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Amazing story, unforgettable characters, and nonstop action!
I was first drawn in by the opening scene of the red-clad female general from Jinxiu, aiming her peacock feather-tipped arrow towards the formidable Susha general on horseback. Two arrows were fired in quick succession, the first deflected, the next hitting its target. The Susha general, disbelief on his face, falling to the ground. Afterwards, Susha soldiers surrounding and protecting him...This was the start of the most amazing Cdrama I've seen so far. Watching this for the past few weeks as it aired was like being caught in a raging river, going over rapids, boulders, at times descending into small pools of calm water, but only briefly, because those moments of respite would quickly trickle and whirl into new currents that gushed relentlessly towards its final conclusion. What a wild ride, and I loved every minute of it!
The story, plot, characters, set design, music were unforgettable. I couldn't believe how much detail went into each scene, like the costumes, interiors, hairstyles etc. were impressive. Everything was brought to life. I also liked the outdoor / nature scenes, the pacing of the story, and the fight choreography. CZY had his own fighting style - raw and powerful, which is different from say Cheng Lei (in MJTY or LOTFG) who had a more graceful and controlled style (although not sure how much the actor did with these scenes). LQ's fighting forms were beautiful as well, you can tell she has a great foundation in traditional dance. She is truly the epitome of a female general! Really enjoyed the action sequences from them.
I also loved how the relationship developed and deepened between the MC. Their love was rooted in mutual respect and understanding, which was so unbelievable considering how they hated and wanted to kill each other. He definitely fell for her first based on how he described her portrait in such detail! Loved them so much! The other characters were great too - my favorites were FSG's Feng battalion soldiers, Dr. Ling, FSG's father, Murong father, and the dark horse couple, FXY & XJY 💞. The character development & script, really brought everyone to life. There were some characters though who weren't developed as well, like the female doctor, XJS, & Murong Yao, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of FH.
Fated Hearts will stick with me for a while - I'll probably watch it a few more times 😆 before I can move on to the next one!
Highly recommend!
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same old trope but better
rehashing old tropes in cdrama is normal. but done right is very few on the list.this one can be added to that.
a lot of female general was shown this year.
Li Qin is the Best by a mile.
Chen Zhe Yuan was great i like his progression from cheesy to a more mature role.
Production value was top notch.
there were characters that shouldnt have been added in the first place.
like the lady physician i dont get her character.
the kids story although needed they are annoying.
Xia Jing Shi character was weak AF i cant believe he is the main villain. The death camp story should have been explained better for character development. i dont know make him more evil i guess??
but all in all among the series shown in that time period . This was the best for me
thanks director i love a lot of your work.
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Talk about enemies to lovers!!!
I loved this. Even though we are used to the whole enemies to lovers storyline, this was still good. I am surprised I didn't skip through. Chen Zhe Yuan nailed his role in this one again!There were so many villains in this one and it actually keeps you wanting to see what will they do next.
Everyone else nailed their role as well and it was so good to see Zuo Ye.
With everything that took place, I wish Feng Xi Yan got a better ending as well as Empress Zhuang (she deserved to be put out by Feng Sui Ge) I loved the fighting scene between Feng Sui Ge and Xia Jing Shi at the end.
Overall it was a great watch, you get the right balance of chemistry and romance between the leads and the political side. I would have given this a 10 if they showed how their lives progressed and maybe a little family….but that is just my preference.
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My first 10/10
I usually never give a complete 10/10 to any drama, even if I enjoy it a lot because, usually, there are tiny little things that bother me about the drama, though not enough to overall disappoint me a lot.But Fated Hearts was not that. Not only did I enjoy this drama A LOT, I sincerely loved everything about it.
When it comes to cdramas, writers tend to forget about telling an overall story and concentrate mostly on the leads and their romance, leading to unsatisfying resolution of conflict and sloppy ending and plot holes. But Fated Hearts' greatest point is the writing. It is simply beautiful.
While the leads are strong and great, I dare to say they are not the strongest point of the drama. It's the conflict, and how every single character is so well written, coherent and tragic.
It' absolutely delicious to see how every character is so complicated, how every antagonist is so layered and how the conflict isn't able to be solved with just a heart-felt apology or even a single death. It's so much bigger than that, it's so much more complicated than that. The relationships, the consequences of everybody's actions are so wonderfully written!!!
Nothing is as simple as "this person is evil", and watching these characters's choices and mistakes snowball into an inevitable tragedy is just DELICIOUS!
So yeah, I think the writing is definitely the greatest strength of this drama, and it earned that 10/10 from me.
Also... Princess Xiyang, my beloved, I'll always defend you my queen!
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The greatest ennemis to lovers!
I was stunned from beginning to end, loved every minute, every plot twist, the relationship between the leads and how it evolved. The mutual respect, wether it was when they were ennemis to when they became lovers. It just keeps you on the edge all along, there's no boring episode. Chen Zhe Yuan & Li Qin did a fantastic job in portraying their characters and have a great chemistry. I'll definitely recommand to watch this drama. ^^Was this review helpful to you?
A flawless series (❤ω❤)
PLOT: The FL, general of Jinxiu Kingdom, reverses the outcome of the battle by firing an arrow at the ML, the 1st Prince of Susha Kingdom. However, shortly after, she narrowly escapes assassins. The ML and the (amnesiac) FL meet, both wounded, in a village of doctors. The ML decides to take her to Susha to uncover the truth behind this unusual battle.+++ CL with Chen Zhe Yuan (♡‿♡`) & Li Qin, both magnificent, charismatic, just awesome ... (♡‿♡`)
+++ Excellent directors: the cinematography is an aesthetical perfection : sets, costumes, effects, lighting, framing, action scenes. Perfect! Furthermore, the pacing is fast, with no dull moments.
+++ The actors deliver a brilliant performance, bringing to life complex, tortured, yet endearing characters (even Jinxiu's borderline emperor :)
+++ The OSTs perfectly complement the atmosphere.
=> It's an addictive, intense series that I watched in one sitting (I'm definitively a binge-watcher :), and I'll rewatch it with a really pleasure.
*****************************************
Un "sans faute" (❤ω❤) (❤ω❤)
PLOT: La FL, générale de Jinxiu Kingdom, inverse l'issue de la bataille en tirant une flèche sur le ML, 1e Prince de Susha Kingdom. Cpdt, peu après, elle échappe de justesse à des assassins. Le ML et la FL (amnésique) se retrouvent, blessés dans un village de médecins. Le ML décide de l'emmener à Susha pr découvrir ce qui se cache derrière cette bataille anormale.
+++ CL avec Chen Zhe Yuan (´♡‿♡`) & Li Qin, tous les 2 magnifiques, charismatiques, ... (´♡‿♡`)
+++ TB réalisateur : la cinématographie a une esthétique parfaite : décors, costumes, effets, lumières, cadrages, scènes d'action. Parfait ! De plus, le rythme est rapide, sans temps mort.
+++ Les acteurs font une performance géniale, donnant vie à des personnages complexes, torturés mais attachants (même l'empereur borderline de Jinxiu :)
+++ Les OSTs accompagnent parfaitement l'atmosphère.
=> C'est une série addictive, intense, que j'ai regardé d'une traite, et que je reverrai certainement à nouveau.
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Weird Skin smoothing is super distracting
Just going to start by saying I love the leads in other roles before the hate comes at me. I'll start with the positives:1. FL: compared to all the other female generals in the past few years, Li Qin is a stronger performer up to those physical demands. Her acting is quite good also.
2. Overall casting choices were pretty good.
3. Some cool fight scenes.
On to the ... not for me ... after 18 ep:
1. Story is nothing new.... unless you are competing with other female general dramas on the level of hate and torture between the ML/FL before making them fall in love with each other. Then this wins the prize.
2. FL/ML no chemistry. Amazingly 2 actors both acting their parts and yeah... not a spark (IMO)
3. Isolated overdone skin smoothing with lots of pink tones while other people in the same frame with no skin smoothing is super weird. Smooth like AI face next to bumpy galore.
4. I get it she's injured (arm only) with memory loss, but I lost count of how many times she fainted and/or requires ML to rescue her.
5. Played out drama tropes to stretch out to 38 ep. Repetitive fall, catch, shine white light on frozen stares, memory loss, vision loss ... *sigh*
Potential lost....
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Well made, with some small flaws
StoryThroughout this series, I was never bored. The story is straightforward. The politics were simple enough so I was never confused, yet interesting so I didn't get bored. Everything made sense. I never felt like the politics were fillers; instead, they felt necessary, they felt like they were a result of the plot rather than the reason for it. There were no "sidequests".
Since the way the first episode was set up (Jinxiu being attacked), my feeling was that I was watching "the other country", because we are used to the good guys being on defense. This was really cool, I enjoyed the dynamic.
Characters
To be honest, I never felt much chemistry between the leads. However, their story is well-written, honest, not marked by misunderstandings. They keep their promises to each other, they stick together through thick and thin. I think it's exactly the kind of love story I want to see from a cdrama. There was a moment when the main characters could have split up "for the sake of each other", I am glad it didn't happen.
Fu Yi Xiao is a nice character. She is smart enough so she doesn't trust anyone blindly. She is decisive both in battles and in love. She was no snowflake. She can withstand torture and she doesn't blink in front of violence. There were many times she could have interfered to save evil characters or to ask for a judgement, yet she didn't, she watched them die.
Feng Sui Ge was a breath of fresh air between other MLs. He is someone that cares about the people around him, but he does not forgive those who betray him. He is serious, composed, but he is also not afraid of expressing his feelings. He does not negotiate with evil characters, he kills them without a second thought. For revenge, he will go miles, and he will punish everyone that tries to stop him. He stands up straight in front of the emperor, he defies orders, he does not submit and he fights for what he thinks it's right.
The Princess of Susha and Emperor of Jinxiu were an unexpected, yet absolutely stunning part of the plot. Such crazy, unhinged interactions between them. A desperate person wanting power and revenge, and a violent tyrant drowning in pleasures, yet never truly happy. They start to slowly find other sides of themselves, but it's late - their love story is tragic. I wished they had a happy ending, I wished I would see more of them. I know cdramas are a lot about justice, and that characters will always die for their past, but I hoped for an exception.
Critics:
- Too many moments when someone is seriously injured / wounded during fights, but then makes a full recovery within a day.
- A lot of last moment saving each other.
- Some of the side stories are not correctly wrapped up.
Overall, 9/10. It would have been a 10/10, but these small tropes and the small lack of chemistry I felt make it a 9/10.
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insane chemistry between leads, peak enemies to lovers, first actual female general i've seen
I watched it after poj and maybe I was still on the high from it but I expected a bit more; I love the chemistry between the leads. For the first time the enemy part felt real and believable and the whole transition from enemies to lovers felt good. Fu Yixiao is the first female general who actually felt like a real one and not just someone trying to play the role. I loved that there weren't misunderstandings between each other and loved that they were equally crazy as generals and enemies. He didn't look down on her and treat her better just because she was a woman; when it comes to when he kidnapped her, he wasn't seeing a woman but rather an equally smart and talented enemy general. That's why he was kind of brutal, and I saw some people didn't like that part but to me, it made it feel believable. I also love how he didn't give a f--- about becoming emperor so he wasn't afraid to do anything and the consequences of it, and how he suggested his sister could be an heir to the throne to his father. I love me an ancient feminist king; it took me, however, like half the series to stop seeing CZY as Duan Jiaxu and see him as FSG but he was such a badass general and prince. I loved him; that's actually the first historical drama of his that I like. The makeup artist and the hairstylists were eating. Xiyang was a cool character and sibling until the whole marriage plot dropped; then she was such an annoying, male-centered pick-me. Everyone loved her so much in Susha yet she went against and betrayed her brother and father for someone she knew didn't love her, pathetic af imo. I loved Yao and Suige's friendship until it was revealed he was the villain and was so sad and angry for Suige. Overall, I liked the acting, chemistry and aesthetics, but the plot wasn't strong, and at some point I even forgot the point and purpose of the storyline; the timing, as usual, at first felt good and slow, and then in the last like 7-10 episodes so much plot was crammed. I hate that type of pacing, the same as PoJ, and the cinematography/directing wasn't really strong. 8/10 and would recommend it, but there were some issues, definitely.Was this review helpful to you?
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 6.5/10
Honestly, Fated Hearts should be renamed “Betrayal Hearts” because everyone is betraying everyone. I kept asking myself: is there even one loyal person in this drama?
I went into this because of the hype, but I should’ve trusted my gut — I already felt like the main couple wouldn’t fully do it for me, and unfortunately, I was right.
That said, this is not a bad drama.
The political plot and overall storytelling were actually what kept me watching. The schemes, betrayals, and constant tension made it engaging — even if it was stressful at times. Ironically, I was way more invested in the politics than the main romance.
The biggest issue for me was the main couple’s chemistry. It’s not that it wasn’t there — I just personally didn’t feel it. I couldn’t connect to their relationship the way I usually do, and by around episode 25, it started to feel repetitive and dragged out. I even found myself skipping their scenes, which says a lot.
Meanwhile, the princess and the “crazy” prince from the other kingdom?
Lowkey chaotic, toxic, and completely entertaining. I don’t even know why I liked them so much, but they were definitely my guilty pleasure couple and the main reason I stayed interested toward the end.
Other personal gripes:
* The constant betrayals got exhausting
* The male lead’s look felt a bit too modern for a historical setting (though I got used to it later)
* The “strong female warrior” trope felt overused and didn’t bring anything fresh for me
I think this drama will work much better for:
* fans of heavy political intrigue
* people who enjoy enemies-to-lovers dynamics
* viewers who don’t mind chaotic, betrayal-heavy storytelling
⸻
💭 Overall
Fated Hearts is a solid drama, just not one that matched my taste.
I don’t regret watching it, and I’d still recommend it to others — but it’s not something I’d rewatch, and I wasn’t emotionally invested in the main romance.
Final verdict:
Good plot, strong political elements, but lacking emotional connection for me.
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Fated Amnesia
I am honestly not a fan of the leads, but, definitely they nailed their roles in this drama. At first, I don't have high expectations with this drama. I was thinking this was just another clichéd historical drama. Surprisingly, I got hooked from ep1. FL's character is very likeable. She's a bad ass in archery, swordsmanship and yes, martial arts. Same goes with the ML, the God of war as he was tagged in the drama. At the first arc, I find the enemies stage of the leads quite harsh as they need to go to a point to hurt each other physically and brutally. And yes, I just don't like the idea that they have to always call it even with their exchange of physical battles. I'm also not a fan of amnesia's, so, boy am I glad that the amnesia thing here was given a different approach. Like, no unnecessary drama for the MC. Everything was so direct to the point.I really enjoyed more than halfway of the drama. From how the MC built their romance, the story behind each character, the humor injected in between, and the most epic part, the lines given by each character. From the protagonists to the antagonists, the sarcasm is so epic.
There are some points I just need to point out like the 3 kids. I don't see the relevance of their character here. It seems their story are just fillers which didn't give much relevance towards the end. Then for Wu Ying's death (Death Camp master), how I wish it was FL who have dealt with her instead of ML. Oh yes, who wouldn't love Aunt An the physician. I feel her. Like, I wouldn't treat a patient too if he's not handsome and tall. Hahaha I so love her character. For Ning Fei, I was hoping for a development of romance between him and Ling Xue Ying but the writer didn't paid much attention.
As always, Empress Zhuang got free from her crimes by suicide. I would like to see her suffer more and pay for her crimes. For the antagonists, like Xiao Wei Ran, Murong Yao and Xia Jing Shi. I was hoping there would be some character development with their characters, but, sadly, the writer opted for them to be villainous till the end. Though, I hate XJS's character but his loyalty for love is commendable. I mean, he pledged that he'll love only FYX in this lifetime and no one else, which he was able to prove by rejecting Feng Xi Yang. Same goes with the nutcase, Emperor Xiang. yes, he's quite a psycho because of his mom, who to be blamed with in the first place. But, I like his wit, when he said to FXY that she should taste her tears because she deserves it after giving up Susha just for her blind love for XJS. It maybe harsh to say but I find it logical. I honestly like his character if it only was given a chance to develop, I believe he could've been a good emperor of Jinxiu, specially after being transformed from his love for FXY. I honestly don't like FXY's character. Her sad fate I guess says it all already.
For the leads chemistry and romance, definitely chemistry is on point. Kisses check, intimacy check....it such that the execution is not as good as how we usually see in short mini dramas. Either the shot was too far or angled and sometimes too short. Oh and not only for the leads, but for FXY and Emepror Xiang's chemistry as well. Oh yeah, I am also hoping for a spinoff for the romance of these two.
So, overall, this was definitely the best historical drama for this year for me except for the finale that I am not totally satisfied with. I said that if this will end as I hope how it should, I would have given it a 9 or better yet 10 rating. But, the finale ruined it for me, so I ended up an 8.5 rating. I'm sure most people are satisfied as ML did follow what his mother wants him to be. Yes, he may have been able to live a peaceful and simple life with FL, but the people of Susha needs him to lead the kingdom. For somebody as capable as himself, he could correct what's wrong in the system of their government. Alongside with him, FL would best qualify to be an Empress and for them together to lead the nation with the help of his sister.
Lastly, I was also hoping for them to have kids in the finale, but, yeah, it was open ended I guess. And the ending, definitely was not a feel good vibe since lots of the vital characters died. Still, this is a good drama not to miss.
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2nd half really dragged...
first few episodes I was like "man I wonder how this relationship will ever even turn into a romance, let alone naturally." despite their extreme initial "enemies" relationship, they did a great job moving it towards romance. Also the main leads had pretty good chemistry.It's so hard to remember their names, but basically the 2nd ml(??)-- his facial acting was really good at times, but his hands were always distractingly awkward. And I was very confused what direction they were going with his character. It kept looking like he was looking at the ML's sister with some degree of longing which I don't think he was supposed to lol. And then HIS brother somehow becoming a sympathetic character?? idek man. I guess the point was everyone is complicated and no one is good, but it made the established morals frustrating.
the ML can kill everyone for revenge, but the 2nd ML can't?? sure there were other nuances (like getting civilians involved) but there were points where they're arguing and I'm like "... lowkey they doing the same thing tho" lol.
2nd half the couple's relationship suddenly got boring and felt almost on the backburner. they were together but every conversation was the same--- "I'll always be with you no matter what bla bla." They almost had something interesting with the ML going blind or forgetting her (2nd one is a trope I hate but it would have been interesting), but both of those are pretty much resolved in the same episode.
bro imagine if he was blind for like 3 episodes and somehow managed to still have mad fighting skills. that would have looked so cool! but nah, everything has an easy quick fix for the main couple. at least they had a good ending ig.
meanwhile they did my girl the princess dirtyyyy.... I got way more invested in her story just for it to kind of have a crappy ending. I guess I just wanted this drama to decide if it wanted to be a stupid enemies to lovers plot or actually say something about the human condition, and it just didnt do a good job at trying to do both bc I got whiplash...
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