I'm a huge fan of the anime version and I have seen both taiwanese and korean drama versions and I gotta say INK Love in Tokyo beats them both. The taiwanese one was way too long and therefore was boring at times and the korean one... well, not so good actors and even though I love the story, I couldn't help but being hella bored while watching Playful Kiss.
INK Love in Tokyo managed to still be interesting to me even though I knew the plot (and its twists) by heart. Now yes, the over the top acting (especially the main actress) was kinda off-putting at first but once I got past it, I really got fond of the characters and the main couple. I loved their chemistry, even if (no) thanks to the author, Irie Naoki's character is difficult to understand (to the point you just want to shake the hell outta him) and Aihara Kotoko's one is way too dumb to not be frustrated with her at some point. Still, loved them both together and individually.
The drama has its fun moments, not to the point where I'd like, laugh out loud or anything but enough to make me smile and feel good when watching them. And again, that was exactly what I expected from it. No more, no less.
I'm really glad it got a second season even if I already know how it's going to end but the drama's amazing characters and its sweet aura will definitely manage to keep me interested throughout its second run.
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For series made out of mangas, I think japanese versions are better.
Not because korean or taiwanese versions are not good, but because there are some things just japanese culture can express when it comes to manga/dorama adaptations.
I never read the manga but I know the mangaka's style; I can say I liked this very much but there are also things I'd like to point out.
I made some considerations thinking also of the korean version.
The plot; The plot is nice and the things that happen not so unreal. It is a cute and sometimes moving story about love and about growing up.
Even though some episodes are boring, it is not difficult to watch since you fell for the characters.
The characters and the casting;
Naoki was good; good looking and well played by Furukawa Yuki. I liked him better than the korean one, because I felt like he was more professional and more like the real Naoki. I mean, you have the feeling the actor is doing a great job because you can feel the cold-and-warm-at-the-same-time heart of Naoki.
The only thing that I have to point out is that at the end his character changes too fast, and it seems a little weird. I think it is something that is in the manga too, but well, he is just perfect this way.
Kotoko is a character I love and hate at the same time. I love her because she never gives up, but I hate her because she is a little bit too much in stalkering Naoki. Anyway, it is a good and fresh character that makes you smile.
Despite of what everybody says, I liked Miki Honoka. She's 16, ok, but she is good to be a 16 yo girl! Her exaggerated expressions were part of the script, in almost every comedy japanese doramas there are this kind of expressions. Most of all, I could really feel the change between the firstepisodesKotoko and the lastepisodesKotoko. Everything was good.
Speaking of the age incompatibility between Honoka and Yuki, Yuki said himself he thinks Honoka is very mature to be 16, he didn't feel the age differences at all, and I think so.
I liked the other characters too, both families, and the friends.
Kinchan was portraied better than the korean version: funny, immature but also mature when it comes to be like that.
Music: I liked the op, it was just perfect for this drama, very japanese style.
Also the other songs of the ost are good and suitable for the drama.
In the end, I liked it very much. I recommend this to everyone who wants romance, and also who wants to see something about school, friendship and growing up.
A very good drama!
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The leads have CHEMISTRY! I can tell..
Story: This is by far the closest to the manga, which is the original. I couldn't count how many times I laughed while watching this... but seriously, this drama made me laugh so hard. The story is fast-paced, but you can still follow through. (I actually like having less than 20 episodes for Itazura na Kiss.) And by the way, Kotoko is not annoying here. As expected, her character is naive but caring. She's still dumb, but not dumb in every single thing.
Acting/Cast: Wow. That's all I can say. They did a great job on casting Yuki and Miki. Miki nailed Kotoko's facial expressions. She is by far my most favorite Kotoko among all the versions. Yuki, on the other hand played Naoki naturally.. Well, because let's say that he has the same personality as Naoki in real life. Even so, the 1996 Itazurana Kiss has the best Naoki portrayal. Meanwhile, I liked how Kin-chan was portrayed. They added an importance and significance to his character. All in all, they gave justice for all the characters.
Music: The opening credits made me feel like I'm watching an anime. Its music was the best fit for this drama. The instrumental version of that song fills the sad scenes perfectly. And who would forget the BGM of funny scenes???
Rewatch Value: Since I've watched the other versions, obviously, this drama has a good rewatch value. Actually, I rewatched the last episode for how many times because the cute scenes of Naoki and Kotoko blows me away every time I watch it.
Overall, it was a great drama. The highlights of this drama were amazing Kotoko potrayal, unforgettable chemistry between the leads, and justice to Kin-chan's character.
This is a must watch.
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This drama is an adaptation from a shoujo manga published before the 2000. Inevitably, the story is brimming with cliché. I suppose, Itazura na Kiss is the source of some of the cliché seen in manga and dramas in this decade. That makes Itazura na Kiss unfit for my taste. Well, it was supposed to be...
There are reasons that made the cliché bearable.
One, the perfect lines of the important scenes. For example, the rain scene in the finale (I can't get the finale out of my head these days). I love Naoki's lines XD
The second reason is the casting. While some of the actors are probably still green, they all brought the best out of their characters. Miki Honoka, who played the heroine, needs many improvements in her acting, but she managed to bring Kotoko who is not overly stupid or annoying; just adorable. As for Furukawa Yuuki (Irie Naoki), there are times when I thought that he lacked of facial expression. But, at the end of every episode, I always scrapped that thought out of my head. Furukawa's lack of expression at some scenes was actually the prove that he played Irie well, because Irie is a character who doesn't show his emotion easily. When he does show it, he didn't hold back, and Furukawa managed to portray that perfectly.
The characterization is also what made me tune in until the end. Kin-chan's character actually had more depth than he appeared at first. I don't usually like Kin-chan's type of character, because they pour all of their heart to the heroine, be all nice and supporting, yet NEVER gets the girl; it's just too painful to watch. Although Kin-chan fell into the same pattern, the dynamic of his character made me thought that watching him is worth the pain.
The music was quite nice, though not exceptional. Some people might hate the opening theme song, but I LOVE IT.
I gave the rewatch value a ten, because I couldn't help rewatching EVERY EPISODE for at least once after I watched them. As for the finale, I've probably watched it for five times. This drama is soooo cliche but it made me all fluffy inside~ Sometimes I need fluff in my life XD
I think this drama is for those who likes popular and cliche romance. It's not for those who feel uncomfortable with the casting or is looking for something serious.
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Most people know this story so I won't bother talking about the plot.
My only complaint about this version is the pace during certain episodes and the ending. The first 10 episodes moved fairly quickly to me. Not in a bad way though. It kept me wanting to stay up longer to watch another episode. But episode 11-15 moved slowly. Everyone (well those who have seen the other versions) knew what was coming and I felt that the drama was just dragging on.
The ending, I was expecting too much. I was slightly disappointed to be honest. I felt like a lot was left on in the last episode.
I enjoyed the cast. Kotoko's character wasn't as annoying as all the other versions thankfully. Naoki was calm cool and collected, I liked how Yuki played him. The family was cute. Naoki's mom is always one of my favorite characters. Kotoko's friends were extremely entertaining too.
Overall, I really liked this version. Hoping for a second season or a special but I would definitely recommend this to those who have seen the other versions and aren't sure about this one.
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I've never really watched anything anyone in this drama has been in prior to this drama, so I was somewhat worried about the unfamiliar cast and how well they would portray their characters for this drama, but surprisingly they were all very enjoyable to watch. Furukawa Yuki did really good in portraying a character like Irie Naoki, and pulled off the cold and closed off personality well. Miki Honoka was adorable in this, I'm not sure how she is in other versions, but I loved how cheery and spirited she was portrayed in this. Miki Honoka really brought her character to life with her performance.
The music was pretty mediocre.. Very fitting for this drama, especially it's instrumental versions played within scenes.. They were played at perfect times to bring out the emotion of the scene, but they weren't anything too spectacular to mention.
Overall I enjoyed this drama. I thought it was cute, heartwarming, and always kept me laughing throughout all 16 episodes. I personally liked the ending. It did a good job in bringing this drama to end.. There were no open endings, and really left me satisfied with the drama as a whole. I might rewatch this drama some day, I think it's worth a second watch, but not anytime soon. I recommend this to those who, first of all, are fans of the anime or any other version, and those who're just looking for a cute and bubbly drama to watch. Hopefully you guys like this one ^^
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The story, well, its not something new, especially if you read the manga, saw the previous versions, and watched the anime. Even for me, I memorized the plot and characters in my head, and even unconsciously, I can point out some dialogues in the different versions. (I am a fan of the manga). If you are watching this for the first time, and that this is a new story for you, you might get to enjoy it especially if you are a fan of typical rom-com doramas. Its fun and entertaining in a way. Its sweet and lovely at many points. Its cliched and dramatic at certain levels. The stupidity and drama mixes well and goes along at each character's development in the story especially in Irie Naoki's character. The aspect that I admire the most in this drama is the character portrayal. There is something in the characters that will make you fall in love in them. They give me the feels of the manga. for example, when I watched Kin Hyun Joong playing as Irie in playful kiss, I was like "This is not Irie Naoki at all, This was more of a overacting naoki." but when I saw Furukawa as Irie, I was like "This is the Irie character I have been looking for, the Naoki that is the smart-aloof guy with serious EI problems." His character is the reason why kotoko does not seem very annoying compared to the "kotoko" on k version that is seriously annoying which literally stress me out.
For me, it was that good and satisfying that I downloaded the entire drama so that I can rewatch it again. :) Patiently waiting for season 2!
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Story: We know it & love it. Season 2 is coming in 2014(hopefully)! Yeah!!!! :) I've seen all the versions! The manga, It Started with a Kiss, They Kiss Again(ISWAK 2), Playful Kiss & this one. There is supposed to be a Chinese version of this story, Say that you love me, but it's very loosely based on Itazura na Kiss story(very very). So yeah! Huge fan of the story & series. Part of this series was a tiny bit dragging, but got over it
Acting: Miki is great as Kotoko! She made Kotoko more lovable than ever. Miki makes Kotoko like what a real girl could be like when it comes to liking someone. Yuki Furukawa was amazing a Naoki. He was cold & stoic, but not as "evil" as the other version of Naoki were. Yuki Yamada did a great job as Kin-chan. This drama made Kin-chan not annoying all the way through! I feel that Kin-chan was a little more mature in this version than the other. Like Kin-chan loves Kotoko, but will do anything to make her happy, even if it means letting go of Kotoko.
Music: Not very memorable at all, but theme songs cute.
Rewatch Value: I watched this as I was airing & I rewatched each episodes more than 3 times before the next episode aired! I truely was addicted to this drama from start to finish.
Watch this drama if you are a fan of:
The Itazura na Kiss Story. . .
The Comedy. . .
The Romance . . .
And The Friendship aspect. . .
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Storyline:
I have no problem with any other adaptations because I love the storyline so muchhh! Even if there are hundreds more remakes, I would watch them just because of the storyline. The story itself is already 23 years old but it never gets old. Salute to Tada Kaoru. Usually I won’t have high hope for Japanese romance dramas or movies. There are some that I like, but most of the couples have zero chemistry. But this drama is an absolute exception- I fell in love with the pair at the first sight, and I’m not at all disappointed :) I saw people were complaining during the airing of episode 11-14, they said the series got draggy. But since I watched this right away after it finished airing, and completed it in just two days (I had lots of work, if not, I could just finish it in one sitting! xD), I didn’t really feel the same. It is nicely paced for me, especially how it illustrates Irie gradually discovering his feelings towards Kotoko- it was very well done. One of my favourite scenes is the rain confession. It was my first time weeping over a love confession lol.
Acting:
All of the casts are unfamiliar to me (I’ve watched Furukawa Yuki in High School Debut & Asuko March! but he was just a minor character. I didn’t notice him that much); some are mediocre and some manage to pull off their characters quite well. But, it is kind of awkward, that most of the times they tend to act so anime-like. I didn’t really mind that, but when I showed some tidbits of the drama to my friends, some of them were completely turned off.
Well, exception has to be given to Furukawa Yuki though. HE IS JUST THE BEST! Even though I didn’t read the manga and just took a little peek into the anime version, I’m very sure that among all of the actors that had played Irie Naoki, he is the best portrayal ever. Korean Irie is forever monotonous, Chinese Irie is too caring, and lastly, the Taiwanese Irie is sort of a tease (but I like him lol! At least I can clearly see his love). Compared to the previous leads, Furukawa is able to retain the perfect nuance of Irie Naoki, without crossing over the line of being too indifferent or too passionate. Despite his baby face, he flawlessly emotes a cold expression which usually won’t fit someone with a face like his. He is basically an ideal image of an ice prince. That unconcerned and slightly jaded look of his is definitely not a turn-off. Every word he couldn't say, Furukawa manages to relay them perfectly through his charming quiet eyes. It is just that the girl is too dumb to realise that hahaa. Anyway I had fun observing his eye gestures and trying to figure out what he is thinking about her :D
Many says Honoka Miki is the best portrayal of Kotoko but since I like other Kotoko(s) too, I don’t have much to say about her. But I really appreciate the fact that the director chooses her; I just can’t imagine the drama with someone else as Kotoko! Honoka evokes a very sweet and lovely image. She might exaggerate at times, but, from the way I feel, she represents many girls’ inner self. I’m sure that every of us would react the same when it comes to our crush, it just that we don’t do that openly ;) And I like that how her character is little bit toned down compared to the previous ones, so it’s very acceptable. Moreover, Honoka expresses the character naturally and it suits the personality of a Japanese girl. I can’t deny it when people that she is the most likable Kotoko so far :)
Music:
Average. But I vividly remember the instrument played during the rain confession scene; the scene itself is already very beautiful but the instrumental makes it hundreds times more beautiful and successfully convey the right emotion to the viewers. The opening song is cute and fluffy, it suits Kotoko so much. I like the ending song too.. it’s just that I can’t really relate it to the drama. Maybe I’ll check the lyric translation later. But I have to say that the Korean and Taiwanese’s OSTs are more memorable.
Rewatch: I’m not a rewatcher, but rewatching this is a must! hehe
(wheu, what a long review. This just proves how much I love this remake! Hahaa)
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I put off watching this for 2 years. I'm glad I did. I was traumatized by Playful Kiss and needed time to get over that. It took me from 2009 until now lol. I loved the manga, loved loved loved it and up till now, I still believe the manga is the only one that truly shows Irie's feelings. When I read it, I didn't hate him. I loved him actually. Playful Kiss was horrible because I hated both the lead characters (not the actors) and the story adaptation was rubbish. I watched ISWAK and TKA years ago and from what I remember (not too much admittedly) Love in Tokyo and Love In Tokyo 2 were much much mucho better. In TKA Naoki was more expressive and I admit, I liked that version of Irie-kun the most, but I think this version really hit the essence of Irie's block-of-wood-with-Kotoko-inspired-feelings perfectly.
Which brings me to this one.
I think this is the only adaptation that truly captures the essence of Kotoko. She's silly, yes, but she's not brainless. She does weird things, yes, but they all have their purpose and they all have their charm. There is nothing she does for no reason and her reasons are usually common sense. She may not go about it as reasonably as you or I, but her reactions are all ours. She's just more dramatic for drama sake and because her character is one of those more expressive types. I assure, you, those epressive types are out there and they're good friends because they can never hide what they feel. They share themselves with the world. That's why I love this version of Kotoko and adored every single one of her quirks and her moments. (And her silliness and the circumstances she creates). Honoka Miki was absolutely the best thing to watch on this show. She's so pretty, expressive, and her acting is above par for so young a person. I'd love watching her in more lead roles. She is absolutely talented.
The only thing about Kotoko I had a problem with was her absolute devotion to Irie Naoki. However, that is negligible because that is the original character that the manga creator devised and that is actually the entire plot of the original story. I honestly didn't want her to be with Naoki, wanted her to forget him and build a life with someone who would adore her rather than someone who wanted to be adored. I had fantasies (just like Kotoko) while watching this that Kotoko should lose her memory and wake up not knowing anything about Naoki, then he'd miss her and start to chase her a little. *sigh* My complaints about this aspect aside, I'm satisfied with the show. Extremely satisfied.
Next up: Irie Naoki. Except for the manga (and even a little bit there too), I hated every version of him I've seen. Some more than others. This one is no different. I personally watched for Kotoko's character. This is not the actor's fault at all. I think he had great acting and I loved watching him with Honoka Miki. Their height difference (as well as age, I'll confess) made this enjoyable for me. The character's attitude towards Kotoko, his selfishness to lead her on, not allowing her to forget him and move on, yet never commit to her, drove me crazy. Kotoko is such a beautiful character with a beautiful, kind, selfless soul that charms everyone around her. She deserved to be loved unconditionally but instead she's hung up over a guy who doesn't know or care that he may have feelings for her.
The actor, however, if you look closely, is very expressive in telling the audience what Irie-kun feels. He distances himself, but he keeps watching her with longing. He always knows when she's near and there are these little smiles he gives when he teases her or is happy that she's around. I liked this Naoki... to an extent. He still didn't treat my precious Kotoko with the love she deserved. I kept wanting her to get into an accident or something so he'd realise what he could lose and would be confronted by his feelings. Dramatic, I know... *eye roll*. However, this version made me understand Naoki better and even like him - just a little. He shared with Kotoko and tried to express himself in the end. It was worth it to watch. The actor was lovely for my eyes too lol.
Kin-chan... my adorable baby. I was on your ship in this one. All the other Kin-chans irritated me. This one was so genuinely sweet and nice and loving that I wanted there to be a plot twist and she marries him. In no adaptation of INK would that happen though. Ever. Poor Kin-chan. He loved Kotoko unconditionally, but she loved Naoki unconditionally. They were both selfless in their love. Watching him and Kotoko made me realise how hard the friend-zone is and that it's kind of wrong to put your est guy-friend there. It also made me understand better when my guy-friends crib about girls overlooking nice guys and going after douchbags. Kotoko was one of those and it pained me to see her like that.
The parents... all three of them were lovely. Some people said these parents were too fantastic to be real but I disagree. In my opinion, they are closer to reality than most that I've seen in dramaland. Think about it. Most parents want the best for their children and sacrifice to make it happen. They let their children's attitudes, wants and needs rule the roost because their children are their lives. I'm not talking about drama parents who think the company is the be all and end all of the universe. I'm speaking of your every-day average (responsible) parent. Those are the kinds I'm exposed to, but I do know there are worst parents out there. Watching this show made me thankful for the kind of people my parents are. Now, that's not to say Naoki's mom is the usual... she's over the top in a good (sometimes not) way. I love how she loved Kotoko, but I also understood that it wasn't actually about loving Kotoko. It was about her love for Naoki and on top of Kotoko's very special personality, it was about the better, more open, person Naoki became when in the presence of Kotoko. He was entirely different in Kotoko's presence than when he wasn't. The details were subtle, but it was there. He was a human because of her and a block of ice without her. Mama saw that and fell in love with Kotoko because she made her son a better person. Don't deny it, we all wish for a mother-in-law like that. I do, *sigh.
The 2 friends... honestly, sometimes I wondered if they were frenemies lol. But they were great and stuck up for Kotoko when needed. I liked them a lot.
This show was a blast for me. I thought I'd just try it out and maybe drop it, but it was too interesting to drop. It's a simple story, beautiful characters, and even more beautiful portrayals of those characters but the acting cast was fantabulous. Loved it. :)
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