Amastris Dratwka

Btw... the trip to that school in the forest was the replacement of the Tennis Club and their excursion. ...which was another bummer because they replaced Taliw's friend when Turbo should have been the one getting sick... and the medicine doctor as the dude who inspires TenTen to be a doctor instead of Taliw herself. I don't even understand why they felt they needed to make these changes unless they just don't play that much tennis in Thailand. lol

There are multiple versions of this, including an anime, and let's not forget the original manga which you could actually read for free online on the manga websites. Anyway, in the original there are various characters. In the Japanese adaptation she's a friend of the family for season 2, so, I suspect that the Thai version kinda used that as its example. But this new rival in the Japanese version was nonexistent in ISWAK 2 or the manga. Also, there's another guy from college that has crush on Kotoko but ends up with Reiko's sister, and season 2 there's another dude nurse that likes Kotoko.

The Taiwanese version is the most accurate to the manga. You had the smart girl who is Kotoko's rival but Naoki rejects her and she gives up on him completely when they get married. Then there's the Sahoko character who is merely the granddaughter of a CEO who is going to infuse money into the family business but under the condition that an arranged marriage happen between her and Naoki. Naoki's dad actually has a heart attack so Naoki feels obligated to comply in order to protect his dad and his family. For the Korean version, she was a combo of Reiko, the smart girl, and Sahoko, the rich granddaughter of the CEO just like in the Japanese Season 1 version.

The problem with this version is that Naoki had never had a girlfriend nor a kiss until Kotoko AND Kotoko never, ever agreed to marry anyone else. She did agree to date since she knew that Naoki would get married and there was no hope for her so she was resigned to try to move on... but when presented with the thought of marrying someone else, she couldn't go through with it and rejected the offer... Kotoko would never lead someone on or pretend with her feels. She made an honest effort to get over Naoki and that was it. [EDIT: Another thing about Nana that bothers me is that in the original he decides to marry her for his dad's sake because he's ill. For the Thai version theres' doesn't seem to be any real reason for him to go here other than a previous childhood promise. For me, when they were trying to make TenTen more emotional and loving, this aspect made him seem more like a douchy jerk, especially in the fact that not even his mom had a clue she'd arrive nor TenTen and his dad's intentions with Nana. It was just a weird interpretation that made both Taliw and TenTen look less sincere.]

So, when it comes to certain version, as far as being true to the manga, I think the Taiwanese version, It Started With A Kiss, is the best, and the Japanese + Thai versions, although still adorable in their own way, deviant a bit too much for my taste. ...and as for the Korean version... I watched it once and it was pretty much forgettable. It was a crappy version. My suggestion is you take a moment to watch both Mischievious Kiss: Love in Tokyo and It Started With A Kiss.... Get a feel for every version. Even this one is worth of a one-time watch regardless of how I bang my head against the wall over the deviations. In the end, Mike and Aom are just too sweet together that it makes up for all of that nonsense. This production is sure lucky they got an addictive couple team.

I'd have given it a 10/10 with a better ending... but I cried... out loud... a lot... that was just heart ripping.

This was the best for such a short drama! Doo Joon and Seul Gi are so adorable together and they really showed their comedic chops. Just nothing but enjoyable to watch from beginning to end.

I fully agree with you about the script writers versus Aom Sushar & Mike's acting. Even all the contributing cast did an outstanding job! ...but how they rolled this out made more than just Mike's TenTen look like a douchebag. They made his mom look a little douchie by having her give in to Nana being in the picture. Naoki's mom would **never** sit back and do nothing. That was a big aspect of their mother/son relationship. ...his reason for treating Taliw like crap was because he was overly sensitive over a grievance he had with her when they were children, not even old enough to be in elementary school even though she expressed her interest over and over and has no recollection of the past event anyway??? There are some serious flaws in how they tried to pull this storyline off. Worse yet is how they are gonna carry over the tension in the relationship into Season 2 if TenTen already made a commitment. What would be his reasoning for being indifferent after the fact if he is a "softer" guy? Hell, if he goes there after this he'll look out of character and an even worse douchebag.

I feel so bad for Mike and Aom Sushar... and prior to even the first episode airing I was wondering what the production issues were that Mike was referring to during their opening night press conference. He went on the stage and praised the producer/director for hiring him and Aom and being able to do this drama BUT he added, "...even though I often gave you difficulties and was stubborn..." or something to that affect. I thought he was referring to his recent personal "scandal" issues, and how it was affecting whether this would cause a problem with fanship of this drama... but now I wonder, including some of his IG post statements, if it was over the script.... because you are absolutely right, the entire college portion was a disaster. They dragged out unnecessary angst; spent far too much time on auxiliary supporting character's story arcs to the point that Mike was barely in any scenes for the last 5 episodes and when he was there he had very little to add to the story DESPITE his great acting. ...I seriously felt so bad for them all.. For every aspect they tried to write a character more redeemed than the original version they ended with an even more flawed character in the end. There was a reason that Kaoru wrote the story the way she did.. and even if I enjoyed aspects of the acting, I cannot help to think that the writing for this was a very, very failed attempt. Making people look like they have good intentions means nothing when the END RESULT ends up being worse in the long run.

I love, love, love this trilogy adaptation! It's wicked good, and Sato Takeru's stances... waaaa... I dream of being able to do that. It's not only mesmerizing, when he fights he is a combination swiftness, beauty, poise, strength, & elegance. He puts his feet where he should and carries his body with perfection. This is the epitome of why there exists sports superstars. There are just those few humans whose bodies have a mind of their own and reach the highest of greatness with effortless satisfaction. Have I even captured it with these words? Hell no!

On another note, why the hell does the dude playing Sojiro Seta look like the twin brother of Korean eSports superstar of SKT T1 Telecom LOL team Faker? ... I mean, google Faker & then google Ryunosuke Kamiki... there twins I tell ya... just blow off the fact they're to different ethnicities... they're doppelgangers for sure!

This is my final thought on the series and the comment I posted to FB:

Now that Kiss Me Series is complete I wanted to share with you these thoughts: Even though I may not have completely agreed with every direction the Kiss Me Production Team took for this series, it is still without any doubt that Mike & Aom Sushar are the best representatives Thailand Entertainment Industry has for their adaptations of Asian dramas or mangas. No matter what the Thai writers decided, Mike & Aom accepted their parts and acted them superbly! This is without question. The dynamic of feeling like watching Itazura Na Kiss for the first time again was well played nonetheless. Even as my head was spinning with the inconsistencies, Mike & Aom had my heart fluttering, regardless, with their ease & comfort acting together whether it be anger, sadness, happiness, or romance. There is a definite off-the-charts chemistry that comes onto the screen when they are there. I pray that you two continue your comfortable friendship and grow in your next productions. I look forward to your hard work and improvements for the upcoming Season Two with #KissMeAgain !! Good luck with the future and keep the dramas coming!

Yep... there are some very, very important scenes that everyone anticipates for this series and they chose to completely dismantle them in this version.... ^^^but Mike & Aom still managed to have my heart flutter regardless and you have to give them the fact that they played the shit out of their characters.... meaning, even though the script writers did everything to mess them up and make this series crap, Mike & Aom and their oozing chemistry cannot be stopped, PERIOD.

..in the end... I still enjoyed watching them... They're going to be an iconic couple now, I think.

for those of you who are having a hard time waiting for subs, I have the next best solution: 1. Go to dailymotion and find any of the RAW versions of the episode you need. 2. Watch it first in the RAW. 3. Then head over to this site for the episode recap [>>this is bookmarked at epsiode 19 -- https://popv.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/kiss-me-episode-19/ ] 4. Read the recap, and get the gist of everything that is being said. 5. Go back a rewatch the RAW and you'll have a clearer understanding of the dialogue your missing. Even better you can really watch how they look at each other because you won't have to be distracted by reading all the subtitles. ;) Enjoy!

http://kissasian.com/Drama/Rak-Lon-Jai-Nai-Klaeng-Joob/Episode-17?id=21444

See this is what I thought... and I watched the raw version of ep. 19 to try and confirm if the Kiss Me production team were just trying to cheese me [meaning pull a fast one over my eyes] so as to give us the "new" feeling again and have it be completely different than what they described would happen in each episode. Sadly, no! Episode 19 was EXACTLY how they described, even down to the TenTen taking that picture.... ..and you'll have to watch to understand what I mean... because that picture plays a part in fight between TenTen & King in episode 20 as they stated. ...and just as they noted, the entirety of episode 19 is about the same as the last 3-4 episodes, focused more on individuals than TenTen/Taliw as a couple, AND was a complete waste of a 45 minute episode because nothing really important happened that they couldn't have moved on with the storyline and gotten to the GOOD stuff NOW, and give us more time, because we only have 45 minutes left, of TenTen/Taliw together, talking, kissing [since Kiss Me liked to add in a bunch of extraneous kisses of their own], and getting married.... Now, we still have to get to the RAIN KISS sometime in the next episode.

Seriously, this version kinda gave me a headache because in the entire 20 episodes of this Kiss Me drama they spent very, very little time on the relationship of TenTen/Taliw and a lot more time on their friends and family. Now, don't get me wrong, I really like this version depiction of TenTen's mom and brother... and Taliw's friends are much closer to her and supportive of her than other versions... but, that STILL should have been left to FILLER here and there, it shouldn't have taken up the majority of the storyline.

Here's to hoping the 100% completely make up for this fiasco in Season 2 which they say they'll start shooting by the end of December, beginning of January.... and set for release sometime in Spring. From some of the pictures posted on Mike and Aom Sushar's IGs, they've already been doing filming as medical/nursing students.

Sorry ^^^^ I thought the whole thing was posted. Somehow the English didn't copy over. So, I edited the post so you can read it in Mike's own English translation of what he meant.

Since I'm having serious issues with how this series is playing out, I thought I might post what Mike D. Angelo has to say about it from his IG acct:

m1keangeloไม่ใช่ไม่รู้ว่าเธอกำลังเจ็บปวด...แต่บางครั้งชั้นก็ทำอะไรไม่ได้จริงๆ.........ก็บทมันเป็นแบบนี้นิ!!!

Its not that i dont realize ur in pain...theres really nthg i can do bout it...the director told me to!!!!aint my fault!!!

...please go back and re-read my original comment before the replies... the 1st one in this thread.. I EDITED IT AND PUT IT UNDER A SPOILER!! I'm going to say that, after research, I DO NOT BELIEVE THE PRODUCTION TEAM IS BEING TRUTHFUL ABOUT THAI CULTURE!! ...and I have no idea why they decided to go in this direction.. so maybe next season will be different... maybe they want a "cliff hanger"... I don't know... but for whatever reason they decided to go here, IT WAS NOT A GOOD DECISION, in my book for me and being true to the story itself. Others can like it but I think the whole thing just made Taliw/TenTen look SO bad.

I'm beginning to wonder about this production team. I was really curious about this cultural thing "cannot get married if a student".. child marriages were a common practice in Thai with arranged marriages so they may have recently enacted new laws. I know they just enacted a bunch of laws regarding alcohol etc in the last 4 years that's why you see a lot of stuff blurred in thai dramas. Anyway, I cannot see anything regarding this "phenomenon". As far as I see, the can get married legally at age 17 regardless. How old are TenTen & Taliw supposed to be??? This whole "engagement only due to culture" is very dubious indeed.... and I wonder if the production team is taking advantage of foreigners not knowing the culture and natives not being familiar with Itazura. I mean, right now, I'm utterly and seriously confused.

From daratruelife.. essentially the production company put the show on says it's an engagement ceremony not an actual wedding. It was a big comment that people say it looks like a wedding... but it's not:

https://www.facebook.com/kissmethai/posts/1261174270566792

Essentially from the horse's mouth and he also changes his hair color back to black lol..:

https://www.facebook.com/kissmethai/posts/1261174270566792

EXTREMELY BIG SPOILERS FOR THE SHOW PROCEED SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT 2 EPISODES DON'T READ BELOW!!!

btw... Please note that daratruelife is with the production company putting this series on tv. Another person from production leaked the storyline for both ep. 19 & ep. 20 since, of course, we know that it hasn't been aired yet in Thailand. I have no idea why they're doing this other than HONESTLY they are getting a lot of hate, the production team and director, for this version of Itazura and the changes they have made... It seems they want to assure people that they will be together but they STILL don't get why there's hate to begin with, it's not just the "get together" part. Essentially ep. 19 will be more of the same frustration with TenTen seeing Taliw together with King and thinking it's over for him. In ep. 20, Taliw finally gives the engagement ring back to King -- and this whole aspect really pisses me off because that's just NOT Kotoko's persona whatsoever -- at the restaurant and run into TenTen on the way out. TenTen will ask her to be with him but Taliw will actually "REJECT" TenTen's initial request to be with her... ??? Then TenTen supposedly will go to King and tell him to take care of her, and have King punch him and tell him about Taliw giving back the ring. TenTen will make a 2nd attempt to get to Taliw BUT this time he'll do it by giving her a copy of their picture in their youth, that she has "amnesia" over, along with a LETTER he wrote to her BACK THEN and it's this time she will accept him.... and hearing these spoilers from the production company, my end conclusion to this version.. INCLUDING ONLY GETTING AN ENGAGEMENT CEREMONY is that it is one BIG fail in trying to adjust the storyline to FANBASE compliants and not being TRUE to the ORIGINAL!!! It ended up making Taliw AND TenTen look like huge emotionally constipated asses. Sorry, just my opinion. It didn't come off well in the end, although the beginning seemed pretty hopeful.

...and worse yet is the idea they will be doing a SEASON 2, with this story arc... ???? HOW???? How can they have bed scenes and the pregnancy misunderstanding with TenTen's mom, etc. if they cannot get married until they become doctor and nurse???? I just don't see how season 2 can do Itazura any justices whatsoever... it's just gonna take what ended up failing in Season 1 and prolong it into Season 2.. and you cannot have ANY confidence in Taliw/TenTen's relationship like you could in Season 2 BECAUSE they won't be MARRIED. It means she and him have just as much ability to break up as she did with KING in the end. ....Can't see it being very good. ....but hey, doesn't mean I won't watch it like watching a train wreck.. wanting to divert my eyes but just not being able to do it.

Sorry, there isn't a wedding. There is only an engagement party. They won't be able to get married. It's confirmed that Thai culture won't allow it. This is sad. They should have told us from the start, I believe. It's against the law in Thailand for students to get married,thus, even for season 2, until they are actually a nurse and doctor they cannot get married, just be promised to each other. I don't know how that's gonna play for all the bed scenes that happen in S2, etc. so, the only thing that can happen for Kiss Me Thai is for it to become more further away from the original story arc.

I'm sorry if you think this is a "spoiler" but I think it needs to be openly noted going forward and for people to make decisions on whether they'll watch a S2 while it's airing or even avoid it completely. ....because we all KNOW how the story should end, etc.... But I just confirmed with Thai sources that TenTen & Taliw may very well get engaged but they most certainly will NOT get married. They won't even be able to get married for S2. This all has to do with Thai culture. Thus, since both TenTen & Taliw are college students, until they actually become a doctor and nurse, they will not be able to get married or at least that's what is being said by the production team. As far as I can gather, they should be able to get married by the age of 18 in Thailand. How old are Taliw/TenTen supposed to be? I don't understand what law that was enacted that means they cannot get married at 18 if they are students. ??? Weird

Anyway, if they don't have them marry, I'm not sure how that's gonna play out for all the Naoki/Kotoko bed scenes that are paramount in any version's season 2... but that's where we stand. It's an engagement ONLY not an actual wedding.

[EDITED AFTER A BIT OF RESEARCH] == This whole thing that the Kiss Me production team is putting out about engagement and "students not being able to marry" seems extremely dubious to me. Unless someone can provide me with the Thai Marriage Law regarding this, which I cannot find anywhere, I don't believe what they're telling us.

I researched the educational system and noted that in order for Taliw to have entered into Nursing School she would have, at a minimum, passed 12 years of education putting her at the age of 16. In this version, she does not pass the test, because she goes out with King & doesn't study to TenTen's liking, which means she didn't go straight into Nursing School after graduation. That means she didn't enter Nursing school for up to 6 months to a year. That puts Taliw at 16 years old going to upper division school. From that point, to now we know that TenTen & Taliw had a birthday together, when they kiss, AND a birthday a part, when he is with Nana and she is with King and her dad. That's 2 years AFTER she enters Nursing School. That means she has to be AT LEAST 17 or 18 years old.

As far as I can gather from Thailand's Marriage Laws, with OR without parents consent, and including a dowry from the man, a couple are at the legal age of consent to marry by 17 years old. I find no LAW that states that a STUDENT over the age of 17 is barred from legally consenting to marriage at 17 or older. PLUS, there is a law that says, "if both sides parents give approval, marriage earlier than 17 can be approved by the courts." Thus, we ALL know that this is HOW Kotoko/Naoki are allowed to get married so young in Japan themselves, BECAUSE both sides parents approved of them wanting to get married and supported/allowed it. It would be NO DIFFERENT in Thailand... so I see absolutely NO REASON for them to bar Taliw/TenTen from getting married and ONLY having an engagement ceremony... this is very, very dubious on the writers part... I have no idea what they are doing but they started off so well, why are the screwing it up so bad now??? I, frankly, just don't get it.

Okay... Every time I see Kim Min Jae I get enthralled. He is so much like Song Joong Ki but even better because he can really sing and dance.... I mean, I cannot believe how multi-talented this kid is right now. For so new to acting as well, he is such a natural. Really impressed and cannot wait for him to give his own "The Innocent Man" performance. There are few that nail a character like that. I'm suspecting KMJ will be able to hit the mark... and for your viewing pleasure... a litte KMJ in checkered button up shirt dancing some hip-hop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59p3u4sOvsY&ab_channel=TimonYoun