Itazura na Kiss: Love In Tokyo 2 (2014)

Round and square. Funny!

The 1st. Season I liked a little better. The 2nd season, annoyed with some triangle stories. I'm sick of them.
Other than that, it's a nice, often very funny story. Giving an overall review with outline, content, music, etc. is redundant, right? Everyone has looked at it. Therefore: just a few marginal reflections:

One theme is jealousy, also from the ML. What happens when the naive silly doesn't notice when a "friend" is encroaching and penetratingly interfering with the relationship? And she doesn't notice it permanently? Right, her husband gets "jealous", and he is additionally the intolerant idiot. (All this is true the other way around, too, of course).

Of course, flirting within certain limits etc. is OK, but almost everyone knows quite naturally where the limits are.

For me, jealousy is a fighting term of relationship destroyers. If someone wants to grab your wife, you should watch it tolerantly, otherwise you are jealous. The tongue in the throat of your wife during the party, that's OK. The hand - whoops - on the breast of your girlfriend, does not matter.
Where is it different? Here: If someone steals your property or wants to beat you up, you can defend yourself. If someone attacks your economic interests, you must defend yourself, otherwise you are a loser.
But you are not supposed to stand up for your girl?

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I fell in love with the sequel even more than the first one and i am so glad i decided to give it a go! I'm sad i wasn't able to watch it as soon as it was out, because i loved every single moment of Naoki and Kotoko in Itazura na Kiss 2!

The story line was very well written, despite the lack of flow of things, the entertaining events that happen to both Naoki and Kotoko were enough to make it very well balanced. We get to see the characters we love grow and become mature adults. We get to see their synergy as a couple, and how they could be each others confidante and source of strength. It has always been the one sided love of Kotoko shown in the show but in this sequel, we finally get to also find out what made Naoki love Kotoko too!

After their marriage, the stone cold-hearted Naoki looks at his wife with the most heartwarming gaze, he smiles, and laughs, and definitely soften towards Kotoko's feelings. I just love how sweet he is towards his wife in this sequel, he never shys away when telling people that Kotoko is his wife, aside from that he gives away and does whatever his wife tells him to do too! The way he knows his wife the best, and only wishes for the best for his wife just melts my heart. Naoki has become the perfect husband for Kotoko!

I'm also proud of how Kotoko has grown stronger despite still being her happy-go-lucky clumsy self, she has become more wife material for him. I like how her feelings for Naoki still keeps on growing more and more each day despite already getting married, I also love her for continuously telling Naoki she loves him and for pursuing even the most impossible things to be able to be together with her loved one.

Overall, the sequel was nicely wrapped up. We were given all the possible situations that a married couple could go through, and how all of these were surpassed by Naoki and Kotoko together. This series has made me happy, and warm all over. I'll never get sick of all the Itazura na Kiss versions and will keep on rewatching this until I find my Naoki too. <3

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Like the other versions, I've basically seen them all, it's the same story with different characters but it's also a different story because of how it's portrayed and I thoroughly enjoyed this one but I've enjoyed all of them all the way back to the Taiwanese version with Ariel Lin. This one was perfection, the amount of chemistry they had was awesome, I forgot how much the attitude the male lead has gets me and how sensitive the female lead is that irritates me but it all works out because it's just a wonderful story all around. My heart lies with this one specifically because it's rare I watch a Japanese drama but the way it was played out and the family and connection was just wonderful all around. There wasn't any intense moments except between the two main characters because of where they stood and the connection they had in had was a big misunderstanding most of the time. I just adored them and the mom and this story, it's just one that lies dear with my heart, so is this version worth out of the 89 others, heck yeah. They all are.

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More depth than the first series but still prone to overacting

I watched the two shows back to back and while I enjoyed this one a bit more than the first series, I do find the first half of this show a bit annoying. Don't get me wrong, it is a fun watch and there is more lovey-dovey stuff than LiT1 but I don't like how the story kept setting Kotoko up to fail to get some laughs. That coupled with the overacting made some scenes cringeworthy. You saw it coming and she pulls all the faces and contorts her pose to put on even more emphasis. Seriously, she is suppose to be in her twenties and training to be a professional and her performance in college and in her work place is just so poor that how can they not dismiss her. It is not like she makes one mistake but it is the total opposite. She fails constantly but comes good for 1 test and she passed?! Both their families are so nice and loving.
I did find the secondary plots along the way to be more engaging at times.

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THIS SERIES WAS THE FUNNIEST, CUTEST AND MOST LOVABLE THING I HAVE SEEN IN A WHILE! And I dont usually write reviews but I will because of my huge adoration to this show.

1. Back in 2006, I was in 3rd-year high school, the Taiwanese version was released. I started watching the first couple episodes but dropped it because I hated watching dumb girls drooling over a man. Like seriously, I don't like a dumb girl for the main role, it creeps me out. So I didn't really finish it. (they say it was nice but nobody's going to convince me after I watched the first 6 or 7 episodes.)

2. I started watching the anime version recently and it was pretty damn good. Because I love animes, I gave it a go. Discovering Itazura Na Kiss anime was great, I binge-watched it for 24 hours with no regret. The only thing I can say is that Naoki Irie in the anime version was too cold I hated him at times and Kotoko was too submissive I just wanted to scream at her. But the anime series AS A WHOLE was fun and entertaining and I loved it.

3. I went over reading the Itazura Na kiss manga but still hasn't finished it. So far, I'm loving it, pretty close to what the anime has shown me.

4. Due to my addiction over the Itazura Na kiss anime, I went on watching all fanmade Youtube MV's and INK trailers (all versions). I also read the comments and the reviews here at MDL. That's when I learned that among all the versions as of Feb 2019, the Love In Tokyo has the highest praise. So I picked it up and watched it. AND BOY, OH BOY. That version hit my heart and live there!

I thought I was going to hate Kotoko (because of her 'dumb' role). Instead, I ended up liking her. No, actually, I ended up loving her 'cute ignorance' and her personality. She's sooo adorable I just wanted to watch her laugh and smile the whole day.

And then, Yuki Furukawa as Irie Naoki. I have never been in love with any Japanese actors as I did with Yuki-kun. He gave justice to the role, he was GREAT in it! It only took me a few minutes watching the first episode to fall in love with him. It actually started when I heard him speak in English fluently. (I was like, OH MY GOD, A JAPANESE GUY SOUNDED LIKE AN AMERICAN!) -My heart fluttered. He was sooo cool. I love his coldness, the way he speaks, the way he stares at Kotoko, his awkward smile, his fingers, height, the way he walks--literally EVERYTHING. ????♥️ Yuki Furukawa now tops the list of my favorite Japanese actors.

I became a fan after the first episode, it was so crazy. I thought I'd get annoyed at Naoki's coldness just like how I felt when I watched the anime and read the manga but NO. Love in Tokyo shown me how Naoki started falling in love with Kotoko, it gave me good laughs and made me fall in love over and over with the characters. I was too addicted to it that I watched it again after finishing the second season. ????

ACTING: It wasnt perfect but VERY EFFECTIVE. You'd laugh at the characters, you'd love and smile at them, you'd find them cute and adorable. They just nailed it.

MUSIC: It just matched the scenes, cute and refreshing.

ENDING: I couldn't stop crying, I was just sooo happy.

I'd rate this show 10/10, highly recommended. ♥️♥️♥️


5. I never watched the Thai version (due to my reluctance on watching any Thai dramas) and the Korean version (due to the negative reviews, I lost interest.)

6. Taiwanese movie version (Fall In love at First kiss) starring one of my favorite Taiwanese actors Darren Wang. I got so hyped that Darren is playing the lead role of my favorite Shoujo anime. But after watching it today, I ended up very disappointed. :(

So for me, the best version is still the INK: Love in Tokyo. Yuki Furukawa and Miki Honoka nailed the lead roles. I am so in love with them that I could not find another drama that could beat the Love in Tokyo. ♥️

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Best

I love this drama, and yes, I am giving it 10/10 all across the board. I have seen every adaptation of this series, the anime, manga, taiwanese, korean and Japanese versions. I will continue to love it, and have seen it over 50 times. The story follows the manga pretty closely, the music is wonderful and catchy, and the actors are wonderful and have great chemistry.

The Taiwanese and Japanese versions are 100x better then the Korean version, I would suggest skipping it as it doesn't cover even half of the story.

Definitely one of the best series I've ever seen, and I'm a huge romcom fan!

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And it is with tears in my eyes that I start writing, I have just finished the last episode of the second season and I don't know what I would give to have a thousand more to watch. The anime made me crazy, but this drama literally made me fall in love.
More than once I found myself crying without even realizing it.
Not only for happiness, but also in the most difficult moments. Yes, because even if everything travels on the track of irony, with a protagonist who is all a program, there are many serious things.
Kotoko, she is a firework. Explosive and beautiful. I'm not just talking about physical appearance, but also about character. It's true, she is a little disaster, she can't do a lot of things and she is careless. But she has a huge heart and if she takes herself seriously nothing can stop her. I found myself a lot in her, I could almost say that it is my oriental version. But maybe I don't know if I would have his tenacity with Naoki. I would have given up first ... But with him, in the end, it is impossible to give up.
Naoki is ... eh it's not easy to describe him. Beautiful and above average intelligence, it is natural to remember everything by heart after reading it only once. His life is flat: he goes to school, he goes home, he doesn't go out.
But a hurricane is about to hit him and will show him feelings he didn't even know existed.
He is not someone who laughs or talks a lot, but when he does, your heart melts. Unless he's angry, or obviously exasperated.
The way he loves is not what we are used to seeing, but it is equally intense.
It almost seems like he needs to be pushed to the limit for him to realize what really matters to him.
I think this is one of the most beautiful love stories there is. Maybe because the happy ending was sweaty, even when maybe it was taken for granted.
In addition to them we have many other characters who accompany us during these two seasons. Some will love them, others will barely stand them.
One of the best ever is Naoki's mother! A hilarious character, ready for anything and with an enviable determination. Let's face it, someone (like me) would sign for a mother-in-law like her!
Then we have Kinnouske, whose screams will remain etched in our ears forever. Always in love with Kotoko. He will never leave her alone, he will comfort her and even give Naoki a few ears. It is one of the pillars of this series. We will see it mature a lot. It is that person that once you enter your life you will never let out. What would you do without him?
And then there would be Satomi and Jinko, Chris, Motoki (his story is wonderful).
But I can't tell you everything, you have to live it 100%
Small flaw, the ending. I wish it hadn't been so rushed (comparing it to the Anime). But I think it's only because I wasn't ready to leave Kotoko and Naoki!

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I don't remember how far into this drama I got before dropping it, but it wasn't more than five or six episodes, and it was all the female leads fault.

What I loved about the first season, what made it my favorite reiteration I've seen so far, was that every time the female lead found herself in an awkward, embarrassing situation due to her own folly and stupid decisions, she owned up to it and made the best of it. She didn't complain or feel sorry for herself. She just got on with it.

That is very much Not what happened this season.

Season 2 Kotoko was downright SHRILL. She whined, she complained, she threw tantrums at the slightest provocation. You honestly felt sorry for Naoki for having to put up with that. I mean, was it annoying as hell that he didn't just Talk to Kotoko about why he didn't want to register their marriage yet? Yes. I wanted to strangle him for it. But outside of that, there's not much he does this season (at least what I watched) that was all that terrible. He's pretty benign.

And where were all of the side characters we'd come to know and love from season 1??? Not there, that's where. In the Taiwanese version of this season, there were all of these really wonderful side stories full of awesome character development that served as a nice break from the drama of the main couple. This reiteration ignored them all. Kotoko's friends basically disappear, and Kinnosuke's love line is stripped down to barely nothing, leaving it frustratingly unenjoyable to watch.

In my opinion, this season is terrible, I don't recommend it, and I wish I could unwatch it.

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