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Official poster of The Freshman Fake, as shown on NetShort

#5 on NetShort · Hottest English Short Drama Series

The Freshman Fake

Guzheng player Maya posts her songs under a male-sounding gamer alias.

About 1 hours in all

Watch on NetShort

The Freshman Fake streams on NetShort. 30 episodes: episodes 1–7 are free, the other 23 are locked. No free official video on our list: we link only the apps' own YouTube and TikTok channels, not Dailymotion or re-upload accounts.

FreeEp 1–7on NetShort
Locked23of 30 episodes
CheckedOct 25app's site

Characters

  • Maya: socially anxious guzheng prodigy who writes songs as Mason
  • Ethan: campus music talent who partners with 'Mason'
  • Chloe: ex-girlfriend who schemes against them

Story

The Freshman Fake is a NetShort campus romance about a secret identity. Maya, a socially anxious Chinese American girl, feels trapped by the label of guzheng prodigy. She uploads her original songs anonymously as Mason, a gamer name that sounds male, and campus music talent Ethan praises them. Posing as Mason, she teams up with Ethan for the music festival. As they grow closer, they deal with schemes from an ex-girlfriend, Chloe, and with pressure from family.

Campus & coming-of-ageMistaken identity / switched at birthSweet romancesecret songwriter aliasmusic festival duet

Who will like it: viewers who liked campus romances built on a hidden identity.

Premise rewritten by ShortDramaDesk from NetShort's description, read Oct 25, 2026.

Episodes

Mint ticks: 7 free. Grey: 23 locked. About 1 hours in all (episode 1's length × episodes, an estimate).

Where to watch

NetShort
Episodes
30
Free
7
Locked
23
Checked
Oct 25, 2026 read from the app's site
AppEpisodesFreeLockedCost to finishChecked
NetShort30723—Oct 25, 2026read from the app's site

Cost to finish

Passes for NetShort on the App Store: $5.99 to $29.99 (checked Oct 18, 2026). The App Store does not list how long each pass lasts.

Questions about The Freshman Fake

Where can I watch The Freshman Fake?
On NetShort. The "Watch on" buttons at the top of this page open each app's page for it. Checked Oct 25, 2026.
How many episodes does The Freshman Fake have?
30 episodes, per NetShort (app's site), checked Oct 25, 2026.
How many episodes of The Freshman Fake are free?
Episodes 1 to 7 on NetShort; the other 23 are locked behind coins or a membership. Per NetShort (app's site), checked Oct 25, 2026.
Can I watch The Freshman Fake free on YouTube or Dailymotion?
Not as an official upload: no video of it from NetShort's own channels is on our list (YouTube @NetShort-app). Copies posted by other accounts are not from the app, and we do not link them. The free official way: episodes 1 to 7 on NetShort, per NetShort (app's site), checked Oct 25, 2026.
Who are the main characters in The Freshman Fake?
Maya, socially anxious guzheng prodigy who writes songs as Mason; Ethan, campus music talent who partners with 'Mason'; Chloe, ex-girlfriend who schemes against them.

How it compares on NetShort

Length
30 episodes is longer than 9% of the 2224 NetShort dramas on our list (typical: 38).
Free episodes
7 free episodes is fewer than the typical NetShort drama (8). That is 23% of the story before the paywall.

“Typical” is the median drama from this app on our list, adult titles left out.