Itazura na Kiss or It Started With a Kiss has always been one of my favorite stories to come out in the live action drama world. Back when I was first starting to watch dramas and basing my choices off of Mangas I watched both the original Japanese version and then the Taiwanese version with Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin. Needless to say, the original Japanese version was extremely low budget and just a bad representation, but the Taiwanese version had such great chemistry that I watched both it and the sequal They Kiss Again over and over again.

When I heard there was a new Japanese version out, I was a bit wary. Both the original Japanese version and the Korean version had pretty lousy chemistry between the actors and I was scared for another bad rendition of the drama. I was shocked that I missed hearing about it actually coming out because I like to stay on top of all things drama related – especially since I started reviewing dramas.

I’m really happy to say that having actually gotten around to seeing the first episode that I think this one’s a keeper. The story is true to the original manga and the leads for this are both really talented and they’re also really good looking. I was surprised to find out the age gap between the two – 25 vs. 16! It’s a bit shocking that they have such a young girl kissing an older man, but that aside they’ve got great chemistry. Probably my favorite part of this first episode is the cinematography. I love Japan, and this drama really shows off how beautiful Japan is, featuring some of the coolest tourist attractions in Japan. There’s people who say you can’t really get a feel for a drama with one episode and maybe they’ve got a point, but after episode 1 of Itazura na Kiss I’m wanting more LOVE IN TOKYO!!!

the bloops: