Everyone has their own favorite flavor of ice-cream, and even the exact same flavor of ice-cream can taste different despite the same basic ingredients of milk and sugar. I look at the various drama adaptations of the Japanese manga Itazura na Kiss (It Started with a Kiss) as basically different ice-cream shops doing their own strawberry ice-cream. It’s sweet, pink, and goes down easy, but a little too much could make it cloying, and not enough oomph makes it bland. The story of a really dense and not particularly bright high school girl with the most gigantic crush on the smartest and best looking boy in school seems anathema to the repeated cycles of remaking it. The narrative is rather childish and simplistic, and the message behind it all fairly screams for feminists to want to rip the heroine’s hair out for being such a doormat. I concede all of the above, but even knowing this I still liked watching the various ItaKiss dramas. Now that Love in Tokyo has wrapped up, let this be a forum for discussion on which version was your favorite, which Naoki and Kotoko and Kin-chan was your favorite, and which performances was your favorite. I confess that the latest version Love in Tokyo never hooked me, despite being a lovely fun version that tried so hard to capture the original story and essence. I found rookie actress Honoko Miki a serviceable Kotoko but she’s not a very good actress and it shows, whereas I am truly baffled by how much love there is for Furukawa Yuki (he is so popular in C-fandom right now it’s crazy) as Naoki because he’s a good actor but physically he just doesn’t cut it for me as the school stud Naoki. I watched InK:LiT intermittently and it never burrowed into my heart the way Playful Kiss did nor did it really wow me with its technique and acting the way It Started with a Kiss did. In the end, I’m glad Japan did their own ItaKiss again because the original back in 1996 was really terrible then and dated now. After all is watched and done, my heart will always belong with PK while my appreciation will forever be award to ISWAK. Now have some fun watching an MV from each version and then take a poll and let the winner forever be validated.
Here are my personal picks:
Favorite version: Playful Kiss.
Best version: It Started with a Kiss.
Favorite versions of the cast and characters: icy but smirky Baek Seung Jo (Kim Hyun Joong), earnest but dim Oh Ha Ni (Jung So Min), manly and forward Joon Gu Lee Tae Sang).
Best version of the characters: aloof and exasperated Jiang Zhi Shu (Joe Cheng), stupid and means well Yuan Xiang Qin (Ariel Lin), bumbling and sweet Ah Jin (Jiro Wang).
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Playful Kiss MV “Breathess” (Part 1) and “Just the Way You Are” (Part 2):
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PK was the first drama I recapped and it will forever hold a special place in my heart for being so sadly lacking in technique but so utterly captivating in spirit. I never thought I’d have another opportunity to write about PK since it ended nearly four years ago and goodness it’s been so long! Back then it had a small but rabid fandom but its narrative blips did made it a slow go for the casual drama watcher. For those who have never seen it, I like to suggest watching it in one go now and I think the episodes and story will flow so much better without the week-to-week wait. Go in with an open mind, it’s a cute high school drama that actually tells good lesson by the end. Plus there are the bite-sized 7 Youtube episodes as dessert afterwards. Settle back and enjoy the delicate and wonderfully realized chemistry between Jung So Min and Kim Hyun Joong, and even his acting limitations doesn’t take away from it.
It Started with Kiss MV:
There is nothing to nitpick about this version. Nothing at all from directing, writing, acting to music. The only frustrating thing was how good of an actor Ariel is, so that her version of Kotoko was so utterly stupid and dumb as a rock but perfectly capturing the manga original. But sometimes a bit of a revision would have been nice. Ariel won Best Actress at the Golden Bells for TKA (They Kiss Again), but I thought Joe in ISWAK and especially Jiro was just as good. Just as good. Jiro literally broke my heart and shattered in into little Ah Jin sized pieces.
Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo:
There is nothing wrong about this version, but in its well-oiled execution I couldn’t find the bumbling sincerity that lurked inside PK or the effortless presentation behind ISWAK. For a newbie to the InK universe, this would be the version I recommend, but it’s not the one I would ever re-watch.
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Ahhh love this ! As a fan and viewer of all three versions, I must say the recent Japanese Itazura na Kiss version really blew me away and became my favorite ! Perhaps yes it was the cutesy of them all, but because honoka miki and furukawa yuki really nailed & executed their parts exceptionally... I grew addictedly fond of it. Both were neither too annoying or drastically mean, which was a bonus.
For favorite natural acting and couple, would definitely be It started with a Kiss ! And I love the second season even more ! Just a bit draggy first season for my taste.
playful kiss won my heart already for my love of Hyun Joong and Jung Min! Favorite actor and actress that i want them to date in real life hehe. Plus they are on par with best kissing scenes with They Kiss Again Taiwanese version !
Now Love in Tokyo gotta get their smooches on next season (hopefully), when Honoka Miki is not as young LOL ^^;;
Time to rewatch them all !
I watched both seasons of ISWAk and I must admit that the second was my favorite :) I actually own a copy of the second season and have watched it countless times. There is just something so natural about the Taiwanese version. I've only see bits and pieces from the Korean and Japanese versions.
Word! I too love the second season to bits; watch it about twice a year.
The first season of ISWAK was addicting but a bit dragging.. or not dragging but maybe the relationship while watching it the first time felt too unfair while the 2nd season was more about both main characters growing up, learning how to live and love each other more. PK didn't win me over. I liked the beginning of it but the characters never grew on me or developed. It wasn't bad as a drama, but I just watched it and forgot about it when finished, unlike the taiwanese version which I go back to once in a while. I enjoyed LiT way more, some episodes were just too addicting, but there are some parts of the story they skipped that I wished they went over. But it reminded me of the taiwan version a lot. I guess thats a good thing ;)
THERE IS A NEW VERSION OF ITAZURA NA KISS!
IT IS CALLED 'KISS ME'AND IT IS THE THAI VERSION
IT IS MY FAVOURITE ONE.
Full of cuteness, romance, comedy...
Defeinitely recommend!
ISWAK all the way! Joe and Ariel pulled their characters perfectly, their chemistry is still the BEST, the way the story develops, how Xian Qin helps Zhi Shu to start his dreams. It's romantic, funny and heartwarming. PK and LiT were also but none captured my heart as ISWAK and till date is my favorite drama.
My order: ISWAK, the jdrama, PK. They are all fine, but ISWAK was one of my first dramas, and has the best chemistry and nuance, plus a great narrative drive. The jdrama was fine but I was never as emotionally involved. As to PK, it was very pretty, but I found it awfully dull and checked out long before the end.
I haven't seen the Japanese versions, but I've seen both ISWAK and PK. I saw PK first and I still hold a candle for Baek Sung Jo and his awkward coldness lol. I know that Ariel was fantastic in her role, but I just for some reason could not stand her version...for me Jung So Min was the perfect balance of being lazy/lacking in motivation for anything but her man and adorableness...I feel like Ariel overacted and I cringed a lot...but then again probably so did everyone in every version haha. Although watching ISWAK I became obsessed with Joe Cheng so I guess that's a good thing huh?
Haven't seen the other versions but Playful Kiss is one of my favorite dramas. Among other things, the main thing I like is the positive air in it.....it makes you feel relaxed and for a change, there are no stakes...baddies....and plotting..
And so much heart and warmth ♥
For me it's Itakiss then ISWAK. I thought PK was absolutely horrible. So I'm in the minority here I guess?
Itakiss got all the characters down pat IMO. Yuki IS RL Naoki & this version has the cutest Kotoko. Honoka is adorableeee & she fits the part of bumbling high school girl to the T (because she IS young). Even if her acting is OTT at times but I gave her free pass because of that. & To be fair, EVERYONE was overacting. JSM was actually the most grating for me because I just did not buy her as a student. I don't even understand how anyone could like KHJ's character. His Naoki was the douchiest of all versions I think.
But yea, watched all 3! I'll probably never get sick of this story~
I agree with you: PK was hooooorrible!!! Kim Hyun Joong can't act, and I'm praying he doesn't get picked a as lead in any upcoming drama, because it will be a disaster. Joe & Ariel had a very charming chemistry in ISWAK, and you can see how Zhi Shu really cares about Zian Qin. Maybe because the drama had a lot of episodes and a second season, it's my favourite and I think it reflects the manga better.
Itakiss, the first version, is too old, and the actors are not my cup of tea. And the modern version, Itakiss-Love in Tokyo... the girl playing Kotoko is too young. But I thing she has a lot of potential. But they had cut too many scenes from the manga, and they dragged the "arranged marriage" thing. I'm hoping for a second season too, I want to see the honeymoon and how Kotoko becomes a nurse.
Loved ItaKiss (the manga plot), but never finished PK. :(
Personally for me ISWAK takes first in all the polls.
It's my favorite version, with my favorite actors and ArJoe is just forever my OTP.
To me that drama felt perfect, the emotions, the acting, the scenery and the MUSIC!! I always feel a sense of loss after I watch a drama that just captures me, I'll never get that feeling back. Even though I've watched ISWAK more than 8 times since 6yrs ago that I first saw it.
I saw PK, it wasn't really my cup of tea but it was a nice drama to watch once and see how a story can be portrayed in different ways. I just felt that Kim Hyung Joon was a little too stiff with his acting, and Joe Cheng just really gave color to his character.
Haven't seen yet Itazura Love in Tokyo, but I did see some episodes from the earlier version from 1996... not really my taste either.
THIS. ISWAK is still one of my favorite dramas ever. You've watched it 8 times?! And I thought having seen it 3 times was a bit too much. You're a true fan lol. I absolutely love the music as well. I still have Prank and Come a Little Closer in my music shuffle.
I actually thought Joe was a bit stiff at first but his character and portrayal really grew on me as his feelings for XQ were becoming evident.
I also saw PK first because of Hyun Joong but I prefer ISWAK because the chemistry between Joe and Ariel was perfect. LIT felt a little bland but I guess it was ok. Still Joe will be the perfect Naoki for me why? Cuz he's hot!
I've watched all 3. I just rewatced ISWAK after finishing PK:LIT. I usually rewatch the Korean version if I don't have the time and/or effort to read the subtitles of a new drama or I just need a easy drama to watch.
My favorite is PK. Even though KHJ is not the best actor, I thought he portayed a more than serviceable Baek Seung Jo. The best actor was Joe Cheng. His angst and battle with himself to deny his attraction was easy to follow and understand.
In my opinion, the rain kiss was best executed in ISWAK. I especially liked the scenes leading up to it.
Although the Japanese version was fun to watch and follow, I thought it was the most bland with regard to the chemistry between the two leads. Perhaps the real age-difference was a negative factor. I agree that I don't understand why that guy is so popular. He wasn't "manly" or " sexy" enough to bring the character to life.
I'm not a fan of any of the character portrayals of Kotoko. There were bits of pieces of scenes, here and there, of all three versions which I truly enjoyed. My favorite request for permission to marry scene was the KHJ version. I liked his answers best.
I found the main actor in the japanese version very wooden, I mean I tend to be lenient with some bad acting but here the boy has just one face from the begining to the end !!! :o Big applause.
Playful Kiss was one of the first dramas I marathon. I started Tuesday night and finally on a Wednesday morning I watched the last ep. For some reason I could not stop watching it. that led to me looking up info and finding that there was a Taiwanese version. So went looking and found it on YouTube with Spanish subs. I fell madly in love with both Ariel & Joe instantly. She was such an idiot yet so nice & he even if he acted like he hated her something in his eyes always said he cared. That was the problem with PK. I never felt that he loved Ohani as much as the second lead did. Oh that boy ( for some reason I call him ducky?) he really loved his Ohani.
Anyhow.. ISWAK will always be my favorite, them Love in Tokyo, then PK
You call the second lead Duckie? You might have read a dramabeans recap because they called Lee Tae Sung's character Duckie.