hongguo-drama

Project Overview

Hongguo Drama Desktop is a desktop short-drama client built with Electron, React and Node.js, targeting Apple Silicon Macs, Intel Macs and Windows x64. It unifies search across three sources (Hongguo, Xifan and Hema) into one interface, supports online and local playback, batch downloads and update reminders, and can merge multiple episodes into a single MP4. The app bundles the media tools it needs, so ordinary use requires no separate Node.js, Homebrew or FFmpeg install. This project is a community-maintained open-source modification and is not an official client of any platform.

Search, follow, download and merge-export your dramas, all in one desktop app.

Key Features

• Three-source search: queries Hongguo, Xifan and Hema at once by default, labels each result's source, and keeps other results when one source fails
• Discovery and rankings: poster catalogs, genre filters and paginated browsing, with several trending charts for Hongguo
• Online and local playback: downloaded episodes play locally, missing ones attempt online playback, with resume support
• Preload and auto-play: can preload the next episode, auto-plays by default and skips locked episodes
• Aspect modes: fit-window and keep-width modes, remembered per drama and preserved across switches
• Download queue: single or batch downloads with concurrency settings, pause, retry and directory scanning
• Merge export: smart fast merge and compatible merge, combining a whole drama into one MP4 while keeping the originals
• Library and cleanup: view episode counts and disk usage, with remove, restore, batch cleanup and auto-delete after watch
• Update reminders: periodically checks for new episodes and suspected sequels while running, with optional system notifications
• Proxy and updates: manual HTTP/HTTPS proxy configuration with proxy testing, plus new-version reminders

Target Audience

• Users who want to watch short dramas on a computer
• Users who need to batch download and organize dramas
• Users who want to merge episodes into a single movie
• Users who use both Mac and Windows
• Users who need offline viewing of short dramas

Quick Start

1. Open the latest public release page and expand Assets to download by device: mac-arm64.dmg for Apple Silicon Macs, mac-x64.dmg for Intel Macs, and win-x64.exe or win-x64.zip for Windows
2. On Mac, open the DMG and drag the app into Applications, then launch it from there; on Windows, double-click the portable EXE or unzip and run the EXE inside
3. After launch, open Settings, choose a download folder and save
4. Browse under Discover or type a title under Search and Download, open the detail page and click Play, or select episodes to add to the download queue
5. Next time continue from My Library or Watch History; download progress, retries and whole-drama export live under Download Management

Core Advantages

• Three sources in one: a single search covers Hongguo, Xifan and Hema, making discovery easier
• Bundled media tools: FFmpeg and friends are included, so you do not configure an environment
• Local first: downloaded episodes play locally, and online playback does not fill the download folder
• Free export: merge a whole drama into an MP4 for archiving or casting
• Broad platform coverage: the same feature code supports Apple Silicon Macs, Intel Macs and Windows

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
OS	macOS 13 or later, Windows x64
Architecture	Mac arm64 / x64, Windows x64
Runtime	Media tools bundled; no separate Node.js or FFmpeg needed
Data directory	The app support folder under Library on macOS, the user profile folder on Windows

Notes

• Unofficial client: this is a community-maintained open-source modification with no official endorsement from any platform
• No content guarantee: the software does not unlock paid episodes and does not promise every drama will play or download
• Signing differences: the Mac release is signed and notarized, while the Windows EXE is unsigned and may trigger security prompts
• Avoid the source ZIP: GitHub's auto-generated Source code archive is not a runnable application
• Missing episodes not filled: merging only processes downloaded episodes and never fills in gaps