China's First AIGC Long Drama 'Journey to the West: The Later Chapters' Debuts at Fraction of Cost

On August 31, China's first AI-generated long drama without real actors, 'Journey to the West: The Later Chapters,' premiered on Mango TV and Hunan Satellite TV. The 30-episode series, each 40 minutes, is based on a classic novel and follows a new team on a pilgrimage.

Mango TV's chairman said the total cost is just a fraction of similar live-action dramas, and production time was cut by 70% compared to traditional 3D animation. The director set the emotional tone, artists designed characters and scenes, and AI teams turned text into images and then into video. Human creators stayed involved throughout, focusing on creativity and teamwork.

This show is the first to air under a new 'review-while-broadcasting' policy, allowing adjustments based on feedback. The chairman noted that the mythological theme and cinematic AI visuals attracted many new male viewers, proving AI dramas can broaden audience appeal.