Destiny

"I want to share all your shining qualities with the world"

Sometimes all it takes is the right person to make us feel comfortable again, to give us courage and allow our true emotions to surface.
"Destiny" is a cute mini drama about the love between an idol and a documentary director. It has a lot of feelings, believable and sweet romance, convincing main characters and only minimal dramatic events.

ML: Chen Xingyan is a flirty idol who wants to achieve his dream of becoming a good actor. He's actually kind-hearted, even if it doesn't seem like it at first. He hides a lot of his true feelings behind his playful behavior. The FL describes him as hardworking, resilient and someone who treats people equally. In the documentary she wants to share all of his shining qualities with the world.

FL: Song Ruan is an intern at a media company and gets the task to film a documentary of ML's everyday life. She just got her heart broken by her awful ex-boyfriend, so she doesn't believe in love right now. She is sweet, gentle and mindful. She is very motivated to emphasize ML's good character in the documentary. She would never lie and make up scandals to get attention.

Couple dynamics: Strangers to lovers. ML loves to tease and flirt with FL right from the start. There's a lot of tension going on. While FL is filming the documentary, she spends a lot of time with ML. They get to know each other better and fall in love. What I liked best was their open communication. They talk to each other about their feelings and worries. They trust each other, so there's no chance of misunderstandings. Their feelings for each other are genuine and they really act like a sweet, loving couple later on.

Kisses: The kiss scenes are very good. From tender and loving moments to more passionate and spicy. The way they convey emotions through their kisses feels incredibly authentic.

Supporting characters: FL has a best friend who always supports her with interesting and quirky tips. The two of them live together in a really nice house.

Antagonistic characters: Two other women besides FL are in love with ML, but never become a major problem. I'm amazed at how sensibly ML has dealt with both of them. He is such a gem. Also, there is another actor who is envious and jealous of ML and causes some trouble. Overall though, all these characters hardly get any screen time. The focus is on the main couple, their development and feelings, their worries and challenges. Villains stand no chance. That's what I really enjoyed about this mini drama.

Acting: Wang Xing Wei (ML) and Cheng Jin Ming (FL) did a really good job. The strength of both of them is definitely that they authentically illustrate their feelings through their facial expressions, their looks and their gestures.

Music: I like all the songs and will keep an eye out for the official releases. They are emotional and calm, as well as a little more exciting and seductive. I want to have them in my playlist.

Duration: 10 minutes per episode, so a total running time of about 4 hours. The pace of the plot and the romance is very good. Nothing feels rushed. There aren't boring moments for me.

Overall: "Destiny" is now one of my favorite Chinese mini dramas. I had a really good time. The main characters' personalities shine through in their dialogue and actions, making them feel like real people. My highlights are the idol theme in general (I just love such plots), the good communication and the interesting facets of the ML.

[finished watching on 2 May 2025]

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Not bad

I am not a fan of this type of drama episode format. They always feel like you’ve just ridden you bicycle to the top of a steep hill only to find the roadway turned into a cliff and you fall onto another hill and cliff until all the episodes have been viewed.

This one was a little different as there were bits of recappin.

Overall, the story could have been very good had the episodes actually fleshed out to allow for more time to develop the story and characters.

I have to say the ML, even though he looked innocent enough was like watching a panther stalk prey. ML is very good at exuding sex appeal, so good that he left singe marks on my tv screen.

The fl lead did well also. Shy and innocent with scruples and not willing to compromise on her integrity.

The rest of the cast just felt awkward - but that could be because there wasn’t much about their characters outside of the vengeful, the ex-girlfriend, the pervy boss and a psychotic jealous peer.

I’ll give this a 7.5/10 because of the leads, and -2.5 for making it a bumpy ride.

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Worth at least a one-time watch, well put-together.

Green flag lovers and fluff lovers will rejoyce on this one.

I am only green-flag tolerant at best, and too much cotton candy makes me sick. There has to be something more to a drama than just oxytocin fluff or I don't vibe with it.

Well this drama has more to it. Yes, there is copious amounts of fluff, but beneath that there is some substance. The acting was really above-average, and these two actors are both capable of delivering really great scenes with a wide range of emotions. And that was fun to watch.

The OST/BGM were sort of all over the place, and yet it had it's genius moments and vibed pretty well with the drama most of the time. The styling was not the best but not the worst. The interiors/exteriors used for the scenes are really cozy and style-forward.

The script is the downfall, and sure it's extremely trope-y, but I don't mind that. I don't down-rate for just that alone. What I thought was really the downfall of the script, is that it hits moments where it's so subtle and so elevated, the psychology is on-point, and then it just loses its momentum. There are many almost-breakout moments in this story.... with more care given to this script, these actors could have pulled out A performances, and the bones of the script would have had real meat on them.

Also, the actors had good friends-chemistry, a very comfortable vibe about them... but not a lot of sizzle. The kiss scenes were well done though, so that kind of compensated.

As it is, it's a mixed bag of goods and bads. But just on the meta-level, this is a step up from most short length dramas. Definitely check this out just for the acting alone. Both the ML and the FL just need the barest of polishing and someone to give them a good breakout role, and they'd be able to pull of high-caliber roles in A-list dramas.

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This is a fairly easy watch. It’s short, and the story is nothing too complicated. You can spin it any way you want but i keep thinking that it would be very nice if it can be easy like that. I’m talking about relationships of screen actors. As it is, this is one of the travesties of these stars. Before that, let’s go to the story first.

Lead actor is very good, first time seeing him. Love his voice. I’m always drawn into his lines as he delivered his parts not only with his voice but his eyes, especially in his vulnerable scenes. It seems effortless. Female lead is not bad, but it’ll take more roles to get her more at ease and not so tense. I think finding the right pairing is difficult and it’s not like the actors don’t try, as I’m sure they do. Even if not in the role, it seems like they’re comfortable with each other so it does make it a bit more believable.

Why does it have to be so complicated? The entertainment industry is so money and competitive driven that it seems like a slave entity. That’s how I see it anyways. Stars, to keep fan base high and strong cannot be publicly seen in their personal lives. Losing fandom means losing money and popularity, and unfortunately, that is very important to the industry. Terrible though is empowering those fans to think they own these stars, causing ruckus and chaos. Why should stars give up their love of acting if such a complicated career? Heavens no we don’t want that. They give us the entertainment we enjoy. Just sad it’s this way.

It is so nice to see what normalcy can be for stars in this story. To be in public without bombardment, to enjoy normal dating like anyone else. We also see how it might be difficult for a non acting partner, especially in intimate scenes. Yeah, I’d really really really have to be understanding to get used to that.

Like I said, it’s an easy watch. Thank goodness the opposing others to female lead getting the guy weren’t toxic. It was good writing so I think it’ll be a fun watch for anyone interested.

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This would be a 10 Manhua except ....

NO MEANS NO! HORRIBLE MIXED MESSAGES to young women about sexual consent. Cringey to watch the 2 scenes where the FMC pushes back during a forced kiss then relents/succumbs. The series would have been a 10/acceptable except for this deleterious message.
NO MEANS NO! The "No means no" movement for women refers to the concept that a woman's verbal or nonverbal refusal to engage in sexual activity should be respected and that any further advances are considered sexual assault. It's a foundational principle in discussions about sexual consent and violence prevention, emphasizing that consent must be freely given and can be withdrawn at any time.

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chemistry +++

I couldn't get into this at first so I was just skipping through until ep 9 when things finally clicked, then I awww'd alll the way to the end. what a cute little drama! the cp had buckets of chemistry and sparkly tension and the fl's performance especially was lovely. the ml was so sincere it was impossible not to root for him, also I loved all of his clothes, great wardrobe! its nice to finally see that actor in a ml role, hope his success continues, and the actress too.
ps: she should not have been anywhere near his set after the docu was completed. she's his girlfriend not his assistant, and it caused so many problems
pss: totally random that her and her bestie just lived alone in that mansion, but it worked for *aesthetic reasons*
the scenarios are a little silly hence the low score but yea, its good for a one time watch.

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Destiny? More like Delusion in HD.

I picked up this drama expecting breezy fluff—idol drama comfort food with pretty faces and maybe a love triangle tossed in for flavor. What I got instead was a grim, hypocritical mess wrapped in pastel posters and trauma bait. It’s like the show lured me in with soft lighting and then slammed me with a brick labeled “cheap suffering.” The tonal bait-and-switch isn’t just jarring—it’s ethically exhausting.

By the 30% mark, the female lead had already been sexually assaulted by multiple people. And just when you think the script might offer her a lifeline, her so-called savior turns out to be another predator—only this time, he’s the male lead, so apparently it’s fine? The show’s logic is nonexistent, its morality thinner than rice paper, and the romance is just a parade of red flags shot in slow motion. It’s not “destiny”—it’s delusion dressed up as fate.

The mixed messaging gave me emotional whiplash. One moment it’s trauma, the next it’s swoon, like the writers couldn’t decide if they were making a PSA or a fantasy. I dropped it before my brain cells filed for emotional compensation

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