Once in Memory: Love at First Sight – Movie Review

Kong is a confident high school student who walks with a swagger. Recently, he encounters Film, a new student at school. They first meet in the canteen and basketball court, but their interactions are standoffish. Film becomes annoyed with how Kong behaves around him.

Eventually, Kong breaks the ice between them with friendly social media messages. The two teens arrange to meet again on the basketball court. Kong becomes more sociable around his new acquaintance. Their relationship turns friendlier after a decent conversation. Afterwards, Kong and Film maintain contact. They agree to hang out again as their friendship blossoms.

Once in Memory: Love at First Sight is like BL for juniors. This short film tells a cute, lighthearted love story between two students. As the title implies, the characters develop a secret crush upon laying eyes on each other. They flirt, exchange cheeky interactions, and form a delightful bond. The age-appropriate romance remains sweet and wholesome from start to finish. Once in Memory: Love at First Sight is clean, safe, and innocent, appealing to the younger demographics of the BL genre.

This movie takes a simple approach without complicating the plot. Although easy to follow, it doesn't present many layers to the story. The entire narrative revolves around the courtship, offering little else of interest. These young protagonists lack depth since they cannot draw from meaningful life experiences. As a result, their scenes together are mundane. In this movie, something as banal as ordering food and drinks is considered a romantic interaction. Once in Memory: Love at First Sight feels too lightweight compared to other BL projects.

The film's selling point is probably the young leads, Rossi and Non. Once in Memory: Love at First Sight is a solid showcase of the performers, highlighting their boyish enthusiasm and natural charisma. Their characters have slightly quirky personalities, which the actors portray with the right amount of spunk. Both actors appear confident, charming, and comfortable on screen. They also have the good looks to carry a teen BL story. Kong and Film make a telegenic couple, boosting the marketability of Once in Memory: Love at First Sight.

Once in Memory is divided into two parts. The first movie, Love at First Sight, depicts Kong's perspective. The sequel, Just Found Love, retells the previous events from Film's point of view. However, this storytelling technique doesn't work particularly well. The second movie reuses the exact footage from the first film, only adding a few new reaction shots here and there. I dislike watching the same scenes again, especially when the content wasn't that interesting the first time. I'd prefer seeing the couple in new relationship moments instead of rehashing old exchanges.

Once in Memory: Love at First Sight has a predictably happy ending as the characters overcome some minor drama. It's a cute conclusion, but the events leave me nonchalant. Kong and Film simply don't have enough of a romantic journey to inspire strong feelings in me. I need more substantial material to care about this couple. Overall, Once in Memory: Love at First Sight is frivolous and forgettable. After dedicating forty minutes to the two movies, I came out of the experience with little impression. All my memories of the story have already disappeared.