Jojo

The story opens with a literal bang... an opulent battlefield of alliances, betrayals and suspiciously perfect hair. From its gorgeous opening sequence to its jaw-tight political games, the show wastes no time in telling you this won’t be your average romance. It’s sharp, visually stunning, and occasionally unhinged in the best way for the most part.

Set against a backdrop of rival kingdoms, conspiracies, and family betrayals, it is a story about two people who should have been enemies but end up becoming something far more complicated. Feng Suige, the composed and battle-scarred Prince of Susha and Fu Yixiao, a woman from the opposing side with more grit than most generals, meet under all the wrong circumstances. There was tension, mistrust and that delicious sense of “I hate you, but I see you. What makes Fated Hearts stand out isn’t just the enemies-to-lovers premise because it isn’t exactly ground breaking, but the way it commits to every beat of that trope with unapologetic intensity.

Let’s start with our resident walking tragedy, Feng Suige, the killer God of Susha. He is smart, honourable as much as he can be, but definitely not unkind and naïve. I understand his apprehension in trusting people, taking into account how he has been burned by those too close to him.
Betrayal has somehow become a part of him but if honour had a face, it would probably look like him (minus a few pixels lost to that smoothing filter)

Then enters our dear Fu Yixiao as an absolute force. She is fierce, calculating, and capable of both saving and destroying kingdoms with the same serene expression. She isn’t written as your usual doe-eyed damsel. She is the kind of heroine who walks into a trap and somehow turns it into a negotiation. There is steel under all that poise and her intelligence isn’t just performative but tactical. She reads the room, measures risks, and still finds space for empathy. That's her biggest strength. All the fighting skills and wars haven't erased the softness inside her. In future, if I ever talk about strong Female lead, Yixiao will definitely make it to the list and sit in top 3 proudly! Li Qin as Yixiao devours every frame she is in, commanding when she needs to be, fragile and breakable when it hurts the most.

୨ৎ Chemistry Between The Leads ୨ৎ
The enemies-to-lovers trope lives or dies by chemistry, and this doesn’t just live but thrives, flips its hair and lights a torch while doing it. Their relationship doesn’t rely on clichés like “accidental hand brushes” or “he catches her when she falls.” No, this is the you burned down my city but I still can’t stop thinking about you variety of romance. Sounds toxic, but it was surprisingly very healthy.
What I loved about their relationship was how equal it felt. Equal in the sense that they both were damsels, but also saviours to each other. It wasn't just one way around. When the world stabbed him in the back, she was the one dragging him out of the dark and when she was falling apart, he was right there holding it together.

Some people were taken aback by the violence in the initial episodes (within their rights), but I felt it was very balanced because both of them matched the intensity. It wasn't a biased suffering, so it was excusable for me, and quite frankly, I enjoyed it as it actually justified the enemies part in the enemies-to-lovers trope.

୨ৎ Supporting Characters & Subplots ୨ৎ

The hall of fame for side characters had both saints and sinners. Some were vibrant and some infuriating.

Feng Xiyang: Princess of Susha, in my opinion, had a very good character development. Initially, she came off as privileged, naive and utterly selfish. I just couldn't reason with her when she was in the "I can fix him" phase. But over time, tragedy, betrayal and suffering finally tempered her senses for good. From naive to conniving, we saw a brand new version of her. I did feel sorry for her at the end but sadly, she can only blame herself for all the hell that came upon her.

Xia Jingshi & Xia Jingyan: They are equal parts velvet glove and landmine. Xia Jingyan is the loose wire. He was unsettling in a wild way but very entertaining. It was hard to figure out what he was thinking and what he would do. Very unpredictable but the kind of character that grew on me. Xia Jingshi is a beautiful silver-tongued snake. He is measured and strategic. He was the character I loved to hate. He had too much going on.

All the above three entertained me. Together, they brought the kind of energy that made me want to scream but also never look away to miss any drama.

The emperor of Susha: Feng Ping Cheng, as emperor was definitely smart and observant compared to other leaders I have seen in dramaland. He clearly knew who was on his side and how to manipulate things his way. He didn't just blindly trust. He was definitely interesting but existed in shades of grey.

Prime Minister Zhuang Shen: He was outwardly loyal but weaving webs of hate inside. He became the victim (I don't know if I should call him that) of one of his own elaborated schemes. His whole revenge was on the grief and obsession.

Empress Zhuang: She was the perfect example of what goes around comes around. I liked how her duality at times was portrayed, and while she was giving Cinderella's stepmother energy, I was still satisfied watching her manoeuvre through power and consequences.

Feng Cheng Yang: Our second prince of Susha is definitely the vibrant and likeable character in this hall of fame. Even though he was young, I liked how mindful and loyal he was without just blindly accepting things.

Lu Ke, Yun Gang & the Rest of the Feng battalion: I loved their camaraderie and the bond between them and the loyalty they showed towards Suige. I was hoping they stayed true to him till the end, and they didn't let their commander down.

Physician Ling Xue Ying: She mastered the art of giving unsolicited moral advice. From start to finish, there was something that irked me. Her "holier than thou" energy at the start was wild. I loved a good sismance but it felt forced with her.

Ning Fei & Xiao Wei Ran: The sworn brothers to our FL had an interesting journey. While it was harsh, all of them had the most logical and righteous end.

୨ৎ What Didn't work for me ୨ৎ
But this isn't without flaws. Starting visually, the infamous smoothing filter on the actors. Now it wasn't to a point that it distracts or takes me out of my viewing experience, but these people were gorgeous already. In my humble opinion, we didn't need their faces to look like polished marble. Again, it's not too much that I pause but enough for me to notice that beautify filter.

Then the OSTs and the background music, or should I say the overuse of it. It clearly screamed, "We paid for this song and by the heavens, we will use it.” I mean, the main OST was beautiful but when you hear the same thing cue for the 10th time, it stops being emotional. Some moments would have benefited from silence.

Coming to the most glaring issue, the pacing, especially in the last 10 episodes. The first half sprinted like they were trying to win a medal, and then suddenly… everyone decides to sit and brood for 4 episodes straight, avenging a decade-old revenge the story didn't remind us about. Yes, I am looking at you, Storm Alliance. It was very predictable and quickly became redundant. We could have definitely shortened it if skipping wasn't an option.

Another thing that felt more like a drizzle than the anticipated thunderstorm was the masked man reveal. The whole thing was so anti-climatic, I literally went, “Wait…that’s about it?” I am glad they didn’t drag it out, but it still landed flat.
The motivation behind the whole betrayal of all the antagonist were so thin you could spread it on toast and just taste the bread. I get making rash choices in the heat of the moment and out of emotions, but it just felt shallow. It was more on the lines of conflict for the sake of it! I expected more.

And if I talk about the ending, it felt incomplete. Like we had 38 episodes, to clearly gives us answers and tie all the plots and show what is everyone doing after the final battle, but it was fast forwarded to a narration. I am happy for the characters and where they are, but it could have been grand and clear.

୨ৎ Production ୨ৎ
The production was rich and flawless. The costumes deserve their own exhibition, especially Suige’s royal blue dress. Xiyang’s wedding scene was another visual flex. Cinematography was also stunning, from sweeping nature shots to those tearful closeups. They might have gone a bit heavy on the filter, but we have already talked about that.

୨ৎ Acting Performance ୨ৎ
Both the leads aced their roles. This was my first time seeing Li Qin on screen, and she has left me impressed. It looked like the role of the General was meant for her. I would definitely be looking forward to seeing more of her projects. Chen Zhe Yuan was also an apt fit for the role. He aced all the emotional scenes without overplaying it as well as the restrained expression when needed. Xia Meng was another good find. She, as Xiyang, was excellent. I tolerated her character for most parts of the drama. As they say, if you dislike a character, that means that the actor did a great job and she aced it. The Xia brothers brought their own charms, and it made it very difficult to dislike the characters when the actors were so charming, especially our unhinged Jingyan. Zhao Bin as emperor was solid, too. All the confrontation scenes were a treat to watch. Other actors across the board did a very fine job too. No complaints in this department.

୨ৎ Final Thoughts ୨ৎ
Overall, this is a good example of getting enemies-to-lovers to lovers 100% right. This isn't a fairy tale but more of an endurance test for leads and our hearts. Suige and Yixiao stole every scene with emotional payoffs off the charts while chaos surrounds them with scheming families avenging the long lost, collapsing empires and crown chasers everywhere.
It is not perfect in my books with pacing dips and a few draggy plotlines but it is still an addictive ride. I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you for reading my review! <3 I hope you enjoy this drama as much as I did or maybe more! ;)