I watched this solely because I'm a huge fan of the Itazura na Kiss franchise and I had high hopes for this one since it was regarded as the first adaptation. Generally, I approached the series with an open-minded perspective even after I've read the bad reviews. To break it down:

1. Casting was a bit of a 50-50. Takashi Kashiwabara is probably the best and most unique version of Irie Naoki in all of the adaptations. However, Aiko Sato delivered a version of Kotoko that didn't stick well with me. As the series drew closer to the end, it seemed to me that all Kotoko did was scream and yell. Appearance wise, they're both very good choices, though.

2. Music was nice, gave off a very retro vibe that I loved.

3. I didn't like some of the relationships of the characters, it was kind of uncomfortable to watch. (e.g. Shigeo and Machiko, Irie's teacher).

4. The story pacing was sort of all over the place. The ending seemed very rushed.

All in all, I don't recommend this as the first adaptation of ItaKiss to watch. I think it is a nice watch for those who want to dig around for the roots of the franchise, though.