Recap - ISWAK (Ep. 4)

Episode 4 starts off with Xiang Qin (XQ) in the computer lab, reeling after Zhi Shu's (ZS) biting comment to stay out of his life and stop liking him. She runs to the same far off room in the school as in Episode 1 and takes out her anger on a punching bag. She is at somewhat of a breaking point, as she has never taken ZS's mean comments to heart until now. This is because his request of XQ to stop liking him would mean XQ losing motivation to do things in life.

The episode cuts to the night and ZS is shown standing outside ZQ's bedroom, knocking on the door. When she does not open, he cautiously enters, to find XQ asleep on her desk, with the love letter she had written to ZS under her. He watches her for a while and then carefully pries the letter from under her and reads it (for the first time). Afterwards, he wonders, "A person like you, what do you have in your head? Where does all the energy and enthusiasm come from? ... To like a person... How does it feel?" All this while hovering over her sleeping body less than an inch away so that hes practically resting his chin on her shoulder (!!!!!!!)

It cuts to the morning, where XQ is standing on the bus and feels someone's eyes on her. Then two sick creepers come up to her and start touching her inappropriately. She struggles against the two perverts. Ah Jin (who is also on the bus, presumably following XQ) sees this and tries to help her, but when the bus brakes suddenly, he falls on top of a fat lady, who accuses him of being a pervert and starts hitting him with her purse!

Just when XQ resolves to make a move and hit one of them with her bag, ZS appears and grabs on of their hands off of XQ. With a vice grip on the creepers hand, ZS recites the penal code against sexual harassment word for word. He questions the man, would would happen if he had a daughter and something similar happened to her? Then he confronts the 2nd creeper, who has been shrinking away. He asks the 2nd guy what he has been studying and why didn't his mom teach him right? He throws both the perverts hands down and then takes XQ away from them, his hand on her back (!!). They stand next to each other, and because of the way they are holding onto the bars, XS is basically wrapping XQ in his arms!! <3 <3 so cute

Yet even after this, he still doesn't want to talk to her. Meanwhile AJ is still suffering at the police station because the fat lady thinks he was harassing her, lol. Sometime later, all of XQ's friends (AJ and his posse, Chun Mei and Liu Nong) gather outside ZS's house to spy on them. Inside, the two families are having a meal cooked by Ah Cai. However, when AC realizes that he forgot beer, he sends XQ to get some. ZS's mom (eager to pair the her son and XQ) tells ZS to go also, and they both leave before realizing that they forgot money. When they come back in, they overhear their parents discussing how nice a ZS+XQ marriage would be. Upon hearing that ZS's mom thinks they are a good match:


Upon hearing this, the two stomp into the room to protest. Now XQ and ZS get into a big fight over who deserves whom. Then XQ claims that no one could like a person like ZS. Upon hearing this, ZS reminds her of the love letter begins to recite it word for word, humiliating her. After this, the family learns that XQ likes ZS, which makes ZS's mom very happy. At this moment, AJ and his friends burst into the house to protest. At this point there is a pivotal dialogue:

AJ: It's very problematic and someone is trying to sabotage us [XQ+AJ]. He thinks he can be with XQ. JZS, you couldn't be that insane?

ZS: This thing [XQ+ZS] could happen.

AJ: [looking confused] What are you talking about? How come I don't understand?

ZS: People's feelings change all the time. Today it's dislike. Tomorrow it could be like.

AJ: JZS! I knew it! You were eyeing ZQ all along, right?! Speak!

ZS: Probably. But you'd better get it in your head, compared to you, she [XQ] likes me more. Okay, I need to buy stuff ... Xiang Qin, I'll be waiting for you outside.

This is a pivotal moment because ZS is sort of staking his claim over ZQ.

During a school vacation, Ah Li and Ah Cai get invited to a high school reunion. After getting permission / being persuaded by ZS's mom, they go to the resort for the reunion. ZS's mom fakes that her mother's dog died and goes to visit her, dragging Yu Shu along. This is in an effort to leave ZQ and ZS alone together. She slyly drops a hint that ZS likes curry.

When ZS says that XQ will be cooking dinner, she tries to make curry. She figures it will be simple and she starts off well, with all the right ingredients, spices and enough time, ready to prove to ZS that she can do something right. However, she completely fails and her end result is a "blackish thing". While XQ is slaving away in the kitchen, ZS is lounging around in his room. When it comes time for dinner, he ventures downstairs opens the kitchen door to see a room full of smoke.

He takes over making dinner, and being the all around amazing genius he is, whips up an amazingly delicious dinner with XQ's help (limited to handing him things and washing dishes, lol). At dinner, XQ brings up the homework that they had over vacation and ZS says that he has finished it all. When she asks if it will be hard, he says that for her, it will. When she asks him for help, he says no.

After dinner, XQ starts the homework, but struggles because she does not know anything. She keeps dozing off and waking up and does not complete anything. At breakfast the next morning, XQ shows up with dark circles and complains about the hw, saying that she is screwed. ZS agrees and she asks him for help. Again he says no, and then he leaves to go play basketball. XQ is seen again rearing up for doing homework, but promptly falls asleep.

~ End of Episode 4 ~

Recap - It Started With a Kiss (Ep. 3)

Episode 3 starts off with both the Jiang and Yuan families at the table for dinner. According to her proclamation from last episode, Xiang Qin is going to be trying to get into the top 100 list.

Zhi Shu's mom asks XQ what she wants for her midnight snack and ZS shocks everyone by saying that he wants one too as he will be in her room! Of course, this is followed by blank stares by the family wondering what he will be doing in her room (high school guys are wolves? lol) But ZS says he will be studying (really, XQ is blackmailing ZS into tutoring her with his childhood pictures).

When they are in the bedroom studying, there is a classic awkward moment between the two when ZS drops a book and both reach to pick it up. They start with studying math, but ZS does not even know the scope of the exam because he never needs to study. Meanwhile, XQ is internally freaking out because she is alone with ZS.

They start studying and ZS predicts exactly the same thing that XQ said in the last episode - that she does not even know what she understands. ZS gives her some problems to do and feels sleepy (he never stays up past 10 PM, what a loser) and bothered that he has to tutor her. After what seems like forever, XQ finishes, but ZS sees that all she has written is garbage.

She tries again and finally gets the first problem right, and violently flings around ZS's hand because she is so excited to get the problem right. Then suddenly, *CLICK*, they turn around, and there is ZS's mom, taking a picture of them. How she got into the room, no one knows. The mom then whips out two enormous platter of food for their midnight snack and takes more pictures.

Because she is losing sleep at night studying, XQ makes up for sleep during class. However, AJ is convinced that it's because the new place she is staying at is making her work is bullying her and clean and babysit, thus she is exhausted. XQ and ZS continue studying at night. One night while studying, ZS falls asleep and XQ feels bad because she is making him stay up to study with her. She dozes off too, and accidentally her lips fall onto...! ZS!! Is it their first kiss? Not quite... but sort of. Since he is sleeping, XQ falls asleep too, next to him on the desk, and ZS's mom comes in to take yet another picture of them.

The morning of the exam, ZS's mom gives XQ a good luck charm and tells her not to open it until the exam is over. Even though she has been instructed not to talk to him during school, XQ manages to sneak in a thank you, and ZS wishes her good luck. During the exam, XQ knows what she is doing and seems to be doing well. Meanwhile, ZS falls alseep during the exam from sleep deprivation while staying up with XQ. While walking, XQ overhears people talking about this and worries about it. As a sort of thank you, XQ puts a gift of "chicken essence" (LOL) in ZS's room. ZS gives a slight smile when he sees this.

When the scores come out, XQ runs hurriedly to see if ZS is still #1. Since he is an absolute genius, he still gets first despite sleeping during the exam. ZS is uninterested in the results, but when his friend urges him, he goes to the end of the list and sees that Yuan Xiang Qin is in 100th place!! When XQ finally sees this, she thanks him profusely (in public too!) and she hands over the film of the pictures.

XQ is treated like a genius and a celebrity when she returns to Class F. However, Ah Jin is still concerned about her well-being at her new home as she has not told him anything about it. He and his posse follow her home and see that we lives in the same house as Jiang Zhi Shu!! AJ is so shocked he beings rolling around in the street.

At school the next day, AJ approaches her, asking the truth. Since ZS has forbade her from telling this, she denies it. However, when looking through her locker, she drops the good luck charm ZS's mom gave her. Her friends open it to see pictures of her and ZS inside, sleeping, eating and studying together. Having no choice, XQ admits that she lives with ZS and his family. She makes the students promise not to tell anyone.

The scene cuts to ZS running across the school to find XQ. Rumors are already swirling about them since the news has come out. He takes across the school to the computer lab, where to her embarrassment and his disgust, the desktop wallpaper of every single computer is a picture of the two of them sleeping next to each other (!!!). Liu Nong and Chun Mei, XQ's friends, are shown to have stolen the pictures from her bag and done the deed (heh...some friends). Feelings between XQ and ZS just seemed to be warming up, but now ZS is more angry at her than ever.

~ End of Episode 3 ~

Recap - It Started With a Kiss (Ep. 2)

Episode 2 starts out with Zhi Shu's chubby little brother, Yu Shu, staring intently into Xiang Qin's eyes, trying to intimidate her.

Yu Shu (Zhang Bo Han) - Zhi Shu's little brother

He's a chubby little 3rd grader and loves his older brother a lot. He resents XQ for taking his room and thinks that hanging out with her will make himself stupid.

The clever YS starts to test the stubborn XQ with proverbs from his 3rd grade class. She tries really hard to figure it out yet makes the stupidest connections and ZS's parents are dumbstruck. XQ's dad tries to help XQ explain but doesn't make any progress.

Yuan You Cai (Tang Tsung Sheng) - Xiang Qin's Dad

He loves XQ very much and wants her to be happy. He is a chef and has a little restaurant. He's very generous and feels appreciative towards the Jiang family for allowing him and XQ to stay. He is also the matchmaker of the Jiangs and has known them since college.

Jiang Zhao Zi (Cyndi Chao) - Ah Li's wife and mother of Zhi Shu and Yu Shu

The cheerful motherly figure of the Jiang family. Having XQ move in is a dream come true for her because she will finally have a daughter. She likes anything girly and you can always find her doing some secret trick to make ZS and XQ together.

Uncle Ah Li (Zhang Yong Zheng) - Zhao Zi's husband and father of Zhi Shu and Yu Shu

The owner of a game company, he hopes that ZS will be able to take over the business so he can retire.

Then XQ forms a sentence with the proverb by saying "Today the teacher taught us a proverb called 'Qian Lu Ji Qiong'," the cheapest way to form a sentence.

ZS's mother is really girly and loves XQ like her own daughter. She specially decorates XQ's room like a princess' with a sign on the door saying "Xiang Qin's Palace." The room is furnished with lace and stuffed animals, so cute! As his mother is showing XQ her room, ZS ruins the scene and coldly warns her to never interfere with his life.

On her first night there, XQ has a nightmare of crashing in front of the Jiang's house with her dad. The camera then zooms in on her eyes as she opens them and we are introduced to the breakfast scene at the Jiang household. She is shocked that she is sitting across the breakfast table from ZS. He abruptly says he's done eating and attempts to leave for school and YS follows. At this moment, we see the wheels clicking in ZS's mother's head. She pulls XQ over to the door telling them (ZS+XQ) to go to school together, and prevents YS from going with them.

On their way to school, XQ accidentally runs into ZS because she was thinking about the lover letter issue and ZS gives her 4 main points (more like rules):

1. Do not hit or bump into me
2. Do not come ask him how to get to school from the Jiang house
3. Do not tell anyone that she's living at his house (prevent rumours)
4. Do not talk to ZS at school

On the crowded bus to school, XQ is unfortunately, attacked by a pervert who tries to reach his pants up her skirt. She frantically tries to meet ZS's eyes and make him help her, but he simply turns his head away. After they get off the bus, she confronts him and explains her dilemma. He replies with the excuse that "she didn't want him to help her" and that she must be mistaken. At school, she daydreams that the pervert is ZS and she forcefully punches him, making him bleed like a weakling (LOL).

The scene then changes to the teacher workroom and we are introduced to the kind F-class teacher admiring the beautiful A-class teacher. The principle creeps up on the F-class teacher and starts criticizing his poor teacher skills, showing him a graph. Apparently, all the scores of the F-class students added together is not higher than ZS's score alone (600)!

Back in class, the depressed F-class teacher tells the class about the upcoming exam and tries to be supportive, yet blames himself for the class' failure. XQ, being her usual stubborn self, suddenly determines to beat ZS at this exam, believing that enthusiam and effort will bring her success. The class automatically laughs at her, because he is the top of the school, maybe even the best in the country. But then, XQ decides to be in the Top 100 list and create history of being the first F-class student to be in the Top 100 list! :D

That night, XQ is with her mountains of books and attempts to study by just glazing over the materials on each page. She quickly becomes sleepy and the pages become blurry. She doesn't understand anything!

ZS's mother comes to the rescue and being her motherly self, bring XQ some noodles to eat. XQ learns that ZS never studies and his mother never gets to bring him a midnight snack. He goes to bed at 10pm sharp every night! To bring up XQ's spirits, his mother shows ZS's baby pictures!!!!!

Guess what?!?! They are all pictures of ZS dressed up as a little GIRL. Because ZS's mother dreamed of having a daughter sooooo much that she bought all girl clothes before ZS was born, she decided to dress him up as a cute little girl.

We travel back into time to ZS's first day of kindergarten. The mom is fussing all over him, taking tons of pictures of him dressed up in a lacey, fluffy, pink dress. She asks him, "Do you love Mommy?" and he says "Yes!" Then she asks, "Do you love Daddy?" and he says "yes!". Lastly, she asks, "Do you like wearing dresses" and he says "YES!" (LMFAO) All went well until the little ZS had to go to swim class and he took off his girly wig. The other kids laughed at him and after that, he never wanted to wear dress again.

The next morning, ZS's mom purposely mixes up ZS's and XQ's lunchs in their backpacks so they will have to meet in school. Sure enough, ZS and XQ had to meet up in the trees to exchange lunches. XQ also decides to bring up the little cute girly ZS issue to threaten him into tutoring her for the exam. He agrees! At this moment, he leans close to her, and to Ah Jin, who is spying on her, it appears that ZS is kissing XQ!!! Afterwards, when her friends as what was up with ZS and her, she mysteriously walks away with a smile on her face. :)

~End of Episode 2~

Recap - It Started With a Kiss (Ep. 1)

ISWAK is our most favorite, most loved drama because of the characters, plot and all around hilarity. Even though the characters may seem slightly extreme at times, it makes the drama funny and interesting. And if we look hard, we can see glimpses of the characters in each of us, whether it's Xiang Qin's determination and stupidity or Zhi Shu's coldness and frustration.

The drama starts off with Xiang Qin giving Zhi Shu (the boy she has had a crush on for 2 years) a love letter.

Yuan Xiang Qin (Ariel Lin) - main protagonist.

She's extremely dumb (IQ 75, Class F) but so stubborn and determined. She is extremely courageous and always follows her heart. Having been brought up by only her father, she is independent and self-motivated. She's head-over-heels obsessed with Zhi Shu.


Jiang Zhi Shu (Joe Cheng) - 2nd-most main character/ Xiang Qin's crush

He's extremely smart (IQ 200, always top of class A) and doesn't need to try at school at all. He's rich, the idol guy at the school and everyone loves him. He's also good at sports. However, his personality is quite cold most of the time and he is often standoffish. He has a younger brother and two loving parents.


However, even though XQ has worked up all her courage to give ZS her letter, he doesn't even look at her and walks right past. In shock, XQ falls down, with the entire school to witness her embarrassment and failure.

Basically, her entire day is terrible as every where she goes, she only can remember ZS-- she is not even safe in the girl's bathroom! She hides away from everyone in a far off room in the school, but her friends come to meet her. It is now that we meet Ah Jin.

Jin Yuan Feng, Ah Jin (Jiro Wang) - Xiang Qin's friend

Ah Jin is Xiang Qin's overzealous friend that also happens to be in love with her. She doesn't think of him as any more than a friend, but he thinks he has already "registered" her (lol). He's very compassionate and hates ZS for his coldness towards XQ.


He's so angry at Zhi Shu's coldness and even tries confronting him with his posse, asking him why he did not even take a look at XQ's love letter. But Zhi Shu effectively gives him and XQ a slap in the face by saying "I hate women without a brain". (!!!)

XQ goes home later to her new house, that her father has been building by himself. However, XQ does not like this home at all as she wishes for a "European style house with white lace curtains" (remember this). XQ expresses concern about the stability of her house to her father but he dismisses it. Her friends, Chun Mei, Liu Nong and Ah Jin show up to see her new house, bringing gifts. Here, Ah Jin rushes in calling XQ's father "Dad" and confesses his love for ZQ to her dad, claiming that they are the "it couple" the school. Later, he sits on one of her father's handmade stools and breaks it.

As luck would have it, a 1-2 Richter scale hits her house, and because her father has not built it properly, her house crumbles to pieces. All the homes around hers are completely safe, but her house, including everything in it, has been demolished. All the people inside escape safely, but sadly, the beloved photo collage of XQ's mother is buried in the rubble. This causes a frantic search and confuses the reporter at the scene into thinking that there is another body inside (lol).

The scene cuts to a married couple watching this all play out on television, who appear to be long-lost friends of XQ's father. Later, Ah Cai, her father, is seen rummaging through the ruins looking for this collage. When he finally finds it, he looks up to see the couple waiting for him. We learn that they are high school best friends and Ah Cai was their matchmaker as well.

The next day at school, XQ is even more mortified, as she has been publicly embarrassed with her love note to ZS, but also her house has fallen down. She is the talk of the school and everyone wants to ask her about it. She has to resort to wearing a mask and hat to cover her face in an attempt to hide from all the attention. Of course, Ah Jin is further embarrassing her by starting a collection box and forcing people to donate to XQ.

ZS walks by at this moment and Ah Jin harasses him into donating some money. However, XQ, who is already mad at ZS, throws the note on the floor asking him not to look down on people and saying that she does not want any help from him. He coolly replies "Remember that you said that" (remember this).

Meanwhile, XQ's father Ah Cai has been searching in the debris of her old home for the collage of his late wife.
At the end of the day, we see XQ and her dad getting ready to move into a new home. XQ dejectedly asks her father if this place will be sturdier than their last, and he says yes, and tells her that they will be staying with his high school best friend. He mentions that they have a boy who is in high school as well and goes to the same school. Hilariously, Ah Cai says that all high school buys are wolves and to be careful. LOL

As they pull up to the house, XQ notices how big it is and that the name plate says "Jiang"... Just a coincidence right? she thinks. After hesistating a little, they ring the bell and the uncle from before opens the door. Seeing as the man is quite rotund and not very attractive, XQ was reassured that he could not be related. But then the uncle called for his high school son to help them move their luggage.

XQ moves to try to lift some luggage. A figure appears beside her. She turns, the breeze is gentle and there, in all his glory is Jiang Zhi Shu himself, smiling from ear to ear.

When they go in, we briefly meet ZS's mom (so hilarious) who has baked a cake for XQ and plans to going shopping and teaching her how to cook and all kinds of girly things with her new daughter. She asks ZS if he knows XQ and he says condescendingly something to the effect of "Even though our classes are separated by VERY far, we've gotten to know each other recently, isn't that right Classmate Yuan?" We also meet ZS's angry, chubby little bro (bios on these characters later)

~ End of Episode 1 ~