Overall Rating
Status: Completed
The Good
This drama delivers exactly what it promises: high school puppy love between a bubbly girl and a shy boy. It’s refreshingly unpretentious, and I appreciate that. I have to admit, though—I was a bit swayed by the ratings on MDL.
The OST was beautiful (I’ve shared my favorite songs in the Resources section below). It sets a nostalgic tone and perfectly captures the feeling of youth.
The production was decent, and I liked the overall vibe of the series. It featured a beautiful color palette, with a focus on blue tones, neutral shades like black and white, and touches of pastel colors such as pink and yellow. The casting was well done—Zhang Miao Yi was perfect for her role. She reminds me of Ariel Lin and Tian Xi Wei. Zhou Yi Ran was also a good choice for the male lead. The acting was solid—not outstanding, but everyone portrayed their characters in a positive and believable way.
I like that there aren’t many misunderstandings between the leads. The drama subtly touches on interesting topics like dating, academics, career choices, family relationships, and friendships. It’s clear the writers were aiming for a light-hearted story. While it doesn’t fully reflect the chaotic reality of teenage life, it remains enjoyable and mostly free of toxicity—which I consider a strong point. There’s some light comedy sprinkled throughout, along with sweet moments and a strong sense of nostalgia.
The female lead, Su Zai Zai (played by Zhang Miao Yi), was great. She’s cute, bubbly, and outspoken. What I liked most about her character was how she stood up for herself. It was refreshing to see that, while she’s kind and sweet, she’s not a pushover.
Another aspect I liked was the character development of the male lead, Zhang Lu Rang (played by Zhou Yi Ran). He probably has the most significant—and perhaps the only—character development in the drama. Although I wouldn’t call it a fully fleshed-out arc, he does change quite a bit compared to the other characters.
I appreciated how the drama explored the complications in Lu Rang’s family situation—particularly how his mother favored his younger brother Lu Li and how that affected his self-esteem. It was an interesting and realistic portrayal of family dynamics.
As for the supporting characters, I liked Zhang Lu Li (the male lead’s younger brother), Lin lǎoshī 老師 (Lu Rang’s uncle), and Guan Fang’s grandma.
The Bad
The first thing I didn’t like was the intro spoiling the story. I really wish dramas would stop revealing the entire plot in the opening sequence. Even though this is a fairly predictable story with no major twists, I still wanted to experience the wedding moment without it being spoiled.
Now, my biggest issue with this drama is the female lead. Don’t get me wrong—I like Zai Zai. She’s a refreshing character to watch. While she can be a bit cringey at times, she’s still likable. However, her character was written far too much like a “Mary Sue.” She’s pretty, clever, intuitive, smart, straightforward, and gets along with everyone… basically, her life is perfect.
The problem with having such a flawless character is that it leaves little room for growth. After 24 episodes, we’re essentially watching the same Zai Zai from episode 1. This became especially frustrating as we saw her graduate from college, enter the workforce, get married, and even become pregnant—yet she didn’t seem to mature at all. It felt like I was still watching a 16-year-old Zai Zai cosplaying as an adult!
Building on that, why does Zai Zai like Lu Rang? This question was never really addressed. We never get to see her feelings for him in depth. Yes, we know she falls for him at first sight, but we never fully understand what exactly attracts her to him. On the other hand, we do get this question answered from Lu Rang’s perspective. To him, Zai Zai is like a ray of sunlight in his life—she understands him and knows how to navigate his emotional walls. As viewers, we understand why Lu Rang is so drawn to her, but we’re left without a clear understanding of the emotional depth behind Zai Zai’s feelings.
Another aspect I didn’t like was how much the story relies on Zai Zai fixing and healing Lu Rang. Even with the issues between Lu Rang and his younger brother, Lu Li, the writers felt the need to involve Zai Zai so that Lu Li would trust her with his emotions, instead of confiding directly in his own brother. Zai Zai essentially solves all of Lu Rang’s problems, rather than acting as a supportive presence while he works through his issues himself.
A similar situation occurs with the second couple, Gu Ran (played by Bian Tian Yang) and Jiang Jia (played by Jian Zhi Nan). Gu Ran also has family issues, and in several scenes, Jiang Jia is used as a tool for his emotional healing. Both relationships felt like emotional healing for the male leads, but from the female leads’ perspective, these relationships didn’t add much to their lives. Zai Zai and Jiang Jia both already had perfect lives.
The story felt a bit rushed during the final four episodes. The leads’ friends mysteriously disappeared for one or two episodes, allowing the story to focus solely on university life. We never saw Lu Rang make amends with his parents, which made that plotline feel incomplete. Then, there were several time jumps, with the story only focusing on the key details. Lastly, the inconsistency in episode length stood out—some episodes were 30 minutes long, while others were 40-45 minutes. Why? I know it’s a minor detail, but I personally didn’t like it.
Final Thoughts
Overall, When I Fly Towards You is a fun, fluffy rom-com with no deep themes but plenty of nostalgia, cringey, and cute moments. I take it for what it is, and I’d definitely recommend it if you want to detox from overly complicated and toxic dramas or if you’re a teenager. It was a good watch, for sure.
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