[Photo provided to China Daily]

Nie Yuan, an A-list actor who stars as the troop's leader, Zhao Jingzhou, tells China Daily he's disgusted with outlandish war series.

"I can't imagine a Chinese soldier throwing a grenade and blowing up a helicopter. I'll definitely turn down such an exaggerated role," he says, hinting at a sensational scene in the 2010 series Kangri Qixia, literally Anti-Japanese Knight-Errants.

The controversial series also shows a Chinese hero thrusting his fists into the body of a Japanese soldier and ripping him in half.

Nie says: "It's absurd to depict the Chinese soldiers as legendary kung fu masters. The war generation's sacrifices deserve respect," Nie says.

He previously performed as the chivalrous swordsman Li Yuanba in Heroes in Sui and Tang Dynasties, a 42-episode kung fu drama adapted from an ancient novel featuring legendary figures of the two dynasties, spanning AD 581-907.

Wu Gang, who plays Nie's father-in-law in Kill the Evils Off, also believes historical dramas should stick to the facts.

"I do research before shooting a series. The Chinese underwent a disastrous period during the war," Wu says. "We owe today's peace to martyrs."