In the shadow of “Ne Zha 2’s” blockbuster success, a quiet revolution is reshaping China’s entertainment landscape.
While attention focuses on how homegrown titles increasingly outpace Western films through cultural pride and technological advancement, another formidable force drives this shift: web novels and their extraordinarily successful authors. Historically, cinema’s most iconic works, from classics like “Gone with the Wind” to franchises such as “Harry Potter,” originated from traditional publishing. But China’s digital-first approach has rewritten this playbook, with companies like Yuewen transforming what was once niche content into global entertainment powerhouses.
“Online literature’s strong pacing, imaginative concepts and universal emotional cores make it highly suitable for film and television adaptation,” explains Hou Xiaonan, CEO and president of Yuewen, whose platform houses over 10 million online authors and more than 16 million literary works. The numbers speak volumes. In 2024’s rankings of Chinese TV series viewership, the top three shows were all adapted from online literature: “Joy of Life 2,” “The Legend of ShenLi” and “The Double.”
According to Hou, for 2025’s upcoming slate across China’s three largest streaming platforms, adaptations from web novels will account for more than 30% of new series. Among these digital literary stars, few shine brighter than Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, author of “Lord of Mysteries.” The series has accumulated over 1.45 billion views including its audiobook version, with the author amassing more than 39 million followers globally. Currently being adapted into an animation series slated for summer release, pre-registrations on Tencent Video for the series have already exceeded 830,000.
“I believe there should be expressions of the most fundamental and universal human emotions,” Cuttlefish says when asked about themes that work internationally. “Familial affection, friendship, love, compassion for the miserable, perseverance in upholding justice, and resistance against oppressors are key to global resonance.”
The international impact is undeniable. “Lord of Mysteries” holds the global record for web novel subscriptions with over 50 million views on WebNovel alone outside China. It has spawned spontaneous fan communities, with its core Facebook group exceeding 20,000 members and maintaining a remarkable 4.8 out of 5 rating.
Beyond English markets, the novel has been translated into French, Korean, Japanese and Thai, with print editions in Russian. In November 2024, the British Library added it to its collection and organized an IP-themed exhibition around it.
JKS Manga, a former music teacher from the U.K., represents another success story. His “My Vampire System” has garnered over 400 million views and sold 15 million copies. The work won the 2022 WebNovel Spirity Awards and has been adapted into an audiobook with 243 million plays, with a comics adaptation currently in development.
“Two weeks before the WSA was held, I resigned from my teaching position,” JKS Manga recounted at the 3rd Shanghai Online Literature Week in December 2024. “I came to Shanghai and then won the gold award. After winning the award, my work has been more widely spread and its popularity has been continuously growing.”
The growth of web novel adaptations creates a virtuous cycle. “When these novels are adapted, we have greater development opportunities,” JKS Manga explains. “Recently, I have noticed that more and more works are being adapted into audiobooks, comics and even short dramas. These adaptations have attracted a large number of new audiences, who may not even know that these works were originally adapted from online novels.”
Behind these global successes lies another crucial element: translators who bridge cultural gaps. CKtalon, a Singaporean with a master’s degree in physics who works in scientific research and engineering, has been instrumental in translating “Lord of Mysteries.” CKtalon created a database of specialized terms that now exceeds 1,000 entries. His meticulous approach includes researching academic papers to grasp complex connotations of traditional Chinese concepts.
“A book that could have been translated in a year might end up taking three years,” CKtalon notes about the challenges of maintaining quality across different translators. His work exemplifies how professional translation infrastructure supports the global expansion of Chinese web novels. Yuewen’s strategy centers on web novels as the cornerstone for holistic IP development.
Successful works branch into publishing, audiobooks, animation, film, gaming and merchandise through both internal development and partnerships with industry leaders. The international expansion has been methodical. Yuewen has established partnerships with 75 international publishers and platforms including Naver, Kakao, Disney+, Netflix and WeTV. By November 2024, their international platform WebNovel had aggregated 680,000 original overseas web novels from 449,000 international authors.
Notable successes include Paperboy, whose web novel “Guardians of the Dafeng” has been adapted into a hit TV drama featuring Dylan Wang. The author has amassed over 42 million followers globally, while the drama has topped rating charts across platforms in North America, Singapore and Taiwan. The series exemplifies how web novels can spawn multimedia franchises. The audiobook of “Guardians of the Dafeng” launched on Ximalaya with over 8.2 billion playbacks. Its comic adaptation has been bookmarked by over 700,000 users, while the mobile game saw pre-registrations exceeding 7 million before the drama aired.
What makes these works resonate globally? Authors consistently point to universal themes embedded in fresh cultural contexts. “Detective reasoning!” explains Paperboy when asked about themes that transcend geography. “Logical reasoning is not restricted by culture or region. Moreover, the chivalrous spirit of chasing criminals and punishing evil while promoting good represents a universal value.”
This blending of universal themes with cultural specificity creates unique appeal. As Heng Sao Tian Ya, author of “Library of Heaven’s Path,” explains: “Its core is the Chinese concept of ‘respecting teachers and the principles of education,’ but through an imaginary world and systematic settings, it is transformed into the theme of ‘knowledge is power’ that can be understood by global readers.”
With adaptation success feeding back into original content creation, China’s web novel ecosystem continues to evolve. As traditional publishing models face disruption worldwide, this digital-first approach to entertainment franchises may well represent not just China’s present but global media’s future.
