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I Am the Secret in Your Heart

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I Am the Secret in Your Heart
Theatrical poster
Traditional Chinese夏日的檸檬草
Directed byLai Meng-chieh
Screenplay byLai Meng-chieh
Produced byChen Chi-yuan
Hu Bai-wei
StarringMoon Lee
Tsao Yu-ning
Shou Lo
CinematographyKao Tzu-hao
Edited byKipo Lin
Music bySun Shao-ting
Alexander H. Wong
Sing Wu
Cho Chi-jou
Production
company
Rose International Entertainment
Distributed bymm2 Entertainment
Release date
  • 2 August 2024 (2024-08-02) (Taiwan)
Running time
112 minutes
CountryTaiwan
LanguageMandarin

I Am the Secret in Your Heart (Chinese: 夏日的檸檬草) is a 2024 Taiwanese romance film directed and written by Lai Meng-chieh. The film is adapted from the 2014 novel of the same name by Macchiato and stars Moon Lee, Tsao Yu-ning, and Shou Lo. It centers around an ordinary schoolgirl (Lee) who finds herself in a love triangle between a newly transferred student (Tsao) and her childhood friend (Lo).

The film was released theatrically in Taiwan on 2 August 2024.

Synopsis

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Wang, a high school student rumored to have a relationship with her childhood friend Yuzu, arrives at school on the first day. She and her friends are accidentally hit by Yuzu's basketball, smashing their bubble tea and getting soaked. Enraged, Wang confronts Yuzu, which triggers a metal chalk box that nearly hits her. Yuzu tries to protect Wang with his body before the box is kicked away by a new transfer student named Cheng Yih. Impressed by Cheng's actions, Wang becomes interested in him and attempts to strike up a conversation, but Cheng remains very taciturn.

One day, while Cheng is walking his dog, White, Wang follows him, and they begin to chat. However, White runs off, and Wang rushes to save him, injuring herself in the process. While tending to her wounds and carrying her to the hospital, Cheng notices a scar on Wang's forehead that resembles one from a girl who saved him from bullies during their childhood before he moved to the United States. Cheng has always wanted to fulfill his promise to reunite with that girl, but Wang seems to have no memory of him. Meanwhile, Hsing-hui, a senior who secretly loves Yuzu, takes a photo of Cheng carrying Wang and shows it to Yuzu, making him jealous. Following their encounter and Cheng's growing interest in Wang, the two become good friends. While Cheng attempts to recreate the scene at a tunnel near the school where Wang saved him in childhood, Wang coincidentally misses it. The bullies Cheng fights are Yuzu's friends, leading to a confrontation between Yuzu and Cheng. Yuzu tells Cheng he won't let Wang go for him. Later, at the school's music festival, Yuzu invites Wang to serve as the emcee. During the show, Wang mentions that she doesn't have feelings for Yuzu to avoid upsetting his fans, prompting Hsing-hui to question whether the girl is worth Yuzu's wait, to which he responds positively. Heartbroken, Hsing-hui rushes off the stage in tears, shocking everyone. However, Wang quickly steps in to sing with Yuzu. Cheng, who just arrives to watch the show, feels desperate seeing Wang and Yuzu having fun on stage.

The next day, Cheng takes Wang her to the roof, calling her "casual" and asserting that they should keep their distance. Upset, Wang finds comfort in Yuzu, who skips class with her for a fun day at the arcade. That night, they return to the school's rock club room, where Yuzu confesses his feelings for Wang, but she pretends to doze off and misses it. Encouraged by her parents, Wang decides to talk to Cheng, making up an excuse that she thinks it is his birthday. She finds Cheng walking White in the park, and they apologize to each other. Wang insists that Cheng eat birthday cake and make a birthday wish. However, after making two wishes, White suddenly vomits and collapses. The two rush to find a vet in the rain, but all the clinics are closed. In desperation, Wang calls Yuzu for help, and he manages to persuade a nearby vet to take White in. Unfortunately, White has already stopped breathing and dies. To make matters worse, when a distraught Cheng returns home, his mother confronts him, revealing she has discovered him sneaking back to the rural town instead of sticking to his study plans. Cheng reluctantly agrees to return to the United States with his mother. The next morning, Cheng goes to bid farewell to Wang. She cries and confesses her love for him, while Cheng promises they will keep their relationship at a distance.

Wang and Cheng keep their promise and facetime during key moments, with Cheng accompanying Wang through high school, university, and her first job. However, after several years, their conversations grow dull, and they find themselves drifting apart without formally breaking up. Ten years after high school, a classmate of Wang's is getting married and informs her that she has invited Cheng to the wedding. Meeting outside the church, Cheng confesses to Wang that he is still waiting for her and makes his third and final birthday wish, which is to live happily ever after together.

Cast

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  • Moon Lee as Wang Hsiao-hsia, an ordinary and underachieving school-girl[1]
  • Tsao Yu-ning as Cheng Yih, a model student newly transferred to Wang's class[1]
  • Shou Lo as Yang "Yuzu" Zhong-you, Wang's childhood friend[1]

Also appearing in the film are Lin Mei-hsiu and Jackson Fan as Wang's mother and father;[2] Peggy Tsang as Vicky, Cheng's mother;[2] and Porima Cheng as Hsing-hui, a senior in the rock club who secretly loves Yuzu.[3]

Production

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Development

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I Am the Secret in Your Heart was adapted from a romance web novel of the same name written by Macchiato and published on the Taiwanese forum Popo.[4][5] The story is semi-autobiographical and was penned by Macchiato in 2012 after she discovered her boyfriend had cheated on her.[6][7] The novel garnered over 4 million views, received positive feedback, and was published in print in 2014.[6] Development for an adaptation began in the same year, and the screenplay took ten years to complete.[8] The project was greenlit by the National Development Fund of the Taiwan Creative Content Agency in March 2023.[9] Director Lai Meng-chieh joined the project after winning a Golden Bell Award for Mad Doctor (2022),[10] and Moon Lee, Tsao Yu-ning, and Shou Lo were announced as the lead actors in August 2023.[11] Before filming began, Tsao took acting, piano, and foreign language classes to prepare for her role.[12] A spin-off short story titled Ten Years was released alongside the tenth-anniversary reprint edition of the novel in 2024, with some of its content also incorporated into the film.[13] The film was showcased by mm2 Entertainment at the project market of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in May 2024.[14] An official trailer and promotional poster were released on 1 June 2024.[15]

Filming

[edit]

Principal photography began on 22 August 2023 in Kaohsiung.[16][17] Filming mainly took place in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County.[18] The school scenes were primarily filmed at Kaohsiung Municipal Tsoying Senior High School and National Kangshan Senior High School,[18] and location shooting occurred at the Pingtung Sugar Factory.[19] The shoot spanned one and a half months and concluded in Taipei in early October.[20][21]

Music

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The film's theme song, "Heedless," was composed by End Chung, with lyrics written by him and performed by Shou Lo.[22] Moon Lee also covered the song alongside Lo in the film.[22]

Release

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I Am the Secret in Your Heart premiered on 30 July 2024,[23][24] and had its theatrical release in Taiwan on 2 August.[2][25] It was also selected to be showcased in the Teenage Minds, Teenage Movies section at the 29th Busan International Film Festival.[26]

Reception

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Box office

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I Am the Secret in Your Heart grossed 6.5 million NTD in its opening weekend,[27] and reached 8.7 million five days after its release.[28] By the second week, the film had accumulated 17 million.[29] It raked in 25 million by the third week,[26][30] and maintained this figure as of late September.[18]

Reception

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Thomas Kong of Esquire described I Am the Secret in Your Heart as a refreshing Taiwanese romantic comedy that captures the sweetness and challenges of first love, evoking nostalgic feelings while effectively portraying various forms of unspoken love in a simple yet heartfelt narrative.[31] Jonathan Hung of am730 described the film as a delightful addition to Taiwan's coming-of-age romance genre, following the commercial success of You Are the Apple of My Eye (2011), noting that it appeals to young audiences with its familiar yet romantic themes while effectively capturing the essence of unspoken love.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Juju, Petit (14 July 2024). "《夏日的檸檬草》李沐、曹佑寧、婁峻碩三角愛情習題，重返校園青春談酸甜初戀". Marie Claire (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b c 粘湘婉 (30 July 2024). "PK射箭搶李沐芳心爆冷門 曹佑寧、婁峻碩另一半低調現身力挺". Want China Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  3. ^ 廖福生 (11 August 2024). "專訪／鄭芯恩親曝理想型男孩 暗戀學長陪搭公車竟不了了之". TVBS News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  4. ^ Hsu, Daniel (6 August 2024). "初戀是種超能力！《夏日的檸檬草》勾起初戀酸甜，勇敢愛過就不是遺憾！". GQ Taiwan (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  5. ^ "《夏日的檸檬草》三角戀酸澀甜蜜！盤點2024年4大青春愛情國片，《我想和你在一起》告白必看！". United Daily News (in Chinese). 3 August 2024. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b 徐逸珊 (15 August 2024). "【圍埋睇好戲】《夏日的檸檬草》曹佑寧李沐婁峻碩譜寫校園三角戀". Wen Wei Po (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  7. ^ "婁峻碩啃豬腳變梗圖！《夏日的檸檬草》7大看點：李沐暗戀曹佑寧，檸檬草花語超酸澀！". Entertainment on Line (in Chinese). 10 July 2024. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  8. ^ Rose International Entertainment [@rosebaiwei] (4 June 2024). "夏日的檸檬草 堅強幕後團隊" – via Instagram.
  9. ^ "年度第4季 公款補助國內團體情形季報表 112年度截至第4季止". Ministry of Culture (in Chinese). 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  10. ^ 劉慧茹 (4 October 2023). "瘦到被李沐、婁峻碩排擠 曹佑寧欲擺脫帥哥包袱：太累了". Mirror Media (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  11. ^ 羅子欣 (22 August 2023). "婁峻碩談夏日三角戀 彈吉他耍帥「跟曹佑寧當情敵」搶李沐". TVBS News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  12. ^ 許世穎 (22 August 2023). "李沐七夕陷三角戀！婁峻碩拿出屁孩面「靠學生時期愛做的招」". Liberty Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b "《夏日的檸檬草》 長青的愛情故事". am730 (in Chinese). 30 August 2024. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  14. ^ Wong, Silva (15 May 2024). "mm2 boards Fruit Chan-produced 'Blossoms Under Somewhere' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  15. ^ 孫伊萱 (1 June 2024). "李沐「小孩才做選擇」！《夏日的檸檬草》揭初戀三角習題". China Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  16. ^ 李承陽 (22 August 2023). "李沐、曹佑寧、婁峻碩談三角戀 打架戲李沐發豪語「我會贏」". China Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  17. ^ 黃雅琪 (22 August 2023). "曹佑寧七夕情人節沒陪王淨！「女友閨密」狂追他爆《夏日》熱戀". Nownews (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  18. ^ a b c 女子學 (20 September 2024). "《夏日的檸檬草》7、8年級生夢回高校時光 票房亮眼並前進釜山電影節". ETtoday (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  19. ^ "屏東有影". Pingtung County Government (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  20. ^ 粘湘婉 (4 October 2023). "李沐談初戀倒追曹佑寧 婁峻碩殺青許願解放身材「爆吃」". Want China Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  21. ^ 許世穎 (4 October 2023). "婁峻碩合作曹佑寧自爆壓力大！新片殺青終於解放". Liberty Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  22. ^ a b "《夏日的檸檬草》：李沐、婁峻碩、曹佑寧領銜主演 刻下象徵青春美好的夏日檸檬草". FTV News (in Chinese). 5 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  23. ^ 羅子欣 (30 July 2024). "曹佑寧、婁峻碩射箭爭奪李沐芳心！ 2位「正牌女友」低調盯場". TVBS News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  24. ^ 黃保慧 (31 July 2024). "曹佑寧、婁峻碩爭李沐芳心 正牌女友王淨、焦凡凡現身". United Daily News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  25. ^ 蕭采薇 (30 July 2024). "爭李沐芳心！曹佑寧「雷射肩失靈」射輸婁峻碩 王淨低調現身支持男友". ETtoday (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  26. ^ a b 熊景玉 (22 August 2024). "《夏日的檸檬草》入選釜山影展 婁峻碩、李沐推出合唱版主題曲". Mirror Media (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  27. ^ 熊景玉 (5 August 2024). "《夏日的檸檬草》搭奧運熱！婁峻碩PK投球 曹佑寧「一投命中」保住尊嚴". Mirror Media (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  28. ^ Chien, Ying-jou (9 August 2024). "李沐拍《夏日的檸檬草》對婁峻碩飆髒話！大明星「乖一個禮拜」不敢造次！｜演員特寫". Yahoo! News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  29. ^ 羅子欣 (13 August 2024). "婁峻碩、曹佑寧「私下互動曝光」 李沐爆料：有愛的結晶". TVBS News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  30. ^ 廖俐惠 (22 August 2024). "暑假小清新看這部！《夏日的檸檬草》票房破2500萬 婁峻碩搖滾成發超熱血". Liberty Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  31. ^ Kong, Thomas (21 August 2024). "夏日的檸檬草｜暑假壓軸台灣清新愛情喜劇 李沐、曹佑寧、婁峻碩譜寫浪漫青春戀曲". Esquire (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
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