More than Blue
More than Blue (比悲傷更悲傷的故事) is a 2018 Taiwanese romance film directed by Gavin Lin Hsiao-Chen, adapted from the 2009 South Korean film of the same name. It stars Jasper Liu as K, a record producer hiding a terminal illness, and Ivy Chen as Cream, the lyricist he loves but will not commit to.1 • 2
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 比悲傷更悲傷的故事1 |
| Director and scriptwriters | Gavin Lin Hsiao-Chen; script by Gavin Lin and Hermes Lu1 |
| Production | mm2 Entertainment Co., Ltd. and Good Movie Co., Ltd.; producer Dong Ding-An; shot December 20171 • 2 |
| Cast | Jasper Liu, Ivy Chen, Bryan Chang Shu-hao, Annie Chen, He Hao Chen, Emma Wu Ying-Chieh1 |
| Format | Feature film, 106 minutes, color, DCP, Chinese, romance genre1 |
| Taiwan release | 30 November 20183 |
| Festival | Open Cinema section, 23rd Busan International Film Festival (2018)2 |
| Box office | Best-selling domestic film in Taiwan in 2018; strong results in China, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore2 |
Spoilers
Plot
K (張哲凱) is a record producer and Cream (宋媛媛) is a lyricist. Both come from broken families: one lost his father as a child and was deserted by his mother, the other lost her parents in a car accident. From the age of sixteen they have had only each other, living together as each other's family and closest friend while loving each other without becoming lovers.1 • 4
A sudden illness strikes K, leaving him roughly 200 days to live. Unable to bear leaving Cream alone, he withholds news of his illness and spends his remaining time searching for a man who can take care of her for the rest of her life.1 The Golden Horse program describes his condition as a hereditary serious illness that could flare up at any time, which is why he never crossed the line of friendship to declare his love.4
Production and cast
The film was produced by mm2 Entertainment and Good Movie Co., Ltd., with Dong Ding-An as producer and Kwan Pun-Leung as cinematographer. Gavin Lin directed and co-wrote the script with Hermes Lu. The cast pairs Jasper Liu and Ivy Chen in their first collaboration, with Bryan Chang Shu-hao, Annie Chen, He Hao Chen, and Emma Wu Ying-Chieh in supporting roles, and cameo appearances by Shih Chih-tian and Yao Ai-ning.1 • 3 • 4
Shooting took place in December 2017. One quarrel scene between the supporting actor and supporting actress was filmed at Zhongxiao Wharf in New Taipei.2
The Korean original
The Taiwanese film adapts More Than Blue (2009), a South Korean romance drama directed by Won and starring Kwon Sang-woo, Lee Bo-young, and Lee Beom-su. The Korean film was released on March 11, 2009, ran 105 minutes, and sold 715,745 admissions for a total gross of $3,452,619 on 352 screens. It was shown in the Asian Films section of the 2009 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival.5 The Taiwanese version was the country's first remake of a hit Korean film.3
Reception and festivals
The film premiered in the Open Cinema section of the 23rd Busan International Film Festival in 2018, then opened in Taiwan on November 30, 2018.2 • 3 It became the best-selling domestic film in Taiwan that year and achieved strong box office in China, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore.2 It was nominated for a Golden Horse Award for Best Original Film Song.4
In April and May 2019 it screened at Filmfest DC, the Washington DC International Film Festival, as Taiwan's entry in the festival's 33rd edition, which presented more than 80 films from 45 countries and territories.6
Critical response was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes the film held a Tomatometer score of 68 percent based on three reviews. Alan Ng of Film Threat gave it 8/10, praising its message of love that looks out for the other person's interests; Yip Wai Yee of The Straits Times gave it 2.5/5, finding the protagonist unlikable; and James Marsh of the South China Morning Post gave it 2/5, calling it another melodrama in which the protagonist implausibly keeps a terminal illness hidden from loved ones.7
Legacy and the 2021 series
The film's commercial success helped establish the Korean-Taiwanese remake as a path for Taiwan cinema, a development examined in scholarship on East Asian film remakes.8 In April 2021 Netflix announced a 10-episode Taiwanese drama series, More Than Blue: The Series, directed by Pei-Ju Hsieh and produced by Good Movie Co. Ltd, mm2 Entertainment Taiwan, and Medialink Holdings Ltd. Rita Chuang, the original film's producer, served as producer again. The series stars Fandy Fan as Chang Che-Kai and Gingle Wang as Sung Yuan-Yuan and follows the characters in their student days as a continuation of the 2018 film's story.9
References
- More than Blue 比悲傷更悲傷的故事, Taiwan Cinema
- More than Blue (比悲傷更悲傷的故事), Film Assist and Development Center, New Taipei City
- 比悲傷更悲傷的故事 More Than Blue, 開眼電影網
- 比悲傷更悲傷的故事 More Than Blue, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival
- More Than Blue (2009), Korean Film Council
- 'More Than Blue' flies flag for Taiwan at Filmfest DC, Taiwan Today
- More Than Blue (2018), Rotten Tomatoes
- More than Blue and Man in Love: Transnational Korean-Taiwanese Film Remakes, East Asian Film Remakes (Cambridge University Press)
- Netflix Lifts the Blues With Taiwanese Series 'More Than Blue', About Netflix
Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Drama and biographical films (individual works) › Drama films 2015 to 2019 › Drama films 2017 and 2018
Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
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