Chinese Anti-Japanese Film "731" Moves 1.4 Billion, Japanese Media Criticize: "3 out of 10, Disrespectful to Victims"

Mainichi: "Audience Response Remains Cold"
"Box Office Results Fall Short of Expectations, Quality Also Lacking"

Japanese media have reported that the Chinese movie "731," which exposes the inhumane atrocities committed by the Japanese Army's Unit 731 during World War II, is receiving harsh criticism for its lack of quality.

Poster of the Chinese movie 731.

On October 14, the Mainichi Shimbun reported, "The Chinese movie '731,' which deals with the former Japanese Army's secret organization Unit 731, has been increasingly regarded as an 'incomplete work' three weeks after its release on September 18."

The newspaper noted, "On the global movie information site IMDb, '731' received a score of 3.2 out of 10," adding, "On major Chinese movie platforms, critical comments have continued, and the publication of ratings has been suspended."

The movie "731" deals with the inhumane acts committed by the Japanese Army's Unit 731, which was established near Harbin, China, during the Japanese occupation. The film exposes these atrocities through the perspective of civilians. Released on September 18, the anniversary of the Mukden Incident, "731" set a new record for the highest number of screenings in a single day for a single film in Chinese cinema history, surpassing 269,000 screenings on its opening day. This even exceeded the record set by the Hollywood blockbuster "Avengers: Endgame."

However, the newspaper reported that the film has been met with a wave of harsh criticism from audiences. The Mainichi Shimbun stated, "On Chinese movie platforms Maoyan and Douban, there were ongoing criticisms such as 'If it had been released overseas, it would have become a laughingstock.' While some comments acknowledged the film's significance in raising historical awareness, both platforms did not disclose their average ratings."

The Mainichi Shimbun also introduced negative reviews posted on IMDb, such as: "This movie is disrespectful to history and the victims," and "A director of this level should not handle such a subject," reflecting the severe criticism the film has received.

The newspaper further reported, "Although the film partially referenced actual records such as the use of fleas and rats to spread bacteria and human experimentation, there were many criticisms regarding the lack of historical accuracy, such as the sudden appearance of an Oiran (a high-class courtesan from Japan's Edo period) procession or characters wearing Hakama (traditional Japanese clothing). The storyline was also described as difficult to follow."

The newspaper stated, "As of October 13, the cumulative box office revenue for '731' was approximately 381 billion won, which is unlikely to surpass the Chinese film 'Nanjing Photo Studio,' released in July this year, which earned about 608.2 billion won." It also pointed out that "'Nezha 2,' the highest-grossing Chinese film of the year, reached about 3.112 trillion won in box office revenue, highlighting that '731' fell short of expectations in both commercial success and artistic merit."