Destined with You

Is it a curse or just tragic love willing itself into happiness?

Destined with You begins intriguing, fun, cute, and a bit mysterious. It draws you in and a gives you a great cast. The directing has some great cinematography and approaches to scenes. The comedy is on-point and the chemistry of the 3 main leads is explosive.

However, it couldn't keep this going. The middle dragged, the plot became repetitive, and the characters became stale.

Our ML kept being thrown in a grey area of being a good man, a selfish egotistical elitist, and a philanderer. In some scenes you loved him, others you were annoyed, and some repulsed. Rowoon does a great job in his portrayal but the plot will not let us simply like him nor hate him. So you keep waiting for the truth of it all to unfold so you can choose a side. To do this the plot shows you what he does and his actions only to an episode or 2 later, completely reconstruct the events with new or more information. Thus, over and over again he comes off as a pretty terrible guy only to be told no wait there was a reason for his actions or this happened and you didn't know, or sometimes just simply forgive him he's not perfect. But the sheer amount of times we are forced to go through this cycle over and over again becomes grating and exhausting.

Our FL is a mouse who isn't a mouse. Carefree, fun loving, off beat, cute, funny and lonely, you love her. But again, the plot needs to make her a damsel, thus when anything important transpires, or true slights happen against her, she becomes a mouse who can't speak, fend for herself, think logically, and spends half of her screen time apologizing and taking blame with her head hung low. Again, this happens so much over and over again that she literally apologizes at least once to every other character on screen, even just there for 1 episode characters, let alone multiple times to main roles. And again, it becomes exhausting to watch.

When the end finally puts the stakes on high, with lives in the balance, we finally get the truths of the hundred of years past that lead us here, but it comes off as flimsy as the paper used to cover the windows and doors of the Joseon era. You can poke holes in it to no end, and though when you first watch it you are drawn in, by the time the episode ends you start to think, huh what? And since I watched this while airing, by the time the following week showed up, I expected more because the mess that was given didn't make all that came before it work or worth it. Logically, how did one of the cast survive to have a lineage of wealth and power considering the events that transpired? Also, was the love of the main leads in the past that impressive? Especially considering that for us to be here in the now of today, our ML went on to marry and father lineage and live a life of privileged, ultimately doing what had been asked of him before all the tragedy.

I like that ultimately it doesn't let you know if the spells in the show or real or not. While reincarnation is used as solid truth, all the mythos around spells and books comes down to the viewer, and also the characters in the show. Was this just tortured souls haunted by their past lives coming back together to try and find love? Or is it a curse that has persisted for hundreds of years and will now meet fruition? Even our shaman in the show keeps getting things wrong. Some argue that the spells and curses are real in the comments, while I side that they were not, too many holes exist in both the past and present of the story to say they were real. People die from believed curses, that are claimed to have never been cast. People are and aren't affected by the main curse at random. The spells we watch cast seem to have had no effect, except one. BUT IF THAT ONE SPELL WAS REAL, then do we really have a story of love at all? Especially when thinking about the credit scene of the end.

The last scene of the show, as title cards fly and we say goodbye to everyone, is a blaring question mark, especially if the box from the beginning that sparked the entire series can only be opened by its true owner, which was the law that had been given. With all the holes that already exist in the plot, why does it end with such a large one? Because here someone seems to have access to what was inside the fateful vessel, when everything else told us, they should not. You also are left to question what does this say about this character and what was their ultimate goal in the story?

Remember in a dying breath one of our character's asks, "Did you fool me, where you only here for the spell book?"

That is up to you to decide, and if the spells are real, then this isn't a story of love at all.

7.0 = B-, 3 1/2-Stars. Flawed and imperfect, but still worthy of a watch.

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Average But Watchable

I really liked the first six episodes of the show, surprisingly enough because of the male lead's cringe-y lines, and hoped it kept its momentum. However, like most dramas of this genre, it hit a speed bump and it felt draggy and boring after the sixth episode. This is not to say it did not have highlights afterwards. Episodes 13 and 14 were amazing, with episode 14 being my favorite in the whole series. After this episode, I wished the drama had taken place in the Joseon era setting and that it would have the same tragic ending that their characters had in that time. I felt the acting in the past life segments was great and the story was more compelling than the one taking place in the contemporary world. The last two episodes were mostly boring and the ending was lackluster. I found the characters to be neither special nor unique. They were pretty much the basic characters you can find in most dramas. The story had a lot of potential, but it was wasted. It's a watchable drama, but a very forgettable one that I will not be watching again.

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Maintaining the chemistry

First things first, despite the fact that this series is as formulaic as they come, it wasn't inherently awful because it was, for the most part, enjoyable. The male lead is the key justification. Both the serious and humorous portions of his performance were good, making the watch enjoyable. But how long can you hold something with just one thread?
Because there are no other compelling characters, watching each episode of the show eventually becomes tedious.

I'm going to talk about something that I've recently seen in a number of shows. when the man and woman finally start dating. The chemistry we had felt up until then fully changes into cringe. I felt uncomfortable as I saw the leads' interactions.
The awkwardness I experienced while watching the protagonists interact once they started dating is not unique to this program, but it does continuing the trend. This is very definitely caused by the lack of proper writing . I cut out a good number of shows as a result of this.(Hometown cha cha being one).
Why bother finishing the story when the sole element that was keeping you interested is no longer there?

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Rowoon's acting was just joss ?

I completed this drama just in 3 days... It's reels make me crazy watching it... but I waited for the last episode... For me It's quite boring to wait so long for each episode.... And after all my crazyness gone after watching it fully....I'm so happy... some people found this boring... but for me it's an exciting one....Both the male lead (Rowoon) and female lead (Jo Bo-Ah) did grate...Their chemistry was so so so good... Why Rowoon is so cute..♥️. Actually both of them are cute.. But I liked Rowoon's acting skills most... Almost in every scene I thought that how that can be an act when it seems so real...
Some more things I must say... The second main lead was great also ... It was also funny and pretty watching Mr. Gong and Ms. Ma's chemistry... And Shin-yoo's father and mother... Those characters were also amazing.. And about the story... I liked it... I Love it... 🖤🖤🖤

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Cliche Kdrama, what more do ya need?

It’s basically soulmates trope, who get their destiny messed with but still find their way to each other yadda yadda…

To be quite frank, I felt a little sad when the show ended, it was probably because I started watching it while the episodes were still airing, so I spent quite some time watching this show. It was really cutesy at first, I mean who doesn’t love a good cat and mouse chase between the ML and FL am i right?

But at some point I felt like things just got super repetitive. From the stalker being the whole plotline the ENTIRE show like thats legit the only conflict they had in the show, along with some past bullying which was resolved pretty quickly and summarised in one episode…I mean they showed flashbacks but it still felt super rushed imo.

Also about the daughter getting arrested, like, what happened there? Why’d hongjo look at her as if she believed that she wasn’t an accomplice? I thought they would make a whole plot out of that or something but it just got shut down and onto the next plot of the show which was just showing what happened next with other characters.

The beginning of the show was pretty good and ropes you in, i’m not calling this show bad of course, just not that special. The spicy scene definitely made up for the boring scenes though, I’m not even gonna lie i felt butterflies ooppppss

But yeah, not a bad kdrama but it was just a tad bit too cliche and most of the time i could always guess what was gonna happen next, it was very predictable.

Also the bloody hand though, it was such a good add in the show and made you curious about it but the reveal was lowkey boring. I expected a bit more…it felt like they were going for supernatural but then halfway decided against it idk…and the whole love potion thing, i’m not even sure if that was real or not, they just…forgot about it…lol

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It was cute

Me? I actually really enjoyed this drama!

Was it perfect? No. The tie-in of the past and present storylines was unspeakably bad, and to be completely honest, the premise wasn't all that original and the execution could have certainly been better.

But I found myself smiling each and every episode because of the playful and endearingly silly relationship between the main couple. Rowoon really acted his ass off in this one and I really liked his and Bo-Ah's energy together. I laughed a lot during the first few episodes when he was waging an internal war with himself over his feelings for Hong Jo.

I think Destined With You has good re-watch potential, if only to watch the main couple slowly fall in love again (I'd skip all the scenes about the secondary characters' plotlines, since none of them proved to be all that interesting or important). Plus, I'm obsessed with the slow solo-piano version of I'll Always Be With You.

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Charming romance with Room for Growth

This one was a good watch. If you're in a mood for a sweet, fluffy romance "Destined with you" has got you covered. Rowoon and jo bo-ah chemistry will leave you with a warm warm, fuzzy feeling, leaving you with a smile. I love their romance.

While the romance steals the spotlight I couldn't help but to wish for a bit more depth in the overall story. The narrative structure left something to be desired. Everytime the plot tried to involve it got pressed/covered quickly. The spells, magic and the past history feels rushed and occasionally the storyline takes backseat and gets overshadowed with the dominant romance.
But the leads chemistry and their enchanting romance to the great extents saved the drama and make this worthwhile viewing.

All in all, if you're looking for a dose of heartwarming love "Destined with you" is a great pick.

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Ignore the haters, this is MUST watch, don't miss out; you're welcome x

Why all the hate????? This was honestly one of the best dramas I've ever seen. Easily in my top three now. King the land (which I also loved) was so well received but the main couple's romance was cringey at times despite their amazing chemistry. At no point did this drama make me cringe. Rowoon & Boah have electric chemistry... honestly some of the best chemistry I've ever seen. I loved this series so much. I did not expect it to have such a hold on me but it will forever have me in a chokehold. The storyline was interesting/intriguing, the ML & FL were loveable, funny characters, and their banter was TOP TIER🔥🔥🔥 I'm a sucker for storylines that deal with reincarnation and past lives. The comedy in this was great. Especially the first few episodes were the male lead is trying NOT to love the female lead and his body is contradicting what he is saying. Ignore the haters and give this a chance for yourselves. I haven't been THIS obsessed with a drama since See you in my 19th life or Hometown Cha Cha Cha. A MUST WATCH FOR ROMCOM LOVERS🩷

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I got a hard time watching it

I love Rowoon, he is such a great actor and each one of his jobs are completely amazing, eitherway I had a hard time trying to finish this one.

There are two reasons, the plot and the female leader. The plot started getting repetitive at some point and as for the FL, It was so exhausting for me as a viewer, seeing her being practically bullied by everyone and doing nothing (at the beggining) I was hoping and waiting for the moment she would change and be a better FL but the only thing she did was put me on my nerves with every action she did. I really couldn't understand the reasons behind her actions, it seems like in every episode her logic took a cab and run away from herself. Added to that, for me (unlike everyone say) the main couple was lacking of any chemistry and not in real life but in the story (in real life Jo Boah and Rowoon did so good) FL character was so desperate that ruined the chemistry with ML. Kept myself watching the show just for Roowon and he character.

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It could have been a new favorite...

****BEWARE OF SPOILERS****

Honestly this drama is an enigma I couldn’t quite decipher… It had a grip on me that not many dramas have but sadly there were some “less positive” things going on there too. The start was very promising and I thought “omg the chemistry is already off the charts, the story seems original with elements of fantasy and mystery mixed here and there and the FL is also quite relatable, it’s gonna be awesome!!” and frankly it could have been an 9/10 or even a 9.5/10 but sadly the plot itself couldn’t keep up with what it wanted to create in the beginning.

For starters, let’s talk about the bad things. I’m sure many people will share the same sentiment as me but I clearly expected more magical elements in this story, because the first 8/10 episodes were full of the book of spells, the owner of the wooden bow, the shaman, the books of curses even but then it was barely addressed in the end…? The magical things happening were indeed very real since the ML’s sickness miraculously vanished, but for the rest it’s more of a supposition than a certainty. Let’s take the love spell for example, of course, I think that the ML already had feelings from the very beginning and the spell was just a catalyzer for what happened next. But surely the fact that we didn’t get a clear answer from anyone concerning the working aspect of this spell will deter many people from liking this story like they should: “their love wasn’t real”, “it was forced and the FL took advantage of it” etc. etc. Also, the “villain” was so disappointing to me!! Of course, the actor was doing his best but the reason behind his character’s actions was clearly undeveloped, at least for my taste. I was so sure that there was something even more “dangerous” hiding in the shadows but sadly it proved me wrong and all I was feeling in the end was dissatisfaction. It did get a little repetitive also, but I guess they couldn’t make time to add another subplot to this.

Another aspect of the drama that made me quite perplexed was the secondary characters… To this day, I still strongly dislike the FL’s colleagues: they were very mean to her since the beginning just because she was around beautiful men and honestly, I didn’t even notice their “redemption arc”, if there was even one. I wanted the FL to put them back in their place one day but sadly it never happened. Apart from that, their respective characters are just irritating and not even funny. I expected the FL to develop meaningful relationships with people that treated her right for once, but with the exceptions of the ML, the SML, and the little boy, it felt very empty and superficial. I also didn’t understand the purpose of the ML’s friend, who was close with his mom, since she didn’t even divorce her husband in the end. Another disappointing thing!! The ML’s father was always awful to his wife and we are meant to believe in his mini depression after her announcement of wanting to divorce “for good”? I expected her to divorce her horrible husband and live her life like she wanted, I didn’t even care if she got in a relationship with the ML’s friend or not frankly. But no, the writers made him cry a little and of course all the abuse was forgotten! Pfff… And let’s not talk about the SFL, she was just insufferable!!

Now that I vented a little, I can talk about the good things. The thing that first comes to my mind is the amazing chemistry between the main leads. Sometimes, the chemistry wears off a little when the couple is finally together but fortunately it wasn’t the case here! And honestly, I think I fell a little in love with the ML but hey who wouldn’t? His acting was on point and his looks were pretty dreamy too!! The leads were so sweet together and their bickering in the beginning was pretty funny and entertaining. And I loved the story behind their past lives!! It was so well done and I couldn’t help but cry a little… I’m sure you know what I mean if you already saw the drama. I wanted so much to see even more of their past together, or even how the ML continued to live after the “event” … The FL was also very interesting to watch and was perfectly relatable to a few of us I’m sure… Her absolute need to find her own group of friends/family but being rejected by those around her was a little hard to watch at times because I could perfectly see myself in her. I’m glad she could stand up for herself in the end. As for the SML, he remained pretty enjoyable till the end, so that’s a bonus, and fortunately I didn’t have second lead syndrome! Moreover, I want to give my big thanks to the production team and the crew behind the cinematography because it was beautiful and also a big reason as to why I liked this drama so much despite its flaws. The OST was pretty great too, that’s why I already bought the album lol.

Maybe if you read this “review” till the end, you are currently wondering why I still chose to give this drama an 8.5/10 despite all the flaws I cited in the beginning… Well that’s simply because the leads took my heart with them and I couldn’t wait to watch their interactions each week. The general atmosphere was also very nice and appealing and some secondary characters were great (the little boy, the ML’s funny colleague, even the grandma was interesting). I only regret the fact that the plot didn’t give what I expected it to give in terms of villains and characters’ relationships… I think I will even rewatch it when I’ll need a little boost of serotonin one of these days. So yeah, I’m gonna end this review here and just cry in a corner because I already miss this drama and its characters.

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