The Chinese word-of-mouth sensation "Dear You" has been warmly received after its release in China's Hong Kong and Macao regions and Singapore, with audiences praising its emotional depth and cultural resonance.
The film opened on Thursday in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.
In Hong Kong, the film hit over 200 screenings, and many shows were quickly sold out shortly after tickets went on sale. In Macao, the film is screening across all seven major commercial cinemas, with more than 30 showings on the opening day.
"The sense of devotion to one's country and family expressed in this film is truly touching. I watched it twice, and both times I ended up in tears," said Wu Ting-yuk, Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community Organizations.
"I couldn't help but tear up several times during the movie. This movie is not only about local culture, but also embodies universal cultural values. That sense of duty and commitment that transcends mountains and seas truly moved me deeply. I will recommend it to all my family and friends," said Yang Yang, a moviegoer in Macao.
On Wednesday evening, the film held its premiere in Singapore, where around 1,000 invited audience members attended an advance screening.
The film had strong buzz before its Singapore release, with all eight Teochew-dialect screenings sold out within 90 minutes of pre-sales. Local distributors said the film is now showing in 24 of 26 local cinemas.
"It's really good. I cried from start to finish. I felt so relatable," said one Singaporean moviegoer.
"We Teochew people came all the way across the seas to get here. We always have that never-give-up spirit. I think we definitely need to let our Teochew people watch this movie," said Derek Goh Bak Heng, President of Singapore Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan.
The film has grossed more than 1.8 billion yuan (about 264 million U.S. dollars) at the domestic box office as of Friday, according to ticketing platform Maoyan.
Released on April 30, the low-budget, Teochew-dialect film featuring a largely unknown cast has emerged as one of China's biggest cinematic successes this year, gaining momentum through strong audience recommendations.
Chinese hit film 'Dear You' resonates with audience outside Mainland
Rally participants gathered in the Japanese capital on Aug 9, which also marked the 81st anniversary of the Nagasaki atomic bombing, to voice strong opposition to the government's push to boost defense spending and revise the war-renouncing Article 9 of the national Constitution.
Holding anti-war placards, chanting anti-war slogans, protesters warned that remilitarizing the nation would betray its pacifist ideals and endanger future generations.
"Defense spending keeps increasing. Based on Article 9 of the Constitution, Japan pledged never to wage war again, yet it keeps strengthening its military. I find this extremely dangerous. They are also trying to revise Article 9. So I believe that for the sake of future young people and children, Article 9 must never be revised. Japan decided never to repeat the mistakes of waging a war after its defeat in WWII. I think we should continue to safeguard that commitment," said a rally participant.
For many in the crowd, the shadow of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remains a powerful moral compass as they believe that militarization offers no path forward for a nation that knows the devastation of war firsthand.
"Japan is the only country in the world to have suffered atomic bombings. Yet now Japan is going to deploy missiles. I believe Japan must never possess nuclear weapons," said another rally participant.
"I believe Japan has no future if it goes down the path of militarization. Nuclear weapons are absolutely bad for Japan," said a third woman, also a rally participant.
Beyond moral objections, some demonstrators said that Japan's economic vulnerabilities articulate that saber-rattling is a luxury the country cannot afford.
"I can't help but wonder what on earth a country with only a 36 percent food self-sufficiency rate would be fighting with. I have always been opposed to war, and I'm deeply dissatisfied with what the Takaichi administration is doing now," said another rally participant.
Other rally participants said that seeing revision of the Constitution could unleash unchecked military expansion, stripping away the very safeguards that have kept Japan at peace for eight decades.
"Article 9 of the Constitution is the key. If the nature of the Self-Defense Forces is elevated to a level beyond collective self-defense, which is explicitly written into the Constitution, it will allow the authority of the Self-Defense Forces to expand without limit. So no matter what, I want to prevent this from happening," said one more rally participant.
Japanese citizens rally against Takaichi's military expansion, constitutional revision
