A silly, unintelligent girl meets an intelligent, unemotional boy – and the story from that manga gets remade into several TV shows in multiple different languages. 

Itazura na Kiss, or Playful Kiss, is a Japanese manga series that was written and illustrated by Kaoru Tada. The manga follows a dim-witted girl, Kotoko Aihara, who is deeply infatuated with a smart and handsome boy, Naoki Irie. When she confesses her feelings to him, he coldly rejects her. However, when an earthquake destroys her home, she is forced to live in the same house as him, and romance starts to blossom between them. 

One of the best adaptations of the series was the 2013 Japanese drama Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo. This version is closest to the source materials and contains great acting by every actor and actress involved in the drama. 

Kotoko is flawlessly portrayed by Honoka Yahagi throughout the series. Her demeanor, tone, and comedic facial expressions give the impression that she is Aihara Kotoko in real life. Yuki Furukawa does a fantastic job portraying the icy nature of Naoki’s persona. They also have great chemistry, which makes the drama even more enjoyable to watch. 

The Taiwanese adaptation, It Started with a Kiss, is the only other version that can compete with this one. Both Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng do a fantastic job in playing their respective roles. Cheng’s portrayal gives Naoki’s character more depth, since he shows a lot more emotions than other actors who have portrayed the same character. 

Some problematic sequences in the drama were the only thing that let the show down, and the show is a bit more mature than the other versions. 

One adaptation that could have been done better would be the 1996 Japanese version of Itazura Na Kiss. It is the only version of the manga that takes a lot of creative liberty with the characters and plot, which ultimately leads to the overall disappointment of the show.  

Aiko Sato, who portrays the role of Kotoko Aihara, does not fully encapsulate the personality of the character. She has a more stern vibe for a character who is bubbly and childish. Despite that, the streak of independence that Kotoko displays in this show makes her much better than other versions that present a needy and dependent Kotoko. 

However, since that show did not continue for another season. A second season might have been able to redeem the character and see her in a better light.