Love O2O

What a chemistry the two main characters have. I so love this movie that made me decide to watch its drama version.

Gamers don't need a dating website because they can make good matches while gaming. Our protags are fans of the RPG (role playing game) Chinese Ghost Story/CGS. FL, Wei Wei, even has an in-game spouse - until she gets dumped. She won't be in the dumps for long, though: Her white knight is in the wings.

Computers don't just facilitate hook-ups; they make identity theft pretty easy, too. While Er Xi may not have stolen Wei Wei's ID, she did borrow Wei Wei's CGS game character, which leads /Wei Wei's/ crush to pursue /Er Xi/ in the game, thinking he's hanging out, virtually, with Wei Wei. It also leads men at Er Xi's summer internship to believe that SHE'S the top female CGS player. Er Xi, unawares, is getting all kinds of attention in the name of Bei Wei Wei, and Bei Wei Wei wouldn't have it any other way-way-way.

That's the same paragraph I used for the show review because, in curious fashion, 2016 saw a show and a film released that were based on the same story. I watched the show first and find myself unable to assess this film without comparing. It feels like a completely different story in many ways, thankfully. But the core programming is identical:

Xiao Nai is the school 's supreme catch. Not only is he finishing up school, but he's designing a new game with his buddies. They are marketing it to companies and will run into all kinds of sleaze👾 in the business world. He's also a serious gamer and CGS is his 2nd home. He witnesses the top female player being game-divorced and decides it might be nice to pick her up as a game-wife. He's also glimpsed Wei Wei playing CGS at an internet cafe 😍. He's making 2D and 3D moves on her. Wei Wei is "The Belle of the Computer department," but her paths haven't crossed much with Xiao Nai ~ she /thinks/. She's been hanging with him on the CGS servers, she just doesn't know who her game spouse is IRL/in-real-life. In the meantime, Er Xi uses Wei Wei's alternate ID to play the game and ends up being mistaken for the top female player in CGS. This brings her into virtual contact with a guy chasing Wei Wei IRL. He thinks he's flirting with his crush and Er Xi believes she's developing a new virtual relationship that could become a real world fling. One of them is more wrong than HE would guess and the other is so wrong, but so right.

That's the setup. They are meeting in the game and building impressions in their imagination. Next, they will face and deal with the IRL implications.

Both the show and movie are watchable and enjoyable for romance fans. I don't think either feature does anything but toss lite snacks to the romance fan base. They aren't going to please any other watching group. So, you romantics out there, this is worth watching for the first kiss; it's swoony. The romance is mutual. Xiao Nai is "The Man". He only plays for keeps.

I know my rating makes it seem like I didn't like the film. I did - it's definitely over the line of demarcation. It has some great moments along with its corresponding problems. Until recently, China consistently put out (arguably) watchable, relaxation-inducing, but mindless drivel under the guise of modern-day features, while at the same time they cranked out all-world fantasy and historical pieces. I have my theories about this... China's modern day features have been cluttered up with wooden acting, inane dialogue, and lazy plotlines. Things started changing noticeably around 2018. Now, there's many modern-day Chinese features I have been able to watch and not just enjoy, but LOVE - without wincing in pain at all. Coincidentally, many characters in these new-and-improved contemporary Chinese works will mention watching Kdramas. It's like China got a memo. They've responded well.

As for a comparison, the film is 100 minutes and the show is nearly 1400 minutes. The show should be better. The movie has more natural looking people and a more natural feel when it comes to interactions between the characters. It's so loose and free feeling, compared to most Chinese modern-day features (2016 & earlier), that I double checked to make sure it wasn't a Taiwanese film. Because of that, the film feels differently from the show, even with some of the same scenes. From the start, the characters feel real; this movie is part of the positive jump forward. There are minor pacing issues, though, where things almost drag.

The FL isn't awful in the show, but she's just better in the film, being feisty and active in the relationship. She isn't shy. She becomes part of the team, not a piece of fluff on the side. It makes more sense how the film has Wei Wei actively involved with the company and making the game. She is a computer major, afterall. In the show she acts more like a liberal arts major and soon-to-be 50's housewife. One of the show's deficiencies is how Wei Wei remains too demure. A confident and capable Wei Wei would have been a welcomed sight.

Er Xi in the show is said to be homely, when she's definitely north of an 8. She's one of the show's assets. I rolled my eyes every time they denigrated her character's looks. (The show focuses on looks too much. It gets wearisome). Show Er Xi could play Tinkerbell, she's so cute. Movie Er Xi is perky and would qualify as less than a 7 based on looks alone, though the actress beams an uplifting carefree air. I'm only commenting on looks because it's a theme in the story - perhaps the main theme. The truth is that there are very few ugly people, and confidence is the sexiest thing. The rest of the movie-friends get alot less play due to the 1300 minute differential. They didn't utilize the friends well in the show, either.

As the credits start to roll we hear about one of the guys falling in love with a female game character who turns out to be a man. It's a bit that got alot of screen time in the show and was handled particularly well, except for the wrap-up.

Overall, the flick has higher highs and lower lows than the show. The characters are solid and there's great moments. It is quick & abbreviated, with light drama that is resolved too easily. Just keep that in mind.

QUOTE📢

If you go outside the wall an inch, I'll move the wall an inch. If you go outside a foot I'll move it ten feet.

〰🖍 IMHO

📣5.5 📝4 🎭7 💓6 🦋7.6 🌞5 🎨7⚡5 🎵/🔊6.5 😅2 😭2 😱0 😯2 😖0 🤔1 💤2.5 🔚6

Age - there's nothing objectionable and nothing about which to make an age caution. As soon as kids can keep up with the subtitles they are good-to-go with 0-2-0.

Re-📺? Doubtful.

Anytime you take a complex story full of iconic moments and try to condense it down to 2 hours, you're just asking for trouble. As someone who read (and enjoyed) the original light novel, I knew up front not to get my expectations too high, but I had still hoped for a bit more than I got. Caricature characters, throwing out glib and rushed lines, a barely coherent storyline (which scarcely resembled the novel) and chaotic action sequences, just for starters. That being said, I blame the director more than the cast, since I did feel the actors could have delivered better performances if they weren't in such a hurry.

If this film had any redeeming points at all, it would be the polished cinematography and CG (both were decent, considering the film's budget). Lines aside, the actors also did a reasonable job of acting to green screen, which is notoriously difficult. There were also a handful of scenes overlaying the game world with reality, which were creative and did a surprisingly good job of conveying the feeling of belonging to both the 2-d and 3-d world.

ROMANCE RATING: 7/10. As per the novel, there was only one kiss scene, but it was fairly long and the actors had reasonably good chemistry. Bear in mind that while the scene did feature "A" door, it is not "THE" iconic office door from the novel.

In summary, I'm sorry to say this movie was weak in almost every way. Fans of the novel will certainly be disappointed and newcomers are unlikely to develop any interest in the novel. Not recommended. HOWEVER, if you have to choose between this film and the drama, I probably would choose this, mainly because, as others have mentioned, Angela Baby and Boran Jing have acceptable chemistry whereas Yang Yang and Shuang Zheng did not.

Better than the series but still pretty average.

I have watched the show before of this movie and struggled a lot to even finish it. Was so dumb and childish, I couldn't believe it.

By my surprise this one is better but obviously doesn't have enough time to go in depth to any of the storylines.

So you don't get attached with any of the characters, everything happens fast and it's quite superficial.

I think this is an ideal movie for kids and teenagers, good enough acting, a bit of lighthearted romance, some fun effects with the vídeo game scenes and effects.

Entertaining enough for a quick movie night with friends.

I watched both versions of LoveO2O and prefer the movie version over the series. LoveO2O the movie is a better mix of reality and gamer fantasy. Angela baby and Boran Jing are better actors, have better chemistry and make this movie about gaming more believable than the series version. Yang Yang and Shuang Zheng have no chemistry and in my opinion, can't act. I enjoyed the movie from beginning to end, and here's why: Xia Nai as portrayed by Jing was brainy, but warm; a loner but not weird. Whereas Xia Nai as portrayed by Yang, Yang was stiff, condescending and demanding. He was in a word, distant. Weiwei as portrayed by Angela baby was warm, funny, brainy, outgoing, loving and supportive in this film. She loved her man. Whereas in the series Weiwei was cute but servile, and her personality left much to be desired. She worshipped her man. I was thoroughly unimpressed by Shuang Zheng's performance as WeiWei.

LoveO2O the movie is about love and gaming and in my opinion successfully achieves its goal. I really enjoyed this version of the screenplay and will recommend this version to my friends.