Itazura na Kiss

When her newly-built home is razed to the ground by an earthquake, low-achieving, clumsy, and troublesome third-year high school student Kotoko Aihara is forced to share a roof with the school's—and possibly Japan's—smartest student, Naoki Irie. Kotoko is not actually a complete stranger to Irie-kun; unfortunately, a single love letter that she tried to give him in the past has already sealed her fate as far as he is concerned. Throw in some quirky friends and a meddlesome mother, and Kotoko might not even have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the older Irie boy's heart. Yet Kotoko remains optimistic that, because she now lives in his house, her unattainable crush on the genius since the beginning of high school has never been more within reach.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Aihara, Kotoko Main

Mizuki, Nana Japanese

Irie, Naoki Main

Hirakawa, Daisuke Japanese

Irie, Noriko Supporting

Matsui, Naoko Japanese

Irie, Yuuki Supporting

Park, Romi Japanese

Ikezawa, Kinnosuke Supporting

Sakaguchi, Shuuhei Japanese

Irie, Kotomi Supporting

Kaneda, Tomoko Japanese

Robbins, Christine Supporting

Gotou, Yuuko Japanese

Kamogari, Keita Supporting

Canna, Nobutoshi Japanese

Shinagawa, Marina Supporting

Inoue, Marina Japanese

Matsumoto, Yuuko Supporting

Masuda, Yuki Japanese

Yamasaki, Osamu Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Nagasaki, Yukio Sound Director

Kanasaki, Takaomi Episode Director, Storyboard

Tsuda, Naokatsu Episode Director

Reviews

Jan 7, 2025

Beagle313

Recommended

[Spoiler-less review] Having watched a fair share on different romance anime I yearned for something more, something else. Never in a milion years would I expect an anime almost my age to fullfill my needs.
Why should you watch it: It is very different. It shows a love story from start to a kindof finish. It doesn't end in a first kiss, it goes after the happily ever after most shows end on. In a span of 25 (or rather 24 + 1 bonus story) episodes we get sweetest romance blended with slice-of-life and comedy, which slaps even after a decade and some. It should be ... on every romance lover's list, because it's unique, well-made, and just fun to watch.
A quick quality rundown:
Characters 9/10: Ah, the good 'ol smart guy - airhead girl dynamic. But this time? It actually makes sense. The characters have their own flaws: Kotoko is dumb an clumsy, Naoki is cold-hearted at times etc. But they have a counterbalance of relationships and virtues to make up for them, making them much more believable and the storytelling that much better. The supporting cast serve as more than tools, with their own sub-plots and lives (like Kinnosuke, you'll love him after some time) that again, make the story better. One thing that keeps them from getting a perfect 10/10 is that Kotoko's friends were a bit bland compared to the rest.
Art 9/10: It's an old anime. So it has an old artstyle. I know, shocking. But it still looks great despite the years. One thing I have to say sbout the style is the fact the characters have more than wardrobe. It helps with consistency, but kills uniqueness. That's were ItaKiss excells. Overall, very good with some outstanding moments.
Story 10/10: Hooo boy, where do I begin! It's an example that shoujo should learn from. It get's points just for showing more than the first kiss, but their whole young lives. From work, through meetings with friends, cheering, crying, to just living their lives, we see it all. One thing it lacks is the silce-of-life tag on MAL. It really goes far and beyond the romance genre to give us a good experience.
Enjoyablity 9/10 (subjective): I watched the show in three days, so yeah, it was easy to binge. It reignited my love for romance and older anime. I really don't know what kept me from watching this.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Apr 22, 2021

nutelalala

Mixed Feelings

Informative

This is the ONLY review I've ever written for an anime, because I think it's important to write this. (note: there are no real spoilers.)

You need to be very careful taking something away from this show, especially as a young person trying to figure out what a healthy relationship is.

This show is hilarious and has some cute, honest moments that don't always show the positive side of people but show the truth. The lead male's mother in particular made me laugh more than anyone.

However. This anime has more red flags than I've ever seen. Treatment of friends, of family, of girlfriends and wives and everything ... in between, these characters treat each other like dirt. This is especially true for the relationship between the main female (Kotoka) and male (Naoki) characters.

Kotoka really puts herself down and limits all her life's potential to how Naoki views her. Without his affection, which only ever appears in backhanded compliments and patronizing condescension, she feels worthless. I genuinely hope that any woman reading this know to treat themselves better.

As for Naoki, his character and behavior genuinely made me want to drop the series halfway through after generally enjoying it, because it felt WRONG to find amusement from this messed up dynamic that he creates. He is verbally, emotionally, and psychologically abusive and should not serve as any kind of role model for young men.

My point is: for anyone watching this, be aware that this is NOT what any relationship should ever look like. I believe anime can sometimes push boundaries and include themes that would otherwise be frowned upon. That being said, I do not recommend this for anyone who has struggled with abusive behavior or doesn't have a solid understanding of a healthy relationship. Everyone deserves better than what the characters in Inazuka na Kiss endure.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Jul 31, 2024

anatoliakarpova

Not Recommended

Its a really good anime, the history is great, have some good caracters, and development.

yeah, I know, that's a strange way to start an "not recommended" rewiew, but, I dont have so much things to criticize the anime.

But, if you arent an adult, please dont watch, you dont have anything to watch here, run away, its dangerous. this anime romanticizes problematic issues. i never seen an bigger example of how an relashionip can be toxic, if i need to choose between be in a room with irie-kun or with kid boo, i will choose kid boo, I would suffer less
Or maybe i choose the room ... with irie just to fight against him
He treat kotoko really bad,regardless of the situation. he act like a human only in the last 6 ep's

Have a lot of others problems, but if you are an person with a fully formed brain, please watch, its an good anime

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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	Poll: Itazura na Kiss Episode 7 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) zvuc - May 15, 2008	116 replies	by hanakocheeks »» Nov 22, 2024 2:14 AM
	Poll: Itazura na Kiss Episode 6 Discussion ( 1 2 ) MagicalEmi - May 8, 2008	68 replies	by hanakocheeks »» Nov 21, 2024 7:11 AM
	Poll: Itazura na Kiss Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) radiantfire - Apr 4, 2008	118 replies	by hanakocheeks »» Nov 19, 2024 12:16 AM
	Poll: Itazura na Kiss Episode 25 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Kokujin-kun - Sep 25, 2008	99 replies	by jasutin_hoshi »» Oct 3, 2024 1:36 AM
	Poll: Itazura na Kiss Episode 15 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Kokujin-kun - Jul 17, 2008	93 replies	by jasutin_hoshi »» Oct 1, 2024 12:06 AM

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