Us and Them

Both films are about two people who have had a love relationship and who meet again after years. They have so many remorses and regrets about the past.

Both deals with the theme of love do not last forever. Even if you love each other that alone is not enough to sustain the relationship. Both have a similar ending as well.

Two young love birds. Romance vs reality. Beautiful couple. Being poor is hard. Struggle with money and life, have to put love and romance to second.

Once We Were Us is a Korean remake of Us and Them. If you liked Us and Them, you can give Once We Were Us a try, but it won’t give you quite the same feeling. On the other hand, if you enjoyed Once We Were Us, then Us and Them is a must-watch. You’re in for an emotional ride.

I originally thought the Korean remake would be exactly the same as the Chinese version, but I was wrong. While the overall plot is similar, I found the Chinese version more heart-wrenching and cinematic. What I loved most about Us and Them were the scenes with the male lead’s dad. I actually only cried during the part where his dad writes the letter for the female lead, and again during the ending credits when the male lead returns to visit his old home. The dialogue in the Chinese version is also much more thought-provoking. The scene that haunts me the most is when they’re sitting in the car and the female lead says, “I missed you.” I also appreciated how the Chinese version showed different years and how the characters grew and changed over time.

I also really love the OSTs in the Chinese version, they added so much more depth and meaning to the entire film. And of course, we can’t forget the main song, “Later” by Rene Liu. That song was actually the inspiration behind Us and Them, which makes it even more special and emotionally powerful.

In comparison, the Korean remake, Once We Were Us, felt like it was lacking in that area. The OSTs didn’t stand out to me at all, and they didn’t leave the same lasting impression. The Chinese version’s music truly elevated the story, while the Korean version’s soundtrack was whatever.

That said, I want to give credit to the Korean version for two things. First, in the Chinese version, there’s a scene where the male and female leads hold hands and run back to the hotel…even though the male lead already has a family. The Korean version removed that scene, which I think was a good choice, because imagine finding out your husband is still in love with his first love. Second, the Korean version made the female lead a successful architect, and I loved seeing that she built a stable career in Seoul. In the Chinese version, she’s still struggling and doesn’t have a stable job.

The story of two lovers giving their best to survive in urban life, chasing dreams, supporting each other. How long will their love last?

Watch if you love Zhou Dong Yu.
Both are Highly Rated Movies in my opinion.
They truly depict the harsh real life situations normal people face.
Both are Sad Tearjerkers.

it's a realistic story of a couple who juggles between their love life also their career, trying to survive life as a beijing drifter

Both stories aren't innocent and sweet, but realistic. It's about staying together for a long time as couples and whether or not it's a love that can last.

both stories takes place over a period of several years
unrequited lovers/ separation
back and forth storytelling

Ambos com uma história de amor triste.
Mas com uma mensagem de vida magnífica e com um sentimento eterno gerado no seu coração.

Both show a relationship that blossoms from friendship and what happens to that relationship when tough times hit. The leads in both have great chemistry and you see characters in most struggle to “make it” in the workplace. The family drama in Us and Them is more poignant

Cute young couple love grow, Met, fell in love, living together, but poverty put their romance in hell. Separate, walked their own path. Beautiful yet reality

It's the same about the story of young love that ends in the middle of the road and reunited when one of them has achieved their dream, while the other is still wandering.

Strangers meeting and changing the lives of each other. This is the most similar thing in Breaking Ice compared to Us and Them. And you cannot forget the snow. Oh the snow, and the melancholia that comes with it. In Us and Them you can get a more detailed picture of what is happening in the lives of the characters and more depth and emotion. Missed opportunities and regrets but choosing to go on and live through all of it.

The slow burn romance, the misery, the depressive mood and the ending T.T
The raw depiction of love and life were weaved together forming a reality. Both takes me tearing down by the end for how harsh reality truly is. You can love someone with all your heart but ended in different path; you can struggle life with someone but ended struggling to run away from them; you can try to hate someone you loved but your heart will never forget those who make you happy :'