I do think Joe Cheng has some room to improve, acting wise. I know the character is supposed to be cold and taciturn, but sometimes when he was supposed to be cold & taciturn while still showing some other kind of emotion, he failed. You could tell that something was supposed to be there, but his face just wasn't expressing it well enough.
But apart from that, he did a good job. When he needed to be loving and cute and protective, he could do that fine. The rest of the main cast was mostly fine (Tiffany Hsu is beautiful, although maybe add her to the Needs Improvement list too), and I do find Ariel Lin impossibly adorable.
30 episodes is always a bit long for a TV series. As someone who watches far more Korean and Japanese dramas than Taiwanese, by the 30th episode, i'm generally pretty happy for it to be over, no matter how much I've enjoyed it. But with this, while I was still happy for it to end, I'm still looking forward to watching the sequel. I like these characters, and i want to see them through their marriage.
Definitely worth watching.
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This review may contain spoilers
Let me start with quickly summarizing the plot: (I may have made minor mistakes with the numbers here, but the ballpark is correct)⌲ep1-3: The leads meet and them plus their families start living together.
⌲ep4-25: Nothing happens. (Lighthearted comedy with about as much romantic progress as about 3 normal kdrama episodes would have today in 2024.)
⌲ep26-28: Makjang, SUDDENLY everyone wants to marry someone else. (this is like what the plot of ep10 to 15 of a 2005 era kdrama would be like, but fast tracked)
⌲ep29-30: Happy ending.
So basically anyone who is fine with enjoying an aimless & progress-less and a bit lukewarm comedy for more than 20 episodes straight will enjoy this and this mostly applies to me as well. Though I have been rather annoyed by the final conflicts & how suddenly things devolved into THAT.
This is based on Itazura na Kiss, which I have consumed either in Anime or Manga form almost 20 years ago, I'm not even sure anymore.. Anyway the point is that while I'm not sure how accurately this resembles the original work, I can certainly recognize the plot "progression" of a nineties manga/anime from this. The nostalgia has helped alleviating the feeling of boredom for me, but I somewhat doubt a young person that never experienced that era of j-culture would feel the same way..
Oh I almost forgot, the mom in this drama is an extremely adorable character, at this moment I cannot even think of a cuter mom that I've encountered in a modern Asian drama, it's almost worth watching this just for her shenanigans.
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The ML was too cold. It went beyond what was necessary for the trope. For example, FL kept finding herself being harassed by creeps, and ML would watch on, sometimes laughing with them. He also bullied her, which again was part of the trope, but the way the FL continued swooning and obsessing over him, even stalking him at times despite how cruel he was to her rubbed me the wrong way. She literally had no life outside of stalking this guy for years.
Pass
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joe chen and ariel line really good actor.
even tough there is so many version/remake for this drama
i think the taiwan version is the best.
i thought that you all already familiar with the story and know how its end.
But ISWAK is more detailed in every scene
and their acting really perfect. Ariel lin's acting suit the fool xiang qin who pursue Zhi Shu!!!
this drama so funny with Ariel Lin as Qiang Qin. And the foolishness of xiangqin is really something, you must watch it yourself.
i've rewatch this drama for hundred times whenever i get bored with those new drama.
i think this drama is the best for you who crave a really fun romance comedy !!!
i am really in love with this drama
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The Drama That Started My Delulu Era
Before K-dramas went global, It Started With A Kiss was already making waves, the OG Taiwanese drama that captured hearts and, in my case, turned me into a full-on delulu. I’ve watched the Korean and Japanese versions, but this one hits different. Maybe it’s the charm of its time, maybe it’s the raw innocence, but it’s a classic that sticks.Rewatching it as an adult, I can’t help but notice the red flags in the characters and laugh at how messy and slightly annoying some parts are. Every episode is a roller coaster ride. Still, the nostalgic high school vibes and innocent first-love feelings shine through every time. It’s one of those shows that instantly takes me back to my teenage years, cheesy, heart-fluttering, and unforgettable.
For me, this is the kind of drama I’ll never get tired of, no matter how old I get. It’s not perfect, but it’s iconic, and it will always hold a special place in my drama-loving heart.
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This review may contain spoilers
Prefer They Kiss Again more
I actually watched the sequel first before watching this so I think it actually affect the ratings I put onto this first series. The main reason why I ranked this lower is because I find 30 eps too lengthy and there is barely any character development with the FL. Perhaps there is minute changes to ML as he is more accepting of FL and even accepted her as his wife but I just find the development arc is not as strong as compared to the sequel where I can clearly see the growth in the characters.But nonetheless, if you want a good laugh, ISWAK still manages to do its job as the director and Ariel Lin does nail the comedic moments. I love especially the younger brother and FL chemistry a little more than her with ML. Probably because Joseph's acting tend to be quite flat throughout. He definitely stands out way more in the sequel.
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Great adaptation of Itazura na Kiss
Loved this adaptation.Story: I haven't read the manga, but I have watched many adaptations -- the 1996 and 2015 Japanese versions and the Thai version. This and the 1996 versions are my favorite because they have the best Male Lead (Irie Kun/Jiang Zhi Shu).
Acting: The acting was very good, even the kid brother, although I liked the kid in the 1996 version better.
Music: The music was good, but no lyrics translation into English.
Characters: Sometimes a show is watchable simply because the characters are so good to look at and are just charming. I did not find that here, and I think that the Female Lead was less charming than Kotoko in the Japanese versions, not to mention she really did not change or improve. She was also over-the-top obsessive in the Japanese versions, but no so hopeless. The mother was great, as in the other versions. Kotoko's father had a bigger role here, and the friendship between him and the other father was charming and well-portrayed.
Except for some dragging around Episode 11, it moved along well.
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is it worth it?
so i have only watched two adaptation Playful Kiss and this one. i grow up watching Asian dramas ( Cdrama Thai drama filipin drama Taiwanese drama Indian drama Hong Kong drama Jdrama..) so i'm not new to how each country act and their different culture and norm.First dont get me wrong i love the Korean version too and i have rewatched that many times already.
And yes i like this version way more than the Korean one for similar reason as the others is that you can feel the ML more and it is quite realistic and main leads interaction and emotion just flow so well and if you watch the second season it is even more natural.
And of course they have more skinship than the Korean one for a common reason of cultural differences between the two countries so the interaction went to different degree to be relatable to the audiences of each country.
and yes WATCH IT just watch it dont question this if you like this classic story Itazura na kiss. i would watch other adaptation too but this one i would come back anytime.
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that being said, the family moments genuinely made me feel like i was there. it's an old drama, feels raw and just... natural. chemistry? funny. genuinely my kind of drama to watch and i really loved it. yes. even jiang zhi shu.
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Acting, OST, every scenes
I wish everyone could watch this😭🤍Tbh, I watch this annually, I don't know I just love to watch this🫶
Their acting was superb! I die for a 100 of times due to secondhand embarrassment I felt because of Xiang Qin omg. Also the OST 🔥!
If you want a light, cute, and manageable version of this, watch Love in Tokyo which is the Japanese version, but if you want to feel roller coaster of emotions, kilig to the bones watch this!
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
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Ariel Lin was such a cute actress that really make xiang Ching ooze with adorableness. It's also the first time I noticed her as an actress. Joe's character of Zi so was the aloof silent type. A great departure from when I saw him in The rose. But the best thing was our two leads have great chemistry so much that people start shipping them in real life (although she's married now)
The story follows closely to original Manga which perhaps reduce my enjoyment of the drama. Because all the comedy side is really over the top. And sometimes the actors have to do alot of exaggeration to fit into Manga theme. So this makes its less realistic. I find I only enjoy when scene are quieter and more mellow to connect emotionally.
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