Accompany You To Fly By The Wind (2021)

A standard cdrama with all its flaws, but...

As may cdramas, useless scenes and a lot of product placement make it too long and sometimes boring or annoying, but the develpment of the love story is so good!
For the first time we witness the growing of a credible relationship. You never ask yourself why they are together or why they love each other.
They go from being strangers meeting by accident and disliking each other to love in such a natural way. Sport is the common ground, most of their dialogues are about this, they share passions and difficulties how a real boy and a real girl would in the same situation. Common experiences lead them to become friends and then lovers for a reason and not "just because" as many kdramas tell us.
Unlike many cdramas, the whole cast is so good and the only weak point (bedised the ones mentioned at the beginning of this rewiev) are close-ups on "action" scenes..a bad slow motion in front of a just as bad background.

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A good drama

I think this drama is a really good drama to let others know being athletic, they put in a lot of time and hard work in order to achieve what they want and is very cruel in this kind of competition. Sometimes a competition-winning can determine the club future of your future. Just like Zhu Feng club if they lost this time their team will be dismissed.
I don't like how misunderstandings are not being said to each other causing a lot of misunderstanding and argument along the way and maybe at some part may not be as logical because friends around you will always question why you do it but in the drama, the friends will just agree and allow them to do it.
The pacing of the drama is good is not too long.
I like the song a lot. Though some of the sound effects are a bit dramatic.

This is a school romcom cum sports drama that is not as toxic as what a lot of people think.
SBS and SZY both are naive people and XQ is here for some motive.

SBS asks to be in a contract relationship with SZY is because he doesn't want to be with his ex-partner and wants to stop people from liking him. Using attached as an excuse to stop all these girls. Yes, a lot of people will say just say to them don't like why need make use of SZY but is not everyone will just go away even if you reject them. In exchange for the contract relationship, SBS will help SZY to get on to the ice for training purposes and is an agreement between them. There is no force here. Why SBS don't want to end the contract and his excuse is scared the ex-partner will come back and find him again and find out they break up will want to be with him but in actual he already fall for her is just that he doesn't believe it himself until he tests it out. To me breaking the contract is not a big issue but is when he end the contract he says he has someone he likes and makes SZY misunderstand. If he were to say he agreed with ending the contract and not say he like a girl SZY won't be that upset. He wants to end the contract and chase after her again to make sure that she falls for him and not because of the contract. This is totally understandable. The part when he confessed to the wrong person is he wanted to do it but is funny how his other friends other than those in his dorm did not question. No one knows they break up if never wake up why will need to have a confession. If someone were to question him then maybe he will think twice and things won't be so out of control.

As for SZY, she is a very simple person. At first, she didn't like SBS is only for the contract so when XQ ask her she say just friends because at that time she did not notice that she has already fallen for SBS. Which is nothing wrong since she has never been in a relationship before. She only finds out that she falls for him after SBS ends the contract with her. So when she found out that SBS confessed to XQ she got really upset and don't want to listen to the explanation she rather stays away from it. She really treats XQ as a friend so when she knows XQ likes SBS she tries to help them and not get in between them. However, did XQ really treat SZY as friends?

Now talk about XQ, she gives up her overseas career just because she likes SBS. So when SBS needs a partner she came over. She came with a motive. Why did she choose to be in the same dorm as SZY? Is because SZY is SBS's girlfriend, in order to have more information about SBS she purposely gets close to SZY and chooses to stay in the same dorm as SZY. Which she knows that they are in a contract relationship she purposes tell SZY that she likes SBS. She is not evil or bad she just wants to be with a guy she likes which is nothing wrong just she has never really treated SZY as a friend at all. To her, she just wants to know when the contract when ends so she can officially tell SBS she likes him. This is why when SBS accidentally confesses wrongly to her she asks for 2 days and she will settle it and she purposely lies to SZY that they are together because she herself also did notice that maybe SBS and SZY maybe like each other. She just wants to cherish every single chance she gets to make SBS fall for her. Can't say she is evil is just she is here for a motive and did not really treat SZY as a friend but SZY really treats her as a friend that's why once she knows XQ lie to her she was very upset.

Reaching the end of the story is all about the competition and the beef between the 2 mothers. SBS should have told SZY that he already found out about it. If SZY has known maybe she can try to think of ways to reduce the mum's pain and help her mum to walk out of it. but it was SZY words that make then mum realize that maybe it's time to let go of it. When she was talking to ZLL she says cannot because she said it or she has the thought means she really did it and accused her of doing it. This referring to LXY, cannot because one person saw her touch her skate then accused her of the one causing the injuries. Because SZY did check her skate before she start training, therefore, she want ZLL to help to clear the air and apologized to LXY. After SZY's mum heard that she think twice. Cannot because ZY said all that to her before the start of the competition so think that she will fight with her and not help her to get the gold medal. Therefore, decided to talk to ZY and accept her apology and forgive her.

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If you are in need of Bright, Sunny, Cute and Lighthearted drama this is the drama for you.

I absolutely enjoyed this drama. I am the type of person who needs at least one warm, bright drama just to provide comfort and lightheartedness where you can escape into the world for a second. I am sucker for campus dramas and sports dramas so this drama fits perfectly. The sports storyline was actually interesting and the whole journey of team was also interesting too and even the secondary characters romance was also interesting too.

Besides enjoying the overall atmosphere of the drama One of the major reasons I enjoyed this drama was the chemistry between the Main Leads. Their chemistry was absolutely awesome. They were very natural and cute and affectionate with each other and I loved it. They acted like a real dating couple. Not like other dramas where it feels like they aren't barely dating and don't barely show affection to each other. The main leads here were very warm to each other and supportive of each other. And I can honestly say that they have one the best hugs I have ever seen between Main leads in drama.
Also absolute loved the OST One more Time by Chi Mu

So I highly recommend this drama. If you want a light, cute and inspirational drama then this is the drama for you.

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Everyone turns out good

I like the main actor and I like to learn stuff about sports through dramas, more interesting that way, so this is why I started watching this drama.

I was very frustrated about the bit where the main guy got injured and couldn't play pairs anymore, it was very logical that he should play singles, didn't know that's not really how it goes IRL so it didn't make sense to me why it wasn't a default option.

The coach was so dumb, I could see how there would be a person like that, but man, he was so shortsighted and there were some things done by him that were questionable, like when he bought the skates for the FL, or was hangin around with only Ms Luo at coffee shops and restaurants some of those things were never explained properly. He seemed like a good guy, so I was kinda hating on him for being such a simpleton and not having a moral stand. In the end he turned out alright, like everyone else.

Worst character by far is FL's mom. With her behavior she was dividing the family and then she would blame her family members of conspiring against her, when she was the one in the wrong. She was even dragging the FL home when she first found out about the skating, they didn't make that scene as embarrassing as it would've been IRL with all the students in broad daylight. She was making a huge fuss about the head coach and after over 20 years of resentment she could've ignored everything but she was being extremely petty. I don't care that she has a constant reminder of her injury, at least she could still function normally, except for the slight pain here and there when it rained.

And finally, if I was the ML I wouldn't ever forgive my mother, now that he's a grown up he can take care of himself, his mom wasn't there when he actually needed her, didn't even try to make contact.

In the end everyone got over their issues, everything got resolved and it's a very happy ending for all. Every "villain" turned into a good guy and they all lived happily ever after.

P.S. I was impressed that they got an actual short track speed skater on the show.

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Cuteness Overload.

I came to this drama following Song Zu'Er but fell in love with Wang An Yu. Thoroughly enjoyed this drama and was surprised I liked this all the way through. It was just enough angst but not over done (I've watched too many dramas this year with jealous, obsessive second leads). A pleasant reminder of what young love feels like, but also a great example of a healthy and supportive relationship.

While the storyline itself may not be the most realistic, it didn't really bother me. I've always been a fan of speed skating and ice-skating, so a youth sports drama with this focus was entertaining to watch. I thought the acting overall was great and writers did a good job of keeping the plot moving. I was worried that 33 episodes would be too much, but I never really felt like this was dragged out.

Shao Beisheng and Shen Zhengyi might honestly be one of my fav youth CPs. Highly recommend this if you need a light-hearted drama with LOTS of sweet moments. I loved the development of the main leads' relationship and will definitely re-watching parts! Can't believe this one is over and already missing it..

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This is a great slice-of-life drama depicting the experiences of a group of young man and woman as they navigate through the ups and downs of college life within the backdrop of short track speed and figure skating. Although there are conflicts and misunderstandings among the characters, these young man and woman learn how to confront struggles in their lives and become stronger through challenging themselves and each other as they pursue their dreams. The leading couple has great chemistry and is a delight to see as they start to fall in love and support each other throughout the drama. Overall, this drama is really entertaining and the cast did fabulously delivering their characters within a great story of romance and sports.

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Give it a chance! Watch it for the leads

Okay so, I watched first episode 7/8 mins then I decided not to watch it when it first aired. Then two days ago, I had nothing to watch and this popped up in front my screen so I decided to give it a go AND I'm glad I did!

To be honest, it was very normal and the story is very similar to other college sport dramas BUT this is the very reason why you should watch it, I could compare it to other dramas and it was way better in many terms. The team did a great work giving us enjoyable 46 mins each episode.

I am not familiar with the main leads, but I loved them! Their acting was great. They portrayed SZY and SBS perfectly. Their character was refreshing, them as individuals and as a couple were loveable. They had a very mature relationship, emotionally I mean. They were mature plus cute at the same time. As I've said before, the story is nothing special, but when the story is not special it depends on the leads who act to judge a drama, and in my opinion you should watch this one for the leads.

2nd leads are great friends to main leads individually, they're humorous. But them as a couple... I'm not so sure. It was kind of rushed and had no depth. I wish writer could give their story more depth and gave them reasonable choices.

Coach Xiao disappointed me at last, I liked him all the way but knowing the reason for his actions disappointed me. I understand that he had his reasons and a past he couldn't let go of, it happens. Everyone has something they cannot let go of I totally understand. But that does not justify his actions. He was very unprofessional, when SZY felt betrayed I felt like I was betrayed. I'm glad he returned and pulled himself altogether. But it left a bitter feeling inside me.

Talking about XQ, I couldn't quite understand her character, like did she never think of SZY as a friend and only approached her cuz of SBS? I really liked her at first, I couldn't take my eyes off her at the rink. But then, did she come all the way to China leaving a great opportunity in Korea just because she liked SBS? they work great as partners, I admit. But the way she lied about her relationship with ml to fl and the way she turned a blind eye to the reality when she could clearly see ml likes fl, I don't know what to say, I thought of her as a smart person, she was skilled and pretty. She could become a character I genuinely root for. Well, I guess some things just don't go as plan and my wish right?

Soundtracks were great, I loved them. I would like to watch it someday again ＾▽＾

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Strong Leads with Amazing Chemistry

I don't watch CDramas usually and I just went into this one blind. And loved every second of it.

I loved the ML and FL. They love what they do (ice skating) and are good at it. They don't always win, but face setbacks and disappointments which they work hard to overcome. Of course, they both are portrayed as especially (a bit fantastically) talented players, but I think that is acceptable in a drama like this.

Their interactions with each other was soooo cute. Great on-screen chemistry. It has tropes of contract relationship and friends-to-lovers. They both play different sports (are not competitors) and help each other grow. One reason I stay away from CDramas is how the FL is always a bit less talented than the ML and don't sense much respect between the two, but this one was different. They both were equals and supportive of each other.

The sports part was done very well. There were some issues with how the sports scenes were shot, but mostly ignorable. I especially loved the upbeat OST of the sports scenes. Actually, the OST was pretty good overall and did wonders for the drama quality.

There were a lot of cliches involved, and the drama was light and fluffy (you pretty much know the ending when you start), but it was an overall enjoyable watch (even though the ending was a bit rushed; I would've loved to see more of the characters life at the end; it was too abrupt). All the characters complemented each other and did their part well. So hurray to the casting, too.

Go into it if you want to relax and have a good laugh. This drama delivers exactly what it promises. Happy watching!

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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.

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Skating fans will be delighted with this drama

This drama is a blessing since I love figure skating and I've been a fan of the likes of Yuzuru Hanyu, Nathan Chen, Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir, and Kim Yuna. After watching this, I also became interested in speed skating. I think this is a sports drama first and foremost but the romance part is portrayed well. Every character feels real to me. their stories and hardships as professional athletes and their relationship with one another. It's an easy watch and really heartwarming. Wang An Yu and Shen Zheng Yi are perfect in their roles. I've watched dramas with Miao Pu, this talented lady deserves the world I can never get tired of her. Fu Wei Lun and Du Yu are actors that I will keep an eye on.

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Sweet n spicy Ice cream

This was my kind of feel light and fluffy chilly ice cream drama with lots of feel good... but not without its chilli flakes to spice it up here and there.

The drama has a good pace, nice mix of friendship, working hard to achieve ones goals, conflicts and romance... There is however a light lack of umbrellas that stand out, but makes up for it with its ridiculous use of red product placed bags... Since I had just finished writing an article on the subject those bags cracked me up a lot!

I loved to see how they handled popular drama cliches, as well as kept me on my toes with both predictable and less predictable pace... I also loved the dynamics between the mane couple with bickering, growthe, and what may have started as a not so healthy relationship develop in to mutual respect and understanding. With lots of cringey, gooey fun scenes that just made me smile over and over again.

I also love how they used colors and clothing. It has a lot of great hoodies, you may want to try to count them all , but don´t you may miss something.

The amount of annoying characters was kept to a minimum and even the roles with least amount of time on screen got to show both strengths and weaknesses.

I did not like the work thru pain theme to it, it can be dangerous and is a bad message in my personal opinion... However the drama compensates with a good message of team spirit and working together that I really like, but can make some cringe, so this is for those who like cliches, like cringe, matching outfits and fluff and do not mind some hardship in between!

Also the Skating scenes are truly amazing!!!

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Falling in love on the rink + competitive friendships!

I've read comments that viewers enjoyed this skating drama more than Skate Into Love and My Unicorn Girl which says a lot about the standard of ice skating romances. Not to say To Fly With You wasn't good - it was! It featured a heartwarming story of perseverance, sportsmanship, hard work + diligence, forgiveness, and falling in love. But it still ultimately resorts to classic Cdrama cliches that lengthened the storyline for nonsensical reasons and tested my patience. The overall feeling from this drama is a positive one though, mainly because I thought the production value of the skating scenes was impressive, and it got me emotional with the main characters' dreams (I must say, gotta love a training montage, and To Fly With You had one every couple of episodes lmao).

PROS
❀ Do-gooder short track speed skater x goofy/lovable figure skater | I love how the main leads are both ice skaters, but interested in different sports. There are great scenes of them helping each other out in their respective fields, which I just *clenches fist* love. The synergy!!! Their romance was one of those "first love + innocent" ones where they quickly catch feelings but are ignorant of the others' feelings. They start off as a bickering pair, intrigued by each other, follow up as friends that help each other in the rink + random contractual relationship, and end up as a couple by ep 22. Did it take too long to reach there? Lowkey yes because of dense feelings going on. I would have accepted it if they were too busy with training/resolving conflicts in their respective sports/anything sports-related, but the fact that we had to sit through a disgusting, gnatty 2FL who the FL was too nice to... bruh, we deserved better.
The good news is that once the couple is together, they're good as gold. They continue supporting each other in their endeavors and even trust each other when family drama happens. The FL's unwavering confidence in the ML really bolstered him in his pursuit from pair figure skating to single figure skating, while the ML's enthusiasm for the FL in chasing her dream pushed her forward. She's the type to think well of people, no matter what, and he's a golden retriever who's spunky and energetic. Both actors are new to me (although I've seen the ML in some clips of Forever Love, and it seems he has a similar playful character), but they both portray a youth/college role really well and had great emotion in their scenes.
❀ Sismances and team bonding | While I was annoyed at some characters at first for their cattiness, they quickly grew on me as the shows explored their backgrounds. The whole "she's mean but there are underlying reasons why she acts this way and once you dig those out and psychoanalyze her she'll turn a new leaf" trope is just *chef's kiss* muah. Especially for sports dramas. I love the eventual progression of the speed skater team and seeing the FL rise from a self-taught skater to a professional who beat previous winners. Her diligence and passion for skating was well-portrayed by the actress! I also enjoyed the friendship she has with another skater, Zhu Lele (lmao which is my Chinese nickname). Lele was annoying at times, but their sismance was definitely A+.
❀ THE MOMS!!!!!!!! | Me during the mom scenes: "Mommy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry."
One of the reasons why this show stuck with me is the story behind the main couple's moms. The blurb already hints at some undelying animosity, but I love how the moms were able to reconcile through their children and communication. Both actresses were SPECTACULAR. Great angry and crying scenes, great expressions of regret, great acting to gain our sympathy. I love how both moms' legacies on the ice were carried on by their children (who end up dating!! Sheeesh). They were both passionate and headstrong women that had moving scenes. Coach Zhuang Ye (the ML's mom and FL's coach) and the FL's relationship was also well-done and nicely developed. The moms were the heart of this show.
❀ Impressive visuals/production on the ice | I don't have many expectations for Cdrama effects, but To Fly With You had pretty good visuals. I never skipped the scenes on the ice and although the music was rather repetitive, they utilized it in a way that dramaticized the skating scenes. It really made you pumped!! I couldn't even tell if they used stunt actors for some of the scenes (I mean, they must have, right?), which added a realistic layer to everything. Also,,, the ML did an AMAZING job with his figure skating scenes. Honestly his last match made me so emotional and got me rewatching Yuri On Ice scenes (a figure skating anime that's phenomenal).

CONS
✕ I started fast-forwarding/skipping the secondary couple scenes | Don't get me wrong, the second couple consists of the best friends/roommates of the main couple and they cute af, but...,,, it's the typical secondary couple storyline. For some reason it's as much drama as the first couple, paired with misunderstandings, even a break up (whatt??), the FL's friend dating some other dude beforehand, among other things. Did I care about their theater club? Absolutely not. (I feel like they could have incorporated it better with the main leads and developed bonds through their scenes but it remained pretty separate from the main storyline.) Did I care about their romance? Not really either... the girl (Lele) was a mess half the time with indecisiveness and in general there was a lot of pushing/pulling that got me impatient. I think these characters are great as the silly foil/bffs of the main leads, but their romantic storyline was a no from me.
✕ THE MOST unnecessary sibling combo to ever exist | AKA the Xiao siblings. On the left, we have an immature male coach that, although he's an adult, uses young women's dreams of skating as a way to resolve his past trauma in seeing his best friend's death (btw, did this ever get resolved?? If it did, I must have fast forwarded past it. If it didn't... even more reason to dislike him). On the right, we see an immature younger sister who creates misunderstandings with every word out of her mouth because she's obsessed with the ML and can't take "no" for an answer. The left is a cockroach because despite all the shit he pulled, he survives it all and is still loved in the end by the team. The right is a gnat, because she be appearing EVERYWHERE and getting between the main couple for literally no reason. Their faces made me so annoyed I started watching their scenes at 2x speed, and even fast forwarded. For a sports drama, I didn't think there was TIME to put an annoying 2FL with evil intentions but I guess this is what happens with 33 eps. Tbh even skipping their scenes, ya ain't missing much from the show.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 4/10 | Definitely miscommunication between the second couple, and a slight misunderstanding between the primary couple when the ML confesses to the FL. Don't know why this misunderstanding was dragged on for a literal episode (he confesses at the end of ep 20 if I recall correctly, misunderstanding is the whole theme of ep 21, and they finally get together in ep 22). It was a juvenile situation (ML confessing to the wrong girl) and added screen time to the gnat, which was wholly unnecessary. I came in for a skating drama about teammates and chasing dreams - why did I have to sit through ~45 min of me yelling at the gnat for not telling the truth?!? ;__; alas.

OVERALL
I'm not sure if To Fly With You brings anything new to the drama game, but as a drama dedicated to the Beijing 2022 Olympics, it definitely makes a viewer emotional and pumped for the matches. The sismance, team camaraderie, and romance(s) make for a relationship-driven show that captures watchers' hearts as we follow the characters' dreams on the rink.

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

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