Michihito Fujii’s Netflix drama film, 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days, reminded me of popular rom-com films like Before Sunrise or Past Lives. The Taiwanese Japanese film is about unrequited love—the kind that makes you wonder, “What if?” What if things had turned out differently between you and your lover? 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days isn’t just about that kind of love, though. It’s also a nostalgic look back at our younger days when life seemed simpler and we were carefree. But we tend to forget those silly parts as we grow up.
In Michihito Fujii’s film, the main character, Jimmy, gets fired from his job and decides to travel to Japan. Jimmy heads to Tadami in Fukushima, where his old crush, Ami, lives. Jimmy feels like calling her an “ex-lover” might be a stretch since he thinks his feelings are one-sided. But who knows? Maybe there’s more to their story than he realizes. 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days beautifully captures the bittersweet essence of looking back at what could have been while exploring the possibility of rekindling old connections. It’s a heartfelt journey that makes you reflect on your own past and the relationships that shaped you.
Spoilers Ahead
Why did Jimmy decide to go traveling?
Jimmy was a 36-year-old guy completely fed up with his work life. He hasn’t been home in years and has been running a video game company Jimmy started with his university friends. But as times change, so do the demands of the industry, and Jimmy finds himself pushed out of the company he built from the ground up. This hit him hard. He was fired from his own company—the one he had dedicated so much of his life to. As he dealt with this, he started to wonder if he had ever truly lived life to the fullest. Had he ever connected deeply with anything or anyone except his work? After returning home for the first time in ages, Jimmy started going through his old things and came across a postcard from a girl named Ami. The postcard had a distinct scent, one that reminded him of Ami’s perfume, called “Flow of Time.” The smell brought back old memories, and Jimmy realized he needed to go back in time to when he was 18—carefree and full of life when he first met Ami, the love of his life. With a newfound sense of freedom, Jimmy decided it was time to travel and revisit those old memories.
What was the relationship between Jimmy and Ami?
As Jimmy started his journey and met new people, he shared stories about Ami and why he was traveling to visit her. Through these conversations, we learned more about their relationship and had to rewind to when Jimmy was 18. Back then, it was summer before Jimmy started university. He took a job at a karaoke club and diner, hoping to flirt with girls, but nobody showed much interest. That was until Ami came along. She was a Japanese girl in a Taiwanese locality, and for Jimmy, it was love at first sight. Ami was backpacking around the world, but she had lost her purse, so she needed a job to get by. Her presence was a bit of a sensation there, as the owner knew her being Japanese would draw some customers, so she got hired at the club immediately. Ami didn’t speak the local language well, except with Jimmy. He had learned Japanese through his love for video games, anime, and manga, so he could understand and communicate with her. They quickly became close friends.
Jimmy helped Ami as a translator, and they spent a lot of time together, going to movies and working side by side. Ami fascinated everyone with her travel stories; she would describe her adventures around the world and show the places she’d sketched in her notebook. Her tales and drawings captivated everyone, and it was no surprise that Jimmy fell deeper in love with her every day. He even went so far as to google romantic ways to hold hands, trying out all those sweet, silly gestures we do when we’re in love. But then, one day, while Ami was in her room, Jimmy overheard her arguing on the phone. He assumed it was with her boyfriend. Shortly after, Ami announced she was going back to Japan. The news hit Jimmy hard. He had planned to confess his feelings, but then he realized there was no point. When he asked her if she had a boyfriend, she confirmed it was true and that she was returning to him. Jimmy didn’t burden Ami with his feelings. He had to let go, so he decided to bury those feelings deep inside. Instead, he tried to cherish the time they had left. Before she left, he took her to a lantern festival—the one place she had always wanted to visit. Amid the magical atmosphere, Ami’s eyes became misty with tears. She asked Jimmy to promise that they would only meet again once they had both achieved their dreams. Until then, they should hold onto their hopes and never give up. And so, with that promise, Ami went back to her life in Japan, leaving Jimmy behind with nothing but the memories of their time together. Before she left, she painted a mural on the wall of the Karaoke club—a lasting reminder of her presence.
Did Jimmy meet Ami?
As Jimmy went on his journey to Tadami, the snow-filled town in Fukushima, we couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever get to meet Ami after all these years. It was then we learned the heartbreaking truth—Ami had passed away long ago. She had died fifteen years ago from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition she kept secret. Ami had lied to Jimmy about having a boyfriend because she knew that if she admitted she loved him too, he would hold onto hope that they could be together. She didn’t want to give him that pain. She had to let go too. Jimmy had no idea about her condition. When he received her postcard after she went to Japan, he wanted to see her in person, but Ami told him she was traveling with her boyfriend. In reality, she was in the hospital. Jimmy never got the chance to visit her after she returned to Japan. After Jimmy and his friends successfully launched their video game—a promise he had made to himself—he was determined to visit Ami again. Remember their promise to each other to reunite once they achieve their dreams? That’s why he was eager to see her. But it was too late. When he called to give her this good news, he found out she had passed away. From then on, Jimmy became a shell of a person. He lost all his emotions and had nothing in his life except for work. He felt empty and without purpose and struggled to find meaning in anything beyond his job.
In 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days’ ending, Jimmy finally reaches Ami’s home and meets her mother. There, he finds a sketchbook filled with drawings and notes from Ami, which reveal her true feelings for Jimmy. Holding the sketchbook, Jimmy feels a sense of closure he desperately needs. It was hard for him to move on because he never got to say goodbye to Ami. So, this gave him the peace he had been searching for. Now, what’s next for Jimmy? After being so consumed by work for so long, I think he now understands the joy of traveling. He realizes why Ami loved it so much—traveling helps you meet new people, create new memories, and find a sense of purpose and happiness. Now that his job is behind him, Jimmy might embrace this new outlook on life and go on adventures; who knows?
