Up in the Air (2025)

Familiar Vertical Drama Faces

I'm a fan of vertical dramas so I was recommended this by YT. I've always liked Wang GeGe's acting and thought she could handle more professional, main stream drama roles. Hopefully this can be a springboard for her and will start seeing her in bigger roles. Dai Gao Zheng got to show more of his acting range here. He proved he's can do more than brood and sulk, he can be funny and bright too. The story looks at the difficulties of marriage for both a long-time couple and a young couple. Each partner thinks they know best and has to learn to listen, understand, and respect the other. It's an overall easy and pleasant watch. I highly recommend!

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A Breath of Life, Love, and Realness

Visual Vibes: Warmth and Real Life

First things first—the visuals.
This drama was pure beauty in motion. From the colors to the camera movements, it felt so warm—like life was unfolding in front of you, one frame at a time. Not in that “dreamy, fantasy way,” but in the lively, grounded sense where you can almost feel the air in the room with the characters. The small moments, the quiet silences, the way the camera lingered as the couple tried to fix things (or didn’t), it had this... warmth to it. I’m not talking sunshine and flowers—just the warmth of being there. Every scene had this grounding energy, and it made me feel like I was living right there in their world, quietly holding my breath during those intense silences.

And honestly, no fast-forwarding? Miracle achieved.


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The Story: Small Things, Big Impact

The plot is simple, yet so impactful. It’s about a young couple—a painter and a lawyer—on the verge of divorce. And the thing that hits you? It’s not some big, dramatic, over-the-top reason. No cheating. No betrayal. Just small things building up over time. Things we all deal with in relationships. And I loved how real it felt. It’s about the slow unraveling of something once beautiful, and it felt like life. A little uncomfortable, but beautifully raw.

Then, we meet another couple in the same situation: the FL’s parents, facing the same kind of "small things" that have driven them to the brink. No villain. No third party. Just life—with all its messy, frustrating, quiet struggles.


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The Conversations: Heartfelt, Honest, Real

What made the drama so special were the conversations. Oh my god, the conversations. From the quiet talks between the leads to the deeper moments shared between the older couples—it was all so real. The father-daughter talks. The father-in-law and son-in-law talks. Every single word was impactful. The bath scenes, where the two men spoke about getting their wives back together, felt like a glimpse into real-life struggles. It wasn’t just about the conflict; it was about how you navigate through life’s challenges when the world isn’t handing you easy answers.


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The Reconciliation: Slowly, Carefully, and Real

What I really loved was how the drama didn’t force any reconciliation for the leads. There was no quick fix to their problems. They took their time—15 days to cool off and really process what was going on between them. It wasn’t rushed, and it didn’t feel like an easy "let's make up and live happily ever after" moment. No, this was about understanding. They gave each other space to breathe, to think, and that felt real. How often do we rush to resolve conflicts in our own lives? This show did the opposite—it let time pass, and it was better for it.


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The Family Dynamics: Heartwarming, Heartbreaking

The elder couple? Their reconciliation was just beautiful. Sometimes, it’s not about big gestures. Sometimes, all it takes is sitting down and talking—expressing what’s been unsaid for so long. That moment? It hit hard. The way they looked through the FL’s childhood sketchbook? Beautiful. That sketchbook wasn’t just a tool for reflection, but a gateway to understanding each other, truly seeing each other for who they were and the journey they’d taken.

And let’s not forget the mother-daughter moment. Tears. The letter from mother to daughter? It was raw, loving, full of regret, and full of hope. It was everything.


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The Ending: Life Goes On

Here’s the thing—there was no big finale. No grand “we’re fixed!” moment. The ending was about life continuing, as it does. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t—but life moves forward. There’s no neat bow to tie it all together. Instead, you get a sense of... peace. And a touch of sorrow.

Because, as with life, we don’t always get the answers we want, but we keep moving.


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The Acting: “Oh, They Can ACT.”
Let’s talk about the acting because… wow.
I already knew both leads from other dramas, and while I liked them then, this was the moment where I went:
“Oh, so y’all can really ACT-act.”
Wang Gege (FL) was, as always, amazing at playing the very human, imperfect roles. She brings this grounded energy that makes her characters feel so real and relatable. I already liked her, but this role just reinforced it. She wasn’t acting like someone in a drama—she felt like someone you could know in real life, someone you could sit next to on a bus and listen to her vent about life.
And then there’s Dai Gaozhang (ML). I won’t lie—I only ever saw him as one of those overbearing CEOs or athlete-type characters. You know the kind: too rich but can’t afford a shirt, or too poor to afford a shirt, but somehow always shirtless because the directors are obsessed with his abs.
But this? THIS was different.
He was vulnerable, frustrated, confused, real. It was honestly refreshing to see him just be a guy trying to figure out his marriage, not some abs-with-emotions cliché. His performance had this quiet intensity, and it really landed.

And of course—the childhood sweetheart bestie? A total gem. He brought that perfect lightness and humor to balance all the quiet melancholy. Every time he was on screen, he added this fun, bubbly energy that made the heavier scenes hit even harder.

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Final Thoughts: A Real Love Story

Up in the Air didn’t give us a perfect love story. What it gave us was a love story full of realness—the kind of love that doesn’t promise you forever, but challenges you to grow. The kind of love where you don’t just fight to stay together, but learn to understand, forgive, and find your way through the messiness of life.

Rating: 9.5/10
Not for the quick fixes. Not for the perfect romance. But for everything in between. For the quiet moments. The small fights. The tender conversations. The mistakes. The regrets. And the hope that even through all of it, life will keep going.

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