Itazura na Kiss

When her newly-built home is razed to the ground by an earthquake, low-achieving, clumsy, and troublesome third-year high school student Kotoko Aihara is forced to share a roof with the school's—and possibly Japan's—smartest student, Naoki Irie. Kotoko is not actually a complete stranger to Irie-kun; unfortunately, a single love letter that she tried to give him in the past has already sealed her fate as far as he is concerned. Throw in some quirky friends and a meddlesome mother, and Kotoko might not even have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the older Irie boy's heart. Yet Kotoko remains optimistic that, because she now lives in his house, her unattainable crush on the genius since the beginning of high school has never been more within reach.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Aihara, Kotoko Main

Mizuki, Nana Japanese

Irie, Naoki Main

Hirakawa, Daisuke Japanese

Irie, Noriko Supporting

Matsui, Naoko Japanese

Irie, Yuuki Supporting

Park, Romi Japanese

Ikezawa, Kinnosuke Supporting

Sakaguchi, Shuuhei Japanese

Irie, Kotomi Supporting

Kaneda, Tomoko Japanese

Robbins, Christine Supporting

Gotou, Yuuko Japanese

Kamogari, Keita Supporting

Canna, Nobutoshi Japanese

Shinagawa, Marina Supporting

Inoue, Marina Japanese

Matsumoto, Yuuko Supporting

Masuda, Yuki Japanese

Yamasaki, Osamu Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Nagasaki, Yukio Sound Director

Kanasaki, Takaomi Episode Director, Storyboard

Tsuda, Naokatsu Episode Director

Reviews

Jan 7, 2025

Beagle313

Recommended

[Spoiler-less review] Having watched a fair share on different romance anime I yearned for something more, something else. Never in a milion years would I expect an anime almost my age to fullfill my needs.
Why should you watch it: It is very different. It shows a love story from start to a kindof finish. It doesn't end in a first kiss, it goes after the happily ever after most shows end on. In a span of 25 (or rather 24 + 1 bonus story) episodes we get sweetest romance blended with slice-of-life and comedy, which slaps even after a decade and some. It should be ... on every romance lover's list, because it's unique, well-made, and just fun to watch.
A quick quality rundown:
Characters 9/10: Ah, the good 'ol smart guy - airhead girl dynamic. But this time? It actually makes sense. The characters have their own flaws: Kotoko is dumb an clumsy, Naoki is cold-hearted at times etc. But they have a counterbalance of relationships and virtues to make up for them, making them much more believable and the storytelling that much better. The supporting cast serve as more than tools, with their own sub-plots and lives (like Kinnosuke, you'll love him after some time) that again, make the story better. One thing that keeps them from getting a perfect 10/10 is that Kotoko's friends were a bit bland compared to the rest.
Art 9/10: It's an old anime. So it has an old artstyle. I know, shocking. But it still looks great despite the years. One thing I have to say sbout the style is the fact the characters have more than wardrobe. It helps with consistency, but kills uniqueness. That's were ItaKiss excells. Overall, very good with some outstanding moments.
Story 10/10: Hooo boy, where do I begin! It's an example that shoujo should learn from. It get's points just for showing more than the first kiss, but their whole young lives. From work, through meetings with friends, cheering, crying, to just living their lives, we see it all. One thing it lacks is the silce-of-life tag on MAL. It really goes far and beyond the romance genre to give us a good experience.
Enjoyablity 9/10 (subjective): I watched the show in three days, so yeah, it was easy to binge. It reignited my love for romance and older anime. I really don't know what kept me from watching this.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Apr 22, 2021

nutelalala

Mixed Feelings

Informative

This is the ONLY review I've ever written for an anime, because I think it's important to write this. (note: there are no real spoilers.)

You need to be very careful taking something away from this show, especially as a young person trying to figure out what a healthy relationship is.

This show is hilarious and has some cute, honest moments that don't always show the positive side of people but show the truth. The lead male's mother in particular made me laugh more than anyone.

However. This anime has more red flags than I've ever seen. Treatment of friends, of family, of girlfriends and wives and everything ... in between, these characters treat each other like dirt. This is especially true for the relationship between the main female (Kotoka) and male (Naoki) characters.

Kotoka really puts herself down and limits all her life's potential to how Naoki views her. Without his affection, which only ever appears in backhanded compliments and patronizing condescension, she feels worthless. I genuinely hope that any woman reading this know to treat themselves better.

As for Naoki, his character and behavior genuinely made me want to drop the series halfway through after generally enjoying it, because it felt WRONG to find amusement from this messed up dynamic that he creates. He is verbally, emotionally, and psychologically abusive and should not serve as any kind of role model for young men.

My point is: for anyone watching this, be aware that this is NOT what any relationship should ever look like. I believe anime can sometimes push boundaries and include themes that would otherwise be frowned upon. That being said, I do not recommend this for anyone who has struggled with abusive behavior or doesn't have a solid understanding of a healthy relationship. Everyone deserves better than what the characters in Inazuka na Kiss endure.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Apr 1, 2025

Panella

Not Recommended

The only good reason to watch this anime is to have some insight on how things were going in the 90’s.

I don't blame the author for romanticising a toxic and abusive relationship because unfortunately this was kind of normal in those years.

But please watch it by keeping in mind that this is not a healthy relationship and if someone treats you this bad, you should run away from them.

I remember watching this anime and almost liking it when I was a kid. Now I realise how bad that was for my growth and self development. I'm glad to see how things have changed in the ... last decade and I hope the new generations will not be traumatized by media like millennials were.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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	Poll: Itazura na Kiss Episode 24 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) Jei_Ken - Sep 19, 2008	156 replies	by zoeeeee999 »» Nov 25, 9:20 AM
	Poll: Itazura na Kiss Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 ) MagicalEmi - Apr 11, 2008	81 replies	by thedrmgrlscrpbok »» Sep 30, 5:28 PM
	Poll: Itazura na Kiss Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) radiantfire - Apr 4, 2008	118 replies	by thedrmgrlscrpbok »» Sep 30, 5:04 PM
	Poll: Itazura na Kiss Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 ) kasumiJoanne - Jun 22, 2008	74 replies	by watchingprofile »» Aug 20, 7:01 AM
	Poll: Itazura na Kiss Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) ohmiharu - Jul 3, 2008	102 replies	by Darkdaxter »» Jul 26, 8:31 PM

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