This is not just a Malaysian phenomenon. Similar trends are exploding in Indonesia (with "Novel Ustadzah Galak") and Brunei. Netflix Malaysia is currently developing the first pan-ASEAN UstazahZIP drama, tentatively titled Sujud Terakhir (The Last Prostration).

No analysis of the "novel ustazahzip" trend is complete without addressing the male lead archetype, colloquially referred to as the "Mat Lejen yang Bertaubat" (The reformed playboy). In bestsellers like Cinta Ustazah Bukan Main-Main (fictional analog), the male lead is a wealthy, arrogant man who views religion as a constraint. The Ustazah enters his life as a driver, a secretary, or a neighbor.

Production houses are scrambling to option these novels. Several recent hit dramas feature the "UstazahZIP" archetype: