I Don’t Love You Yet (2019) is a remake of the beloved Taiwanese drama In Time With You (2011). There are a few versions of this drama, and I’ve heard nothing but great things about this go to Tdrama. I have never seen the original or the other remakes. But after finishing this drama, I want to watch the original! This drama is truly interesting, and you’ll be in for a ride.
Mitari Yo (Adachi Rika) and Ishida Ren (Shirasu Jin) meet in high school when Yo is the target of a prank. When Ren reveals the letter Yo received is a prank she is devastated. Yo is distraught and feels bad she is now facing Ren, who she thought sent the love letter. Ren tells Yo he wants to be her friend as she tries to leave. Yo believes he wants to bully her and in an attempt to not scare Yo away, He shouts, I will never love you. A friendship begins from that day. Years later as the two are approaching 30 years-old, they make a bet with each other. Whoever marries before the age of 31 years-old wins, and pays the other.
However, the reality is far from Yo and Ren being just best friends. Ren in actuality loves Yo since he first met her. Except, he didn’t want to scare her away and never confessed in fear of being rejected by Yo. Ren hides his feelings for Yo. Ren and Yo are always there for each other through relationships, breakups, work problems, and life in general. To others, they seem like a couple, but they remain clear they’re only best friends, which causes problems when they’re in relationships with their significant other.
Yo’s Character Faults:
Yo is a career woman who wants to be loved and still be able to work on her dreams. To Yo, her career is extremely important as it gives her pride and joy. She clearly states multiple times how great Ren would be as a partner if only they weren’t best friends. Yo still believes Ren would never love her since he made that promise back in high school. Yo loves to talk and feels better when someone listens to her, and Yo finds that comfort in Ren. Yo is a simple yet fabulous woman. She often seeks love in the wrong place with the wrong person. She will always change herself and become someone else when she thinks she’s in love.
The effects of Yo and Ren’s Relationship:
Yo and Ren’s relationship always affects their currents relationship. They continuously call each other for hours about their struggles and worries. They gather together after work for meals and drinks. Their relationship bothers their significant others, which never allows Ren and Yo to find a suitable partner successfully. Everyone thinks they are secretly in love. They genuinely do hurt a lot of people in the process, including themselves by denying their real emotions.
Ren’s Character Faults:
Ren is gentle and also career-oriented much like Yo. Ren does everything for Yo even when she doesn’t ask him. He’s always there for Yo and timidly suggest himself as an option for a partner. However, Yo never seems to take him seriously and brushes off Ren as joking. Ren is an all-around great guy except he is not assertive in following his heart. He seems to force himself into relationships when he knows he’s in love with Yo. Although he never wants to admit it and often in the drama, you will hear Ren say, ” I don’t love you yet.” As if he wants to keep avoiding it since he cannot handle how it will change their relationship.
Ren and Yo Relationship:
This drama can be frustrating. Since its clear to the audience, there is something more than friends between the two. I do admire their strong bond. The mutual support and love for one another is something everyone wishes for in a platonic relationship. But it’s apparent they suppress their true feelings for each other. It’s tough to understand Ren and Yo because they are so perfect for each other. I get they don’t want to lose each other. However, they are practically a mess if they don’t see each other, and often express they just wanted to hear the other’s voice. Everyone can see they love each other except they both deny each other this chance to be in love.
Toxic Relationships in the drama:
Due to Ren suppressing his feelings for Yo and lying about not being in love with her causes Ren emotional stress and agony. He lies to himself and starts relationships he cannot keep. He forces himself to be happy and puts up a show. This lie leads to an unhealthy, unhappy, and destructive relationship that leaves both Ren and his girlfriend unhappy and uneasy all the time.
Yo also is not very confident in herself when it comes to love; it’s clear when she changes and compromises for things she does not want. She is willing to allow someone to decide her future for her if it means they stay in her life. She gives so much love to the wrong people, but on the other hand, she is never truly devoted to them. That leaves a lot of room to control Yo. In particular, her current relationship with her former lover begins to take a turn for the worse. There is a lot of jelousy. Yo is not happy in the relationship, but somehow she wants it to work with the illusion of being in love.
Why I love this drama:
I love the friendship dynamic. They are so comfortable and cute with one another. They do everything and anything for each other. They think about one another more than often, even if that means they get hurt. Their love is pure but also very messed up. I enjoy their acting, and this drama captures, the sadness, frustration, tension, and forbidden love if you will. I love the style of filming and the colors. I absolutely love the ending song which repeatedly plays throughout the drama. I enjoyed this drama very much and highly recommend it. The dialogue and conversations between Ren and Yo are amazing.
Spoiler Alert
What I cannot forget about this drama:
I love when Ren finally lets go of Yo and wishes her well. In that scene, Ren goes back in time and replays what happened after the prank. He finally lets go of his regret and tells Yo how he feels. He tells Yo he loves her and with that he gets closure. Once that fades, we see Ren said that to the present Yo.
Another haunting scene is when Yo listens to the original recording of a song Ren wrote for her. In that scene, we can see Yo crying while listening to Ren singing while crying.
Lastly, I especially loved the ending when Yo’s brother gave Ren the octopus pillow Yo loved. They walked and just teased each other while they formally left Yo’s house to begin their life together as lovers. It was the sweetest scene ever!
I love this drama, and I hope you will too! Have you watched the drama? What didn’t you like? Did the actions of the characters bother you?
CinemaDeJoei 