I Need Romance (2021) – Season 1 Episode 2 Recap & Review

The Ice Queen

Episode 2 of I Need Romance begins with Arlan being interviewed on TV. He moved to thee US when he was 9 and his inspiration for writing music came from the heart. He has a lot of affection for Jubjang, who helped teach him how to play the piano. Last episode though Jubjang told our Tofu not to show up but he ignores that advice and shows up anyway.

This promise of returning came prior to his trip aboard, and since then he’s been trying to get back to her. Unfortunately Jubjang is serious when she says she doesn’t want to see him. According to her, she hated looking after him and saw the kid as a burden.

Despite the hurtful words, Arlan appears before her. He doesn’t let on that he’s actually Tofu though, given she doesn’t really know what he looks like. While they sit together, she admits she likes being alone. “People hate me so I hate them back, it’s easy,” She says nonchalantly.

Drinks flow and Najai winds up stumbling home drunk. She struggles to remember the code to her door (it’s her birthday -1) but eventfully stumbles inside. In doing so, she gets thinking about her time with Aun. The break-up still hurts, and she even has a wine glass in her bathroom full of failed relationship rings.

Dropping Aun’s in the glass, she lets herself cry. It’s short-lived though, especially when Najai’s work friends head over for their celebratory drinks. While there, they talk relationships as the gang decide Najai needs to move on.

At work the next day, Najai sees that her company hasn’t even made the top 3 on the leaderboard. Najai is not happy, claiming it’s because of outdated practices and archaic marketing techniques.

The boss notices her moaning and brings her into his office. Despite some pretty creepy advances, Kan eventually sits down and gives her some advice. He thinks they should get celebrity endorsements.

Najai sets to work bringing this to fruition. Maple, Mesa and Piewa join her and decide to try and convince big names to endorse their products. Despite the project barely off the ground, Kan gets them all a large, lavish office to work in. However, Mesa suddenly shows and breaks the news that Aun has quit.

Najai heads over to tell her ex not to make such a rash decision. Aun is still hurting but Najai reveals that she is too. She tries to convince him to come back but there’s a problem. Kiss rocks up with the relationship rings round her neck.

Kiss and Najai used to be friends in the past but Kiss sure shows her true colours. This isn’t the first time she’s tried to snatch Najai’s partners before.

As the two come to blows and look set to explode into a full-on cat fight, Arlan shows and stops things escalating. In hilarious fashion, Najai falls on top of Arlan, leading to the pair looking at each other for an extended period off time.

Najai does then scramble back to her feet but sports a cut hand, leading her to get patched up by Tofu. He vows to help her get back to the loving, caring person she was before.

The Episode Review

The second episode of I Need Romance starts to dive into Najai’s work/life balance. Most tellingly of all though is that wine glass, which shows all the past failures in her romantic endeavours. It’s a harsh reminder that her love life has been rife with failures. Can Arlan change that?

That seems to be the message here and the show has done a pretty good job maintaining a quirky tone to this one.

The comedy and romantic elements are well balanced, with Najai’s cold, icy demeanor showing glimmers that they could well be breaking soon. Her cold façade is just that – pretend. Part of the allure here seems to be watching that break bit by bit and I am all for it!

Either way, the ending leaves the door wide open for where this one may go next.