Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo

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.

MK is a warm hug from beginning to end. Just like roses have thorns, this warm hug has some pricklies that will poke the viewer here and there. Modern western women may not be able to take much of Irie. The older one is, the more guys one meets like him. The story is about his transformation, and that's a good thing. 32 49-minute episodes sounds like alot, but the show flows by quickly. It is cuteness itself for the most part.

Three years. Her whole HS life she's been in love with Naoki Irie. Kotoko Aihara isn't going to graduate without making a play. She writes a letter and delivers it to him in person. "I don't like dumb women," is what she gets in return 😳.

Sure, she's not book smart. She ain't anything-smart. She's in F-class and he's a big-deal - he's at the top of the HS pyramid - in every way - but, wow... WOW! He's /MEAN/. What a bad-deal he turned out to be.

Before Kotoko can get home to regroup, she finds out there is NO HOME. Apparently, her house was struck by a meteor. Her father sends her an address and says they'll be staying there while the restoration is being done. When she arrives, she sees her dad sitting with two men: 1. Irie. 2. His dad. They will be living at their place until her ruined house is rebuilt😲! Apparently, their dads are old friends. The show doesn't nail the timing down, but the ☄strike probably happened right when he was rejecting her. So, yup, it's the forced roommates trope. It's a good-un. I'm not tired of it yet. - especially when it's as adorable as this show is.

Kotoro just hates Irie now. Except she doesn't. She'd like to, but she /can't/. He's her kryptonite. Now they are thrust together. He's miserable and barks like an angry dog. Soon he'll be wagging his tail. It's all because of mom. Magic understands the art of the deal. 'Oh, Irie, could you help Kotaro study?' Mom senses right away that Kotoko is the remedy for all that ails Irie. Mom becomes Kotoko's partner in crime and relentlessly endeavors to pair these two up.

Yahagi Honoka (Oshaie Sommelier Oshako!) is Aihara Kotoko. Furukawa Yuki (Kamisama no Ekohiiki) portrays the grumpy Irie Naoki. Nishimura Tomomi (Hana Yori Dango 2) is mom. Everyone else does a nice job, too. When Irie plays tennis, Kotaro attempts to follow suit. There's a tennis club coach whose personality changes when he touches a racket. He goes from the most affable guy in the world to world-class monster. It is pretty funny. The directors are Nagata Koto (Lion no Oyatsu), Kawano Koji (Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai), & Abe Masakazu (Nanba MG5, Tokyo Little Love). Screenwriter, Miura Yuiko of Ultraman Geed, adapted Tada Kaoru's work to the screen. Ms Tada also brought us Fall in Love at First Kiss, Miss in Kiss, Kiss Me, Itazura na Kiss 2: Love in Okinawa, It Started with a Kiss, They Kiss Again, and more. I'm sensing a theme😘.

How many shows have you seen where the MOM just makes it? It isn't that common, but it's the case here. Irie's mother is darling. She's the best thing about MKLIT, and Kotoko isn't far behind. I just love both of them. Kotoko, during the run of the show, is slowly becoming Irie's mother's twin. It's adorable and hilarious. She could do worse.

The bit where a woman doesn't know that her cooking is awful until it's on the table and served to everybody is as utterly ridiculous as it is overused. It's everywhere, especially in Asian programming. What person doesn't taste the food as they're cooking it? It's just preposterous and it's time to let that crash to Earth and stay there. Otherwise, the filmcraft is smooth and seamless. The music is nice. Dad wore a pink tie with white polka dots to the post engagement ceremony to discuss wedding plans. Afterwards, at home, he asks Irie if he's "sure" about all of this (engagement) while still in that pink polka dot tie. That tie represents the ebullient and fanciful Kotoko. It's a dun-deal.

The theme is never give up. We see it with Kotoko & Irie, Matsumada & Irie, Knchan & Kotoko, and mom with Kotoko. This is also a classic opposites attract, or a cat/dog Mars/Venus tale.

These parents treasure their kids, while the kids haven't thought a whole lot about it. Certainly, Irie's been resentful, and Kotoko's been too obsessed with Irie to notice anything else around her. But at the end of S1 we see that when the parents want them to make a choice for love and happiness they struggle to make the best choice for their parents and their families. They are growing up. Thinking about others is how it begins.

Mom manages to wrap up the show with a BIG surprise. It's brilliant. The entire show is a fun-deal.

QUOTE🗣

Everyone has their own pace. You just have to find something at your own pace, you see?

〰🖍 IMHO

🎬8 🖊〰8 🎭8 💓8 🦋7 🌞10 🎨7 🎵8 😅7 🤔6 🔚8

Age 13+ the only potential objection is that Mom at one point doesn't even care if they get it on. She's playing for keeps. Nothing happens though. Irie is a misogynist @$$ in the beginning of the show. His behavior is not okay. Everybody worshiped him which he took as confirmation that he's superior. His mother is the counter to that, though. He's got problems that need fixing and she recognizes Kotoko as the fixer. Every romance is a little bit of fantasy. One could watch it with a younger teen and explain how this is the type of guy that a girl stays away from. This story gets to be a show because it's an unusual situation, but IRLone canmot expect to make it work,withmsuch a person. You don't want to be the one to try to fix an @$$hole. Then you're in for an @$$hole type of life. That's a horrible deal.

Re-📺? 🆒

From lite&trite to heavy&serious, here's some recs ~

💘 Ouran High School Host Club-8,, Ao-chan Can't Study-7.8, Special A Class 💓8.2, Maid Sama-10, Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion-8.4, Mischievous Kiss, True Beauty-7.5, Map for The Wedding-7, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun-7.7, Colourcloud Palace-7.5, Hakkenden, 7th Time Loop-7.9, Honey & Clover, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, Princess Principal 8.6, Sugar Apple Fairy Tale-7.5 My Happy Marriage-8.3, My Happy Marriage-8.3, Real Girl-7.5, My Happy Marriage-8.3, Your Lie In April-9, Violet Evergarden-9.5.

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.

Actors *** Romance ***** Sidekicks *** Nagging Parents ***** Comedy *****

Kotoko (Honoka Miki) is a very average girl with very bad grades. On the first day of school, she sees Naoki (Yuki Furukawa), the most handsome and smartest boy in school, and falls in love with him.

But when her family home is destroyed by lightning she is forced to move into the same house of her crush. Kotoko's father and Naoki's are childhood friends.

With the help of Naoki's mother, who adores Kotoko, she tries to win Naoki's heart and not be the "nuisance" he thinks she is. Together they come up with the funniest way to get Naoki and Kotoko together.

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.