Ditto (2022), Adorable but Unfulfilling

On a night of cosmic magic, a mysterious voice from the future reaches out to Yong (Yeo Jin-goo) through an antique radio. This strange connection leads to a friendship between two college students living two decades apart. 'Ditto' is a classic Korean romance, and this modern remake will tug at the heartstrings of fans both old and new. As Yong and the voice from the future share and support each other's love stories, a magical journey of friendship and romance unfolds.

This delightful remake brings together a stellar cast of young stars, including Yeo Jin-goo, Kim Hye-yoon, Cho Yi-hyun, and Na In-woo, who undoubtedly bring their legions of fans to the movie. It's impossible not to be interested to this heartwarming tale, and the captivating performances of these four talented actors only add to its charm.

The classic romantic comedy formula is alive and well in Ditto, with a lighthearted opening that captures the charm and sweet energy of the genre. Yeo Jin-goo and Kim Hye-yoon have undeniable chemistry that makes the first act of this remake just as delightful as the original. But the rest is, well, not so much. 

This remake offers a unique spin on the original 2000s version. While the focus of the movie is now more on Yong's story, the exploration of Munee's side is unfortunately diminished. While expectations were high for the remake to address some of the original's shortcomings, it sadly fails to do so. 

Although Kim Yong is the main focus, the story of Yong's journey lacked the necessary cohesion to truly engage viewers, with weak connections between its characters resulting in a disorienting and disjointed narrative. The movie's reliance on a timeline that jumps from past to present was a major misstep, as it failed to emphasize the relationships between the characters that could have made the story far more emotionally resonant and invested.

As an example the past storyline: The relationship between Kim Yong and Eun-sung was meant to be one of best friends, but it seemed to be one-sided. Kim Yong's sudden transformation into an overly jealous and paranoid boyfriend to Han-sol felt rushed and was not given enough screen time to truly empathize with. Without more scenes of their developing relationship, it was difficult to really understand the depth of their affection, making it hard for me to invest in their story. With more light and exposure to their relationship, this movie would have been much more impactful.

The movie also fails to provide the necessary screentime for Eun-sung and Han-sol's relationship to truly blossom; we are simply forced to accept their love story without any real evidence to support it. Similarly, Yong's involvement in the love triangle is unconvincing due to the lack of development. Furthermore, Munee's romance is almost nonexistent, and this makes me feel disappointed. 

‘Ditto’ is definitely watchable, especially if you have your idol in it. But don't expect too much, as you'll just get the same old first love and love triangle stories that you usually find in K-Dramas. The conclusion of those two worn out tropes in this movie is quite constructive and different from the norm, but overall, this isn't a great romance movie. It's just okay.