Remake of the 2000 classic of the same name, the 2022 version starring Yeo Jingoo and Cho Yihyun has finally made its way on our watchlist so today we bring you our review of the film.
I have been dragging watching Ditto out for months and next thing you know, it’s summer 2023 and mom and I finally sat down to give it a go. I was intrigued by the premise as I didn’t watch the 2000 original, and the whole premise of present and past connection and forming friendships through a time gap of 20 years really seemed interesting. It’s of course, a cherry on top that the cast for Ditto is just fantastic – Yeo Jingoo, Cho Yihyun, Kim Hyeyoon and Na Inwoo together in a movie? Count me in so let’s get to reviewing it!
From MyDramaList: In 1999, Yong studies mechanical engineering at a university. He first entered the school in 1995, but took time off to perform his mandatory military service. After finishing his military service, he came back to school as a student. His first love is Han Sol. Yong then somehow communicates with Mu Nee. Mu Nee lives in the present day. She enrolled at her university in 2021 and majors in sociology. Yong and Mu Nee, who are from different time periods, communicate and their story unfolds.
Possible minor spoilers ahead:
Now, Ditto was an interesting watch. I’m not sure if I would watch it again or not but either way, it definitely held my attention until the end because I wanted to see how things would turn out. The first part of the movie is stronger, as it’s more focused on them as characters and the university atmosphere, as well as setting this friendship between Yong and Mu Nee, who are from two different times. It was fun seeing them use the radio, whining to each other, pouring their hearts out as well as following their university struggles (mostly love ones). I expected Mu Nee to be a bigger character than she actually is as she doesn’t show up nearly as much as I thought she would (we know barely anything about her lifestyle for example) but I can say that I enjoyed Cho Yihyun’s acting here so much more than in All of Us Are Dead – she was such a cutie.
The real star of the movie is definitely Yeo Jingoo’s Yong as he’s carrying the plot the entire movie. He’s chaotic, nice but crazy chaotic, and I’m not even sure if I liked his character or not. He had me torn, especially when the plot twist kicked in and he started acting like a maniac. Okay, I’m being dramatic but so was he. Some of his actions were definitely way too dramatic for the situation in question, especially regarding his relationship, because we have no clue why he even liked this girl so much in the first place to the point he was going insane thinking about not being with her. King, even in 1999 you needed some therapy. On another hand, we get Yeo Jingoo once again crying in the rain and he’s the master of that – he invented having a mental breakdown in the pouring rain.
It’s hard to talk about Ditto without spoiling the main plot twist which pretty much follows the entire second part of the movie but I will say that Ditto was more and less what I expected. More, in the sense that I enjoyed the friendship aspect of it as well as the main two characters themselves, and less in the sense that it was definitely bordering on the too-dramatic line by the end of the movie which can be a hit-or-miss. However, I think the film rounded up nicely and gave a satisfying ending to everyone, both from the past and the present. My final rating was 7.25/10 but if you like these actors like I do, give it a go – it’s a nice movie. A bit sad but nice. And there’s a pet turtle!
Header Image Source: Viki
