Will viewers ever get a K-drama where fate or destiny doesn’t magically bind two people together?
Maybe it’s the idea that everyone has a soulmate, and it's just a matter of time before you meet “the one.” During the airing of 'Love Scout', many viewers were initially excited because the love story between the two leads seemed like a fresh take. It felt like a simple, grounded romance between two strangers who crossed paths by chance. Unfortunately, as the plot unfolded and revealed a shared traumatic past involving an apartment fire between Lee Jun Hyuk and Han Ji Min, fans expressed frustration. Some questioned why that twist was necessary when the story was progressing just fine without it.
Then there’s the ever-popular trope of childhood friends or enemies reuniting as adults. Once they meet again, the love story rekindles and deepens, as seen in dramas like 'Family By Choice' and 'Welcome to Samdalri'.
So what’s behind Korea’s obsession with fate and destiny? Why can’t two strangers from completely different backgrounds simply meet and fall in love, without a shared childhood or past-life connection? We’ve seen massive hits like 'The Business Proposal' where the leads had no prior history. Earlier dramas like 'Full House', 'My Name is Kim Sam Soon', and 'Boys Over Flowers' also succeeded without relying on fate to force the main couple together.
Will this intertwining-of-destinies formula ever fade? Probably not. There’s something comforting and romantic about the idea of souls finding each other across time and circumstance. Still, it would be refreshing to see more K-dramas that break the mold and embrace the beauty of love born from pure coincidence.
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