34
143
6
1
1
6
1
4
3
2
6
1
1
1
1
3
5
6
Subjective Rating: 8.0
Objective Rating: 8.5
Objectively, “My Fated Boy” is a pretty good noona/jiejie romance. The best thing about this drama is that it did not suffer from having too many cliche plots. As I read other reviewers' comments on this, I wonder what they mean. Now I know. It’s not surprising to see the following in a noona/jiejie romance drama:
- A younger man chasing an older woman, and the challenges of such a large age gap - 7 years.
- The woman resisted the pursuit and worries about the age gap and how others feel about it.
- The unwillingness of telling parents of their relationship, not only because of the age gap but because both families are very close friends.
- The reveal of this secret romance to the public and how it affects an idol/artist’s career
All of this should not be a surprise. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I thought the direction might go down a cliche route, the drama pointed me to a different direction. This happened quite a few times, thus, making this drama an enjoyable watch. I was not yelling at the screen and condemning the leads for making stupid, cliche, predictable choices.
Additionally, this drama is supported by a very lovely and loyal cast. Ok, I wanted to shut Li Tian’s mouth for the first 10 episodes. But her character becomes a lot more tolerable and even lovable in the last 10 episodes. I have to say, Tian Xi Wei is quite good in her role as Li Tian and it’s no wonder she has many lead roles now. The other love triangle is not bad either, with a handsome lawyer who is not overbearing. The sismance is fun yet mature. The bosses are supportive and understanding, and actually align with the values of the leads. Both sets of parents turn out to be surprisingly kind and unintrusive.
I also love the epilogues of the children’s scenes. They are so adorable and acted so well. I love how these flashbacks correspond to the episode’s theme and give us a little background on why and how ML grows up to be the person and boyfriend that he has become.
Last but not the least, if you love a sweet and fluffy romance, Lu Zheng An (ML) is going to put a smile on your face. The leads have good chemistry and I love all of their tight, bear hugs. Their hugs feel so much more intimate and loving than any of their kisses (except the last one).
Having said all that, subjectively speaking, the main romance doesn’t move me. I do have to confess that I am not usually a big fan of noona/jiejie romance, and I watched this because I was craving for some fluff. Despite ML being super adorable and sweet, I am not sure I like how persistent, clingy and slightly stalkerish he is in his pursuit. If he’s a second male lead, we would have condemned his behavior big time. I also did not quite fall in love with either of the main leads. Without this emotional attachment to the actors and/or their characters, “My Fated Boy” just misses the mark for me.
I do recommend “My Fated Boy” if you are a fan of noona/jiejie romance and wanting some cute and fluffy sweetness. The acting is decent with a good soundtrack. I like that the actors are not dubbed, even though this is a 2021 drama.
Completed: 6/13/2025 - Review #589
Objective Rating: 8.5
Objectively, “My Fated Boy” is a pretty good noona/jiejie romance. The best thing about this drama is that it did not suffer from having too many cliche plots. As I read other reviewers' comments on this, I wonder what they mean. Now I know. It’s not surprising to see the following in a noona/jiejie romance drama:
- A younger man chasing an older woman, and the challenges of such a large age gap - 7 years.
- The woman resisted the pursuit and worries about the age gap and how others feel about it.
- The unwillingness of telling parents of their relationship, not only because of the age gap but because both families are very close friends.
- The reveal of this secret romance to the public and how it affects an idol/artist’s career
All of this should not be a surprise. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I thought the direction might go down a cliche route, the drama pointed me to a different direction. This happened quite a few times, thus, making this drama an enjoyable watch. I was not yelling at the screen and condemning the leads for making stupid, cliche, predictable choices.
Additionally, this drama is supported by a very lovely and loyal cast. Ok, I wanted to shut Li Tian’s mouth for the first 10 episodes. But her character becomes a lot more tolerable and even lovable in the last 10 episodes. I have to say, Tian Xi Wei is quite good in her role as Li Tian and it’s no wonder she has many lead roles now. The other love triangle is not bad either, with a handsome lawyer who is not overbearing. The sismance is fun yet mature. The bosses are supportive and understanding, and actually align with the values of the leads. Both sets of parents turn out to be surprisingly kind and unintrusive.
I also love the epilogues of the children’s scenes. They are so adorable and acted so well. I love how these flashbacks correspond to the episode’s theme and give us a little background on why and how ML grows up to be the person and boyfriend that he has become.
Last but not the least, if you love a sweet and fluffy romance, Lu Zheng An (ML) is going to put a smile on your face. The leads have good chemistry and I love all of their tight, bear hugs. Their hugs feel so much more intimate and loving than any of their kisses (except the last one).
Having said all that, subjectively speaking, the main romance doesn’t move me. I do have to confess that I am not usually a big fan of noona/jiejie romance, and I watched this because I was craving for some fluff. Despite ML being super adorable and sweet, I am not sure I like how persistent, clingy and slightly stalkerish he is in his pursuit. If he’s a second male lead, we would have condemned his behavior big time. I also did not quite fall in love with either of the main leads. Without this emotional attachment to the actors and/or their characters, “My Fated Boy” just misses the mark for me.
I do recommend “My Fated Boy” if you are a fan of noona/jiejie romance and wanting some cute and fluffy sweetness. The acting is decent with a good soundtrack. I like that the actors are not dubbed, even though this is a 2021 drama.
Completed: 6/13/2025 - Review #589
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