This Valentine’s season, a movie marathon is a simple but great date idea if you just want to cozy up with your significant other indoors. Put in the classics like Notting Hill, You’ve Got Mail, or Sleepless in Seattle. If you are tired of those titles, we have curated a small list of the best Asian romantic comedy movies to binge this season of love.
Here are some of what we consider classics that you definitely have to queue up (some minor spoilers ahead):
Crazy Little Thing Called Love (2010)
Nam, a proclaimed ugly duckling, harbors a crush on Chon, a popular good-looking jock from her school. In the hopes to win the man of her dreams, Nam, with the help of her three best friends, follows the advice of the guidebook called “Nine Recipes of Love”. The film follows Nam’s three-year pursuit, hoping Chon would return his feelings.
Crazy Thing Called Love (also known as A Little Thing Called Love or First Love) has everything
you need for a first love film: a quirky main character, a handsome leading man, funny supporting characters, love triangles, and a makeover montage. The film in essence is quite simple, making it an easy watch, but the charm of Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul (Nam) and Mario Maurer (Chon) really carries the film.
It portrays all the awkwardness and joy of teen love. It is a great Valentine’s movie if you are also feeling a bit nostalgic.
You are the Apple of My Eye (2011)
The film starts in 1994 with Shen Chia-yi, one of the smartest girls in class, and Ko Ching-teng, her troublemaker classmate. Chia-yi is popular among her male classmates, except for Ching-teng, claiming he has no interest in her despite knowing they have been classmates since junior high. An incident where Ching-teng lets Chia-yi borrow her English textbook (the former getting the punishment) made them closer together. The movie goes through the ups and downs of their relationship through college to adulthood.
Another coming-of-age Valentine’s movie but with a slightly different tone. You are the Apple of My Eye captures its audience with its hyperbolic comedy that contrasts its more tender and sweet moments.
This film might not be for everybody; the comedy sometimes can be a bit crass and over-the-top. Although the ending is not common for movies in the genre, that’s why it makes it to our list of best Asian romantic comedy movies.
The movie has since had a Japanese adaptation and Korean adaptation is set to premiere starring TWICE’s Dahyun.
English Only, Please (2014)
Julian Parker, a Filipino-American man, comes to Manila. His goal? To read out an angry letter to his half-Pinay ex-girlfriend that broke his heart in Filipino. He hires Tere Madlansacay, a top-notch Filipino-English tutor. Chaos and romance ensues as the two work together.
The Philippines at this point can be considered the land of romantic comedies. There are many other titles to choose from. English Only, Please is one of the best Asian romantic comedy movies from the country in the past decade.
It has the classic formula of many Filipino romantic comedies: an interesting meet cute (often taking a glimpse to the experience of the ordinary working class), a hilarious supporting cast, and sentimental moments.
This film is one of the more recent ones on the list, so the comedy might be a bit more relatable to viewers.
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!: The Movie (2022)
The film is set in a world where a person gains the power of reading people’s mind through touch when they remain a virgin when they turn 30. Adachi, a awkward fumbling office worker, gains such ability and discovers that Kurosawa, a popular handsome co-worker, has romantic feelings for him. The film follows the two grappling with their feelings for one another and acceptance for their relationship.
Japan is considered the birthplace of the Boys Love (BL), and Cherry Magic is a story that captures the charm and whimsy of the drama. While the plot might be unbelieve for some, the story grounds itself with honest portrayals of the character’s feelings. It’s funny, warm, and would touch the heartstrings of anyone who will see it.
The film follows the events from the series of the same name, so we do recommend watching that first for additional context. More reason to have a Valentine’s movie marathon.
My Sassy Girl (2001)
Gyeon-woo, an engineering college student, encounters a drunken girl standing at the edge of a train platform. He pulls the girl over and takes her to the nearest hotel to safely spend the night. The police raids the room and Gyeon-woo is sent to jail. After coming home the next morning, he receives a phone call from the girl, asking to meet up to know the events from last night. The film follows the chaotic pursuits of the unnamed “Girl”, with Gyeon-woo by her side.
Last but certainly not the least, My Sassy Girl is one, if not, the best Asian romantic comedy movies of all time (in our opinion). A box-office hit in and outside Korea, the film paved the way for international recognition of Korea Cinema and the Korean Wave.
The film, based on a true story told in a series of blog posts, is so original not only for its time but even 24 years after the film’s release. Its aesthetic embodies the Y2K and the performance by Cha Tae-hyun (Gyeon-woo) and Jun Ji-hyun (the titular “Girl”) sells the rather chaotic plot.
The movie might be hard to get into at first, but we promise that the unexpected turns it goes through makes the whole viewing experience. One minute it’s quirky and funny, then heartbreaking the next, and it ends in a hopeful note. The roller coaster experience makes it a worthy watch.
That wraps up our list of the best Asian romantic comedy movies to watch this Valentine’s season. There are many more undiscovered gems out there, especially in Asian cinema. Feel free to explore a story that speaks to you and experience the love on and off screen.
