Itazura na Kiss (イタズラなKiss)
📖 Manga Magic
Written & illustrated by Kaoru Tada and serialized in Bessatsu Margaret (1990–1999), this cozy, chaotic romance follows sunshine-girl Kotoko Aihara and genius tsundere Naoki Irie. A sudden earthquake puts them under one roof (eep!), kicking off blushy hijinks, college dreams, marriage, and tender everyday love. It’s silly, honest, and endlessly rewatchable/rewritable in your heart. 🌸
🎀 Anime Adaptation (2008)
Studio: TMS Entertainment • Director: Osamu Yamazaki • Music: Yasuharu Takanashi • Episodes: 25
Why it sparkles: balanced comedy + slow-burn feels, plus Kaoru Tada’s envisioned finale. The OP & EDs are shoujo serotonin:
- OP: “Kimi, Meguru, Boku” — Motohiro Hata
- EDs: “Kataomoi Fighter” — GO!GO!7188; “Jikan yo Tomare” — Azu ft. SEAMO
Naoki Irie (入江 直樹) — Hirakawa Daisuke
(Free!’s Rei • Diabolik Lovers’ Laito • Demon Slayer: Enmu)
Cold genius, rumored IQ 200, secretly soft for one girl. Perfect cook, deadly at tennis, and the king of calm glances that ruin you. Spoiler: Kotoko’s courage lights his path to medicine. The rain-confession + “Don’t love anyone else but me” = shoujo history. ☔💗
Kotoko Aihara → Kotoko Irie (相原 琴子 / 入江 琴子) — Mizuki Nana
(Naruto’s Hinata • Black Clover’s Vanessa • DanDaDan’s Seiko Ayase)
Class F daydreamer, heart S-rank. Fate tosses her into the Irie home; her optimism never quits. Later she becomes a nurse so she can stand beside Naoki. “He can do 90%… I can do the 10% he can’t.” 🌷
🌸 Supporting Sweethearts (Mini)
Noriko Irie (iconic mom, certified ship captain); Yuuki (little bro with sharp eyes & a soft center); Kinnosuke (devoted rival turned wholesome arc); Sudou (tennis senpai with switch-mode); plus classmates and family who turn everyday chaos into comfort-drama. 🍰
See more friends & rivals
Jinko & Satomi (besties), Reiko (glossy rival), Keita (nursing school passion), Marina & Funatsu (med-school shenanigans)… everyone adds texture to Kotoko & Naoki’s glow-up from teens to partners.
🌍 Adaptations (Worldwide Kisses!)
- Japan: Itazura na Kiss (1996), Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo (2013–2014)
- Taiwan: It Started with a Kiss (2005), They Kiss Again (2007), Miss in Kiss (2016)
- Korea: Playful Kiss (2010)
- Thailand: Kiss Me (2015)
- Films: JP movie trilogy (2016–2017); CN film Fall in Love at First Kiss (2019)
Pick-me: Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo for the sugar-soft chemistry and modern polish. ✨
💫 Legacy & Love Letter
Though the manga remained unfinished due to Kaoru Tada’s passing, her story kept beating through adaptations and the anime’s tender finale. Few romances let us grow from hallway crushes to real adult love like this one—messy, patient, and beautifully ordinary.
“One of my dreams is to own the entire manga set. Even if I never see the original intended ending, this story reminds me that unrequited love can bloom—but it only thrives with trust and communication.” 💗
🎥 Live-Action Spotlight (Japan)
Love in Tokyo captures the tee-hee sweetness: shy smiles, tiny glances, and the cozy realism of building a life together. If you want soft comfort with modern shine, start here.
Blush & Pixels — Kawaii reviews with pastel hearts 🩷
🎲 What is Roulette Review?
Reading three volumes of manga, manhwa, and manhua all at once 📚💨
Watching a J-drama or K-drama at 2x speed because I have to know if they kiss 😭
Switching between my Switch, phone, and Steam library because I can’t pick one game 🎮
Balancing a controller, my phone, a matcha latte, and five tabs of otome game guides… all while pretending I have it together ✨
Roulette Reviews are chaotic, emotional, and always from the heart ❤️
Stay tuned for more roulette reviews—anything can pop up next!
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Discover another heartfelt story of family, change, and quiet love in the beautiful manga adaptation—
Stepmother and Daughter’s Blues 🌸
Read the Review 💕
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