Our Times (spoiler alert?)

Maybe for the older audiences, this movie would be relatable because of the day-to-day way of life in the movie, with such old-school tuckshops, obsession with pop artists of their period and traditional punishments meted out by all teachers. I do also remember using an actual physical contacts list (I still have it! Primary school friends, if you haven't changed your home phone number, I still have yours!!) and writing dumb love letters to people. However, growing up into the digital age, and written chain mail became chain emails (which I forwarded loads when I was younger), phone calls mostly became online messages and petitions to change school rules are done online (and it never ever works).

School life is always pretty much the same-old... Though maybe not as clear-cut as in the movie where the smartest, handsomest boy who's also student president (the boy everyone, including you, likes) takes notice of you when you take off your glasses and hand him a popsicle for his injury. And probably never where the worst gangster student in the school is actually a science honours student and is also hot damn... And he wants to be your friend because you send him chain mail. But of course he likes the most popular girl in the school. But he falls in love with you instead coz movie. Oh, and the other guy kinda likes you too.

I have my own story too. He's not a gangster, but his group of friends are considered the cool kids. He sometimes comes really late for school and has to go for detention. Instead of separating the sauce and noodles, his special order would be "add". Chicken rice add rice, Gongcha milk alisan tea 100% sugar add milk, grass jelly drink add more sugar syrup. No fighting or skipping class to go skating, but like in the movie, we study at McDonald's, I'm bad at math and he has to explain, he doesn't tell me things so that I don't worry and we both know "I'm fine" sometimes really means I'm not.

No moving away to the US, but nowadays separation isn't about distance anymore. No head injury, but spiritual wounds also need to heal up. No Andy Lau keychain and recorded message, but a bouncy ball and piano recordings of songs I like.

In the real world, things are less exaggerated and less perfect than in the movies, but that doesn't make it any less meaningful. In the modern world, things are also more relaxed and casual, and nobody confesses their love after leaving anymore. In a way, this creates easier happy endings and less beating around the bush. And much less missed opportunities. Not everyone is a Hsu Tai Yu after all.

All in all, Our Times is a great romantic comedy (coming of age), and very worth the watch (or multiple watches). Amazing connections on the emotional level until you feel like you personally know the main characters. 10/10.

This is not a movie review, it's just another blog post haha. But really it's a good movie unless you're emotionless. So go watch.