The Most Inspirational Chinese Movie of 2024

Unfortunately, I missed out on YOLO (热辣滚烫) when it first came out in theaters last year. Since it’s based on the Japanese film 100 Yen Love, which I had already seen and enjoyed, I assumed it might feel too similar and didn’t prioritize watching it.

But after seeing so many glowing recommendations and learning that it became the highest-grossing Chinese film of 2024, I decided to finally give it a chance. And I’m really glad I did. While YOLO and 100 Yen Love share the same basic premise, they each stand strong on their own, and there are enough differences that you never feel like you’re just watching a remake.

I won’t go into any spoilers here, and this time I’m not sharing the trailer either, because I truly believe the less you know going in, the more rewarding the experience will be. The film’s director, Jia Ling (贾玲), who also stars in and co-wrote the movie, has pulled off something remarkable. Yes, it’s an underdog story, something we’ve seen many times, but the writing keeps you engaged throughout. And what Jia Ling went through to prepare for and shoot this film is truly extraordinary, something that rarely happens in film history, so all the praise she’s received is well deserved.

Since boxing plays a central role in the story, I’ve created a set of flashcards focused on boxing vocabulary this time. You can also test yourself on my Quizlet page with these cards. I hope you find them useful.

Sandy