After a successful period with his signature “goddess of youth” image, Tan Songyun recently returned to the small screen with a completely different project, My destiny. However, contrary to expectations, the drama sparked a wave of negative reactions. Many viewers openly criticized its illogical plot. Amid the controversy, Tan Songyun, once considered a reliable attraction, also became the target of criticism, with her character portrayal and style deemed unconvincing. Some even see it as important “fall from grace” in his career.
Controversial plot, the public turns away from the female protagonist
My destiny tells the story of Fang Wanzhi (played by Tan Songyun) in the 1970s. After the death of her adoptive mother, she discovers that she has been abandoned by her biological parents and suffers betrayal by her lover. At 20, she dropped out of school and moved alone to Shenzhen to work. Starting as a cafeteria worker, Wanzhi embarks on a difficult journey to become CEO, ultimately achieving success in both career and love in the era of economic reform.
Although stories of strong, independent female protagonists are no longer new to audiences, the addition of a historical backdrop made the drama overly melodramatic. Many plot points seem unrealistic, even reminiscent of outdated dramas from decades ago.
From the beginning, the series introduces shocking twists: her adoptive mother takes her to the countryside for treatment, where she accidentally meets her biological sister. The protagonist is repeatedly subjected to domestic abuse and treated as little more than a tool for the childbirth clichés that viewers have grown tired of. The drama intensifies further when she unknowingly meets her biological father, who ends up saving her life, leaving the audience to wonder whether this is fate or a forced narrative.
As secrets are revealed, it is revealed that her father abandoned her because of her gender, while her adoptive mother unknowingly took on the responsibility of raising her. Despite the adoptive mother’s kindness, the narrative continues to heap unnecessary hardship on Wanzhi.
The character’s actions are also criticized as illogical. Despite knowing she was abandoned, she actively searches for her biological parents, adopts numerous struggling relatives, and later entrusts their care to her adoptive mother. Meanwhile, he shows resentment towards his kind adoptive father and even jeopardizes his career over a past affair, nearly costing him his position as vice mayor.
It is clear that the drama overuses conflict by neglecting narrative logic, making it difficult for the audience to connect with the female protagonist. This approach fails to adequately represent the “independent female growth” genre, suggesting a fundamental misunderstanding of the character on the writers’ part.
Controversial images: neither youthful nor mature enough
Aside from the plot, Tan Songyun’s appearance in the drama also sparked debates. At 36, he plays a character that spans decades, from youth to middle age, but the transition has been seen as unconvincing.
In the early stages, when she plays a woman in her twenties, her naturally youthful face still exudes a sense of forced innocence. On the other hand, as the character matures, heavier makeup fails to convey the required depth and experience, creating a disconnect between appearance and role.
Many believe it is Tan Songyun “baby face”, once his greatest strength, is now becoming a limitation as he attempts to transition into more mature roles. Combined with questionable script choices, his transformation became even more challenging.
Furthermore, his acting has not shown significant growth. In the drama, he alternates between portraying forced innocence and restrained emotional scenes, which falls short of the nuanced performance typically required for period dramas. As a result, she struggles to carry out the project alone.
While My destiny it’s not a complete failure, it’s clearly below expectations. From its weak script and controversial character development to issues with casting and styling, the drama faces significant challenges from both a critical and audience perspective.
Notably, even before this project aired, Tan Songyun had already experienced two consecutive underperforming jobs. The fantasy period drama of 2025 The soul is not clouded marked his first attempt at the xianxia genre but failed to generate the expected buzz. Viewership remained stable without much progress, and the chemistry between the leads was considered lacking.
Afterwards, Brocade Odysseyanother historical drama, it should have been a highlight, but also received mixed to negative reviews. Critics pointed out its predictable plot and repetitive clichés, which lead to a diminished viewing experience. Ratings remained average and audience scores were relatively low, indicating that the project failed to capitalize on Tan Songyun’s star power. Some also questioned his suitability for youth roles, which made his performance less impactful than expected.
Consequentially, My destiny is now seen as an extension of this series of setbacks, putting Tan Songyun under pressure to regain his footing and redefine the direction of his career. While this may mark a temporary slowdown, in an increasingly competitive television market, each successful or unsuccessful experiment becomes part of an actor’s evolution.
The key lies in her next choices: whether she can step out of her comfort zone and find roles that best suit her growth as an actress. For now, as the drama continues to air, audiences are still waiting to see if it can improve in subsequent episodes.
Some viewer reactions include:
- “Does anyone else think there’s something wrong with this drama? Why did Tan Songyun choose this script?”
- “Does Tan Songyun have a new drama?”
- “She’s not really suited to mature roles.”
- “The plot seems ridiculously unrealistic, like something from the 1970s.”
- “What kind of script is this? Where is the Tan Songyun we loved?”
- “The story is illogical and the acting is average. No wonder it’s a flop.”
Sources: K14
