May 4, 20225 min read

Flavors Of Youth review

Before I start this blog I never saw this movie before up until now because my mum and dad had already watched it. They should of waited till I became an anime fan. But nevertheless it can be forgiven.

The first film is called:

Hidamari no Choshoku (The Rice Noodles)

Looks like this film is set in Beijing. Usually anime is set somewhere in Japan but anime isn’t just from Japan, it can come from any part of the world. In this first film the San Xian noodles looks delectable but sadly with me being autistic is something that I’ll never try because I like my food dry and not swimming in something such as stew. The only thing I can eat something with liquid on is Yorkshire puddings. We have to have them separate because if I had Yorkshire puddings with vegetables it’ll put me off it. Xiao Ming is reminiscing his childhood in this first part of the film, in some cultures people would eat noodles or rice for breakfast. I guess food was such an important part of his life as well as for many people. “If you like eating, you’ll be blessed with delicious food.” One day the cook and his wife left and the male character grew up and tried a different a different noodle dish. To him it wasn’t the same but at least he enjoys them. That fall the rice noodle shop changed to fishing shop because the new owners wanted to change jobs and just like that no more noodles for breakfast and no more looking at that girl he had a fancy for. During his third year of school the noodle shop came back but the girl graduated and went to another school. Years later he’s all by himself and the San Xian noodles didn’t taste the same because of the fewer toppings, but when his father asked him to come home it was because his grandmother was sick and dying, it was her last wish to see her grandson one last time before passing peacefully by being surrounded by family. However he looked back on his life so far.

The second film is called:

Chiisana Fashion Show (A Little Fashion Show)

Now this next part was about Yi Lin who loved clothes. As she grew up she grew tall and tall and she hated it. But it made her stand out from the crowd. She knew that she wouldn’t design forever, but she loves her little sister. She was thrilled when she appeared in a magazine and it gave her sister, Lulu a chance to see her older sister since they didn’t live together, not since they were children. But when her birthday came she messed things up, Lulu made her cake and everything and she was celebrating with her modelling co-workers and others. I mean her little sister went to all that trouble into making a meal fit for any birthday girl or boy. Yi Lin arrived late to a modelling audition and she didn’t get the gig. Well when you climb to the top, there’s a good chance to crumble down. I should know I’ve been climbing and crumbling down for years. When their parents died she and her sister were sent to live with spate relative. But when she decided to take her sister in later in life there were those who were against it. I guess both sisters are like Anna & Elsa. I myself am not sure what will happen when both my parents are gone, as I can’t see my big sister looking after me all the time. During this film Yi Lin has been suffering an eating disorder. I mean she has been pushing herself for fashion week, even eating less to not eating at all. In a flashback Yi Lin played with her Lulu while her mother watched on, that only happened when she collapsed on the catwalk during fashion week. Weeks or maybe even months of rehab later she thought that it was time to quit being a model and asked Lulu to teach her how to sew. But Lulu was upset with Yi Lin because she never got a say in things since both of them started living together as well Yi Lin providing for both she and her sister. If Yi Lin was to make a comeback that’s up to her. When Yi Lin’s manager gave her a modelling job she was surprised that she’s modelling her sisters designs and that gave her a boost of confidence. Soon after that Lulu graduated from school and started designing her own clothing line for a living and Yi Lin went back to modelling.

The final film is called:

Shanghai Koi (Love in Shanghai)

In 2008 Li Mo became friends with Xiao Yu. Li Mo has a job and has moved out of his parent’s house. In a flashback Li Mo, Xiao Yu and Pan have been friends since they were school students. One evening after listening to some music Xiao Yu injured herself whilst walking home. Thankfully she wasn’t far away from Li Mo’s grandparents house, so Li Mo carried her all the way back to her apartment. Just she couldn’t make it to school Xiao Yu asked Li Mo to record their lessons. Guess that’s one way of not missing school. After that they’ve exchanged tape recordings of each other’s voices. When Xiao Yu told her friends that her parents are sending their daughter to another school. Li Mo decided that he himself would try and get into the same school as Xiao Yu. With hard work, Li Mo passed. However Xiao Yu failed and her father beat his own daughter, which put her in hospital. After that Li Mo’s family moved nearer the school and Li Mo never got the chance to say goodbye to Xiao Yu, all of that happened at the end of the 90’s. Since then Li Mo became an architect, Xiao Yu studied in America, but Li Mo hasn’t yet listened to the last tape Xiao Yu. Not long after he moved out of his parent’s house, Li Mo borrowed his grandmothers old tape player and finally listened to Xiao Yu’s message, turned out she failed on purpose so that she can stay with Li Mo. A couple of short years later Li Mo built and ran his own Motel. One day Xiao Yu showed up at the motel. Even though the film ended with the two friends being reunited at last you can guess what could had happened later. In a post-credit scene all of the characters are in at an airport.

This film had the Your Name and Garden Of Words vibe to it as it was made by the same people who made those anime movies.