I had been putting off watching Your Name Engraved Herein for way too long. I’d seen some spoilers on TikTok a couple of years ago, so I was kind of hesitant to watch it because I knew it would be emotional and heartbreaking. And yeah, it totally lived up to that. But honestly, I’m really glad I finally gave it a chance.

The plot itself is pretty straightforward, but it’s the way the story unfolds that really gets you. It’s set in Taiwan during the late ’80s when being openly gay was still super taboo, and it follows two high school boys, Jia-han and Birdy, as they try to figure out their feelings for each other. The whole time, they’re battling their own fears and the pressure from society around them, and you can just feel how heavy that weight is.

The acting was hands-down one of the best parts. Edward Chen and Tseng Jing-hua really nailed their roles. They brought so much depth to their characters, and even though the movie is only about an hour and a half long, I felt really connected to them. They made the emotions feel real, especially during the more intense scenes.

Speaking of which, the shower scene and the beach scene? Wow. Both were beautifully shot, and you could feel how desperate and scared they both were. In the shower scene, the tension between them was so thick, and you could see how badly they wanted to reach out to each other but were terrified of what that would mean. Then, in the beach scene, it was like all those feelings were on full display — the love, the fear, the confusion. It was heart-wrenching but also really powerful.

That being said, there were a couple of things that didn’t quite work for me. The pacing felt a bit off in some parts. I wish they had spent more time diving into Jia-han’s family dynamics and Birdy’s struggles with dating a girl. These were touched on, but I feel like they could have added more layers to the story if they had been explored further.

One thing I have to mention is the music. The song “Your Name Engraved Herein” was absolutely perfect for the movie. It’s haunting and beautiful, and every time it came on, it added so much emotion to the scenes. It’s one of those songs that stays with you, just like the movie.

All in all, I really enjoyed Your Name Engraved Herein. Yes, it’s sad and heartbreaking, but it’s also so raw and honest. The ending is bittersweet, but it feels real like it fits with the journey the characters went through. If you’re in the mood for something emotional that will leave you thinking about it long after it’s over, this movie is definitely worth watching.