With Seiya's current physical strength, breaking free from Yuko's embrace would've been an easy task.
But right now, he had to act like a child—and seeing "the endangered Seiya" had clearly touched Yuko's fragile heart, inevitably reminding her of the day her sister was attacked.
After all, she herself was only a girl in her early twenties, yet that day, she'd lost everything she could rely on.
Now, Yuko not only had to shoulder her injured sister's ongoing medical expenses but also take care of a five-year-old Seiya.
To outsiders, she might look like a strong and dependable young woman.
But Seiya knew that this seemingly strong girl often cried quietly in the middle of the night.
Because no matter how she pretended to be tough, Yuko was still just a college student who hadn't even graduated yet. Bearing such an enormous burden, the fact that she could keep going at all was already something remarkable.
Perhaps sensing Yuko's vulnerability, Seiya stopped struggling and obediently let her hold him close—enjoying the soft, plush comfort of her thighs as a seat and the gentle cushion of her chest as a pillow—while they finished the entire movie together.
Being able to watch a movie in Yuko's arms… that might be one of the privileges of being a child.
"Wow! The boy playing Sōnya was incredible! Let's watch the next screening too!"
"Right? I have no idea where the production team found that kid, but he's insane!"
"Yeah, the young Sōnya perfectly captured the anime version's spirit. Compared to that, the adult Sōnya was such a letdown."
"Exactly! After seeing the young Sōnya's performance, I actually started looking forward to the later parts of the story—since in the anime, the adult Sōnya was supposed to be way stronger!
But who would've guessed the rest of the film would be such a disappointment? Not only did they cut out all the iconic anime scenes, but the adult Sōnya just felt like a useless pretty boy.
Aside from being good-looking, he was basically trash—none of the youthful energy or sharpness from before, and even his swordsmanship looked awful!"
When Seiya and Yuko left the theater, they overheard quite a few moviegoers saying similar things.
Overall, thanks to Seiya's performance, the movie's quality and faithfulness to the source material were far higher than expected.
But ironically, that same performance ended up working against the film itself.
Live-action anime adaptations were usually romance-oriented. Even though action-oriented anime had a wider fanbase, when it came to film adaptations, most investors and directors preferred slice-of-life or romance stories.
The reason was simple: action anime were exciting, but incredibly hard to adapt well.
Sure, the big flashy battle scenes could be reproduced with enough money and advanced CGI.
But what about the actors' movement skills? That relied entirely on their own ability—and the "main characters" in action anime were usually handsome, youthful types.
In the real film industry, where would you even find such an actor?
Stunt professionals were seasoned and rugged, while the fresh-faced idols couldn't act or fight believably. The skilled veterans couldn't play energetic teenagers. It was a deadlock that made action-oriented adaptations nearly impossible.
This movie, From This Moment On, I'll Protect You, didn't actually have that many fight scenes in the original anime.
So when adapted, it naturally leaned more toward romance.
But because Seiya's portrayal of young Sōnya was too perfect, audiences immediately felt an enormous sense of disappointment once the adult version appeared.
Whether in film, anime, or novels—starting low and building up works fine, as long as the payoff feels satisfying later.
But starting high and ending low? That's unbearable.
"I was having the time of my life, ready for the climax… and you tell me that's how it ends?"
After the protagonist fell off the cliff, he was supposed to come back stronger—a dragon among men.
Yet in the movie, he turned into a shallow flirt who just spouted empty lines. Who could stand that?
He was supposed to have grown stronger, but instead, he looked weaker than before. Of course audiences wouldn't accept that.
Days passed since the premiere, yet discussion about From This Moment On, I'll Protect You continued to explode online.
Normally, a small-budget romance film would never get this kind of traction—but Seiya's performance was just too stunning.
Anyone who saw the film couldn't help but say: "Young Sōnya is a beast!"
Hearing that, people who hadn't been interested before became curious—just to see for themselves what all the fuss was about.
And once they did, they came out of the theater saying the exact same thing:
"Young Sōnya is a beast!"
With the internet being what it is, that phrase quickly became a viral meme.
In just a few days, YouTube and every video platform were filled with clips quoting that line—"Young Sōnya is a beast!"—and soon, Young Sōnya had blown up across the entire internet!
However, while Young Sōnya's performance skyrocketed in fame, the film From This Moment On, I'll Protect You suffered the opposite fate—its ratings plummeted, and it became known as one of the year's biggest flops.
Audiences' biggest complaint, besides how awful "adult Sōnya" was compared to his younger counterpart, was aimed squarely at the director and producers—for not giving the child actors more screen time.
Anyone with eyes could tell: the two kids in the movie outperformed their adult counterparts in every way.
Compared to them, the grown-up leads had nothing going for them except good looks—they were bland, lifeless, and felt like they'd been shoved into the cast for no reason.
From the film's release to now, nearly every character and crew member had been harshly criticized by audiences—except for Arima Kana, who, alongside Seiya, was one of the few spared from the backlash and even praised.
After all, in the movie, Kana and Seiya played a child couple, and audiences were naturally more forgiving toward children.
Honestly, for a six-year-old like Arima Kana to act that well was already extraordinary.
But compared to her, the adult leads' performances were simply painful to watch.
Seeing the endless praise online for Young Sōnya's acting, Yuko couldn't hide her pride and happiness.
But Seiya, on the other hand, didn't feel happy at all.
Sure, he was glad that people acknowledged his performance.
But come on—he was just a rookie, barely setting foot into the entertainment world, and his very first movie had already been branded a disaster.
Who on earth would dare cast him again after this?
(End of Chapter)
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