The time is 11:14 pm on a school night and I’m telling myself one more episode is fine to watch before heading to bed. For someone who isn’t an avid TV show watcher, this behavior is shocking. Maybe it’s Miao Yi’s captivating acting, or the relationship between the two leads Su Zai Zai and Zhang Lu Rang. But When I Fly Towards You is a must watch for all hopeless romantics. 

When I Fly Towards You is a Chinese drama available on Netflix, that stars Zhang Miao Yi and Yiran Zhou. The show is set in 2012 when Su Zai Zai transfers to Yucai Middle School. There she meets Zhang Lu Rang and instantly falls in love with him. The show spans from her middle school years all the way to adulthood. 

Besides my favorite setting being a high school drama, I enjoyed the transitions from age to age. It’s something many Chinese dramas have included as a staple for a show and I like seeing these characters grow. It also removes the common question of ‘does the couple last?’ Something else they did really well with the show is how in-depth the character backstories are. You learn about her friends’ pasts and current lives while still keeping up with the love story. This made it clear to me they really thought about the plot as a whole.

Although one critique I might have is that in every Chinese drama I’ve seen so far with Miao Yi as the lead actor is that the plots are slightly similar. It’s always set in 2012, and it seems that along with that, one episode (sometimes two) is dedicated to the doomsday scare. This usually involves the friend group having silly little interactions and learning things about each other while the main couple grows closer and shares moments such as holding hands, sharing headphones, or the look of admiration on each other’s faces. Maybe it’s a way to continue the plot or a creative choice from the writers, but it’s caught my attention. 

Overall, I’d give this show a solid 10/10! Oh, and I’ll definitely be recommending this to pretty much anyone I know – hopeless romantic or not.