Every day, we constantly overlook certain people in our lives because we take them for granted; the neighborhood police, the DJ(s) on the radio that we listen to every morning/night, a person who's constantly trying their best to improve our lives with silly inventions, a person who's trying their best to chase after what he loves, these are some of the characters in this movie and because they're mostly not "noticed", after you finish the movie, it makes you really want to go up to one of these types of people and say, "Thank you for all you've done." After all, these are people who you might have crossed paths with.

I started this movie for its star-studded cast, Deng Chao (The Breakup Guru, Devil and Angel, The Four) and Bai Bai He (Monster Hunt, Love is not Blind, A Wedding Invitation), king and queen of Chinese movies (of course, not the only king and queen). Then there's Yang Yang, Zhang Tian Ai, and Xiao Yue Yue who recently exploded in popularity (Love O2O, Go Princess Go, I Belonged To You). I learned of this movie because of Yang Yang, but put it on my PTW list for Bai Bai He and Deng Chao because in my opinion, they've never disappointed me and probably never will. Most of the movies they've ever been in always deliver some meaningful/important message, and this movie is not an exception. From what I know, almost everyone took up a role that they haven't performed in any other project and it made for a nice, new experience.

There were some Chinese reviews that said the only good point about this movie was the cast. I disagreed and decided to write a little. This slice of life movie gives two sides of everything, good things can happen and so can bad things. This is NOT a spoiler, because that is how life is and it is what I appreciated about this movie. There wasn't anything I disliked about the movie. The director did an amazing job because... (if you haven't watched it yet, you might consider below a spoiler but it's just a minute detail that most people might not have noticed and doesn't give away big plot developments)

1. There was camera focus on people like taxi drivers, the grocery peddlers, grocery peddlers who have to take care of their kids at the same time, factory workers, security guards and others. People who (might) have a difficult time with their personal lives but still have the time to smile at us and sell us their service every day. There was also camera focus on ordinary office workers, students, and just ordinary people in general. No one was excluded in particular, but when I thought deeper about how many people I pass by every day without knowing how they live, then I connect it to the radio messages that Deng Chao says, I can't help but tear up and feel sorry. Even though I might not change how I look at passerbys in my life, but I think I might start to value these relationships that I have with passerbys.

2. Beautiful cinematography. Although there weren't a lot of city shots, but everything else was just as beautiful, from small towns to Daocheng. Not much can be said about how much I appreciated what the director included in the movie, I think it's best personally experienced by watching the movie (#sellout).

3. The music was absolutely fantastic. There were a couple of soundtracks that I particularly loved:
In This Whole World, Who Listens to You? (Yoga Lin)
Unspoken (Li Ronghao)
You Are Waiting for Me at the Endpoint (Wang Fei)
Love is a Crazy Word (Yang Yang)

This might be the entire soundtrack, but everything was just so amazing. Even if you watch the movie just for the music, I think that's already worth it. From all the Chinese titles, it's hard to determine what the English translations are, and even harder to understand in Chinese what they actually mean. However, when you finish listening to it (whether in Chinese or with English subs), you can grasp what it's trying to tell you, and that's how I came up with the English translations for the song names. Not only are the original soundtracks amazing, but the background instrumentals were just as awesome!

There have been worse movies than this, but I think this is one of the best movies to be produced this year. From the beginning, I didn't understand why the English title was "I Belonged To You" when the Chinese title's direct translation was "From Your Whole World, I Passed By". Then, I watched the movie and thought about this question again. Perhaps, you'll think about it as well as you're watching it, or maybe you've already thought of it, but it doesn't change this sad but hopeful feeling that I have. No matter who passes by in your life, no matter whether they're special to you or not, we should all be thankful for being allowed to connect with those people once in our lives. If we think about it, out of the 7.4 billion people on this Earth, we were able to make contact with certain kinds of people and that is one kind of ?? (fate) that we should also value. Of course, not everyone we meet is a good experience, but isn't it because we've experienced the bad ones that we appreciate the good ones? That is also something that I think reflects in the movie, and all in all, there are just so many simple realizations that you can experience from this movie that doesn't happen too often nowadays with Chinese movies.

Read More

I've personally been a fan of Tiny Times since the beginning. As a young adult, the glamour of the scenes is appealing to the eyes and of course, the eye candy can't be left out. In the third movie of this "trilogy" (there will be a fourth movie coming out Spring 2015), the cg effects continue along with new eye candy. However, it must be pointed out that Tiny Times 3.0 does bring us valuable perspectives into the lives of teens entering adulthood. A glamorous movie that makes you laugh and cry, envy the lives of the characters, drama-packed, but not too in-depth about certain things (which annoys me but I looked up those certain things afterwards). I wouldn't recommend this as a good movie that would provide you a lot of substance but it is a movie that allows you to dream and fantasize about.
Although trailers bring a lot of attention to Lin Xiao, there's a lot of focus on Gu Li as well. Gu Li's family members come back after her father's death. Finding out more information about her father's assets, it begins the adventure of unraveling more secrets whether it's about the company M.G., or about each person they call a friend or family. Although a bit messy with the story line, they broadly wrap up situations that can happen in a life that is not impossible, just highly unlikely. Loan sharks chasing after debts, girlfriends stealing boyfriends, boyfriends faking deaths, parents forcing their children to do whatever is told, and ultimately, friends keeping secrets from each other to protect each other. Looking aside from the cg effects and the slow motion scenes (in my opinion, were too much), director Guo Jing MIng incorporates life lessons and shows us that you can't judge situations just from one perspective. Seeing one situation from all the characters make you realize that a lot of problems in life have multiple sides and you have to think from another person's shoes. Once again, a bit messy and alternates between different scenes. It also didn't go as much in-depth as I would have liked about the new characters introduced.
There's really not much to say about the acting but Yang Mi's stomach really shows. If you didn't know, Yang Mi was still carrying her child during filming, and thankfully her baby is now born and really healthy, despite the cold scenes! I'm satisfied that she came back to film Lin Xiao though because as Guo Jing Ming once stated in an interview, Tiny Times isn't the same without the four girls. Vivian Dawson wasn't bad as Gong Ming so kudos to him! Chen Xue Dong as an M.G. model is a nice change. You can see his character conflicting between Zhou Chong Guang and Lu Shao (his new identity) and I personally don't feel good when I see his face scrunched up in pain, especially when he can't confront Lin Xiao and tell her everything. Bea as Nan Xiang has more scenes this time around and definitely shows us infinitely more sides to her innocent, goddess-like aura. Even Xie Yi Lin as Tang Wan Ru brings more to the table than being a happy simpleton.
Also, Chen Xue Dong's "Never or Ever" (lit. translation "No Goodbye") and Sodagreen's "Glimmer" are amazing additions to the Tiny Times OST. Overall, a wonderful movie to pass time and reminisce about certain relationships.

Read More

Hua Kai Ban Xia has a very original plotline. Trying to boost this drama because after watching the trailer, I didn't feel like it would have any substance. It proved me wrong in so many ways. I have never watched such a drama, honestly. Without all the romance, it would simply be a cat and mouse game, cops and gangs. But there is romance, and that made everything so different. The music, the scenery, the actors and actresses, they all made a very great drama. The love is really profound and it extends to every single character. There are some selfish ones but overall, they were just giving their all for their loved ones. Obstacle after obstacle, the main leads have to work together to move on. I have to say, I didn't expect the ending because there were so many other alternatives. I guess the writer had to go that far. It was cruel.
What I really loved about this drama is that no matter what, their love and trust for each other almost never wavered. The people around them were attracted to them because of that sense of devotion and innocence but were never able to get in between them. I thought the main actor was kind of too old for Qin Li but they made a great couple. There were so many sweet moments.
I skipped through all the cop and gang business. I hated those parts. As usual, the sins from the last generation were dragged down to the young generations and made everyone's lives terrible.
I loved the narration done by the main leads. What ifs, what could have happened, etc. After all, it's better to just never regret anything, which is greatly emphasized throughout the drama.
This drama's good point, in my opinion, is the love, ranging from family to friends to lovers. Definitely a must watch just for the pure love between the "siblings".

Read More

Having seen most of Bai Bai He's films (notably "A Wedding Invitation" and "Love is Not Blind"), I had expected a decent movie. Bai Bai He takes on another role as a sick person, similar to "A Wedding Invitation". She draws you in with her bubbly attitude at the beginning, only to suck you dry (of tears) at the end. Want to watch a movie that will drive you to tears at the end? This is the one you want to stick with throughout.
There were loopholes, like how some supporting characters were just pushed off the screen without much of a excuse. But without paying too much attention to these small details and just focus on the big picture, the story can be romantically heart-wrenching. It's almost like an adaptation of "A Wedding Invitation", which stars Bai Bai He and Eddie Peng. The story lines are very similar. The cast are both just as wonderful. Joseph Chang challenges the role of a man who very much loves his wife (ex-wife, etc) and tries to yield to her every demand. I can never get bored of Bai Bai He because she is simply amazing with her roles, always challenging the opposite sex with her prowess. This was a well directed film.

Read More

Compared to the previous movie, this film was based more on emotions rather than cases, corruption and schemes. Each character is further developed through the showcase of emotions as events happen right after another. Wu Qing is experiencing the turmoil within her as she realizes the 12 killers who murdered her entire family aren't dead. As they unravel the case and go back to the past, new incidents occur, causing misunderstandings, distrust, and pain. Bonds are broken, new ones are revealed. What we didn't know in the first movie, or what we assumed, are revealed in this brilliantly directed film. If you're looking for more mystery cases, this probably won't intrigue you for that long. There are more emotions at play, and with emotions, there comes mistakes.
What I appreciated was that the original cast stayed the same, since not a lot of Chinese sequels do that anymore. However, the acting was not what I expected. Wu Qing, a name to indicate without emotion, was full of emotions this time and it made me cringe to see Liu Yi Fei act during the middle of it. However, twist at the end, made me appreciate her as an actress and love her as a whole for this sequel. The big bad wolf, Leng Xue, facing losses, was blinded temporarily by his emotions and was rash in making conclusions. However, Deng Chao's superb acting as he tried to face the difficulties ahead of him was touching. Collin Chou and Ronald Cheng are part of the main cast but seem to be supporting roles wherever they go. Not a lot of lines and not a lot of screen time but absolutely wonderful when they do show up.
I'm almost certain part 3 of the trilogy would be as brilliant as the last two. There are so many loose ends at the end of The Four 2, it made me devastated that it ended as it is. Ending the movie with Hu Xia's (Sad Fairytale) voice was an added bonus to the emotions that were swirling within me at the time. There were a lot more CG effects, for sure, but it didn't affect the beauty of the scenery. Wonderful cast, beautiful music, touching story line, just gather some tissues when the movie hits its climax. Beginning slow, slams all kinds of emotions into you and then ending fast, that's how this movie will be.
Definitely a must watch for those who have watched the first part of the movie. It was a spectacular watch and a great way to start off with 2014 movies (despite it being released in 2013, there hasn't been a good quality version uploaded until recently for me).

Read More

This drama has 50 episodes long and I felt like the ending has been dragged out a bit, but definitely did not disappoint! Great cast, great acting, great music, and I would definitely re-watch. Mixed with a LOT of family drama, business battles, betrayals, friendships, love triangles, there are many great things to say about this 2013 romantic drama! [MAY CONTAIN MINOR, VERY MINOR SPOILERS]
This novel-based drama has great camera shots, great scene transitions, amazing fashion styles, and great music accompaniments. Straight from the first episode, you'll be sucked in with the fast-paced events. I got hooked by the children in the rain scene and if you watch it, you'll know what I mean. It'll slow down, which is why it stretches to 50 episodes but I wasn't able to stop myself from watching it episode after episode. Even to the very end, I wanted more! [And if you do watch it, you'll REALLY understand what I'm so stuck on.]
Cliche but to the point, the drama has deaths, illnesses, love, betrayals, sibling rivalry, etc. As the synopsis indicates, there's almost a constant melancholic atmosphere surrounding the female lead. Qin Li is a great actress. First saw her in Shining Days and her strong personality in her roles really amazes me. In this, she plays out an innocent young girl that becomes a understanding woman within one scene and it was fantastic! The schemes, the well-thought out plans, the way she takes control of all kinds of situations, it's all so visible in her acting. The people around her are constantly hurt, as well as herself! It was a drag to see the family drama drag on for so long and I actually skipped through most of it.
Then there are the male leads. One acts as a playboy and the other one as a childhood love. The childhood love played by Li Yi Feng was really sweet and heart-wrenching. The playboy played by Lee Wei makes you hate his guts at first but then when he comes back into the drama later on, you'll just grow to love his guts. What's a drama without a love triangle? Along with so many siblings (the father got really busy during the drama), Chang Qing tried to get what's hers and avenge her dead relatives. Despite all her hard work, love doesn't come easily to a girl who wants so much revenge.
The plot was given an 8 for its cliche-ness. Definitely loved the entire drama as a whole!

Read More

Definitely a great action packed movie! The story line is pretty easy to follow in my opinion and there is comedy relief from time to time. Wish the director was more elaborate on some parts. There are moments where the movie seems rushed because the scenes/settings/plot line jumps pretty quickly. It's an hour and 58 minute movie with a really complicated story line so I'll let the director go for rushing most parts.
The director chose a great group of actors because the acting is spectacular. Watched this because of Crystal Liu (Liu Yi Fei) and Deng Chao. I felt like I was watching another Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame kind of movie, but it wasn't. There were all these special effects and it really made me go wow. It's not the kind of cg effects that seems over-exaggerated, don't misunderstand. Whenever they were used, it wasn't excessive. Wu Qing's(Crystal)character is entirely based off of telekinesis and there were too few scenes in this movie reflecting that, which I found regrettable! It was really cool seeing Crystal acting out this role, because I didn't like her in Chinese Paladin that much. She definitely showed superb acting skills. Ronald Cheng as Zhui Ming provided comedy relief since he's the easy going guy. Always loved him in HK movies and dramas. There wasn't much emphasis on Tie Shou, which was a pity since he seemed like a pretty cool character to act out. Then there's Deng Chao as Leng Xue which I found slightly disappointing because I didn't really see much acting coming from him. There were scenes with him but not enough character development. This whole movie, I kind of focused more on Wu Qing.
Anyways, I would definitely recommend this movie. Action packed, slight romance, and comedy, what else can I ask for? It can go from an all serious moment to an entirely funny scene. The cinematography and music really added an extra bonus to the entire thing. This one hour and 58 minute movie is definitely worth the time, would re-watch soon. Currently expecting the sequel with the same cast, The Four 2.

Read More

I wanted to share the love. I don't know why the overall scores are so low. I absolutely loved this movie. For once, I didn't skip parts / fast forward anything. I didn't think it was slow paced at all! I would definitely recommend this to people who are in for a romantic story line.

STORY: It's a movie revolving around a fox spirit who wants the love of a mortal who "supposedly saved her life". However, this man is already in a relationship (and in love, very much in love) with another woman. I actually thought that because it's a mythical movie, there would be more visual effects, computer generated stuff floating around, but no. This movie stuck to the plot, and didn't do anything fancy schmancy which I really appreciated! I got confused at some parts like when Pang Yong was introduced. It wasn't until later on as the plot developed that I figured out what his relationship is to Pei Rong. But it was all good, it didn't really affect me watching the story. Though, the story was also kind of lame. Wang Sheng made a startling confession and I really want to know if it affects the relationship between him and Pei Rong but now I'll never know. Love in this movie is very.. pure, at least for Pei Rong. Of course, as a fox spirit, Xiao Wei is the personification of jealousy, but at the same time, her unwavering love for Wang Sheng can be quite touching.

ACTING: Well, not much can be said. Definitely loved the acting. Vicki Zhao is a talented actress. This is the first movie I've seen Chen Kun in and I am impressed. I always liked his acting since his role in The Conquest. Definitely stalking his roles now. I didn't like Betty Sun as Xia Bing though. Her role was a bit lacking. Xiao Wei was great but she only had a few expressions in this movie, and that's not much to base on. All in all, nothing in this movie can make you really cringe. It's an enjoyable movie to watch with the cast!

Didn't pay attention to the music much but I would definitely re-watch this sometime soon. It's a touching story, and a really romantic one at that. There's not a lot of lovey-dovey scenes but they make up for it at the climax! Really shipping Chen Kun and Vicki Zhao ~

Read More

I found this drama to be totally underrated but at the same time, I can understand why the ratings are so low. Nothing is surprising, you can definitely expect what kind of ending it'll be, though one of my shippings didn't come true. This movie is more focused on the female audience~ Watch with boyfriend/girlfriend [or alone, like me], or if you're bored and want to watch a sweet romantic movie.
The story is about twin girls trying to find a happy future. One girl believes in true love but when met with an obstacle, decides to drop her belief and pursues a more "realistic" kind of love. The other girl believes that money can buy happiness and that marriage doesn't work. However, she meets a wealthy guy who's willing to spend money on her. The story is predictable. The cast was decent. The female lead was kind of cute, loved how she played 2 different characters. I think her acting was pretty good [except for the drunk scenes] and the wealthy guy is pretty cute too. Though, the cast was pretty dull. Most of the acting was focused on the twins [the female lead] so not much I can say about the cast.
Definitely loved the music though. There was this one piece they played for a really long time at the climax and I just loved it. Really great music.
Not something I would re-watch. Great to pass time or watch with someone while cuddling. Loved the romance portions in this movie.

Read More

It's a short movie, 27 minutes long. Didn't have high expectations. Practically no synopsis, didn't like Ying Er since her role in Sealed with a Kiss, and I didn't know the male lead. But the beginning captured me because of the high tech effects. I loved how the movie just simply captured me in. Since it's a short movie, if you're in for a little sweet romance, definitely mark this one on your list!
A BIT ON THE STORY: Basically there's this love department where they extract or input memories of love. Marriage, divorce, break ups, separation, etc. This department is able to extract these memories and when couples want these memories restored, they can also do it. This movie revolves around future high tech.
Though I didn't really rate it that high on my list, I'm giving it an 8 for this review. I found it a deeply emotional story line. Very touching, very life-related. If I say what it teaches now, then there wouldn't be a reason for you to go watch that now.
All I can say is that, you can definitely expect what the ending will be but the events that lead up to it are so sweet~ Don't expect much in the acting field though. I certainly like Ying Er in this short movie compared to SWAK. Definitely re-watching now just because I definitely didn't expect the twist!

Read More

This movie develops really slowly, and there are flashbacks, so it might get a bit confusing. I even dropped the movie midway the first time I watched it. It doesn't get interesting until the second half, which made it more painful. As soon as you get past the beginning, I can promise, you won't want to stop. You'll want to see what will happen next, what he wants to do next, how the movie is going to end. It's a really emotional story, though it's a given since the main lead is sick. It's actually kind of cheesy, now that I'm re-watching the second half again. I didn't think it would be good, but now I really want to recommend this to people. It's a cheesy plotline, but I want more people to watch this and have some hope. It all started as a game... but certainly didn't end up with a winner or a loser.
Heads up, it will hurt, so bring out a box of tissues.

STORY: It's surprising. Like... the writers really can drag you all over the place. What you assumed, what you thought, they kind of become useless. I mean some things are given and I won't say what... but as I've mentioned, many flashbacks. They'll slowly unravel the story. Do not be fooled by the first half like I did. Although it's about a sick girl, there's almost nothing medical. It mainly revolved around this girl's first love experience. For me, even when there were times in the movie where I knew what was going to happen... I bawled like a baby. It was emotionally painful. There is a love triangle of sorts, and you have to factor in Shi's overprotective mother. Everyone wants the best for Shi. The writers also throw in sweet stories for Shi's mom and Xia's dad. Both really touching stories. At the end, it was kind of romantic, cheesy... but I came to love the entire thing at the last act in the film. There was a moment for all the confessions towards the end that wrapped up many loopholes, but at the VERY VERY end, there's one final twist that just messes with you entirely. I still can't get over it now. I won't say anything so you really have to watch it to the VERY END. You won't regret it, at least I hope you don't.

ACTING/CAST: I was doubtful of Angelababy's acting. I've only seen her in tabloids and all that, never really seen her act. But she acted out this role really nicely, in my opinion. Given the ending, she can act, in and out of the story line. Mark Chao.. never watched him either and I didn't quite like him in the story. In the beginning, I felt him out of place. But he was the main reason I continued watching, the moment the game was reversed, and the tides have changed. I guess the best scenes of him for me were the really emotional ones, the ones that make you all teary-eyed. I don't know how to explain but... most of the acting crew was amazing. No one was terribly bad that you have to cringe at their acting.

MUSIC: I don't like Mark Chao singing, if that's really him singing. But he sang a beautiful song with meaningful lyrics. It really goes with the movie. There were also beautiful instrumentals that I would like to get my hands on. It made everything so sweet and dreamlike.

RE-WATCH VALUE: Like I've said, it's a slow movie. I wouldn't re-watch this anytime soon. But if I was emotionally stronger, I'd probably re-watch the entire thing one more time... just to notice the details and go through the pain again. The ending... it still gets to me. Reading the ending credits, it was filmed based on the Korean movie, "...ing", so the ending is expected. Ahhhh, just watch it. You can find it on youtube!

Read More

This movie was really spectacular. It revolved around the plot, it didn't stray too far off, and the cinematography was simply breath-taking. I didn't know that this was an adaptation to a novel (and there's another film for this novel), but I really, really love the acting, the cast, the music, everything. It's a pretty cliche kind of plot, but the ending isn't, in my opinion. If you haven't watched the other film or read the novel, I'd recommend you to give this movie a try! I was literally at the edge of my seat as Yi Fan was trying to seduce Fen Yu. It was sort of cute and really sweet at how he was trying to make her like him. Zhang Zi Yi and Jang Dong Gun were so great at their roles!
I think there are some lessons for guys that are taught in this movie. Don't make a woman your enemy. Don't play with more than you can handle. Definitely a must watch. It's thrilling, sensual, and I already re-watched it three times! I don't want to give too many details away. If anything, watch the trailer and get lured in!

Read More

I didn't want to watch this at first because I watched a HK drama, The Legend of Heaven and Earth: The Beauty Mermaid [something like that], and I didn't want to watch remakes. Plus it's a legend so everyone knows the story, everyone knows the ending. It just depends on the writers to manipulate the plot. But in the teaser, I was attracted to Tong Xin and the Prince. They surely didn't disappoint! I preferred the supporting couple more than the main couple because I like the rich guy/poor girl concept and how the guy had to chase after the girl. Romance is a huge genre in this drama. Recommended for those who want to watch heartbreaking romances because although many people are in love in this series, not all get what they want...

STORY: As the legend goes, a mortal and a mermaid fall in love but this is not supposed to happen. And thus, they have to overcome many obstacles as they try to stay together. Of course, there's always someone who wants to break up the couple. However, there are also many that support the main couple. I honestly had my heart broken at one of the one-sided love relationships in this drama. Almost all the main relationships in this drama are pure and heartwarming. But it's annoying to see how easily Hong Ling is fooled in the story.

ACTING/CAST: Sometimes the acting made me want to cringe. But other than that, I loved the sparks between the Prince and Tong Xin. I really focused on them alot. Of course, the love between Zhang Zhen and Hong Li is heartbreaking at some points. However, after watching The Legend of Lu Zhen and the movie, Palace, I'm kind of tired watching her act. I really dislike her crying scenes now, to be honest. I'm not a huge fan of Kenny Kwan either. But their acting is decent. The one acting as the Dragon Prince was kind of dull at the beginning but it got REALLY REALLY GOOD. It broke my heart when I watched him.

MUSIC: Absolutely loved the intro and ending songs. The intro song is really unique, only an instrumental. It really matches this drama. The ending song kind of reminds me of Yi Yan Wan Nian from S.H.E., not sure why. There was also a song with a male singer that I really liked and it appeared with the Prince and Tong Xin. Some of the instrumentals in this drama were really good and it catches onto you quick.

RE-WATCH VALUE: I probably won't re-watch it in the near future, even if I had time. But, I would re-watch it for the supporting couple. I really, really liked them.

Read More

As I have watched Tiny Times 1.0, I preferred this story over the other one. As most sequels go, they're either better or worse and this one is definitely better than the first movie. Definitely a must watch for people who are in for movies that teach lessons, in for movies that give you those cliche romances and yet you will still get butterflies, and for the love/hate relationships portrayed!

STORY: Although this is set 4 years later, there is definitely a huge contrast between the plots. For instance, the movie focuses more on the relationships (Gu Li / Gu Yuan ; Jian Xi / Lin Xiao / Chong Guang) than singling on characters. It teaches us how to move forward in life, build stronger relationships, know how to overcome obstacles, gain ways into someone's heart. It shows us how to cope, how to love, how to protect, how to forgive, and etc. Definitely a lot of lessons taught and a lot of values learned. There are some extremely sad moments, but there are also some extremely funny moments. It's a bumpy ride but hey, lots of eye candy!

ACTING/CAST: I have to admit, I was sucked in by Cheney Chen in Tiny Times 1.0 and that's why I continued to watch the sequel. The first movie wasn't really as good as I expected from the trailer. He played a bigger role in this movie, which I was really excited about. Though his acting towards the end could improve, I really loved his character throughout the movie. Of course, the other actresses/actors were well developed as well, especially Amber Kuo and Yang Mi! Didn't see much of Bea Hayden in this movie, and Miss Lin showed her professional side by acting out more than one side of her character, which was especially surprising! I might have liked it better if the story focused more on Bea and Miss, because they're also the main leads.

MUSIC: ABSOLUTELY ADORED THE MUSIC IN THIS MOVIE. Like wow, they really put in more effort for this sequel. Though I still don't like the ending song, it was the same one used for Tiny Times 1.0.

REWATCH VALUE: I gave this a 9 because it's a movie you probably want to watch two times in a row at once then probably don't want to touch for another few months. But for me, because of Cheney Chen, I kind of don't want to leave this movie alone for a couple of weeks. The first time I watched it, I was just seeing how it would turn out, but at the end I got surprised, so I'm going to re-watch it to see all the missing details again. I would definitely recommend this to people who watched Tiny Times 1.0.

Read More

It's been a huge roller-coaster ride with this movie. It's hard to say why you should watch it at first. It started off slow, giving us a preview of the main leads' school days. Then it jumped right to the breaking up and the contract. But once they started getting along with the real story, I just couldn't stop. Right now, I just finished the movie and still feel like an emotional wreck. If you're a romantic, don't pass this movie up!

STORY: The story line would have been perfect if it didn't get so obvious after a while. Girl and boy start dating during school years and then break up at the girl's request to pursue successful careers (guy becomes a chef and the woman is some kind of designer / pottery maker). She comes up excuses as to why she wants to break up with him. Five years later, they contact each other again only to find that Li Xing is getting married! From this point, Qiao Qiao and Li Xing go through a series of events that tests their love and whether or not they can still go through with the break up contract. It doesn't get obvious until towards the end, but by that point, I can guarantee that you don't want to stop watching. I only gave it a 9 because the screenwriters wrote a cliche twist but they developed it so that it's not like most cliches. In a way, the cliche was made up by the ending. I just wish they had a better way of explaining the breakup. There were a lot of surprises in this movie.

ACTING/CAST: I really loved Qiao Qiao's acting and Mo Mo! He was so cute and I was so surprised at what his role was in this movie. Well, less competition! Eddie Peng broke my heart throughout the movie. He was the innocent one, the one hidden in the dark. It hurt when he tried to keep a straight face on. When he cried, I cried. When Qiao Qiao teared up, I cried. There were so many tears in this movie and none of them seemed fake. Gotta respect these crying scenes. Qiao Qiao changed her roles so easily. From shocked/surprised, to anger, to calmness. As an actress, she played her character really well and it was nice to see the diverse personalities that she put on. Of course you can see this happening with Eddie Peng as well. Definitely great actors/actresses in this movie.

MUSIC: Loved the background music! Fit with the mood and flowed with the events.

REWATCH VALUE: Definitely re-watching in the near future. It's something you would watch when you want something uplifting. It's uplifting in the sense of how romantic it is and keeps you hopeful for something like this to happen in your life. It's something you can watch when you're bored.

Read More