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The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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Light Boom and Superluminality, from Impossible to Plausible

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When Editor Renée told us to write about “light,” James went superluminous.

By James Zheng

Light has a really miraculous existence within the realm of physics. We understand light’s form to be more a ray than a physical entity, and, generally, we describe it as both particles and waves due to its property of spreading easily and still bouncing off of objects. Scientists have discovered plenty of other marvelous phenomena about the nature of light. The phenomenon I like the most is the light boom.

What is a light boom? We’ll get there. First, I want to introduce you to the idea of a similar phenomenon called a sonic boom. A sonic boom occurs when the speed of an object exceeds the speed of sound. There will be strong air resistance, which causes strong oscillation and speed decay. When breaking through the sound barrier, the compression of the air caused by the speeding object doesn’t allow the air to spread easily. The air gradually accumulates in the windward area of the object and finally forms a shock wave, on which the kinetic energy is highly concentrated. These energies are transmitted to people’s ears in the form of a strong explosion, and this is what is typically called a sonic boom. Simply put into layman’s terms, a sonic boom is just a situation in which the speed of the object goes beyond the speed of sound. 

The light boom, similarly, is the effect of particles’ speed exceeding the speed of light. When the speed of moving charged particles exceeds the speed of light, a special phenomenon of light emission occurs. 

However, the conditions to create a light boom are extremely difficult and cannot be achieved in a vacuum. When the phase velocity (Electromagnetic wave’s propulsion speed on a single-phase point), and group velocity (Electromagnetic wave’s propulsion speed on any phase points through spaces) of light in the medium decreases, it is possible for the moving charged particles to surpass the phase velocity of light. This phenomenon, generally, would only appear in the cooling water of nuclear reactors and would produce a very subtle blue light that can be seen with the naked eye. That blue light is a light boom.

Light booms were originally called Cherenkov Radiation. This radiation was discovered in 1934 by former Soviet Union physicist Pavel Alexeyevich Cherenkov; it was named after him. 

Why is there such a huge difference between a sonic boom and the concept of a light boom? Since I found out the preexisting factors to trigger the sonic boom are way simpler than the light boom. If let’s say that a sonic boom is a phenomenon resulting from a speed faster than the speed of sound, then the light boom should have the same principle. But, when I discovered that there is no way of proving there could be a speed faster than the speed of light, my mind went to . . . superluminality–a speed that’s faster than light.

So, I went on researching any circumstances that could give proof to a superluminality, and all I found is the expansion of universes and black holes as the standard example of superluminality. All of those can only be seen in space; the technology we have so far cannot generate an artificial speed that goes faster than light. 

Although there is not a “pure” or authentic man-made example of a light boom, we have discovered the expansion of universes and the existence of black holes to confirm the hypothesis of superluminality to at least recognize the existence of it. Once we have the ability to create superluminality by ourselves, we will witness the true light boom.

Light Editor: Renée Vazquez

Source Referenced:

https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%8B%AD%E4%B9%89%E7%9B%B8%E5%AF%B9%E8%AE%BA/473499?fr=aladdin#reference-[2]-24944-wrap

The Lantern Festival: Let There Be Light

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By James Zheng

The Lantern Festival is on February 8th. By just seeing the name, you might understand it as a day focusing on “Lanterns.” But that is only how the foreign countries view this festival; it is not only about lanterns. 

During the Han Dynasty, when the culture of Buddhism was spreading over the eastern part of the nation, the emperor formally established a day for people to light up lanterns in the city as a way to express their faith to the Buddha. This convention has been kept for centuries. When it underwent adaptation in several dynasty changes, peoples’ customs and habits tended to alter the tradition.

Here are some interesting entertainments you could do during the Lantern Festival:

  • Admiring Lanterns. Just like the name, viewing lanterns is the most exciting part of the day! By just walking on the streets, you could see the lanterns hanging on the side of each roof. Each lantern is designed in a different style. The shapes change, and people “carve” on the lantern surfaces animals or flowers. When you walk on the street, you see scenes brilliantly illuminated with splendid lights and feel the authentic atmosphere of being in the Lantern Festival.
  • Solving Lantern Puzzles. For some special lanterns, there will be a paper or a wooden token hanging by the lantern; these are called the Lantern Puzzles. To make people not only enjoy viewing the lantern physically, the puzzles are the parts that are more interesting and inspiring. Usually the puzzle will give you an abstract description of something and let you guess a Chinese idiom, word, slang, or proverb.
  • Eating the round glutinous dumpling. This is my favorite part of the whole lantern festival. The dumpling actually looks like a rice ball, and it is stuffed with different flavors inside. The classic style is the flavor with sugar mixed red bean paste, or the sugar mixed with sesame. Now people prefer the sweeter taste more, and they have invented fruit flavors for it. This dessert which we call “Tang Yuan” in Chinese has a symbol. We see the “Tang Yuan” as a thing that bonds itself tightly together, which also is a sign of reunion for us. 

汤圆

Just like the Chinese New Year known by the majority of foreigners, the Lantern Festival’s cultural connotation and value are far superior to other festivals; the essence of it is more like a carnival that everyone could participate in while enjoying the extraordinary significance of our history.


Seasonal Holidays Editor: Katelin Slosky

How does it feel to have prophetic dreams?

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By James Zheng

I never firmly believed in a future-seer theory. I had an ambivalent view on prophetic dreams, dreams that hint at events to happen in the future. The positive effect of such dreams could enable us to be prepared for the upcoming events, but it instigates a dreadfully scary question about the theory of destiny–Is your destiny already decided? Fate never sounded like a thing to me. Therefore, I had no imagination of how it would be like to accurately predict a future event. The existence of such magic could only immensely terrify me.   

Some confuse prophetic dreams with Déjà vu, which is a term for the feeling that one has lived through the present situation before; it is also scientifically explained as a phenomenon of memory delusion. And according to my experience of prophetic dreaming, it is a different feeling. When a specific conversation, place, and any other presence appears before me, the sense would come to me that such an image has already emerged in my past dreams, so I would possess an instant realization, “This happened in my dreams in the exact same way.” Then the scene of that dream would come to my mind again. As I have gone through this countless times, now I can remember several examples.

Once I dreamed about being in Disneyland located in Japan. That was the time before summer as I was a junior in high school. The dream felt so real since I could hear and see everything clearly. So when I woke up, I basically just thought to myself, “There is no possibility that this could happen during summer, cuz I am going to be busy with college stuff and independent pre-AP classes.” But who would know that after four months my younger cousin came to my city and spent his summertime with me, and my father suddenly suggested I should take him to Japan. As I rejected the suggestion, my cousin seemed really unhappy… and more ridiculously, my father told me it was actually a promise he made to his brother one time when he was inebriated on a feast. Okay, so, we went to Tokyo to visit some tourist attractions;  Disneyland was one of them. And the primary thing is that I had already completely forgotten about that dream until the moment I walked into Disneyland. 

My second prophetic dream is even more whimsical. When I was back in the U.S. again, I dreamed about talking to a guy in our school and he made a joke about a video game I liked. But the thing is that I hardly ever play a game with him. And again, who would know that after three months we bought the game and played together. 

“Risk of Rain, more like Risk of Pain~~”

“Could be true.”

After 10 seconds, “Wait… no… this is not possible.” As I muted my mic and started growling. 

So, I was absolutely terrified. All of the cases my dreams predicted so far were merely trivial, but what if I had some “realistic” nightmare that plausibly predicted a happening? And there are no omens to warn me until it truly happens to make me aware of it?

There could be a thousand explanations given, yet none of them match with my experience. And our almighty guide “science” couldn’t even do anything about it. This prophetic dream is quite astonishing, huh? Remember that human beings used to pursue this ability. People used to study the stars and make assumptions about their future based on the movement of star clusters. Now I have this genuinely unstable power, and maybe someday I should learn how to control it–if possible….

My father shares his opinions that youngbloods like me all should have similar experiences. But I feel the concept that I call “prophetic dream” might just be an outcome of mind overload. After all, who knows exactly how it functions? If you have some ideas to share pertaining to the topic or something more intriguing about this, I would be glad to read your comments.

Dreamer Editor: Doreen Yuan

Shaking Bridge Effect–an intriguing love technique.

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When Editor Quintus assigned us the theme of “Love,” James thought of Shaking Bridges. . . .

By James Zheng

There are plenty of interesting and bizarre psychological effects that appear really paradoxical but they actually turn out to be pretty intuitive. I remember one such psychological effect, the Shaking Bridge Effect–which should be taken into account as a representative effect pertaining to the core topic of Editor Quintus’s theme, love.  

The Shaking Bridge Effect usually occurs in a specific circumstance, which is when one rigorously walks through a shaking bridge. That experience would accelerate the heartbeat and unsettle the individual. At this moment, if the individual coincidentally (or deliberately) encounters another person, the individual would misperceive the current situation. The individual would misunderstand his/her accelerated heartbeat as the presence of his/her affection towards that person. So, falling in love is like when you are coming across the shaking bridge, and your heart is beating fast, and all of a sudden you see someone in your sight, you basically see this “heart beating” as a reaction to the “person” instead of the “shaking effect.” And eventually, this will root the seed of love in the bridge walker’s mind.

This psychological effect is proposed by Arthur Aron, who is a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is best known for his work on intimacy in interpersonal relationships and development of the self-expansion model of motivation in close relationships. Coming back to the Shaking Bridge Effect, the premise  basically tells us a dangerous or stimulating situation could enhance the mutual relationship.

There is a famous experiment projected by Aron. The suspension bridge is 450 feet long and 5 feet wide. This suspension bridge has been suspended over the 230-foot high valley of the Kapolano river with two pieces of hemp rope and fragrant wood. The suspension bridge swings back and forth, which is not only exciting, but also frightening. The team asked a beautiful young woman to stand in the middle of the bridge, waiting for men between the ages of 18 and 35 who had no female companion to cross the bridge. She was directed to tell the men who crossed the bridge that she hoped they would participate in an ongoing survey. She asked them several questions and recorded their results.

Then, the same experiment was carried out on another ordinary bridge that spans a stream but is only 10 feet tall. The same beautiful lady showed the same questionnaire to the men crossing the bridge.

As a result, the men walking across the suspension bridge thought the woman was more beautiful, and about half of the men later asked for her phone number. And, for males crossing the stable bridge, only two of the 16 males asked for her phone number.

Researchers believe that, unlike people’s common sense, individual emotional experience is not formed spontaneously because of their own experiences; it is a two-stage process of self perception. In this process, people first experience their own physiological feelings, and then, in the surrounding environment, they will find a suitable explanation for their physiological feelings. For example, according to the shaking bridge theory, in the process of emotional experience, people first feel that their physiological performance is different from that in the usual time; their heart rate is accelerating, and their hands are shaking a little. Next, they will involuntarily observe the environment to find clues to explain why their physiological performance happens.

And based on that, this effect reveals a fact which this technique could trigger in any circumstances that are different from usual and lead us to want to obtain a reasonable explanation for it. However, this provokes another conclusion: in real life, there may be different but reasonable explanations for the same physiological performance. Sometimes, it is difficult for people to determine which factor causes their physiological performance. Because it is difficult to accurately point out the real reason of their physiological performance, people might have a wrong understanding of emotions. In psychological terms, scholars call the process of people making wrong inferences about their feelings as “misattribution of arousal.”

Finally, to summarize everything in a simplistic way, when you like someone secretly, don’t worry whether that person likes you or not, maybe you just need to take them on a walk on an unstable bridge.

Love Editor: Quintus Ni

James Dreams of the Green Building

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By James Zheng

The purpose of the Green Building is to save resources, protect the environment, reduce pollution, promote health, while also being an efficient space that maximizes harmonious “coexistence” between human and nature. These are high-quality buildings.

The idea of the Green Building initially emerged in people’s minds around the 1960s-70s due to the oil crisis which made all kinds of renewable energies such as solar, geothermal, and wind energy attractive. Energy-saving buildings became the forerunner of modern building development. Within this period, Ian Lennox McHarg, who is an American architect, released a book called Design with Nature in 1969, symbolizing the official birth for Eco-building. After decades, more and more countries joined in on the advocation for “sustainable development” and established their standards for a green building.

Through a long process, the three major requirements that connote a green building were established.

  • Thermal requirement

First of all, thermal comfort obviously affects work efficiency. The traditional air-conditioning system can maintain the indoor temperature, but in recent years, the research shows that if you want to ensure that the indoors are absolutely comfortable, it is at the cost of an insane consumption of energy and increase in the destruction of the ozone layer by Freon (the cooling agent used for air conditioning). It is necessary to analyze the impact of local climate on a building. A warm climate would increase the internal load and need for air conditioning for indoor environment comfort. It is better to change the load of the air conditioners every hour. For example, when the season or day cools, turn off the air conditioning.

  • Daylighting and noise requirements

Similarly, the indoor light condition directly affects the work efficiency and indoor atmosphere. The bright and plentiful sunlight is an essential part of a green building. However, the comfortable and healthy light condition should also include the precondition that it is easy for people inside to see and look around. A proper brightness distribution for the internal space, glare control, and uniform illumination control is also required. Therefore, strong light should be adjusted according to the different time zones and places so as not to affect the original high quality of sunlight. In addition, a healthy and comfortable acoustic environment is beneficial to the physical and mental health of people. This specific condition results in no damage to hearing and minimizes noise sources. In this way, any noise-generating equipment is usually arranged separately away from the frequently used rooms such as offices and meeting rooms. In the design, the outdoor noise level should also be controlled. 

  • Air quality requirement

The quality of air directly affects the satisfaction people feel with the surrounding environment. Generally, the factors that affect air quality include air movement, air cleanliness, and so on. If the airflow is not “open” enough, people will feel uncomfortable. If the airflow is too fast, it will negatively affect the internal temperature and air cleanliness. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the amount of fresh air according to different environments in addition to controlling the cleanliness and airflow rates to reach maximum air quality. At the same time, the effective control of indoor air pollutants is also one of the main ways to improve the indoor environment.

By viewing the complex history and strict requirements for what makes a green building, I became impressed with the way people scrupulously analyzed the issue of energy and conceptualized the image of what we know as a green building. It is also crucial for humans to realize they need to value their partnership with nature. Build green buildings.

Green Editor: Luke Langlois     

James Takes on Architecture

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By James Zheng

Back to our topic of ART, James asks, . . .

“What is art? I think that everything could be considered art as long as someone gives a reason and demonstrates how it is a type of art. Sometimes my classmates ask me, “You call this art?” while I’m gazing at various architectural styles. Well, I say, if you admire or enjoy seeing something, I would say that you could totally consider it Art.

Here is a list of architectural ART:

  • Farnsworth House.

The house depicted below was designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe. The original is located in Plano, Illinois, USA. Farnsworth’s house is similar to overhead transparent glasses in a box shape with four sides. The model of the building is simple, clear, but it gives viewers an elegant view. Steel structures exposed to the outside are painted white and blend with the surrounding trees and lawns. Due to the full transparency of the glass wall, the view from the internal space is wide.

  • The Fallingwater Villa

The house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, initially was located in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. Fallingwater Villa has achieved one of the most extraordinary successes in the historical development of architecture. On the aspect of space composition between the internal structure and external environment, I consider this as the most “natural” design I have reviewed due to its cohesive integrity with nature.

  • Guggenheim Museum

It is one of the most famous personal art museums designed by Solomon R. Guggenheim located in New York City. Unlike any other buildings, it can be described as a tea cup or a huge white spring, probably because of the spiral structure that makes some people say it looks like a conch as well. Solomon R. Guggenheim has a collection of modern art, many of which are hung by metal poles and appear to float in the air. Traditionally, museums display works of art on walls along the hall. But Guggenheim broke the tradition.

  • The Smith House

The Smith House is designed by Richard Meier and sits in Connecticut. The conceptual ideas for this house are similar to the Farnsworth House, on the way of exposing the internal space to outside. The frame that is displayed in rectangular shape creates a discordant sense, and its purpose may lead people to have the illusion of internal and external inseparability. But, when you actually see the building, it is easy to distinguish the outside and inside. You also would observe a difference between the protruding part and the surface of the building and realize the variability of space.

The magical presence of structural architecture may only seem physical–that it does not compare with the “art” of drawings and poems. But, despite architecture being recognized as a substantial practical existence, what architecture authentically expresses is the progress of the eras and the culmination of human aesthetics.

Art Editor: Chelsea

Far Away Under the Sea–20,000 Leagues to be Precise

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By Critic-of-Far-Away-Things James Zheng

When Editor Doreen ordered the Blog Staff to WRITE ABOUT FAR-AWAY THINGS, James responded with a book he read long ago that took place far, far away . . . .

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is the most profound book I have read. I still remember the time I was studying in middle school that we were required to read tons of literary works, and I was completely not interested in reading. One day, we were told to grab a book in the school library. I randomly grabbed this blue-covered book and flicked through the pages. Then I looked at the title. It caught my interest and made me read this science-fiction novel. I still can’t believe that I finished this 1,000-page book for an extra-curriculum reading assignment.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) was published serially in 1869-1870. It was written by French writer Jules Verne and belongs to the second series of the Verne Trilogy (the other two are In Search of the Castaways and Mysterious Island).

From my perspective, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is one of Verne’s best works. Verne’s rich imaginative and meticulously delicate writing characteristics have made it into a masterpiece. Jules Verne creates a thrilling underwater adventure. His protagonists travel through ocean regions. During the process, whether it’s frustration or joy they experience, they learn about nature and humanity. The elements in the novel are strange; the language mainly focuses on vividly depicting an underwater world full of mystery. The description of everything is detailed and interesting, both artistic and scientific language make the image appear in front of you. Verne writes confidently of human beings recognizing and conquering the ocean, and shows the tenacity and courage of human will. The overall story includes technical knowledge of the underwater world associated with biology, geography, etc. 

Let’s take a look at the reviews given by other bloggers. (Note: This is translated from the original Chinese.)

  • “I was amazed at the author’s comprehensive and extraordinary knowledge and understanding about everything of the ocean. In many places, things, customs and culture can be counted as a treasure. In reading this book, we feel like we are back in the 1800s and actually have an image of everything that belongs to that era. . . . . I saw a little bit of the historical background [of] that time and [was] astonished by the extensiveness of the author’s thoughts. To create a series of interlinked, closely related and non-existent things . . . requires a strong imagination and knowledge . . . . I saw the sadness of the protagonist . . . . He holds his own hatred towards the world and isolates himself from society.”–Blogger Siwangqishidetongchu. https://www.zhihu.com/question/285823396/answer/498167494 

I truly feel the loneliness of actually going under the sea for twenty-thousand miles. Maybe sometimes we choose to isolate ourselves from human civilization and try to be more in tune with the natural world. I cannot think of more reasons to recommend this book but for its undiscovered “depth.” 

  Far Away Editor: Doreen Yuan

A Local’s Guide For Tourists: Kunming, Yunnan, China

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By Travel Guide Extraordinaire James Zheng

When we ask where is “Home”? James answers, “Kunming.” He adds, “It’s better than heaven.”

Where am I from? In terms of cities in China, most people have only heard of  Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou as these are popular spots for visitors. However, there are plenty of places worth visiting in the interior provinces, like my city, Kunming.

Kunming is the capital city located in the center of a province called Yunnan. This whole province is full of popular must-see destinations, but most of them are only known by local residents. I’m giving you the insider’s guide.

Here is a brief introduction to Kunming. Kunming has one of the most temperate climates and has the best air quality in China. The weather is not too hot or too cold. The season in Kunming is always spring; therefore, my city is also given the name “Spring City.” This climate has attracted many people who move from other crowded cities when they need a well-deserved vacation. Geographically, Kunming is located near some south-eastern countries, being closer to Burma, Vietnam, and Laos. But it is also close to Thailand, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. This makes it a place of international cultural exchange and a cultural melting pot.

Here are some of my recommendations for local foods and places to visit in Kunming:

Places to see:

  • Golden Temple Park: A palace that was built during the Qing Dynasty (1368―1644), it contains historical meanings everywhere. The main structure is yellow bronze, so it was also categorized as one of the Chinese grand bronze palaces. It is preserved as it originally was. There is also a huge mountain surrounding the palace, and with all the forests, it is tucked into a natural environment. You get to see lots of flowers as well.  
  • The ancient town of Guandu: Guandu used to be an independent region; now it is one of the districts within Kunming. The only thing you might be interested in here is the old-styled building and some exquisite handicraft. The initial construction of Guandu started from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and mixed with some culture generated from Buddhism. You would see some temples and towers as well. 
  • Southern-east-Styled City: This place does not have the same size as a city, but it is one of the most commercialized and well-developed areas inside Kunming. There is an exhibition called Southern-east Cultural Exhibition, which is held each year. During the exhibition, you get to participate in cultural activities and buy interesting gadgets from Southern-east. Even if it’s not for the purpose of going for the exhibition, you can also hang out there and find fun things to do. 

Food to Try: 

  • “Cross-the-bridge rice noodle”: This is a unique style of rice noodle invented by Kunming locals. You serve this rice noodle with hot soup. Along with separate fresh side dishes, you cook the rice noodles instantly by putting them into the soup. It is popular in Kunming.
  • Varieties of Mushrooms: The Yunnan province is given the respectful name “The Kingdom of Mushrooms,” since we have thousands of types of mushrooms. Most of them contain valuable nutrients. The mushrooms are a main incentive attracting tourists to visit Kunming. 

And that is generally all I would say about Kunming. Depending on the motivations of the travelers, you could discover more about this heavenly city I call “home.” I hope this helps you know more about China!

Editor: Renée Vazquez

James Jams to “Jay”

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By James Zheng

Hello, everyone. I know we are reminiscing about our time during summer, but do not forget to enjoy the new school year. You especially must check out our school blog every DAY! Last year I did most of my posts about anime, movies, and games. This year, I will try to bring new and more creative posts to readers.

During my summer, I rediscovered a Chinese singer named Jay Chou. My only impression of him was from my childhood; the first time I listened to his songs, I  disliked his “lazy” singing style where you don’t know what he is saying unless you look up the lyrics. I did not have a good impression at first. However, one day I clicked on a video talking about the comparison between the top ten Chinese songs of 2005 and 2015. One of his songs was at number one in China 2005, and that made me interested in him again, and the things I used to dislike actually made him unique. 

Jay Chou’s career has always been marked by his dedication to the Mandopop (Mandrian Popular music) realm. When his first album came out in 1999, it was played everywhere on the street and soon made the top ten songs chart. Once Jay realized the opportunity was there, he charged up his music career and released more and more albums. His songs never get old, even though he has been making music for nearly twenty years. Each of his albums is still overwhelmingly popular nowadays around the whole of Asia. To give a personal comment on his songs, the complex level of lyrics and songwriting is still beyond most songs in recent years. 

So here are some recommendations. Some of them are more “James” subjective, while most of them are commonly recommended in the Mandopop realm. 

  • “Can’t Express Me (开不了口).” Released in 2001, this is the song I like the most. The change of the instruments adds a lot of improvement and meaning to the whole song.
  • “Secret (不能说的秘密).” Released in 2007, Chou also made a film with the same name. “Secret” is a light rock song.
  • “Common Jasmine Orange (七里香).” Released in 2004, this song is one of the most popular in Asia, awarded “Song of the Year” by the Asian music confederation. The lyrics are full of poetry and romantic meaning.
  • “Sunny Day (晴天).” Released in 2003, this is a charming song played with guitar. Nowadays, it is even more popular than “Common Jasmine Orange.”
  • “Nocturne (夜曲).” Released in 2005, this hit the top number one most popular song among the Mandopop realm. The rhythm is quite tranquil and smooth. Jay Chou also adds some Hip-hop into his vocal style.
  • “Silence (安静).” Released in 2001, the whole song remains almost the same speed and rhythm while being played with the piano. The song also has a strong emotional atmosphere.

And that is what I have for you guys. Chou still has tons of amazing songs to listen to, so check them out if you are interested. Try searching on YouTube, Spotify, Google Music, or Amazon Music. Lastly, I know that everyone doesn’t understand or usually listen to Chinese songs, but why not try it out just to see if you like the beat or the vocal style. You might want to welcome something fresh. New year, new music!

Editor: Luke Langlois

A Review of “Never Gone”

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By Movie Fan Blogger James Zheng

I hardly ever watch Chinese films, but I found a Chinese movie that I really want to talk about. I have several reasons for not watching Chinese movies; the majority of them are really awful.

But not all of them are awful.  While most are low quality products, you can find that ten percent of Chinese movies are exceptional works.

The movie I am going to talk about in this post is a romantic movie that has a simple story. It is mainly about the torturous experience of a couple, the disharmony they have and how they work it out. Well, do they eventually work it out? My answer is watch this film yourself and find out.

The part that draws the most attention is the preparation of actors. Kris Wu, a Chinese Canadian musical artist, is invited by director Zhou Tuoru to perform as the major character in Never Gone. I went into the movie wondering why a director would let a popular music idol be in a film. The director might just as well focus on how good looking the actors are rather than how skilled they are as actors. Two days ago, before I watched Never Gone, I read many negative comments saying how Kris Wu ruined the movie.

After seeing these pathetic comments, I finally chose to watch the movie to give it an “authentic” review. Here it goes–every setting being used in Never Gone has been used at least a thousand times. I could even say that if you are a romantic movie person, you can tell what will happen in the next second; you can see where the plot is going without questioning it. And, dialogues between the characters always give me a sense of being … embarrassed since the dialogue seems improper in that situation or just too generic. And, most times, Kris Wu’s acting just collapses; in other words, his acting is just extremely terrible or over-exaggerated.

So, overall. Is it a worthless film? Just wait: here are some positive things I have to say about it. The story of the movie is really similar to our daily life and reality; it isn’t that dramatic, which is the common flaw the director avoided. In that sense, he rejected the traditional style of romantic movies. In agreement with the negative reviews, I also think that Kris Wu’s acting is truly amateur and inflexible. However, his performance still left me an un-erasable impression. His emotion is real. He expresses his sentiment in the most explicit way. He conscientiously integrates himself into the show; he strives to present to us what the character should be feeling. After all, if you only take it from a single perspective and follow the majority opinion, you may only describe how bad it is. You would never observe Kris Wu’s achievement.

In the end, I am still not sure if I should recommend this movie. If you are interested in a romantic movie, you should try to watch it and see what comments you have.

Editor: Makena Behnke

*Available on Amazon Prime.