Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo

I'll admit I started watching this just cos I wanted something fun and light, and didn't expect to like it un-ironically. But I got hooked on it pretty quickly. The actors all play their roles very well, and the characters are likable (even cold Naoki grows a bit). I love the over-the-top comedy acting and silly, clean humour of the show. The romance is played well, and the characters grow a little as the show goes on, so that you really get into their lives and wonder how things will turn out for them. It's just put together quite well, and is a really enjoyable show to watch.

The story is as cliche as it can get where two starkly opposite individuals are on a journey of love. The only difference is that the girl is the first one to fall in love with the cold hearted snob. The comic timing of the the lead actress is super fun to watch and is sure to put you in splits at various moments. The over the top love and clinging attitude of the girl is sometimes hard to comprehend but still i would say it is a light hearted watch. The male lead does justice to this character but I felt he was shown a bit too cold even as the show progressed. I really wished a more warmer side of his in the next season. It would have been lovely if a little bit of his emotional side were also conveyed to the audience.

We get to find out in this enjoyable Japanese TV series. Mr. High IQ (Naoki) appears to have been infected by Love (Kotoko) when he offers her his first kiss, almost as a token to keep her engaged in the chase. But after that, and with more gentle persistence by Kotoko, we get to watch to see if she's the only one captivated.

Some might think Naoki is just a high IQ abuser of others not as intelligent as himself, and that might be true if his behavior did not change over time. But what happens is totally fun to watch (even though I had to read sub-text, being English-Irish American). "Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo" (Season 1 & 2 on Netflix) is an absolutely wonderful TV series for those who enjoy romantic comedies.

This is one of the best Japanese dramas! The chemistry between Yuki Furukawa and Honoki Yahagi is remarkable. The story is funny, romantic, has some dramatic overtones, and has a coherent development. You can watch it multiple times and not get tired of it. The drama is the remake of the Itazura na Kiss series, based on the manga. A third season would not be bad at all. The characters are well-defined. Kotoko is bubbly, generous, and in love with Irie Naoki. Irie Naoki appears cold and distant, only to hide his feelings for Kotoko. Kin chan's role is crucial. Without him, the story would have progressed more slowly.

I had read some of the manga that this show was based upon and this show more than any I can think of evokes the exact feeling of the comic. This is mostly brought about by the fact that the actors are exceptionally capable at reflecting this. It is like Kotoko has transformed out of the manga to be a real person and the same for Naoki. Kotoko is not a natural beauty, but she is cute and when she sets her mind to it she is, as Naoki says, quite literally a "force of nature". Her determination, positivity, and heartwarming personality make you want to root for her continuously, and Naoki definitely represents something perfectly unattainable that is a natural target for her puissance. A story universal in its appeal, where it is made clear that who you grow into is much more important than how you start off, and that you should never compromise on your dreams if you are prepared to work hard enough to attain them. Incidentally, I watched the Taiwanese version of this and found that even though I speak Chinese far better, I didn't enjoy it as much because the warmth of the characters just wasn't there; the Taiwanese girl was prettier, but she was not Kotoko and didn't have her spirit. Production values are, just like any Japanese TV show, very strong and show some interesting and lesser known parts of Tokyo. Fantastic show.