I Just Want You (2025)

Jiejie romance with substance & great acting

I was intrigued by the title when I saw this drama appear on my Youtube dashboard. The ML seemed familiar & thankfully this MDL page has existed. I was pleasantly surprised to see Wu Tian Hao as the ML because I enjoyed his performances in Supervisor Husband & My Lady General.

What I liked:
1. Acting - Both Wu Tian Hao and the main actress portrayed their complex characters brilliantly. Their facial expressions and demeanor were on point.
2. Romance - Sizzling hot intimate scenes. Heavy kissing and cute coquettish act by ML at the start.
3. ML characterisation - I like that Shi Jie put out naive act but is actually smart & scheming.
4. FL characterisation - It's wonderful to see intelligent, confident & go getter female character. I also liked that Jiangnan was professionally involved in ML's life.
5. Family saga - It was gripping.
6. Production value - This drama felt more like a mini drama shot vertically because the directing style is different from other vertical dramas.

What I disliked:
1. The age gap - There is 10 years of age difference between FL & ML. I usually don't mind this big gap but ML is set to be 19 years old. It'd have been better to set him as 22 or 23 year old assuming he had finished university studies by 22 years old.
2. Pacing - Certain scenes progressed too fast for me to read subtitles & understand the context. I had to rewind.
3. FL's ex partner - Ungrateful.

Favourite scene
The second intimate scene was unexpected & intoxicating.

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The romance sprinted out the gate, tripped over communication, and face-planted in dysfunction

The synopsis of this drama looked promising, so I watched it, not expecting much from a low-budget, short length drama.

While it started out hot and heavy, the show veered into a territory that is toxic for my taste. I enjoy noona romances if done well, but I dislike them when they show the couple’s incompatibility, particularly if the male lead is too immature for the older female. Don’t get me wrong: their chemistry is sizzling on screen, but that does not justify a union that lasts. Although the quick development of their relationship is due to the show’s short length, I’ve seen other dramas do it better in the same time frame.

Instead of open communication, they gaslight each other and play stupid mind games. Not one character here is likeable, and though I know humans are flawed and are not perfect, but there’s nothing savory about trying to control another by using dirty tactics. I think it’s unfair to criticize Jiang Nan’s ex-boyfriend for being obsessive and stalker-y, but excuse Shi Jie for behaving similarly just because he’s attractive and the main lead.

In my opinion, the fundamental issue here is cramming too many story arcs into a short drama, preventing proper character and plot development. A more effective approach would have been to focus on two or three key aspects and delve deeper into them.

Although Jiang Nan and Shi Jie might have redeemed themselves towards the end, it wasn’t enough for me to applaud them. Otherwise, this drama is mainly for the eye candy and gratuitous intrigue.

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