Office romance at it´s finest + Girl Power since Men are Evil
This could have been a solid 9,5 or a 10 if not for a dip or maybe a few wrong tunes towards the end that just took this otherwise very enjoyable drama and just cluttered it with propaganda (not that there wasn't any before that but it just became too much), anticlimactic endings to well built up side plots and a bunch of meeh.That said the first 35 episodes or so where packed with frustration of the best kind, romance, gazes, humour, cold vs hot... discrimination, friendship, fight the bad guy spirit... handsome male leads, gorgeous female leads, playfulness and so on. Yes there where a few annoying characters and situations but they did not take away from the amazing job the leads did in this.
The main villein of this drama is a man who is as shallow, two faced as it gets he will stab you right in the back while smiling warmly and making you trust him. He hates women for som reason, not really sure why and is cheered on by mostly silent men who just do not say anything and other men who also hate women. He is so bad I kept wondering what he had on the CEO of the company as that guy seemed pretty decent so why on earth did he keep such a jerk around?
The villains sexism and actions made way for a whole lot of feminist lines, an interesting speech, some important dialog and observations and female lead who shows how f*** hard it is to survive in a workplace where men are the norm. As our female lead is indeed portrayed as s super natural force of bad ass, yes she may be vulnerable at times too but overall she admits to her mistakes, takes the way, way, way to harsh punishment thrown her way, breaks down for a moment and then gets back up and fights over, and over, and over again... As her sense of justice may need to be toned down a bit... This could of-course have become repetitive and boring but nope, it had me captivated interested and MAD oh so MAD most of the time (in a good way) . The way she handles the male lead, her family, our villain and the western jerks of Australia with confidence is hilarious and I dare say she is probably my favourite c-female lead at the moment (I am just going to pretend those last 5 episodes or so never happened).
The male lead is cold, he has a lot of control issues and had me 80% frustrated 20% smiles an he has great presence on screen and with all the frustration there was also tension and a build up that was phenomenal. So if you watch this be were the romance is slow paced and frustrating but good and rewarding with one h*** of a kiss when you pretty much are ready to give up on them... So hang in there you will get the reward you want, after that things may go to down the drain again and so on... But you will at one point of this drama get one h*** of a kiss that will have you screaming watch out, and wonder if the two getting enough oxygen?
The male leads best friend is solid SLS material. The female leads mother is the type you will want to shove off a cliff and is probably 90%of the reason I had to lower the score. Though her presence does make way for some good old frustration, as well as some good scenes, my over all take on her is that the show would have been a lot better without her. The male leads mother on the other hand is a sweetheart. And so are the more mature pilot and flight attendant in this show.
So all in all I loved this drama, highly binge-able, Tan Song Yun is an amazing actress and if you have not fallen for her yet you will probably fall for her here. So be-were of the last few episodes but I do hope you enjoy the rest of this drama.
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Flying to his heart❤️
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] I like looking at Wang Kai more than I thought. (And he’s a Gu!) His micro-expressions induce my macro-expressions. My eyes dilate whenever I catch the flicker in his eyes or the twitch in his lips because of love. Let’s not talk about the silly grin I have for this man. Tan Song Yun is difficult to watch though only because her character is suffering too much from a misogynistic boss and she thinks it’s our ML’s fault. Nooooo!I don’t think there’s anything special about the story. I’m shamelessly in this for Wang Kai and Tan Song Yun. It is better than I thought though. Not boring, basically, lol. And not overly dramatic. So far, there's zero patriotism. You may get hypertensive at the blatant misogyny.
[Actors/Actresses] It’s interesting watching these two. I’m not sure there’s natural chemistry between them, but I feel it and I think it’s because they’re carrying it by pure acting skills. Or I’m just biased. I can admit that.
[CP Name] It’s Rare That the Quarrels Stopped
Gu Nan Ting + Cheng Xiao = Nan De Xiao Ting Le
顧南亭 + 程霄 = 南得霄亭了
南得霄亭了→ 難得嘵停了 = It’s Rare That the Quarrels Stopped
[Glossary]
凡心 Fán xīn – Mortal heart. The mundane desires of humans e.g. love. (Ep15)
以身相許 Yǐ shēn xiāng xǔ – To devote one’s life/body to / To give one’s heart to (Ep16)
[Ending] Happy.
[A Highlight] For whatever reason my memorable scene is..... Ep12’s amusingly awkward badging moment.
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work drama, nothing special
If you have watched most of Tan Song Yun's show, her character here is very much like other shows - I wouldn't think it's a breakthrough or anything. I feel like this show is similar to Master of my own, in a sense where there is workplace romance, mature adults, slow paced and also no big drama or anything.Show revolve around the main leads and their lives as pilot at Lu Zhou Airlines. I can't rate based on the technicality as to how real it was to real life aviation but the show does not really bore you and moves on fast. Don't expect the romance to be super fluffy kind or anything like that. There is abit of love triangle but nothing too much, romance between main leads only start towards the end of the show.
There are also some story on the supporting characters... which is boring to me.. didn't really enjoy the story on the female lead friend so i usually skip through it.
Recommend to watch if you're into work drama. Skip if you're not. The romance part got nothing much to offer. Both leads are pretty good but chemistry is quite meh.
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Don't Miss This Good Drama
Luzhou is a city located in Sichuan, China with a population of almost 5 million. Their Luzhou Yunlong Airport is situated 17 km from city center and is able handle 2 million passengers per year. Using this backdrop, the drama Flight To You shares trials and tribulations of a career in the airline/aviation industry through a 'made up" Luzhou Airlines. For me, the drama did justice to share how the industry has evolved through the years for China. As I watched, I did at times wonder if such professional airline practices are being adhered to in real life. However, with the fact that the story has been written with so much responsibility there must be some form of reality that has been experienced, and carried out, and now shared with everyone through the eyes of a love story between Flight Instructor Pilot Nan Ting and female Pilot Cheng Xiao.Actor Wang Kai is perfect in the role of Nan Ting. His stoicism, his fear of repeating pain from the past, him falling in love and holding back. And all the cuteness in being clueless in the 'love' department were all played out to the best. I yearned for lots of hugs and kisses, but as I watched, I came to appreciate the struggle of the character and waited patiently till the scene came and it felt right.
However, to me, the protagonist of the drama came in the form 1.62m (5ft. 3in) actress Tan Song Yun. Her role as female pilot Cheng Xiao is of fire and brimstone. A character not to be missed. She is smart, confident and able in an industry monopolized by men. As she is principled and can be defiant when challenged, she is one tough act to tame. This gives Nan Ting lots on his plate to work on. The chemistry and partnership between these two are on point and satisfying to watch. They brought out the yearning and angsty feeling in me from one episode to the next. Every role in the supporting cast were well placed and gave the entire drama a most prominent placement in my choice of dramas going into 2023.
True to life, if airlines and pilots were as efficient and responsible as depicted in this drama, we will truly have 'Safe Flights" indeed.
A very good show. Please give it a try.
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The journey was wonderful with flight to you although it was a bumpy ride!
There are several reviews explaining the plot and the premise of this show, so I will just share why I liked this show and what prevented me from giving it a full score.1. The entire production was top notch. The cinematography was good. I loved each and every scenes that captured the landing and taking off the plane, even though they were repetitive. The whole backdrop of the aviation industry, from the flight department to ground handling to maintenance, all looked so authentic. I am no expert in that but it felt so genuine to me.
2. Casting department did a good job. The portrayal of the characters by each actors was commendable. I felt that the role of Gu Nanting was tailored-made for Wang Kai. He was a great treat to watch here, never even once he reminded me of his any previous characters (even though there were similarities from his character in when the snail falls in love). Tan Song Yun as usual was awesome here, she beautifully brought life to the vibrant character of Cheng Xiao. Other actors whom I enjoyed watching were Yang zi Dong as song song, Shao yo qi as yuheng, Zhou qi qi as ai jia, cheng tai Shen as director xie, Wang ce as manager xu, Gary k as qiao zheng yu, cao yi as cheng Xiao’s father.
3. The character development of Yuheng was one of the best part of this drama. The growth of Yuheng was beautifully done, it didn’t feel sudden but was gradual and very natural. And I also loved the boldness of Cheng Xiao and the shyness of Gu Nanting. The presence of Song Song never bored me once, he was a delight to watch.
4. Although romance was just a subplot, the chemistry between the leads was on fire. It isn’t a usual fluff drama but it has it’s own thrills and frills. It was slow but was quite endearing. The growth of their relationship was natural. I usually don’t prefer dramas where there isn’t any gradual growth of the lead’s relationship but are fed with accidental kisses or pecks (No qualms against fast paced or one night stand tropes, I do prefer them if there is some sort of tension between the characters.) For me, even though it takes time, the sexual tension between the leads should be strong and palpable which gradually builds up and culminates into a passionate one, I am ready to wait. And flight to you was just it, even though it was quite late but worth the wait. The entire development of that particular scene was so apt and true to the both characters (won’t say much).
5. ‘Gravity’ by Liu Yu Ning (modern brothers) was another best part of this drama. It’s so beautiful and aptly reflects the feelings of Gu Nanting towards Cheng Xiao and my feelings towards this drama (even I couldn’t resist this special gravity). Well the entire soundtrack is good too.
6. My complaint is with the scriptwriter. Certain scenes were exaggerated, dragged or resolved hastily and also blending some unwanted tropes and cliches prevented me from enjoying this to my utmost level. Also the acting of Cheng Xiao’s mother fell short somewhere, I couldn’t resonate with her emotions. It has it’s flaws which hindered from being perfect. But the saviour was the director, he so exquisitely transformed the script into this spectacle and also the actors who pulled it off so elegantly, that stopped me from putting it off.
7. From my perspective, I found only one character who was was a flag bearer of male chauvinism. I didn’t find the male lead as a misogynist or a jerk, he just have some obsession with safety. He wasn’t disrespectful towards female pilots or female lead, he never questioned her skills as a pilot but just have some issues with the carefree attitude of the fl (as Tan Song Yun herself explained in her interview, that the character of Cheng Xiao was carefree as she was initially from Freight department, on being transferred to commercial flight she eventually learned with Gu Nanting the weightage and responsibilities a captain of the passenger flight bear as there is no room for negligence).
I watched this show on air, after watching the trailer I couldn’t resist myself and also Wang Kai looked damn hot in uniform. Although it has it’s shortcomings but it managed to keep me hooked to it. Tbh, I wasn’t bored even though it dragged few scenes, maybe I was just enjoying myself watching the taking off and landing of the plane or maybe the entire airport settings was interesting for me, whatever the reasons it maybe, the director once again managed to keep me glued to it. Overall, it was a good watch and I might even rewatch few episodes. I have enjoyed watching this show. It might have a heavy landing but the journey was quite awesome and exhilarating. For me, what matters the most in the end is the journey.
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An enjoyable flight
I really enjoyed this one. It has some flaws, but it was overall a good drama. It helps that I have a particular interest in airplanes and have binge-watched most seasons of Mayday (aka Air Crash Investigation).Some of the things I liked:
- They actually show them working and the pilot/flight attendant plot is not only so they can dress the main characters in nice uniforms like I have seen in most dramas that portray these professions;
- The female lead is quite an interesting character, be it for her excelling at her job or her personality as a whole;
- Most characters go through a nice character development and people who create or make issues worse eventually pay for their actions and the ones who work hard are rewarded;
- The romance is very slow-paced, mostly on the male lead’s side, but although annoying it actually made it more realistic considering his trauma and overall personality.
I probably missed a few things.
Of course it also had some flaws. It dragged here and there, which is expected from Chinese dramas, and it had some annoying sub-plots and characters...yeah, I am looking at you Captain Jiang.
Also, I feel like the last episode should have been merged with episode 38 instead of being a whole separate episode as episode 38 was a lot more interesting and would have made a better last episode. They also addressed something in the last episode that I am glad they did or it would have been a plot hole, but that I wish it was addressed sooner as doing it in such a rushed way in the last episode took away from the seriousness of it and just made the episode less enjoyable.
With all that said, I definitely recommend this drama for people who have any interest in planes, pilots, flight attendants, ... and for everyone else too I guess. My advice is to not binge-watch it and watch a few episodes everyday. I watched it as it was airing and while I had my breakfast and it made it more enjoyable.
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Unique drama, not really romantic, but pretty costumes!
This was my first C drama that centered around flying and I have to say, it was pretty educational and different.I 100% picked up this drama because of the leading actress, Tan Song Yun, I basically watch everything she is in and after the disappointment of Master of my Own, I was really crossing my fingers for an epic romance with Flight to you.
Sadly Flight To you was not the epic romance c drama I was longing for, but despite that, there was a strong emotional connection between the leads. I felt like the leads had a more teacher / student relationship, than two people falling in love at work. I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two of them at all.
I haven’t seen anything Wang Kai has been in, but judging from this drama, I feel like he could have done so much more. He was pretty much emotionless and cold. He was really good at acting as a male who knew how to fly and knew all the rules that goes into flying, but he didn’t really convey his affection towards the FL as much as I wanted when I watch C dramas.
I did like the costumes and the sets were pretty unique, you can’t get any more unique than airplanes right? I am really appreciative of the 1960’s inspired dresses for the flight attendants and the fitted pilot uniforms.
The drama was really informative and it was interesting to see what kind of storylines they could create focused on flying. I do think the pacing was a bit off at times. It was a little too center focused on certain arcs, where I felt like the script writers were just dragging it out.
The writers do address, sexism in the work force, sexual harassment on the job and other items that were interesting to watch. I know it’s a little different in China, you can totally hire someone based on weight and looks (nothing like America) so it still boggles my mind when they mentioned one of the flight attendants needed to lose weight (she is obvious model thin), but you take it for what it is.
Overall, I liked the first half of the drama more because it focused more on the relationship between the leads and it was like a cute little slow burn. You could feel the tension between the two. You were kind of rooting for a physical aspect to pop up, but it’s more emotional than anything.
The story arcs with the mom and the medical issues in the second half was just a drag and the relationship between the main leads kind of just fizzles in the back burner.
Overall, I would go into the drama for something different and pretty to watch, but not really a rom-com in my opinion.
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Solid drama to start 2023
1) I really appreciate how the focus was on character and professional development. When a drama tries to do too much, it just becomes a jumbled rushed mess. This one was not jumbled or rushed. The purpose and storyline were clear, pacing was good.2) I learned a lot about the commercial airline industry. Wow, kinda sucks to be female and trying to be an aviatrix. In the future, when I travel via plane, I will make it a point to thank pilots, flight attendants, ground crew, whoever I meet. It's hard work.
3) Family relationships were spot on! As an American born child of Chinese immigrants, I learned a lot about how I'm SUPPOSED to respond to family members, and how I've failed miserably at it. No wonder my grandmother and mom gave me such funny looks when I responded the way I did concerning professional career! Oops. Well, in the end, I guess I'm quite Americanized.
4) The music is gorgeous! To me, music is super important. If I don't like the music for a drama, I tend to not finish it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great Slice of Life Drama Inside an Airport
This drama was a great pick me up drama atm because I'm currently in a drama slump.It is more slice of life with hints of romance and some melodrama cause there were quite some tear jerkers. I loved how Chengxiao is a strong female lead, there was always something pinned against her and she always stood her ground and got through it all and I admired that about her. She also was incredible when it came to her love life- she indirectly confessed and flirted and teased the ML all the time and it was so cute to watch those scenes. And of course Tan Songyun is an amazing actress (one of my favs) so I expect nothing less of her performance.
The actor for the ML (Wang Kai) was honestly super handsome and looks so good for his age like wtf but he also did great in his role, but at the same time I felt like it was lacking a bit? Maybe it's just how his character is too. But I loved loved how supportive he was with Chengxiao and her career as a pilot.
I have never watched any dramas with a setting as an airport/pilots etc so this drama was pretty informative. Also I LAUGHED at the American scenes and actors- the part where they started clapping when they poured water on her ??? cringe tbh not sure where the writers got their information from...
Anyways the plot was great! Lots of good information, some drama, trauma, family issues, friendship issues etc etc everything you could want in a drama !!
The only thing that was annoying was the love story- they dragged way too long - like we want more cute scenes. So if your looking for a romance drama, this ain't it.
The cast was amazing, the main actors and all the side actors/characters were great. I'm happy they were able to wrap everything up nicely at the end and everyone got their redemptions.
Overall, a great watch with amazing actors and actresses'
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An easy watch
I haven't watched many dramas as the airport setting so I really enjoyed that the plot actually revolves around many issues and day to day lives of the various staff employed at an airport - from pilots (main focus), cabin crew, mechanics to ground handling staff. It's done fairly well. Would have loved to see more of that in fact. A lot of the story revolves around the office politics and struggles of our female lead much of which is the result of misogyny.The main plot is about a young enthusiastic female pilot, Cheng Xiao, who is transferred to flying commercial planes whereas she worked in the transport department thus has to go through a period of training. Unlike other male pilots, she faces harsher scrutiny at every stage and she pushes herself harder to prove her worth. Gu Nanting, is an experienced pilot who is one of the best at Luzhao Airlines. He is also in charge of training Cheng Xiao. He has also had a tragic experience which makes him a stickler for rules and safety.
The pace of the series is decent but can feel a bit slow at times. If you're main focus is romance, then you are in for a long haul flight. This will be the slowest of slow burn romances ever. But the writers depict a good build up of chemistry between the leads despite their contrasting personalities. We also have a very strong contender for the second lead syndrome - Ni Zhang, who works as the chief engineer. He is also a long time friend of Gu Nanting and probably understands him best. The show depicts a very mature version of bromance. It's subtle but you can feel it.
Among a lot of the other characters, I also enjoyed the character of the pilot, Song, who is a colleague and friend of Cheng Xiao.
Probably the most frustrating characters on the show is the FL's mother. I simply could not stand her. She actually made some of the episodes unbearable for me.
Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the show. I'm glad I picked it up.
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Meh...
OVERALLWatch if you're into LOADS of work drama. Skip if you're not. This drama doesn't have much more to offer.
THE STORY
These days Chinese romance dramas are NOT romance dramas haha This one in particular was essentially a work drama. On the good side, it really manages to get your attention. I kind of liked seeing all the issues pilots and flight attendants go through - which is a first, I usually don't care for work drama. The series makes the ordeals they go through realistic and gripping. Another thing I like with Flight to You is that Female lead is the one that does the chasing for a while (and openly too), which is refreshing, while Male lead is the one that is shy and awkward. Male lead also has a bit of depth, with a backstory that makes him a complex character, and he's into gender equality, which is nice.
On the bad side, that's basically all there is to Flight to You. The romance is subpar, the typical twenty episodes of veeeryyy slow burn followed by 10+ episodes of utter and complete stagnation, and ending with 2-3 episodes of rushed resolution, topped with the most archaic of all tropes: miscommunication between the leads, who don't know how to TALK and seem to compete for worst bad decision of the year. Also, the secondary characters are not too annoying, but I couldn't really care about them or their storylines. Female lead is not unbearable, but she's still ditsy and borderline childish at times. The villain is a villain for NO reason, which is just bad writing. And then there's the mom, the typical devil that magically is redeemed by the end of the drama (even though she clearly does not deserve it). And then the drama gifts you with an unnecessary, hateful cliche in the last episode too.
Bottom Line: I don't recommend...unless you're into the secret lives of pilots and flight attendants.
THE ACTING
Cool. I like both Wang Kai and Tan Songyun, especially him. No chemistry though.
THE MUSIC
What music?
REWATCH VALUE.
Low.
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