A trending topic on Weibo, "AI face physiological aversion," has ignited a national conversation in China, generating 52 million reads and 20000 discussions, as the 22 billion yuan AI short drama and comic (AI manga) market confronts aesthetic fatigue and slowing growth. According to DataEye-ADX industry data, new AI drama and manga content on Douyin reached 39500 titles in May 2026, down 10.43 percent from April, while total viewership grew to 140.6 billion plays but slowed to just 7 percent month-over-month compared to 176 percent in April. Core complaints center on the homogenization of AI-generated faces, with mass-produced template-based models producing nearly identical features that trigger an uncanny valley effect. In response, higher-quality productions are emerging, such as director Rao Xueman's entirely AI-produced adaptation of "Left Ear," with a three-month production cycle and a team of over 10 people, and AI short dramas by TouchAI using ByteDance Seedance 2.0, selected for Cannes Fantastic Pavilion with production costs exceeding one million yuan. Celebrity AI face licensing has emerged as a potential differentiator but raises complex legal and reputational questions.