18×2 Beyond Youthful Days

10/10

I’ve been in a Kdrama slump this year with very few shows that were impactful enough to me to warrant much of a discussion. Hence a lot of radio silence from me for most shows these days.

Then I stumbled upon this Taiwanese/Japanese show. What a gem that is hidden in plain sight on Netflix.

It’s beautiful. It’s bittersweet. It’s powerfully emotional.
The cinematography is outstanding.

It’s about a 36 year old man in Taiwan who has lost his way after founding a successful company (portrayed by the talented Greg Hsu from Someday or Oneday). He’s hit rock bottom. I can relate- I feel that I’m stuck in a similar situation.
He then travels to Japan in search of a girl (the stunning Kaya Kiyohara) he befriended 18 years ago.

It’s a nostalgic view about self discovery. It about realizing that life is short and the ephemeral moments that make life special. It’s a reflection about life and living.
If you are human- you will cry.

It heavily references a 1995 Japanese movie Love Letter which now needs to be on my watchlist.