"Destined with You" - A Charming K-Drama That Steals Hearts

I prefer to watch romcom over other genres as it is my happy zone. Romcoms make me forget all the stress and tensions of the life. I laugh and cry with the characters. It is a killer for my anxiety levels. Coming to the point, I just finished the series Destined with You and let me tell you the truth, waiting weekly for the episodes is not easy.  

Destined with You, a new K-drama is a blend of traditional Korean folklore and modern romance. It revolves around a legendary cursed lawyer and an outcast civil servant falling in love. The entire concept seems simple, but it isn’t!

The series has most loved couple of 2023, Jo Boa and Rowoon. They did justice with their roles. Other characters in the series were lovely and funny. The chemistry between these two make you fall in love with them. I have seen them in different series with other partners but they both were beautiful together.

It involves both present and past elements of their lives connecting all the pieces very well. There are some incredible scenes in Destined with You. For instance, framing Sin Yu (Rowoon) and Hong Jo (Jo Boa) on the bridge when sparklers go off is breathtakingly beautiful. It creates a magical romantic scene leading to fill the loop hole this series has until then. In their previous lives, other beautiful scenes in the snow or dried grass are simply beautiful.

It is a tale of love and destiny and the ending is expected and adequate. It was developed from the beginning that Sin Yu and Hong Jo are meant to be together. However, I found that it was dragged and mystery needed to be developed better than dumping everything in the later part of the series. 

It all started with the finding of a wooden box with a spell book and ended up with Hong Jo. Sin Yu seemed to be attracted towards Hong Ju from the very start. It may appear to you that he is after finding the cure to the curse he and his family has for 300 years. Destiny for them is to be together till the end and they are brought together again and again even if they want to run away.

The series is set in Onju City Hall depicting the themes of fate and love. The presence of other actors, such as Ma Eun Yeong and Son Sae Byeol provides an engaging ensemble. You can also see familial dynamics in the series, adding the depth to the personal journeys of the characters. The addition of the shaman character Eun-wol introduces the element of mystique to the series.  

The series highlights the rocky and frustrating road of destiny. Most of the times I lost track as it appeared senseless to me. The odd choices of the characters and the lack in their chemistry were frustrating. Despite all these, this series is all over the place because of the charming acting skills of Rowoon and Jo Boa. You can see Hong Jo trying to hide from the cute guy in the office and the other minute bloody cursed hand snakes its way to Sin Yu’s throat.

You cannot tell in the beginning where this is heading either towards the sweet romance or a sinister supernatural plot. The twists and turns in every episode hooked me up to wait for the next one. The actors and the plot managed to bind the audience till the end with the charm and comic of other characters.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention the last scene of the series where Sin Yu is hiding the wooden box with the spell book after killing Hong Jo in their past life. This made me dumbfounded that he planned by then to find her in their later life since they were not together at that time and forced to be apart by death. He even ordered his family to guard mount Onju until he and his love find that box again after 300 years. 

To me, this series is a must watch for anyone looking for a mystical and emotional rollercoaster connecting present and past lives of lovers.