Hi friends! This was my first time watching this movie, and let me tell you, I loved it! Sad, but really really well made. (btw, found it on Netflix if you're going to watch it.)

STORY
I love-hate this film. The story is important, horrible, and beautiful all at the same time.
It's not your typical sweet romance BL series that makes you laugh and go 'aww' each scene. Instead, it's very heartfelt, crying-worthy and important.
Okay so, some background. The year was 1987. The story is about two boys (Birdy and Jia Han) and their growing love for each other while they're at a Christian High School in Tiwan. Of course, no one is 'kind' to homosexuals and those who catch staring at a guy in the showers get beaten up by their peers (so watch out for that if you're sensitive). Basically, t's not a school where you can openly love your lover if you're queer.
Their way of telling the story with different perspectives and flashbacks is so well done and beautiful that I had to pause at some of them just to think about the quality of the film and how cool that they came up with it. You really get to SEE Jia Han's point of view and how he slowly gives in for his love for Birdy and gets proud and protective of it although it's viewed as wrong by those around him.
One of my favorite things about the movie was that the dialogues were such masterpieces and they said so much with so few amount of words. It brought such emotions through the actors and into me. It has unexpected turns everywhere and I'm in shock that they were able to come up with all of them.
I LOVED THE ENDING. I was really worried that I would hate it and that it would be really sad, but jokes on me. It was such a good closure of the story and heartfelt. Kudos to the director for coming up with that one! After all that young forbidden love it was really nice to see them having to grow up and still remembering that time of their life and their first love. And when they meet again - that we get a backstory and explanation of their love and actions. And how they still can be friends and now are almost fine with their sexualities.
Final words of this part; The movie does a good job showing people how some humans, in real life, had these types of problems and fights just because they couldn't love the person they wanted to - and the fact that it's still like this in most of society is crazy and really upsetting. I'm so surprised to see that the directors choose to not include the typical stereotype "I'm not gay, I'm just in love with *name*" That was so amazing at it made the story much more mature in my eyes.
Also; I saw that someone said that this wasn't a happy ending movie, but yes it was. Maybe not that they lived together as lovers forever but they continued being friends and have a lot of memories to share.

ACTING/CAST
I'm in love with all the actor's performances and bravery portraying a different love from their society's mainstream, how well they play their characters and says with such emotions their part of the story. Would love to watch more of their work in the future. The one who plays Father Oliver, Fabio Grangeon, his acting was *chef kiss*. Also Birdys, Tseng Jhin Hua, acting.
There's great chemistry between the two main characters and you can really see and sense their love and deep attraction to one another even if it's not something their allowed to act on.
Although, LET ME TELL YOU, Edward Chen (portraying Jia Han, the main character). That man! His acting skills in this movie were gorgeous and really really impressive. I've seen one of his works before this one but they cannot compare. He has grown so much as an actor and wow, I'm looking forward to seeing him in the future. Hm crying, laughing and loving on the screen gave chills all over my body. Jian Han is clearly so in love with Birdy that it's almost as you feel the love too. Just with his eyes, you can hear all the words he can't explain or say out loud bc of the world and society he lives in.
Also, they're were well-written characters with believable stories and actions that resonate with me as a viewer. and they are always talking not direct about their feelings but you see that they both understand the other one's intentions.

MUSIC
This. This part of the movie - I was so so amazed at the way they had chosen to put it in. It's so subtle that you almost not even aware of it, but still brings that well-needed mood to the scene and overall story.

REWATCH VALUE
10/10, I'm certainly going to rewatch this with all of my friends at least one or two times.

SOME LAST WORDS
The summary: WATCH! If you skip this movie, well then you've skipped a good part of history that's worth knowing. You're not going to be disappointed, and if you are well them I don't know what earth you're from.
And keep in mind that I'm asexual so literally the only reason the story part got 9.5 is because of me feeling a bit uncomfy at some scenes. So to my fellow asexuals out there, keep in mind that you might want to skip one or two scenes - if you're like me.
BUT the rest of the scenes are really important, so don't skip all of it!

- samuel <3