As wonderful as In A Good Way has been so far, it’s been only 3-episodes plus SETTV is notorious for screwing up its dramas. I’m not even talking about turkeys right out of the gate such as the recent Love Around, even dramas with electrifying starts like Fated to Love You putter to an ending. I would have actually preferred IAGW to have been pre-filmed and thus shorter in length and sweeter in execution. Now I worry that its buzzing popularity would lead to changes in story or even tossing in more melodramatic elements that have no business being here. A legit worry I do have comes from two areas: the first is that I read the full character descriptions for all the leads and Ren Wei will indeed start to like Jia En after seeing her blossom in college when before he saw her as a buddy, and the second is that a college based drama can be about first loves and I don’t want Jia En and Liu Chuan to be first loves who don’t end up together and and instead help each other transform and mature. That might be fine in another drama but I am unhealthily invested in this one giving me a satisfying happy ending. Already Jia En and Liu Chuan make so much sense its not even funny so this isn’t inexplicable falling in love, so please give me lots of making out of the steamy TW-drama variety and some wonderfully rendered angst that makes them grow up but not grow jaded. I’m expecting every episode to have lots of fun things for these college kids to do and episode 4 will center around a Liu Chuan designed treasure hunt. I loved the beach trip so much from episode 2 and had this awesome still of Lego Li stoking the fire that I just had to share. Some folks have said he resembles Jo Jung Seok and I can sorta see it, but I’ve been watching Lego since Honey and Clover before Jo Jung Seok arrived so for me he just looks always adorable.
Written preview for episode 4:
Jia En starts her college life! Jia En’s same major elder sister Bai Xue delivers an invitation and quickly leaves. Jia En and the just met Xiao Wei open the invitation and find that its been issued by Liu Chuan……
The prize for the Treasure Hunter club’s treasure search is a B.B. Call (pager). Xiao Wei encourages Jia En to enter, and Jia En decides to do it to win the prize for Xiao Wei. Bai Xue invites Ren Wei to the night activity to welcome the new student. Ren Wei is over the moon thinking Bai Xue is giving him the opportunity to create a romantic memory. Ren Wei copies a famous confession dialogue from a movie to use it and get Bai Xue’s affection. At the moment of picking the motorcycle keys, did Bai Xue pick Ren Wei’s key or someone else……..
Liu Chuan and the prize are waiting at the finish line for the lucky person but the guys are only interested in spending romantic time with the girls sitting behind them on the scooter. Jia En encounters the scooter breaking down and needs to take Bus #11 to finish the task. She gets to the finish line but is the hidden prize a B.B. Call or the embarrassment of a loser? Turns out Liu Chuan has set a trap. Liu Chuan said that the mirror shows the entrance to another world, and the Liu Chuan who has never taken any romance credits actually sees Jia En in his mirror. Is this the start if love or a fated coincidence. Are Jia En and Liu Chuan taking the first steps forwards an independent future or being tied down by love?
I’m not a fan of Jo Jung Seok but I can see how their hairstyles look alike. I always love Lego Li and I think his screen presence outshines the male lead in “Because of you” (although that drama is only worth watching for Lego Lee).
His character in “Honey and Clover” is very earnest and I think his screen presence was great in there too but he was outshined by Eddie Peng who had a much more interesting character. Eddie’s character was my favorite one from the original manga too..
I’m also watching this drama cautiously, SETTV had some bad records that made great dramas turned bad towards the end. Hopefully, they’ll not do that with IAGW or at least just give me a satisfying ending and lots of Chuan En couple interaction that I’m able to forgive them if the plot turned makjang towards the end. But please….don’t do that!!
I believe you when you say that most SETTV dramas starts with a good line up and usually I dropped them midway just because. It’s actually my first time to see Lego Li. I would love to see this till the end.
Ok. Now I’m wary of getting my hopes too high. I remember the stupid drag in fated to love you which I finished with great difficulty. Please don’t ruin this. I like the leisurely pace and understated vibe of this drama so far. I’m going to chant repeatedly to the powers to be not to ruin the only cracktastic drama I’ve watch from tw since Autumn Concerto for me.
I really don’t want this drama ruined, but I’m wary as well.
Too many promising TW dramas that fell apart – and fell apart in the most disastrous manner – half way. And this one’s more than promising, so if they mess it up, it’ll be such a disappointment.
I’m going to have to watch all the other Lego Li stuff now though!
The other thing that worries me is the viki synopsis which reads “In 2005, Lin Jia En (Kirsten Ren) returns from abroad to Taiwan as a polished young woman. When she receives an invitation from a university club to which she used to belong, she is reminded of the year 1995 that changed her path in life in very unexpected ways”. That just screams separation in a way that I don’t like. Like Jia En and Liu Chuan not ending up together, or something getting their way for a good chunk of time. Which could be the Bai Xue – but who knows. The preview for ep 4 is the first hint that she might be more than a nice girl and might bring her claws out… I mean, why such a cold reaction to Jia En?
Well, we’ll see what happens…
Yes, that synopsis made me nervous as well…
Oh dear. You know, I just realized something. This drama is set in 1995. That means it has about 18 to 19 years of catch up to play if it’s going to end on the current timeline. If your sypnosis is right, we are probably dealing with multiple separations. That just sounds like pure torture! And reminds me of that Masaharu Fukuyama and Tokiwa Takako’s drama – Meguri Ai.
Yes since the synopsis says she’s returning to Taiwan in 2005 and he’s a disinherited rich kid I’m already expecting some drama
How old is Bai Xue and Li Chuan? Are they supposed to be a year older then Ren Wei and Jai En?
I don’t know, there’s this thing about youth dramas that make me wary. Either they are going to drift apart willingly or not, or someone’s gonna die or something … It makes people nervous. I don’t need a straight out happy ending, just not a sad one, at least not where it concerns our OTP. They are the OTP right? Argh.
Omg. Koala. Episode 4 was daebak. Prepare for a load of squeeworthy moments! I’m officially in love with 流川. The romance is so well developed and therefore so believable, like you said. Very realistic interpretation and I love that. Such a genuine drama
Judging from the opening credits it seems like it’d be unreasonable for the two not to end up together…unless tw drama credits are always somewhat misleading…but the ending credits do make me slightly wary – jia en why did you get out of his car?? ): trying to stay positive here ><
陰錯陽差與校園風雲人物流川相遇，因為流川，她眼中的世界變大了…和流川共度的時光成了不能說的秘密。
^what is that foreshadowing ><
Yeah, I saw that description too… It’s a little worrisome!
*Joins the chanting circle with everyone else in hopes that this drama will do well~* In the beginning the synopsis actually reminded me of one of the really popular novels that’s been going round lately… I think it’s “official translation” is Silent Separation? It’s by Gu Man, and it’s about this cheerful girl and really intelligent guy who fall in love but then the guy isn’t really good at communicating his feelings so the girl goes overseas, and they meet several years later and good things happen. It’s also got these little moments like in the drama and the parallels and yeah~ So much squueeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~ THEY NEED TO END UP TOGETHER OR I WILL… I WILL THINK OF SOMETHING DRASTIC AT THAT POINT, REST ASSURED.
Ooohhh is that where I saw Lego Li? I couldn’t place him… to be honest, I watched Honey and Clover solely because Eddie so yeah.. Lego Li was the one with the *erhem* unfortunate haircut. Poor boy.
Last but not least… is anyone downloading the drama? If so, from where? Cos I can only find the meh-ish quality one of letv, and I sorta want the really high quality one so I can [s]touchtheirfaces[/s] erhem, not kill my eyes. Plus points if it has simplified subs (I can’t read traditional >u<;;)
I’m uploading the HD raw versions on my blog: http://wp.me/p2tDC3-2P
However, the HD versions are updated 4 days later than actual broadcast as it comes from QQ video site.
Thank you so much!!!! Off to download~
That book you mentioned “silent separation” seems really really interesting! Do you know where I can find an english translation of it to read?
Ah sorry, I’m pretty sure Silent Separation has no english translation. I myself listened to the audiobook because my mandarin reading is very bad >.<;; However, there is this page with summary+commentary http://www.books.shushengbar.com/?p=396 so maybe if you can read viet? XD
If enough people want, I can do rough translations (because the book is written very prettily and I doubt I would be eloquent enough when I translate). Sorry for not being able to help out more ^u^;;
I read the English translation by peanuts and lidge of Gu Man’s “Silent Separation” in this blog site Fanatical (hui3r.wordpress.com). It was the second C-novel I read after “Come & eat Shan Shan”! Now, I’m so in love with C-novels that have English translations, thanks to the hard work of the translators.
Aww it’s okay 🙁 I unfortunately cannot read viet but I will listen to the audio book since I do understand chinese! thank you very much for the link!
So I keep trying to not to watch before subs come out but for the last three weekends I end up watching anyway LOL…will I do better this weekend?
All this gloomy foreshadowing reminded me that just a year ago (December 2012) saw the rise and fall (and fall) and slight upward tick of Miss Rose. How happy we all were at the beginning, we even talked about going to the fantasy wedding and then . . .Sigh. There is still a spot in me that has not healed from the Yi Chun debacle. We need to start rubbing good luck charms and warding off spirits of dramas gone bad for In a Good Way because it is so warm and likeable and I really want it to stay that way. it would be so easy to do.
Aaagh. Really scared that Jia En and Liu Chuan won’t end up together ;_; I know that the process is the most important and everything, but I’m really invested in this OTP. Please be together in the end, please please please.
He reminds me of Go Soo from the side.
Believe me, I have spent an inordanate amount of time looking at Go Soo.