Quando Eu Voo em Sua Direção (2023)

Standalone stories were top tier. Main Story was lucklaster

Above average modern drama series with a shorter runtime. Definitely should have improved the main story but acting by the main leads were still top tier. Standalone plot and side plots were well developed especially for the side characters like Gu Ran and Guan Fang's family backstories are really well developed. TLDR I think the overall story needs some work, especially with Zhang Lurang's relationship with his parents and brother. It was left on a cliffhanger towards the end of the series and not expanded upon nor explained. The acting was great from everyone and really immersed the characters. I think the choices for music were top tier with all of them hitting the mark and expectations. However, the rewatch value is limited due to it being a pretty cliche narrative and film in general. I think the rewatch value could be improved if the show offered more insight to the main story.

Story - 7.5/10
First I'd like to address the overall story. I don't think the issue or problem is resolved towards the end. The show places huge emphasis on Zhang Lurang and his backstory, making it seem as if the parents don't really care about him nor give him attention while placing all of their faith in his younger brother. The film then dedicates an episode to creating empathy for his brother, which does resolve the issue temporarily. However what makes the overall story feel out of place is the inevitability for the story to explain Zhang Lurang's relationship with his parents. This was not done at all. I think that is the main reason why it takes away from the overall story. They had a nice buildup with mystery, they had a very nice empathetic climax, but they lacked any true resolution. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the side stories. First on Guan Fang's background being a fighter when he was younger to being more mature. I loved the development with his grandmother and it shook my heart when she almost died towards the end of the story. I think this should of been the prototype for the main story. Then there is the story with Gu Ran, which wasn't as good as Guan Fang's story but still explained his backstory. At first, he seemed much more annoying, but this story helped me understand his character and to start empathizing with him, especially when he started to chase after Jiang Jia. I think in general that Zhang Lurang's backstory could have been implicated to be more of a side story, but the show makes it out to be the main story which I think they should have done less of.

Acting - 9/10
There's not much to say here. Everyone did their jobs really well. I think that maybe Zhou Yiran's acting could be fleshed out a little more in order to create a difference between Zhang Lurang's character in the beginning of the film compared to him at the end. If there was a better differentiation between that, it could have helped Zhou Yiran's depiction of Zhang Lurang. Other than that I felt as if all the actors held their own. I have to give praise to all of the side and minor characters, especially the grandma. I think the actor for the grandma really depicted the grandmother's love for Guan Fang and it was brilliant acting. I also thought that the actor for Guan Fang did a really good job despite his age gap.

Music - 9.5/10
Many people think the music for this show isn't that good, but I thought the music stood its ground and, if anything, actually helped the show in the long run. I thought some of the songs that were played in emotional scenes such as April Encounter were really well fit for the show. I also thought that the opening and ending of the show were well depicting the era. I love how the show tries and differentiates between the different eras, by mentioning music from each era. This was a new thing that hadn't happened before and I was actually surprised to see that happen for the very first time in a Chinese drama. I thought it was also really unique for modern dramas altogether since I had never seen them try out different music themes for different eras of time. They used a wide variety of soundtrack music that also contributed greatly to the emotional scenes.

Rewatch Value - 8/10
To preface this rewatch value section, I want to say that it it is not the end all be all if you watch this drama again. I think this drama is quite enjoyable if your watching for the very first time. It has many lovey dovey scenes that are great to see in action to start with. However, I don't recommend watching this drama more than once. After my second playthrough, many of the plot holes start to appear as with Zhang Lurang's family. Also you realize that some of the character's aren't fully developed. It comes to me that many of the characters don't actually develop during the show, but instead develop before the show such as many of the side characters. I think the love is also not well developed in detail and comes towards the beginning. If anyone has seen the anime Horimiya, its very similar to that. I feel as if the characters somewhat fall in love towards the very beginning and the rest of the 15+ episodes are just filler for the love aspect. In all honesty, its quite enjoyable if your watching once, however, once you go above the number one, you start to notice cracks in the show's operations which may worsen the watching experience.

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Finally, a FL we can stan for eternity!

Su Zaizai is remarkable character and human being. She was bubbly, positive, supportive, loyal and frankly sunshine personified. More importantly, she was not a trope. Just because she was bubbly, she was not dumb. There were things she was not great at and things she excelled at. It was like a breath of fresh air that they didn't turn her into a stereotypical brainless girl who followed the straight A student around. I'm SO TIRED of that trope. And she was dynamic! She was no one's doormat... The male lead was not a tsundere either. He was humble, caring, honest and brave. The only reason I give this drama 9.5 is because I cannot agree with how lightly they dealt with his parents' gaslighting. They were never held accountable for what they did to him and his mental health or how they destroyed the brothers' relationship. Chinese and Asian dramas in general are tackling many issues, but they still put toxic family affairs under the mat, trying to make us forget and forgive as the ending curtains come down.

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Ultimate Comfort Drama

This entire show was beginning to end so sugary sweet it's amazing that the viewing audience isn't given immediate diabetes. This story follows the main leads as well as their friend group from their first year of high school through university, entering the work force and ultimately marriage and having a child by the last episode. It made for an experience where each and every episode my lips were unconsciously smiling or even giggling.

As for the relationships, you could not go wrong with either RangRang OR Gu Ran as your life partner. Both showed complete devotion and I just wish we'd also been shown Gu Ran proposing but we just have to be content knowing it was literally only a simple matter of finding a "proper" time.

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The most refreshing drama

I expected this to be another youth drama with friendships and romance but more focusing on romance than anything else. Actually, this had the perfect amount for everything.

It made me want to have a friend group like them, there was no second man to take the main girl away. This was realistic but in a romantic, nice, fresh way.

The opening song is amazing, and hits you with nostalgia that I never actually felt. The acting was great for everyone, everyone matched the character they needed to play, and the story was amazing. It was not over the top drama, it was just real life issues, insecurities, thoughts, and it ended in the most adorable way.

Definitely watching this again.

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It's juts like a typical High School Chinese Drama

I knew this drama through TikTok, and just watch a glimpse of some episodes and I'd say, I really did expect something different or new with this but yeah, as I get through this series I just realize it's just like the typical High School Chinese Drama. The girl will fall in love with the quiet, popular, and smart guy and it's just the typical plot of high school Chinese drama where the girl would do everything to get notice by the guy, and that's it, it's just has kind of different ambiance or place and different actor, I don't find anything special at all but yeah at least the girl in this story is not that dumb to not listen to his boyfriend to avoid misunderstanding and I like the part that she really has the confident that the guy really love him and they really did the connection. I also like the acting, well there's no dead air as expected of Chinese actors and I love to see some new faces.

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Not at 10/10 but I cried!!

YES it’s very very sweet, light hearted and warm to watch this drama. Any love rivals, issues were all resolved within one episode lol. The lead couple had such perfect understanding and communication, and supported each other all the way!

So that’s the problem- it’s too perfect, and thus made this drama quite unrealistic. Haha.. not that I’m looking for break ups and miscommunication, but this was just too good to be true. One reviewer said their hairstyles didn’t change in what… 8 years?? Hahaha… so yeah- the producers should have been more alert on these sort of details.

Episodes 1-19 were mostly on their high school years, ages 16 -19. The main leads get together in episode 19 (if I remember correctly) and the last few episodes were in university, working life, and the final episode on their wedding and getting pregnant! It would have been nice to see a bit more on their uni days. I didn’t expect much on their work or married life as the actors are still quite young.

I especially loved the character development of the ML. From having very low self esteem and constantly being compared to his younger ‘smarter’ brother, he was very introverted, quiet, shy and just kept mostly to himself. But after knowing the FL, he opened up, started to smile more and was able to become a more wholesome adult.

The FL herself is a very very special character. She’s the opposite of him- chatty, assertive, confident and was taking the lead in most parts of their friendship and relationship. I loved the way she called him Rang Rang ;);)

2nd couple and secondary storylines were not too bad. Although again I find it hard to belief that the 2nd couple waited 5 years before acknowledging their feelings for one another and getting together. No relationships in between?

Anyhow, in the final episode there was the proposal scene, and it was SO TOUCHING!! I cried and cried!! No fancy dinners or flowers, but a very meaningful video montage. That’s how the ML is: not rich not flashy, but focused and certain all the way!!

Enjoy this one :) :)

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Refreshing!

If you want something chill and refreshing, this is the series for you! If you want some drama then I would advise you to come back to it another time.
By now, you've probably read many reviews saying how nice and wonderful this drama is and in all honesty I wholly agree! Now I would advise, don't go into this expecting something phenomenal. It's not something new and never been done before and it certainly won't be the last. People who've read all the reviews and started watching it while riding the hype train will certainly feel very underwhelmed. This series isn't doing anything out of this world. Just take it as it is with the only expectation being that it has 'little to no drama' kinda mindset.
Now my personal reason for liking this series so much. I've watched a lot of drama in my life, more than I can remember to list them all on here, but this series was just nice. While being so unproblematic unlike real life, it was still so realistic. The plot is pretty mundane in that it's a slice-of-life romance series of a group of friends in high school, following their journey as they grow up. That's it. Nothing crazy. But what I love so much about it is that they take certain scenarios that you've probably seen countless times in other romance series and, wait for it... have the couples communicate!! Wild. But no, seriously. Nothing in this series will make you feel frustrated and make you want to rip your hair out. You can enjoy it for being unrealistically realistic while feeling happy inside thinking that somewhere in the world, there is a couple out there who is as much of a green flag as the couple in this "drama". It's a slice-of-life so you should definitely be aware that this series is not a minute by minute take on the character's life but rather the most eventful. It's not a deep dive into every conversation that they ever had so having mainly chill moments is also plausible. From watching this I certainly found myself kicking my feet a little at cute moments between the characters and felt like I really missed out on certain aspects of my own personal life. If anyone else here reads mangas, it really reminds me of one of my fav. also similarly chill/fluffy manga "RERE Hello". I felt like the cast all acted their part well and the comedy was casual but still funny. Overall, I just liked it because they did an already done trope well. Also, one gripe that I have about many drama is that they usually don't know how to end a series, one issue that this series didn't have problem with. I felt like they ended it at the perfect time and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I would 100% recommend this to anyone who is tired of/or just wants a break from gut wrenching sad dramas. Take it as it is and just enjoy!

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