TW-dramas Adapts It Started with a Kiss Again with Newbies Dino Lee and Esther Wu
If asked to vote on it, I think it’s safe to bet that the outcome would be a landslide of 100 nays to 0 yays when it comes to Taiwan dramas making another adaptation of popular Japanese manga Itazura na Kiss (It Started with a Kiss). The 2005 TW-drama version It Started with a Kiss was an instant classic thanks to the perfect casting of tall, cold, genius Zhi Shu played by Joe Chang and his electric chemistry with dumber than a sack of potatoes never give up Xiang Qin played by Ariel Lin.
Ariel and Joe made the characters charming and endearing, and in the process raised the level of idol dramas in Taiwan. The new 2016 version of It Started with a Kiss stars rising singer-actor Dino Lee (famously the second lead in hit movie Our Times) as the ice prince and newbie Esther Wu as the bumbling girl with the forever crush, with Gong Yi Teng as the adoring second male lead and Riko Xi as the second female lead. I don’t dislike this cast but simple see no reason for a new Taiwan version of ISWAK, not to mention ItaKiss feels like the story that will never slink quietly into retirement.
Ugghhhh… what??? That was my 1st reaction. Is ISWAK gonna be like LOCH or ROCH?
LOL!
But they need lots of remakes to catch up to LOCH. I thought I was old drama-wise but apparently the version I saw years ago was the 3rd one already. O___O
I always say I’m not going to watch the latest Kiss remake and yet I always do, only to find that the original is still the best. I love the story and all, but why does it have to keep getting made? I know no one is forcing me to watch or whatever, but there are so many other good stories out there that it just seems odd to me that this one is constantly getting redone. Oh well, the cast will probably fit the roles fairly well at least.
Uuuugh ISWAk and TKA are classic and perfect. rather than a remake.. Why not give us TKA 3..
I’m still an arjoe shipper at heart
Yea! C’mon that would be unfair.. We want Season 3 of arjoe. Tsk! It’s been a 9 years. And yet, we still hoping Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu have babies! ???
I love thailand version. AoMike.
Hmmmm….why?why?whyyyyyyy?
Not against remakes but can’t they at lease give it some time before the last. The Japanese remake wasn’t that long ago.
please let it go . . . . next 10 years maybe?
This franchise is turning out to be the next bloody Cinderella I tell ya.
I just want to say, what roles can’t Ariel Lin nail? She’s too good to copy..
Yeah.. I totally surely really agree.. Ariel Lin is the best actress in every role.. But the pity is ,now after marriage she decide not to play a role in drama again.. But I will still seeking her movie..
Yeah.. I totally surely really agree.. Ariel Lin is the best actress in every role.. But the pity is ,now after marriage she decide not to play a role in drama again.. But I will still seeking her movie..
Hmm but if the role of Jiang zhi shu is played by Yang Yang I’m surely want to watch it. Coz I think Yang Yang is really cool and he absolutely can play the role of Jiang Zhi Shu like he play the role of Xiao Nai..;)
I think it’s safe to say that Joe and Ariel’s version will always be the most loved.
No, they need to make an ISWAK 3 Special with the oringinal cast before they can even attempt to make a remake.
Agreed! I need a third one sooooo soo badly!
i agree with that. Make first the season 3 of jiang’s family.. Thats so unfair. How can you remake it, if its not yet done? C’mon! We want saeson 3 of arjoe.. 🙂
We are now living in a society who believes that females can do anything and everything they put their heart and their mind into.
I hated Ariel’s character (but loved her acting) in the original version for her lack of backbone, I can only imagine I’ll hate it even more now that my belief in women independence is even stronger.
what.the.heck.really…please no.
I haven’t seen Dino Lee in anything but our times and well…I thought that he was incredibly bland, and eh not good at acting. Maybe it’s because the lead was insanely charismatic, had fantastic chemistry with the actress and owned that role, which made dino look worse than he really was, I don’t know…I think he’s better off sticking to singing maybe?
But then again, it’s not like this role is demanding in terms of required expressiveness.
I have to admit though, itazura na kiss is one of those stories I hate with a passion (most infuriatingly stupid heroine ever paired with the king of jerks that should die alone in misery), why is it still popular in modern times is beyond me. Please die already. Also Ariel/Joe version was the only one I managed to finish, and for a story I hate so much, I think that is quite telling.
Heh, completely agree with you about the story. It was so bad that I couldn’t get through the Ariel/Joe version.
No way am I going to even touch this rerun since I actually like Ariel’s and Joe’s acting.
I actually survived by fast forwarding portions. And had second lead syndrome, the only time in my life I’ve had it, and I’ve been watching dramas for like 10 years ^^;
Dont they have better, fresher, newer ideas than to rehash ITNW? Taiwanese dramas get blander and blander, to think they were once at the top, makes one sad 🙁
There are better TW dramas out there now, like Lego Li’s Love at Seventeen and Rock Records in Love, other than this flogging of a dead horse that refuses to stay dead, aka ISWAK. I’m a diehard fan of the TW version with Ariel and Joe, who did 2 seasons which should have more than satisfied everyone’s appetites, so I’m totally puzzled why there’s even this new version coming out! Btw, for Love at Seventeen, it started off quite cliche, with both leads Lego and Nikki Hsieh falling in love with each other in high school but had a misunderstanding, and she transferred schools, but now they meet 13 years later and she has now become cold and aloof. I’m a sucker for those time gap love stories…
Other naoki story,I heard this japanese movie version on the way too but I don’t know why no one live version(for me)except version 1997,can win from the anime version. that anime is so fun and nailed it ,naoki more warm,nosy and totally brat in anime version,than the all new version drama tv,I don’t know why they lost that thing.
I hope this version can dig of the real meaning of naughty kiss,and how nosy,cruel and naughty naoki do to kotoko,so I can feel the reason why kotoko stay be side naoki than watch kotoko as dorky idiot girl who crazy in love with naoki who have smart but have cold fish face.
Geez, how many times can they tell the same story over and over again? I’ve never complained about the numerous remakes of this particular story before (although I haven’t watched them either), but enough is enough already.
I’m with you about another remake of ISWAK, but since the cast includes Dino Lee, it changed my mind lol I’m Dino Lee > Joe Cheng looks wise. Also Dino Lee does look like Takashi Kashiwabara (Naoki actor for the first Japanese ver)
Please…just…die…
Why do they have to do itakiss? Just WHY?!
Is there a derth of mangas to turn into live action? How about Skip Beat or something like that? At least Skip Beat has new contents!
Joe/Ariel kisses were something else.
Oh, boy… I wish people just stop ruining this drama and let the happy memories engraved in the mind. I couldn’t even watch the K-version Playful Kiss. I don’t think I can accept any girl playing obsessed dumb girl but Ariel. Other girls playing this role always made me want to throw something at my screen.
What TW PD need to do is doing third installment of ISWAK, with Xiang Qin becoming blind as of the last ep of They Kiss Again, or getting preggy. Whichever really. As long as Joe and Ariel are back to my screen, I’m okay with whatever story they’ll come up with.
maybe like an hour or two hour special episode becuase if it becomes a series itll get draggy
I like Dino Lee but…no…
Would Ariel and Joe make a guest appearance?
I love iswak Tak and it is definitely my favorite two tw dramas to this day. Love love love for me. Anyhow, I really can’t understand a remake unless the younger tw generation really likes this and wants newer younger actors in it.
I have seen Dino in our times and thought he was kinda blah and also am watching him in currently airing 1989 one. I still think he’s blah in acting. But I have seen a lot of interviews and such and some people really like his acting so I don’t know. Hopefully I will see it.
I honestly can’t even remember all the names of the newer younger actors. So I can’t even pinpoint who Esther wu. In any case, good luck to them.
I want iswak 3 to happen! ! Not some new leads with the Japanese one done not long ago. Shipped ariel n how forever. iswak n tka was the best one back den. would love to have iswak 3 rather than this new version.
Not too sure how I feel about this, but am willing to give it a chance 🙂
Please we dont need the remake! We ALWAYS WANT THE ISWAK 3. ArJoe will always be the best FOREVER!