You Are My Destiny (2020)

The story did not age well

I really wanted to love this drama. I've watched the Korean version and even though I knew that the storyline was outdated because it's been a long time since it came out, I gave it a chance because I really really loved the very first episodes. However, I was very disappointed.

First, let's talk about the story. Since it's a remake I, of course, didn't expect the storyline from the previous ones to be changed a lot but while watching the first few episodes I was very excited because I thought they had modernized the plot since it's 2020 which led me to get my hope up for a fresh take on this story but boy was I wrong. All the good points the story had made in its first maybe 20 episodes just gradually went downhill until I honestly skipped pretty much half of the last ten episodes of the drama. The way they dragged the plot was unbearable to me and I found myself not even being the slightest bit happy whenever the leads had a moment during those 10 episodes. My biggest let down was that they dragged the last 10 episodes so much with so many unnecessary fillers but when it came to the ending they just resolved everything in the last five minutes of the drama, They could have very well used 4 episodes out of those 10 insufferable ones to give it a better ending.

Now let's move on the acting/cast:
I'm a fan of both the main leads, especially Xing Zao Lin, however, I feel like I've seen him do these types of characters too much. I wish they had both chosen a different drama to be in since I really feel like their acting skills were wasted. They did the best with what they could but the writing was just not there.

I really liked the cast overall, especially Xiyi's family. I think they all did what they could with this script.


For the music, I gave it a low rating because honestly, I didn't even notice it was there half of the time. I can't even remember one single song that caught my attention and I've literally just finished watching this.

Rewatch Value: I don't see myself rewatching this. It made me very frustrated, to the point where I just had to write this even when I've never written a review before. I'd give it a 0 if I could.

Overall, the story certainly didn't age well. There were a lot of problematic things that just ruined the whole experience for me. There were so many things they could have changed for the better without losing the essence of the original but they just went with the same old. I would have given it a lower score but since it's a remake of a beloved story, I'm giving it a 6 for nostalgia's sake.

If anyone is interested for more details (probably with some spoilers) as to what specific things I didn't like, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message.

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Thoughts.

So I completed this CDrama in 2 days.

It was very addicting to watch. The acting was great, defiantly hit the feels in some of the major parts.
As for the last.. hmm.. lets say 12 episodes, the female lead was actually annoying me. Like I understand she changed her personality in the course of years, but I think treating the male lead that was just ... i didn't like it.
It got to the point I was about to stop watching it, but i pushed through and finished it. I love how it ended, but I wish there was more of the main couple in the end rather than less than half an episode. I would recommend to watch it, but with the last 12-ish episodes, i suggest being patient with the female lead.

Other than that, was a great watch. I really enjoyed it for the most part.

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It's not you, it's me.

Oh god. I can't believe I've watched all remakes of this drama.

First of all, this version does add more depth to the characters however... this one makes the ML more selfish than others. You have a girlfriend, you got hella drunk with a girl you barely know and then end up getting frisky, next day, you two wake up realizing the mistake. At least this version, the ML was drugged and did the deed with someone thinking it was their girlfriend. If this was real life, would the secretary really be able to keep his job after poking a hole in the condom? XD The one thing that pissed me off is why would the ML have that way of thinking where it's okay to have a wife and a girlfriend? I LOVE ANNA & JIAXIN IS FAMILY.

Why does the actress for the female lead always play a role where she gets cheated on? XD

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First n foremost this is just my opinion.
I don't even know where to beging it started out great. It was weird, interesting and had funny moments then somewhere along the road things just got out of hand( not in a good way). The story flopped, the ending dragged like how do you drag a misunderstanding for like ten episodes! Disappointed with the middle and ending of it.

The acting was fifty fifty they did what they had to do but when they were to show some kind of emotion when needed they didn't .( Reverse reactions if I may call it).FL aargh like I don't even know how to explain it but wasn't my cup of tea. The mL at some point had dead pan expressions when emotions and reactions are needed. The supporting role at least tried their best but still couldn't get past the plateau of their acting.
OST was the only saving grace in this.

Overall, if they didn't drag it out for long, made some realistic misunderstandings and not over exaggerate them. The FL was just childish, Ml didn't progress, like the character development was just lacking something

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Starts out promising but leaves much to be desired

Let me start by saying that I, having watched none of the other 3 or 4 versions of this drama, had absolutely no prior knowledge of the plot, characters, or other elements of the show and therefore have no intention nor ability to compare this remake to the rest of them. Anyway, overall, this drama was a very enjoyable watch. However, the quality of the story decreased tremendously as the story went on.

Chen Jiaxin (Liang Jie) is a quiet, somewhat cowardly girl who preferred to suppress her emotions deep down rather than to face them head on. When she boards the Costa Venezia Cruise, all she really wants is to have a memorable trip with her boyfriend. However, fate has other plans for her. Aboard the cruise, she meets Wang Xiyi (Xing Zhaolin) a businessman with a strong sense of responsibility. After a huge turn of events, the people the two of them arrived with both leave their sides, and before they know it, the two strangers are accidentally legally married with an unborn baby. When I first read the plot description, I was doubtful that such a plot would work. It was glaringly obvious from the premise that the plot would be riddled with misunderstandings, scheming, and hidden feelings, but seeing as there were multiple versions of the drama, I figured it couldn't be that bad. Besides, I heard the chemistry between the leads was wonderful. With that in mind, I embarked on the 36 episode journey called "You Are My Destiny". After the first few episodes, it was apparent that my misgivings of the drama were misplaced. There were so many things to love. The characters, themes, OST, acting, and chemistry are all very solid. Not a single character was perfect, but they were all endearing nonetheless. However, by the last quarter of the drama, I started to notice that it was rapidly losing momentum due to dragginess and dumb scenarios. Not only were the leads in completely different countries, but they were also distanced from each other due to a huge misunderstanding that could have been solved in a few words. All of a sudden, the plot started to rapidly deteriorate from what it had once been.

Let's start with the good things. The drama started out very strong. At the beginning, the pacing was perfect, and there was a good mix of sweet moments and interesting plot developments. I could feel the chemistry between the leads radiating off the screen. They seemed very comfortable with each other and acted very well. Not only were the leads wonderful and intriguing, but all of the supporting characters were also very well developed. Not a single character was ignored. It was so easy to fall in love with all of them. The OST was also one of my favorites. I loved the the song "You Are My Destiny" by Ding Dang. The song is just so meaningful. Ding Dang's voice was great for the song, and it was written to fit the drama perfectly. There were some very good themes and changes from the norm as well. The most obvious one is that the leads are forced together by an accidental pregnancy. I had expected the male lead to be the typical brooding, narcissistic CEO type that looked down on people who didn't have heaps of money lying around. However, the male lead never looked down on the female lead and even encouraged her to be more confident in herself, saying that even the plainest people had their own strengths. He never held the fact that she was a common worker over her head. I was also very relieved that he didn't pressure the female lead into giving up the baby.

By far, the most unpleasant part of the drama was the fourth quarter. At the climax of the drama, many crazy things happened. All of the characters started to act up and became unbearable to watch. Even Dylan, the sweet, sunshine-y second lead, became absolutely terrible, and my prior good impression of him went right down the drain. Everyone acted like small children and went backwards on their character development. The leads were in completely different countries and had a misunderstanding that made them resent each other, so they did not get many scenes together. When they did get scenes, they were yelling at each other or one of them was pretending to be someone else. I would've been able to suffer through these excruciatingly boring scenes and still maintain a high 8.5-9.5 rating if the ending hadn't been so rushed. It was so abrupt and awkward that it left no closure at all. I still can't believe that the second female lead understood her flaws ten minutes before the end of the drama and solved everything over text. It was so stupidly unbelievable that I'm quite convinced that even I, an amateur wannabe writer who sucks at writing coherent reviews, can write a more complete ending than that. It was absolutely distasteful how we got a whopping TEN minutes of "happy ending" after a buildup that took about 4 or 5 episodes to bring it there.

I guess the main takeaway here is that "You Are My Destiny" is a drama that starts out without cliches or flaws but slowly turns into a train wreck. I do not regret watching it because there were so many beautiful moments and lovely characters that brightened up my life, but I am disappointed at how quickly it turned itself into a mess. I am glad I watched this and discovered two more wonderful actors to add to my Favorites list, Liang Jie and Xing Zhaolin. I would not advise people to stay away from it necessarily, but please keep in mind that the ending might not be satisfactory, and it is a good idea to watch the second half at 2x speed because they will drag like crazy.

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Credible effort

There has been many attempts to recreate the original story (the Taiwanese version). Korea, Japan and Phillipines done so. None of the could compete with the legendary Taiwanese version. So, I came into this show knowing it would be below expectation. However, I thought this China version could genuinely compete with the Taiwanese version (perhaps due to this being newer, and probably a higher production cost invested). It got my hopes high as the version don't simply Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V memorable scenes. One notable absent scene was the drugging scene, which are present in all other version. This gave this version a fresh take on the plotline, while retaining some of the original scenes. It has appropriate humor and romance. However, the ending dissapointed me thoroughly, especially with how Dylan character arc went. In other versions, Dylan would always want the best for FL, even letting go of his feelings. However this Dylan is more selfish and just not something I liked. He reunites with his sister, and request FL to step down and return the ML?!?! WTF bro! Not cool! Maybe its the timing of this in the series with it being in the last 3 eps, perhaps if it was earlier in the show, it would have been better? So that we get to see more of ML and FL together after they officially reconciles. However, since it was the last 3 eps, the main couple only reconcile for 20mins before the show is complete. Seems like a last minute idea put in by the screenwriter in my opinion, to spice things up but backfired. Before that the story would have been a 9/10 or even 10/10.

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If you want to laugh, cry and fall in love with realistic characters, WATCH THIS!

This drama starts off extremely light-hearted and funny with very well written characters, soon leading up to a very real and raw plot line. The consequences of each characters' actions are very realistically portrayed especially the way they emotionally and physically deal with tragic/tough situations. I feel like most dramas either brush over things or dramatize situations waaayyy too much but this had a perfect balance of everything. Xing Zhao Lin and Liang Jie are just enchanting to watch - their chemistry is so natural and they don't feel cringe at all to watch (you'll know what I mean if you've watched them in The Eternal Love). Trust me, you will not be disappointed if you watch this! I still cannot find another drama that has left such a deep impact on me like this one!

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Watch this for Xing Zhao Lin!

I had put off watching this show for so long, after having been disappointed in the Korean version of it. I was happily watching along, glad that I finally broke down to watch it, enjoying the wonderful interplay between the main couple, when, at about episode 24, it went completely wrong. I forced myself to finish it, all the while wanting to throw something at the tv, until resolution FINALLY came in the last 20 minutes of episode 36! I’ll start with the good, so you don’t have to finish reading if you don’t want spoilers.
CAST: Watch this show just for Xing Zhao Lin, if for no other reason. He plays Wang Xi Yi and is absolutely wonderful. In everything else I’ve ever seen him in, I’ve found his acting to be wooden, and his lack of facial expressions bothersome. He was literally the star of this show. He really loosened up with his expressions, and got to show his comedic, as well as his dramatic skills. The scene where he was making the rocking horse was spot on – you could really feel his love and his desperate sadness. The scene was beautifully filmed. In a room full of color and furniture and busyness, his acting kept you focused on him every second. The rest of the cast was good, but he was a standout.
CHEMISTRY: The chemistry between the main leads was stellar. A few excellent kisses that turned up the heat a notch, a lot of playfulness between them and it was just fun.
STORYLINE (of the first half of the show): I always like a good Cinderella storyline, and this one was enjoyable. He watched out for her from the beginning, building her up, doing things for her, etc. I also liked their communications through WeChat, when she didn’t know it was him. They were getting to know one another again.
Now for the stuff that just irked me no end - spoilers ahead –
CHARACTERS: Liang Jie as Chen Jia Xin was very good throughout, but her character took a sharp turn to the negative a little more than halfway through. I think the writers were going for strong and assertive, but she turned into someone that was just not very nice. Granted, at the beginning she was a bit of a doormat (honey, fight for your man, for Pete’s sake!), but I had a hard time figuring out why Xi Yi would love the new her when she was so bitter. The character of Dylan – I actually really liked the way he was written, as opposed to the character of Anna. Oh, my word, where do I begin? She was self-absorbed, delusional and to a certain degree, just downright evil. They threw everything into this character, each plot point was to serve to keep the main couple apart. And there were no consequences for her – other than not getting the man she wanted.
WRITING: I WISH there were more Asian dramas that would write a realistic couple with realistic problems, and have them actually resolve them by just talking to one another. That almost never happens. There is one hidden motive after another, just an endless stream of misunderstandings that could be resolved by communication.
ENDING: Why, oh why, do most of the Asian shows stretch out the problems, episode after episode (in the case of this show, over about 15 episodes), then only spend 15 minutes in the final episode for resolution? There are literally so few shows that spend a decent amount of time showing the couple after they get together (Legend of the Blue Sea is an example of an EXCELLENT ending). I know that angst carries the storyline, but we’ve invested in these people and would like to be given a little more. In the case of You Are My Destiny, we should have gotten to see into their future a little bit to know about future children (but not silly like Strong Woman Do Bong Soon). It always feels to me like they ran out of time and/or money and were told to just throw something together for an ending.
So, in general, I’d say that if you don’t have any other show that you’re dying to see and you want to enjoy some good acting by Xing Zhao Lin, watch about the first 20 episodes and then skip to episode 36.

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Was it worth it? Yes

I don't usually write reviews, but I felt inclined to for this one. I want to start by saying I have not seen the Japanese or Korean version of this show so none of my review is a comparison to that (though I plan to watch those at some point). The first half of this drama I found very entertaining. Was the storyline a bit silly? Sure. But the acting was decent and the ML and FL had good enough chemistry to keep me watching. It even made me cry during episode 24 (one of the few dramas to do that). However the second half of the drama does seem to drag, especially when her and Dylan go abroad. I found myself skipping through the episodes more trying to reach a happy conclusion. I found the Grandma delightful and Dylan was a decent second ML though I'm not really sure how much chemistry he had with the FL honestly. Anna was fine at the beginning, but by the end I was really over her. Overall, was it worth watching? Yes. Is it revolutionary? Not particularly.

Rating for 1st half: 9/10
Rating 2nd half: 7.5/10
Would I rewatch? Probably
Would I recommend? Yes, if you have time and don't mind a slower romance.

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There should at least be one more episode

Now that all the episodes in the series have been released, I want to say that the entire cast did a great job, but I cannot say the same about the end, It is just too hastily wrapped up. They made 24 episodes on how the ML and the FL grew to love each other, and then another 11 episodes about how terrible they both felt not being able to put behind the past, a past totally manipulated by Anna. But what do you know, from the moment the truth came out to the moment the ML and the FL walked down the aisle it was all but just in half episode, quickly everything was fine, Anna was even in their wedding! To me, the ending is just too abrupt, they should have at least made another episode about how the ML and the FL confronted Anna, how all the family members who suffered came together after pain and anxiety. one more episode would have given the audience a satisfying closure.

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Frustrating FL but for the most part pretty enjoyable series.

I think what I enjoyed the most from this series was both the acting skills of Xing Zhao Lin and Liang Jie and their awesome chemistry. They're definitely one of my favorite onscreen couples on Asian Dramas. They gave me butterflies in both romantic and sexy scenes, made me laugh in their comedic moments and ripped my heart out in their angsty moments. I think both JL & XZL showed their acting skills in this drama. Not only them but Anna's actress, Xiyi's grandmother's actess who was incredibly lovable in this role, and Dylan all were pretty awesome. Another good quality was the supporting cast. They saved the series in certain areas at times.

As for the story, I ad my problems with it: sometimes it had incredibly big plots holes and IMO dragged way too much in the last 4-3 episodes but I loved the romance part of You Are My Destiny. iMO it was handled well and that beginning and middle part of the story will always be my favorite.

Now where I think YAMD lacked big time was in the main characters particularly Chen Jiaxin man was she was frustrating there were times where I really wanted her to grow up and grow a brain but she didn't. Instead, she got worse. Characters are meant to develop not regress. I really disliked her in the last 4 episodes and was finding it really hard to root for her anymore. There was a point where I didn't want her with Wang Xiyi anymore. Jiang Lie did the best she could= her acting was 10 but the writing really failed her :(. And Xiyi was equally frustrating but at least he grew up in the end, while she didn't not really.

I digress:.....

Would I watch this again? Yes. Mostly because of XZL & JL and the rest of the cast. I still like this drama no matter how frustrated I got.

Overall Rating is a 9.0. Despite it's flaws it still one of my faves and I find it enjoyable. It took me on an emotional journey, and for that it's one of my tops of 2020

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best version out of 5

I have seen all five versions of this story and this one is my favorite. This is a complete story that felt fairly believable, with good character growth and appropriate suspense. The production of this drama was done very well making it enjoyable to view and very aesthetically pleasing. The OST was good and the acting was done well by all the actors. If deciding to watch only one version of this story then I would recommend this one but also if you want to watch another version of a familiar story then you won't be disappointed in this one.

Like all of them this has slight variations in the story to make it different from the others. It starts off with their relationship being a bit different. They meet and spend time together before the accidental night (versus in all other versions he is drugged and photographed as blackmail). The male lead takes longer to warm up to after their marriage than other versions as well but once he figures out his feelings and makes a decision then he stays firm and true to them. This version also has the best/ most heartwrenching scenes and the male lead really carries those moments very well. You get pretty annoyed with the female lead toward the end because her character growth goes from being too soft and pliable to too stubborn and unreasonable. But the male lead saves it and keeps you watching to see how far he is willing to go.

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