ザラ Notes: イタズラなKiss (Itazura na Kiss)

15 March 2008

イタズラなKiss (Itazura na Kiss)

Title: イタズラなKiss (Itazura na Kiss)
English Title:

It Started With a Kiss
Mischievous Kiss
Playful Kiss

Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Year: 1996
Episode: 09
Cast:

佐藤藍子 Sato Aiko
柏原崇 Kashibawara Takashi
小沢真珠 Ozawa Maju
青木伸輔 Aoki Shinsuke
内藤剛志 Naitō Takashi
徳井優 Tokui Yū
浅田美代子 Asada Miyoko
明石亮太郎 Akashi Ryotaro
上原さくら Uehara Sakura

SYNOPSIS
Aihara Kotoko is a stupid girl with a good disposition in life. She idolizes Irie Naoki who is goodlooking, a great athlete, and the smartest person at her school.

Kotoko is running along the corridors one day and she crashes into Naoki. In that instant, their lips accidentally meet. Later on, Kotoko expresses her feelings to Naoki through a letter but when she hands it to Naoki, he tells her that he doesn't like stupid people.

One day, Kotoko's house suddenly crashes down. She and her dad are left homeless but her dad's friends invite the two to stay at their house. Kotoko is delighted to find out that her dad's friends are Naoki's parents, and she gets to live with Naoki under the same roof.

Kotoko is ecstatic for the opportunity to be close to Naoki. Although he has already rejected her, Kotoko is hopeful that Naoki will love her the same way that she loves him.

REVIEW
I don't really like the premise of Itazura na Kiss. However, it was quite manageable to watch because it only has nine episodes and the lead actor is cute. Actually, the only reason I watched this drama is because of Kashibawara Takashi. There, I said it.

I had to suspend disbelief with the drama's premise of an extremely intelligent guy falling for an outrageously stupid girl. I'm supposed to believe that the girl's devotion to the guy as well as her optimistic and hardworking attitude were enough to charm the guy and make him fall in love with her. I'm supposed to believe that these two polar opposites are meant for each other precisely because they are as different as they can be.

Honestly though, I couldn't and I didn't. I enjoyed the romantic scenes but as I was watching the drama, I cannot help but think that so-and-so situation cannot happen in real life.

In particular, I do not understand why Irie Naoki's mom wants Aihara Kotoko to become Naoki's future wife. It would be understandable if Kotoko is the average girl with a few stellar qualities but she's too lacking to be average. I definitely don't want Naoki to end up with Reiko, the other girl who seems to be perfect in several ways except for her bad attitude. But I'm sure there are other girls who are perfect or ideal in several ways and who also has a good personality.

I watched the drama several years after it aired in Japan. Surprisingly, it was still engaging despite the atrocious fashion of the 1990s. Honestly, the outdated fashion styles were a little painful to watch. In some ways, I was reminded of how important it is to stick to simple clothes with classic lines so that if I ever look back, I won't have any regrets about my fashion choices. Funny that this is what strikes me most about the drama but that's the way it is.