The thing that I just don't like that much about this drama is all of the cringe and embarrassing moments. Well I actually like it but you know, I just really can't help but to be embarrassed by Kotoko's actions. BUT WELL, just like what I said earlier, this is what makes "Itazura na Kiss", "Itazura na Kiss".
Well this drama made me feel a lot of different emotions and I really really just recommend this drama. I hope you'll enjoy it the way that I also enjoyed watching it.
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Very disappointing experience
Disclaimer: I haven't read the manga or watched any other versions.I must say, I went into this drama with high expectations. So far, I haven't been disappointed once, no matter what happened in a drama.
However, this is something that was reeeeally hard to finish watching. I was doing my best not to drop it midway.
1. The female lead is a plain maiden in distress. I don't know if it's intentional, but she is made out to be a literal lump of clay as a person. She has the emotional maturity of a 12 year old child, that level of intelligence and dresses the same way even though she's nearly 20 years old in the drama. I'd somehow get over that had it not been for the fact that her character doesn't grow AT ALL. Nothing. She never learns. Nothing is different about her in ep 1 and ep 16. I mean, really? That's the best you can do? She has no ambition, no dreams, no passion in regards to anything except getting a boyfriend. The central piece of her life is a man and nothing else. Not even being a housewife, just to be in love. I understand dramas go far beyond reality, but this is so far fetched it's hard to watch and not cringe every waking moment of it.
2. Yahagi Honoka (female lead) overplayed her role so much it was unbearable to watch. The facial expressions, the lack of grace, the voice, the gestures. Everything is so overplayed that it becomes grotesque. It's like watching someone try to act for the first time. I get there's the concept of "cute", but this goes far beyond that. It's just.... sad.
3. I've seen dramas normalize a lot of things, but when did it become cute to normalize obsessive, stalker like behavior? And to boot, hurting your friend so much? There are things in life which are meant to be hard and a heavy topic and this drama throws it out of the window. That's what makes it so hard to connect to characters.
4. Some roles were greatly done, were relatable and well portrayed. Male lead as well. But, sorry to say, since female lead is in the center, really brings the quality of drama down.
Overall, drama had great potential. The fact that female lead was made an absolute idiot that can't do anything herself is what killed it, alongside the fact that her character never develops. Imagine making a drama where a 16 year old and a 20 year old are exactly the same. Personal growth? Unheard of.
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For me, Miki Honoka as Aihara Kotoko is perfect. I haven't read the manga but I think that she has a fair amount of innocence, of "stupidity" of naiveness and a perfect image of a girl in love. Her acting isn't that exaggerated and annoying just because she isn't smart. And I actually think that Honoka being young is perfect since it started in high school and all the way to college. Of course there are times that Honoka looks like a 12-year-old girl but she clearly has this aura of a bubbly, care-free and determined Kotoko that I imagined.
Yuki Furukawa is the real life Naoki Irie. Yes, he does lack expression at times but I think that perfectly captures Naoki's I-don't-give-fuck / "boring life" attitude. I think that compared to the others, he embodies that cold demeanor well. He doesn't just look good, he looks smart and it actually helps that Furukawa speaks English fluently as it makes it REALLY smart.
I know that some would say that Furukawa and Honoka look like brothers and sisters because of the obvious height difference and I beg to disagree. The fact that Furukawa is actually 26 and Honoka is 16, that's 10 year age difference yet it wasn't THAT evident in the drama. Furukawa looks young. And in fact, it looks like a bittersweet high school love story to a blossoming hate-love college love story. I find the height difference cute because it makes Honoka seem vulnerable yet it contrasts with her personality and Furukuwa can make her feel safe especially when he hugs her. (Though Honoka being 16 and already having romantic scenes...)
Still, the characters are far from perfect. Naoki is like a jerk who keeps Kotoko at arm's length because he knows she's madly in love with him. And Kin-chan is the typical second male lead that's a good guy and madly in love with the girl but gets friendzoned even if he deserves better. But it's an interesting love story of how a cold and smart guy (who hates dumb girls) falls in love with one showing that lack of IQ does not equal to stupidity, personality matters too.
What I love the most about the plot (it's very typical shoujo) it really the time span. I love that it started in high school, graduation and extending all the way to college. It makes a cohesive and unity plot that ties everything together. Every character here compliments each other and the actors have great chemistry, be it Jinko and Satomi (Kotoko's best friend) or Kotoko or Mrs. Irie. Of course, it's also a very hilarious drama and not much drama OR that cliche complicated family background. THANK GOODNESS. If there's anything cliche it's the romance. But still, I love how it takes its time. It actually a slow progress, making it more believable especially with the change of Naoki's view on Kotoko.
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This drama is a remake of an old JDrama that I did not like so much the first time, and there are also a Tawainese version that was pretty popular and a Korean version that personally I adored.
So I started watching because I love the story line of Itazura Na Kiss and after the Korean version I am always waiting for some kind of "encore". Well I am pretty happy with this new Jap version, and here is why:
Storyline: the story is pretty faithful to the manga, maybe more than the Korean version which means that some details are a little different and therefore keep your interest going even if you have seen the Korean one before (if you're like me, you could not manage to go on with the Taiwanese version after the first 2 episodes so no comparison possible).
Actors and main characters:
Kotoko (Honoka Miki): Well here I was quite happily surprised.
I expected some kind of "Baka" like in the Taiwanese version where she was soooo dumb that I just could not find her innocent or pure, just plain stupid and exceedingly annoying to the point where I was siding whit Irie and just wanted her to be bullied for being that idiotic.
Well in this version she IS dumb but much more in a pure/innocent way that I feel is the main attractiveness of Kotoko and Oh Ah Ni (Korean version) so it is more bearable. She is cute is her way (although less strong than Oh Ah Ni) but also surprisingly perceptive sometimes and infinitely prettier than the Taiwanese version although it was hard for me to get adjusted the the very large ears of the actress, Honoka Miki, and the obvious will of the drama producers to show those as much as possible (I am living in Tokyo at the moment and for some reason I just can't understand, many Japanese girls with uncommonly large ears like to show them off with tail, braids or headbands...).
So as far as the first 4 episodes go, I am quite satisfied with this Kotoko who in my opinion might just be even better than the Korean counterpart, Oh Ah Ni who tended to be quite childish sometimes.
Irie Naoki (Furukawa Yuki): Getting to what is, in my humble opinion, the whole point of this story wether it is the manga, the anime of the severals dramas, the lead male character, Irie Naoki (Baek Seung Joo in the Korean version).
For starters I must admit it took me some time to find the lead actor, Furukawa Yuki, attractive. His features were somehow too girly and there are so many better looking actors here that I was a little disappointed at first. Until I saw his interpretation of Irie.
Ok I have to say that I was in love with the Korean version, Baek Seung Joo (Kim Hyun-joong) for a very looooong time: he was such a cold hearted bastard sometimes, such a sadist and so distant that at some point I could totally understand Oh Ah Ni's feelings of rejection for I could not believe he had any feelings towards her.
Well this Irie is also a coldhearted bastard (I mean that is why this story is sooo good) but he is much softer than the Korean version and you can actually see/feel him get more and more attracted to Kotoko although evidently fighting it. Furukawa Yuki's face is so inexpressive and cold sometimes and at others, very good as to show Irie-kun's feeling quite successfully, Im currently very found of him.
From the first 4 episodes, I think this drama is going to focus more on the romance story between the 2 characters, showing how both grow closer together, rather than just the one sided love that was displayed in the Korean version where it was so difficult to guess what Baek Seung Joo was actually feeling. And I like this new perspective although it may be a little less thrilling, it is also much less frustrating and more satisfying.
Second roles:
So in the Korean version, I could not stand the stupid second characters getting on my nerves so much, especially Bon Joon Gu (Kinnosuke) who was at first so irritating and quite useless to the story. In this version, Kinnosuke is actually bringing something to the storyline, as he is forcing events, bringing the 2 leads together in spite of him and is not so annoying as the Korean version so far (although there are only 4 episodes yet). I really like Kotoko's father in this version too, very manly but a little awkward towards his daughter. And as for the rest of the Irie family I found all of them quite good though I must admit I like the korean version of Naoki's mum better for she was insane ^^.
Location: well the story is in Tokyo which is very pleasing to me as I am currently leaving in this city so I get to walk the same streets and it feels quite good ^^.
OST: I kinda of like the opening although very girly and childish but so far nothing too noticeable in my opinion, although some funny sounds are quite close to the Korean Version.
Overall, I have to say I am quite taken by this new version and although I thought it would be hard to come after the Korean version, Playful Kiss, I must admit that so far this drama is doing pretty good and it is definitely worth waiting for every week.
One more thing before I end this very long review: what's up with the school's uniforms? I mean did you see those pants? Seriously? There wasn't any fabric more odious for the costumes?
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first of all I'm happy to see Japanese adaptation of manga/anime. I've watched both Taiwanese and Korean version and I liked them (thought Taiwanese was more exiting). When I heard about Japanese remake I got worried, because You're beautiful's Jap version was disappointing for me. But wait! Did actors say that they know they'll be compared to Itazura na kiss's Taiwanese and Korean adaptation? Good! knowing problem will lead to solving it.
OK, than. First ep was difinitely good. Espacially I liked lead actress's reactions. (I replayed some scenes over and over again)
Acting is good, story- I know is good, music- ok, re-watch value- potentially highest possible and overall the best drama ever!!!
I know I a bit subjective, no, a lot subjective but maybe it's 'cause ISWAK was the first drama that lead me to dramaland.
SO EVERYONE WATCH IT!!
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É mais expressivo e realista... mais fácil de compreender os sentimentos e emoções dos personagens e do momento. Consegui simpatizar muito mais com os personagens
Adorei como o primeiro Dorama que assisto!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Watching this needs a lot of patience, I warn you. Zero drama though. If you're looking for a fluffy, simple, cute kind of love story, if you love the roller coaster, the push & pull and the ups & downs of the OTP relationship like me, then give this a try.The acting was okay, I think. There are a few moments that were very irritating since the leads didn't give a very well delivered kind of act, but okay overall. But they should've hired an older female lead if I may. When the story hit the college life, it was kinda annoying since she still looks like a child when the male lead already an adult.
Since I only watched the Korean drama and the Taiwan movie, I could say this one is my favorite. What could you say, Taiwan's is a movie, so it's not well delivered, and the Korean one is kinda dull. Idk, maybe because of the actors, or the writing.
But I can say the best Naoki is the Taiwan drama version played by Joe Cheng, and Thailand version played by Mike Angelo. They are more human since they still showed us their emotions. I think I rather saw them act like they were annoyed all the freaking time more than they just showed us a flat face (all Naoki did this idk why? in the comic/manga Naoki still mean, but he showed some emotions.)
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Low and behold a Korean adaptation came to be a while back and I thought I was lucky then....but here we are with my second wish coming true: a brand spanking new Japanese version of Itazura na Kiss.
I was still surprised that I actually really enjoyed this series though because--when I found out about the casting--I was determined to hate it.
But alas, it went above my expectations and managed to show this already well-adapted series in a (somewhat) new light.
I still don't like it as much as I like the Taiwanese series (although I like some characters more) but I do like it MUCH more than the original Japanese drama, which was just horrible.
I would say I feel about it about the same way I feel about the Korean version (Playful Kiss): They are prettier to look at and they do a lot of things right the Taiwanese drama did wrong BUT because it's already been done before and because the amount of time given to each of the dramas was less than that of It Started With a Kiss and its sequel, both the Japanese and the Korean versions feel rushed and unoriginal in certain areas.
It can't really be helped. That's just the way it is--the Taiwanese version was first (well except for the original Japanese version that I just like to pretend doesn't exist) so for many viewers who watched that drama before watching Playful Kiss or this show will probably feel the same.
Having said that, this version is still worth a watch! Especially for younger viewers since the cast looks so young (some of them really ARE kiddos still lol). I have to say I liked Kotoko less than Oh Ha Ni but about the same as Xiang Qin so that was kinda a bummer. She wasn't terribly annoying in this version but I just enjoyed Ha Ni so much more in Playful Kiss that I wish her character could be that good in all the versions.
Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo does have my favorite portrayal of Kin-chan, though. Yey! I do wish he could have got a hair cut at some point though...
And Mrs. Irie is, unfortunately, my least favorite of the three versions. She wasn't horrible though, and she did grow on me, which is good.
All of the other characters are basically the same to me, including Naoki. I did enjoy some of his expressions that I think the other versions didn't have: the soft way he looks at Kotoko now and then, his (gasp) smile here and there...I DID like that about him but I pretty much like ALL of the different portrayals of Naoki so there wasn't anything different enough here to make me like him more, or less.
So whether you are a fan of the older versions or just looking for a cute Japanese romcom I would highly recommend this series! Especially now that you can marathon it and not have to painstakingly wait for a new episodes every week for 16 weeks (thanks Japan for your one-episode-a-week torture....). Have fun watching!
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