* This review contains minor spoilers for episode 15 and 16 of Destined With You.
In the final episodes of Destined With You, the stakes are higher than ever. Last week, our lovebirds Shin-Yu and Hong-Jo came under threat from Joong-Beom, Hong-Jo’s crazed stalker. While protecting her, Shin-Yu was stabbed, which caused him to travel back to the past. There, we finally learnt the heartbreaking origins of the curse, and what really transpired between Mu-Jin and Aeng-Cho. To keep Shin-Yu safe, Hong-Jo decides to leave, but he manages to find her.
READ | Destined With You Episode 13-14 Review: The end & the beginning
Where the story picks up
After Shin-Yu and Hong-Jo have their heart-to-heart meeting at the park, they are interrupted by a security guard who informs them that the police are looking for them. Despite the looming danger, Shin-Yu persuades Hong-Jo to go home with him, leading to a romantic night together.
However, their romantic escapade is cut short when Shin-Yu’s parents show up the next morning. Hong-Jo is hesitant to meet them, especially after the recent attack on Shin-Yu. Sure enough, it leads to an argument between both parents.
Shin-Yu’s father accuses Hong-Jo of endangering his son, while his mother defends her. Hong-Jo is disturbed by the encounter, but Shin-Yu reassures her of his love.
Romance is in the air
The love lives of Hong-Jo’s colleagues at City Hall have also undergone a change. Ms. Ma and Mr. Gong have been flirting with each other for several episodes, and things finally reach a head here. Mr. Gong is confronted in the office by an angry woman from another department, who accuses him of dumping her to be with Ms. Ma. This eventually leads to a physical fight between Ms. Ma and the other woman in the middle of the office.
Jae-Jyung informs Shin-Yu that the mayor wants him to resign, but Shin-Yu is able to fight it off. We also learn that Shin-Yu’s mother has filed for divorce against his father. Shin-Yu tells her that he supports her decision, and that she should live her life according to her wishes. However, she later reconciles with her husband, after he apologizes for his harsh behavior towards her over the years.
Hyeon-Seo makes his move
Jae-Kyung later has a meeting with Hyeon-Seo about the upcoming redevelopment project with City Hall. Hyeon-Seo tries to bribe him, but Jae-Kyung rejects him. However, he says that he will continue to deal with him on the project.
Hyeon-Seo later visits Shin-Yu to gloat and to try and rile him up. He tells Shin-Yu of his plans to develop Mount Onju, and Shin-Yu tells him it will be impossible, as his family owns the land. However, Hyeon-Seo says that he has “a very capable person” on his side, which disturbs Shin-Yu. He later learns that Jae-Kyung has helped the city take over the land for the redevelopment plan.
Hong-Jo fights back
We also get to watch an extremely satisfying scene where Hong-Jo confronts Na-Yeon and demands that she stop trying to get back at Shin-Yu through the mayor’s redevelopment project. She also reveals that she knows that Na-Yeon staged the incident in high school which saw her labelled as a boyfriend-stealer. It’s a tense scene, and both Jo Bo-Ah and Yura really showed off their acting skills here.
She later meets with Shin-Yu, and the two have a passionate night together. The next morning, he answers a call from the shaman, who informs him that she has had a conception dream, and that “it’s a daughter”.
However, the promise of a happy future is put at risk when Hong-Jo is kidnapped by Joong-Beom and taken to Mount Onju.
A near-death experience
A delusional Joong-Beom tries to force Hong-Jo into a soul marriage so they can be together forever in the ‘next life’. Meanwhile, the police and Shin-Yu are searching the area.
Joong-Beom forces a tied-up Hong-Jo to drink a potion, and she has a flashback to her past life as Aeng-Cho. Fortunately the police arrive and capture Joong-Beom. A distraught Shin-Yu then brings an unconscious Hong-Jo to the hospital, believing she has been poisoned.
She recovers from the ordeal. When his parents visit her, she reassures them that she loves Shin-Yu and promises to make him happy. Shin-Yu then reveals what the shaman said about their soon-to-be “daughter”, shocking everyone.
The truth revealed
We later find out that Na-Yeon’s ex-boyfriend posted a video of the encounter between her and Hong-Jo, revealing the her true nature, as well as the reason behind the redevelopment plan. Shin-Yu also formally resigns from working at City Hall.
Na-Yeon tries to begin a relationship with Hyeon-Seo, but is rejected by him due to her negative reputation, and also because he has lost interest in her. She later goes to confront Hong-Jo, but Hong-Jo is no longer afraid of her. At that point, the police come to arrest Na-Yeon for aiding Joong-Beom in his earlier escape.
The mayor and Hyeon-Seo are later indicted over the fraudulent land deal for the redevelopment plan, and Jae-Kyung becomes a whistleblower, with Shin-Yu acting on his behalf in court.
Happy endings
Jae-Kyung later meets with Hong-Jo and tells her that he has decided to go into politics. He later moves out of their shared house, and they share a warm farewell. Ms. Ma and Mr. Gong get married, much to everyone’s joy. Shin-Yu rushes to catch Ms. Ma’s bouquet, and presents it to Hong-Jo.
Shin-Yu’s parents now have a happier relationship, with his father supporting his mother in her career. Later, during a family meal to welcome Hong-Jo into their family, we learn that Hong-Jo is actually not pregnant. Instead, it is Shin-Yu’s mother who will be having a baby.
Later, Shin-Yu takes Hong-Jo to the beach where he first realized he loved her, and proposes. She happily accepts. The two return to Mount Onju to bury the box with the book of spells, and the final scene shows them walking happily.
What we liked this week on Destined With You
The season finale of Destined With You is a masterful blend of love, justice, and suspense. With Joong-Beom’s arrest, Na-Yeon’s downfall, and Shin-Yu and Hong-Jo’s engagement, the episode ties up many loose ends while leaving some questions unanswered. What does the future hold for these characters? Only time will tell.
In case you want to relive the experience of Destined With You, why not return to the very beginning of our review series:
READ | Destined With You Episodes 1-2 Review: Rowoon and Jo Bo-Ah magic
Or read our review of another K-drama series:
READ | A Good Day To Be A Dog Episode 1 – Recap and Review
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