Book Break is a topic I will be posting here on my blog that’s not about book(s). It’s about other activities I’m indulging in when I’m apart from the literature world. Although it could also be book related like Movie adaptations TV series based on a certain book. Mostly it will contain movies, TV series reviews and gushes and other healthy activities that you would find out soon.
Itazura na kiss is a popular shojo manga series by the Japanese comic artist Kaoru Tada. The manga series was published in Japan in 1991 by Shueisha through Margaret Magazine. Itazura na Kiss became so popular and it sold over 27 Million copies in Japan alone. Due to it’s hype and popularity, in 1996 the first live TV drama adaptation was aired in Japan through TV Asahi consisting of 9 episodes. Unfortunately, author Kauro Tada died in March 11, 1999 due to an accident and the manga was left unfinished. Despite the bad new, a lot of people continue to support the manga and later on, other countries such as Taiwan and Korea bought the rights of Itazura na Kiss to turn into their own version of TV series with various titles. And in 1998, it was made into an Anime series with the same title consisting of 25 episodes.
Itazura na Kiss is about a senior high school girl named Kotoko Aihara. Kotolko comes from class F, the bottom class where the not so smart kids belong and often looked down by everyone. Kotoko is known for her dumbness (in the Taiwanese drama version, they said her IQ is only 75) and she’s not good at anything like cooking and any kind of sports. She’s also a trouble maker, clumsy, naïve and very stubborn but she’s also sweet, charming, loving daughter, a good friend, and best of all she’s diligent and patient in achieving her goals. She has a huge crush on her fellow senior student, Naoki Irie who was placed at class A, the top ranking class. Naoki is very genius having an IQ of 200, he was good at everything, he great athlete, he’s a good cook, and he’s very popular and a very handsome guy. But underneath those almost perfect traits hides his cold heart, cruelness and in short he’s the total opposite of Kotoko. Kotoko had been admiring him since she first saw him on their first day of high school and since they’re already in their senior year and about to graduate, she decided to confess her feelings to Naoki through a love letter. But she ended up being cruelly humiliated and rejected by Naoki in front of a lot of students by saying he doesn’t like stupid girls. After the awful incident, Kotoko decided to forget Naoki and move on, but fate interfered. After an intensity 2 earthquake that crashed down Kotoko’s family house, her father’s childhood best friend took them to live in their house. Her father’s friend turns out to be Naoki’s father. And this coincidence shocked Kotoko that she will be living in the same house with Naoki.
Kotoko realizes that she can’t really shake-off her feelings toward Naoki and she pursue to show him how much she care and love him despite his hostile treatments to her. Soon, Naoki’s heart starts to soften and gradually he found himself falling for Kotoko.
***Spoilers ahead***
Itazura na Kiss can be translated as Playful Kiss, Naughty Kiss, Mischievous Kiss or Teasing Kiss. It was titled Itazura na Kiss because of the scene on the night of their graduation day when Class F and Class A were celebrating it on the same restaurant and later both classes clashed into a huge argument including Naoki humiliating Kotoko in front of everybody. On that night Kotoko tries to humiliate Naoki back by showing his picture as a toddler wearing a girl’s outfit to everybody. Naoki gets very pissed at Kotoko so he pulled her out of earshot of everybody. Kotoko told Naoki that she will set aside her feelings for him starting that very night and when she go to college she will find a better man than Naoki.
When he heard it, something inside him snapped and he suddenly kiss Kotoko. After he kissed her, he stuck his tongue out so it seems he’s just playing a prank with Kotoko.
***End of Spoiler***
ADAPTATIONS:
Itazura na Kiss Japanese Live TV Drama
In October 1996, they aired the first live TV series of Itazura na Kiss through TV Asahi in Japan. The TV series aired until December 1996 completing a total of 9 episodes. Japanese actress SATO AIKO played the role of Kotoko Aihara and KASHIWABARA TAKASHI played the character of Naoki Irie. Although the live TV series change some scenes from the original manga, it still became successful. I laugh a lot while watching this due to the over acting of Kotoko, which really resembles the manga and I love Naoki, he’s very cute and adorable.
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| Kashiwabara Takashi as Naoki Irie |
It Started With A Kiss: Taiwanese TV Drama series:
In 2005, Taiwan made its TV drama series of Itazura na Kiss titled “It Started With a Kiss”. It was aired in Taiwan’s local broadcast network CTV/GTV from September 25, 2005 to February 12, 2006 accumulating a total of 20 episodes (the DVD has 30 episodes). In this version, they changed the character’s names into Chinese names. The beautiful and charming actress and singer Ariel Lin portrayed the role of Yuan Xiang Qin which is known as Kotoko Aihara in the Japanese versions. And the adorable Joe Cheng played the role of Jiang Zhi Shu also known as Naoki Irie in the Japanese versions.
I really loved this drama, especially Ariel Lin; she played well for the role of Xiang Qin which gave the viewers a lot of laughter watching this drama. And also Joe, I love when he glares at Xiang Qin and I can’t help but swoon whenever I watch this. I have to admit Joe and Ariel have a perfect on screen chemistry that most fans wished they were real life couples. Add to that the other characters that also played well to make this series a wholesome and a totally hilarious show. Aside from that I love the cool soundtracks. Ariel Lin sang one of the song in the soundtrack titled Prank. And aside from Ariel, Jason who played the role of Wang Hao Qian the tennis club chairman sang the opening theme song “Say That You Love Me” and “Can We”.
They Kiss Again: Season 2 of It Started With a Kiss
In 2007, they aired the second season of It Started With a Kiss entitled “They Kiss Again” consisting of 20 episodes. Still based from the best selling manga, continuing the story of Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin as a married couple, how they handle the common problems usually encounters in marriage and how they work on their differences.
The story picks up right away after their wedding ceremony from the first season following their honeymoon that became a disaster and continues in their married life. Zhi Shu continues to be harsh on Xiang Qin that sometimes leads Xiang Qin to run away, but soon Zhi Shu managed their mutual relationship well and learned how to properly love Xiang Qin. Xiang Qin on the other hand is still very naive but she tries her best to fulfill her duties to be a good wife alongside in achieving her dream of becoming a nurse. It also shows how both of them grow and struggle to achieve their dreams. And also other characters from the first season where given their own side of story and new characters where introduced and a new rival for Xiang Qin’s love.
This season still stick to its comedy genre but it's more emotional than the first season. This season ended up right where the manga was left unfinished due to the sudden death of the author. The final episode was so emotional that it made me sob. Ariel and Joe made a good job in delivering the emotions extending it to the viewers that made us cry buckets of tears. But in the end they still managed to put on a hilarious scene where Xiang Qin stepped on a poo. There were a lot of unanswered questions left at the end. And I hope that they would really make the third season that will conclude the story of Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin.
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| One emotional scene in the last episode of Season 2 |
My Favorite Scenes in ISWAK and TKA:
***Spoilers***
1. Of course the first kiss where Zhi Shu played it as a prank although deep inside he really meant that kiss.
2. Their first unexpected date where they encountered a trouble and they run from it resulting in a date where they ride on a boat and due to Xiang Qin’s dumbness they ended up drenched.
3. There is this guy who had the guts to ask Xiang Qin on a date but Xiang Qin just used him to make Zhi Shu jealous and one time he tries to kiss her but Ah Jin saw it and he punched that guy and the guy punched him back and Zhi Shu saw it and he said that their fight is useless because he is the only one Xiang Qin like.
4. When Zhi Shu finally confesses his love to Xiang Qin under the rain after he find out that Ah Jin is proposing to her.
5. The quirky wedding ceremony. 6. The part from TKA, where Zhi Shu finally felt how to be jealous when a friend of Xiang Qin confesses his love and concern regarding Zhi Shu’s mistreatment to her and convinces her to file a divorce.
7. When Zhi Shu gave Xiang Qin a romantic birthday gift where he gave her the first button of his uniform way back in high school and presented it as a ring and he showed her his new office where he kept all the gifts Xiang Qin gave to him before which she thought he already trash it.
8. The last episode. Everything in it.
***End of Spoiler***
Itazura na Kiss Anime Version
The Anime adaptation of Itazura na Kiss consisting of 25 Episodes by TMS Entertainment and shown on TBS from April 4, 2008 to September 28, 2008. In the anime, they made a suitable ending to the story which by the way the original manga doesn't have since it was left unfinished due to the unexpected death of the author.
Playful Kiss: Korean Adaptation
Recently, Korea aired their TV drama adaptation of Itazura na Kiss titled Playful Kiss or Mischievous Kiss which is currently airing at MBC every Wednesday and Thursday 21:55 with a total of 16 episodes. Kim Hyun Joong (who is known for his role as Yoon Ji Hoo in the hit TV series Boys Over Flowers which is also an adaptation of the hit manga Hana Yori Dango) played the role of Baek Seung Jo (Naoki) and Jung So Min as Oh Ha Ni (Kotoko).
At first the series is suppose to be 20 episodes but due to its low ratings they decided to cut it into 16 episode which made me so sad. Just recently I was so shocked to find out that on this version, they made a different twist on the preclimax part of the story which makes it more exciting to watch. I love the characters here like I love the characters in the Taiwanese version, especially Kim Hyun Joong. And also I love the teddy bears at the end part of each episode that reenact the highlight scene from the episode It's just sad that I could only get to watch it in the remaining 2 weeks and I'll miss it. I just hope there would be a second season like the Taiwanese version.
ISWAK SEASON 3 NEWS:
Almost a year ago when the news for the season 3 of It Started With a Kiss broke in the internet. But recently there's an update to the news from the director of It Started With a Kiss. You can read the whole article here.
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