Destined with You (2023)

A complete package of romantic comedy, fantasy, horror, and thrillers.

*CHEF'S KISS*
Started watching this show primarily because of Bo Ah and Rowoon & the synopsis sounded fascinating. I had high hopes going into this, and you know what? I wasn't disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed every episode.

The best part of this show is the chemistry. With such lines LMAO, this show could have easily been cringe, but thanks to the actors, it turned out to be a cute one. ShinHong can easily go from being cute and funny to hot and sexy in just a few seconds. Rowoon and Bo Ah whenever on screen, the scene is gonna be lit for sure.

CHARACTERS: For the first 3 eps, Bo Ah's relatable portrayal of Hong Jo, our FL, her sense of loneliness and emptiness initially drew me in more. And I thought Shin Yu was more of a jerk, but as the plot progressed, he steadily grew into the most ADMIRABLE character on the show. Unexpectedly in the last 8 eps, he transformed into a green flag. I adore him so much. Kwon Jae Kyung our 2ML was a smart & nice character I liked each and every scene he was in.
* SPECIAL MENTION to Mr. Gong and Ms. Ma. They both were so adorable. Loved Mr. Gong's unwavering support for her.

ACTING: Bo Ah nailed bubbly Hong Jo, which deserves praise because it differs so much from the other roles she has played, which have tended to be more smart and strong. However, Rowoon's performance deserves special mention because he made such significant progress. I've always appreciated him more for his characters not acting but here he earned praise for the emotions he displayed and acted as Shin Yu. The emotions of being lonely, being in love, and the fear of losing Hong Jo etc etc.. were shown so realistically by him.

The director balanced the emotions well; if one episode was filled with strong emotions, the other was just as lighthearted and enjoyable. There are many minute details in the scenes and dialogue. The present story has a cute and happy ending, which balances out the backstory's sadness and tragic end.
The cinematography and camera angles were nice. But editing could've been better.
At last, I'm gonna miss them, miss the excitement I felt on Wed and Thu. Miss my SHINHONG couple.

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This show is part Samsung phone ad, part make-up commercial with Rowoon as a model. Even when he's sick his hair stays perfectly styled.

How about a real challenge to play an ugly has-been alcoholic writer who showers once a month, has an old cracked phone and no woman wants to deal with him. Let him act and don't show close-ups of his eyelashes and face with perfect make-up every two minutes. Play a character that has nothing to do with his looks.

Supporting characters, like Shin Yu's mother, Seo Gu, and supporting actors are more interesting than the leads.

In one of the later episodes we get an underwhelming sex scene with a Tiffany bracelet shining in the dark, proving once again that this series is made to sell you products.

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One of the best kdramas from 2023

I started watching this drama two months ago without any expectations, and just because I like Rowoon and Jo Bo Ah. I have to be sincere but the first two- three episodes weren’t the greatest, and at that point I wasn’t liking Jang Shin Yu at all, but then episode 4 was the light at the end of the tunnel. That episode is one of my favorite one from the whole drama. It has the cheesiest phrases ever. So you will be laughing like crazy after watching it.
This drama isn’t for everyone because at some point there were so many plots that maybe for some could be distracting or annoying but everything had a reason.
I really liked the chemistry between them! They were adorable together. And they started hating each other and then loving deeply and their love surpassed the barriers of time and it was proved that they were destined to be together forever.
I have to say that this is my favorite performance of Rowoon, his portrayal of SY was top notch in so many ways and has improved a lot since his last drama.
I really will miss this drama ???

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A Rollercoaster of Romance and Mystery definitely a Must Watch

So, I just finished watching the last episode of "Destined with You" today, and I've got some mixed feelings about it. The ending left me a bit torn because it started out all intense and scary for like 15 minutes, and then bam! It was all hearts and happiness for the next 45 minutes. I was kind of hoping for a bit more of a thriller element, but it turned out to be a swoon-worthy, feel-good drama.

Rowoon, oh my goodness, that man knows how to deliver those cringe-worthy lines with so much charm! My heart couldn't help but skip a beat when he was being all cute and straightforward with his lovey-dovey dialogues, even though he thought he was under some kind of love spell. The embarrassment that followed was just adorable.

The characters, Bo Ah and Rowoon, are like two peas in a pod. When she's feisty, he's feisty, and when he's all cute, she's just blabbering out those cheesy lines. Their chemistry was undeniably cute, and the romance was on point, but like I said, I was hoping for a bit more of a thriller to balance it all out. Maybe my expectations were just too high in that regard.

All in all, it's a must-watch K-drama, and I only started watching it because of Rowoon, but I'm definitely going to check out "The Matchmakers" because of him. I loved "Destined with You." Though I have to admit, the bloody hand and the gardener were a bit creepy, but I'm glad I stuck with it. The curse explanation was really well done, and I appreciated the flashbacks to the past to help us understand everything better.
The character development was a nice touch, too. And let's talk about Shin Yu – he went from being a perfectly made-up doll to a real live man. Loved it! ❤️❤️❤️ This drama really stood out for me, and I might just rewatch it someday.

On the flip side, I have to agree that the addition of new twists and plotlines every week got a bit overwhelming. It seemed like they introduced more mysteries before solving the previous ones, and I was left scratching my head. The whole Red Hand haunting Rowoon one moment and then disappearing was a bit confusing, and the sudden introduction of a stalker was unexpected. But what really gave me the "ick" was the whole past life lovers from the Joseon period plotline. It felt overused, boring, and repetitive.

In the end, "Destined with You" had its moments of greatness, but it also stumbled along the way with a messy plotline and too many twists. Nevertheless, it's still a drama worth checking out for the romantic moments and some fantastic character development. Just be prepared for a rollercoaster ride of plot twists.

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I didn't like the series

I didn't like the series, I continued it only because of the main actors, and I definitely don't recommend it to anyone. I'm not saying it was bad, but it wasn't very good either. After all these years of Korean series, seeing some stereotypes and repeating stories doesn't appeal to me anymore. Maybe the author was not able to portray it beautifully, otherwise it was a series full of clichés, but it was beautiful and pleasant. For me, it was funny in many places and I would have liked it.

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Rowoon and Jo Bo Ah bring out the best in each other

I'll start out with what I didn't like:

1. Hong Jo deserved better friends. There were plenty of strong female characters, but I am disappointed none of them were HJ's age.

2. Shin Yu's mom deserved a better partner. It bothered me that she didn't go through with the divorce. SY's dad being nice for 10 minutes doesn't make up for him calling her stupid. She was such a sweetheart and I think that makes it even worse.

3. There was way too much time spent on HJ'S senior coworkers relationship. Those are the only scenes I skipped during rewatch. It wasn't poorly written and they are decent characters, but I would have liked that time spent elsewhere.

4. They should have made it explicitly clear whether or not the spells worked. I feel like the director left it up to the audience and basically asked us...do YOU believe in magic lol

What I liked:

There is so much that I liked, that I'll have to be broad and brief or I could go on forever:

1. The flashback scenes paired perfectly with the modern day story. None of these scenes felt like filler and the tragedy of Aeng Cho and Mujin was heartbreaking. Sometimes Joseon flashbacks can feel like an extension of the modern day filming...idk if that makes any sense lol But the Joseon scenes had a magical quality and seemed to be from a completely different show. I loved that they were shot on location and that there was minimal green screen used. The snowy scenes were especially beautiful.

2. The chemistry between Rowoon and Jo Bo Ah really made their characters come alive. Do yourself a favor and watch the bts on YT. HJ and SY almost seem like an extension of Rowoon and Bo Ah. Literally everything about their scenes together made me smile. Even in the beginning when SY annoyed the sh-- out of HJ lol That's why this drama is a 10 for me. I want a rom-com that makes me smile.

3. Believe it or not I liked the "love triangle" between HJ/SY/Kwon Jae Kyung. I think it's because HJ and KJK played it off without any true toxicity. The scene where they are both racing to HJ's apartment is one of the funniest I've seen. Rowoon and Ha Joon played really well off each other. It's not obnoxious and you get the sense that these two men actually like and respect each other. It also helps that KJK isn't a sore loser.

4. An OST can make or break a series and the Destined with You OST was perfect. Delicate and gentle are two words I would use to describe it.

At its heart, DWY is pure romance with sub plots of supernatural and comedy. The point of the show is HJ and SY were destined to be with each other. The storytelling never wavered from this trajectory. The only way I see this plot falling flat is if they didn't end up with each other or if someone died. The spells, the curse, etc. were all minor plot devices made to push HJ and SY towards their destiny.

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Was better as horror-romedy than thriller-romance.

I came here to say that I NEVER rewatch a series. Aside from Arang and The Magistrate, not once I have rewatched a show, but after I caught up with the latest episode, I went back and rewatched this show from episode 1 again.

Honestly, just wanted to applaud some key things that I overlooked the first time while being in awe of Rowoon’s height and insane bod (my god he is so delicious but I digress). First, I only love Rowoon in this show as much as I do because Bo Ah’s character made Jang Shin Yu SO much more lovable. Her expressions and little sighs are absolutely adorable. But I can see why she wouldn’t get along with people. She’s dorky AF, in the most adorable but weird and socially awkward kind of manner. I don’t see her doing very well in the basic girl friendship and that’s why I find her loneliness so believable because it also mirror’s Jang Shin Yu’s loneliness and social awkwardness. His halting and holier-than-thou manner of speech is so strange that it would only make sense if Hong Joo was on the same page as him.

I also want to make note of how incredible the soundtrack, the foley and the music design is. I didn’t notice it the first time I watched each episode, but on my re-watch I have to say, this show would not be 50% as effective without the amazing score. Every scene in which Rowoon feels all the feels, I feel it too because of how good the soundtrack is. All the magic in the air is around me too because of how magical the music is.

That being said, also 5000 levels of kudos to director-writer-editor team wow holy crap. They managed to bring out ALL the amazingly weird yet hot-AF-to-watch ticks in Rowoon’s acting. All that teeth gritting, jaw clenching, neck adjusting, close up shots of hands, little eyebrow ticks, hands crawling up his body wow like they really went crazy on making us feel all the sensual and bodily feels while watching Rowoon deal with his curse. I literally felt myself getting hot watching those red hands crawl up his body wtf LOL

ANYWAY, I did not expect this drama to be as good as it is. I know its not done yet, but honestly, I’ve already gotten so much enjoyment out of it, I don’t expect to lower it by many stars, if at all, regardless of how it ends.

Edit//
Okay so it ended. I’m not completely disappointed in the way it went given that this was basically fluff romance but I have to say, the team did a better job with the first half in which it was horror-romance than they did with the second half with a thriller-romance plot because a lot of things unravelled in the last three episodes. For one, MAJOR a disappointment with Shin Yu’s mom’s divorce trajectory. That dad did not deserve the ending they gave him. I did not appreciate that Shin Yu did not once stand up for Hong Joo in front of his dad and in the end Shin Yu resolved it with a shit*y and lame reason that will eventually work against Hong Joo in the long run because his dad will use that reason against her and call it entrapment. His dad is trashy, end of story. I docked a whole star just for how much screen time his dad got in the end. Thriller wise, pretty loosely written but entertaining nonetheless. I came for the horror romance and stayed for the Rowoon visuals ngl. Anyway, 7 stars for keeping me entertained. Would have stayed at 9 had patriarchal bulls**t and useless parental drama not sidelined everything else in the last half of the story.

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Destined or Delivered?

The beginning concept of this series is interesting. Yet, how it is executed is quite touch and go. You can see where the story gains momentum in explaining the links of the past and present closer to the last episodes. However, the spell book and alternate spell book really could have been left out. (or a different link reveal could have worked better) The point of the Shaman explaining the box in retrospect makes the 'destined' feel more 'delivered' to deploy unknown possibilities. Besides that, the comedic parts of this romcom were entertaining and worth the break from all the seriousness of the storyline. The 'crazy' people throughout the series kept you guessing and asking 'why' such angst against the FL (which never was quite explained but just assumed) The overall drama is a solid watch of a unique mix of romance, comedy, mystery and drama.

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Wasted Potential

This show could have been so much better if it weren't for the lazy writing and screenplay.

I was really excited about this series and had no issue for at least the 1st maybe 6 episodes even when the setting was a bit cliché (handsome rich guy falling for an ordinary girl after a casual not so great encounter). The issue I have with the drama is the cheating which is conveniently being downplayed. Sin-yu (who is of sane mind and a brilliant lawyer) is just casually cheating on his to-be wife because apparently a love spell was cast. I mean c'mon, who would believe that, let alone a well learned lawyer. Okay, let's even play the devil's advocate and assume the spell actually works- why on earth would he not just end the engagement and pursue his new love interest? Also, why do they have to try so hard to make Sin-yu's fiancé unlikeable (even giving her a man on the side too) so they can justify the cheating. What's even worse is this FML (who is also of sane mind, and an adult- and not under any spell) suddenly falls out of love with a capable, available man she has been eyeing and even confessed to (and he is also starting to like her back) and knowingly falls in love with a taken man (engaged to an old acquaintance) who is about to get married. Ridiculous and makes no rational sense for me. The plot had so much potential (or so I thought) from one Kdrama fan to another, save your time and don't watch this drama.

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