“Warrior of Thunder” was pulled from networks following criticism by People’s Daily. Producers defended their show in a now-deleted social media post.
A Chinese television series has been taken offline following criticism from state media over its depiction of war being “a departure from historical reality.”
The show, “Leiting Zhanjiang,” or “Warrior of Thunder,” was pulled from the Hunan TV network and several video-streaming platforms around two weeks after its premiere, domestic media reported Monday.
The previous day, an editorial in the influential state-run newspaper People’s Daily had panned the series’ portrayal of Chinese soldiers during the Second Sino-Japanese War — or the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, as it’s called in the show and much of China.
The article objected to the producers reframing what should have been an authentic historical drama as a so-called idol drama relying on sensational, over-the-top tropes to appeal to young viewers.
“It’s fine to consider young people’s habits and use innovative means of expression in television dramas, but respect for history must be a precondition,” the editorial said.
A GIF from “Warrior of Thunder” shows a male protagonist winking suggestively at a female character. From Weibo
In “Warrior of Thunder,” the protagonists’ picture-perfect hairdos are held firmly in place with product. The Communist soldiers — the Eighth Route Army — have commandeered a luxurious villa to be their base of operations, and hospital nurses are seen wearing dresses and patent-leather shoes. One of the main characters, a military division level commander, drinks coffee and smokes cigars.
The editorial calls out the hairstyles and mansion as being particularly out of place. Continue to read the full article here
– This article originally appeared on Sixth Tone.
