Directed by Michihito Fujii, “18×2 Beyond Youthful Days” (Qing chun 18×2 tong wang you ni de lü cheng) is a Taiwanese-Japanese romance now streaming on Netflix. Starring Greg Hsu and Kaya Kiyohara in the central roles, it follows 36-year-old Jimmy, who decides to fulfill a promise he made to Ami, whom he met 18 years ago. In her early adulthood, Ami traveled from Japan to Taiwan as a backpacker. She seeks a job at the local karaoke café where she meets Jimmy. They have moved on with their lives and have never met each other after her brief stint in Taiwan.
Spoilers Ahead
18×2 Beyond Youthful Days (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“18×2 Beyond Youthful Days” follows Jimmy, a popular Taiwanese video game developer, who goes on a solo trip to Japan for Ami, a girl he met 18 years ago while working with her at a Karaoke bar. The film is adapted from a travelogue of real-life Taiwanese video game developer Jimmy Lai that he shared online.
What is ‘18×2 Beyond Youthful Days’ about?
“18×2 Beyond Youthful Days” focuses on Jimmy’s (Greg Hsu) journey as he travels for Ami (Kaya Kiyohara), whom he met 18 years ago. We meet Jimmy, a 36-year-old video game developer with a successful career. One day, the board of directors fire him from his own company. So, Jimmy returns to his parents’ house in Tainan. While trying to figure out what to do with his life, he stumbles upon a letter he received from Ami years ago. Soon after, he joins his studio co-founder Aaron (Figaro Tseng) on a business trip to Tokyo. Speaking about his plans, Jimmy says he will go on a journey with no particular destination.
Why does Jimmy decide to travel without any destination?
Jimmy’s unorthodox travel plan stems from something he heard from Ami years ago. Back when he was just 18 years old, he was working part-time at a karaoke bar during the summer before heading to the university. One day, he crossed paths with Ami, a Japanese backpacker who was looking for his boss to get a job. Jimmy fell in love with her at first sight. After she got hired, Jimmy showed her the ropes around their job. Her presence brought them many more customers. So, her colleagues took her for a welcome meal. There, she spoke about her plan to travel without any particular goal.
Ami also showed a book filled with her sketches from the places she had been to. So, the owner asked her to paint a mural in their bar. After dinner, she asks Jimmy to ride a scooter with her. He took her to a place where they could get a complete view of the city. While they discussed their hopes and dreams, he admitted his confusion about what his future would look like. She motivated him to pursue his dreams. As time passed, she grew closer to her co-workers. One day, some local brats disturbed Ami during her work. So, Jimmy got in between to beat them. Instead, he got beaten. Afterward, Ami and Jimmy shared what kind of partner they wanted.
Jimmy’s co-worker realized Jimmy had a crush on Ami. He suggested he take her to watch Shunji Iwai’s “Love Letter.” While watching the film, Ami suddenly started to burst into tears. Jimmy couldn’t understand what happened. Afterward, he held her hand as his friend suggested to him. But she kept it away, leading him to believe she didn’t like him.
Where does 36-year-old Jimmy travel to?
Jimmy travels to a beach he went to with Ami and his other Karaoke co-workers. At night, he gets into a local izakaya (casual bar). He meets its Taiwanese owner, who moved to Japan over 15 years ago. Jimmy talks about his long-lost love, Ami. So, the owner suggests that Jimmy go to her hometown, Tadami, to see her. Jimmy regrets never telling her how he felt and wonders how their lives would have turned out if he had. Later, during his further journey, he meets Koji, an almost 18-year-old freewheeling traveler, on a train. He suggests Jimmy get down at Nagaoka, which is filled with snow. It reminds him of “Love Letter,” which he watched with Ami.
Later, Jimmy enters a local internet café and meets Yukiko (Haru Kuroki), a staff member who happens to be a fan of his video game. She drives him to a sky lantern festival that he once went to with Ami. As they leave their lantern, Jimmy reminisces about the time he took Ami there and how he had a romantic time with her. They promised they would meet each other after they fulfilled their dreams. However, around this time, she decided to move back to Japan. Jimmy got upset by her sudden decision and stopped speaking with her.
His father noticed a change in his behavior and advised him not to live with any regrets. So, the next morning, he took her on a train ride. While listening to music, Jimmy told Ami not to leave, but she couldn’t hear him. Finally, he showed up with his co-workers to meet Ami before she left for Japan. She said she would see him again.
18×2 Beyond Youthful Days (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Does Jimmy get a chance to meet Ami again?
After rekindling his memories with Ami at the lantern festival, Johnny shows up in her hometown. There, a local man drives him to her house and speaks fondly of Ami and her travel plans. It reminds Johnny of his phone call with Ami shortly after she left Taiwan. She told him that she had travel plans with her boyfriend. In the present, Johnny reaches Ami’s house and meets her mother to realize Ami died not long after she returned to Japan. Unfortunately, he does not get a chance to meet her again. Turns out, Ami was suffering from cardiomyopathy. So, she decided to spend the rest of her life traveling. That’s how she reached Taiwan.
Why did Ami decide to suddenly return to Japan?
While in Jimmy’s hometown, Ami lost her wallet and noticed a karaoke bar right next to her. That’s where she saw Jimmy and decided to work there for the time being. Unlike what Jimmy thought, Ami also had feelings for him. But she never conveyed them due to the fear of uncertainty. That’s why, when he told her not to leave Taiwan, she pretended not to listen. She let go the hold of his hand, fearing emotional attachment. However, during the lantern festival, she couldn’t contain the joy she felt being with him. It gave her hope to pursue alternate treatment methods to get better and be with Jimmy. When he called, she lied as she was going through her treatment.
In the present, Jimmy goes through a diary she wrote filled with pictures. In the end, she paints a picture of them being together at the Lantern Festival. It makes him emotional. As he travels further on his journey, he starts writing his first letter to Ami. He talks about how he once met Aaron, and they finished their first game. Right after, he learned about Ami’s death. It took a toll on his mental state and led to his expulsion from his company. As he reminisces the past, he decides to go on a journey as Ami wanted to. He revisits the place in Tainan where he once went with Ami. He imagines her presence next to him.
Why is the film titled ‘18×2 Beyond Youthful Days’?
Jimmy met Ami when he was 18 years old. Now, at twice his age, he decides to fulfill a promise he made to her. He is past his youth and well into a near-stagnated period of adulthood—thus, the title.
18×2 Beyond Youthful Days (2024) Movie – Final Word:
As a romance drama about potentially unrequited love, “18×2 Beyond Youthful Days” explores nothing new in particular. However, I would be lying if I said it didn’t tug at my heartstrings! The credit largely goes to Kaya Kiyahara and Greg Hsu’s evocative performances that find depth even in the known cliches about a doomed romance. They elevate the film into a resonating portrait of limitless love.
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