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.

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.

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!

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.

^_^

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.

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.

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.

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!!!

"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.

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.

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.

i'm the type of person that fast fowards through parts in a series im watching if the episodes get boring.
i've done it alot actually[heheh] ^-^,
but i've realized that not once have i done it with this show.
so that must mean that itazura na kiss is not your typical romance comedy..
this story does go by pretty fast,
but not like "life flashing before your eyes"
there is still lots of character development
there's just no dull moments ?
and IMO, thats a good thing =]

... what i liked the most about this anime
is that i felt all the pain, sadness, and happiness
that all the characters are going through
and i havent even been in that kind of situation !
it's just a really inspiring story
and it makes me feel like i can do anything if i just try.
^-^

**It is quite evident that when it comes to manga, women don't have too much imagination. I mean no offense, and I apologize to the entire feminist fanbase who might feel offended, but this is the truth. It's sufficient to read some shoujo manga and observe that about 90% of them are the same. The pattern is typically a girl falling in love with a popular boy, often portrayed as dull. Forced drama abounds, leading one to wonder, "Has the mangaka ever been in a relationship or do they derive everything from shoujo manga? Are Japanese teenagers truly this naive?" Anyone who has watched "Kimi ... no Todoke" (which is a good story) or read "Ao Haru Ride" knows what I'm referring to—melodramatic situations that appear silly. It feels as though these mangaka's base their understanding of relationships solely on other shoujo manga. This might explain the prevalence of similar, unoriginal stories that feel like another chapter in an overly long tale or another season of "Young & Restless." How do I know all of this? Because I can't stop reading shoujo manga (I'm rather embarrassed to admit it, but it's the truth). While 90% of it adheres to clichés, there's that valuable 10% that's truly worth one's time. Now, does "Itazura na Kiss" fall into this category? Not exactly. It's a bit more complicated.

Let me clarify a few points before delving further: This review will focus on the anime. Regrettably, as many may know, the mangaka passed away before completing the manga (R.I.P.), so I'm hesitant to invest in an unfinished work. The reason I started discussing shoujo manga is that the number of shoujo manga receiving anime adaptations is notably small compared to other genres. Having more than one shoujo adaptation per season is considered quite extraordinary, and those adaptations that do happen are usually among that valuable 10%.

Now, back to "Itazura na Kiss"... I can't categorize this story as part of that 10% because that percentage pertains to more recent works. "Itazura na Kiss" manga originated in the late '90s, a period during which the anime industry was burgeoning. It was an era when originality was still a significant factor. "Itazura na Kiss" emerged during a time when shoujo manga didn't involve ULTRA-MEGA-SUPER melodramatic scenarios that provoke frequent facepalms and evoke dark feelings (cough* "Ao Haru Ride" cough*). This was a time when many good shoujo series began to surface, although several lacked a certain essential quality. Similarly, in shounen manga, well-developed combat systems were lacking, primarily revolving around martial arts and energy beams. However, the late '90s marked a turning point with the emergence of complex stories like "Naruto." "Itazura na Kiss" also exhibits a deficiency, and I'll explain that shortly. This story is pivotal in laying the foundation for subsequent clichés. Thus, I don't regard it as part of the 10%, though it remains a classic. Nonetheless, being a classic doesn't diminish its quality—it's, in fact, quite impressive. While the manga is from an earlier era, the anime adaptation was released in 2008 (a good year), so it retains an old-school charm that sets it apart.

Story: Before delving into the story, a crucial clarification is needed. Some individuals have criticized the romance in this story for lacking in comparison to works like "Kimi no Todoke," "Fruits Basket," and the like. Their viewpoint holds merit, BUT this anime isn't primarily a shoujo romance—it's a ROMANTIC COMEDY, with comedy being its primary genre. The distinction between romantic comedy and romance lies in their nature. Classic romantic comedies include movies like "Pretty Woman," "10 Things I Hate About You," and "City Lights" (if we're considering films). On the other hand, romance is represented by works like "Romeo and Juliet," "Titanic," and "Gone with the Wind." While comparing anime with American movies might seem odd, it offers a point of reference. For those accustomed to shoujo of the current decade, anticipating significant development and melodrama, you won't find that here. Individuals with such expectations have given negative reviews to this anime, which is understandable. It's akin to those who frequently watched movies where Arnold Schwarzenegger singlehandedly defeats armies armed with machine guns using just a Colt 45, firing four bullets without needing to reload, and then shoots a car with a single bullet, causing a city-leveling explosion. If these individuals then watch a realistic WWII historical film and complain about the characters not matching up to Arnold's action-hero standards, it reflects a misunderstanding of the genre.

THE STORY: It commences with Kotoko, who, in the first episode, moves with her father into their newly constructed house. However, her father's greed led to subpar materials being used, causing the house to collapse that very night following a minor earthquake. Homeless, Kotoko and her father move in with his old friends, who happen to be Irie Naoki's parents—the same Irie Naoki who dismissed her love letter in a mere second, citing his dislike for "dumb girls." If anyone expects a profound romance after this premise or the first episode, they might be misguided. The story then centers mainly on Kotoko's attempts to make Irie fall for her, gain his attention, and similar endeavors. What sets this apart from many stories is its decade-spanning narrative. Here lies the minor problem that garners complaints: development. Despite more than 10 years of passage, their relationship grows considerably (I'll refrain from spoiling), but at the same time, it hasn't evolved significantly. Development occurs in their relationship dynamics and life circumstances, yet their romantic lives and feelings remain relatively static. Even after nine years, Irie treats Kotoko much the same. Kotoko falls in love with him during her early high school years due to his intelligence and handsomeness, but they have minimal interaction until his swift rejection and her subsequent living arrangement with his family. Her initial idealized image of him should shatter upon meeting him, given his cold demeanor, but her feelings remain unchanged and steadfast. This is quite puzzling, as Irie is far from an ideal partner. While he might seem perfect for a husband—intelligent, successful, good-looking—he'd likely struggle to convey love, potentially leading to infidelity, divorce, and legal battles for half his fortune, custody, and their pet. Yet, despite this, "Itazura na Kiss" remains highly enjoyable. The primary genre, comedy, serves a purpose and generates many laughs. Although drama is limited, it's executed skillfully, inducing teary-eyed moments.

CHARACTERS: The main characters are obviously Kotoko and Irie. Kotoko is a dumb girl, but she is cute and honest. She is part of class F, which is basically the class for dummies. She is technically good for nothing. She can't cook or take care of the house. She isn't very smart, and she is clumsy. Her only qualities are her honesty and stubbornness, which makes her a good character, though. Being clumsy and stubborn makes her different from the usual characters who would cry and feel depressed over every little difficulty (and she has a LOT, because Irie is... Irie). When a rival appears, she doesn't back down and, despite her obvious inferiority, she fights to win Irie. She really does a lot of things and changes people. She is even able to melt Irie's ice heart (more or less)... Irie says at one point, "Kotoko is unable to do 90% of the things I can do, but the remaining 10%, I can't do, she excels in making it.'' The problem is that we really don't know why she loves Irie. He was her first crush, and he remained like this. After their relationship develops, the emotional part remains kind of unchanged. She continues to address him as Irie-kun even after 9 years, even though at some point she becomes an Irie too.

Irie is the exact reverse of Kotoko. He is in class A, a genius who is the number 1 student in Japan. Very handsome (even though Kotoko is very cute too), cold, and serious. He starts to change after he meets Kotoko... not because she changes something in him (even though she does), but because Kotoko's clumsy actions have repercussions against him. He is the main problem of this anime. He doesn't give too much of a damn about Kotoko at the beginning, and that doesn't change too much after he falls in love with her. He continues to be kind of cold and bully her, or even hurt her (without intention though), until the last episodes when he gets a little warmer and more caring, which is kind of the norm in a normal manga. But at that point in Itazura, it has been 9 years since they were together. You understand what kind of a cold bastard he is when we see that a year before, he had given her her first birthday present (poor Kotoko, to think that the man you love and who loves you gives you a present only in movies). I mean seriously, it took him 8 years to give her a present? Basically, what keeps this relationship is Kotoko and her "I love Irie, and I won't give up on him" attitude, which makes her extremely happy with any small proof of love she receives from him. Even so, Irie is actually the portrait of the usual Japanese male. Take out his looks (they aren't all handsome) and intelligence (Asians are smart, but they aren't all geniuses), and you have the normal: cold, stiff, and too serious Japanese husband who doesn't say "I love you," but shows his love by bringing the money into the house. The side characters are important too. There is Mama Irie and Papa Irie, and little Irie Yuuki, who respects his onni-chan and rejects Kotoko for a period, but continues to "bully" her and consider her stupid even after he accepts her. Mama Irie loves Kotoko, and her main purpose in the story is to bring Kotoko and her son together. After they get together, she makes sure that their relationship works fine, following them incognito on the honeymoon and dates. She is really funny, and she takes tons of pictures and films every important moment between Kotoko and Irie. But we don't really get why she loves Kotoko so much. There is Kotoko's father too, but there isn't too much to say about him. An important side character is Kinnosuke. He is the dumb guy who is in love with Kotoko. He is basically the male version of Kotoko. You may find him annoying, but you will love his honesty and motivation to do everything for Kotoko. He is the character that in the end receives the biggest character development of all.

ART: The art has the old school aura. There's nothing special about it, but it's not bad either. It suits the story, and the expressions the characters make are really funny.

SOUND: Again, old school. The OP really reminds you of a '90s anime, and for me, it was a surprise that it was done in 2008 because I really thought it was from the beginning of 2000. The EDs are good too. The second ED is used a few times as a soundtrack in dramatic moments, which made me laugh at a moment because it has rap. So I couldn't really take that moment seriously. There's nothing special about the other tracks though.

ENJOYMENT: I saw this for the first time in 2009 or so, and I loved it. I watched it again last week, and I loved it. And I am sure I can watch it another 10 times and love it just as much. This is a really easy-to-digest story that will not give you sad butterflies in your belly. Instead, it will make you feel good. It's sad that the mangaka died before finishing the story (R.I.P.). I know that there was more in the manga that wasn't used in the anime, including arcs and characters... I wanted to see more.

OVERALL: I recommend this anime to everybody who wants to laugh and have a good time.

PRO:

Really funny and has great and enjoyable characters.
ZERO unwanted and dumb melodrama.
Interesting time skip.
CONS:

I would have loved to see more development between characters as a result of some important events.
The time skip can be a little annoying at some points when in 1:30 minutes, 2 years go by, especially when it comes to Irie Yuuki.
Many of the important side characters have been ignored after some point and didn’t receive their part/development/etc. in the story, like it was covered by the manga.
Too short, taking into consideration that it follows +10 years of their lives, it really feels rushed and short, leaving you with the feeling of wanting more. At least 30 episodes would have been more suited, 50 episodes would have been welcomed.
STORY: 8
ART: 7
SOUND: 7
CHARACTERS: 9
ENJOYMENT: 10
OVERALL: 9

P.S.: And for those who complain that it didn't have development like Kimi no Todoke, think about this: in Itazura, the characters kissed like 3 times, and they did much more... No kiss in Kimi no Todoke, +30 episodes, and no kiss...

First off, I'm glad I had this to watch during the time I was waiting for Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Purezza's new episodes to come out, and I would like to thank AlexisSolitaire for recommending it to me.

This has become my favorite romance anime that I've seen so far. It's everything a romance junkie like me wants: a beginning, middle, and end; an anime that's 100% romance right from the start and doesn't let go until the closing seconds of the 25th episode.

At first, I was under the impression that this would be a regular slice-of-life, high school romance anime. I could not have been ... more far from the truth. Not only did it begin in high school (at the age of about 17), it ended with the main heroine in her early 30s or late 20s. You might be skeptical at reading that, but trust me: you'll definitely end up loving it.
They utilized something at perfect junctures in parts of the story when it could have gone bad. Which usually leads to anime's giving themselves self-inflicted wounds by boring the audience it's trying to entertain half to death. What they utilize so magnificently is the time-lapse. I would have never guessed that there would be a time in my life in which I would enjoy a time-lapse, a "3 years later." Did they ever prove me wrong.

You know when an anime's good when I was completely satisfied at the half way point! About 14 episodes in! 14! I became skeptical again. Alright, so they've basically done all I've expected them to do, now it's just gonna get bad, how terrible. Again, I was proved wrong.

I like to use analogies to describe things that are tough to put into words; as most people might often do. Well, I attribute this show in this way:
Your parents give you $10 to go to the movies with friends. You're like, "Alright! Gonna have a good time. Night out with the buddies." Turns out, when you get there, you find you have an extra $20 in your pocket. Making the night even better. Then, you happen to be pulled into a side-room by Quentin Tarantino and given a private screening of his latest movie for free. You're thinking, "Wow. What a night: I got $10, found an extra $20 in your pocket, and I got to see a private screening of the new Tarantino movie! What a night!" However, your already fantastic night has one more surprise for you. Say you went with a few of your friends, one happened to be the girl you've always had a crush on. But, it turns out that after you walk out of the theater, she turns to you and says "that she's always liked you." How would you feel? How would that night be for you? Great, right? To a lesser extent, that's how I felt when this series was finished. Sad that it was over, happy that I got to experience something so amazing, and even more happy that I got to enjoy all these great surprises around each corner.

I would now go into each individual category and rate the show, but this show needs to stand out from the rest that I've seen in some form or fashion. It deserves no criticism, because, that's ultimately nitpicking for the tiniest deviation from greatness. (Plus, by reviewing most of these things, it would be hard to have people properly understand what I'm talking about or referring to without giving away any spoilers.)

It really did have a beginning, middle, and end. Not in terms of plot, which, of course it did, but the story of their relationship, the bond between the two is so fun and enchanting to reside over. I actually likened their relationship to that of one of those "well problems" that I got back in 5th grade: if you fall to the bottom of a 100 ft well, how long would it take you to climb out if each day you climbed 6 ft but slid down 4 ft?

I would wholeheartedly recommend this to any romance fan out there looking for an engaging story of what it takes to love and what it takes to be open to love. Although some might be critical of the "superfluousness" of the later episodes, who cares? Doesn't everyone ultimately wish that they could see their favorite couple from another show develop like this one and end like this one?
It's a feel good anime that never ceases to stop "feeling good."

10/10, perfect, flawless, etc.

Feedback is appreciated.
If you want to be told more in-depth of why I liked the show so much, send me a message. However, spoilers will probably be dolled out like soup from a soup kitchen. So ask at your own risk. Or if you disagree with my opinion, and want to talk about the show, I would love to have a profile-to-profile chat.

The story for Itazura na Kiss is quite cliche for me, it revolves around this girl who has a crush on a genius, to make it harder shes in the bottom group for everything and he's in the top.
She gets enough courage to give him a a note saying her feelings but being a snob he rejects the letter, then in a bizarre twist her house falls down and her dad says "well move in with my friend" his friend is no other than the dad of the guy she fancies.
As far as im up to you can see hes gradually getting to like her ... (very slowly) but apart from that the art is poor and the animation style is shocking, a friend of the main girl looks like a fat man not a women.
I would say its watchable at this part in time but its still got alot of episodes to go so i hope so more things happens instead of a predicted he "finally loves her they become couple".

I saw this anime a few months back and I loved it. I like the fact the story progresses much further than ending when the couple get together. It is one of the few romantic anime that is fully packaged with a solid ending. I like the 2 main leads particularly Naoki Irie as he goes through the most in character development. Soundtracks within the show are really nice and fit in with the mood of the show and the OP and ED themes are very good too.

However this show is really targeted at the female viewers and is very romantic though it will ... take a while before it gets there but worth the wait. I love this show from beginning to end. Even at the beginning when the male lead wasn't very nice it was entertaining to watch how his feelings gradually change almost episode by episode. It's very subtle.

The only downside is the animation, it's mostly good but it does get a bit choppy and Naoki's character design probably suffers the most with this unfortunately. Overall, he is generally very handsome it's just some shots doesn't make him look consistently good.That's my only gripe.

I would highly recommend this show, there have been a few scenes which brought me to tears and they are not sad scenes but probably the romantic moments. This could easily make the top 5 best romantic anime out there currently.

This anime is the one with the most developed story i've ever seen! It has about 15 episodes for starting the romance and 2 episodes after they are getting married, and having a child. This makes the story explore what happens after the "Happly ever after" part!
The characters are super kawaii :3 good looking and appealing, if it weren't for all the heart shapes and glitters the kissing scens would have been pretty sexy.
Opening and ending weren't bad, but nothing that sticks to our minds.
The charecters: This is were things go way down! ... The main characters were really poorly developed, Irie-kun (main male character) started to be a mean guy who treats girls badly so i thought we has like a deep person with some dark past or trauma... but it just happens for him to be mean and thats all he is. Kotoko (main female character) just happens to be so obsessed by him that she is willing to accept everyting... There were time I just cheered up for side characters to conquer her because i couldnt just support to see her being more pushed down by Irie-kun.
Although sweet Kotoko is heartbroken in more than the first-half of the anime, that was the good part because it touch our feelings. After that is just enjoyable to watch but it does not addict as much as the first episodes.

At first glance you might think that this is a another "High School Romance", and at first it is, but this anime goes somewhere that others don't. Most series end when the characters are still in high school, but Itazura na Kiss goes past high school, into college and even into life after that. This series is truely something of a masterpiece in character develpment.

The story line is the classic love story with a small twist, of course I won't go into detail, you'll have to see for yourself! The music kind of reminded me a lot of the same in different animes, but still ... it catchy and if there is ever a chance to get my hands on the soundtrack, I certianly will!

Unless you get really into your anime, you might not feel the deep feelings that the characters have. When Kotoko cried, I cried. When she laughed, I smiled and laughed with her. When she made a complete fool of herself ... I laughed at her. But when I watch shows, I get pulled into them. So when I watched each episode, there were partes that I cried, both in sadness and happiness.

So if you're looking for an anime with the same ol' story but a different twist and something a little more, Itazura na Kiss is a series you should look into. I enjoyed every minute of it and I know many more people will too.


Thank you Tada Kaoru for giving the world such amazing stories.

It's hard to find a nice romantic anime that isn't riddled with outrageous love triangles, harems, and cheesy relationship obstacles. Itazura na Kiss brings a rare story to the genre of rom-com anime. Paradoxically, it's a realistic portrayal of how romantic relationships progress and develop in real life.

I adore this anime. I love romantic comedies, and I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I've watched most of the shoujo anime that there is to watch, but Itazura na Kiss stands heads above the rest just because it's realistic and endearing.

It's not overly sappy or cheesy, but it's beautifully romantic. There's not a frustrating ending ... with you demanding more of the main couple; you get a sense of closure and satisfaction with how their lives progressed. There's a remarkable portrayal of the struggles that couples go through--not everything is black and white, and not everything is a fairy tale. I have no criticism. I loved every minute of this anime, and I've watched it repeatedly.

I was sceptical about this when it first was airred, I thought it was another high school life anime, but I was wrong suprisingly, and I enjoyed it alot, I loved how the characters are slowly developed, and how the two characters come to be, it was interesting to see how one influenced the other, and generally it was just lovely to watch, its funny, and entertaining yet at the same time can be quite emotional.

Overall I enjoyed it, and I am looking forward to reading the manga.