Itazura na Kiss

Itazura na Kiss (イタズラなKiss, Mischievous Kiss^?) is the popular, unfinished manga series by mangaka Kaoru Tada. Itazura na Kiss began to be serialized and published in 1991 by Shueisha through Margaret Magazine. It became successful very quickly and became the manga series that Tada became known for in Japan^{[citation needed]}. The manga became so popular that two live TV series have been made so far in 1996 and 2005, with a sequel of the 2005 drama set to be aired in late 2007. Despite its success, the manga was never completed due to the unexpected death of the author in a house accident while she was moving to another house with her husband and son. However the manga series continues to be published with the permission of the late artist's husband^{[citation needed]}.

A drama CD series has also been released in 2005-2006. An anime adaptation was started in April 2008 and is scheduled to contain 25 episodes. It is emphasized that the anime adaptation is distinct from the manga itself. In an interview, the late author's husband, Shigeru Nishikawa, revealed that the manga's intended finale will be conceptualized in the anime for the first time. Scripts regarding the plot of the anime will follow closely to the late author's planned ending.

Plot

Itazura na Kiss tells the love story of Kotoko and Naoki from their days as high school students to their marriage. The story continues after the marriage as they continue to grow as a couple. The story starts with Kotoko finally building up the courage to confess to Naoki Irie by giving him a love letter but was rejected in front of everybody. After that humiliating moment, she decided to give up on her love for Naoki. That same day, the Aihara's newly-built home was destroyed during a mild earthquake due to poor construction. They ended up staying in the Irie household thus starting the development of their relationship.

Characters

Main

• Kotoko Aihara (相原 琴子 Aihara Kotoko; Seiyū in drama CD and anime: Nana Mizuki; Actress in TV Drama: Aiko Sato) - The female lead of the series. She has been in love with the handsome and genius Naoki Irie since their first year in high school after seeing his speech at the opening ceremony. After their newly-built and poorly constructed house was destroyed in a mild earthquake, she and her father moved into the Irie household, her father being very close friends with Naoki's father since they were in school. It is eventually revealed that Naoki has always been in love with her. Kotoko is not very smart, having been in Class F for all through high school (students are sorted by abilities and Class F is the lowest) and being in the department in the university considered as Class F. She is however very spirited and Naoki once says how he can do 90% of the things in the world, and she can do the 10% that he can't. She usually ends up in trouble and Naoki always saves her. She decided to become a nurse so that she could work alongside Naoki.

• Naoki Irie (入江 直樹 Irie Naoki; Seiyū in drama CD: Daisuke Namikawa; Seiyū in anime: Daisuke Hirakawa; Actor In TV Drama: Takashi Kashiwabara) - The male lead of the series, and the eventual husband of Kotoko. He had no goal in his life, because he was too smart to find one. But later, because of Kotoko's encouragement and advice, he decides to become a doctor. He is considered very cold hearted and is considered as the smartest person in Japan having an IQ of 200 and always being number 1 in all exams. He is also a very good cook and an excellent tennis player. In volume 7, Kotoko was asleep under a tree and Naoki kissed her, which was seen by Yuuki who realised that Naoki does, in fact, love Kotoko.^[1] In volume 10 during tennis practice, when he heard from Jinko and Satomi that Kinnosuke proposed to Kotoko and that she is going to answer him on that day, he left looking upset and waited for her in the rain. They had an intense and emotional (mostly Kotoko; Naoki looked calm all throughout) conversation—wherein he said to Kotoko not to love anyone else but him. He hurriedly went home with her and asked her father to give Kotoko's hand in marriage to him to everyone's shock. That same night, when Kotoko asked him if he's sure about what he's doing, he assured her and told her that he really does want to marry her.^[2] In volume 19, when he was having a heart-to-heart talk with Kotoko's father, he said that Kotoko has no idea how much he loves her^[3]

The Family

• Kotomi Irie (Seiyū in anime: Tomoko Kaneda) is Naoki and Kotoko's daughter. She was born in episode 24 of the anime, and does not appear in the manga. She inherits Naoki's looks, but Kotoko's personality. She tends to compete with Kotoko for her father's attention (winning most of the time), and has a strong father complex.
• Yuuki Irie (入江 裕樹 Irie Yuki; Seiyū in drama CD: Mayumi Tanaka; Seiyū in anime: Romi Paku; Actor in TV Drama: Ryotaro Akashi) - Naoki's younger brother. He didn't like Kotoko at first, but eventually learns to accept her. Though he hides his acceptance by continuing to bully her. In episode 11 it seems that he saw Naoki kiss her on the lips while she was asleep. He starts to go out with Konomi, a girl with the same personality as Kotoko, when he is in middleschool.
• Machiko Irie (入江 紀子 Noriko in anime) (Irie Machiko; Seiyū in anime: Naoko Matsui; Actress in TV Drama: Miyoko Asada) is Naoki's super-controlling and naïve mother. She often makes plans that only she thinks are good for her children, including finding love for them.
• Shigeki Irie (Masaki in TV Drama) (入江 重樹 Irie Shigeki; Seiyū in anime: Takashi Nagasako; Actor in TV Drama: Yuu Tokui) is Naoki's father, he manages a toy company. He once had a heart attack after hearing that Naoki did not want to inherit his company, but in the end he accepted the fact Naoki wanted to become a doctor.
• Shigeo Aihara (相原重雄 Aihara Shigeo; Seiyū in anime: Bin Shimada; Actor in TV Drama: Takashi Naitou) is Kotoko's father. He owns a restaurant and has been Kinnosuke's teacher and boss for years. He raised Kotoko alone since his wife passed away many years ago.
• Chibi (Tiny) (小小) is the family's dog. In the manga, Chibi was given to Yuki as a gift from his classmate. However, in the anime Chibi belongs to Sudou-senpai and is a watchdog

Friends

Female

• Jinko (小森 純子) is one of Kotoko's best friends. She is a very boyish girl, and dates a musician.
• Satomi (石川 理美) is one of Kotoko's best friends. She gets married after she gets pregnant and has a daughter named Kiseki, who seems to be very attached to Yuuki.
• Reiko Matsumoto (Yuko in the anime)(松本 裕子 Matsumoto Reiko; Seiyū in drama CD: Akiko Kimura; Actress in TV Drama: Maju Ozawa) is one of Naoki's many love trials. She has been interested in him since before college, but decides to give up after Kotoko and Naoki get married. After graduation, she starts to work in a computer company.
• Ayako Matsumoto (松本 綾子 Matsumoto Ayako; Seiyū in drama CD: Yu Asakawa) is the little sister of Reiko. She liked Naoki at first, but eventually fell for Kotoko's admirer; Takendo.
• Konomi (好美) shares the same personality as Kotoko; both are as naïve and caring. She has liked Yuki since junior high, but he refused to be her friend. After a while, Yuki has a change of heart.
• Sasuiko is the granddaughter of an old CEO of a successful company. She was arranged to marry Naoki to help fix his father's company's problems. But when she understood that he was in love with Kotoko, she gave up. In the anime adaptation, she does not appear at all and Chris is the one who dates Naoki.
• Ogura Tomoko (小倉 智子) is Kotoko's classmate in nursing school. She is sweet and kind and gentle like an angel, but is also crazy about seeing blood, which makes her somewhat scary.
• Shinagawa Marina (品川真 理奈) is Kotoko's classmate in nursing school. She went to study nursing to marry a doctor. Eventually, she becomes involved with Funetsu. Although she keeps trying to get close to other guys.
• Chris Robbins (克莉斯) is a foreign exchange student from England who has gone to Japan to find a Japanese boyfriend. She falls for Kinnosuke, and after a long dedication finally wins his heart. In the anime adaptation, she is the one who dates Naoki instead of Sasuiko.
• Rika is Naoki's and Yuuki's cousin. She moved to America five years ago. When she comes back, she tries to break Naoki and Kotoko apart but eventually fails. She also turns out to be Naoki's first kiss, but it was against his wishes. She does not appear in the Taiwanese adaptation.
• Akiko (秋子) is a handicapped patient that Keita was assigned to take care of when he went on an internship. During that time, the two of them fell for each other. Because she lost faith in herself, she stopped trying to walk. However, after an unexpected fright from Kotoko, she walks again.
• Yoshida-san is an 80 year-old lady which is picky and gives nurses problems. she was looked after by Kotoko and Yoshida-san loves Naoki .

Male

• Kinnosuke Nakamura (池澤 金之助 Nakamura Kinnosuke; Seiyū in anime: Shuuhei Sakaguchi; Actor in TV Drama: Shinsuke Aoki) is the guy who has liked Kotoko ever since high school and didn't give up until Naoki confessed that he was emotionally involved with her as well. After a year, he meets Chris and marries her, thus ending his devotion to Kotoko.
• Sudou (須藤; Seiyū in drama CD: Mitsuo Iwata) has liked Yuko since college, but hasn't been successful in winning her heart. Kotoko describes him as someone who has a dual personality. He is very kind when he's not holding the tennis racquet, but once he holds it, he becomes vicious and competitive (most especially to Irie, but he always loses to him).
• Takendo (中川 武人) is one of Kotoko's few admirers. He met her in college and tried to date her, but eventually fell for Ayako, Reiko's little sister.
• Ryo (高宮 良) is Satomi's rich boyfriend and later husband. Because he is a very obedient boy, he had a hard time defying his mother who was against his marriage with Satomi, but after a little support from Kotoko, decides to follow his heart.
• Kamogari Keita (鴨狩 啓太) is one of Kotoko's classmates in nursing school. He is very passionate about nursing and can therefore be very fierce if things don't go right. Naoki was jealous because of Keita's and Kotoko's relationship. Keita liked Kotoko once, but after he realized how much Kotoko and Naoki loved each other, he gave up. Finally, he met the handicapped Akiko during training and fell for her.
• Kikyou Motoki (桔梗 幹) (Motoki in the anime) is Kotoko's classmate in nursing school. He is born a boy, but prefers to be a girl. Of all the guys that Kotoko knows, he is the most girly one. He is the president of Naoki's fan club.
• Funetsu (船津) is Naoki's rival in medical school. He tried to beat him since ever, but never once succeeded as Naoki was always the smarter one. He claimed that he didn't like to date, but eventually fell in love with Kotoko's classmate, Marina.
• Kimura Nobuhiro (阿諾 Non-chan in anime) became Yuuki's friend when he went to the hospital. This boy has a kidney problem and was unable to live with his parents. Years later, he reappears as a young and famous singer known as Nobu, but has given up on life... until Kotoko and Naoki give him hope again. He is Yuuki's best friend while he is in the hospital.

Anime Adaptation Episode List

Main article: List of Itazura na Kiss episodes

See also

• It Started With a Kiss (TV series): Taiwanese drama adaptation of the manga.
• They Kiss Again: Sequel to the first Taiwanese drama adaptation.
• Official "Itazura na Kiss" (TV anime) website (Japanese)