This movie will stick with you forever; it’s truly a summer holiday to remember. ‘Tearjerker’ isn't just a genre in Korean cinema, but holds a special place. I generally appreciate films of this type, although sometimes they can be overly sentimental, which detracts from the viewing experience—perhaps due to cultural differences. This film has an emotional conclusion that you can sense coming right from the very beginning; the setup about the friends’ relationship was deliberately presented upfront. It's also called 'Pure Love,' and it comes from a new director featuring mostly unfamiliar actors in the leading roles. The story unfolds across two different time periods, starting in the present day before flashing back to approximately 25 years earlier, to the 1990s. If you grew up in the nineties, this film will likely resonate with you more than others. The setting feels like watching a movie directly released from that era—a rural depiction of it. It shares some similarities with 'Sunny,' primarily due to the focus on friendship, but isn't comparable beyond that. The story centers around five friends; four return to their island village for summer break. One friend has a disability and can’t join in pursuing her dreams like the others. She desperately wants to be “normal” so she can travel freely wherever she chooses. Throughout the narrative, two of her closest friends harbor strong feelings for her, but realizing this and who she will ultimately choose involves a significant plot development near the film's end. > ❝Love is like marathon. You might feel behind now, but if you keep running you'll reach the goal.❞ The trends of the nineties, particularly in rural areas, and how children responded to them are portrayed very well. Like other films set during that time, audio cassettes were a common item. However, beyond that, much of the film feels somewhat unfocused; it’s unclear where things are headed. This is actually a positive aspect, though it does feel like a slight attempt to pad out the screenplay. Nevertheless, the pacing never falters. Everything seems well-placed, allowing the film to achieve its goal—a slightly predictable one. The ending isn't entirely surprising, but it works effectively; I think that’s how it should be. Some films try to avoid predictability and end up ruining things. My main issue with this movie is that a key plot twist didn't quite make sense. I could elaborate on it, but that would give away too much. Let's just say the resolution comes easily for one character, despite the difficulty experts might have imagined. Overall, more detail would have been helpful in explaining how everything unfolded; however, the brevity helped maintain a good pace and prevented things from becoming overly complicated, which often proves beneficial. It’s suitable for viewers of all ages. Those who grew up in the nineties will likely be drawn to it, and with its focus on teenagers, that demographic is also covered. As a sentimentally driven story, families won't feel excluded either. The performances, production values, and direction were all commendable. It isn’t a masterpiece, nor does it guarantee an emotional response from everyone; just a well-made film worth watching once. Now you know who I would recommend this to. _8/10_

Source on TMDB