First Love (2020)

I forgot how I stumbled on this one. But I want to watch a movie, so just randomly selected from my PTW.

Story about a woman [Tian Xiao Le (XL)], who fell in love with her classmate [Cheng Da Ye (DY)], but being a teenager, she tried to hide her feelings.

XL & DY have been friends since DY decided to help XL with her studies. XL & DY get attracted to each other without them realizing it. DY feels attracted by free spirited XL; while XL feels grateful & attracted by DY who helps her sincerely.

In this movie the writer took us through the journey of their love story. Even though XL & DY know they love each other, but being the teenager themselves, they don’t want to admit their love to the others. And later we witness they try to hide their feelings by having another relationship, while still putting the jealousy in their attitude. And later life also forced them to be separated & finally how life / universe in the end forces them to admit their feelings for each other.

I prefer the other title of this drama, 18 Things First Love Taught Me. Cause in this movie XL & DY each tell us what they learn about their feelings for each other, what lesson they get from this first love. XL & DY each share with us 9 lessons. So hence the 18 in the title comes from.

Let me elaborate what the lesson they learn from their love without giving any spoiler / more context. Really just what they told us throughout the movie.

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭: 𝐓𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐗𝐢𝐚𝐨 𝐋𝐞
1st lesson:
When a woman feels vulnerable she’ll surely be moved by the care of a man no matter how little it is.

2nd lesson:
A woman can get crazy for someone she loves

3rd lesson:
Even though a woman knows that love is only an illusion, she’ll make the best of the mistake

4th lesson:
It’s better to walk into a man’s eye in a second then to walk into his heart for a lifetime

5th lesson:
The great cruelty is to sacrifice yourself to serve others.

6th lesson:
To love someone never means cheap or not, it just means willing or not

7th lesson:
Control urself in love, and you'll almost be out.

8th lesson:
The way to make love disappear quickly is to make it a burden

9th lesson:
A person is most important to you when you feel that you are about to lose him.

***************************************************************************************************************************
𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭: 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚 𝐘𝐞
1st lesson:
A man's love starts from compassion.

2nd lesson:
Women are unreasonable but charming creatures

3rd lesson:
It's a mistake to point out woman's mistake

4th lesson:
They get angry easily even with the little things

5th lesson:
The woman in love is a, leading politician

6th lesson:
Women often have 2 faces, but they are more clear about what is right and wrong than men

7th lesson:
A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the ocean, but it's men's duty to look for the needle in the ocean.

8th lesson:
When you begin to learn about love, you can only see the shadow of it.

9th lesson:
Parting is to cut the Gordian knot, but the hurt will last for a lifetime.

Overall this is quite a unique movie about first love. But nothing too special too… Do I agree with all they're thought? No, not really...

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typical coming of age movie

I watched it for the main leads. The story is very predictable and at time flustrating. It felt like the characters weren't that well-developed, both leads and supporting one. I was supposed to root for them but somewhat they all felt so 2d. The only remotely interesting characters were male lead and female lead's sister. Acting is okay, the second leads are bit of... just there? Being more of plot device than fleshed out characters.
Plot itself isn't anything to write home about either. Overplayed growing pains story that lacks certain charm that would make it stand out among the crowd of similarly themed movies. There are youth movies filled with cliches that have that spark but this one lacks it. Little chemistry and the slow developement doesn't help.
This movie isn't anything special really, there are better movies in that genre worth your time. If you like the actors then I guess you can watch it as fluff filler story when you run out of stuff to watch.

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