If there's one thing that drew me to this film, it's Greg Hsu.
The Taiwanese actor, who seems to be on a roll this year, has once again delivered another ray of sunshine. He’s back in his sweet spot—effortlessly portraying characters with his boyish charm, which always syncs perfectly with the colors of summer.
The first time I saw him, he played the quirky yet well-intentioned Li Cheng in the Chinese remake of the hit Korean movie The Wedding Day. He did justice to the character, making it easy for me to recognize him when I coincidentally stumbled upon a fan-edited video. The clips were probably pulled from one of his previous films or dramas. Despite my curiosity about his filmography, I hesitated at the time to dive in. After all, I wasn't really into Taiwanese dramas. However, one random night, I felt the urge to finally watch the drama series that had been buzzing on Twitter—Someday or One Day.
I suppose this has always been his signature: effortlessly summoning his boyish charm, making it hard to believe he’s twice the age of the roles he plays. Greg Hsu, exuding the warmth of summer, is actually 33 years old. I had to look it up after watching his latest film, just to confirm he was at least close in age to Jimmy from 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days. I was partially right—Jimmy in the present is 36, twice the age he was when he first met Ami one random summer day, just as he was late again to his part-time job.
He was playing basketball alone, the sweltering summer afternoon only intensifying his frustration and making his expression even more sour. Another day, another disappointment. He had thought that working at a KTV bar would bring him closer to a summer romance, but instead, he found himself opening one door after another, revealing a mix of customers: annoying students, drunken uncles, kissing couples, and weird groups of friends—everyone at their silliest. Not a single door ever revealed a cute girl he could impress. What a bummer! His dream was simple and nothing extraordinary: he just wanted to enjoy his summer vacation before heading off to college. Was that really too much to ask?
But as the ball rolled away after a missed shot, he was stopped by a refreshing gust of summer air—along with a cute "breeze" from Japan, who introduced herself as Ami. A pocket-sized traveler, kawaii as they say in her language, with a gummy smile, and the very person he'd been longing to meet. Finally, it seemed the universe had answered his wishful thinking! He was more than ready to fall in love.
Kaya Kiyohara, the actress who played Ami, was a new face to me. However, something about her seemed familiar, as if I’d seen her somewhere before. Throughout the film, she was bubbly and always smiling, almost convincing me she'd stay that way forever. After losing her wallet, though, she had no choice but to find ways to make ends meet. She knelt in the temple and whispered her prayers, but it seemed fate was determined to challenge her. Then she spotted a KTV bar, and that’s where fate led her to the rolling ball—and to Jimmy.
How fortunate she was that the boss of the KTV bar knew how to speak Japanese. Feeling sympathetic toward her situation, he welcomed Ami as a new member of their crew. Jimmy, a die-hard fan of the anime series Slam Dunk, also knew a bit of Japanese. This connection even pushed him to study the language more so he could communicate with Ami, who didn’t know how to speak Taiwanese.
For more than half the film, everything was going smoothly. Nothing major hinted at any upcoming revelation or twist that would completely turn the story around, and it was clear that the production wasn't aiming for that kind of narrative. Predictably, like many films in this genre, we eventually reached the point where things started to go downhill for Jimmy.
Ami had to go back to Japan.
Switching between past and present, we catch glimpses of Jimmy’s life. At the start of the film, we had a sense that he had lost his business, and a video of him had surfaced and spread online. While still in Japan, he decided to travel, having no clear idea what life had in store for him next. Along the way, he met people who offered him generosity, kindness, and valuable life lessons. As we approached the end and Jimmy reached his final destination, we learned, despite his hopes, that he would never see Ami again.
One thing I noticed was how effortlessly Jimmy found people willing to help him during his travels in Japan. First, he met a cook who also happened to be Taiwanese and grew up in the same city as Jimmy. The friendly man accompanied him on a nighttime stroll, where they had a deep conversation about life. Next, he met a Japanese net café clerk who was playing a game he had created. When she learned that Jimmy wanted to attend a lantern festival, she offered him a free ride. Then, Jimmy encountered an 18-year-old traveler who invited him to hop off the train to experience the snow, which reminded him of the Japanese romance film he had watched with Ami 18 years ago. That movie night, he had missed the chance to hold her hand because he was too engrossed in the story. Lastly, he met an elderly man upon arriving in Ami’s hometown, who also offered him a ride. The man revealed that he knew it was Jimmy who had accompanied Ami on her trip to Taiwan.
It was then that we finally learned what happened after Ami returned to Japan. After Jimmy passed his university exam, he moved to Taipei for college. There, he found new friends and a group of people who shared his interests, allowing him to pursue his dream. Meanwhile, Ami’s condition was revealed—she was bedridden, suffering from a terminal illness. A series of flashbacks showed that despite her illness, she continued sketching, and her final work was given to Jimmy when he met her mother. The heartbreaking truth was finally revealed: Ami had passed away. She died on the day Jimmy received the phone call and broke down. From there, we saw how Jimmy’s life unfolded after her death. He achieved his dream, but his grief consumed him. He dedicated all his energy to his work, which led to great success but eventually slipped away as he got fired from his own company.
The dream Jimmy had been searching for at the beginning, he finally found after losing Ami, but he lost it again when he lost himself. He only rediscovered himself when he began traveling, just as Ami had done. It was true what Ami said to him when they went to a lantern festival: Let’s meet again after we realize our dream.
Despite its predictable storyline, I still enjoyed the film. One thing I’ve noticed is that I don’t get as excited about romance films as I used to. On the other hand, I wonder if both actors had chemistry, or was it just me who didn’t feel it? Still, I’d like to commend Greg Hsu—he has this contagious energy that makes his films enjoyable, even when they lack something. As for Kaya Kiyohara, she was a revelation. Throughout most of the film, we only saw her with her signature gummy smile, and I wondered if that was her usual disposition. But later on, when we finally saw her break down during her private moments, it was clear she had been suffering all along. She was so good at hiding it, but when she broke down, it was heartbreakingly beautiful. As much as she excels at smiling, she’s just as powerful in her emotional scenes. Though she wanted to be with Jimmy, circumstances prevented her from doing so.
Ami made Jimmy’s youth unforgettable. She was the one who made his summer memorable and left a lasting impact on his life.
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