TV series distorts facts

A TV series on child heroes during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) has gone on the air. But it is full of exaggerations, showing Chinese boy scouts getting the better of Japanese soldiers with slingshots. The series ridicules the Japanese invaders, and also makes Chinese people look ignorant and fatuous, says an article on youth.cn. Excerpts:

Highly exaggerated TV dramas on similar themes have flooded TV screens in recent years and perhaps have given viewers much to cheer about. But the truth is, the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was an extremely difficult and bitter struggle that cost the lives of many. Apart from the Chinese people's valiant resistance, the reason for Japan's defeat in the war was its loss on other battlefields.

Millions of Chinese lost their lives during Japan's brutal invasion and occupation of China. For example, more than 300,000 Chinese were slaughtered by the Japanese invaders during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre in just two weeks. Against Japan's formidable gun power, the Chinese people were like lambs led to the slaughterhouse. In such a situation, boys using slingshots could not have got the better of the marauding Japanese invaders.

But to celebrate the fighting spirit of our forefathers during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, our film and TV series directors have always tried to highlight their deeds by empowering them with inhuman powers and dwarfing the enemy. History tells another, and sad, story, though. Decades of research shows that 35 million Chinese were killed during the war. If we were as incredibly powerful as portrayed in some of the TV series, we wouldn't have lost so many lives.

Such exaggerated films and TV series neglect facts. And if we continue to ignore history just to feel good, we will remain as fatuous and pathetic as we present ourselves to be today.