According to Chinese media, many viewers commented that the male actor seems to be becoming an "invisible person" in the program that made his name. Although he still appears regularly, takes on many physical challenges and participates in main games, Ly Than no longer maintains the prominence of the early stages of "Keep Running".
Meanwhile, young actors such as Bach Loc, Manh Tu Nghia, although facing many controversies, are still receiving more attention. Their coverage is also higher than Ly Than when they continuously appear on audience search keywords.
In the early seasons, Ly Than was considered the "physical pillar" of the program with the nickname "Great Black Bull". The image of a strong male actor, ready to face off in name tag tearing scenes, once helped him own a large fan base. One of the most recalled moments was when he was injured in the eyebrow area, had to get more than 20 stitches after a challenge but still continued to film.
Not only scoring points thanks to his endurance, Ly Than is also commented by many colleagues as a taciturn but thoughtful person. Stories such as patiently signing autographs for fans or picking up edible fruit to avoid wastefulness once helped him build a calm and reliable artist image.
However, when "Keep Running" changed its lineup and oriented the content in a youthful style, leaning towards creating fast entertainment effects with a series of new stars such as Bai Lu, Meng Ziyi, Li Chen's role gradually changed. If before he was often the leader or creating climax for the game, now the male actor mainly appears as a supporting factor, giving up acting space to a cast of younger guests and members.
In the latest broadcast season, the image of Ly Than struggling to complete the rowing challenge in bad weather conditions attracted many viewers' attention. Many opinions believe that the male actor still maintains the same serious fighting spirit as before, but the pace and style of the current program are very different from its golden age.
Some netizens expressed regret when saying that the type of artist "quietly working" like Ly Than is increasingly difficult to create attraction in the modern reality show environment - where the element of controversy or spreading statements is often paid more attention.
Recently, Ly Than's absence from a gathering of old members also sparked rumors that he is gradually moving away from the veteran stars. However, Tran Hach - an artist participating in the previous season of Keep Running - later spoke out that the two still maintain good relationships and had planned to cooperate in another program but could not arrange the schedule.
