When I Fly Towards You (2023)

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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when you are happy, record it down and the moment will be happier.

when i fly towards you is a simple chinese youth drama.
the story is simple. love at first sight and you get to see the process of it, being shy to falling in love.

the friendship build tugs your heart and makes you wish that you have these type of friends that stays with you and does not judge you no matter what.

but what made me love this show was:

- each character has their own level of depth, own flavour. which i appreciate a lot. the second leads have their own flavour and everyone has their own stories, being the main character of their own life.

to further expand what i meant by each character has its own flavor. let's take su zaizai. the female as an example, she is vocal and straightforward. she isn't one to suffer from injustice and held her head up because she knew that she has done nothing wrong.

another character will be guan fang. he might be easy-going, but his backstory was one of the best and the most heart warming one for me. from not having any friends to having friends that learnt his past and does not judge him.

each character has their own struggles and might see happy-go-lucky but will be serious when they face problem or to protect their other friends. + their friendship are super precious because they know each other well, stay by their side and provide the help that one need.

while watching the show, you will go ah, i understand why this friendship is formed or i really want this type of friendship.

another thing i enjoyed was that there isn't any miscommunication. even if there is, it is solved quickly. as su zaizai is very vocal, she communicate with rang rang well. + su zaizai knows how to handle with green tea girls!

i also love the second couple which was jiangjia and guran because they are the chaotic type that goes rawr rawr while zaizai and rang rang are more of the relaxing type!

i hope to see a show like this again soon! + please do not leave me!

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Korea should take notes

This Drama was sheer perfection. EVERYTHING was right about it: The tone, the length, the story arcs, the character development, the music - everything.

The perfection of tone and length were closely related. Because the Drama was a perfect length, just 14 hours total runtime, the tone stayed sweet and positive throughout. I am a hardcore brony, who just LOVES a good romance Drama. In recent years, Korea has stopped producing any. Instead K Drama writers have decided that nothing says "romance" more than having a serial killer as a major part of every "romcom", or resorting to fantasy pairings like a girl with a demon, or a girl with Cupid, or a girl with a Reaper, etc. etc. etc.

What the writers of THIS Drama got right was in understanding that a simple, sweet, uncomplicated "girl meets boy and it's love at first sight" story is ALREADY pure fantasy, and doesn't need any other baggage thrown in. No need for dark scary psychopaths whose only real function is to pad out the overlong run time. No need for love triangles, stalker exes, or anything to spoil the short sweet fluff. Evefn the creepy, sleazy client was presented as a brief a nod to reality and a setup for more OTP bonding.

This worked because the characters were well-written, and this leads me to the main reason why on my personal database, I scored this as 11/10. This Drama is very much in the model of Itazura Na Kiss and all its clones, but with one HUGE difference. From It Started With a Kiss to A Love So Beautiful and lots of similar Dramas in between, I have watched "cute ditzy girl falls for hunky brainiac" A LOT, and this is the VERY FIRST ONE EVER where the FL had an academic strength in which she excelled the ML and even taught him. That was ASTONISHING. My drop rate for C Dramas is high, more than 50% of the C Dramas I start I drop, and that's because of the toxic chauvinsitic misogyny rampant in modern C Dramasd especially. The heroes are good at EVERYTHING, the Fl good at nothing, except pehaps EQ. Not this one. To see an ML & FL tutoring each other and helping each other as true peers was beautiful.

This equality was openly expressed in the dialogue too. The scene where the ML defends the FL to her young cousin by telling him how good the FL is at English (sad we never hear her say a single word of it) was an example of the quality of the writing. Since I rely on subtitles, and since I know how VERY much is literally "lost in translation" whenever I see a Drama where I'm blown away by the quality of writing IN THE SEBS, I think about how awsome the actual dialog must be.

I loved the sensible, down to Earth forthrightness of the FL. She knew what she wanted and went for it, but she also grew as a person and was never passive or whiny. The ML was great too, a great example of a "damaged" ML who was NOT tsundere. His little speech at a product presentation he gave about the impact of the FL on his life was magnificent, as was his thoughtful, PRIVATE proposal.

Whenever I need a remider of why I fell in love with East Asian Dramas in the first place, and why when they get it right they are truly I magical, I will FLY TOWARDS this Drama for a rewatch

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If you are looking for a beautiful stress free youth drama. Look no further

Short Synopsis:
When the new transfer student Su Zai Zai falls for the cold, aloof & introverted Zhang Lu Rang, she knows her work is cut out for him and with the help of her best friend Jiang Jia she tried various cringey scenarios to win him over which usually hilariously backfires. While Zhang Lu Rang usually keeps to himself due to his inferiority complex and has created barrier around him because he is constantly being pressured and ignored by his family as he is being always compared to his genius younger brother. But soon it becomes harder for Zhang Lu Rang to resist Su Zai Su Zai's charm when she starts to feel like a sun to his cloudy days because she is always there for him and can't help but smile because of her silly tactics and her straight forward & bubbly nature. And soon Su Zai Zai along with Jiang Jia and Zhang Lu Rang's friends Gu Ran & Guang Fang helps Zhang Lu Rang to get out of his shell and they forge new friendships and lifelong memories.

Reason to watch this drama :
1. Short, sweet, stress free & beautiful
2. Follows the character's journey through school , college to university and their adult life which will make you nostalgic about your youth and friendships.
3. The characters are all green flags. All the characters are fleshed out and has their own individual stories and goals
4. The female characters are strong, intelligent and does not fall in the damsel in the distress trope.
5. Though the main female character pursues male character at first , she respects his boundaries and is not clingy.
6. The relationship between the main characters is very healthy, there is no misunderstanding, love triangle or angst. Whenever they encounter any problems they trust each other and get through it. Also it builds on the concept of 'She fell for him first but he fell for her harder'.
7. This drama has some really great & beautiful quotes and life lessons which will be engraved in you and you will think back to this moments.
8. The actors and actresses were perfect for their roles and had great chemistry.
9. The OST is also really beautiful, you will lose yourself listening to it and will be again reminded of the beauty of this drama
10. Happy ending.

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so adorable...

I just finished the series and I genuinely feel empty. This series makes you feel like you were there with them, watching them grow up throughout the 24 episodes. I also loved the aesthetics and the way they used the camera as a diary. This c-drama shows you the beautiful youth of the group that'll leave you feeling nostalgic.
The story might seem simple as the story doesn't contain such plot twists or love triangles or a lot of dragging yet it gives comfort :). I also love that the series ended so peacefully and nicely. And not to mention the proposal of Lurang that made me cry 😭 (where can I find Zhang Lurang's?).

I'd recommend this c-drama to people who'd rather like it simple and don't want too much chaos and just cute moments, so if you're not sure if you want to start, please do!!

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A PERFECT YOUTH CDRAMA

ZLR & SZZ:
their first meet was only so cinematic, it was so beautifully depicted. ZZ falling in love at first is just so easily connectable to everyone who watches. ZLR being the most typical introvert, but not a cold ml, and slowly opening up to her was so excellently shown. it was the perfect representation of SHE FELL FIRST, BUT HE FELL HARDER. i also loved how the fl wasn't just chasing him, not also smart in her own strengths and helped the ml. she even helped his brother, and made her bond stronger. i really also liked how the ml always smiled at her and that way in the last ep, he gives a huge smile to her being pregnant . my pov: it felt like he wanted to bite her cheeks, lol XD. most importantly, they were not toxic at all, she told him that didn't need study in the same uni, and told him to chase his dreams while she chase her own. in conclusion, they were most cutest & perfect couple u could ever ask for.

GR & JJ:
this couple has special place in my heart. the way he fell for her, like really really hard, but still supported her, that was so heartwarming to watch. i love his efforts were made known to her, he fell first, becoz she was like star to him, too precious to approach, the way he notices every single detail of hers, he buys her a gift when that other guy didn't, he gets her pads even though it might be embarrassing for some guys, he was just too flawless, and the way she supports/encourages when she thought she had no dreams. JJ was such optimistic character, but her sadness was always noticed by GR. this couple was magnificent and splendid in their own ways.

FRIENDSHIP:
i love how all the 5 of them were always there for each other.
they helped ZZ when she was falsely accused by searching dustbins.
they helped GR, by staying by his side when he was sick and lonely.
they helped GF, by dealing with his trauma and being there when his grandma was sick.
and many more to go...

Last but not the least, you have to give his cdrama a watch.
I LOVED THIS CDRAMA. ❤️

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A high school youth that everyone wants to experience!!!

Exactly today is the ending of the drama, hence, I am going to speak up my admiration and love to this drama.
The story of your first love being your first boyfriend to being your husband and the father of your child. The main couple were truly a perfect match for each other, they quite compliment each other's personality, and they were each other's happiness and light. What I really like about this drama is the way the female lead keep on documenting her life from the moment that she like the male lead until they become (old), it feels like I am watching someone's handwritten dairy. A truly dream high school life that everyone wanted to experience, a wonderful friendship, a lovely romance, and a youth that you won't forget for the rest of your life. And also, the OST were very beautiful, it really suits the mood of the drama.
Note: The novel of this drama is very recommended to the readers who wants to know more about the inside feelings of the characters.

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Pretty much pure fluff <3

I cannot stress how much I loved this more. No silly misunderstandings, communication problems, self-sacrificing behaviour in the name of honour, and no break ups. This drama was nothing but sweet, and I believe it has dethroned Falling Into your Smile as my favourite drama. (If you can't tell, I love fluffy shows) Highkey recommend for anyone who loved FIYS for the fluff and low drama. This one could actually be considered to have even less drama, so it's a fantastic choice to watch after your typical heart-wrenching xianxia (ahem, looking at you TTEOTM).

Quick overview, the main couple has a more pro-active FL, though not at all annoying, and a more quiet, but absolute sweetheart of on ML. There's a lot less focus on the second couple, especially once they graduate, so that might be disappointing for some, as from what I've observed, Jiang Jia and Gu ran seem greatly popular. I also enjoyed the relationship between guan fang and his grandma.

Overall it's a shame this drama hasn't received much promotion, seeing as the actors aren't big stars compared to Zhao LuSi in Hidden Love which is also on Youku rn. Hopefully this show will get more attention, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from Zhou Yi Ran!

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not boring to watch

i have been watching foreign drama series since 2006. And by so far, I only have one that i've been watching all over again "it started with a kiss" and its season 2 "they kiss again" and have not found any show that will surpass my addiction to it that I literally watched a hundred times more. Until I saw "when i fly towards you". I've fallen in love with the characters. I have been watching it twenty times now, and maybe years to come might watch it hundred times also cause I can't get bored on it, everytime I watched it, it's the same feeling when I first watched it.. simply I just love this series

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Super cute and a mood lifter!

This drama is one of the best youth dramas I've watched. This youth drama focuses primarily on high school and then transitions to life beyond (college, jobs, etc.) towards the end. This drama is one of those cuter dramas that makes you feel good and isn't too serious.

One thing unique about this drama is the incorporation of diaries made by the FL in the opening sequence which is used as footage throughout the drama. Each episode also ends with a small quote before the ending OST sequence. I thought this made each episode more special and it was a cute feature.

The story is pretty normal, nothing out of the ordinary but I still very much enjoyed it, nevertheless. It however is still quite addicting, making you want to continue on to the next episode and see what happens (which I loved). The ML is an introvert and quite shy while the FL is a bubbly, talkative extrovert. I loved that they contrast each other in personality but were still very similar deep inside. My favorite part of the story was the friendships between the main characters, the main couple's relationship, and the realistic depiction of studying and grades.

The acting and casting were superb. Each actor/actress fit each role perfectly and acted amazingly. The chemistry between the characters was something I adored, especially between the FL and ML. I was rooting for them all the way. They made me giggle and laugh so many times (they are just so cute together). The cast really made me feel like I was watching the story of real people.

The music used in the drama were all songs that were already out before the drama, meaning they aren't original soundtracks but I still adored all the songs. The songs were perfectly chosen for this drama and I'm super glad to have discovered some new songs.

I would definitely go back from the start and rewatch the whole thing. This is definitely something that would lift your mood if you aren't in a good mood. Overall, this drama would definitely be one of the highlights of this summer for me and is the all-around perfect school and youth drama.

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Lasting Memories

A way to describe the drama is imagining yourself on a cruise. You get to relax but also spend your time on fun activities the cruise has on board so that even if you're at sea, you won't be bored.

The story is like a cruise. It's an enjoyable drama to watch when you need a refresher and a destresser. It's not boring, there are elements added to the show that add excitement and butterflies, especially the interaction between the leads, you will be sitting there like me giggling and blushing.

A lot of you may think that school dramas are boring, like who would want to see students interact in school? However, this drama turns their daily interactions into youthful memories that transport the viewers into their life. I personally would love to experience their life, their friendship, and their connection with one another.

The group of 5 make up one another, each has their own stories, personalities, and interests. The drama doesn't just revolve around the main leads, the supporting characters add much more depth to the story. Even with the annoying characters, they aren't there for too long, 1-2 episodes max. Problems and misunderstandings are easily solved. Everything is healthy.

The casting is perfect. They're the perfect age to be acting in a school drama. I've seen Zhou Yiran (Zhang Lu Rang) in A Little Mood for Love, which he did a splendid job in. I'm looking forward to Zhang Miaoyi (Su Zaizai)'s drama with Jun (Exclusive Fairytale) and Guardians of the Dafeng. She has a lot of potential. I also noticed Bian Tianyang (Gu Ran) in Run for Time Season 3, so that's pretty cool too! I hope all the actors get to shine in their next drama.

Watching one 30-minute episode in the morning truly brightens my day. I don't think I'll be able to move on ;-;

I loved the inclusion of the female lead's camera. She's like me, I love recording and taking photos of moments with my friends. It truly creates a lasting memory that can be later looked back upon.

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A MUST WATCH YOUTH CHINESE DRAMA

To begin with, I rarely indulge in watching youth cdramas due to my exceptionally high standards for this genre. Many Chinese dramas have failed to meet my expectations, causing me to drop them. Normally, I despise cringey and embarrassing female leads, but I must make an exception for Su Zaizai. Zhang Miaoyi portrayed her character remarkably well. This drama stands out as a heartwarming and lighthearted representation of youth. The depiction of friendship is truly exceptional, with minimal misunderstandings. It is a drama that will make you both laugh and occasionally shed a tear. The dialogue and quotes are skillfully crafted, and the cinematography is simply breathtaking. Director Cattree deserves praise for their outstanding work in bringing this series to life. The friendship portrayed here is undoubtedly one of the best in the realm of cdramas, as the characters mutually heal and support each other. All in all, this drama is an excellent production. I highly recommend giving it a try, as you won't be disappointed.

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