First Impressions of “Itazura na Kiss” (SUB)

Itazura na Kiss

Plot Synopsis: Kotoko Aihara, not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, longs to be in the same class group as her super smart crush and probable character foil, Naoki Irie. When this 3rd year high school student’s house get wrecked, she ends up staying at Naoki’s place. What will that do to their relationship?

[Spoilers ahoy for Ep. 1!]

Despite the fact that this shoujo has the typical airhead female protagonist (someone not out of a normal girl’s league so that they can self insert), I have high hopes. Let’s see where they take me in episode one, Fate’s Prank.

Ooh, a fantasy wedding ceremony in Kotoko’s mind theater. A western style wedding at that. She also seems very proud of her homework.

Ohhh, it was a letter. It doesn’t seem like her crush Naoki is going to accept it. Now she’s embarrassedly walking down the hallway while people gossip around her. Apparently she doesn’t know her place, trying to confess her feelings to a Class A-er while she herself is in the far less prestigious F class. Do class groupings really work like this in Japan? I thought they were random.

The crowd is like, “Whoa! She got upset!” Well, duh. Did you think she’d appreciate you all whispering about her?

Jeez! This Naoki kid is the number one genius in Japan?? Sheesh. And of course, he’s a total babe.

The F Class is the left over class? That’s nice…

She actually tried studying pretty hard to get into class with “Irie-kun,” but still ended up in F Class. I mean, that’s sad for her, but some people just aren’t good at school. I’m actually just really proud that she tried so hard. Go, Kotoko! 🙂

Naoki’s rejection is just cold, man. He told her what was what before the poor girl could even finish her sentence. “It’s true that Irie-kun is pretty good looking, but he has some problems as a human,” says Kotoko’s friend. I like where this is going.

Oh, my gosh. This makes me smile. The tough guy runs in all, “How could you confess to that nerd when you have me, Kotoko??” I love it! And I mean, when he says that Naoki (not Naomi, autocorrect) is super full of himself, he isn’t wrong.

Aww. Kotoko has all sorts of friends from her class. They make me smile because they love her for who she is and don’t care how smart she is or what kind of grades she gets. Apparently Kotoko has a new house, and they all want to go over there next time. I wonder when I will learn some of these other student’s names. Kotoko wishes her house were of a more trendy style, and tough guy is all like, “I’ll build one for you!” That’s funny. So cute. Since it is just Kotoko and her father, it’s gonna be a problem when she gets married? “Hey, I could marry into your family,” says tough guy. This is just too sweet. His crush is extreme.

Naoki gives zero cares about this love confession nonsense.

Oh, sheeeeesh, the tough guy, Kin-chan, is picking a fight with Naoki on Kotoko’s behalf since he basically shot her down!! He he he. And just when I thought Kin-chan would stay a non-threatening side character.

“I hate stupid girls.” Whooo, that’s cold Naoki-kun. Even your friend is embarrassed for you. Awwww. Koto-chan is so sad (I mean, that blunt statement was pretty cruel.) and Kin is LIVID. Like, Kin seems like a really nice guy. I know that as much doesn’t mean that she has to love him, and I know she’ll end up with Nao-nao, but still. Kin? A+ guy in my book.

Back home, it’s really sweet how Koto’s dad talks to her mother about the new house. It’s swift in passing, but sweet.

“This house is well built,” says her dad, and I think, “Foreshadowingggg…”

*laughing* Oh, my gosh. Kin-chan calls Kotoko’s father “Dad” as he plies him with booze!! That’s it! I’m done! *rolls out the window*

…Well, maybe not quite yet. *shimmys up a tree and back inside*

Okay, but Kin is SO upset on Kotoko’s behalf that it isn’t even funny. It’s mostly just adorable.

Okay, but if Kin’s punches bring the shoddily constructed house down, these chuckles are going to become all out gwaffs.

Oh, his name is Kinnosuke! Finally, there’s that.

Let me stand here laughing while the house is falling down! -Koto’s dad

Oh, my gosh. Her friend pulled her out but her father got trapped inside when he tried to “grab Mom” (her ashes). That went from hilarious to sobering in two seconds.

That got pretty intense.

Oh, thank God. He’s fine. Well, I mean, it’s not like this show is a drama. DANG Kin is strong.

So, back at school again, when are the gossip mongers gonna give her a break? Wait, I wasn’t thinking. This is high school so, um, never.

10/10 viewers agree, she’s gonna go live with Naoki. RANDOM STREET PHOTOGRAPHER WHO LAUGHS DIABOLICALLY AS SHE RUNS AWAY. YES.

Aw, shoot. I know her guy friends mean well, but the fact that they are collecting money for her outside the school makes me cringe because I know she’s gonna be so embarrassed…

Yep, embarassed.

Okay, but Kin really is an idiot if he’s trying to stretch the facts to make Kotoko’s situation Noaki’s fault.

“You’re saying I caused the quake?”That eyebrow game.

Yeah, girl. Slap his money. He can’t buy you like that!

At first Naoki’s impressed by her spunk, but the situation quickly deteriorates. He’s amused. I know she’s gonna regret saying that he doesn’t need to take care of her in three…two…

“Irie-chan (Sr) is a really nice guy.” Yes. Perfect. I love it. “Irie-chan’s son is through same age as you.” I can’t believe she isn’t even thinking about if it is a coincidence or not. But Noaki’s mansion is just tooooo distracting, apparently.

There you go, Kotoko. Now you’re getting it.

Oh, my gosh. A) His father calls him “Nao,” so I totally was in the right to call him “Nao-nao” before, and B) HE STANDS IN THE ROOM ALL CASUAL LIKE HE’S A MODEL AND I LOVE IT. So funny.

“I’m filled with awe,” he says. Noaki, you’re killing me here.

OH, MY GOSH. The diabolical photographer is Naoki’s mother! Yes!

This whole thing is so embarrassing for Kotoko that I’m having trouble looking at the screen.

Did his mother just refer to Kotoko as Kotoko-oneechan when introducing her to Noaki’s younger brother? Really? Basically: Sweetheart, I want her to be my surrogate daughter, so you need to call her sister-chan!

A) She can’t help Yuuki-kun with his homework and B) The kanji for “dolphin” is “sea pig.”

One of those is funnier than the other.

Squid = crow thief, Blowfish = river pig. I love this language. I would hate to write in it.

Gosh, she can’t do it and it’s all so embarassing. Gah. Poor thing.

THAT SURFING PIG, THOUGH.

I feel like Yuuki is just messing with her now to prove a point. Yep, he was messing with her.

Yes, Yuuki, your mother is right! Calling Kotoko that IS incredibly rude! Woah…. this kid has some issues, as Kotoko’s friend would say, “as a human.” Guess the brothers are only too alike.

We as the audience realize that the female Irie-san always wanted a girl LONG before she says it. Geez. She gave her youngest son’s room to Kotoko, and now Naoki is ticked because sharing his bedroom with Yuuki makes it cramped. Yes, Irie-kun, leave Kotoko with your son (who you would have to be an eggplant not to realize doesn’t like her) there to help her unpack. Yes. Good call.

And now her words about him not taking care of her came back to bite her in the butt, and the images of both brothers are reinforced as that of jerks. Good stuff.

CREDITS!

---

To sum it up, I definitely think this anime will be worth the watch. I can’t wait to get into the meat and potatoes of their new lives together and watch Nao-nao slowly fall for Kotoko’s charms and sweet personality. I’d love it if he fell for her and he had to try to win her back over after being such a jerk, but hey. I doubt that’s on the table at this point. Still, the show seems solid. 10/10, will watch again.

#spoilers #ItaKiss #romance #comedy #impressions #ItazuranaKiss #romcom

Advertisement