Basically a friend of mine is working with me right now and we're translating a few things.
In a tear-jerking scene where two sisters are reunited, my friend insisted on translating it to "an impressive reunion" whereas I was thinking of "heartwarming". My impression of impressive are mostly among the lines of "leaving a deep impression" or "awe-inspiring". Can it be used to describe tear-inducing matters? I've never touched upon that kind of usage before...
Your impression of "impressive" is right. Impressive could be considered as long as it makes a good impression, but I would recommend using the following 2 adjectives.
Very broadly used adjective is "touching" which means:
Arousing feelings of sympathy or gratitude: your loyalty is very touching a touching reconciliation scene
Another possible candidate is moving:
Producing strong emotion, especially sadness or sympathy: an unforgettable and moving book
[Oxford Online Dictionary]
The following shows usage of 3 adjectives. "an impressive scene" has been losing popularity since the beginning of the 20th century.
[Ngram Viewer]
Your friend should look it up. Using "impressive" here doesn't make a whole lot of sense:
impressive: Making a strong positive impression; inspiring admiration or awe
(AHD)
Depending on the broader context, a word like "emotional" could work to describe the reunion:
emotional: making people have strong feelings
The funeral was a very emotional experience for all of us.
(Longman)
