Promise. How important is a promise? Wish. Have you ever tried wishing for something? Have you ever experienced loving someone wholeheartedly for the very first time... waiting and hoping you wouldn't end up being alone?
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| Image via Lee Joon Gi Official Website. |
A 2007 movie collaborated by Japan and Korean cinema, Virgin Snow depicts a first love's tale between Min (Lee Jun Ki), a korean exchange student who moved to Japan with his potter/university professor father, and Nanae, a beautiful japanese girl and an aspiring painter.
Their story begins when Min fell in love with Nanae at first sight after meeting her at a local shrine. Soon thereafter, Min learns that Nanae is studying at the same school he is currently attending. He befriends her, courted her despite the language barriers, until eventually, they both fall in love. However, when Min suddenly flies back to Korea to look after his sick grandmother, this love had been lost. When Min came back, Nanae is nowhere to be found, which left him devastated and heartbroken.
Virgin Snow, like any other contemporary korean/japanese romance movie, showcases the typical story of first love — its joys, as well as its pains. It isn't as grand as others are as far as story telling goes, but is a tad different from its counterparts in that at a time where tragic love stories are common in korean and japanese cinema, it deviates from the norm by not involving elements such as a lover who's sick or dying as a central theme.
Character-wise, I love Lee Jun Ki as Min. It wasn't as good a portrayal as his other leading roles, but nevertheless, he was able to effectively deliver that contrast between a man in love and a man anguished over love that was lost. I can't say that much about Aoi Miyazaki though. She's a good actress, no doubt about that, and I really really loved her in Tada Kimi wo Aishiteru. However, there was something about her being Nanae that's taking time to get used to, which made her seem rather... plain. I don't know. Maybe it was just me, but at some points, I seriously thought she looked a bit off with Jun Ki.
That aside, Virgin Snow is a good watch that'll definitely take you down memory lane. It'll make you reminisce about your very own first love, and all the while will make you realize how important it is to hold on to love's promise, believe in the wishes it can grant the heart, and not give up waiting... or hoping... because love is never gone if you just know how to trust.
Hi.. I love Aoi on Heavenly Forest.. If you have time, tell me what.are.your insights about the drama though ☺
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