The pairing of Leo Wu and Zhou Yu Tong in Nothing But You 2023 (爱情而已) didn’t look too appealing to me at first glance. But the badminton and tennis theme made me interested to give this a go although it is fairly lengthy at 38 episodes. After completing this, I kind of like it with the way the story has been presented. I think this is one of the better sports-romance drama that I have watched to date. My Nothing But You 2023 review is as per below.
My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 38
Type: Romance
Aired: March 2023
Images Credit: iQIYI Taiwan Facebook
The Cast Of Nothing But You 2023
- Leo Wu Lei as Song San Chuan
- Zhou Yu Tong as Liang You An
- Tu Song Yan as An Cong
- Zhu Yong Teng as Jiang Jie
- Xia Hao Ran as Jiang Jiao Jiao
- Jiang Pei Yao as Luo Nian
- Ma Fan Ding as Liang Tao
- Li Qing as Chen Zhe
- Mark Ma Bai Quan as Dai Yi
- Zhang Tao as Zhang Yan
- Shawn Wei Qian Xiang as Nate
- Yumiko Cheng Hei Yee as Alex
- Lei Mu as Gao Li
- Huang Jun Peng as Coach Yu
- Esther Wang Jia Jia as Tong Lu
- Jiao Gang as Liang Shu
- Xia Li Xin as Liu Yue Mei
- Gao Ming Chen as Jin Yi
Main Characters
Song San Chuan
San Chuan is a badminton player who has been suffering from poor form due to a psychological issue. He is hardworking and has a good attitude but is unable to make progress in his career. San Chuan is 22 years old.
Liang You An
You An is an executive assistant to a Marketing Director at a sporting goods company called Young Space. She is a very effective and capable assistant who has the gut instinct in identifying a winner. She is married to her job and has a great sense of responsibility. You An is 32 years old and single.
Supporting Characters
An Cong
An Cong is San Chuan’s stepfather. He runs a wig shop near the local hospital to cater to cancer patients. An Cong used to be a racquet stringer in the same team as San Chuan’s mother.
Jiang Jie
Jiang Jie is the Marketing Director of Young Space. He is in charge of promoting the brand and increasing sales for the company. Jiang Jie is You An’s boss. He is ambitious and wants to go further in the company. He is married to Chen Ke and has a son who plays tennis but they don’t get along.
Jiang Jiao Jiao
Jiao Jiao is a tennis player attached to the Young Space Tennis Club. His father is Jiang Jie and hence, he is known as the crown prince in the club due to his father’s position in the company. Jiao Jiao is hot-tempered and can be immature and petty. He has a poor relationship with his father who doesn’t believe he will succeed as a tennis player.
Luo Nian
Luo Nian is a nutritionist and You An’s best friend. She is a divorced single mother with a young daughter named Luo Le. She has a tough time bringing up her daughter alone but has unconditional support and help from You An.
Liang Tao
Liang Tao is You An’s stepsister. She is a young lady with dreams of making it big as a livestreamer. She is cunning and will use various tactics to get the clips that she wants for her channel. Liang Tao is hardworking and resourceful but can be very direct.
Chen Zhe
Chen Zhe is a tennis player at Young Space Tennis Club and Jiao Jiao’s good friend. He comes from a rich family and doesn’t have the drive to train hard for success as a professional.
Dai Yi
Dai Yi is a teenager who is still studying as well as a tennis player at Young Space Tennis Club. His main aim in playing tennis is use it to gain admission to a top university. He also faces huge pressure from his mother who is always on the courts to watch him practice.
Zhang Yan
Zhang Yan is a well-known tennis coach in the country. But he is an eccentric guy who seems arrogant and direct. He has an antagonistic style of expression which could rub people the wrong way.
Nate
Nate is You An’s colleague in Young Space but is based in Singapore. He has interest in You An and hopes to start a relationship with her. Nate is a confident man with a career that is going well.
Alex
Alex is a well-known scout for sporting talents with a wide network. She is a sophisticated and beautiful woman.
Gao Li
Gao Li is the Sales Director of Young Space and Jiang Jie’s rival in the company. He is also the company President’s cousin.
Coach Yu
Coach Yu is the badminton coach of San Chuan’s club. He knows San Chuan’s problem but is unable to help him.
Tong Lu
Tong Lu is San Chuan’s mother. She used to be a national badminton player before becoming a coach.
Liang Shu
Liang Shu is You An and Liang Tao’s father. He and You An’s mother divorced long ago and he then married Liang Tao’s mother not long after. Hence, You An doesn’t have a good relationship with Liang Shu.
Liu Yue Mei
Yue Mei is You An’s mother. She is still bitter towards Liang Shu and thinks that he cheated on her while they were married. She also feels guilty that her bad marriage and divorce has affected You An in a way that makes You An wary of love and relationship.
Jin Yi
Jin Yi is the top badminton player in the same club as San Chuan. He is a bully and an arrogant guy who likes to pick on San Chuan.
Synopsis
You An is an executive assistant to an ambitious boss. She is so good at her job that her boss is unwilling to transfer her out as requested. Hence, You An keeps putting in the hours until her life feels empty apart from work. At the same time, she doesn’t have the courage to walk away.
San Chuan is a badminton player who has stagnated and unable to win matches. He is being bullied by the top player and feels lost about his career direction. Then, he meets You An who is looking for the next potential sports star to sign up as a brand ambassador for her company. Her gut instinct tells her that San Chuan is someone to watch out for but the decision is not hers to make. At the same time, San Chuan begins to develop feelings for You An who is much older than him.
Following an incident that causes negative publicity to the company, You An finally takes the opportunity to resign and recharge. With San Chuan also facing a career crossroad, would the 2 of them be able to support each other to make a switch and be happier with their life? What would their new goals be and would You An open her heart to the much younger San Chuan?
Nothing But You 2023 Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)
Nothing But You 2023 has a happy ending. In the last episode, You An decides to break San Chuan’s lopsided endorsement contract with Young Space and send him to join a top club in Spain for 2 years. So, 3 months later, the couple is engaging in a long distance relationship. While he trains and studies in Spain, she is busy expanding the club and opening a new branch in another city. San Chuan surprises her with a brief visit before they need to separate again. 16 months later, San Chuan returns home. They decide to get married and there is a short clip thereafter to show their life after marriage.
When Did The Couple Get Together?
San Chuan confesses to You An in Episode 15 after he was accepted by Coach Zhang Yan and successfully transformed from a badminton to a tennis player. He wants to win for You An and make her proud of him. But You An rejects him instead. She tells him that she couldn’t afford to return his affections and be responsible for his life as he needs to play tennis and win for himself and not for her. She also wants him to focus on his game while she works on getting the club to be financially viable. Furthermore, You An is wary of the age difference between them and has no confidence that the love will be stable for the long term.
However, San Chuan continues to woo her subtly. They slept together in Episode 21 when You An kisses San Chuan after she is moved by his action to go one up against her ex. They were also under the influences of alcohol at that time and You An uses this excuse to deem it a one night stand the next morning. She regrets hurting him after the words came tumbling out.
San Chuan is angry and ignores her until Episode 23 when he wins his first tennis trophy. You An has decided to tell San Chuan about her feelings for him but he beats her to it by promising to focus on his tennis. He wants to win 10 trophies for her to represent the 10-year age difference between them in exchange for the chance to be with her. She agrees to his request.
San Chuan directly asks You An if she likes him in Episode 29. She says yes. They finally get together in Episode 30 after he gets injured and requires knee surgery.
Is There Any Breakup And Love Triangle?
No, there is no breakup after San Chuan and You An started dating. They only have an argument in Episode 35 when San Chuan signs an endorsement contract with Young Space without You An’s knowledge. He did it to help her overcome the financial pressure that their tennis club is facing. However, she feels he is being shortchanged and doesn’t like Young Space’s underhanded tactics to force their hand. Hence, she is angry that he didn’t discuss it with her beforehand. But the couple quickly patch up their differences in Episode 35 with each acknowledging their mistake.
There is also no love triangle in the drama. Apart from some minor jealous moments on both sides, there is no third party to spoil the main couple’s relationship.
When Did San Chuan Make A Career Switch?
San Chuan makes a switch from badminton to tennis in Episode 9 on You An’s encouragement after she took up the post of Club Manager of Young Space Tennis Club in Episode 8. He successfully transforms himself into a tennis player and acknowledged by Coach Zhang Yan in Episode 11.
Second Couple
Liang Tao and Jiao Jiao start off as enemies but gradually become friends and then lovers. Liang Tao is a livestreamer who has had enough of her boss and partner. She wants to terminate her contract in Episode 23 but is required to pay a huge compensation. Liang Tao helps her to resolve the matter and she owes him instead. She then decides to go and work for You An at the tennis club in Episode 24. Hence, she often runs into Jiao Jiao who starts to keep an eye on her every move in the club and feel jealous when she pays more attention on San Chuan.
Jiao Jiao impulsively kisses Liang Tao in Episode 27 and confesses to her. But she rejects him as she thinks he isn’t serious but merely pulling a prank on her again. They become a couple in Episode 31 after Jiao Jiao comforts her when she is being attacked online. After a few months of dating, Jiao Jiao buys her a ring and proposes to her in Episode 32. She says yes. They register their marriage and have a simple wedding ceremony in Episode 34. Jiao Jiao also becomes more mature and responsible thereafter. Liang Tao is pregnant at the end of Episode 38.
The Ending For Other Characters
- Jiang Jie and Chen Ke officially sign their divorce papers in Episode 23. In Episode 38, Chen Ke says that she already has a boyfriend when Jiang Jie invites her for a meal. So, Jiang Jie ends up alone.
- You An’s father is diagnosed with kidney cancer in Episode 36 but successfully undergoes surgery to remove the tumor. You An still finds it hard to reconcile with her father. Thus, San Chuan takes up the role to visit him on her behalf to make her feel better.
- You An’s mother decides to travel and see the world in Episode 37. She knows she shouldn’t let her bitterness on her failed marriage affect You An and should put the past behind her.
- Chen Zhe decides to quit tennis to work as a businessman with his father in Episode 37. He recognizes that he has no talent in the sport to progress further.
- Dai Yi manages to pass his university entrance exam and will also leave the club for further studies in Episode 37.
- San Chuan wants An Cong to move on and look for a companion in Episode 38.
- Coach Zhang Yan has been subtly pursuing Luo Nian for 2 years. It is implied that she is ready to give him a chance in Episode 38.
Nothing But You 2023 Review – Career & Romance Drama
Nothing But You 2023 has a few themes running through the plot. Firstly, it is about romance with an age gap issue as the woman is a decade older than the man. While it is not a big problem in the story, it is still a consideration on the woman’s part. Furthermore, the age gap is pretty obvious at times especially in the beginning of the drama. The woman is matured and cautious about love while the guy simply adores her to the point of dancing to her tune. So, you do need to be a fan of noona romance if you want to give this a go.
Secondly, it is also about career change and struggles. Both the leads are facing stagnation in their careers which no longer give them joy but there is also the fear of change. And once they overcome that, there are new challenges that come with any switch. Therefore, much of the story also revolves around the protagonists’ careers and work related issues. Given the more matured topics that get covered in the drama, Nothing But You may just be more suitable for older viewers than teenagers.
Thirdly, you can also deem this a sports drama with tennis being the main focus. So, it shares similarities with Falling Into You which is also an older woman and younger man romance with the former being a coach and the latter an athlete. While the tennis matches are realistically shot, the issues being faced by the guy are nothing new for the sports theme.
Basically, Nothing But You does not offer anything refreshing in terms of plot but does reasonably well in its execution. Thus, the drama becomes engaging because it is relatable and sweet.
Well-Executed Plot
Personally, the drama has a well-executed plot to me although there isn’t anything groundbreaking to look forward to. But the way the story and characters are packaged have an element of realism to them. The protagonists’ family background is not a happy one but typical of what many people have to face. Their career struggles are commonly experienced by many especially the female character’s situation of being stuck in a rut with a self-serving boss. The romance line is slow and cautious but that is what many of us would do in reality as we don’t simply dive into a relationship without considering the risks and viability.
Hence, the overall story has a matured feel to it with heavy dialogues at times. There is no silliness and exaggeration to jack up the entertainment value like what you would see in rom-coms such as The Romance Of The Little Forest.
On the flip side, this could also mean the drama would be boring and bland to some. It really depends on how much you like maturity to your romance dramas without much bickering and prolonged misunderstanding. Having said that though, maturity here doesn’t come with the sizzles as you would probably expect.
Sweet But Minus The Passion
The main couple in Nothing But You is quite sweet and there are sufficient lovey-dovey moments between them after they get together. But it stops there which is a pity because there are plenty of opportunities to turn the relationship up a notch and make it sizzling. Given that this is an age gap romance, you need to infuse it with sufficient passion and sexual attraction to break down that age difference like in Why Women Love and The Forbidden Flower.
As it is, the skinship in this drama is limited to cuddles and pecks apart from one bed scene which isn’t that great either. It is not that you need lots of steamy kisses to get viewers excited but I get the feeling that San Chuan and You An are more like friends or partners at times rather than lovers although they may be sweet together. For instance, the couple in Flight To You also has hardly any intimate scenes but the lovers’ vibes are blazing there.
Chemistry Is There But…
It is fortunate that both the leads project enough chemistry to make the pairing workable. That is why we can still feel the fluff and sweetness from this onscreen couple. If sweetness is enough for you, then the drama would be an enjoyable one. But if you want more than that whereby you can truly feel the sizzles and fiery passion between them like in You Are My Glory, then this pairing would be pretty bland.
The other thing that makes it watchable is, of course, Leo Wu. I think he practically carried the show in Nothing But You with his great portrayal of San Chuan. He looks like a professional sportsman to start with and his adoration for You An is clear in his eyes and smiles. He is so different here compared to his stern and sullen looks in Love Like the Galaxy which proves his versatility as an actor.
Zhou Yu Tong also played her role well to me as You An. She gives the character a backbone and maturity with the right body language and expressions. But she definitely has better chemistry as lovers with Simon Gong in Begin Again than with Leo Wu. Perhaps the plot and drama direction in Nothing But You do not lend itself well to a really sizzling romance. So, we have to be contented with just sweetness which is still wonderfully portrayed to me.
My Verdict – Watch For Leo Wu!
If you are a Leo Wu fan, I think you shouldn’t miss Nothing But You 2023. After all, he is an eye candy with his good looks and boyish smiles. Of course, the drama is also more than just that with realistic topics that cover career struggles, family relationships, friendships, regrets, and romance which provide adequate room for personal growth of the characters to take place. Hence, the overall story is relatable and well-executed.
As mentioned, some are bound to find this drama boring with these kind of matured topics. On top of that, the drama could be shorter as the amount of problems heaped upon the male protagonist is endless and hence, feels overdone to me. The ending for his story is rushed and anti-climatic with time jumps that don’t really add much value. The ending for the “villains” also has no satisfactory closure. Thus, the amount of time spent on them seems wasted.
As a result of these weaknesses, I will give this Nothing But You 2023 review a score of 7.5/10. It is a sweet kind of romance drama like Road Home but not in a passionate way. It is an older woman and younger man relationship with obvious age gap which will be romantic for some but not others. Overall, it is an engaging watch but not to the extent that will make you crave for more once it comes to an end.
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