Chinese short films are transforming into a fiercely controversial "fantasy universe"

From "the general genius loves the girl who likes to snob" to "mother of 5 children, 4 fathers", Chinese short films are making viewers laugh and worry at the same time. As the script became more and more absurd, the audience began to ask the question: Who is moderating this content?

Recent Chinese short films are like an "illusory universe" created just to test the audience's endurance. Every day, viewers come across a new headline that makes them pause for a few seconds to confirm they didn't read it wrong. Names such as "The General Tai loves the girl who is full of gynecological diseases", "The General Tai loves the girl who likes to cheat on her", or "One mother, five children, four fathers" are no longer jokes on the Internet but have become real products, with a crew, actors and a solemn opening ceremony.

What these films have in common is simplicity to minimalism: no grandiose setting, no famous actors, not even logic. Just one shocking headline is enough to pull in millions of views. The male protagonist is almost by default a total genius – rich, cold, powerful – and the female protagonist is infinitely transformed, as long as she creates a quirky contrast to increase the "drama". The plot often revolves around absurd situations, which are accelerated to the point that the viewer does not have time to ask questions, just catch up... laughing.

Vietnamese audiences when discussing this phenomenon also show many mixed emotions. Some people watch out of curiosity, because of the short duration that is easy to consume, but there are also people who frankly think that this is a cheap trick to catch views. A part of the audience commented that this genre hit the dreamy psychology of many housewives, who are used to the image of a general from long films. Some people even sarcastically said: "Actors dare to act, the audience dares to watch, and censorship seems to be... fall asleep."

What worries many people the most is the impact of these deviant scenarios. When love is portrayed as a power play, when family relationships are turned into funny situations, it is entirely possible for viewers – especially young people – to receive false values. Some viewers think that watching many of these genres makes the "triangle deviant", because everything in the film is over-painted, dangerously far from reality.

While Chinese feature films are heavily censored, short films are like a free land, where screenwriters are free to be creative in the direction of being as shocking as possible. This makes many people question: should the law be tightened to prevent the spread of harmful content? Some argue that if left unchecked, short films will become a "nest" of meaningless scripts, deteriorating the image of China's film industry, which is trying to recover.

Still, it's fair to admit that not all short films are bad. There are still well-thought-out, emotional works with positive messages. But in the sea of sensational content, decent products are easily overwhelmed. When the market is dominated by shocking scenarios, it is difficult for serious professionals to find a foothold.

In the end, the most worrying thing is not the absurdity of the scripts, but the fact that they are gradually becoming a "familiar dish" for a part of the viewers. When absurdity is repeated enough, it becomes normal. And at that time, the biggest question is no longer "why are Chinese short films like that", but "are we unknowingly accepting deviation from the norm as a harmless form of entertainment".

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