LayarHijau – The latest drama starring Arthur Chen and Sun Qian, Love Story in the 1970s (纯真年代的爱情), has drawn immediate attention since its premiere. On its first day, the drama reached a peak rating of 1.94 percent. The following day, its real-time ratings surpassed 2 percent, making it the leader in its prime-time slot.
In this series, Arthur Chen plays Fang Muyang, an educated young man who is naive and innocent. The character stands in sharp contrast to his iconic role as Li Xun in Lighter and Princess. The drastic difference surprised many viewers. On social media, humorous comments quickly appeared, including, “Chen Feiyu, does Li Xun know you’re acting like this?”
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Love Story in the 1970s tells the story of Fang Muyang, who suffers temporary amnesia after being injured while saving someone. In his confusion, he struggles to rediscover his direction in life. Meanwhile, Fei Ni, a factory worker portrayed by Sun Qian, fights hard for a chance to attend university, hoping to change her fate through education.
Fang Muyang and Fei Ni unexpectedly reunite after being separated since their youth. In order to secure a university admission quota, Fei Ni takes responsibility for caring for the injured and unconscious Fang Muyang. However, after regaining consciousness, he temporarily loses his memory. What begins as a marriage driven by practical needs gradually develops into a sincere emotional bond. Over time, they support each other in pursuing their shared dream of attending university.
Rather than relying solely on nostalgia, the drama presents a relationship that evolves step by step, tested by various challenges before reaching genuine affection. The atmosphere of the era is vividly portrayed, while the emotional conflicts remain relatable to modern audiences.
Fang Muyang’s innocent and sincere personality is completely different from Li Xun, the arrogant and rebellious programming genius. Many viewers praised Arthur Chen’s acting range, noting how convincingly he broke away from his previous image. Discussions about his transformation reportedly surpassed one million views within a single day. Comments such as “He perfectly fits the role of a sheltered, innocent rich boy” and “The peak of his ‘innocent man’ acting path” flooded online platforms.
To portray Fang Muyang, Arthur Chen deliberately softened his typically sharp gaze, replacing it with a blank and confused expression to reflect the character’s amnesia. At key moments, however, he displayed emotional depth through determined looks when protecting his wife and tear-filled eyes when his emotions collapsed.
With this performance, many viewers agree that Arthur Chen has successfully stepped out of the shadow of his previous role and convincingly brought the character of a pure-hearted young man to life.
