TikTok may be an app that I have yet to understand completely but it can be useful for some things. Have any of you seen those tiny snippets of dramas and movies that people post there? I saw a scene from a Chinese drama there and searched for it online. Turns out the drama was a remake of the Taiwanese drama Fated to Love You, this time with the title You Are My Destiny. I found a streaming service that carried the show and decided to watch it. Have any of you ever seen this one? Let me know in the comments if my review and opinions on this show match yours!
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| Image Credit: Tencent Pictures |
Plot
You Are My Destiny is about two complete opposites. There is a nerdy, doormat-type girl who works as an assistant for a law firm and a confident and rich businessman. Both cross paths as they step onto a cruise ship with their significant others. As destiny would have it, Ms. Doormat ends up breaking up with her boyfriend on the ship. Mr. Businessman's girlfriend leaves him on the ship without him even knowing. The two meet and end up having a one-night stand together, which results in a pregnancy.
Because of the pregnancy, they decide to get married for the child. I should note that the guy, Wang Xiyi, gets the girl, Chen Jiaxin, to sign a divorce agreement. He asks for this to ensure that they would split up once the baby is born. Somewhere along the way, the two get to know each other better and then fall in love.
Of course, this would not be a drama without its complications. The two lovebirds split up due to attempts from Xiyi’s (ex) girlfriend, Anna. It doesn't help that Jianxin's art broker friend Dylan is also interested in Jaixin and is getting in the way. Throughout all this, the couple loses their child in an accident. This hits them both hard and complicates their relationship.
Now that I am writing about it, I realized that the show had a lot going on and it was pretty heavy. I only realized how much the couple went through from the start of the show to the end now that I am looking back on it. Still, the production was able to make it work without the show becoming depressing. It did not feel that heavy (even if it was) when I was watching the show.
Many years later, fate brings the former couple back together again. They reconcile and it's a happily-ever-after ending. It’s a long, dramatic road, but it does lead to a satisfying ending.
My Review
As long as this series was (36 episodes!), I still enjoyed watching it. It seems Chinese dramas lean more on the longer episode and season formats, but I did not mind at all. It felt a bit challenging to watch after getting used to the 16-episode format of K-dramas, but I got through it! As many as the episodes were, nothing felt too long or too dragging for me. Every scene and episode had a purpose to the story.
I have seen dramas where there wasn't much of a story and you could tell when scenes and episodes were fillers. Scenes that were there to make sure they fit the length of the show and the number of episodes. Many drama fans would be familiar with this. These would be parts that you know did not need to be there and removing them would not affect the story. I was happy that this show did not have that. Or at least, not anything too noticeable.
The actors, both lead and supporting, were entertaining to watch. The male lead even reminded me of Korean actor/singer Rain because he had that same vibe to him.
To be honest, I was a little confused about that actor. He looks a bit like Yang Yang, another actor who I last saw in You Are My Glory. He also reminds me a bit of Riley Wang from I Hear You. I know none of these actors look exactly alike but they all carry themselves in the same way. As someone who has not watched that much of Chinese dramas, this was a little confusing for me. I kept thinking of the other actors when I was watching him in the show.
I also enjoyed watching Liang Jie as the female lead. I loved her in another show where she played a completely different role in a romantic comedy. It was nice to see her range by being in a drama like this where her role is more mature and handles heavier topics.
I enjoyed that the drama was not only about romance. It was also about how the relationship helped the characters grow into better people. Love was part of the journey, it was what pushed that journey/growth further, but it was not all there was to it.
I liked that two of the supporting characters, Xiyi’s aunt and cousin, were not what I expected. They were not played in the stereotypical way that people in these roles usually were. I was expecting them to be after the money and to be manipulating evil characters. It was surprising that they turned out to be very endearing as the show went on.
Even Dylan, the guy interested in Jaixin, turned out to be a decent guy. I expected him to be as manipulative as Xiyi’s ex, Anna (who, in a plot twist, turned out to be his long-lost sister). When they revealed that Anna was his sister, I was expecting him to be on her side since he was in love with Jiaxin. I thought the siblings would do something together to break the couple up but he didn't go that route. I thought that was nice since I liked this character. It would have been disappointing to see him turn completely evil.
One thing that I need to take note of is the product placements made throughout the show. This has become the norm for many movies and TV shows these days because I’ve seen this in Korean dramas as well. The thing is, Chinese dramas seem to be more blatant or more obvious with their product placement. With Korean dramas, the products only happen to be there. Some parts of the script may mention it, but they do it in a natural way. With Chinese dramas, there seems to be a more “here’s the product, take a look at it” mentality.
If you’re looking for a drama that’s easy to watch, this is something that I would recommend. If you have seen the Taiwanese version, Fated to Love You, you're good to go. I tend not to watch remakes if I've seen the original because you tend to have more expectations. If you are not the type to mind things like that, it doesn't matter if you've seen the original.
The lead actress in this show is also in another one of my favorite Chinese dramas, The Day of Becoming You. I'll review that one on the blog soon!
Where Are They Now
Xing Zhaolin (Xiyi)
This guy has had a lot of projects after You Are My Destiny. He has been on dramas like Marry Me, Cute Programmer, Accidentally Meow On You, and The Eternal Love. He has two projects that do not have release dates yet. Titles are The Unknown: Legend of Exorcists Zhong and Choice Husband.
Liang Jie (Jiaxin)
Like Zhaolin, Jie has had many projects since You Are My Destiny. Her more recent drama projects are from 2022: To Our Dreamland of Ice, Side Story of Fox Volant, and Hi Venus. She will also be in the drama Men in Love in 2024. [Please note that the Instagram account I linked is not a verified account!]
Fu Jing (Anna)
A singer as well as an actress, she has recently set up her studio to record her new EP. Based on what I could find, You Are My Destiny was her first drama. After this, she worked on Dance of the Phoenix, Out of The Dream, and Shining for One Thing. She was also in Xifei's Royal Love in the Palace. Her next project Immortality does not have a release date yet. [Please note that the Instagram account I linked is not a verified account!]
Li Jiulin (Dylan)
He is a busy actor. He has been on many dramas since the show. His most recent projects in 2023 were the dramas My Precious, Circle of Love, and Rising Feather. He has several projects listed with no release dates. One of the dramas is Immortality, which reunites him with Fu Jing! [Please note that the Instagram account I linked is not a verified account!]
FYI, You Are My Destiny (2020) is currently on WeTV. Fated to Love You (2008), the original version is on Netflix. There is also a Korean drama version of this also called You Are My Destiny (2014). If you love a good drama, this may be a show to watch. I mean, they would not keep remaking it if it wasn't, right?
Let me know what you think of the review and the show in the comments!
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