A Song Sung Blue

A Song Sung Blue might be summer lovin’, but damn if it won’t tell you more

“When you grow older, everything will fade.”

I sometimes wonder what kind of person I’d turn out like if I’d had that awkward teenage summer romance that seem so common in films. I’m talking about the ones where you, the shy and heavily introverted main character, meet someone who’s typically older and always far cooler and more confident than you. Your clashing personalities ignite a new, never before felt chemistry in you and though the romance is short-lived, you go away having learnt something about yourself, no longer shy and ready to tackle the next stage of your life.

I’d probably be exactly the same, to be honest. But it’s hard to say, as there’s very little precedent for a follow-up on these films. And, I suppose, not a lot of interest in telling those stories. I bring all this up as they were some of the thoughts I had watching A Song Sung Blue, Zihan Geng sweet but samey tale of Liu Xian (Zhou Meijun),  a teenage girl whose been made to live with her photographer father over the summer. Liu is a quiet kid, who doesn’t really gel with her dad’s extroverted life. She finds a friend in Mingmei (Huang Ziqi), the daughter of her father’s studio assistant. Mingmei is a couple years older, and training to be an air hostess. The two form a bond and close friendship, but for Xian the feelings are a bit stronger.

A Song Sung Blue makes a few interesting turns from the norm, mostly by having Xian’s feelings be completely unreciprocated by a character who’s largely unphased by this. Mingmei is a character used to people falling in love with her, and takes it in her stride. In a lot of ways, she feels like a character who’s already gone through her own awkward teen romance drama and gets what Xian is feeling. In almost every other respect, it feels like an exercise in missed opportunities. A film like this could explore Xian’s still-developing sexuality, as she deals with feelings from a boy in her choir, as well as her own for Mingmei, as well as her sudden bursts of romantic aggression.

Mingmei herself is a half-Chinese half-Korean woman whose identity is toyed with narratively but never properly explored. She feels at home with her Korean friends, but nothing would have changed if she was simply Chinese. Instead, the film focuses more on balancing the character in her actions, and she’s actually really well-written. A manic My Sassy Girl-type can be something of an unforgiving role, requiring a delicate balance of likeability, audience sympathy and an edge that borders, but never quite enters the territory of irritability. Mingmei comes in with a hundred times the charisma that Xian has, and any audience would naturally attach itself to her. It helps that she forgoes many of the negative traits a lot of characters in her role typically have, instead doubling down on confidence and charm.

But I still found myself wondering where it was all ultimately leading. Not within the confines of the story: that much was pretty clear. Everything plays out more or less how you’d expect – mercifully saved by some excellent cinematography and editing choices – with Xian a slightly changed individual. A retrospective exploration of her feelings and the events that happened, the way they changed her would have been worth seeing. As it is, I can’t exactly fault it, as it does everything that other movies like this do, and pretty well. It’s just a touch hollow.

Either way, no one’s stepping into A Song Sung Blue expecting a fresh new take on this trope and it doesn’t really try to do much with it. Nevertheless, it’s still a very good take, with enough feel-good moments and, vitally memorable side characters to keep things running at a smooth pace. It’s definitely worth watching, if only in order to try to understand the rules of Go-Stop.

Verdict: Much like its main character, A Song Sung Blue isn’t anything special, but its natural charm and occasional bursts of life means it stands out a bit more than others of its kind.

Overall entertainment: 6.5/10
Violence: 0/10
Sex: 0/10
Monkeys: 10/10. Best character
Character chemistry: 9/10. Honestly one of the best parts
Korea: more humid but more prosperous
Fun moments: A few! The photo montage at the end was enjoyable

A Song Sung Blue (2023)
Also known as:  小白船
Mandarin, Korean

Director: Zihan Geng
Writer: Zihan Geng

CAST

Meijun Zhou – Xian
Huang Ziqi – Mingmei
Lu Xing – Cui
Jing Liang – Xian’s mother
Long Liang – Xian’s father