When I Fly Towards You

One of the best I’ve seen :)

OH, MY GOODNESS SO SO SO GOOD (spoilers ahead) when I say I have watched around 200+ dramas and NEVER CRIED during a proposal or wedding scene UNTIL NOW. I was sobbing the entire last episode, this drama makes you feel like you grew up with them and I loved every second of it. The actors are super good at portraying all age ranges of the characters and showing a realistic progression of a loving relationship over time. The supportive, loving friend group showcases amazing side characters and stories that are equally well-written. The music felt warm and the cinematography felt very personal and comforting(I love a good videotape scene!). To me, this show doesn't shy away from accentuating colder tones in the color grading, which doesn't seem like it would make a difference but compared to only emphasizing the warmer tones, it gives it a very 2010s feel that solidifies it as a nostalgic comfort watch. I would consider this a classic, iconic, need-to-watch drama.

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Plainly boring, invisible plot, almost none character development or action... DISAPPOINTING!

THIS SERIES IS NOT LIKE HIDDEN LOVE!!I whatched it for that reason, and...nope!
If you are thinking of watching this one, just let me warn you:

This is a sedative and idealistic story of how 5 teenagers have a happy life where they get everything they want with tittle or non-exintent obstacles.

Character development= near ZERO (just one character has some problem, and its solved within 1 or 2 episodes...)
Action: ZERO.
STRUGGLES= what is that word?
Plot twists= ?? It can't be more lineal and predictable.
Relatable characters or situations= Maybe, 1 or 2?
Comedy= nop, nop, nothing...
Romance= yes, but could it be plainer? Childish? Second couple is more realistic than first one....
Love trinagles= none, go find another series if you want some excitement or tension...
Charismatic supporting characters= nop, not even main characters or actors...
The Values or the moral of the story= doest it have one? which one?where? did I miss it?

This was an almost empty display of every day situations that weren't that realistic after all, everything was soooo nice and paceful that felt artificial and even forced.

Did someone fell out of love? NOPE
Are problems of society protrayed? NOPE
Did anyone have situations that couldn't solve by themselves, where they had to fight or find themselves powerless? NOPE
Can you find problems teeenagers face nowadays aside from studiying? NOPE
Where there some evil character o rival that challenged the protagonists to get out their confort zone? NOPE
Where there any parent or teacher or any kind of role model that inspired the characters to grow or change? NOPE
Where there any dangerous situations that the protagonists had to overcome? NOPE

So if after reading this you still choose to whatch this one, I hope you get what you are looking for! Be my gest! Enjoy it!
Maybe you are looking for a series that'll help you relax and distract from your estressing life...

I wrote this for people like me that thought it would be like HIDDEN LOVE and were hugely disappointed. If you watch it anyways, don't say I didn't warn you.

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If you are into teenage puppy love then it is an okay drama. Predictable with Happy Ending

"When I Fly Towards You" is a 24-episode RomCom about teenage lovers where Su Zai Zai and Zhang Lu Rang met in middle school, befriended each other, and eventually fell in love during their high school/college years.

I watched about 11 episodes, and I found it too boring. I am getting too old to watch the teenage puppy love genre. There is nothing special about the story, and it is very predictable.

I skipped episodes 12 through 20 and only watched the last 4 episodes. I know that they eventually get married and have a happy ending.

It was a mediocre drama, and I give it a 6.0 rating. The acting of the entire ensemble was mediocre as well.

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"Becoming better together is the coolest thing"

There are so many high school dramas about a bubbly, extroverted girl crushing on a quiet, aloof smart boy. Usually, the girl in these dramas are portrayed as quite dumb and needs tutoring or something from the guy. "When I Fly Towards You" does not stray too far from that. However, Zai Zai has has a good head on her shoulder and actually not dumb when it comes to the important things. Everyone has something they are good at and weak at, and this series shows that realistically. She's not someone who will gamble her life to pursue a guy and I absolutely loved that. I also adore the friends in this series. Every character has their own story and their own struggles and I enjoyed the friends being there for one another. Lots of fun and cute moments.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ Love the dynamics of the friends and how they cared for each other

✔ Female lead has her strength academically and not some low ranking student. She also planned her future carefully and not just around her boyfriend

✔ Misunderstandings are not dragged out and female is quick to clear things up when she realizes there may be something up

✔ I enjoy the little clips at the end of each episode where she is documenting her life


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ Strict mom who puts pressure on Lu Rang to be perfect academically

✖ Issue with mom mostly resolved off-screen and just brushed off

✖ Would've love to spend more time in their life during college and after.

✖ Jealous girl in high school and a devious female character in college trying to create misunderstanding for the couple (whereas the male character who was interested in Zai Zai was respectful and gave up as soon as he realizes she had a girlfriend.)


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● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

I've seen quite a few high dramas about a cute girl chasing after a smart guy, and this series is not all that different. But honestly, I don't watch high school dramas for a unique take. The important part is how well they do the characters and how natural the story progresses. And also, the friendships. I think this series does all that pretty well. I will talk more in-dept about each of the main characters later, but I loved that I ended up caring about all the characters and their stories. There really isn't much for me to say about the plot/story as it's a very slice of life high school drama. If there was something I could change, it would just be that we spend a little less time in high school. I would have loved to see more time spent in their university life and even their lives after.

[ --THOUGHTS ON CHARACTERS-- ]

Su Zai Zai - In these kind of dramas, the female is usually portray as very clingy, Zai Zai is very social and straight forward, which I feel can make some viewers see her as clingy/stalkerish at times in the beginning but I never really felt that way about her. I'm not sure exactly but if I had to guess, it would be because our lead Lu Rang never seemed to mind her presense. To me, I feel like she would've left him alone if she felt like she wasn't welcomed. In fact, there was a part where she misunderstood that he was annoyed with her and stopped following/talking to him. So if he had set boundaries, I think she would have left him alone. Mostly, she was just trying to get to know him and I think that's fine.

I think one thing that is most definitely different from some of the other series I've seen is that Su Zai Zai is shown to have strengths of her own compared to our male lead Lu Rang. I loved that she wasn't one of the girls who is at the bottom of her class in rank. She has stuff she is good at like English and stuff that she is bad at like Math/Physics. That's realistic. And likewise, Lu Rang wasn't perfect. He needed tutoring in English and Zai Zai was able to help him with that. Another thing I loved about her is that she tries to make things clear when she realizes there are misunderstandings. She is good at communicating compared to our male lead. The example that pop to mind is when he misunderstood that she wrote a love letter to someone else. Another example was when she realized another boy was interested in her so she make it known she has a boyfriend. She doesn't let things drag on. She is very aware of the people around her. There is a lot of good qualities about her that I like. She's brave, she tries to take initiatives to do things, and most importantly, she takes her future seriously. Episode 18 was one of episode that stood out to me because she told Lu Rang she is making backup plans in case she doesn't end up at the same school as him. She was carefully planning her future and not just blindly following some guy. And I loved that.

Zhang Lu Rang - Our male lead is smart and quiet, nothing new there. He is living in the shadow of his younger brother Zhang Lu Li, who is an academic prodigy. And because of that, their mother puts a lot of pressure on Lu Rang to be more like Lu Li. And I hated that, but it's such a relatable and realistic thing for a parent to compare one kid to another, especially in an academic household. I felt so bad for Lu Rang. Even his brother Lu Li felt bad that their mom is always comparing them. Due to always being compared and pressured, I can understand why Lu Rang is reserved and somewhat distant. And I like that I could understand because it shows that the character isn't just some arrogant, cold guy who thinks he's too cool for others. In fact, I never felt like Lu Rang was ever annoyed by our female lead Zai Zai who just kind of forced her friendship on him. Maybe there was a bit of tolerating at first, but he becomes amused by her energy and presence. People grow on you and Su Zai Zai's personality complements his introverted nature.

Lu Rang is also shown to care about the people around him. Sometimes, when you grew in a household where people only take about accomplishments and not emotions, it's hard to show affection. However, simple little actions can say a lot. Like visiting your friend while they are sick and keeping them company. Lu Rang could be cozy in his own bed but instead, spends the night on the floor cramped up with his guy friends. He comforts his friend Gu Ran when Gu Ran is feeling neglected by his parents. There are lots of moments like this amongst the friend group that I adore. Also, very cute that he rubs his neck whenever he lies. And love that Zai Zai teases him about it whenever he tries to lie.

Gu Ran - One of Lu Rang's best friends and often shown to be carefree, proud, playful, and just your stereotypical boy. As the series goes on, we start to see how selfless and caring he is also. None of the characters in this series are one dimensional and there is some depth to them. Gu Ran's character development was one I enjoyed. We get a glimpse into his home life where his parents are occasionally away due to being doctors. He plays it off and doesn't seem to complain to his parents as he understands that what they do is important. And it's not even that he doesn't get love. His parents love him and we can see that. However, it's still natural to feel lonely and neglected sometimes, especially during the holidays. Gu Ran however just silently endures it instead of voicing his sadness. This is a trait we see again when it comes to his love interest Jiang Jia, the female lead's best friend. He grows to like her but never works up the courage to tell her. In fact, he even helps her pursue her crush. He is shown to be someone who loves selflessly, whether it comes to his family or romantic interest.

Jiang Jia - The female's best friend and love interest of Gu Ran. She, however, for most of the series, crushes on and pursues a senior at their school. For the most part, she was very oblivious to Gu Ran's feelings for her, which was a little frustrating to watch since Gu Ran was shown to do little things for her. She does eventually start noticing him in a romantic way, but by then, he was already planning to leave to study abroad. I think the most memorable moment for me was when she took care of Gu Ran when he was sick. Another moment was trying to confess to her crush. However, in the end, she decided not to. These moments vulnerability and softness in her character who is normally very fierce, bold, and brave.

Guan Fang - Guan Fang is probably my favorite character in the series. He takes care of the people around him. A former troubled kid, he turned his life around for the sake of his grandma. Very chill and friendly. A lot of Guan Fang's story revolve around his relationship with his grandma. He is be very upbeat and tries to avoid conflict to avoid making her worry. Aside from taking care of her, he also takes care of his friends. When Guan Fang was unable to reach Gu Ran due to the latter being sick, he goes to check on his friend, even calling Jiang Jia for help. When he finds out Gu Ran is alone, he takes his friend back to his place so he could be taken care of. I love the moment where he was tucking his friends in, making sure they are covered. I like that he was always included in a lot of their activities even though he was not paired with anyone. Not everyone finds their love in high school and it's realistic that Guan Fang didn't end up with anyone. However, I do kind of wish we got to see more into his life outside of grandma and his friend group. He's not a bad looking guy, so I wonder if he was dating or seeing anyone at any point. This is where I wished we saw more of life in university and after for everyone besides the main couple.


[ --FINAL THOUGHTS -- ]

It's hard to find good friends, especially as we grow older. So I'm happy that Lu Rang has several good friends to help him through high school. Building a relationship is hard and it's harder to maintain. So having people who are very extroverted like Su Zai Zai around can help. Her straightforward personality definitely helped Lu Rang come out of his shell and grow as a person. And while this is nothing new in term of high school romance drama, it's the dynamics and moments between the friends during the journey that makes each story unique and fun to watch.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews are not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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VERY unpopular opinion here...

Don't hate on me, and please remember that reviews are just the opinions of the reviewers. This reminded me of A Love So Beautiful, which I didn't care for either. I was so looking forward to watching this, based on all the glowing reviews. Part of the problem might have been that I watched this right after Hidden Love and enjoying it so much. Maybe it just couldn't live up to my expectations. I was looking forward to this drama because it was supposedly low angst, and I was drawn to that. That being said -

WHAT I LIKED:
-It was, in fact, low angst
-the storyline of the second couple. I loved how he liked her alone and was always trying to help her in whatever way he could, even though his heart was breaking because she didn't like him.
-no stupid misunderstandings
-when the typical storyline started of a female trying to get the ML showed up, I LOVED how the FL shut that down. She knew her man, had faith in him, and went straight to the woman to resolve the issue.
-a wedding. Though, for me, it didn't work here, I always appreciate a wedding after watching a couple get together.
-ML and his dimples

THE THINGS THAT DISAPPOINTED ME
-FL. Supposedly cute and bubbly, she came across as a stalker (she was sure she liked him after seeing him once, and never tired of telling him that she liked him) and immature. The actress was cute as a button, but between her voice, her mannerisms, her clothes, and her bouncing around all the time, she just reminded me of a hyperactive puppy. Plus, her way of talking was very fast and staccato, like she was blurting out phrases, one after another.
-her calling him "Rang Rang" all the time. It was cute at the beginning, but by episode three I was ready to make a drinking game out of it - hear her say Rang Rang, take a drink!
-why did the ML like her? When did he start liking her? I get that he probably appreciated her energy compared to how repressed he seemed to be, but I didn't see or feel the attraction between them.
-I admit that I wanted low angst, but I also wanted something to move the story along. There really wasn't anything going on. I felt like I was watching a documentary of the life of a teen in China. I was bored.
-the parents fawning all over him was somewhat cute, but I can't believe they would have been fine with their daughter living with a man before they got married.

In conclusion, if you are still reading this, I'd say if you want something mindless to watch that doesn't have a lot of the typical tropes, you might enjoy this. It just didn't have enough going on for me.

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You can look forward to this drama!

At first, i thought it was only just a typical highschool love story, well, i've watched a lot of cdramas already about youth, highschool, romance and comedy, that's why when i watched the starting episodes, i though it will gonna be the same as the other cdramas, but as i continued watching it, i really love how it depicts reality and life, i somehow can relate to mostof it (of course except for having ahandsome crush hehe) , their acting was natural also.

I'm a fan of gu ran and guan fang duo friendship as well as gu ran and jiang jia,i love the comedy and humor the most between these characters, lurang was cute too when he's with zai, and the pressure lurang was feeling because of his brother is somehwat sad and it makes me reflects about how we really should be serious about studying, i really like it when lurang is smiling because of zai, it makes me smile too.

Guan fang is really a unique character as well, even though he doesn't get that much screen time comparing to his other four friends, he'll really eventually will caught your attention as well as his grandma, the way he takes care of his grandma and his granma taking care of him as well was heart melting, it was so sweet and i envy him for having a caring and loving grandma..

About Jiang jia deciding her major was depicted well in the drama as well, it just show that most of us indeed has the same situation deciding before entering college, maybe because it is one of the crucial and only time we can decide about what should we do next, and who'll be as an adult.

But i was really expecting for gu ran to take up his courage and confess about his feelings already but it's taking time, maybe becuase jiang jia isn't yet ready to be in a special relationship yet after quanyi. I really love their hate and love relationship theyre both so cute..

Overall, i love all the characters, you need to watch this if you feel like lost and sad, maybe this will make you forget about the reality we're living , i hope the drama will end nicely! You can look forward to this drama like how i am feeling right now!

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The most loving drama

As per synapsis as I expected something in my mind and heart. This drama is beyond my satisfaction.

Su Zai Zai uses the camera as her diary and captures her memories are too good. Zhang Lu Rang is a silent and closed person but when Su Zai Zai become friend with him, he started changing and coming out of his shell.
He starts smiling and enjoying his life and he starts having feeling for SZZ.

When his younger brother enters the story and opens up her thoughts to SZZ and she supports him and it makes Rang and his younger brother's relationship better. After opening up to their parents they all changed. His younger brother wrote a letter to SZZ it's too cute like a brother-in-law writing a thankful letter to a sister-in-law. how lovely.

Suddenly he got transferred but no change in friendship which is great. A little forward they complete the school. On vacation, they become an official couple. they went to the same university. Their friends also pursue their own dreams. After their relationship is too strong and university life is over.

They start living together and work on their dream job. Parents approve without any objection. A mindblowing prosal and grand wedding it's a masterpiece of story. But the story ends with SZZ getting pregnent if they show a little further it must be too lovely

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Sweet, Cute and Low-Stress.....but doesn't quite set itself apart from other youth dramas.

China is the expert in producing youth dramas like “When I Fly Towards You”. Therefore, it’s really hard to have another youth drama that stands out. “When I Fly Towards You” is rated really high at 9.0 and receives glowing reviews from many. But is it really worth such a high rating? To me, not quite. It’s a good drama, but it doesn’t set itself apart from many of its predecessors.

Having said that, I have a very enjoyable time watching this. I do think the strength of this drama and what makes it different from others, is the characterization of our main leads. Su Zai Zia (FL) is bubbly and cute. She’s not naive and will fight back against injustices and those who are unkind to her. Zhang Miao Yi plays a very lovable Su Zai Zai. It’s so easy to cross the line of being cute and bubbly, into annoyingly cute and fake. Luckily, I find Su Zai Zai very easy to root for and very adorable. I enjoy all her pursuit of Zhang Lu Rang without being stalkerish.

On the other hand, Zhang Lu Rang (ML) is adorably shy. Who can resist his dimples? I’m glad to see he’s not the typical arrogant, cold genius. He’s actually just quiet and introverted, and is never mean or unkind to Su Zai Zai. In fact, he always responds to Zai Zai neverending questions and comments, though with short phrases. The contrasting personalities and family backgrounds make their romance sweet and romantic. Because of Zai Zai’s loyal and unconditional love for Zhang Lu Rang, he’s able to heal and believe in himself. In the last episode, when he is on stage answering questions from the panel, the answer/confession he made sums up their love story perfectly. Zhang Lu Rang is another Mr. Green Flag.

The friendship of the 5 friends is sweet and cute as well. However, I’ve also seen friendships like this in many other youth dramas. Each friend is given their own spotlight to tell their own (short) story. “When I Fly Towards You” is a very easy watch. It doesn't really go into any serious issues that high school students tackle such as bullying, extreme family pressure or poverty. If that’s what you are looking for, this is the perfect drama. The secondary romance is also nothing special. It’s a story that we’ve seen many times before. However, the characters are fun and very likable.

Another minor criticism I have is the pacing of the drama. In 24 episodes, we follow the characters from when they’re 16 to being adults and getting married. That’s a span of 10 years in 24 episodes and the majority of the time was spent in high school. I feel that the drama is trying to cover too much and would benefit from stopping somewhere after college. Or if they want to adequately tell 10 years worth of stories, the time spent in high school should be shortened. Otherwise, it feels like the drama is rushing through the college and adult days.

There are a few characters that need to cause some trouble, but not to the extent of them being overly annoying. There’s not enough time for the drama to dwell on these characters anyway. In fact, it’s so lovely to see a caring and lovely grandmother, supportive parents, good teachers who really care and classmates that are generally sweet.

I recommend this drama for those who are looking for something sweet and cute, without angst or misunderstanding. Everyone is really cute and fun. But if you have seen many youth dramas before, this drama might not impress you. It’ll make you smile though. 🙂



Other Random Observations:
1. Zhang Lei (FL’s father) - He is in SOOOOO many youth dramas either as a parent or a teacher. I’ve seen him in “With You”, “My Huckleberry Friends”, “Skate into Love”, “The Best of You in My Mind’, “Lovely Us”, and “Forever Love”.
2. Every time I see a lovely grandparent in a C-drama, I worry if anything bad is going to happen to them. I always wish C-dramas don’t kill them off. You never know!
3. So many snacks in this drama. PPL for the win!
4. As much as I love the leads, I have enough of hearing FL calling ML “Rang Rang” a billion times.


Completed: 9/6/2023 - Review #350

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NOSTALGIA AND DIABETES

I originally watched this drama for the actor zhou yiran due to his role in Falling into your smile (haha), but after watching it, I adore this show so much. The filtering and overall concept give a very nostalgic and specific vibe to the entire show. The music is the absolutely best; it fits really well with the scenery and emotions of the characters. Su Zai Zai in the show is SO SO SWEET; I was hesitant about liking her character during the first few episodes, but her overall personality and actions won me over as the episodes progressed. Final line: sweet, engaging, and a must-watch!

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A breath of fresh air!

I watched WIFTY because of the high ratings...and I must say, I am not disappointed at all. The drama is really a breath of fresh air!

If we talk about the story, there is nothing much going on. A simple, sweet slice of life with lots of romance. But it's the characters who will keep you entertained throughout the story.

The ML, Zhang Lurang (Zhou Yiran) is a shy, introverted, reserved guy while the FL, Su Zaizai (Zhang Miaoyi) is bubbly, outgoing and confident. It's a typical cliché C drama plot where the FL chases the ML first.

While Zhang Lurang is reserved and shy, he isn't as rude as C-drama leads usually are. He just talks less, but wants to be included and loved. You will find yourself relating to his character most of the time, being compared with his sibling and the pressure of doing well. I think ZYR did a great job acting wise.

Su Zaizai is determined to chase him and make him fall for her. But what I really like is that it's not her whole personality. She excels in English, has dreams, isn't ready to put her future on stake in the name of love and hardworking. She takes stand for herself instead of depending on a male character. While her character is written like a typical FL, she breaks the norms and has her own excellence which will eventually force you to love her.

The sideleads' (Gu Ran and Jiang Jia) chemistry is so insane that you'll root for them to have their own drama. There are side stories relating to the characters which keeps the drama interesting. All the characters are career oriented and they also work hard to achieve their dreams.

The chemistry between the leads is majestic. Even with simple scenes you'll find butterflies flying in your stomach lol.

Overall, watch it and experience the beauty of youth. It's incredible and a must watch!

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