China’s top television and radio industry regulator is cracking down on viral wartime short dramas that feature absurd plotlines — such as heroes fighting enemies barehanded, coming back from the dead, or using 4G networks in the mid-1940s.

On Tuesday, China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) issued a new regulatory notice calling for stricter oversight of wartime-themed short dramas, citing growing concerns about their impact on young people’s values.

The move comes ahead of this year’s 80th anniversary of China’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the end of World War II. In anticipation of the commemorations, a surge of patriotic content has emerged online — particularly ultrashort dramas on short video platforms such as Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, and Kuaishou — blending nostalgia, action, and fantasy.

More than 10 anti-Japanese war-themed short dramas have been released in the past four months, according to domestic media. Titles include “Wipe Out the Guizi” and “Everyone Fights the Guizi,” both using a pejorative Chinese term referring to foreign invaders, and “Back to 1944: Fighting in Northeast China.” These videos have garnered hundreds of millions of views — especially among older audiences — thanks to their fast-paced, emotion-driven plots and overt nationalist sentiment.

For instance, “Wipe Out the Guizi,” which depicts a rural village using homemade weapons to expel Japanese forces, has accumulated over 14 million views since its April release.

However, the dramas have also been criticized by viewers, domestic media, and the NRTA itself for their absurd plotlines and “godlike” characters. These include heroes resurrecting after gunshots or fending off enemies with self-made slingshots. In “Back to 1944,” the protagonist travels from 2024 to the 1944 battlefield, uses a drone to command troops, and even streams a video of Japan’s WWII surrender using 4G from inside a forest.

In the comment sections, some viewers expressed amusement, saying things like “This is so satisfying!” or “This was clearly made for my dad.” Others criticized the absurdity of the plots, such as the protagonist somehow still being able to receive a signal after time traveling to the past.

The NRTA notice warned against “unrealistic portrayals of overly powerful protagonists” and the “crude insertion of modern technology or knowledge into historical settings.” It also urged creators to “reject pseudo-narratives that reduce national struggles to personal revenge stories and patriotic themes divorced from historical reality.”

“Some short war dramas pursue dramatic effect to the point of absurdity, leading viewers to perceive them as ‘meme dramas’ and ultimately eroding the seriousness of historical memory,” the notice continues. “This is especially harmful to shaping young people’s values.”

Instead, it urges makers to channel their “Passion for patriotism into rigorous attention to historical detail, authentic portrayals of human toil, and deep reflections on the nature of war.”

This is not the first time Chinese authorities have targeted exaggerated war content. Over a decade ago, state regulators cracked down on widely mocked scenes in TV dramas, including one in “Anti-Japanese Hero” showing soldiers “ripping apart Japanese enemies by hand.” The scrutiny led to tightened review processes of traditional anti-Japanese war dramas on broadcast television.

According to a report from the China Television Drama Production Industry Association, China’s short drama market reached 50.5 billion yuan ($6.97 billion) in 2024, surpassing the national box office for the first time. The market is projected to grow to 63.43 billion yuan in 2025 and reach 85.65 billion yuan by 2027.

Editor: Tom Arnstein.

(Header image: VCG)