Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo
2013
Original language: Japanese
- comedy
- drama
The story
At a high school entrance ceremony, high school student Kotoko Aihara, who isn't that smart, notices pretty boy Naoki Irie. She falls in love with him immediately. Kotoko initially doesn't express her feelings to him, but finally has a chance to tell him how she feels. Unfortunately, Naoki turns Kotoko down, saying "I don't like dumb women." One day, Kotoko Aihara's house is severely damaged by an earthquake. Until the house is rebuilt, Kotoko Aihara and her father decide to live with her father's friend. When Kotoko Aihara moves to her new temporary house, she is surprised to learn that Naoki Irie lives there as well.
What it’s like
Bright, bouncy daylight comedy with a sugary pop-rock feel, the kind of Japanese drama where a sudden zoom onto a startled face or a comic sound effect does half the work. Interiors are sunlit and cluttered with domestic clutter, school corridors and uniforms stay cheerful and ordinary, and the camera stays close and kinetic during the slapstick and the awkward near-misses. The mood is warm, goofy and easy, with a light romantic tension that never gets heavy. The pacing is brisk and episodic, built around misunderstandings and small pratfalls, while the central pair's arc is a proud, cool-headed boy gradually softening toward a sincere, clumsy girl who keeps trying anyway. Intensity is low: some slapstick and comic embarrassment, a few tender romantic moments, a little kissing, and no real violence. The earthquake that sets up the shared house is a plot device rather than a dwelling on danger. Good for a lighthearted weeknight, background comfort viewing, or anyone who wants a sweet, funny romance with no darkness.
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