Destined with You

Give it a try!

**Disclaimer: This is just my opinion, please don't take anything I say personally. We don't have to agree and I'm not here to argue with anyone.***

"Destined With You" is one of those dramas that you have to stick with until it gets better. I’m not going to lie it was so hard finding motivation to keep watching but after episode 7 it started to pick up and I have to say I started enjoying the plot twists, mystery and thriller aspect of it. It is seriously so interesting. I especially loved the backstory of Mu Jin and Aeng Cho. Though their love was ill-fated from the start you can see he killed her to ensure they would not dismember her and that she would live on through the curse. The fact that Mu Jin said in another life let them be happy… and this life they want to be happy but were unable to because of the curse and that crazy psychopath of a man (Na Jung-Beom) was so frustrating and unfair.

Rowoon looks so gorgeous in this drama… that was enough to keep me watching haha 😭 Idk but something about him with the slick back hair as the serious / brooding lawyer is. He also was giving a buzz and then when its all combed down he looks like a cute puppy / golden retriever. AHHH I love how he’s giving us rangeeee and I can’t wait to see him in his next projects.

Bo Ah is such a good actress the way she conveys what she’s feeling through her eyes alone is literally a talent.

For once I actually prefer the latter half of a drama rather than the usual trend of the drama falling off / being disappointing the end.

Let’s talk about Rowoon and Bo Ah's chemistry in episodes 13-15, 15 especially – it was off the charts! I'm talking about that kiss, whew! — I can see why shaman lady (Eun Wol) called the next morning and was like Shin Yu and Hong Jo would be conceiving a girl. I mean, I got pregnant just watching that scene haha. Jokes aside, I'm not sure why people were doubting their incredible chemistry, but you know, there will always be haters or people who don't receive media in the same way and have no appreciation for the effort / artistry that goes into it. I think the writers did a good job of neatly wrapping up the ending. Obviously they would have needed more episodes to really delve into the magic and the lore of Hong Jo’s shaman powers / lineage etc… but so far they did well with the little they were able to keep / use.

I also liked the various side characters stories especially between Mr. Gong and Ms. Ma. They were kind of on / and off all the time but I'm happy they worked out their differences and got married in the end. At first I did not like Hong Jo's workers but I warmed to them because they are very funny / silly. I also liked the side story about Shin Yu's mother and father... it seemed like they were always playing cat and mouse with each other, and you thought they were going to divorce - but in the end, they're going to have a baby. To say I was surprised is an understatement. To be honest, I thought the mom was starting to like Shin Yu's lawyer friend and that they'd end up together, but the drama didn't go in that direction at all.

I didn't particularly like Mr. Kwon / Jae Gyeong, but I'm glad he remained a good guy until the end. Life is all about timing, and he completely missed his with Hong Jo, so he can only blame himself. I thought it was a little cheeky of him to tell her that if she doesn't marry Shin Yu within the next six months, she should call him, but whatever - at least it ended amicably.

One aspect of the show that I dislike is their inability to finish the shamanism/curse storyline. They expect me to believe that the curse has been magically broken and Shin Yu is completely healed? Honestly, I was wondering if there was something missing or if there was more to it because the final scene shows Mu Jin, of the past ,walking away with a spell book of the heavens or something? I'm also curious if Hong Jo's near-death experience, which included almost being poisoned and then being resuscitated... is what broke the curse in the end? Little details like this being forgotten / not being explained is what kind of irritated me about the drama and made me take off points.

In my opinion, the ending was very touching and adorable... I was smiling the entire time and was relieved that it didn't end on a sad / bittersweet note with the main characters suffering. Spoiler alert: Hong Jo is not pregnant, but they will get married and live happily ever after. It took them 300 years to get here, but they did it!

The OST they chose is just so beautiful and heartfelt. The songs perfectly complement the story and will stay with you long after you finish watching the drama.

I for one am impressed and proud of myself for not dropping this drama and I guess I would rewatch it for the vibes and cute moments.

If you enjoy light fantasy, mystery, and reincarnation dramas, you should give this one a shot. Hopefully, you will not be disappointed.

With that, I give this drama a resounding 8/10.

Thanks for reading & happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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Rowoon and Jo Bo Ah bring out the best in each other

I'll start out with what I didn't like:

1. Hong Jo deserved better friends. There were plenty of strong female characters, but I am disappointed none of them were HJ's age.

2. Shin Yu's mom deserved a better partner. It bothered me that she didn't go through with the divorce. SY's dad being nice for 10 minutes doesn't make up for him calling her stupid. She was such a sweetheart and I think that makes it even worse.

3. There was way too much time spent on HJ'S senior coworkers relationship. Those are the only scenes I skipped during rewatch. It wasn't poorly written and they are decent characters, but I would have liked that time spent elsewhere.

4. They should have made it explicitly clear whether or not the spells worked. I feel like the director left it up to the audience and basically asked us...do YOU believe in magic lol

What I liked:

There is so much that I liked, that I'll have to be broad and brief or I could go on forever:

1. The flashback scenes paired perfectly with the modern day story. None of these scenes felt like filler and the tragedy of Aeng Cho and Mujin was heartbreaking. Sometimes Joseon flashbacks can feel like an extension of the modern day filming...idk if that makes any sense lol But the Joseon scenes had a magical quality and seemed to be from a completely different show. I loved that they were shot on location and that there was minimal green screen used. The snowy scenes were especially beautiful.

2. The chemistry between Rowoon and Jo Bo Ah really made their characters come alive. Do yourself a favor and watch the bts on YT. HJ and SY almost seem like an extension of Rowoon and Bo Ah. Literally everything about their scenes together made me smile. Even in the beginning when SY annoyed the sh-- out of HJ lol That's why this drama is a 10 for me. I want a rom-com that makes me smile.

3. Believe it or not I liked the "love triangle" between HJ/SY/Kwon Jae Kyung. I think it's because HJ and KJK played it off without any true toxicity. The scene where they are both racing to HJ's apartment is one of the funniest I've seen. Rowoon and Ha Joon played really well off each other. It's not obnoxious and you get the sense that these two men actually like and respect each other. It also helps that KJK isn't a sore loser.

4. An OST can make or break a series and the Destined with You OST was perfect. Delicate and gentle are two words I would use to describe it.

At its heart, DWY is pure romance with sub plots of supernatural and comedy. The point of the show is HJ and SY were destined to be with each other. The storytelling never wavered from this trajectory. The only way I see this plot falling flat is if they didn't end up with each other or if someone died. The spells, the curse, etc. were all minor plot devices made to push HJ and SY towards their destiny.

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