First Crush – Movie Review & Film Summary

Jian Kai is a high school student with no musical background. However, he feels inspired after seeing his classmate perform on stage. As Yu Jia sings and plays the guitar, Jian Kai is drawn to his talent. He joins the school's music club to meet his idol and get to know him better. Afterward, the two become friends. Yu Jia teaches Jian Kai how to play guitar, and these one-on-one lessons bring them closer together.

Yu Jia is an aspiring songwriter. He wants to perform one of his own songs at the club's next event. However, the club president is against this idea. He thinks the audience will have no interest if they don't already know the song. Yu Jia disagrees and says an original piece can still be interesting, but the president remains unswayed. Ultimately, the club decides to ban members from playing self-composed songs. Frustrated by the decision, Yu Jia quits in protest.

Jian Kai is caught off guard when his friend suddenly quits the music club. Yu Jia stands by his choice, even if it means forgoing the opportunity to perform. However, Jian Kai isn't ready to give up and thinks he can change the club's opinion. He plans to play Yu Jia's song during practice. If people hear it, they may be willing to reconsider. Although Yu Jia remains skeptical, he agrees to let Jian Kai use the song however he wants.

Unfortunately, Jian Kai's plan doesn't go as he hoped. When he plays the song around other members, the reaction is poor. One member says the song isn't well written and that the audience won't enjoy it. Jian Kai tries to defend his friend's work, but the club sticks to its guidelines. They still prefer to perform well-known covers over original songs. Jian Kai is disappointed by the outcome, especially since he can't keep his promise to Yu Jia.

First Crush combines the BL genre with a high school musical. With four songs packed into thirty minutes, music plays a significant role in this short movie. The characters often sing their verses instead of speaking the dialogue. They also use songs to express their emotions rather than performing the scenes like normal. When someone asks, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" the response will be delivered like this: "I~~ 🎵 just wanna~~ 🎵 SINGGGG 🎵 because~~ 🎵 it makes me~~ 🎵 HAPPYYY 🎵"

In theory, I like the musical format. It's quirky, it's creative, and it's fun to sing your feelings aloud. Some scenes, like the swimming pool duet, almost seem enchanting as the leads exchange verses. However, the singing distracts from the storytelling. Lines that may feel clear or emotional in regular dialogue gets lost in the melody. The music can obscure what the characters are trying to say, making it hard for the audience to follow along. This movie also has a tendency to cram plot developments into songs, which makes important moments easy to miss.

First Crush lacks a compelling plot. I know it's a high school drama condensed into a half-hour film, so I'm not expecting Broadway-level storytelling. However, the quality still doesn't meet my lowered expectations. The central conflict is whether the characters are allowed to perform a self-composed song, but the film doesn't provide enough reason for us to care. Why does this song matter so much to Jian Kai and Yu Jia? What effort have they put into preparing for this performance? Without establishing the emotional stakes, the story struggles to hold our attention.

The romantic arc is lacklustre because the filmmaker skips over meaningful scenes of Jian Kai and Yu Jia's connection. Their first interaction is never displayed on screen. Likewise, their bonding and the start of their friendship are buried in a musical montage at the beginning. The couple visits a swimming pool late at night, which is the closest they come to any real intimacy. Even so, that moment only drops vague hints and doesn't excite me too much. Since the movie hasn't done enough to highlight their romantic sparks, I have no reason to root for this couple.

To its credit, First Crush is filmed with polished production values. The visuals look clean, smooth, and professional. In addition, I appreciate the movie for putting so much effort into its soundtrack. It features four original songs, which is more than what you'll find in many short films or even full-length BL dramas. Wow, the level of ambition and creative talent deserves my respect! Unfortunately, the two leads (Brooklyn Li & Peter Wu) give amateurish performances. They remind me of high school acting classes with the forced emoting and overly theatrical flair.

Near the end, Yu Jia gets into an argument with Jian Kai. Instead of a meaningful resolution, he sings about his feelings. "You~~ 🎵 make me~~ 🎵 fall in love~~ 🎵 with music~~🎵 AGAINNNN 🎵" Somehow, this cheesy performance counts as an apology. I thought the finale would include a romantic moment, but the film just ends with the leads smiling and running through the crowd. Sorry, but I'm not getting excited about this mediocrity. Without an interesting story or an engaging romance, First Crush brings little to the BL genre besides a few original songs.