iQiyi’s new original series, A Love Never Lost (人生若如初见), confirms a global exclusive on iQIYI with the release of two sets of first looks today. This highly anticipated series features a bright cast including leads Li Xian (李现) and Chun Xia (春夏), along with Wei Da Xun (魏大勋), Zhou You (周游) and Zhu Ya Wen (朱亚文). The series is directed by the prominent Wang Wei (王伟), who has previously headed works such as Day and Night (白夜追凶) and Fearless Whispers (隐秘而伟大). 

Set in the Qing Dynasty, A Love Never Lost depicts the story of a group of youth, led by Liang Xiang (played by Li Xian), Yang Kai Zhi (played by Wei Da Xun) and Qiu Hong (played by Chun Xia), who sought revolutionary change for their country. Trapped in a whirlpool of power play and with no real platform to encourage change, their ideals on friendship, love and faith are put to the test as they become increasingly embroiled in this era. 

A Love Never Lost is a rare historical period drama that not only focuses on the historical significance of the story, but centres itself around a group of youths across its narrative. Original historical sources such as books, photos and videos were referenced to ensure accuracy in designs when filming. For example, in a scene where Li Xian’s character has his wedding, everything from the costumes to the props used was designed with historical accuracy in mind. 

“The fate, love and hate of these characters under the torrent of those times was never just a trivial tale to tell,” said Director Wang Wei in an interview, explaining the importance of attention to detail. When asked to describe his reflections on this series, Director Wang sums it up beautifully with the sentence “Even if they can’t see the light, they will still fight for that path.”

In a recent interview, male lead Li Xian revealed that after reading the script of A Love Never Lost, he immediately made up his mind to take up the project. He added that “the enthusiasm of young people in the drama is easily resonated with the present era.” 

As the drama spans the period of nearly 10 years, Li Xian revealed that he felt certain challenges in the process of preparing to play the role of Liang Xiang, but he firmly believes that every actor does their best to serve the character they are acting as. 

Describing his character, Li Xian shared that Liang Xiang was once a young man who was passionate, naive and ambitious. However, this all changed when one of his brothers died, which shook up Liang Xiang’s will and determination. After returning to China from his studies, Liang Xiang is inspired to explore ways to make China a wealthy country with strong soldiers and pave the path for a brighter future. 

A Love Never Lost will premiere exclusively on iQIYI soon via iQIYI mobile application and the iQIYI international platform (www.iq.com).