by Simone Kaden
There’s something inherently heartbreaking about stories built around memory — that fragile thread tying together people, emotions, and identity. Along the same lines as how people frequently look for things that they can rely on, such as a movie recommendation or even something that appears to be unrelated, such as “Tong its Star best licensed,” we are always drawn to things that promise to be reliable. On the other hand, One Week Friends (︀周的朋友, 2022) delves deeply into this emotional domain by telling a heartbreaking story about a young couple who are in love: what happens when you are unable to recall your friends?
Lin Xiaoqian is the director of the film One Week Friends, which is a Chinese adaptation of the well-known Japanese source material. The film combines high school drama, romance, and sentimentality into a gentle and reflective story about connection, longing, and loss.
Lin Xiangzhi is a high school student who is reserved and quiet. She suffers from a rare condition that causes her to forget her friends on Mondays. Every single week marks a fresh beginning. Relationships come to an end. Heart connections lose their strength over time. Lin does not merely find closeness challenging; she also finds it to be pointless. As she progresses through her academic career, she maintains a sense of cautious distance, thereby protecting herself from relationships that will eventually come to pass.
A fellow student named Xu Youshu, who is bursting with enthusiasm and unwaveringly optimistic, will not allow Lin to be by himself. Instead of giving up in a state of bewilderment or anger, he continues to return the following week after week. In particular, when his classmates Song Xiaonan and Jiang Wu join the fragile circle of friendship, his determination gradually becomes the principal focus of the narrative. By writing down moments in a diary and accepting the concept that even short-term relationships can be meaningful, they make an effort to create memories that will endure despite Lin Xiangzhi’s tendency to forget things on a regular basis.
When the weather is warm and gentle, the film looks its best. The cinematography creates scenes with colours that are gentle and reminiscent, which brings to mind the hazy glow that I experienced when I was a teenager. Classrooms, streets, and fleeting moments of laughter appear to be dreams, as if they are already beginning to fade into memory. It is because of this choice of style that everything we see in the movie feels fragile and fleeting. This choice of style fits perfectly with the themes of the movie.
In a manner that is both calm and sensitive, Zhao Jinmai portrays Lin Xiangzhi, demonstrating how emotionally drained a person can become when they are torn between fear and desire. Her performance is not overly dramatic; rather, it leans into quiet vulnerability. Her performance is spot on. Because it is straightforward and humorous without devolving into a caricature, Xu Youshu, written by Lin Yi, serves as an excellent counterbalance. The chemistry between them does not feel like fireworks; rather, it is completely natural, with shy smiles, small glances, and the gentle tenderness that comes with young love.
Despite the fact that One Week Friends has a premise that is emotionally rich, the show does not always make the most of itself. As the narrative progresses and more information about Lin Xiangzhi’s condition is revealed, the pace of the story becomes more erratic. In the later parts of the film, there is a heavy reliance on sentimentality, and there are times when they make an excessive effort to make people cry. Swelling music cues and long dramatic pauses can sometimes give the impression that they were planned rather than earned, which could have resulted in moments that had the potential to have a greater impact.
There is room for improvement in the supporting characters, despite the fact that they are adorable. The characters Song Xiaonan and Jiang Wu bring a sense of warmth and humour to the narrative; however, their individual arcs are only vaguely depicted, which results in the group dynamic appearing to be less complex than it could have been. There is a strong emphasis placed on friendship throughout the narrative; consequently, a more in-depth examination of these relationships would have resulted in a more profound emotional impact.
The movie’s central themes, on the other hand, continue to linger in my mind. It is important to note that the romance has a deeper meaning that focuses on the precarious nature of human connection. A quiet metaphor for youth itself, the weekly reset is a time when friendships appear to be endless but are always at risk of change, distance, and the passage of time and is a time when the reset occurs. The book “One Week Friends” serves as a gentle reminder that moments are precious because they do not appear to last forever.
Even though it has some structural issues, One Week Friends is a sweet drama that is visually appealing and makes you feel real emotions. Despite these issues, the drama is still enjoyable. Despite the fact that the concept behind it may not be fully realised, the film is a moving watch for individuals who enjoy romantic comedies that are gentle and reflective because of the heartfelt performances and the sad mood.
⭐ Rating: 3/5
A touching but imperfect story about memory, youth, and the quiet ache of impermanence.
