Rhea
Malaysia
Predictable But Well-Executed
To Fly With You is one of the better Chinese sports romance dramas out there in my books. I think it is also the type of drama that will resonate more with the younger viewers as it has a college romance element in it. So, don’t expect anything overly serious and melodramatic. It has a lot of light and fun moments to make you smile as well as some sweet scenes for the required sugary feel. Most of the serious stuff is reserved for the sport matters such as training and relationship among the team members.
Personally, I find this drama to be very predictable in terms of the plot. I guess if you have watched one or two sports dramas and rom-coms, you can more or less guess the issues that are going to crop up. I know most romance dramas are highly predictable anyway but To Fly With You is a bit better than the rest because the story is well-executed. It is told in a very coherent manner with the romance being developed at a realistic pace and the leads’ road to success is not dragged out unnecessarily.
Don’t Mind The Predictable Plot
Basically, most of the issues explored in this drama is nothing new. Quarrels with coaches and team mates, jealousy, injury, parental objection, and love triangle are all part and parcel of To Fly With You. Therefore, be aware that this drama doesn’t really have anything extraordinary to offer in terms of plot originality. If you have watched Skate Into Love and have a bit of common sense, you will be able to predict these issues that will arise as the drama progresses.
So, this drama is only good if you don’t care about cliche storylines. Otherwise, you might find it too predictable that it loses any kind of anticipation. What makes up for it though is the likable female lead in a well-executed story to cut down on the boredom level. So, although the issues are predictable, all of them share some limelight throughout the drama. They are told in a way that you can feel the drama is moving along rather than getting stuck in a rut. I think this offers a kind of variety to keep you interested as there is romance, family relationships, friendships, and team spirit being fleshed out in the story.
A Unique Female Character
Zheng Yi is a pretty interesting character to me. She is stubborn and persistent when it comes to her passion for speed skating. She is also not easily cowed by her seniors in the team. Yet, she also exhibits a kind of naivety with her trusting nature. Whatever it is, it is easy to root for her as she grows on you as the drama progresses. To me, Zheng Yi is definitely a more colorful character than Bei Sheng as her partner.
As for Le Le, she has a cheerful face and she is funny which is a good contrast to Zheng Yi. She takes up quite a bit of screen time together with Qu Zhi as the side couple but fortunately, they are not annoying unlike some secondary couples which are a waste of viewers’ time.
Growing Chemistry
The chemistry between Wang An Yu and Song Zu Er is not too obvious in the beginning but it gradually gets better and better as the story moves along. Personally, I still prefer his pairing with Xiang Han Zhi in Forever Love which is a really sweet college romance drama. But his partnership with Song Zu Er is not too bad either and way better than with Nina Wang in Go Go Squid 2.The sparks is definitely there with this couple and they look very natural with their touches and hugs. Hence, I feel that the chemistry is better once they started dating in the drama as they look very comfortable as lovers.
As for the acting, Song Zu Er shines as Zheng Yi. She managed to bring out the essence of the character which is both stubborn and determined but also kind and playful. She looks very natural in her role with every movement and expression being suited to the scenes enacted with no overacting and exaggeration. Wang An Yu is also good as Bei Sheng to give the character a kind of playfulness and optimism. While it is enjoyable watching him, it is not a performance that exceeded expectations. He delivered as required but without any nice surprises to the viewer.
My Verdict – Okay To Watch
Overall, To Fly With You would not be a waste of time but neither is it something really engaging. If you like college romance, then this might be your cup of tea. If you also like a sports theme especially ice skating, then it will be a bonus. There are racing scenes in the drama to give you some excitement as well as figure skating scenes for you to appreciate the choreography.
Frankly speaking, I watched this in a scan and skip manner because I could predict what would happen next. The story is easy to follow and thus, you don’t really miss much even if you skip some scenes. As mentioned, it is not an engaging tale like Fall In Love or a touching coming of age story like Be Yourself whereby every scene helps us to get deeper into the story. It is also not an overly sweet romantic drama like You Are My Glory. It is merely a simple sports-cum-romance drama with a little bit of everything from parental objection to love triangle to team camaraderie.
For this To Fly With You review, I would give it a score of 7.5/10. Many viewers seem to like it a lot and I think you would too if you like the innocence of college romance and first love as well as chasing dreams. Watch it for the leads’ chemistry and the supportive nature of their relationship. It is a nicely executed story but it loses marks with its predictability where I’m concerned. It does not render it unwatchable as there are strengths to make up for the weakness but just don’t expect this Chinese drama to offer you a refreshing plot to give you something different from the usual.
Personally, I find this drama to be very predictable in terms of the plot. I guess if you have watched one or two sports dramas and rom-coms, you can more or less guess the issues that are going to crop up. I know most romance dramas are highly predictable anyway but To Fly With You is a bit better than the rest because the story is well-executed. It is told in a very coherent manner with the romance being developed at a realistic pace and the leads’ road to success is not dragged out unnecessarily.
Don’t Mind The Predictable Plot
Basically, most of the issues explored in this drama is nothing new. Quarrels with coaches and team mates, jealousy, injury, parental objection, and love triangle are all part and parcel of To Fly With You. Therefore, be aware that this drama doesn’t really have anything extraordinary to offer in terms of plot originality. If you have watched Skate Into Love and have a bit of common sense, you will be able to predict these issues that will arise as the drama progresses.
So, this drama is only good if you don’t care about cliche storylines. Otherwise, you might find it too predictable that it loses any kind of anticipation. What makes up for it though is the likable female lead in a well-executed story to cut down on the boredom level. So, although the issues are predictable, all of them share some limelight throughout the drama. They are told in a way that you can feel the drama is moving along rather than getting stuck in a rut. I think this offers a kind of variety to keep you interested as there is romance, family relationships, friendships, and team spirit being fleshed out in the story.
A Unique Female Character
Zheng Yi is a pretty interesting character to me. She is stubborn and persistent when it comes to her passion for speed skating. She is also not easily cowed by her seniors in the team. Yet, she also exhibits a kind of naivety with her trusting nature. Whatever it is, it is easy to root for her as she grows on you as the drama progresses. To me, Zheng Yi is definitely a more colorful character than Bei Sheng as her partner.
As for Le Le, she has a cheerful face and she is funny which is a good contrast to Zheng Yi. She takes up quite a bit of screen time together with Qu Zhi as the side couple but fortunately, they are not annoying unlike some secondary couples which are a waste of viewers’ time.
Growing Chemistry
The chemistry between Wang An Yu and Song Zu Er is not too obvious in the beginning but it gradually gets better and better as the story moves along. Personally, I still prefer his pairing with Xiang Han Zhi in Forever Love which is a really sweet college romance drama. But his partnership with Song Zu Er is not too bad either and way better than with Nina Wang in Go Go Squid 2.The sparks is definitely there with this couple and they look very natural with their touches and hugs. Hence, I feel that the chemistry is better once they started dating in the drama as they look very comfortable as lovers.
As for the acting, Song Zu Er shines as Zheng Yi. She managed to bring out the essence of the character which is both stubborn and determined but also kind and playful. She looks very natural in her role with every movement and expression being suited to the scenes enacted with no overacting and exaggeration. Wang An Yu is also good as Bei Sheng to give the character a kind of playfulness and optimism. While it is enjoyable watching him, it is not a performance that exceeded expectations. He delivered as required but without any nice surprises to the viewer.
My Verdict – Okay To Watch
Overall, To Fly With You would not be a waste of time but neither is it something really engaging. If you like college romance, then this might be your cup of tea. If you also like a sports theme especially ice skating, then it will be a bonus. There are racing scenes in the drama to give you some excitement as well as figure skating scenes for you to appreciate the choreography.
Frankly speaking, I watched this in a scan and skip manner because I could predict what would happen next. The story is easy to follow and thus, you don’t really miss much even if you skip some scenes. As mentioned, it is not an engaging tale like Fall In Love or a touching coming of age story like Be Yourself whereby every scene helps us to get deeper into the story. It is also not an overly sweet romantic drama like You Are My Glory. It is merely a simple sports-cum-romance drama with a little bit of everything from parental objection to love triangle to team camaraderie.
For this To Fly With You review, I would give it a score of 7.5/10. Many viewers seem to like it a lot and I think you would too if you like the innocence of college romance and first love as well as chasing dreams. Watch it for the leads’ chemistry and the supportive nature of their relationship. It is a nicely executed story but it loses marks with its predictability where I’m concerned. It does not render it unwatchable as there are strengths to make up for the weakness but just don’t expect this Chinese drama to offer you a refreshing plot to give you something different from the usual.
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