A story which is a warm hug set during China’s era of cultural change and reform.
The love I have for this drama is truly something else, as Love Story in the 1970’s turned out to be a very different experience than what I originally expected going in. If anything, it became an experience I valued all the more.
A lot of the reviews I’ve read pride this show for the comfort it left them feeling whilst watching, and yes, there is comfort to it But it is not all that the show has to offer. While Fang Mu Yang and Fei Ni’s relationship throughout the series is one that is akin to being wrapped in a blanket, for me it was also the time period that made this show special. Love Story in the 1970’s is set throughout a heavily political period for China’s history, a time which was built within a strict communist regime which later broke with China's Cultural Revolution. While I won’t comment much on the shows address of this difficult time period in the larger sense of the world it paints in the background, what really stood with me was the bond of family throughout the story, and how even with some of the harsh setbacks and difficulties that the characters were faced with, that theme and bond was still a strong one that the characters held and carried with them throughout. This is a show which encourages further reading to fully understand the context of the struggles these characters face, especially during some the moments towards the middle of the show which pull even more from true history - such as the disastrous Tonghai earthquake.
The cast do a superb job throughout with their performances - I cannot think of a single person who fell flat. Even the characters you don’t necessarily want to root for are brought to life wonderfully, and some you even grow to love as their own story arcs develop with the shows growth. Arthur Chen and Sun Qian are standouts; Sun Qian’s Fei Ni is headstrong and determined, whilst also carrying a charm of heart about her that makes her so likeable to the viewer. Arthur Chen brings just as much charm to his Fang Mu Yang, whilst also bringing him to life with a strong resilience to pick himself up time and time again against all the hardships his character faces. In fact, that seems to be one of the main strengths and themes running throughout this show - resilience in the face of a time of great poverty and hardship.
If you love dramas that offer not only a lovely story of family and the bonds that tie us but which are also rich in history - so much so they encourage a desire to learn more about the time period and just how truly difficult it was for many and how the scars left behind from it remain embedded within families even today - please do yourself a favour and check this show out. I am so surprised by how rich it ended up being, so much so that Love Story in the 1970’s remains a little treasure among the vast number of titles out there.
A lot of the reviews I’ve read pride this show for the comfort it left them feeling whilst watching, and yes, there is comfort to it But it is not all that the show has to offer. While Fang Mu Yang and Fei Ni’s relationship throughout the series is one that is akin to being wrapped in a blanket, for me it was also the time period that made this show special. Love Story in the 1970’s is set throughout a heavily political period for China’s history, a time which was built within a strict communist regime which later broke with China's Cultural Revolution. While I won’t comment much on the shows address of this difficult time period in the larger sense of the world it paints in the background, what really stood with me was the bond of family throughout the story, and how even with some of the harsh setbacks and difficulties that the characters were faced with, that theme and bond was still a strong one that the characters held and carried with them throughout. This is a show which encourages further reading to fully understand the context of the struggles these characters face, especially during some the moments towards the middle of the show which pull even more from true history - such as the disastrous Tonghai earthquake.
The cast do a superb job throughout with their performances - I cannot think of a single person who fell flat. Even the characters you don’t necessarily want to root for are brought to life wonderfully, and some you even grow to love as their own story arcs develop with the shows growth. Arthur Chen and Sun Qian are standouts; Sun Qian’s Fei Ni is headstrong and determined, whilst also carrying a charm of heart about her that makes her so likeable to the viewer. Arthur Chen brings just as much charm to his Fang Mu Yang, whilst also bringing him to life with a strong resilience to pick himself up time and time again against all the hardships his character faces. In fact, that seems to be one of the main strengths and themes running throughout this show - resilience in the face of a time of great poverty and hardship.
If you love dramas that offer not only a lovely story of family and the bonds that tie us but which are also rich in history - so much so they encourage a desire to learn more about the time period and just how truly difficult it was for many and how the scars left behind from it remain embedded within families even today - please do yourself a favour and check this show out. I am so surprised by how rich it ended up being, so much so that Love Story in the 1970’s remains a little treasure among the vast number of titles out there.
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