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My Itazura na Kiss Impression
By aimee | December 11, 2008
I’ve never really given much thought about watching this when the Taiwanese version was aired for the silly reason that I’m not fond of the actors playing in the drama. Lol! Also, I didn’t know that it was adapted from a manga, if I’d only known, I might have considered watching it.
I’ve only been informed recently that It Started with a Kiss was the adaptation of the manga Itazura na Kiss when I asked my colleagues what Asian dramas are worth watching. When I’ve heard of this, I immediately checked out the manga version but I was utterly disappointed at how the characters were drawn! I’m used to cute and beautifully-drawn anime and manga characters, and let’s just say the manga Itazura na Kiss’ drawing style didn’t appeal to me much (until now). I immediately removed it from my list of mangas to read, I just couldn’t bear looking at it again and again. Haha!
I’ve forgotten about it already when, when I was shopping with my mum the other day, I came across a copy of Itazura na Kiss’ anime version. I immediately asked the sales lady for it and wasn’t that much disappointed at how the anime characters turned out and so I got myself a copy.
I didn’t regret buying it! 
I got hooked (well, I get hooked really easy hehe) to the story and the characters. The story’s cute, light, and romantic – perfect for someone like me who just wants to watch something comedic and heart-warming. Yes, I’ve come to love animes whose plot revolve around high school life and romance. Stories like this really relieve me off the stress I get from working. 
Going back to Itazura na Kiss, even though I wasn’t disappointed with the story, I can’t say that I was totally okay with the style of drawing. There are moments when the characters look cute and all but towards the end of the series, the characters seem to lose their cuteness little by little. The drawings were not that polished and it’s as if the animators were drawing just for the sake of getting it over and done with. Get what I mean? It’s just sad cause the whole of the anime series could’ve been more interesting if only the lead characters, like Irie Naoki and Ahaira Kotoko, looked more appealing. The promotional images of Itazura na Kiss were a bit deceiving, you’d think they were drawn that way all throughout the series. But when you watch it in its entirety, you’d realize that there were a lot of times that the drawings were done without much quality. 
But even with all these said, I’ve come to like the story which Itazura na Kiss brings to us. It’s surely something I’d watch again on a free day or whenever I feel like I’m down in the dumps.
Topics: Anime Addiction, Itazura na Kiss | 9 Comments »
December 14th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Wow! I gotta find the anime! Was is as good as Lovely Complex?
I love Lovely Complex, but I hate the manga. Maybe the drawing is not cute enough for me..
Anyway, thanx for the heads up!
December 15th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
@Kikuri-hime: Hmm, I haven’t heard about Lovely Complex but Itazura na Kiss is definitely worth watching if you’re a hopeless romantic like myself!
Btw, what’s Lovely Complex about? Thanks
December 15th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Well, Lovecom is about an extremely tall girl who falls in love with a very short boy. She confesses her love for him and he denies her, because of her height…. Anyway, it’s so comical and at the same time so hilarious. U gotta try this! Seriously!
December 17th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
ItaKiss brief history : Manga – Japanese Dorama – Taiwanese Vesrion 1 – Taiwanese Version 2 (It Started With a Kiss)- Anime
I first discovered the story via the Japanese Dorama 9 years ago, all because of the lead’s good looks on the cover (Takeshi Kashiwabara – kawaiiiii). The story was a lil off tho and Kotoko was really annoyingly stupid. You nver could comprehend why Naoki could actually fall inlove with her; and everything was compressed into something really unappetising.
Then I googled and found out that the series was actually based on a manga, whose storyline was far more superior to the drama. Never could understand why the Dorama did not stick to the original storyline. Hence, the long wait for the anime, till I found it mid this year. Halleluyah! And thank goodness it was kept 90% to the original manga. Check out http://www.suki-desu.com/itazuranakiss/ for comparisons.
Didn’t even bother with the Taiwanese versions cos 1-the lead actor was nothing compared to Kassy, and 2-didn’t wanna be disappointed due to the storyline again. But you should just check the Japanese version just to see how kawaii Kassy is as Naoki!
Irie-kun forever…!
December 17th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Ohh, thanks! Okay, another manga-to-read on my list!
March 20th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Where did you buy it? i wanna get it, it sounds really cool when i googled it.
April 14th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Hi Emilee! Sorry for the very late reply. I bought it from one of the shops here in Manila, Philippines. You could check out crunchyroll.com, they’ve a lot of anime titles there and they provide links to where you could watch them.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:55 am
lovely complex I’m bearly seeing it. but in ituzura na kiss i’m in the last episode so romantic
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:57 am
kill u and u and u muahahaha