When I Fly Towards You

Worth the watch for the most part

Slight spoilers (just an overview, no details)

For the first three quarters of this show I was convinced this was going to be my favourite modern day Chinese drama. I think I set myself up for failure a bit, so that's on me. I had such a good time watching this, I laughed so much and was smiling throughout a majority of the show. I think where it lost me was when they went to university. Maybe it was because the friend group was apart. I know that the university timeline didn't last very long, only a couple of episodes, and I'm grateful for that. I think that once they were out of high school the sense of urgency was gone. The main couple had gotten together and were very stable. The other plotlines that were explored during high school were kind of ignored for a couple of episodes and only really picked back up in the last 2 or 3. But because the episodes themselves are fairly short, only about 30 mins, it didn't feel like it was enough time to pique my interest again in the other couple. I think what I'm trying to get across is that it felt like everything could've wrapped up in three episodes after the graduated high school.

With that being said though I still really enjoyed this and I think I will rewatch the first part often.

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Not the drama for me

Don't attack me, this review is from a person who avoids youth drama. I'm not bashing anyone for liking this since I can understand why people love this.

I started watching this knowing I tend to dislike youth dramas, the only reason why I watched this was because it is an adaptation from the same author as "hidden love" which I absolutely loved. So it was like a challenge to myself to see if I liked this one since I usually don't vibe with school dramas.

But as expected, this one wasn't for me. I knew this was supposed to be more slice of life with a pure and innocent romance but I guess my cynical personality couldn't tolerate the innocent sweetness.

Let me start with the negatives for me:
- The romance was good but not great
The leads had a healthy relationship which I liked but it was just too pure and bland for me. I tend to like couples with chemistry that sparks on screen so I just didn't vibe with the pure milky relationship they had.
- The male lead was bland till the end (I'm sorry)
I get that the male lead is supposed to be quiet and introverted but give him some sort of personality! And the actor could've done more to give life to the character, the expressions he showed were limited so it was like watching a stereotypical introverted character with no depth.
- Can we tone down the puppy-like charm ?
The female lead is supposed to have golden retriever energy I guess, but can we please make it more realistic. Knowing China's obsession with cute female leads, I didn't expect much but again I just need some depth so that she feels relatable. I liked her in some scenes but in other scenes, it was just cringey for me so I skipped it.

But this had some positives for me as well:
- A true slice of life
Lots of dramas claim to be slice of life only to have angsty drama in the middle. But this one was a true slice of life with a slow and relaxed pacing. No major drama or angst between the characters. It just had a nostalgic feel that felt warm and cozy
- Realistic friendships and dynamics
The potrayal of teenagers in China felt relatable. It wasn't exaggerated and just felt normal.
- Healthy relationship goals
I liked how they showed two opposite people can really understand and complete each other. The main couple had a really healthy relationship dynamic. They had mutual patience and appreciation for each other which was great to see.

Overall, it might've been a great watch for someone else but for me, this was just a disappointment (not the show but the watching experience for me). This is just a typical young school romance made really well. But if you don't like this genre, maybe try something else ?

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A Wholesome and Fluffy Romance with Realistic Charm

This drama gave me a different take on romance as it shows how a healthy relationship is built from friendship rather than after some sort of conflict or misunderstandings. The leads’ chemistry is very sweet and believable which made it enjoyable to watch them support each other while also planning for their futures. Also, the video diary segments added a unique touch that sets this drama apart.

However, not every aspect is fully explored. Important scenes, like Lu Rang’s family issues, got sidelined and just feels underdeveloped. The ending feels rushed with big time jumps and less attention paid to the friend group’s dynamic.

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a show well deserving of its fame (a shot of serotonin in the form of a tv show)

This was so cute. A shot of serotonin in the form of a tv show. I love that we get to follow Su Zai Zai and Zhang Lu Rang‘s romantic journey. Zai Zai’s crush from the start was never a question, but she throughly enjoys befriending him and his two friends. Her personality is sunshine and bubbly cuteness. What I loved about her character is even though she was super bubbly she didn’t read as cliche or “manic pixie”. When she’s bullied by others, she stands up for herself accordingly. When she sees someone being bullied, she stands up for them. Those moments of fierceness were refreshing and satisfying to watch.

Zhang Lu Rang was shy and timid due to his parent’s ridiculous behavior. His growth was beautiful. Quite literally like watching a flower bloom from bud to blossom. He is silent and brooding but the actor did such a good job with nonverbal communication that you can tell how much he enjoyed Zai Zai’s company even as words fail him.

The show is mostly of their first three years of friendship in high school but we do have time jumps and get to see them in college and adulthood. The show is not full of stressful climaxes for the sake of plot, but rather very slice of life with the rollercoasters of joy and sadness as the characters navigate youth and adulthood. It was so satisfying to see Zhang Lu Rang go from a boy that says three words at a time to a man that says what’s on his mind unabashedly to the woman he loves 😭.

My only “complaints” are:
- I’d have liked more of Zhang Lu Rang‘a family life after his brother called out their parents.
- More for technical reasons but why was Zhang Lu Rang able to make Zai Zai’s high school and college graduation? Why didn’t she go to one of his? Did he finish before her both times?
- Because we get from 10th grade to them become full grown adults and parents, the timeline jumps a decent amount after high school. I don’t think this is wrong but I would have liked an episode more covering college and work, but I get why it was kept brief. I will say I like that the time jumps were seamlessly interwoven into the show rather than just a scene change and the words “2 years later” showing on screen.

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Chef's Kiss ;'>

Straight to the point review.

• i love the cinematography. Cutaway shots are aesthetically pleasing 🥹
• the short messages in the end is so powerful, makes me weak with heart eyes 😍
• su zaizai's lines are deep that i want yo use it to my fiance hehe 😋
• rang's character development every episode is to die for. ( the slow changes on how he treats su zaizai 😭)
• the set decorator did a good job with their aesthetic rooms. (Not me searching for the flower pillow and failed 🥲)
• i love their fits too, stylists did great. (Especially gu ran's & su zaizai's)
• the ost in this drama brings you back to your young days. I dont know whats in these songs and its giving throwback vibes. Too bad not available internationally, only option is reuploaded through lyrics videos in youtube by fans. (My favorite OST is the one in the beginning 🥰)
• the supporting roles own story is good.

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A typical school/campus series that have its own charms

I just love that even though this drama is "typical school drama" it still shown its own charms. What I love mostly for this drama are the characters well except for Rang's parents, you will know why hahaha.

Even though main characters are Zaizai and Lurang, the drama was able to unfold stories from their friends.

Guan Fang's background story, his character development and his relationship with his grandma was told in a good way that it makes me miss my grandma too. He wasn't just a character intended for comedic relief, he has his own story to tell.

Gu Ran's situation with his doctor parents are well told too, they shown a perspective of a child who's unintentionally got neglect by his parents due to the kind of work they had and love how they shows Gu Ran's perspective within the situation.

Jiang Jia's choosing what career to go through was represented well, as a person who go through the same thing, choosing for career path was one of the hard things to go through in entering college and the way they shown how Jiang Jia put her mind through it and not just choosing relentlessly is something I applaud for her arc.

As for the leads, Rangrang came from a family who constantly compares him to his sibling who appears as "better" than he is. As a child who also had a sibling I kind of experience this kind of thing, maybe this was "normalized" in asian household? Which should be stop as confidence is something hard to build for, it's easy to destroy one's self-esteem but building it again is not. I like how they show his brother's pov with this situation too, not just Rangrang. Not dwelling too much with the parents for the succeeding episode was good too, his parents don't deserve to have a close relationship with him as they are the reason for affecting and questioning his worth, however, it's good that things changed after his "brother" incident but reconciliation is not needed and they didn't push that arc thank god. I love how they focuses more on his closeness with his uncle and celebrating with him during holidays. Him seeing different light of life after meeting his friends was represented well. He is so introverted boy who got to meet extroverted friends.

As for Zaizai, she had a good and cheerful family, most of her arcs came from school related stuffs unlike Guan Fang, Gu Ran and Rangrang's situation. She knows her worth and standing up for herself is something I admire for her character. Unlike other female leads in other school dramas who are damsel in distress, Zaizai is a character who knows her rights and knows how to defend herself. She is also the pillar of F5 (their squad), without her initiating to know Zhang Lurang in first episodes the squad wouldn't even the way that they are in succeeding episodes.

Their squad is also something you'll love in this series, all of them are for there for each other through thick and thin. The way they resolve one's problem together and support each other's decisions is something I really admire with their friendship. Their rapport and dynamics as a squad felt so real, it wasn't forced, they all went through gradual process of building friendship, Gu Ran and Rang already know each other since they were kids though. From only knowing one's name to slowly getting to know one's personality and that's where their friendship begins.

For the Loveline aspects, it will take a while for them to officially date but you can tell in early episodes that both are whipped with each other. I love how Rangrang wasn't your typical cold, arrogant and rude male lead, he is just quiet but a lovely boy as Gu Ran said, he is just your boy who is shy and awkward but that doesn't make him a cold and arrogant. I love how he embraces Zaizai and the squad with his life.

Zaizai on the other hand wasn't the female lead who constantly stalks and follows the male lead, both of them went though getting to know each other phase, though Zaizai takes the initiative, she didn't harass the male lead contrary to other school dramas. I love the rapport within their relationship, the misunderstandings doesn't drag on as it was resolve within 1-2 episodes. The assurance and communication of these two is so good that'll make you ask if they are really high schoolers? Those two are better than adults. Their trust for each other is too good to be true, nonetheless, it's something to dream of in real life.

Gu Ran and Jiang Jia's love story was your typical frenemies-to-lovers trope with a little bit of one sided crush, it was executed well though! This is the first time I love second couple as much as the first couple.

Guan Fang doesn't have his own love line which is not really much needed and I applaud the director for that, not because your friends are in love you have to be in love too. I love how he is fifth wheeling though HAHAHAHA.

For me this is their own charms, it may be your typical coming-of-age drama they were able to show us the innocence of friendship and youth. It wasn't forced, it feels like you are growing with them too. The five main characters felt that they are real as they faces their own shortcomings, they weren't perfectly perfect, they have weaknesses and they slowly overcome those throughout the series. It's like you were also one of their classmates as well since those situations are something you did experience or might experience too. That's something some youth dramas failed to show as most of them focuses on love story and having an oh-so-good godlike character that can do all and a dumb-dumb character that will depend their life with their crushes, of course I love those storylines as I am really a sucker for youth dramas but it's kind of outdated trope now to be honest, I'm glad When I Fly Towards You gave something typical but admiring storytelling for youth dramas.

I've been waiting for this drama since their booting, I'm so sad when it gone through postponement of filming to changing some actors and filming setting (Guan Fang and Gu Ran's actors are well fit though so I don't mind the changes with their actors), they've gone through much. I saw Miaoyi's video crying after watching first episode and I can really feel her as this production have their setbacks while filming, I'm really glad that her and Yiran didn't left the show despites of the despites, can't imagine someone playing Rangrang and Zaizai as both of them embodied the character so well.

The success they're getting right now was well deserved, I just hope Youku promoted it the way it deserves, they kind of stop promoting this show after releasing Hidden Love not that I'm telling HL don't deserve it but I just hope they didn't neglect this series as it was a gem for coming-of-age drama.

Anyway, I'll be having a hard time to watch Zhang Miaoyi and Zhou Yiran's Drama with Seventeen's Jun and Dafei as I can't move on with their team up. They embodied Su Zaizai and Zhang Lurang so well that I don't want them to see with other partners, however, I'll still watch those to support my newly favorite actors. I'll watch out for you Yiran and Miaoyi! I'm glad both of you are open to work together again, hoping for more success!!

PS. The OSTs are so good too! The feeling of nostalgia and wanting to go back in year 2012 while listening to it was captured in the songs.

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The best Chinese youth drama I have ever watched!!

This drama has a lot of beautiful lines. I love how the FL and ML aren't so blindly in love that they forget to pursue their dreams/goals/studies. As much as they want to be in the same uni together, still, their paths are just as important. The friendship part is so adorable, too. It reminds me not to forget to be happy and enjoy life.
Life can be busy and stressful at times, and it’s easy to get caught up in our daily routines and responsibilities. But it’s important to take a step back and remember to enjoy the little things in life. Zhang Lu Rang is really setting the standard. He's so patient, understanding, and loyal. I am a sucker for one-woman men in dramas since real-life men are tr*sh;) anyway if any of you guys are tired of unhealthy dramas, watch this one!! This drama deserves 10 out of 10. It's really hard for me to say goodbye to the Feiben squad. If you guys think that watching this is worth it or not, so, please don't hesitate. Just watch. I swear that you won't regret it.

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this drama is one of the best drama of the year!

This drama has a good plot, and the acting is unquestionable. You will enjoy every minute of it because the cinematography is nothing short of excellent.  Youu won't regret watching this!  The story is light but full of meaning and love that can warm your heart because there are many sweet scenes and good songs. This drama has a good plot, and the acting is unquestionable. You will enjoy every minute of it because the cinematography is nothing short of excellent.  Youu won't regret watching this!  The story is light but full of meaning and love that can warm your heart because of the sweet scenes, good songs, and calming atmosphere in this drama. This drama motivated me to chase my dream! This is a good drama, trust me! I was mesmerized every second because this drama is so beautiful. Everyone should watch this drama!

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tbh, i don't know what i was expecting when i jumped into this drama two days ago, but i definitely don't regret watching this cdrama. as someone that has always been a sucker for youth and romance dramas, "when i fly towards you" hits all the marks. the development between the lead and the second lead couples are nothing unique, but the writers were able to perfectly encapsulate youth and the journey of growing up in a mere 24 episodes. you are immersed in their love story but most importantly lu rang and zaizai's growth as individuals - it makes you reflect on your own life and reminisce about the old days. overall, this drama brought me a great sense of joy and nostalgia. i wish i could rewind time to experience watching this drama for the first time again.

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My fav cdrama ever!!

Ok now that this is over I am literally sobbing. My fav youth cdrama ever if not my fav overall!!! The acting, chemistry, cinematography, and relationships in this are top-notch. I love their relationship so much. It literally gave me butterflies after not having a drama give me butterflies for so long. I love everything about the couple even before they started dating. The looks and the small smiles just made everything 10 times better. I will probably watch this again so many times, I can already tell. I will never regret watching this as it was airing as I couldn't wait any longer after seeing their scenes. The actors that played ZZ and RR are AMAZING!!! I love that RR was supposed to be a "cold" character but actually had a personality but he was just closed off due to his parents being the way they were. Nothing would've prepared me for how good this drama was going to be and I recommend this to ANYONE wanting a 10/10 show to watch without any stupid breakups or misunderstandings between the leads. And this friend group was a 100/10. I loved them so much for how they stuck together to the end. When I fly towards you was the thing I looked forward to watching every morning and now I will never forget this fantastic show!!!! I 100% recommend it to anyone and everyone! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did!!

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Worth the watch

If you are looking for a story that has healthy relationship, then this is the one for you. No unnecessary drama. No misunderstandings. It is very youthful and close to a real story I could say. The female lead is very bubbly and the male lead is introverted. If you are looking for a very different story, then this might not be your cup of tea. But this definitely is a very light-hearted drama. The male lead is Ai Jia from falling into your smile. Just like his character in that series, he is whipped to the female lead. Even the friendship element is so good in this series. Everyone wishes for a friends gang like theirs. From high school to work life, they stick together through thick and thin. What more would you want in life. Even the second couple is super cute. Wish there is a spin-off for their story. Wanted more about them as well since their chemistry is awesome as well

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