short-form entertainment can become.”
Both installments of “From Rags to Rank One” are available for international licensing through COL Group, which runs FlareFlow, a U.S.-based app that has become a major player in the vertical drama space.
The company, which went public more than two decades ago, has built a portfolio spanning intellectual property development, production and digital distribution. It claims to operate the world’s largest microfiction distribution operation, with libraries in English and Chinese reaching audiences from Asia to the Americas.
