Itazura Na Kiss is a comedy, romance, shoujo, that is PG-13.
The story starts off like a typical shoujo. The female lead Kotoko is a baka, caring girl who is in love with the smart, handsome, male lead Irie. Then in a scenario that can only be made possible in a shoujo her house is destroyed by an earthquake and her and her father stay with her father's friend, which happens to be Irie's father. If you seen shoujo you know how it will end, the two will end up together despite the obstacles that stand before them. Yet unlike any shoujo I have ever seen it doesn't end with the two happy ending, the story continues and you watch them grow afterwards. It was a shock because the story throw in the element of slice of life in the beginning, yet unlike shoujo that just becomes outrageously unrealistic it kept that element. Before you know it you are watching episodes back to back in anticipation of what will happen in their lives because it's not just about their love, but about their life.
The art will throw you off. It's not bad, but the characters are different. With most male leads in shoujo they look drop dead gorgeous, but this male lead looks average giving you this realist flare. Most guys that are handsome aren't really handsome, but they have that charm around them. Also the female lead is average as well. The settings are plain and simple which fits the mood of this anime.
I didn't pay attention to the theme music, I mean for crying out loud I watched this in a day and I have a headache, but I am happy for it. However the voice actors did a splendid job. Sorry to my dub fans, but this anime is purely sub. Still do not let the fact that this anime is only in subs stop you from missing out on it.
The characters were cliche and typical. This is a shoujo we are talking about so it is not strange. However they still manage to grow on you and I bet some would wonder why. Well just because something is cliche doesn't mean it will not have an impact. There is almost always something unique in characters even the cliched ones and in this anime it is not hard to find. Kotoko comes off as a stupid, naive chick, but her determination makes you cheer her on because we all have our stupid moments, yet we drive further.
I definitively enjoyed this anime and I would recommend it to a person who is tired of the same shoujo stuff and want something different even if it's just a little. I do not know though about recommending you watch the live dramas because I have not watched them and I am still considering whether I should or shouldn't. There are three, Korean version, Japanese verison, and Taiwanese version. If you enjoy the anime and would like to check them out then go ahead.
