In A Good Way Episode 12

     

Photo Credit: Yao Chun Yao's facebook page

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In a nutshell, this is the best episode yet! I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to download this episode so I could repeat the amazing concert experience in this drama featuring Wu Bai and Zhang Zhen Yue, two of the most popular music acts from the 90s. During the concert, I found my love for new songs such as "Freedom" and "Love Me, Don't Leave" by Zhang Zhen Yue, so for that matter, I am happy and thankful I was introduced to them. Furthermore, the performances were awesome, Wu Bai was powerful and Zhang Zhen Yue was a quality and a passionate one as well. IAGW was able to insert some important scenes while the performances were going on and I thought this drama did so well in that department once again. Though I have read opinions such as they went far from reality with the production getting beyond expectations, I can't agree to them completely. Of course, we need those lighted props and such in order to characterize the scenes more and I find no fault in doing that. It doesn't hurt to give in to pleasures sometimes, moreover; it didn't overshadow the essence of the event, since they were able to show how everyone persevered to make it successful through the process. We saw them work hard and not disheartened by failures; hence, most certainly, they deserved an spectacular concert.

In A Good Way Episode 11

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In this episode, the differences and conflicting opinion among friends surfaced with regards to the protest led by Jia En and Liu Chuan against the unlawful grading system of the professor who failed Xiao Wei. I think I would focus more on the individualized beliefs of the characters more than anything in this episode as we witness them take on separate ways. Nonetheless, there is something to learn from as we realize that this is what a true essence of friendship is in going through difficulties - with variety of personalities and opinions to consider.

"In A Good Way" Episode 10

This episode is loaded with so much subtleness in Liu Chuan's deliberate wooing over Jia En which I thought is adorable and cute but on the other hand, Jia En is too dense to have a clue on what is going on. Perhaps she also has gotten the hints from his actions which can also be considered as a gesture of a gentleman but she still remains composed. It's quite obvious now that Liu Chuan is directly crushing on Jia En but it isn't obvious enough to Jia En's consciousness and level of maturity. Maybe Jia En has other priorities in life which to me isn’t clear without Liu Chuan’s involvement in her life. She doesn't know things like romantic relationship with anyone just like Ren Wei has realized. That being said, Ren Wei who is still nursing heartbreak from Bai Xue confided on Jia En. As a friend, she advised Ren Wei a realistic and friendly one, saying that he’s always been after perfect girls and so far, he hasn’t been successful. Hence, he needs to change his ideal type and go for someone whom he can be comfortable with. Girl went on talking and describing someone who is so much like herself and that Ren Wei has gotten the idea and flashed the look to Jia En. Unaware of what she did, Jia En was flustered with blankness. However, these two friends adapted the famous Chinese saying: “Life is priceless. Love is even more priceless. For the sake of freedom, they can be sacrificed.” 

"In A Good Way" Episode 9

The cliffhanger of episode 8 that took us into the scenario of Jia En being possibly kidnapped by a horrendous suspect caused worries and slight panic to everyone, but also ended in the first 10 minutes of episode 9. Thank goodness Liu Chuan found her before it went crazy. Another significant event that happened was when Bai Xue overheard who 3631 is. At first, she was in shock and loss for words to hear it from Jia En, as she's the first to find them both followed by Ren Wei. Thus, she needed to compose herself before showing up. The lighter side occurred when Jia En nursed the bruises Liu Chuan got from the forest where he seek for Jia En. The concerned parents tried to explore what happened and at the same time thank Liu Chuan for taking care of Jia En. As a reward, he asked for a black tea which she made. The follow up question which was hilarious told by the dad, "Do you want anything else." With his thumb pointing at Jia En which she immediately dismissed. 

"In A Good Way" Episode 8

This episode tingles in the continuous character development as it is built to supplement the story. During the previous episode, Jia En found out in a subtle way who 3631 is. That led to an awkward silence and acceptance from both. He must have admitted to himself that in the end, Jia En had put all the pieces together no matter how much he tried to hide himself from her and that there is no excuse for it. I must say, I was pretty satisfied at how she discovered him and more importantly, the way she responded upon knowing his identity online. Moreover, I was surprised at how composed she is, and it was totally opposite of his fears and expectations.

After few weeks of vacation, Liu Chuan and Jia En met at the Treasure Hunt Club headquarters - Jia En asked Liu Chuan how 3631 is doing and he talked about him as a third person, like a common friend or something. So, they will continue to jump off the seasons in order to meet the future. Okay, I am not complaining and I am excited to meet them on the current year of 2014. But not quickly, I want to savour every moment of watching them grow and witness the change brought by college and friends.

"In A Good Way" Episode 7

It's an extraordinary New Year for everyone who celebrated it through the special camp out organized by the Treasure Hunt Club members, kicking off 1997 by sleeping all together under the night sky. Though they put up a tent earlier which eventually was wrecked after too much excitement from the card game; this highlighted the day that just started. But before completely moving forward, let us go back to 1996 where 3631 and sky's friendship was virtually formed.

Another great year has passed by for Jia En, which has brought delightful events in her life, even exceeding the awesomeness of 1995. Well, it's better to carry that kind of attitude on to the next year - which probably is the right attitude to a better year ahead. Hence, I am impressed once again in this show, as it managed to strengthen the foundation to Jia En's growth as an individual which I consider as a charming young woman and deserving of Liu Chuan's attention.

"In A Good Way" Episode 6

This is a dream-like episode to our heroine Jia En as she mesmerized the Christmas Party of Cheng Dong University with her transformation in a beautiful dress, year 1996. Meanwhile, the chance of 3631 to finally reveal himself to his online friend, Jia En did not push through because of the circumstances that happened in between the planned confession and carrying it out. Hence, the mystery of 3631 has been stretched longer on to the next episode. I am not complaining though, as for I understand, they focused on the Christmas ball and the growth of Jia En as a woman. It's cute however, that Liu Chuan is jealous of his virtual rival that is 3631, his online identity. Well, boy you need to step up your game or else 3631 is gonna snatch Jia En's heart first.

Hello there, so we have here another juicy episode of In A Good Way. This drama is so interesting, really. Just when you think you have things figured out, it gives you an awkward reality. The characters are well developed and loved by the writer so much as each have their own spotlight given to them. That makes Liu Chuan and Jia En's roles supplemented by the supporting casts, as everyone becomes a tool to each other's growth and change. Speaking of spotlight, I like Ren Wei so much now. His responsibility being a good friend to Jia En is admiring which is different from the Ren Wei we've seen in episode 1, even when we say it's a platonic love that they share. I'm glad they are actually each other's brother and sister. I don't want them to have romantic relationship or whatsoever because what they have now is precious. Though I feel that Ren Wei has so much potential in him to unleash as an ideal man both for Bai Xue and Jia En.

Speaking of character development, Jia En shined in this episode while Liu Chuan took a step backward from his usual upfront and transparent rationality to deal with problems. It's good to see him flawed and that it makes him even more human. I know that like Jia En, he's not perfect but what I like about him is that he overthinks. Maybe because I myself, overthinks a lot too which causes me to be conscious all the time. So, I can totally relate to his awkwardness to come out, how realistic it was portrayed was something that In A Good Way can only pull off. I mean, knowing Liu Chuan, he's a character to be admired but then, we also have to put him in a strange light.

Meanwhile the trio "Men of Steel" - Ah Di, Jacky, and Ren Wei are definitely whack! Guys are so funny and weird but not depressing at all, if ever they act like all drank, it's still hilarious. I wonder where the other Man of Steel has went though, wish he'd come back and join the fun.

Oh em gee. We can't miss out the charms of the two Musketeers, Ri Qi and A Qing too, as they both tried to get closer to the two friends of Jia En, Xiao Wei and Tracy. I think that these two can totally melt my heart away from Liu Chuan for the meantime. I love how Ri Qi approached Xiao Wei and talk about his family's business. Furthermore, A Qing trying to catch Tracy's attention  is very enticing, because boy is cute but Tracy is still giving him cold shoulders despite that. Oh em gee why can't you just grab the opportunity to get to know him. But then, I can't blame her sometimes because he's too straightforward and you wouldn't know his motives to her. Anyhow, it's clear that he has interest to her, because he finds her pretty which she actually is.

I have to make a new paragraph for Ri Qi's coming out in this episode though. Being the wanderer of the group, he comes off as a matured person and that explains why oh my goodness he made me squeal at times for giving Xiao Wei lingering stares. Plus the way he projects himself differently from everyone is noticeable in this episode. I wish, to see more of him in the future.

This episode ended with a question. Will 3631 be found out finally in the next episode or not?

Overall, once again, it's an episode to look forward to.

"In A Good Way" Episode 5

I love this episode! It portrayed Liu Chuan's complexity as a human being - which is the opposite of him whom we've seen in previous episodes that is almost a perfect image of an idol - which is too good to be true to even exist. Whereas for Jia En, it showed her lack of emotional growth and her need to learn the basic survival tips in life. That isn't a bad thing for we understand the level of maturity she has. She is someone who can be influenced by friends yet wanting to achieve independence to herself at the same time. 

When she failed the audition, she tried to shrug off her loss in front of everyone who went to cheer for her but in the end, letting Liu Chuan to be the shock absorber of her frustrations. Later on, we see these two patch things up between them however, bad moods won't go well with bad timing. Hence, awkwardness all over their body language. Nonetheless, Liu Chuan still helped Jia En in her practicals of jitterbug wherein they performed a self satisfying dance - flashing Jia En's bright smile and in return Liu Chuan's smitten eyes.

"In A Good Way" Episode 4

This is by far the sweetest episode to date but what I mean by sweet is only an appetizer to the development of the characters involved in the story. In this episode, we can clearly see that Liu Chuan is in a state of adornment with Jia En, however reluctant to let the world know. Nonetheless his eyes speak the truth through the gazes he's thrown at her and his pleasant silences and awkwardness around her totally sends me the assurance, our boy is having a crush (or maybe in love). Oh my goodness, it's cheesy to read these words but I promise, the pacing of attraction on the part of Liu Chuan is gradual and oh so interesting in itself. To be honest, more than seeing him like that around Jia En, it's cute when you see an equally adorable guy figure out his feelings for the opposite sex. I don't know, I'm enjoying the push and pull of strings between Jia En and Liu Chuan. So to continue with episode 4, they were separated for a year after Liu Chuan was once involved as Jia En's personal tutor. That means a year or less of no communication. However, they met again of course (surprise, but not surprising) and it's an oh so precious moment for both so let's take a look at some of the sweet and memorable moments between the two and also with the other cast members.

2013: Top 3 Picks (Personal Favorites)

What a year of dramas for me. This is the first time in years to officially seal my obsession with watching dramas through this blog - where I can write my insights about few of the Korean and Japanese dramas I've watched over the years, and of course the current dramas I've devoted my time with this year. As we are approaching the end of 2013, I realized that I have to make a year in review of my favorites, apart from the previous official long talks I've made about them. So, now I'm here to share with you my top favorites from this year hoping to share my experience of watching them to everyone.

1. Heartless City: Review

Safe to say that this is first to be mentioned without thinking much of what to talk about first. So why Heartless City? Maybe because it was my first time this year to officially got hook with a character and unexpectedly, I saw myself watching a noir series which is pretty much not my type of drama nor have I witnessed myself watching one. I think, Heartless City, upon reading its synopsis and multiple descriptions from different blogs would still leave a great doubt of its ability to catch interest among the followers. There is still a need for emphasis that, how ever you find it impossible getting into it because you are not a fan of the plot and simply because this is not your type of drama, I think that when you get yourself pass episode 1 or 2, the interest will finally kick in as I can totally relate. To my curiosity about this drama, I couldn't care of what to take place at first and I can't concentrate on the events in episode 1, perhaps I just wanted to get over the episode and start the drama already.

The thing is that drama starts directly at episode 1, where keen attention is needed to be able to understand the coming episodes ahead, anyhow, of course you'd get to know more as you arrive to the story. But I will tell you that whether you are interested or not, for as long as there is curiosity in you, I assure that you will come to love it. Though, the process is where this drama has specialized its value.