X-LOVE (2015)

A Simple Story of Being in Love, But the MC Got Lost in the Mix

There's a certain level of comfort that I always get from the miniseries and short films produced by Rela/The L (The company behind a seemingly popular Chinese lesbian dating and community app). There's an endearing simplicity to their storytelling signature and tone. Such as the amount of value and emphasis they put on small everyday moments, rather than big grand gestures.

This particular story shows the evolution of a sort of friendship between Cooka and Tina, after Tina comes to Cooka's talent agency and fails to impress. Cooka, having an eye for talent, immediately takes her to get a classic romcom style makeover and their friendship (and Cooka's feelings) grows throughout subsequent interactions together afterwards. I can see why Cooka fell for Tina. She has a contagious bubbly personality that really livens up the room.

But alas, I think most people have had an some sort of experience falling for someone, knowing full well that it will never be able to be reciprocated. And that is what this film shows viewers. But rather than doing so in a queerbait-y way, it felt realistic. The producers essentially pranked the audience (which I do have a tendency to love) by showing what Cooka wished was the case, before reality came to hit her like a rock. But we still manage to end on a high note, by showing that there may be someone looking at you with hearts in their eyes while you are looking elsewhere. And by suggesting that a heartbreak now can lead you into a great love story later.

The music also reflected all these elements, starting off cutesy, before becoming more emotional and bittersweet.

My only major con here is the fact that I don't feel like we knew Cooka. The focus was so much on her love and the subject of her love, that she, as a character, got lost in the mix.

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Doe eyed love

Well, I needed a title for my Alphabet watch challenge and titles starting with an X a few and far between. So the MDL search engine found this one for me and it is a short movie. And I just found out, by perusing the beginning of the other review that this is produced by a dating app so it is basically a glorified ad. And a good one to boot! With a twist so if you do not ant to know it, stop now!


Keeping all that in mind, I gave it a chance and it was an interesting watch. GL stories are not as popular as BL ones and that is a shame.

Cooka who works for a modeling agency, falls for Tina at first sight. While helping her get a makeover and therefore a career, they become fast friends with Cooka. Finally she breaks down far from everyone at Tina's wedding but is comforted by one of Tina's bridesmaids who finds her through the aforementioned app!

This short movie tells a love story taking place within a certain period of time so we do not know absolutely nothing about the characters before or after the events. Cooka is a girl who looks like a boy and who, for a reason I cannot fathom, slouches when she walks.Tina is a bubbly girly girl. And though she likes Cooka for helping her and always being there, she is completely unaware of Cooka's feelings considering her only a friend and barely that (a manager more likely?)

I liked the music, pulling on heartstrings with all its might. The editing was so well done that we are unaware of the big twist coming near the end. The actresses have good chemistry. Nice and sweet!

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