Destined With You

BY AMINA AHMED

Destined With You, Netflix’s latest dive into the K-drama cinematic world has amassed a sizable amount of support, as shown by the fanbase’s passionate and fervent dialogue online. Coupled with its unsuspected mythical twists, this series had the potential to change Western media’s negative perception of Korean dramas and break out of the fold of overused, repetitive plotlines. However, it didn’t quite live up to its promise.

The drama centers on the characters Jang Sin-Yu, a lawyer plagued with a generational family curse, and Lee Hong-Jo, a diligent civil servant, and how their lives intertwine based on their ancestral history. The series took a refreshing approach to the idea of past lives by incorporating historical aspects of Korean culture during the Joseon era. The cinematography and imagery of the palace, traditional wardrobe, and community during this time were beautifully depicted.

Despite possessing all of the ingredients for a showstopper, Destined With You fell short for several reasons. Firstly, our main characters weren’t fully fleshed out or consistent. Jang Sin-Yu is morally upright for the majority of the show, but there are moments where his actions don’t reflect his values of honesty and integrity. Secondly, the genre of the series was ambiguous and interchanged between fantasy and thriller. This could’ve been a conscious choice, but it simply wasn’t properly executed. My last gripe with this series is the reductive plotline of how our main characters end up together, which falls into standard tropes despite the series being anything but.