Destined with You

Both are crazy

Had high expectations but it turned out to be of the worst drama plot . I do like JoBoah acting but I didn't feel like this her best work so far . The show had dragged the plot and had so many filler episodes. The characters were poorly written . One moment the ml acts like he doesnt care and seems to logical and split seconds he acts illogical ,it aint another obsessive bipolar ceo ? Cliche much !! The story do highlights features like social discrimination, social hierarchy, bullying, workplace abuse but it does lack the depth while portraying such issues . They did try best to put Shaman culture , but failed to visualize it properly . So far one of show which I didn't enjoy , the songs were great loved ost !!

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Strong Foundation But Still Managed To Lose Its Footing

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I really had high hopes for this one. I love Rowoon (로운); I think he's a great actor. I saw some short clips of this drama that highlighted his portrayal of a quirky character in an unfortunate but comical situation. It seemed very charming. So despite my dislike for the female lead, I decided to give this drama a shot...

Acting/Cast: This is going to sound so harsh...honestly, the only positive in this category is Rowoon (로운), the male lead...and even he struggled. I don't know if it's his fault or the writing or the direction or all of the above, but he couldn't hold the character. It was such a unique character, too, with an extremely distinct personality and it just...fizzled away as the drama progressed. I would catch glimpses of his former self here and there but it only served as a depressing reminder of what once was. Jo Ba Ah (조보아), who played the female lead, wasn't any better. I had really disliked her after watching her ruin Tale of the Nine-Tailed with her horrible acting. At least she had improved in this drama. I was surprised that she wasn't the reason this drama failed. The villains - all three of them - are lame. The side characters tried so hard to be likeable and they just couldn't pull it off. Oh, I almost forgot about that poor 2nd male lead... a K-drama pet peeve of mine -- disrespected 2nd male leads. 1/10

Writing: I'm so sick of the "we loved each other in a past life" trope. It's so over done. It's seriously becoming another huge K-drama pet peeve of mine. The writing and plot started out strong. It was an interesting premise with a dark, ominous undertone. Unfortunately, this all goes away pretty early on in the drama and it just becomes a boring, typical romance...with a stalker cliche. I think it fizzles out around episode 8 or 9. Ugh...the beginning was so good...I'm so disappointed... 3.5/10

Direction/SFX/Music: This drama does have good cinematography and production quality. This is definitely the strongest category. The OST is decent. Direction though, I did not agree with. Going from unique, quirky, cute, with some creepy and even adult vibes to a cookie-cutter romance. I forgot the ending. It's only been a few days and I already forgot. That's how unimpressed I was. 6/10

Entertainment Value: Getting through the 1st episode wasn't quick for me. I don't know if it was the drama or me. However, after the 1st episode, I really got into the story. I was excited to watch it. I really loved the male lead's character and the dynamic between the 2 leads. I thought the plot itself was very engaging. Then, I reached the 2nd half of the drama and as I continued watching to the end, I experienced all the hope within me slowly shrivel up and die. 4/10

Now I'm sad.
Overall, I gave this drama a 3.5/10 due to the complete disregard for the solid foundation that had been established in the beginning of the drama.

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Witchcraft, comedy, keeps you hooked throughout, cursed from generations

Critically speaking the series deserve 6/10. The flow of story is pretty random, story itself was weak. I liked the costume design though.

But the reason I gave it 9/10 is simply because this series was not meant for critical assessment. The whole intention was to make the audience take the back seat, turn off cynicism and just enjoy. I would say it was successful in making me feel what it intended to- Romantic!

The chemistry between Hung-Jo and Sinyu was critically lame, yet non-critically adorable, funny and cute. Actor Rowoon and Bo-ah were perfect together. Specially Rowoon showed his acting prowess. He gives brilliant yet subtle facial expressions. I hope he thinks about acting in movies, and on more serious script. He displayed a lot of potential, and can be something really big and global. Bo-ah is the the cutest, I felt like squeezing her cheeks, haha. Hope to see this pair again. Every person in this drama literally justifies their role this is worth it

if you're looking for some

rom-com with main leads in love yet in denial Then this one is for you you won't regret watching it.

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Watch if you are in a kdrama slump!

It's my first time writing a review, and I'm not realy sure how to start, so I'll get straight to the point.
Destined with You is the drama that got me out of my kdrama slump. I hadn't been able to fully finish a kdrama until I watched this one. The plot is intriguing, although the beginning was slightly slow-paced, whereas the last episode seemed rushed. However, the leads have incredible chemistry and are adorable together (there were some cringe moments, though). What's more, there wasn't a boring episode.
What I liked about the drama was the compelling story. To some people, it might look like the typical rom-com - the handsome, cold, but secretly sweet male lead and the lonely cute misunderstood by others female lead, but to me, this drama nailed this type of trope. The side stories were also interesting and entertaining. Nevertheless, I couldn't relate to the female lead's story. I wish there were more references to her past.
Some improvements are definitely needed to make this drama perfect, but overall it's an easy, cute, unengaging watch and when I am in a kdrama slump again I would certainly turn to it.

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A good romantic comedy.

''Destined with you'', became one of the great romantic comedies that dramaland has, even though it is not as talked about as it should be, I believe that romcom lovers should try to watch it, as they will definitely like it.
I believe that this drama has aspects that can make you like and dislike it at the same time, but it wouldn't be a big reason to stop watching it.

In one part, the storyline about a past love and the curse cast becomes a little tiring, and if it could be resolved with obvious things (at least for viewers), this curse could have been lifted long ago and the drama it would have ended in episode 14. So much so that episodes 13, 14 and 15 were more about filling space than having any evolution in the development part of the drama.

However, it is still an interesting romantic comedy to watch, especially because those who like this mix of a fantasy world can be contagious :)

Weaknesses:
- Long and repetitive story.
- Failure to make the protagonist's ex-girlfriend become a big villain (unless that wasn't on purpose).
And that's it.

Strong points:
- Good performance by the main and supporting actors (especially the villain).
- Very nice OST's to listen to.
- Camera cuts and games are very smooth to watch.


The exploration of the romance of the main characters and even the secondary couple was what made me feel a little more comfortable to continue watching the drama, since in the end it made me a little lazy to continue because, as I said, the story is too long and carries a subject to fill episode.

For these reasons, I give the drama a 9.
Finished: 18/03/2024.

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very romantic tender story

This drama really cool and I liked it so much ! All ! Haha the scenes, music, acting... acting is an other things ! Actors played very good on high level! I felt so huge romantic while watching this series )) so much love and tenderness!..
But personally found only few moments I don't like ... about them later ,but at all, the series is pretty cool and warm ! I advice to watch it ! Also well added music which very harmoniously convey the feelings thro ...
Nothing wana say bad , the story is good and Shin Yu with Hong Jo have a real chemistry while playing together )) ( very good acted Rowoon ))) but ...why always good guy falls in a dumb girl ? Lol , she made many mistakes , she too loyal and naive and ain't that smart , she easily believes to anyone and getting in trouble then but Shin Yu falls in her ! This drive me crazy! Why dirictors always made that main lead smart character falls into a dumb girl ?! Or it's a trend in Korea ...? This is sucks , I think this is only one thing is sucks in that drama ! ..
Ps I understand that if a girl were there a smart maybe will not some kinda interesting to watch it bc will b so "ideal " but in same time I think that they can play with scenario to make it too cool with a smart female lead role ..
Also when Shin Yu got stambed a lil, Hong Jo jus looked at him and cried...while she can jus call for doctors quickly ! ..no logic here guys , u can cry when he die but while he didn't u must to save him first!.. this was stupid ...
Didn't like the scenes where Shin Yu jus played with Hong Jo's heart bc of his ideas about Na Yeon and Hong Jo jus .. easily accepted that ...idk what kind girl u should to be but .. normal girl will never "wait " untill the guy were there finish his games with one and comes to u ..no games guys , if u break up u break up ...if u can't handle with one why u looking for another ? That's unrespectable male behavior for a women and females dumbness.. ain't good at all ...
And Kwon Jae ..acted like she's a thing ..."if he didn't marry u, call me "... For me it's disrespectful also , it's like u choose a fruit in the market and if somebody will not buy it u gonna buy it then , ofcoz without really give a choice to the fruit bc the fruit is no soul ...
I understand his feeling too, he gave up but in same time he is not and still waiting for opportunity.. but for him better to forgot her ..like no chance there at all he must understand it ..
This Kdrama has for sure high rewatch ! Enjoy it guys !

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Possibly wrong title for this show...

Summary: This is one of the strangest romances I’ve watched. The movie poster and Netflix description don’t quite capture the essence of this thriller/mystery romance(?), which I thought would be like a cheesy ghost story comedy based on Episode 1’s preview of Lee Hong-jo’s encounter with Jang Shin-yu in the elevator. I almost think a different movie title like "Curse You, Curse Me" would have been more appropriate. lol. Warning that there’s dark elements of death, murder, and supernatural circumstances that can throw you off if you’re not prepared (and only sought to watch an actual romcom).

Though the show was still good with moments of sweetness and comedy and an ending with closure for the main characters, there were still some loose ends that remained untied as far as storyline and character backstories, and left me a bit disappointed. Also, the last episode dragged on a bit and ended with a location that had nothing to do with the rest of show. The not-so-subtle advertising for sponsors was also a bit awkward for me, like frequently visiting Goobne (which is not even near my area) and saying, “Mmmmm, this chicken is so good every time I come here…” Ugh.

Details: At the beginning of the movie, I felt annoyed by the male lead’s stoic manner and conceited attitude towards the female lead, saying some pretty mean things to her. The female lead’s aggressive and impolite attitude towards the male lead was also unattractive. They also didn’t look like they went together (was hoping for the second male lead) but made more sense when the storyline unraveled in the past (hint: involves period references), in which they look better together as a couple. However, the sudden change of behavior in one of the main characters was off-putting and didn’t draw me into the supposed love story between the two. I’m not a big fan of heavy color-processed hair on Asian folks (preferred the female lead with her darker, more natural looking hair) but I get if it was meant as a visual divider between different time periods.

Eventually, a lot of the characters evolved and became more thoughtful people. All the actors were great and the leads portrayed the characters’ pain so well. Towards the end, I was annoyed by the female lead’s ignorance by going into scary places alone and not telling the key people in her life about it, after they kept telling her to communicate with them. But it’s also classic dumb hero/heroine behavior in many movies/shows.

Some unanswered questions I had were:
- whether the ‘ceremonies’ conducted by the main characters really worked or not (there’s no further explanation later in the series), which makes me question their supposed ‘destiny’; the answer to that situation is KEY to what caused the sudden behavioral changes in the main characters that led to “love”
- what the significance of the supporting characters in the past was (otherwise, what’s the point of showing them other than more screen time?)
- how child Lee Hong-jo (past period) got sick and what brought her to the temple in the first place, as well as where the heck her parents were in all of that
- why the shaman lady (past period) got punished by the noble in charge (no further explanation later in the series), as it seemed like a pointless part of the storyline
- WHO really put the curse on the noble (past period); I think it was the villain but it was never explained later in the show
- why the villain had similar powers to one of the main characters, which was also never explained later in the show

For the gaping holes in this storyline, I probably would not recommend this drama to others. The acting is good but the show is better as a rainy-day, bored-out-of-mind watch, in my opinion.

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Worth it!

I must admit that I was hesitant to watch this drama due to my dislike for Rowoon, but after giving it a chance, I was pleasantly surprised. His character was incredibly charming and quite funny, which made it difficult for me not to adore him. The chemistry between the main leads was the highlight of the show for me, as I loved watching their playful bickering turn into something more.

However, the unnecessary love triangle left me with a few unanswered questions. When did the second male lead start liking the female lead, and why? It was not clear to me, and he never confessed his feelings. Perhaps I am biased because I did not find him attractive.

Despite this, I would still recommend this drama to others. It may have followed a familiar plotline, but that should not stop you from giving it a chance. Jo Bo Ah's performance was exceptional, and you could tell that she had a lot of fun playing her character. The chemistry between the main leads was undeniable, and it kept me invested in the story.

Although I would have preferred if they had taken a risk and made the second male lead the villain or the main lead's secretary, the show's choice to go the safe route was not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, I believe that this drama is worth watching, and I encourage you to form your own opinion instead of solely relying on others' opinions.

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Started with magic, ended with... meh.

I really wanted to like Destined With You — the setup was unique, with curses, old books, and a magical romance that felt fresh at first. But somewhere along the way, it just... lost me.

The pacing is painfully slow, especially in the middle episodes. Scenes drag out, the plot gets repetitive, and the romance, which should’ve been exciting, starts to feel forced and awkward. I kept waiting for a big moment, a twist, something to pull me back in — but it never came.

The visuals were nice, and the actors did what they could, but even strong performances couldn’t save the writing. It’s one of those dramas where you keep watching just to see if it’ll get better... and for me, it didn’t.

If you enjoy slow-burn romances and don’t mind a plot that moves like molasses, you might enjoy it more than I did. But personally, it just wasn’t worth the time.

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