Destined with You

Manual to Greatness used as toilet paper #LameWriting (though everything else worked perfectly)

Yet again, another Korean writer who did not fail to disappoint me with painfully weak writing. The overall sketch of the story was so captivating that it could have been an easy 10/10 banger. Instead, like many promising plots before it, this one got sacrificed to the writers’ strange obsession with a two-cents-worth stalker who somehow gets treated like a national-level threat yet arrested after 10 attempts.Honestly, it was tiring to watch the characters waste hours chasing this bargain-bin villain as if he were some multiverse mastermind.
And then comes the female lead. Possibly one of the most clueless heroines to grace the screen. She keeps walking straight into this stalker again and again. At some point you start wondering whether she secretly enjoys these encounters. If she is that fascinated with the stalker, maybe the writers should have just paired them together and saved everyone the trouble. And What makes it more frustrating is that she literally possesses a manual to greatness 'the-holy-book-of-spells' , yet.. still.. ends up getting slapped around by the vamp cause apparantly love and beauty spells are useless in this situation. She didn't use a single useful spell out that book .. oh sorry she did i think the one that saved the ML ..but no he had to die to over come his curse so that one attempt also goes to bin.
Thank goodness she was never entrusted with something like a death note. She might have turned it into a gratitude journal and ll writing daily affirmations for the villain. Damn it !
Now, credit where it is due. The cast was genuinely one of the best parts of this drama. Rowoon and Bo-ah did a solid job, and their chemistry carried many scenes that the script itself struggled to support. Even with an annoying role, Bo-ah’s charm managed to shine through. The side cast also added depth and personality, making the world feel more alive than the plot deserved. So, Majority stars in my rating goes to this lovely effort put together by the great cast of this drama.

The background music and OST were absolute bangers. The kind that linger in your head long after the episode ends.
The ending was satisfying as well. Not perfect, but decent enough to close the curtain without throwing tomatoes at the screen.
So yes, it was a good drama…
if you can simply fast-forward through the endless “catch-me-if-you-can” circus starring the stalker. This one is absolutely a must-watch for you.

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Pleasently surprised

I'm gonna be honest. It was a background noise kinda watch, I couldn't care about the story, and I "watched" the past life plot on 1,5x speed while sleeping. If I would review the story only it's a 4 at most.
BUT. The leads, and especially Rowoon, were so incredible and funny that they convinced me to binge this. It was my first Rowoon drama and I was really surprised about his comedic timing. (I usually have a little prejudice about idol-actors for being casted only/mostly for looks, but OMG this guy is really a very TALENTED actor.)

I think I'm going to rewatch this but only the couple/cute scenes. It's the only interesting part but it's really worth the struggle.

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Ooof I wish I never touched this drama

Alright, this isn't the WORST drama ever but, I try to pick my dramas carefully so I don't waste my time but unfortunately , this just wasn't a good choice. There isn't really many things to like about this drama honestly. I didn't like the female lead, and besides his outstanding good looks, I didn't like the male lead very much either. And I know the drama is called "destined with you" but come onnnn, I thought they would at least fall in love for reasons other than destiny. I just didn't find their love line believable and I found it so annoying that the male lead would just not break up with his girlfriend, out of "loyalty". But cheating was okay? So confusing and irritating. Also this female lead...my goodness, it really was like watching a damsel in distress of 16 EPISODES. Even when she let herself become bait, like that was the best you could do? Anyways moving on from those two, the office people were INSUFFERABLE. I hated those two girls, and they literally added nothing but negativity and horribleness to the story. I could have definitely done without them. OOH! And of course I couldn't forget about Sin Yu's Dad!! He was absolutely horrible too and clearly a terrible judge in character. I don't know why they just insisted on making him a blockage for all things good for our male lead along with a verbally abusive husband. But yeah, he just added onto the list of things making this drama a chore to watch. The only character I liked in this story was Jae Kyung, and even then its not like the bar was too hard for him to clear.
Whelp I'm glad I'm finally done with this drama, so I hope I can move onto a much better drama. Bye for now!

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The chemistry is UNDENIABLE

It's all worth it because of Rowoon and Jo Bo-ah. They were amazing, a joy to the eyes both charming and beautiful made the story work even if the story itself was weaker in comparison.

Acting/Cast:
It's all about the amazing Rowoon and Jo Bo-ah. The end.

Music:
Great music >>>>>>> Park Won (박원) - It's You <<<<<<<<<<3

Story:
Could have been better. I dont like stalker concepts but the back story taking as through the protagonists' past life together was amazing. Never seen beaten up people look more beautiful on screen (joke) <3 No one liked the female lead's coworkers lets be honest. And why did she have to live in that neighborhood? And what is up with the psychic grandmotheer is she for them of against them. Also no reason to base have a love story on a love spell actually ended up making the audiance confused about the male lead's true feelings. Bad script indeed.

Rewatch Value: Yes. For the chemistry between Rowoon and Jo Bo-ah!

Over and out <3

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Both are crazy

Had high expectations but it turned out to be of the worst drama plot . I do like JoBoah acting but I didn't feel like this her best work so far . The show had dragged the plot and had so many filler episodes. The characters were poorly written . One moment the ml acts like he doesnt care and seems to logical and split seconds he acts illogical ,it aint another obsessive bipolar ceo ? Cliche much !! The story do highlights features like social discrimination, social hierarchy, bullying, workplace abuse but it does lack the depth while portraying such issues . They did try best to put Shaman culture , but failed to visualize it properly . So far one of show which I didn't enjoy , the songs were great loved ost !!

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A Spellbound Drama: Intriguing Premise, Disappointing Execution

The premise of the story was quite intriguing, featuring two characters bound by a centuries-old curse or spell and their journey to overcome it. With two attractive and talented actors leading the cast, what could go wrong? Unfortunately, the same old issue arises: the script. Who approved it?

It seems the writer struggled to decide on the direction of this drama, or perhaps aimed to challenge herself by blending horror/mystery, fantasy, office romance/comedy, and thriller elements. While it's perfectly fine to mix genres, doing so poorly can lead to a confusing, repetitive, and disjointed story, which is precisely what happens here.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the story, which explored the centuries-old curse and the main female lead's discovery of the spell books. While I do enjoy office romance, the excessive focus on her bullying colleagues detracted from the narrative and ventured into unnecessary territory. Additionally, the obsessive killer, who doesn't seamlessly integrate into the story, oddly becomes the central plot. The inclusion of bizarre side couples, such as her female boss with her bully supervisor and his mother with his best friend, further added to the confusion. In short, it's a mess.

One saving grace is Rowoon's visual appeal. He looks great in suits and portrayed a lovesick puppy convincingly. However, I feel sorry for Jo Bo Ah. Who was her stylist for this drama? Her hair color doesn't match her skin tone and washes her out completely. Her character is also way too weak and foolish, but I do enjoy the chemistry between her character and Rowoon. Truthfully, that's the only reason I stuck with the show until the end.

Final thoughts: The drama has an interesting plot, but sadly, the writing and execution didn't meet expectations. It is watchable, but don't have high expectations.

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Too predictable

Same old cliched plot. I actually knew what was coming next after each episode. Fast forwarded many times. Jo Boah was my favourite actress but after this, I'm not so sure. She infuriated me with her cringey portrayal of having a crush towards her senior in the office. I mean seriously??? Tucking your hair and turning your shoetip on the ground to act all shy??? That was cringe on so many levels. I mean what is she?? A 5th grader??? And I hated the fact that this cringey act was focused more on in some scenes. I mean why? Just why? This ain't a tiktok video! And Rowoon oh God! In the process of being a tsundere, he instead ends up being a total jerk. I mean c'mon!!
Conclusively the only thing that I did like was their romance part, the rest is cliche.

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A TYPICAL K- ROM-COM BUT ROWOON STEEL THE SHOW

i first i started watching this show was only for the cast because as i am big fan of rowoon (ML) and his acting as it is improving in every drama and jo bo ah (FM) as i have have watched her in TALE OF THE NINE TAILED and her chemistry is really good with ML .
the story is really basic one as every korean rom-com have and it was very much predictable but there were some scenes that keep me engaging very much. the past life was much basis but they did the good job in telling it . they make it suspense till the end of the drama .
the 2ML will become memorable as well for me. because he did very good job in his part . i don't like it when they show him in his past life but he did not became like that in the present that was pleasing. his chemistry with the FL was good and those 3 have many COMEDIC moments that made the show enjoyable.
ROWOON have still my heart again in this drama , he have nailed it in the show. he portrayed the cold and cool lawyer and a cute and clingy boyfriend very well. in the first few episode when he was chasing the FL that made me fall for him again , he did it well ( FIGHT WITH ME IF I AM WRONG ) .
it could be 12 or 14 episode drama with not too dragging in the last episode,
as i wanted their wedding scene not other supporting leads and not become brother but father ( YOU'II KNOW IT )

IF YOU LIKE ROWOON'S DRAMA LIKE I DO THEN YOU SHOULD GIVE IT A TRY AS I DID .. HE WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH, GIVE BUTTERFLIES. AND MAKE YOU CRY ALSO.

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netflix power!

i began this drama when it started airing, but didn't even get midway to ep1 before i gave up. i guess i just wasn't curious, both with the story and the pairing (because i didn't expect much) but after 14 eps had already aired i saw it was still top1 currently airing dramas on mdl and decided to give it a chance. binged by pulling an allnighter because i was hooked into the 'forbidden love' aspect.

not the best drama ever or anything, but still a decent one. storywise there are a lot of plotholes, but their chemistry made me stay. it was a fun watch. personally think it's a better binge than watching as it airs. nothing spectacular happening that will get you thinking and waiting the whole week for the next eps to drop. yes, they're too sweet it might get cringey, but somehow i enjoyed the cringe lol. this is the kinda drama you don't need to watch 16hrs of to get the plot, a well made fmv will do. the reason it's performing well on this platform is probably because it's aired on netflix which makes it easily accessible.

you can't watch this with a rational and moral mind because of how "destiny" is used as an excuse. so watch it if you're up for some fluff without focusing too much on the plot. not a drama i would strongly recommend or anything, just an average drama you can enjoy if you wanna idle away time.

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Destined with Love

I love this drama from the start till the end, though the last two episodes took a long time to complete. The main actor a singer, a dance and actor Rowon was superb in his acting and ofcourse the main actress was great too and plus all other casts. I noticed Korean drama many of these recalling back the past historical stories and it sometimes made me confused. But somehow luckily it was a good ending cos I never like sad endings like in the past years when Korean drama started most of the dramas had sad endings and un natural act in romance , Looking forward to this actor and actress in other dramas. Great drama overall

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Draggy drama with ambiguous characters and an obtuse A-plot

Don't get me wrong. I don't hate this show. It is acceptable both in terms of acting and production value. However, the longer I watch this show, the more frustrated and dejected I feel. This is rare for me and I can only put it down to the script.

The start of the show is engaging. A struggling FL who seems to get the raw end of the stick no matter how hard she tries. She ran into a super handsome ML by accident. He is totally out of her league and yet they are oddly attracted to each other. The chemistry of our leads is undeniable. Throw in a centuries old curse and a mysterious spell book and we should have an intriguing and engaging story. Unfortunately, the show drags out the plot to the point of exhaustion. To add to our woes, the A-plot is obtuse. Most characters are ambiguous and lack depth.

The show spends so much time on the ML and whether he is under a love spell or not in the early episodes. I don’t blame them because they obviously want to capitalise on his visuals and he acts so cute, but it does wear thin after a while. BTW, is the FL also cursed because by all accounts she is smart, diligent and sweet, yet she just can’t win a trick. It doesn’t make sense. They are trapped in narrative purgatory by mid show.

On the other hand, some behaviours are too predictable. The two-timing girlfriend of the ML (SFL) steadfast refuses to breakup with the ML for the most selfish reasons. The longer it drags on, the more toxic it becomes. Then we have the SML who rejected the FL even though he knew she has a crush on him. He then flips 180 degrees and chase after the FL even though he knew that the FL is in love with the ML by then. Forget couple therapy, the show needs therapy. It got to the point that the FL said on multiple occasions that she is so confused. So are we, sister, so are we.

Storylines from other shows might shuffle back and fore, but this show elevates it to an art form. The various plots just circles each other like a swarm of bees. A case in point, the ML finally confessed in the middle of ep.9 but the ML’s behaviour at work totally confused the FL but he never explains himself. Then the SML confessed in ep.10 which clears the air, NOT! We finally see the OTP’s first kiss at the end of ep.10 but the romantic spell is immediately broken by the reappearance of the ancient curse. It is unrelenting. We don’t even get to enjoy one tiny sugar hit.

Throw in an evil antagonist who appears to lust after the FL for no apparent reason and then teams up with the SFL to sabotage the OTP with glee. At first, I was baffled by his ability to put a curse on the OTP but then I have a lightbulb moment which took the wind out of this sail.

What I realised is that all the main characters are retracing events from their past lives. It is not just the OTP but every key characters. The SML was probably an acquaintance of the ML who has a crush on the FL but missed his chance. The SFL was likely to be a daughter of a rich family who got betrothed to the ML and then play merry hell with the OTP once she was rejected. If we play by the rules then the antagonist would be an evil shaman or a local magistrate who lust after the FL, etc. Mayhap he cursed the OTP like he did in the present and brought about their ultimate demise.

If this comes to pass, then the remaining episodes should see all the key players fulfil their destiny. This will necessitate even more troubles and angst for our OTP until we arrive at the final confrontation with the antagonist. A HEA ending will require the curse to be lifted and the evil doers getting their just desserts. It will give me no joy if my prognostication comes true.

This show is not without merits but for each nice moment, there are two negative ones. It really tested my patience. Hence without further ado, I shall bid our handsome ML and long-suffering FL adieu for now. I might revisit this show after it finishes its run.

Oh, if you are still reading. Production quality is fine, OST is decent. Rewatch? You jest.

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