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 the format can sustain serialized storytelling with genuine 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 breakout hit in China, pulling in nearly a quarter-billion views on its first day. Users stayed glued for more than an hour on average, driving total views past the two billion mark.
Demand hasn’t cooled. Nearly three million viewers have pre-registered interest in the sequel, suggesting audiences want deeper stories despite the format’s bite-sized delivery.
The follow-up ups the ante considerably. Shot across a month-long production at Hengdian World Studios, the series deployed a cast of more than 40 principal roles supported by a thousand-person crew. The scale includes enhanced production design, period-accurate wardrobe and large-scale action set pieces — a significant leap for vertical content.
“This is a telling sign that the microdrama format is evolving,” said Timothy Oh, general manager at COL Group. “What began as fast, snackable storytelling has transformed into a platform for long-form, serialized IPs that audiences truly connect with. The typical CEO and werewolf romance plots are of the past — we’re entering a new era of content that spans genres from fantasy to sci-fi, male-driven adventure and historical epics. It’s happening now, and we expect this trend to accelerate internationally.”
Ray Tong, CEO of COL Group, sees broader industry momentum behind the shift. “With the recent shift in focus on microdramas in Hollywood, we’re likely to see even more creative evolution in this space,” he said. “The stories are becoming more layered, the storytelling more cinematic, and the appeal increasingly universal. It’s an exciting time for us and anyone 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 largest microdrama distribution operation globally, with libraries in English and Chinese reaching audiences from Asia to the Americas.
