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ryoato

Sisheng Peak

ryoato

Sisheng Peak
Destined with You korean drama review
Dropped 9/16
Destined with You
9 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Aug 26, 2023
9 of 16 episodes seen
Dropped 7
Overall 5.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 3.5
This review may contain spoilers

From episode one it seems it’s destined to fail

So I am watching this drama for three things, Rowoon, the budget, and the fact that it is on Netflix. Netflix has been a great platform that releases some good k-dramas along with gems that.

If you came to this drama to look for a well connected linear story about destined lovers. Don't expect that. Don't expect any more than a romantic comedy with supernatural elements. I really thought from the promotional material that this would be much more compelling than it really is, but unfortunately it's a let down in that aspect .. and I'll explain. That isn’t to say it’s irredeemable horrible, it’s not what I expected so that leaves a lot of room to surprise me either good or bad

Hong-jo was someone I initially thought would be beautiful and endearing, someone that Rowoon's character gets attached to admits his loneliness. Instead this girl talks out loud to a box, she has some infatuation with a guy because he is good looking. I like characters because I see why they are the way they are, and especially if they are this dumb it is important to give them a motive. For example, Rowoon's character in Tommorow was very out there, he was a lot but that was juxtaposed by the situation he was put in. He was very motivated and ambitious and passionate. Hong-jo is teetering over the line of being unlikeable for me because she is so animated. Although I do like it in good doses, it just gets to be a bit much and that stays consistent for the episodes I have seen.On a writing standpoint of things it will be hard for me to buy into their love if they keep her character this way. Since she is so outlandish it will be hard for me to adjust if she mellows out. Not saying it can't be done though.. I'm just saying for the first two episodes they miss the mark. I really don't like characters that have fluff scenes just for people to get laughs when the parts she have are not even funny. Since she is by herself all the time she talks to herself, and those are scenes that pull me away from the dark nature of this dramas other scenes with Rowoon's character, Shin-Yu. I don't get why he wasn't the main focus and I hate when shows have such a potential with brooding characters that are closed off, conflicted, cursed... instead it focuses on Hang-Jo who has a lot of talking to herself, it is not fun, it is hard to watch.... embarrassing at times...

The VFX of Shin-Yu's hallucinations are really good. I wish this drama could be more into that more mature plot. Instead it goes for a love-plot that I did see coming. I just didn't see it coming to be this dumb. Maybe it is supposed to be funny... but it's like Hong-Jo and her scenes are out of a completely different drama than Shin-Yu's curse plot. I use dumb a lot, and I think its fair. Hong-Jo is a civil service worker who works the lowest grade. I did some research to see that it means she took a test but was not smart enough to work higher up in the government and instead sort of does odd jobs that the government pays for. So she was too dumb, and she still is dumb and is like a lost puppy with one thing on her mind. I do like puppies though so maybe if I watch long enough I will grow to like her. It is just this character is too much and I doubt I will really buy into any heart-tearing scenes.

The things about this drama I do like... I love that Rowoon is acting here.. don't really like the role though. It is very stilted and he isn't a good guy at all. The first lawyer scene he has establishes that and I could go over in detail how he screwed that up but I am not.Maybe it is because he is cursed and it reflects into his attitude. Obviously the guy has been scared by his past. This drama could work much better if the first episodes were better, be grand and bold. Show his connection with Hong-jo from his past life because we all know they are connected by fate. His character is what my friend said while watching a voice of reason. So he can level out any of the wrong behaviors by others with realism.

The first episode was unfortunately really bad at hooking me and anyone who wants to watch 15 episodes. I would've showed how he got cursed, and later on you can develop it more with longer past scenes that show the connections deepening between Hong-Jo and Shin-yu. So you'd have the end of their story at the beginning, and then work from the beginning and to that point. I would do it like this, it's easier to follow, has a better hook, Hong-Jo can be quirky and you can see how Shin-Yu grew to like her instead of throwing them into this dynamic of a cold man and upbeat woman. It wasn’t that it did it wrong, there are just better ways to do it and it’s a shame to see it other ways for me.

The beauty of dramas are that they aren't real. Taking advantage of their medium to tell an entertaining story. This drama has the budget but the writing is a miss in a lot of areas. It is such a drastic gap with their personalities that it seems like a fan fiction if you think about it too much. the dialogue isn't natural, their situation definitely isn't. I know it's supernatural, again though I wish to see balance. Balance the real setting between that supernatural parts. I am starting to grow with the campy nature with this drama, although it did take a while. I have a soft spot for Rowoon and as annoying I find the female lead, if he wants to be with her then there is no harm. This show could be a lot better, but it isn't the worst, definitely not the best though.

Watching through episode 7 any character I liked or was trying to has been severely flawed by the nonsensical writing. The second male lead leads of the love spell and was ok with it? And he regrets not liking her? There is nothing given for us to know why, and compared to his no nonsense attitude it makes even less sense. Both the leads like this woman who is meddling with peoples lives for her own gain. It is nothing more than that and it isn’t deep or romantic, it’s disturbing and I can’t get past it.

this drama is just not worth my time anymore
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