Fated To Love You

“Life is like a game of gambling.

It’s impossible to win every time.

As long as you have a chip in your hand,

you will always have hope.”

Also Known As: Ming Zhong Zhu Ding Wo Ai Ni/ Sticky Note Girl/ Destiny Love/ You’re My Destiny

CAST:

Joe Chen Qiao En as Chen Xin Yi/Elaine

Ethan Ruan Ting Jian as Ji Cun Xi

Baron Chen Chu He as Dylan/Dai Jian Ren

Bianca Bai Xin Yui as Shi Ah Na/ Dai Xin Yi

THE PLOT:

A really unfashionable working class girl Chen Xin Yi has the desire to tie down her handsome boyfriend to be with her. Due to certain reasons, her boyfriend gets her to go on a love cruise and she started to ponder on how to lose her virginity and tie down her boyfriend. Xin Yi ended up taking cold medicine which made her drowsy and went into Ji Cun Xi’s room. Cun Xi is the sole male heir to his family’s company and has been in love with his girlfriend, Anna, for a long time. He planned to propose to Anna on the boat but she didn’t turn up on the cruise. An island owner added drugs into Cun Xi’s drink and Cun Xi became disorientated and returned to his own room. Xin Yi and Cun Xi end up having a one night stand. Xin Yi later finds out that she’s pregnant and Cun Xi’s grandmother forces them to get married. Will a couple forced to marry for the sake of their unborn child find love with each other?

credits: dramawiki

IMO:

When I first researched about this drama a year ago, I wasn’t that much interested in it. I don’t know, there’s just something about the plot “being pregnant before marriage” that doesn’t appeal so much to me. Moreover, they were not even in a relationship and it was an accident. The only thing that caught my interest was the leads. I was watching Green Forest, My Home and falling in love with Owen then when I first knew about FTLY. He is Ji Cun Xi here and of course, we all know who Joe Chen is especially after that successful stint in Frog Prince.

The plot was ordinary however they made it so extraordinary after giving it with so much heart. And I believe it is more realistic than other idol dramas. Yes, I did cry a lot in this drama. I cried because it was sad, I felt pity for Xin Yi and I totally dig the family relationships here. It wasn’t so typical anymore because of so many twists and basically just how they developed the whole story.

My only complaint was just it was too long. For someone who’s so immersed in Jdoramas lately, a series with 24 episodes at 1 and 30 mins each was already a stretch. Thank God, there weren’t many boring episodes, feelers and side stories.

After watching Bump Off Lover, this was another good watch. Although the concepts differ a lot from each other, they were done and carried out very well. If they can make dramas this good, they don’t need a script taken out from a manga. However, in most cases, it wasn’t like that. Though I’m not going to complain anymore because I just remembered Meteor Garden and Devil Beside You, both taken from a manga.

CHARACTERS:

Joe Chen Qiao En as Chen Xin Yi: She’s been giving hit dramas after another and her lead men shot to higher fame after co-starring with her. She’s very lucky.  She has come a long way. Actually, I think I’ve seen her grow into a beautiful and very reliable actress because I’ve seen most of her dramas, even her very first drama which was Lavender. She’s not the lead there and though she gave a pretty good performance there, it wasn’t that much noticeable. But now, look at her. She’s one of the primary leading actresses in Taiwan and I’m happy that her drama roles in some drama deviate from the typical Taiwanese lead actresses’ roles.

Ethan Ruan Ting Jian as Ji Cun Xi: As I said, he’s Owen from Green Forest, My Home. I’ve missed him. He was lovable there and I also can’t forget his small stint in Hana Kimi. I almost didn’t notice him there, what with the hair and all. In FTLY, he played a rich, arrogant and childish successor of Mo Fa Ling. He really did well. He has good funny scenes and nice dramatic scenes too (maybe except that one when he was leaving Xin Yi at the bridge. I thought he was funny there.) He and Joe Chen has this amazing chemistry and if I hadn’t known he already has a girlfriend (Tiffany Xu from ISWAK), I would like to think that they could also hit it off real well in real life. BTW, I really think that Ming Dao (from Frog Prince) and Ethan looked so much alike. Maybe it was the eyebrows.

Baron Chen Chu He as Dylan/ Dai Jian Ren: He is gorgeous and very easy to like however there’s just something off about him that I can’t pinpoint. But anyway, I like it that although he likes Xin Yi, he made an effort to be strict with her so that she can change her “sticky note girl” personality. However, in one scene he said that he gave 100% in trying to get Xin Yi, but somehow I cannot believe that. But I’m glad that he just let her go because it’s not him she loves and he knows that love cannot be forced. With regards to his acting, he did good, not that outstanding compared to the two leads but he held his ground. I think he should change some of his expressions. Sometimes, I can’t detect whether he looks angry or just smug or sad. Also, he just usually pouts his lips. But then again, Baron is a new comer and this is his first drama so he must be given a second chance. I am actually looking forward to his future drama projects.

Bianca Bai Xin Yui as Shi Ah Na/ Dai Xin Yi: Do you guys remember her from ISWAK? Honestly, she’s a lovable character. Okay, maybe that’s too much but I swear her character is just too hard to hate even though she did what she did to Xin Yi. We can also understand why she stood Cun Xi up for 12 times because she’s very much dedicated and focused on her ballet career and even Cun Xi knows that. We can understand it because of her back story with her strict stepmother and everything. Plus, she loves Cun Xi very much and she makes up through giving Cun Xi surprises on his birthday, etc. I love that scene on ep 1 when she rejected the supporting role at Swan Lake and she said, “If I can’t play Odette, I’m not going. Rather than playing a supporting role in New York, I might as well stay by my boyfriend’s side and be forever his leading actress. I’ve broken too many promises to him. I shouldn’t give him up this time.” That was a really good line. If Cun Xi heard it, he could’ve died from happiness. Oh, and also, she and Dylan really look like they’re related to each other. Is it the eyes? Too bad she wasn’t in the final ep anymore. Just some narrative about what happened to her. Dylan too.

Other Characters:

Xin Yi’s family: I’m surprised that they were not so eager to marry Xin Yi off to Cun Xi even though she’s already pregnant and he is a very rich guy. I love the family conversations because they show how much they really care for Xin Yi. And every conversation Xin Yi had with her mom was like a tug at heart.

Grandma: I love her because she’s not the bad guy here. I thought she’s going to hate Xin Yi because she’s poor and she’s not suitable for the Ji family.

Anson: Comedic relief. I like him.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES:

The BTS are so funny and they really got so close to each other. No wonder they can wonderfully portray such a good drama.

Trivia:

• It was an expensive drama. The first episode cost more than NT $5,000,000. They filmed in Taiwan, Shanghai and Hong Kong. But I think it was all worth it. They’ve produced such a heartwarming and unforgettable drama.
• Won in the 43rd Golden Bell Awards as 2008’s Best Drama.
• Among the screenwriters, there was actually someone named Chen Xin Yi.
• The singer Shorty Yuen (Yuan Ruo Lan) who sang the opening and ending song (this one together with Wu Zhong Ming) appeared in the drama as a guest. She played the nurse at a Shanghai hospital where Cun Xi brought Xin Yi. I didn’t notice it at first but I really thought that the nurse was familiar. Ha! It was her.
• The plot is connected to the first episode of Invincible Shan Bao Mei and when you watched ISBM, you will see Joe Chen and Ethan Ruan there playing their respective roles in here. BTW, Invincible Shan Bao Mei stars Smiling Pasta actor Nicholas Teo!

THE SOUNDTRACK:

I soooo love the soundtrack. The opening song is I love him 99 times by Shorty Yuen. It is upbeat, beautiful, lively and really cute. The ending song, which isSticky Note with Wishes, is a duet of Shorty Yuen and Wu Zhong Ming and it was beautifully made. The melody is nice and soothing to the ears. It’s also really cute. Insert songs include Half of a Love Song by Shorty Yuen again. She really did a great job in this OST. This song is played during flashbacks and some dramatic scenes. My favorite, however, is a duet from the Jin Xiu duets, My Happiness. The stanzas are very fast and the chorus is a bit slower but still lively and so heartfelt. I love the piano work for the song. It is also played on crucial moments and it helps a lot to the emotional appeal of the scene.

EPISODES:

Episode	Subtitle	Ratings
01	Go! Chen Xin Yi	2.56
02	Pregnant?! Stop kidding Cupid	3.81
03	What?! The baby is mine	5.18
04	God! I hope that I’m not the groom	4.49
05	It’s not easy to be Ji Cun Xi’s bride!	4.77
06	Ji Cun Xi’s trap of gentleness	4.67
07	Sorry, I wronged you	4.55
08	For you, I am willing to be a chicken	5.28
09	The drastic change of Ji Cun Xi’s feelings!	5.74
10	Happiness, like treading on ice	5.97
11	Ji Cun Xi’s difficult problem!	6.71
12	Everything back to zero…	7.84
13	Rebirth!	8.09
14	Love in Shanghai	9.17
15	Uncuttable	9.08
16	Courage	9.11
17	Out of control	9.69
18	Fated to be with love	10.60
19	The self assertive sticky note	10.51
20	A confession over two years	10.91
21	Rewards finally come from hardship	10.38
22	Suffering from the consequences of love	9.18
23	Fated to love you	10.45
24	The last sticky note of Fated to Love You	9.80
average		7.44

CONCLUSION:

Obviously, such a long review but all I’m going to say is GO AND WATCH IT NOW!