No matter how old, no matter how many times it has been remade, I will still continue to love this story. It is one of those stories that I will always treasure in my heart, and that of which I will repeatedly go back to whenever I feel down. This story a girl who sincerely loved a guy, who is out of her league, but eventually gets the guy is something that touches me (in good places) every time. Maybe it's because she's living the fantasy of every girl who likes someone who might be considered "too good" for them. That girl, Kotoko, showed people the power of pure love and determination, and so it never fails to make my heart burst with happiness. I bet it's a love story for every girl who dreams, not only those who have their own dream guys, but girls who have a deep and sincere dream of having what they want to have in their life. Seeing Kotoko make it all happen inspires me and I assume other people as well to do their best and be sincere in doing it.
It Started With a Kiss (Taiwan) Photo taken from Dramawiki
My relationship with this wonderful story started with "It Started With a Kiss," a Taiwanese version of the story. It is definitely one of the dramas that made an impact in my life when I was in High School. Even now, it still brings me wonderful memories while writing this. This version is definitely my favorite one, maybe because of my attachment to it. Nevertheless, it's still a great version and I believe that the characters were portrayed well.
They Kiss Again (Taiwan) Photo taken from Dramawiki
They Kiss Again is the sequel to ISWAK (Taiwan). The story starts from after the couple's marriage and tackles their struggles being married while pursuing their careers. You wouldn't imagine how excited I was when I found out that there would be a sequel to that story, since I really assumed that it was the end when they got married. I hadn't found out then about the original story which is the manga, and I also didn't watch the first live-action drama which was aired in Japan in 1996.
Itazura na Kiss (anime) Opening credits
While I was getting all giddy watching They Kiss Again, the anime version of Itazura na Kiss was also airing and so I didn't miss the chance to also watch it. Since it is the most complete version, I think this is the best one. You see, the mangaka (author) of the manga Itazura na Kiss, Tada Kaoru, died in 1999, before she could even finish the manga. Good thing though that her plans for the manga were known by her husband and they put an end to the story itself in the anime. It's nice to see her work be completed even though she's not in this world anymore.
Playful Kiss (Korean) Photo taken from Dramawiki
Two years after the anime aired, MBC (Korea) released its own version of the story. Again, I was ecstatic about it and I didn't miss the chance to fall in love again with it. This version sort is sort of like the Taiwanese one because it ended kind of the same. However, it was completely different overall. I've read and heard from my friends mixed reviews about it; some say that it's better than the Taiwan version while some didn't like it. Nonetheless, I still liked it because it had its own charm which cannot be seen in other versions.
Itazura na Kiss ~ Love in Tokyo (Japanese) Opening credits
Finally, the latest version which was aired in Spring 2013. I admit, when I found out that there would be a new Japanese version of Itazura na Kiss, I was not interested because I was busy getting hooked with other Korean dramas then. That's why I didn't really take time to get a copy. However, when my friend who also likes the story had a copy, I watched it and definitely got hooked! I realized that I still love the story despite how many times I've seen it being remade. I would like to praise the Japanese actors who portrayed these wonderful characters yet again for their faithful yet refreshing portrayal. I wouldn't have gotten hooked had they've been lame. One thing that I have not much felt is how in love Naoki is with Kotoko and I'm demanding for a sequel because of that. Another thing that is quite different in this version is Kin-chan, who is Kotoko's one-sided lover. In all the past versions, I was rooting for Naoki all the time and sometimes got annoyed with Kin-chan's affection. In this version though, I liked Kin-chan and even sided with him during some parts when Naoki was all confused and extra cold to Kotoko. I don't know if it's just the actor or if I just grown mature and acquired different tastes. That's why it was more heartbreaking for me now that Kin-chan was rejected, compared with before. However when I saw how Naoki showed his feelings in the end, I was smitten with him. Just then, I realized how much this story meant to me, even now.
It has been seven years since I first encountered Kotoko and Naoki's love story. I watched different versions, fell in love with different actors who played them but still, their story remains alive. I thought that I had gotten over it after the Korean version but seeing that my feelings are still alive in 2013, there's no reason to deny anymore that I love this story and will never get over it.
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