AI-Powered Animated Series: Three Key Shifts Reshaping the Industry

In the first half of 2025, the animated drama (“manju”) market has seen explosive growth — total revenue surged 12-fold, with the market expected to surpass 20 billion RMB. AI has officially become the new engine driving the next wave of content innovation.

From novel and comic IP owners to AI tool providers and short drama platforms, every player is racing to seize this golden opportunity.

1. Female-Focused Animated Dramas Rising Fast

While male-oriented stories once dominated the market, new data from DataEye-ADX shows female-oriented content is rapidly emerging as a growth driver.
Hits like “The Adorable Girl from the Art Troupe” and “The Scheming Lady” have stormed Douyin’s top animation charts, marking a major shift in audience appetite.

Two main factors are fueling this rise:
1️⃣ Lower content risk – Female dramas tend to focus on emotion and relationships, making them less likely to face policy restrictions.
2️⃣ Stronger monetization – Female users, proven to have high willingness to pay for stories and characters they love, drive steady revenue growth.

Industry experts predict the manju market will mirror the short drama boom: male content first, female content breakout next.

2. Major Players Join the Race – Migu Takes the Lead

Migu, a subsidiary of China Mobile, has become one of the first large-scale players to fully commit to the AI manju track. The company has already launched over 70 projects, many exceeding 10 million views.

Migu’s four core advantages:

• Rich IP resources – Over 20,000 authors and licensed works across all genres;
• AI production pipeline – Its proprietary “Tongzhou AIGC System” automates every stage from script to animation;
• Massive distribution network – Backed by China Mobile, with access to over one billion users;
• Financial stability – Strong capital support from its state-owned parent company.

The company also unveiled its AIGC Creation Plan, opening 20,000 IPs for collaboration, setting up an AI Drama Fund, and building an “AI Drama Zone” for exclusive promotion.

3. A New Era: From Chaos to Industrialization

As major corporations pour resources into this space, the manju industry is moving from a scattered early stage to an industrialized, diversified ecosystem:

• Production efficiency improves with AI, lowering costs and raising quality;
• Market concentration increases, raising entry barriers and reshaping competition;
• Revenue models diversify beyond pay-per-view to include ads, merchandise, and cross-media collaborations.

In short, with the fusion of AI + IP, the manju industry is stepping into a new era — from “wild growth” to refined industrial production.