Ranked #560

Itazura na Kiss

Shoujo romance can be a bit of an annoying genre for me. First it is dominated by bishounen love interests who often look more like girls and usually have aloof or abrasive personalities that make you wonder why the heroine fell in love with them in the first place. While at first glance, Itazura na Kiss may not seem to be any different (though with the relieving lack of bishies) it evolved before my very eyes into the most heartwarming romance I have seen to date.

The plot for Itazura na Kiss is no different than your standard shoujo romance. A plain and stupid, but cute girl Kotoko has fallen in love and secretly pined for school idol and uber smart Naoki Irie. She finally gathers to courage to write him a love confession letter but he flatly refuses to even accept or let alone read it stating that he doesn’t like "stupid" girls. Of course in a plot twist that can only happen in shoujo, Kotoko's house is destroyed due to faulty construction and she and her father are forced to move in with his old friend, who just happens to be Naoki's father! Hilarity and hijinks ensue.

Despite the fairly non groundbreaking premise the story remains quite funny. Kotoko tries desperately to get her feelings across despite Naoki being cold, uninterested, and mean to her. Though some of it walks to line of being unforgivable to my feminist brain, it never has some of the cruel or absolutely mean spirited feeling as I am accustomed to seeing in this genre. But what really sets Itazura's story apart is the eventual payoff to the romance. Yes I know this is going to be a shocking spoiler, but Kotoko and Naoki end up together! Omigosh really! Before some of you get upset at me for revealing that, honestly what did you expect!?

What we get in Itazura is something we almost never see in romance; the AFTER in they lived happily ever after. Most romances evolve over the space of at most a year or two where in Itazura the years pass as we see our couple evolve and move on to each new stage of their life. The formulaic romance plot evolves into a bit of a slice of life over the last half of the series. But what is truly beautiful is seeing the characters and even the supporting characters grow and fine love and happiness themselves. It’s quite refreshing to see the spurned love rivals actually can be happy and not spend their lives pining away for an unattainable love. My only real gripe with this is that the extra romances themselves play out too similarly to the main storyline. I mean come on everyone does not fall in love the same way you know!

Kotoko makes for a very satisfying shoujo heroine. She has all the attributes that one would expect. She is cute but not overly beautiful, ditzy and clumsy, and not very bright. What she lacks in intelligence she makes up for in determination, hard work, and a singular focus on getting her man. This is where Itazura differs from a lot of shoujo. Our ordinary girl is not surrounded by a harem of pretty boys and while others vie for her love, too her credit her feelings for Naoki never waver. However as loveable and likeable as Kotoko is, you can’t help but wonder what it is she sees in Naoki who is so cold and mean to her. This is my main gripe usually with shoujo as I think it sets a bit of a bad role model for girls who thinks is ok to put up with this kind of thing. Even though she succeeds and manages to get her well deserved reward, you have to wonder why she bothered with him in the first place. Additionally, despite her pursuit of her man there is little else of substance about her. You don’t feel like she has any real dreams of her own beyond her relationship with Naoki. It also annoyed me a bit that even after becoming intimate she still referred to him as Irie-kun. All that being said, seeing Kotoko grow up and experience all the joy and happiness life has to offer brought a smile to my face and a few tears.

Our stoic and cold hearted love interest Naoki certainly isn’t the kind of guy I would fall for, but he has all of the attributes that young girls dream about. He is handsome (yet thankfully not a bishie), smart, the son of a company president, and of course admired by women and men alike. His is cold and aloof to everyone and while they at times touch on why this is they sadly never develop this part of his personality very well. He does make a lot of growth in his character over the course of the series, though annoyingly he often reverts back to his old ways in the following episode. But by the end of the series you feel as though he has become an acceptable human being. And to think it only took Kotoko 10 years to get that out of him!

Any romance would not be complete without the supporting cast of "cockblockers". There always has to be girls and boys who spring out of the woodwork to try and derail our leads happy romance. Itazura is no different however thankfully we get a cast of supporting characters who break the mold a bit and never seem to outstay their welcome and know when to move on when they have been defeated. There are no real villains in the cast and you will end up liking every one of them and feel all the more happy when they find loves of their own.

Every heroine needs a cast of helpful supporters encourages her romantic struggle. The series has some good ones, the biggest cheerleader and most humorous being Naoki's own mother who actively supports Kotoko in wooing her son, scolds him when he is mean to her, and loves her as her own daughter. It is quite sweet. The cast gets quite large towards the end and sadly some favorites tend to fade away into obscurity but you don’t miss them too much because they all are so wonderful to watch.

The artwork and animation is quite good. As I mentioned most shoujo series seem to revolve around bishie male characters which we do not get in this series. All the guys look like men, at least the ones that are supposed to be manly. There is some inconsistency at times with the look overall, particularly Kotoko who sometimes looks a bit too childish. The art itself is a bit plain too, by design but the settings, backgrounds, color palette, and character designs are not going to really blow anyone away. The music score is outstanding however. I really loved the EN theme and the performance from Kotoko seiyuu Nana Mizuki who is a favorite of mine and is probably best known as the voice of Fate from Nanoha.

Itazuka na Kiss comes close to receiving a perfect score. From a pure enjoyment standpoint alone it surpasses it. This series rivals my love for series with developed post confession romances such as Clannad. While is has a few minor annoyances overall this is the best and most enjoyable romance series I have seen. If your love your romance that’s lite on the tragedy and gives you a heartwarming happy ending then this should be at the very top of your list.
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Would you just back down after being told no? To be honest, very few anime make me want to actually write a review about them. This is one of the rare exceptions. I have never seen such a beautiful, but also realistic story. However, there was a myriad of things beautiful about the anime outside of the story.

The score for this anime was beautiful, not as much as one would had liked, but they did a very good job with this. The art style also stuck true to the manga written back in 1991, which I also appreciate. However, enough of that, let's get on to why I believe this may be one of the greatest romance anime's of all time.

When one watches an anime, usually it is the same thing over and over. You see the guy chasing the girl, and the girl chasing the guy, and at the very end they share an intimate moment and the anime will end. What happens to the couple after? Do they stay together? Get married? Or end up in a situation that end unfortunately? What is left for the viewer?

Itazura na Kiss shows exactly what the viewer wants to see. It shows not only Kotoko's attempt to persevere, but also the unlikely relationship between the two. It boldly does something that a lot of anime does not do and that's actually show the after affect of the couple. And I believe this is done beautiful.

Itazura na Kiss makes you feel what the other character is feeling, makes you think what the other character is thinking. I didn't expect much going into this, I thought it would be just another girl chasing a guy and being annoying like a plethora of anime leads are. This is easily one of the most enjoyable anime's I have watched to date. Each anime has it's flaws, no doubt about it. However, story wise, it was simply perfect. You didn't see a character automatically shift from being nefarious to being a perfect character. That doesn't happen here, Kotoko and Irei stay true to themselves throughout the whole anime and that's what is most enjoyable about it.

Overall, a 9/10. If you are into romance anime or simply want to take a break from your preferred genre like I did, this is a perfect anime to watch and just feel happy about while watching it. read more

The reason I chose to watch this anime was because it seemed to be highly recommended by others, so I feel like it is partly my duty to give a differing point of view since I really didn't like this anime at all.

This shoujo comedy centers on Kotoko, a character who is nothing new to the genre: pretty, but not too pretty, stupid, determined, feminine and someone whose whole being revolves around the guy she likes. Unfortunately the guy she happens to like is mean-spirited when he's not being completely indifferent towards her, rude (and of course incredibly good-looking), arrogant (and also the smartest person in school without even trying), a complete jerk (who is capable of doing anything he puts his mind to including sports). It never becomes quite clear how it is anyone could fall in love with him beyond his looks and top exam scores, but we're also not supposed to believe that our female protagonist is so shallow as to only want him for his outwardly appearance and therefore it doesn't ever seem to make sense how she could love him so much when he treats her so poorly. As we become aware of Kotoko's strong will and determination when it comes to all things to do with getting her guy, we are also left puzzled by the fact that she doesn't use it to make more of herself independently of him.

I forced myself to sit through this anime till the end no matter how bad it was so that I could form a justified opinion on it, I was also perhaps hoping that Kotoko would come to her senses, realise she could do better and dump the guy. But instead we have a character who singularly focuses her life around a man who never truly respects her.

I should be fair by saying that this anime did elicit a few chuckles and it starts off amusing enough. The artwork is fairly average. There are quite a few decent secondary characters who keep the plot moving forward and who are a main source of comedic value. But as the anime progresses the main problem I've outlined above becomes a glaring impediment to enjoying the protagonists' romance.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this anime to anyone who likes to see their female characters with an ounce of self-respect, but if you want light-hearted romance and you don't mind what sort of message it conveys about and to girls and women, then by all means watch Itazura no Kiss. read more

Itazura na Kiss is a Shoujo, Slice of Life, Romantic, Comedy about the unrequited love of our heroine, which slowly develops into true love. This concept is anything but original but this anime adaptation surely did the manga justice.

Here we have the typical shoujo set-up of the average girl (Kotoko Aihara) that has a crush on the school idol (Naoki Irie), but he doesn’t feel the same way towards her. So she makes it her goal to find a way to unlock the door to his heart. This premise is kind of dull on the other hand the whole living together, due to some unforeseen circumstances, thing does help matters progress in an interesting way. Because of this, there are plenty of comedic moments; with only some that will make anyone laugh and surprising developments to add some much needed drama. Sadly a lot had to be sacrificed from the manga storyline to accommodate the limited number of episodes, resulting in numerous skips. So you can expect them to go from Middle School to College faster than in most school-based anime, however it’s not like the romantic relationships progressed as fast. Most shoujo anime fans can still expect a rewarding experience with the story but not as much with the characters.

Kotoko is an annoyingly persistent, love struck girl. Naoki is like a male tsundere, always cold and manipulative but later becomes more kind-hearted; and sure some of his actions are very normal but his attitude can get very annoying. Having these two as the main hero & heroine is a fairly common sight, making the characters a fairly dull aspect of the series. At least there’s an interesting batch of supporting characters to enjoy and the characters in general undergo surprising amounts of development. Well even though the supporting characters do bring with them a fair amount of comedy & developments, some can become such a nuisance, with all their meddling.

This anime is adapted from a fairly old manga (early 90s) and the animation style adopts it well. The surroundings, character designs and their outfits go well with the theme but this also comes with several unappealing factors (weird head shapes). The watercolour backgrounds do help to add depth to the foreground, but the cheesy shoujo effects don’t always go with it. The music also comes with its ups and downs. The OP & ED themes are great but you can’t really say the same about the mundane soundtrack.

Overall Itazura na Kiss isn’t an outstanding shoujo romance nevertheless it is still a great series to watch, with a rewarding end result. Personally I had one major problem with the story and that had to be with the pacing, which felt very disjointed at times but that was a necessity to cram in as much manga story as possible. Even though I didn’t like most of the characters, it was still good to see them develop and grow as the story progressed. There was plenty of drama in throughout the series but this is a Rom/Com at heart and it never lets you forget that.

^_^ read more

Not in recent memory has an anime piqued my need to write a review. This one is a great adaptation of the manga. The setting has been updated to reflect current times. The flavor of the original story has stayed true with extra filler material cut out which paces the anime well. Keep in mind this manga began publishing in 1990. While the art may seem weird to some, this anime really does stay true to the original manga.

This version of Aihara Kotoko is prettier and while still not the sharpest tool in the shed is more tolerable than the manga version. Irie Naoki looks and acts just like he should. The best part about him is watching his gradual tenderness emerge. You can't help but like him more and more as the story progresses.

I'll be updating once I'm done with the series. The manga was never completed due to the tragic, sudden death of the mangaka. The mangaka's husband was consulted on production of this anime. The ending will be as the mangaka originally intended. I can't wait! read more

ItazuraCrap is of all the anime I have seen the one I detest the most. Sure, there are tons of stupid, annoying, brainless shows out there but this one exists in a craptastic category of its own. There is so much wrongness stuffed behind the mask of a cute shojo that it makes me want to get myself into a Tardis and erase every sign of this anime ever having been created. Let's dissect the wrongness…

Story:
The story kicks off clichéd to the n(th) degree: plain, ditzy girl is unrequitedly in love with the School Prince™. Now, this kind of setting can be charming given the correct ingredients: the right characters and the right dynamic between them. Far from being a good recipe, this anime requires an enema after viewing. The first few episodes were predictable enough in that the girl got her face shoved in the mud and suffered through lots of expectable humiliation. However, I was looking forward to the time when she would pick herself up, grow as a person and win the affections of her love interest. Respectively, I was expecting the love interest to stop being a jerk and show that he was actually a good enough person for the heroine. Instead, I got an S&M show. The heroine could not get enough humiliation and outright abuse, even at a point in the story where you'd think she'd get some love and affection. The love interest was such an abusive, unlikeable, insufferable asshole he only needed a Nazi uniform to make him complete. Honestly, if any viewer actually believes he is the ideal love interest then s/he is in desperate need of psychiatric evaluation and should not be allowed to care for small pets or children.
About the only positive thing I have to say for the story is that it moves fast. For the shojo genre it moves at warp speed 9 since it moves past high school and college and professional life. I suppose it shows more but I didn't make it past episode 15 so I wouldn't know. Nor would I want to know. I’d rather unclog my toilet.

Characters:
Kotoko: this is the kind of non-role model people should steer their kids away from. She has no self-respect, no life, no goals outside of loving the Jerk. I kid you not, she is a pushover and a doormat like no other. She even chooses her career only to complement the career the Jerk has chosen. She suffers untold humiliations and abusive behaviour because “she loves him“. Her only purpose in life is to love the Jerk? I wish I could put her head to the meat grinder and feed her to my cat. Then her life would have a better purpose.
The Jerk: has a name but I'm not going to use it. He's just the Jerk. He's supposed to be very pretty and very smart, so smart in fact that he has the supergenius ennui flu and views the rest of humanity on the same level as cockroaches. His “love interest” included. At no point does he become someone we can root for. You know, someone a girl in her right mind would actually love or even like. I wish I could put his head to the meat grinder and feed him to my cat but I’m afraid she’d just vomit him up.

By no means is this relationship the only problematic relationship in this anime. Throughout the show we have the message that boys should “smack their bitch up” and that the only good woman is the woman that is submissive to her man (re: total doormat). If you look closely, you'll see that any female character that is not a doormat (or does something against the wishes of her man) is portrayed as an evil bitch from hell. Honestly, I've seen hentai with healthier relationship portrayal.

Animation:
Below shojo mediocrity

Sound:
It’s there.

Overview:
Lighten up, I hear you say, this is just a romcom. No, it's not a comedy. It's a mean, sadistic piece of shit. You're not laughing because what you see is funny, you're laughing because you see a character being humiliated. And it's about as romantic as child brides.
Seriously, if you still can’t spot the shit compare this turd with romcoms like Skip Beat and Lovely Complex.
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"Love isn’t blind. It’s retarded." – Charlie, Two and a Half Men

What happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object? Love blossoms, of course! Itazura na Kiss is the anime adaptation of the smash hit manga of the same name that published in the late 1990s. However, due to the sudden death of the mangaka, Karou Tada, the manga never reached its intended climax. After the release of three successful live action series (and another later in 2010), TMS Entertainment decided to conceptualize the ending and produce a 25 episode anime series.

Itazura na Kiss follows Kotoko, a naive and clumsy girl who falls head over heels for the brilliant and handsome Naoki. Unfortunately for her, he is the king of all tsunderes and refuses to even cast a second glance at her. After Kotoko’s house is destroyed due to some silly reason, she is forced to move into (*gasps*) Naoki’s house. The rest of the story is dedicated to Kotoko’s pursuit of her Prince Charming and the struggles on how a relationship might not always but be milk and roses, especially if the girl’s a klutz and the guy’s heart is made of stone.

Right off the bat, it has to be mentioned that Itazura stands out mainly because of telling the tale even after the couple unite. Seeing that this is a shoujo, I don’t think I’m bursting anyone’s bubble here. In fact, that is the selling point of this anime – it has a story even after the much awaited confession and acceptance.

The story of this anime is like a very bumpy road trip – it’s rough, rutted and will frustrate, but when it’s good, it’s a real joy. At the core, this show is a rom-com and delivers well to a decent extent on both ends. Shoujo enthusiasts will be delighted to see their most beloved clichés wrapped into a well executed package. The plot twists are steep enough to keep most guessing and although it can test one’s patience with cheesy dialogues, there isn’t a single moment in this anime that will make you bored.

However, Itazura’s story is, as mentioned a few lines ago, extremely patchy. This can be attributed to the overdose of comic relief, which serves as a total mood crusher. Just when the show has a good rapport going with the viewer, plunging its tendrils into our hearts, it immediately barricades itself with its corny sense of humor and excessive chibi. It fails to take itself seriously. Moments that have so much potential to be moving and memorable are completely underutilized because of the anime’s inability to be consistent with the mood. Now, the jokes are good and will give you a good chuckle or two, but they soon grow to be as annoying as a weight machine next to an all-you-can-eat buffet. It’s a good thing that the show steps up its game episode 18 upwards, from where things are far more consistent and gripping.

The entire concept of love and romance in the anime (like many generic shoujo) is twisted. According to Itazura rules, people are like Pokemon – you gotta capture them. The one who has just a one-sided crush becomes madly in love with the other person and become delirious to all reason and logic. They will instantly abandon all their dignity and self-esteem. “Love” here is more or less synonymous with “stalking”. Love someone? Confess to them, follow them and pester them until they finally give in. But this approach is what kept the chemistry between the leads, so it is forgivable.

The animation is very mediocre. Despite being a 2008 anime, the backgrounds are average and the detailing is so-so. My major gripe here is the terrible consistency in Kotoko’s face. For comedic effects, they stretch her face until she looks like a pancake and the next second she looks like a mature teenager with beautiful flowing hair. Lots of facepalm-worthy moments. There were some nice touches, like the changing of hairstyles and a decent variation of clothes, which is something that most anime tend to neglect. Overall, it’s a decent job by the animation department, nothing more.

The soundtrack is very standard with only a couple of pieces standing out. It’s fitting and is never a hindrance or a pleasure. The OP was nothing special and the first ED was a threat to my eardrum’s safety. The second one, on the other hand, was a marvelous track and had great vocals.

The characters are the biggest offenders here. No, not all of them, just the one – Kotoko. While there is nothing wrong with having a clumsy girl, her simplicity often amounts to her acting like a three year old. Whether this maybe for forcing a smile or a “kawai” outcry, her flawed character is irritating. She lacks any self-esteem whatsoever and her childish antics can only be tolerated so much before you throw your hands up in exasperation. Her masochism is pretty high up the chart even for those usual suffer-in-silence shoujo female leads.

Naota on the other hand is a fantastic character. The aim of any character is to provoke a reaction from the viewer, be it is positive or negative. Naoki does the latter admirably, generating a lot of hate for his tsunderity and strong willed single-mindedness. He manages to retain your attention for every second of his air time. The rest of the cast all play their role and there are a lot of recurring ones excluding the family. Plenty of new characters are thrown into the mix along the way and they are always welcome additions.

Like the story, the enjoyment will be in bits and pieces as well. One must have a, how shall I say it, wide sense of humor in order to relish the anime’s weak, yet persistent, sense of humor. The initial episodes will have you tearing up with laughter, but as the show progresses, the charm wears off. It fails to move away from the same and washed out slapstick jokes and the end result is a viewer grudgingly getting past these “filler” scenes waiting for the real deal. And the real deal, the romantic scenes, is quite a spectacle. Every time a truly serious situation arises, the chemistry between the arrogant Adonis and the diligent dame does not disappoint. Those looking for the lovey-dovey atmosphere with a touch of class will find exactly what they are looking for in this anime. There are some exceptionally memorable scenes which will make your heart swoon for the couple. This is especially so in the latter half of the series, when the anime (along with the characters) matures.

[ THE WRAP-UP ]
Itazura na Kiss is a fantastic anime for those looking for a light hearted rom-com that will entertain more than anything else. TMS Entertainment has done a great job in condensing the pioneering decade-long manga into a well executed 25 episode series. The place where this anime severely lacks is in consistency, largely due to the fact that the humor was shallow and the same jokes were used one too many times. The heartwarming romance is present, but is heavily underplayed and could definitely have been so much more emotional. The animation and sound departments are average and are nothing special. The lead couple is a total yin and yang and while it does make for an enjoyable chemistry, Kotoko is a horrendously flawed character and can be beyond irritating at times. Itazura na Kiss is recommended if you’re looking for something that will cheer you up, while satisfying the shoujo void in your heart and providing a great “after story”, but just don’t go in expecting anything too deep. read more

Fun premise with some genuinely humorous and touching moments, but tries to cram too much story into too few episodes, severely undermining the character development and romance that should be two of the show's star attractions. Irie's characterization suffers most from the compression -- every show of affection comes off as random and perfunctory, seeming less like the result of his feelings for Kotoko than the show meeting a necessary benchmark so it can move on to the next phase of the Irie/Kotoko relationship. (Not surprisingly, Kotoko herself comes off as a bit of a doormat early on, given that she suffers so much abuse with so few rewards.) When your main couple is two people with opposite personalities who don't get along well at first, putting their relationship on fast forward is just a bad idea.

Still, there are good reasons to hang on till the end of Itakiss: the supporting cast is full of entertaining characters, the show has a great sense of humor when it's not being warped out of shape by time constraints, the art scheme manages to be old-fashioned without looking dated, and perhaps most importantly, the pacing and character development become much better around the halfway mark. That's crucial, because whenever Itakiss gets a little breathing room, it becomes more rich, more fun -- becomes, in effect, the charming romantic comedy it always had it in it to be. (Rather awkwardly, the show's potential is most apparent in the final episode, an amusing side story told in flashback that does nothing to advance the romantic plot.)

There are worse ways to fail than from an excess of ambition, and I find the second half of Itazura na Kiss more or less redeems its shaky start. It isn't always great, but it's never truly bad, and it gets better as it goes. If you like shoujo romance and can give a show the benefit of the doubt, give Itakiss a shot. read more

Be warned, this review may contain /spoilers/.

Aihara Kotoko is in love with the unattainable Irie Naoki. Fate intervenes when one day Kotoko’s house gets ruined by an earthquake, forcing Kotoko and her father to move in to Naoki and his parents’ house. Does Kotoko have a chance with Naoki after all? The romantic comedy begins! Itazura na Kiss is one of those few anime that go past the main couple’s high school life and transcends into their adult life – their marriage, honeymoon, and university/college experiences. The manga which this anime is based off of is unfinished due to the tragic, untimely death of the author. It is said that the anime ended the way the author truly wanted it to finish.

Oh my gooood. This is such a beautiful anime. The relationship with Naoki and Kotoko is wonderfully developed, and it’s so heartwarming and beautiful and I love it. I would love to have a husband like Naoki – he’s my dream man, you know – and this is an anime that every person should watch because it’s so beautiful. I had tears in my eyes during the last few episodes, it was that lovely.

LOL NO.

Excuse me while I rip this crap to pieces.

Itazura na Kiss (“Mischievous Kiss” in English, or ItaKiss as it is commonly known) is not the best love story ever. It is also not romantic in the least. Unless, of course, you’re a masochist. If you want a good love story, go watch…hmmm…I actually don’t watch too many romance anime. Ah, I know. Go watch Kimi ni Todoke, or Wolf and Spice, or Fruits Basket, or even Toradora!. Heck, even School Rumble is a better romance than this. I think I need my brain checked, because /I don’t understand why this anime has so many followers and girls screaming “oh my god I love Itazura na Kiss!”/ Please, someone help me understand why this anime is so popular. Seriously – if you Google “Itazura na Kiss anime review” (or even a manga review) over 98% of reviews are positive. /And I don’t understand./

Wow, I’m so pissed off that I can’t even write this review in the way I originally intended. So let’s go straight to the good stuff, shall we? Itazura na Kiss’s female protagonist is Aihara Kotoko, who is one of the stupidest students in her high school – no joke, she’s been in class “F” (the lowest class) all throughout high school. Unfortunately, the guy she likes is Irie Naoki, the most intelligent boy in school (a TENSAI!!1one! or genius) who happens to be in class “A”, which is the highest class. Naoki also happens to be a total jerk. None of their personalities change throughout the series, which goes on for twenty-five torturous episodes. I—I can’t even get a good synopsis out because I hate this anime so much, ughh. I promise that once I regain my composure, I’ll try to write a “redux” of this review.

Episode seventeen is when the anime actually starts to get good. For no other reason than they introduce Kamogari Keita. Ahh, Keita, you are the only reason I actually kept watching this anime. No joke. Keita is probably the best character in this entire series, if you ask me. For reasons that I will leave to you to find out, if you ever want to check out this anime. Actually – I’ll spare you the pain of doing that. Keita happens to be the only character (that I can remember, anyway) that tells Kotoko to break it off with Naoki because he’s a bastard that doesn’t care about her. You should have listened to him, Kotoko. I’m disappointed you didn’t.

On the plus side, though, this anime has some psychological merits, even if it doesn’t mean to have them. Kotoko is dumb as a rock, and Irie is a genius. Irie uses this blatant gap in their intelligence to use Kotoko and keep her with him, mainly utilizing the carrot-and-stick method. Based on this, we can conclude that Irie has a very low amount of self-esteem, and hides it by being with a stupid girl. read more

Itazura na Kiss is about a girl who is not so bright but very determined who falls in love with a verytalented and supposedly "way above her league" guy.The story follows the trials and tribulations that she goes through in her relationship with him.

I liked the story of this anime very much because it is one of the few animes that actually go so far as to follow the relationship of the couple after their marriage. this makes it different from most animes which just end the story when the two confess to each other or something along that line. However, a warning to all that the story line is somewhat predictable and may bore you in terms of plot. The focus on the relationship makes the main genre of the story romance, which i think is portrayed very well in the show, along with the comedy making the show a fairly enjoyable romantic comedy. Another thing to note is that the story moves at an extremely fast pace from high school to college and then work. This may prove unrealistic but it allows us to see the progress in the relationship between the characters and can be overlooked.

The art was your typical shuojo style of animation with big eyes and the "cool" looking guys. It will not meet the standards of artworks like Fate stay night or True Tears(two animes that i also recommend). The style fits the genre of a romantic comedy which is more comical and lighthearted.

The sound was suited the anime with catchy and meaningful (lyrics) songs for the OP and ED. The inserts were also timed nicely to bring out the atmosphere at key points in the story and thus there is still actually some drama and in fact more so than your ordinary romantic comedy.

The characters all have a good deal of depth where most of the characters even the supporting ones have some showtime dedicated to them and thus the focus will not all be hogged by the main characters, this helps to create a more interactive environment for the main characters(more than one couple in the show). I think the characters are truly hysterical at times and is not overdone, thus you still can take the story seriously while getting a good laugh out of it.

I must say the combination of romance-drama-comedy make this anime very entertaining and enjoyable to watch. If you are a looking for a good romance anime with a bit of drama then this anime is for you. The anime is not too dull and will liven up your heart. Romantic moments are abundant in this show so if you love those nice cheesy romance or watching the hard work ploughed into relationships bearing fruit then you will like this. However, as mentioned earlier it can be quite predictable but hey sometimes the most ordinary things can be entertaining with a tweak of comedy added and a good cast of characters to liven the show. This is a romantic comedy at it's best. read more

The series has just ended, and I can finally deem myself worthy enough to write a review. But beware spoilers after the first paragraph!

What is Itazura na Kiss exactly? Probably the most amazing, wonderful, and romantic anime you will ever find. The story follows Kotoko, a cute and spunky girl who, though she is not book smart, is makes up for it in personality traits that a normal human could not possess. Kotoko is the girl everyone who has failed a class wants to be, the girl that gets kicked around by those smarter and more attractive than herself, but who is able to ignore all of these things because of her strong will and determination.
At the beginning, we are introduced to not only Kotoko but Irie-kun, the most intelligent and attractive student in, well, Japan. He is so scarily intelligent and good looking that it is only natural he shuns every girl who professes her love to him. And so naturally, when Kotoko, who has had her eye on Irie for years, tries to give him a love letter, he refuses it. Normally, for any girl, this is where the story would end, but for Kotoko it is only the beginning. After a series of unfortunate events, Kotoko and her father end up in Irie's home. And so begins the story of Itazura na Kiss. Kotoko is put through many trials as she tries to show Irie that she loves him, and living with him and having his AMAZINGLY AWESOMELY HILARIOUS MOTHER on her side is a huge help!

There is a lot to the story that if I said a lot more it would just spoil it, so I'm going to say this at least: Watch Itazura na Kiss. It's hilarious but the love story is one of the most amazing and romantic ones you will ever find. Kotoko will remain one of my favorite characters of all time because through her hard work and determination to win the one that she loves, she proves to everyone that you CAN have your happy ending and have everything you could possibly ever want.

ART: The art may seem a little off, but they tried to stick to the original character designs by Kaoru Tada, who died in the process of writing the manga for it. Episode 25 is scarily a lot like the manga in terms of art. Irie and Kotoko change after they get married...it's hard to put your finger on what is so different. But as the story processes the art seems to get a little sloppier. Other than that, I'm really glad they stuck to Kaoru Tada's original design for the most part.

SOUND: Sound is good. Kotoko has a really cute voice, Irie rarely talks so his is not as important. It's Irie's mother that is so amazing, her laugh is the PERFECT "oh ho ho!" laugh.

CHARACTER: Like I said, you'll never find another like Kotoko. And it's really sweet to see how Irie changes the more that Kotoko affects him and makes him think and wonder about his life, and about how he feels about her. Hands down though, Irie's mother is the best character though. She plays so many tricks to get Kotoko--the daughter she never had--to have her way, and tries to steer Irie along into her trap. She is forceful and hilarious and brings most of the comedy into the VERY sarcastic series.

ENJOYMENT: I was of course very happy watching the series. Filler episodes tend to get annoying, but you're just dying to see what Irie will do next in the earlier episodes. There is a lot that isn't covered in the series that you should know about Irie. I highly suggest reading the manga or at least checking out the Wikipedia article on Itazura na Kiss.

OVERALL: Best anime ever. It was totally amazing, and it doesn't matter WHAT you're genre is: Mecha, Shoujo, Shonen, etc. Just watch Itazura na Kiss. It's the anime that falls into it's own genre because it is so amazing. ARIGATO KAORU TADA FOR YOUR CREATION!!! read more

when i first started watching itazura, i was worried it was going to be a big mistake. the plot seemed cliched and a bit obvious (don't they always get together in the end...?) but i'm glad i stuck with it, because the getting there part is very well done. i enjoy how the characters are fleshed out, and while the art isn't fabulous, it's enough to get the point across. kotoko is cute, though rather annoying in that her life's desire is to end up with irie. she's really setting an example for little girls. irie, on the other hand, is your stereotypical "too cool for you" perfect, loved-by-all, cold genius. unlike many other characters of his genre, however, irie has depth which you can see in his eventual falling in love with kotoko.
all in all, i have great expectations for this series, as it's one of few that's had me pausing it so i can bury my face in my pillow and squeal "DON'T DO IT!!" thet enjoyment level is high enough to make up for any flaws, and if you like a cute love story, itazura is for you. read more

Itazura na Kiss is a brilliant series worth watching,
This series is relatively fun to watch, it shares it fun comedic moments and its sad dramatic romantic moments.
Which is why it got a 9 overall, however it was far from a 10.

Now to get stuck into this

Story: 8
This anime features more than one time skip, meaning we get juiced a lot of story.
The story moves at a medium pace so its not too slow to get sick of and not too quick to get lost in.
It moves at just the right pace for a rom/com such as this.

Its not over the top, we get to feel sad when it is needed but a lot of atmospheres are killed suddenly which really tends to annoy me, thus this gets dropped from a 9 to 8 for those annoying moments.

Art: 8
Not as brilliant as you may want it but you still feel the emotions of characters and know when they're trying to look beautiful or when they feel down about their image.
Though rather low quality it is still effective and the art style will grow on you over time
It's no J.C. Staff animation but hey, its still pretty darn good.

Sound: 8
Pretty much any OST will grow on me over time, it wasn't bad for an anime such as this.
The endings were relevant to the moods expressed in the story and they were both catchy.
The fact that they made the openings memorable leaves a lasting impression on you.
However things such as rap songs midway through happy/sad scenes tends to kill things so I'll be giving an 8.

Character: 8
The characters are rather hate-able at times due to their inexperience with emotions, or inability to express themselves, but this is how the story is driven.
It isn't a negative thing but it will annoy you constantly throughout the animes.
Especially when they cry over things you know they got themselves into.

Enjoyment: 8
It had its annoying moments, but overall this anime was addictive, and thats what helps me judge animes, whether it makes me want to keep watching - and it indeed did do that to me.
I would've leaned towards 9 but I disliked the early half of the series.

Overall: 9
Well deserving of a score over 8 but far from a 10.

I suggest you watch this, it is a nice heart warming anime which shares its sad moments.
I well recommend it.
I guarantee you'll be able to relate to at least one of the characters and that's one of the most important things you can ever look for in an anime. read more

Have you ever found yourself to love an anime, but at the last episode it leaves you disappointed? It feels like a part of you is missing? Well Itazura na Kiss, with its two seasons fills up that missing part with a perfect finish.

Many of the romance related anime ends at the characters high school life and most of the time you won't get much more than that besides a few portrait pictures of what the main characters look like in the future. Well you won't have to worry about that when you are watching Itazura na Kiss. The story starts from high school all the way to their adulthood lives. I think this is truly what lacks in many other romance anime. They get you to the point where you feel like you can't stop watching and then suddenly end it with a 'happily ever after.'
You won't face that problem when watching this one! So basically one of this anime's strong points is their storyline whereas most other anime lack.

The music was another one of the strong points in Itazura na Kiss. Usually I skip the ops and eds after watching it 2-3 times but in this anime I sat back and went through the intros and end songs every episode!

The art was done decently enough, however there were some flaws. The characters sometimes had no consistency and sometimes they appear shorter or taller than they really are. Also in the beginning there are some really weirdly drawn characters, but I suggest you don't let that get to you. I almost dropped in the first episode but I'm really glad I did not or I would truly have regret in the future.

After watching both seasons of Itazura na Kiss, I can clearly see a lot of character development. The story does not only concentrate on the main couple, but also on their friends and enemies (who become friends in the future) as well.

Clearly I enjoyed this anime since I finished both seasons in just 1 day. This is definitely recommended to romance anime fans, I'm sure your in for a treat =]

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If you like hopelessly brainless girls with a hopeless love interest, then this the anime for you! Usually these unrequited love stories have the girl who may be weak and clumsy, even dumb, but they also have an indomitable will and can at least Cook their way into your heart. Not here. And the guy may be smart and popular, but also secretly sweet, but here the guy is manipulative, mean, and publicly humiliates the sad girl for his own amusement. I had a hard time finding interest and will to root on the couple at all.

Itazura na Kiss, or "Mischievous Kiss", does start out as a typical romantic comedy of Kotoko Aihara having a crush on Naoki Irie for a long time. When Kotoko gathers enough courage to give Naoki a love letter on her 18th birthday, he flat out refuses to accept it. That is when the stereotype of romantic comedy takes a nice detour.

Aside from the synopsis that I gave above, Kotoko is pretty much an airhead when it comes to most things where as Naoki seems to be able to do almost anything set in fromt of him. Actually, Naoki said "I can probably do about 90% of all things in the world. But the other 10% I can't do, she does better than anyone." But that's getting to far ahead of ourselves. Their personalities couldn't be further apart either. Kotoko is a lively, daydreaming, hopeless romantic and Naoki is a cold, aloof, almost arrogant guy. And Kotoko seems to be in love with him.

After some of bad mishaps with Kotoko and her father, fate it seems, threw the main characters together since Kotoko and Naoki's fathers knew each other since they were kids. Pretty farfetched, but I'll run with it. Then come on the one-sided love from Kotoko that slowly (I mean slowly) brings Naoki into the realm of loving her bit-by-bit. That and she blackmailed him in the beginning with some embarassing pictures of Naoki as a baby, from his own mother. Sheesh.

(Beware of reading on at this point, SPOILER ALERT!!!)

The exceptional part of this anime is that the story goes far beyond the high school life. It even goes well beyond college. That is what gave it a worthy anime. It doesn't just stick into the high school life like a lot of anime goes through. College, medical school, even their marriage is shown. A nice way of bringing what we most want to see in the love story animes of our time. Of course ther are a few flaws.

Time jumps for example do happen in the anime. But it is not without consideration that the manga does go through some filler where the anime does not. Interesting that the Director wanted to do that. Usually it is the other way around. But there is some more flaws to be had. The fact that Kotoko and Naoki's wedding happened 2 weeks after their engagement threw me off, but it was explained that the mom had in fact, planned everything to happen. Funny how the mom is a brilliant schemer. And when you see Kotomi finally born, you don't really see a lot of character development on the last episode, or even if Kotoko and Naoki wanted another child. Speaking of which, when they do have their child, they still live with Naoki's parents. They are around 30 at the time. Don't you think that they should move out by now?

But flaws aside, it is still worth watching. Character development, sound and story does have great qualities and is well thought out. The artwork on some scenes kind of seemed childish, but that is what was intended so I let it slide. Altogether, a good story to behold. Not a "Must See", but definately worth checking out a couple of episodes to see your interest. read more

Oooooookkkk...

Let me start off by saying, I had *high* expectations for this. I had about 4 or more friends tell me that "Itazura na Kiss is beautiful! It's exactly like Clannad: After Story! I'm sure you'd LOVE it!"

Sorry, but what is there to love? And how the dang flying crap is it in ANY WAY like Clannad: After Story? HOW? I don't see the similarity at all! Most of the time I wanted to vomit because of how utterly gross this idiotic junk was.


Story~
Ughhhhh... more cliche romance. This is why I dislike romance-- it's very annoying to me. Mainly because the only ones I can find are crappy ones like this. It's soooo stereotypical... A girl falls in love with some random guy for no reason, and spends the rest of her life chasing him for no reason, then he pretends to like her for no reason, and he tells himself he likes her for no reason, but then he acts like a total jerk and treats her as royalty would treat a convict. There's nothing more to say... That's all the story has to it.


Art~
OK, it was fine, I admit. It was sorta cute, and the movement in some scenes was better than others. It was good where it needed to be, and Irie didn't look like one of those weird girly-guys... I think. XD So yes, the art was fine, but all in all, it's just...average. I guess.


Sound~
Wait, there was soundtrack? Where? I had no idea! Wow! Anyway, since I didn't even notice it, I won't give it a good or bad review-- it was just... there. Or was it? Erm, I'm sure it was. Just... I totally didn't see. I was too focused on the utter stupidity of every moment that frankly, I didn't hear or even care.


Character~
If there was a 0, I'd choose it. The characters in Itazura na Kiss are just AWFUL. Hate me for giving a "bad review", but it's my opinion and it won't change. Forgive me if I sort of compare to Clannad characters here, but I was referred to this FROM Clannad: After Story in the first place, so I'll point out why this anime is inferior garbage compared to the beautiful masterpiece that is Clannad.

First off, in Clannad, Tomoya is loving and only cares for Nagisa... but not in a stupid way. He just wants to support and help her. He can get... over-excited, but he's kind and caring.
Now, onto Irie-- he DOESN'T care. No matter how much he claims to love poor pathetic Kotoko, it just won't work. Love shows itself. Irie doesn't even show any. He just kisses her one moment, tells her he loves her, then ignores her and verbally abuses her (and occasionally physically) for the next few weeks. Then we get a tiny "romantic" moment only for him to return to his normal jerk self. He DOESN'T care for Kotoko, he DOESN'T love her, he DOESN'T only want to help and support her and make her happy. I'm not sure if he's incredibly and unbelievably naive (if he's THAT naive, maybe he's a robot) or if he's sadistic. This whole show is watching Irie make fun of his "beloved", and then he tries to convince himself he loves her, which he does not. This is REALLY annoying and makes me want to brutally murder him with many different weapons.

Next... ok sorry for comparing Clannad but ok. Nagisa is sweet, yet a little strange, but is actually believable. She loves Tomoya but not in a fangirly "I MUST DAYDREAM ABOUT HIM ALL DAY" thing.
The previous statement is Kotoko's entire life. All she does is sit and "fangirl" over a guy who doesn't even care, a guy who has nothing good about him, a guy who would rather read a book or go... somewhere than talk to his so-called "beloved". Her entire life revolves around a cold, cruel, abusive man with nothing good about him. She just sits there with unrequited love for YEARS, until he "pretends" to accept her later on. And then she remains exactly the same. Fangirly, stupid, ditzy, uncaring-- without a BRAIN in her HEAD. I think she's masochist! She's not even believable, in any way. I'm a girl, but do I sit and stare at my crush while blushing, dreaming, and my entire life revolves around impressing him? NO. Nor do I know ANYONE like that in the whole world. If there is anyone like that, she's been watching too much of this crappy show.
I mean really. Kotoko thinks about this useless guy through the entire series, and nothing else... ever. One day, she begins searching for a career, and I finally thought, "WOOT! There's something ELSE on her mind for once!" Then, 2 seconds later, I realize she's pursuing that career just to be by her "beloved's" side. FAIL.


All in all, this is a disgusting show that didn't provide an ounce of enjoyment for me, ever. It teaches that all girls should be entirely devoted to a guy, no matter how much he abuses you. Honestly? Woooow... Being devoted is great, but only to a good guy, not a complete rusted, smelly, awful, old garbage tin. There's a time when girls need to realize to GET UP and MOVE ON, because there are better, non-abusive guys out there.

When I'm embarrassed, I laugh, loudly, and turn away from the situation, flustered at how embarrassed I am. That's the ONLY time this show ever made me laugh-- it was never because it was funny. No, not ONCE. It's because it embarrassed me so dang much I could have exploded.

I should have probably finished the show before reviewing it, but nah.
I got 2 minutes into episode 20 (because in episode 19, there was a hint that Irie might become a better person at some point) so I continued. But then he reverted to our neighborhood ignoring, idiotic guy, and with that, I exploded. I give up. And no matter how you try to convince me otherwise I will keep the opinion I have of this sexist, stupid, pointless, PAINFUL show. read more

This anime caught my atention a while ago. It's a love-drama-slice of life and "Shoujo" if you call it the japanesse way. I wasn't expecting anything good from this one but I was wrong, instead this anime turned to out to be one of my favourites of this genre: it has a pretty decent story complemented with rich characters and a very funny overall development.

The story just begins like it usually does when you mix love and romance with the Shoujo genre: "girl likes a boy and tries to tell him about it". The difference is that (for very incredible circustances xD!) this girl becomes a guest in this boy's house and also that this boy is a perfect genious and this girl is really on the bottom lot of the senior high school classes (Class A > Class E). Almost half the story is about Kotoko trying to get Irie-kun's attention. She does this by attempting a lot of things that always, for some reason, end in the wrong way and become something seriously funny that makes it look like the gap between them get's bigger and bigger. But as the story goes on Irie Naoki realizes his true feelings and let that "genious-perfect-cold" shell go as he get's closer to Kotoko. The story is divided in 3 phases:
1) When the characters are in high school senior year - adolescent stage (the shortest lapse of time).
2) When they are in University or College - pre-adult stage (the longest one).
3) When they have full time jobs - adult stage (intermediate).
The story jumps some years after between this 3 phases but that happens when there is nothing more to expect from the story at that time, so is a good thing that the story's timeline is manipulated accurately.

Very good drawing is what makes this anime good to watch and really feel a connection with the surroundings in it. The characters are very well designed and let's you have a wide range of experiences: some are ugly to watch (on purpose of course) and some others are just gorgeous. So the art goes from ugly to pretty making a perfect balance between these two themes and making this anime a complete one. The sound is something I'm not that enthusiastic about in this anime. Didn't really like the opening or ending and the BMG's in the anime events well I really didn't identiffy them so is like they can delete those sounds inside the anime and I wouldn't notice xD! On the bright side I loved the japanesse voice acting because the voices do feel like each character personal presentation card.

The characters in this anime are just very diverse. They behave and act differently one from another, each one is different in it's own way and make the anime really fresh and friendly to watch. Definitely love Kotoko, she's just so funny and entertaining that you always wish that she comes with another love-atack plan XD! But overall a very heterogenous cast of characters that make the anime funny and interesting in as many ways as types of characters are in it.

A increible cast, a funny story and a good design make this anime worthwhile. I promise that you are going to laugh a lot with this one and really enjoy it. The 25 episodes seen to be very long and boring to watch but as you go through them you will find yourself immersed in the story and, actually, when the anime finishes you will be impressed on how quickly things passed by. I enjoyed this from begining to end, there is no sad ending and I wouldn't call it a happy ending either, it's just like life itself. This anime will tell you what happens when you try your hardest even if you are a failure at everything you do. read more

Story: It was really quite a story. I think the plot progressed at just the right pace. It does linger on Kotoko's unrequited love, but they do it tastefully. Of course, it was quite predictable since they do end up together (no shocker there). But feminists, BEWARE!

Art: I liked the art style, but I don't think there was anything absolutely amazing to it, then again, I'm not much of an expert on that and I certainly don't know what to look for in this category. Most of the characters were pleasing to the eye, though. Oh, but there is the fact that, physically, most of the characters don't seem to change, except for Non-chan and Naoki's little brother. They do address this, though, when the police in Hawaii stops Kotoko and mentions how he thought she was an elementary school girl.

Sound: I would have given it a ten, UNTIL I heard them speak English. It was truly embarrassing, it all honesty. I adored the music they featured, but again, the way they spoke English was a real turnoff.

Character: I really don't like that I had to give a ten to the characters. They were round and quite well developed, I think, but as mentioned above, you can tell how anti-feminist the whole show is. I really angered me, but I can't lie, I enjoyed the show. Almost all the girls in a relationship are slapped across the face at least once. I'm quite tired of anime always showing a girl in love with her superiors (money wise, I understand, funny enough, but intellectually? I'm sorry but men are no match the most women when it comes to brains. Also, what is wrong with Kotoko? Crawling after some guy? And when they're married, he get's angry at her she excuses it with "it was my fault." And Chris does the same thing, but she degrades herself in order to follow that guy. I would never give a guy the light of day if they didn't already like me, and even if they did, I probably won't like them either. However, you do grow attached to the characters. The predicament is quite believable, after all. I know many a smart men and women who end up married with someone with no intelligence (only difference is that Kotoko remains loving and faithful, which I respect.)

Enjoyment: Like I said, it was credible. This Shoujo actually evolves into a Slice of Life anime, though towards the end, I think it resembles the Novelas I secretly watch sometimes. This is quite a show for someone who wants to let go of reality for a while, though it is believable, I sincerely believe a relationship like that would never last long. But it was cute after all--just like reading about magic; it's not real, but you can still dream about it =)



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Im still new to this writing reviews thing so im sorry in advance for and grammatical errors.

OK to start im a GUY and yes this is a shoujo anime. At first i was reluctant to start waching this series but im a sucker for romance animes so i started watching this anime with the intentions of it taking me while to finish it.

I did it in 2 days the story 7/10 is pretty original with the slight similarities to other shoujo romance animes but over all the story kept me intrested eonough to want to watch it and not so much to watch it because i started it

Art 8/10 and sound 9/10 The art was a little different from other shoujo anime but it was very well done. the soundtrack for this anime were great in my opinion i didn skip them everytime i started a new episode so music ws good

character 9/10 This has to be my favorite part of this anime all of the characters were different and enjoyable to have on screen when their time came the main charaters (kotoko and Naoki) were different and i enjoyed that. on top of that u have the Irie family and kotoko's friends and u have a great cast for this anime

8/10 As i staed before the anime was a joy to start and finish and it didnt feel that at any point i had to forcibly watch an episode for the sake of starting what i finished

My over all score 7/10 Dont be surprised, yes i gave this anime high marks but the way its blended together is weird sometimes the anime slows down hen speeds up and then its a dead stop. theres a difference betwwen liking an anime and knowing its good or bad

My final thoughts are if u like romance anime of any kind WATCH this anime i enjoyed it dont let the shoujo scare u off if you are a guy.it was a joy to spend these 2 days watching it and i hope you like it too.

thank you for reading this review i want to state that this is MY OPINION and this review is just to let u know whats up i believe any anime deserves to be watched so that said enjoy and feel free to recommend me ANYTHING --Dezperado

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