Itazura na Kiss comes to Korea
Group Eight, the producers who butchered adapted Hana Yori Dango into the hot mess that was Boys Before Flowers, is adapting another popular Japanese manga for Korean television: Itazura na Kiss, or Playful Kiss, which was turned into an anime series as well as the Taiwanese drama It Started With a Kiss.
(Waits for manga/anime/Tdrama fans to stop swearing angrily.)
Normally, I’d be all for a kdrama adaptation of what sounds like a cute romantic trendy drama, but Group Eight has pretty much lost its credibility with me after Boys Before Flowers. Not that I didn’t enjoy watching it, but it was nowhere near what it could, and should, have been. Group Eight is often mentioned as producing Goong, but that’s not strictly true (there was that production company split with Group Eight and Eight Peaks). The titles that Group Eight can claim as exclusively theirs are Fantasy Couple (okay) and Goong S (highly disappointing). On the other hand, they’re also doing Tamna the Island, which looks promising.
According to Group Eight president Song Byung-joon, the adaptation of Itazua na Kiss is next on their slate after Tamna, and they are currently in the planning stages. The licensing has been finalized and they are currently in the process of finding a scriptwriter. They are aiming to broadcast the series (I’ll use the Korean title, 장난스런 키스 or Playful Kiss) next summer.
Song did add that because the original manga never had an official ending (the writer passed away before finishing the series), the Korean version of Playful Kiss may choose to make its own, “entirely different, Korean-style ending.” Just as long as nobody dies of sudden cancer harboring a hidden birth secret, we hope.
Via Joy News
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Tags: manhwa adaptations, remakes
JB,
How much of the problems associated with Boys Before Flowers were because of Group 8, versus say, acting performances / choice of actors/actresses (chemistry between leads)? i.e., maybe not Group 8’s fault per se?
Honestly, I’ve not seen more than the first several minutes of Ep 1 of Boys Before Flowers. But it looked very interesting in the beginning (the fighting and then the rooftop scene). I might be the only person on dramabeans who hasn’t seen it, and when people talk about BOF sometimes I feel like Rudolph who can’t participate in any reindeer games.
The hot mess that was this drama – is it still worth watching all the way through? i.e., dramafever has it now, and so, having seen the entire show, would you recommend watching it?
oh wow i really liked this anime and thought it was cute. I honestly didn’t like the drama versions of it though so maybe I’ll like the korean version (plus I won’t need to wait for subs to understand it lol).
But hopefully they”ll do a better job than they did with BOf…as much as i loved the drama it had a lot of flaws =P I hope they don’t cast an idol just cause it’ll draw in more viewers though. I tolerated Kim Hyun Joong (though he wasn’t THAT bad…ok maybe I’m biased lol) but i don’t think i can deal with it again =/
I’m going to be looking forward to another hot mess. Reading the news and discussions (and bashing) of BBF was fun. Sometimes, more fun than watching the actual series.
Samsooki -
The production company is the one who finances the operation, doles out the money wasted on fancy overseas shoots instead of spent on decent actors or editors, hires the director and writer, and has final say in casting. So yes, I blame them quite a lot for their choices.
I would only advise watching BBF with tongue heavily stuck in cheek. It’s pretty bad, but can be enjoyable if you know up-front it’s going to be illogical and badly acted. (It might be worth it to see the birth of Lee Min-ho’s career. He’s been very hyped, but I think he earned it.) That said, I think you’re probably better off watching better dramas.
ugh. i couldnt even last 3 episodes watching ISWAK. should i give it another try? i dnt knw…
i loved this anime. i hope they’ll try to make it “less bad” than bbf.
it wasn’t that bad… just painful to watch sometimes…
“Just as long as nobody dies of sudden cancer harboring a hidden birth secret, we hope.”
This line made me laugh out loud. Reminds me of Cinderella Man. LOL.
I for one cant wait for this. I’ve been waiting for another adaptation besides the Taiwan one (my fav drama ever) and the Japan one (really old and bad).
I love this story line & I liked the anime.
So I’m super excited to see a new updated Korean version, it’s about time if you ask me! lol
OH MY GOSHHHHH
i have been waiting for a kdrama adaption of this forever! haha It Started With a Kiss (TDrama) is my favorite drama of all time!!! I just hope they don’t screw it up too badly haha
I used to be a manga junkie and this will forever have a sentimental place in me since the creator passes on at such a young age (and as I was following the manga). It’s not an easy manga to adapt into a decent drama though, there are many elements that’ll only work in manga, and the story/plot is not meaty enough for a full length drama.
There’s also a Jdorama version…which I can’t tolerate. The TW version, I actually liked for the better than expected acting and chemistry, it also added a lot of weight into the family dynamics and some more realistic issues the characters have to go thro, it’s a guilty pleasure of mine and it’s in my book for a successful manga adaptation. It does require you to shut your PC mind, tolerate and turn plenty a blind eye to many glaring flaws in order to get that high fr the entertaining crack-o-drama, in a way, playing in the same field as BoF.
@ Samsooki, BoF was fun for maybe 10 eps factoring in everything, but I stopped halfway. I didn’t regret those10 hours, but u do have to set your expectations accordingly. And it’s kinda a reality check for me that I’m getting old haha when I’m not really enjoying the same old terrific cliches as much.
*wibble* PLEASE don’t screw this up. If it was like ANY other company, this would be great, but post-BOF, I wish they’d just leave it alone. The twdramas is flawed, but the chemistry between the leads is beyond unbelievable and they live their characters. It’s going to be hard to top that awesome.
i totally loved BOF, but could it have been better? yes, did it have the potential to get better? yes, but it didn’t. The only problem i really had regarding BOF is its DREADFUL choice of soundtrack (though it got much better on the second part). I really did enjoy the drama, and i am excited that they are making a koean version of ISWAK! since i havent seen the second season of the tw version, i can’t wait!
aaayyy, I never liked this show…the Taiwanese adaptation w/ Ariel Lin isn’t that good either….but Korean version? Hopefully, it’s not another BOF.
I think they should just quit while they’re ahead. “It Started With A Kiss” was the best adaptation of the manga so far, so I think they should just leave this one well alone. BOF, tanked despite it’s “popularity,” I wish that the production group should look inward for creativity and stop adapting things that other countries have obviously done great before them. I think that the company, Group 8, has no confidence whatsoever in original work that’s why they recycle what others have done before them.
ohhhh sounds amusing
Oh. Wow. Mixed feelings!
I loved ISWAK. Granted, I was very new to the drama world and had not even watched my first Kdrama when I saw it. Still, it has a very special place in my heart; I actually own the DVDs of both seasons, if that tells you anything!
Will I watch the Korean version? You better believe it! I’ve seen all three versions of hana Yori Dango, after all; I see no reason to break precedent now.
This sounds interesting…I’m not sure how I feel about this. ISWAK wasn’t the best drama (I had issues with Ariel Lin’s character—but even with the manga I was pretty ambivalent toward’s Kotoko) but the leads in Twdrama did have pretty amazing chemistry regardless of how I felt about the characters.
Though I haven’t finish watching Boy Over Flowers and I never did finish watching Goong S, I did feel that both series had the potential to be much, much better. But I’m going to keep an open mind until the casting is done and the scriptwriter is chosen. As someone mentioned before, I really hope that they don’t pick new idols for this drama, especially for the female lead because the role would be better done in a much more skilled actress’s hands, especially since the character is somewhat passive and could easily became a caricature (did that make sense? I’m not sure…I’m low on coffee right now).
I really like it started with a kiss (second season sucked to be honest but I still watched it) I hope it’s not another disaster like BOF. By the way Itazura na Kiss was also adapted into Japanese drama but it was in the 90’s. I tried to watch it but it didn’t anchor my interests
lol I completely forgot I tried ot watch the faiure thatis goong s, not even 7’s hotness could save the utter disgrace. I musta blocked it from trauma. …
I must have missed the end of the article. The reason why the Taiwanese crew didn’t end it was because they felt is disrespectful to the original mangaka…. jeeze nice going. They already have a grude from me to add to their horrible dramas lol
Arrrrrgh! Enough with the adaptations! Seriously! This title is HOLY. Should be be touched or messed-with. I am going to close my eyes and pretend this is not happening. I have a feeling it will be more painful to watch than BBF.
I’m a fan of ISWK manga. Really want to watch it in Korean.
I should have seen this coming. Next thing you know they will try to re-create Hana Kimi, Devi Beside You, or worse…Gokusen…
Yeah, Boys Before Flowers didn’t sit right with me… however it DID introduce me to a promising actor like Lee Min-ho so that’s what I took with me from the show. On the other hand, a friend of min is loving it to bits… it varies a lot from person to person. Personally, I’d rather spend 24 hours on something else really…
Hmm, I actually liked the taiwanese version of Itazura no Kiss but a korean version might not be bad. Since there is indeed no ending to the original story, it might be interesting to see how they would shape it… as long as it’s not another BoF (echoing everyone else here it seems
) If done right, I think it could end up being very different from the previous drama adaptions.
I’ll keep an eye out, the casting will most likely be the deciding factor though if the BoF music director is assigned to this show I’ll probably be out.
Wow, adaption japanese manga is into drama is becoming a trend or what? First Hana Yori Dango, then Man Who Can’t Get Married and now this… getting on the same train as modern jdramas maybe? Though so far, only Nodame Contabile has been a succesful adaption from manga to japanese drama if you ask me.
Anyway, I’m pretty cool with a korean Itazura no Kiss. Hmm, since we’re on the topic it would be cool with a korean adaption of Cat street too~ The jdrama was such a sore disappointment and I really liked that manga. I think I’d only be upset if there was gonna be another drama adaption on Mars, because love LOVE the twdrama adaption of it… so I’d probably swear and punch someone!
I ADORE the taiwan version ISWAK, and im super excited about a korean adaptation!
I just really really wish it WASNT Group 8 doing it but if they manage to get the casting right, it’ll keep my hopes alive. haha
Although for the ending, apparantly they will have to get permission from the Japanese company that has the rights to the manga. If Im correct (not 100% sure on this), they wont be allowed to just create any type of ending they want without approval. They would have to go through the same process as the TW version did for the ending of the 2nd season, TKA.
And I really cant see them allowing such a dramatic cliched kdrama plot like dying of cancer. lol that would really bug the fans. They’ll probably have to go with an ambiguous ending.
Hmm, this looks interesting. I really enjoyed ISWAK & TKA so I’m looking forward to this, but I hope it won’t disappoint. The leads in ISWAK & TKA had great chemistry so I don’t know if the leads for this version will be able to.
I didn’t even watch the whole BOF. I only watched from the middle of BOF and then skipped some episodes in between and then watched again until the end. I didn’t even bother watching the beginning.
I had a feeling this was going to be next on the list. Production companies have been going back and forth on re-adpating successful mangas turned dramas to their own styles – Hana Kimi, Boys over Flowers to name some.
Boys over Flowers – sigh. What “could” have been makes what “was” very painful to think about. Lee Min-Ho was a really nice Doumyoji for the first half and then everything went downhill from there.
The original story for It Started With A Kiss is really sweet though, so it’d be fair to give this a chance – then decide whether or not Group 8 redeemed itself or tanked again.
I love the TWdrama so I’m not exactly thrilled about this especially seeing how Group 8 completely destroyed BOF.
However, I figure they must have learnt their lesson and may actually get it right this time. Granted, they don’t think they got BOF wrong to begin with.
BOF definately had a lot of good and bad points, but at least one of the better things that came out of it was the discovery of the chemistry between Kim Bum and Kim So Eun, as odd as it may sound. It’s obvious they are trying to establish careers away from each other for various reasons, but it is also enviable that they will work together again. Their onscreen chemistry is going to make serious bank for any drama with even a decent storyline. It’s going to be awhile before we DO see them work together again and it really is too bad that Group Eight’s directors don’t like to reuse actors because they would be great contenders even though the storyline would be a little too similar to BOF for my liking. Although, I suppose it’s a good thing since then they can be paired up together in a drama produced by a company with a more reliable reputation in delivering their shows.
I was just about to settle in last night and watch this J-drama, but the video quality was crap…I love when Javabeans finds a solution for my drama addiction! I will wait for the K-version in all of it’s sparklingly new cinematic glory!
Is the Taiwanese version worth watching?? Anyone?
p.s. I’ve never fallen and had my lips land on lips belonging to anyone else…I usually just sprain something or wind up with several bruises…why oh why do they keep using the trip/lip combo???
I’ll choose to be optimistic. I ADORED ISWAK, but thinking back on it, there were several spots that were slow or repetitive. To be even more honest, I never finished the sequel. I think there’s definitely room for this to be a fantastic adaptation, and to distinguish itself from the original and Taiwanese version. So, we’ll see.
umm…quite excited about it…
i didn’t read this manga but this seems nice…
throuh i only finish 8 episodes of bof.,i love GoongS.
and fantasy couple is 1 of my favourite as well.
I like BOF, but knowing it was amost cartoon like. I still don’t know the draw on a couple of the actors… I think the poor directing is what made it lose so much credibility. But I loved the Hana Yori Dango – just loved it! BOF is a different story altogether. And the end – well it really didn’t have one. Not really.
I still have to watch Meteor Garden before I can comment further. But starting to get discouraged about Tamna Island, was getting excited about that – but if the directing is the same, I won’t watch it.
Both excited and not about this. Very much on the fence because of episodes 13-25 of BOF. It was so promising to start with but the last few episodes I could not even watch in full. I really hope they have learned from their mistakes.
ISWAK was good, ArJoe’s chemistry was phenomenal, Zhi Shu’s mom was my favorite drama mom of all time, all the characters were outrageously wacky in a totally awesome twdrama way, and the Sequel lived up to and beyond its expectations. Not to mention the wonderful kiss scenes.
All I can pray for is that Group 8 doesn’t totally mess up what has the potential to translate into a beautiful/touching and comedic love story k-drama style. And hopefully they won’t hire the same lousy BOF music director…especially b/c ISWAK’s soundtrack was a standout.
BOF was awful, just awful I watched 24 eps int he hope it would get better but ti just got worse. Awful awful stuff.
Now as far as ISWAK goes, first of all the T drama wasn’t that great, it was great in comparison to the other tat Taiwan was producing at the time. Ariel Lin made me want to choke her for the first half of the drama, and Joe Cheng was just annoying and so not worth the trouble. But overall it was charming and sweet enough, Ariel Lin grew on me.
Now for my view on a K version, first of all the drama is too slow for it work as k drama, MWCGM has proved that Koreans lack patience and ISWAK is a series where theres a lack of real drama, its kind of grounded and slowly develops the relationship between the main characters. Even the cliches seemed out of place most of the time. First they need to get the casting right (something that BOF never did, Jandi is a disgrace to makino’s character), and then pace the drama well enough to keep the attention and then make it different enough for us not to feel “been there done that”.
I don’t know how Group 8 got Goong right tbh, the production of that show was really good, the way it was shot, the music, the direction, shame about the pace. BOF was rushed, bad script writers, worst actors and an awful job of the schedule. I hope it does well tho, tho personally I’d love for Korea to do a Skip beat rather than this.
Good Idea? – most likely for the production company, as it will mostly be touted as a BBF 2 staffed with attractive youngsters, and will rake in lots of money, endorsements, and maybe even launch the careers of another Lee Min Ho or created another new pairing like SoEulMates.
For us viewers, especially readers of the manga and folks who enjoyed/loved ISWAK? – depends on the casting and story tone. BBF devolved into a farce mid-way through in terms of dragging and execution, and who knew Goo Hye Sun could be so OTT that it would become a chore to watch her (I started fast forwarding ANY scene where she was the only participant).
K-version of ISWAK HAS to cast leads who spark with each other (like Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin did), because the female lead is the stupidest character ever committed to manga IMHO. And inspite of her devotion to her man, and how that ultimately wins his heart, I cannot fathom a more insipid lead, so the actress has to really dig deep to make the character accessible and relatable to viewers (show her heart, not her idiocy).
I agree with earlier posts, please pick capable actors for the core team, and then lay off with the nonsensical stuff and focus on mining the emotional connection and development of the lead characters in the story.
BOF is still worth watching. although it IS flawed you cant’t help but enjoy it. ill suggest that you shouldnt watch it with a critical attitude (not that its THAT bad). its honestly different from the 2 other adaptations in which the situations are more interesting & intriguing. so GIVE. IT. A. TRY.
now, ISWAK timee.
it was fun to watch but the characters are annoying. especally with the main character being so clingy. the korean version ill definitly look forward to but with mild expectations.
i’m super excited…hahaha. regardless of how bad BOF was, i can’t say i didn’t completely enjoy it because i did…i really did.
I agree with #36 I really hope the actress shows the character’s heart and not her stupidity. I just wish that they would adapt good manga rather than just simply those that sold more. Also why not adapt more manhwa? I recently started to read manhwa seeing as manga nowadays is mostly shoujo crap(you know ditsy weak-willed girl and a hot guy that treats her like crap making her fall madly in love with him).
@34 I agree. ZS’s mother was absolutely hilarious, she’s one of the funniest characters, must be awesome to have such a laid back mother like that. I can imagine Jandi’s mother in BOF pulling off that role really well.
@29 In my opinion, it’s defnitely worth watching. Its cute, hilarious, sweet and all round good fun to watch. It was the first TW drama I watched and set the standard high for every other I watched after that. And not many have come close to ISWAK. (Although the recent Black & White blew me away). I think what makes ISWAK work so well is that it really doesnt feel like how other typical tw dramas are made. Its got that Japanese quirkiness that makes it stand out.
Although I recommend you check it out before watching the Korean version. Because despite BOF’s many flaws, its really made it hard for me to watch Meteor Garden anymore. And that might just be the case for ISWAK.
i absolutely LOVE this anime/manga/Tw and JP dramas (especially the TWdrama), but i’m scare that Group Eight will take charge of the production…
i hope they find a couple with good chemistry like Ariel and Joe (i adore them<3)
i’m not sure i’m exited to watch a drama about a stupid girl.. although i can’t deny that i liked the anime.
but i’ll be anticipating to see who will be the lead male..
and let’s hope there will be chemistry between the couple unlike BBF..
now let’s the news about the casting begin
I’m hoping they’ll include Chrstine and Kinnosuke plot *Crosses fingers* I was actually wondering when they’ll pick up the drama.
I wasn’t too big on ISWAK although I really liked the manga, but like a few others said, I did think the leads had really good chemistry… which is actually the only reason I watched it to the end.
I’m more interested in who they’d pick for the leads in the Korean version.
The story revolves around the female character.. In Taiwan’s ISWAK, Ariel Lin was surprisingly tolerable and she’s really cute.. but her character is sooo weak and annoying. I can’t remember why I enjoyed it. Same thing for Japan’s version, annoying female lead, both the character and the actress herself. The anime, I can’t remember much since I gave up after a few episodes… so I’m not intrigued enough to read the manga. Even if Group 8 is not that great, the material will already be hard to work with.
i’ve seen the taiwanese one and the japanese one….not sure if i want to see the story again in korean. Group 8 should just spend the money on making a drama adaption of one of Hwang Mi Ri’s cracktastic manhwa with the all the crazy, violent high school characters instead of doing an adaptation 2 other places have done already! There are tons of good manhwa material out there!
like someone else mentioned, the drama rests on who they chose for the leads and that the female lead can’t just be slapstick stupid. She has to be relatable and sympathetic and has to have that extra depth of feeling that wins the guy and our hearts in spite of her stupidity.
@29 Tippy. I feel like with ISWAK, most people either hate it (i.e. it’s so slow…why is she so stupid?!) or love it (the chemistry between the 2 leads, the slow, more realistic development. and it’s really touching at times). I guess you should give the first few episodes a try to see if you like the style of the drama. A lot of taiwanese and korean dramas like the fast-paced, bright colors way of shooting while in ISWAK, the colors are dulled….as if you’re watching a documentary instead of an idol drama.
I’ve been waiting for this for SO LONG.
But why Group 8 -_-”?
If it turns out like BOF, I guess we have to get ready for another craze and prepare for madness!?
*prepared to get tipsy……*
I know we’re supposed to appreciate each show for its own worth, but no one’s REALLY going to be able to avoid comparing this version to Itazura no Kiss and It Started With a Kiss. Personally, I wasn’t big on Itazura no Kiss but I adored It Started With a Kiss. Moving on though, I think that the Korean version will probably be of a very different flavor than either the Japanese or the Taiwanese version.
The Japanese version had one season and covered only so much of the plot within it. For It Started With a Kiss, they managed to cover the whole story only by making it two (fairly sizable) seasons long. From the sound of it, this is looking to be a one season show covering two seasons’ worth of material. Meaning either a lot will get cut out, a lot will be changed, or it’ll be a fast-paced show with little subtlety or insightful softness to it. I’m betting on some twisted combination of the three. Which isn’t to say that I won’t watch it (I mean, what else can I do with my summer?).
i am not sure about this one.
the only drama i’ve watched so far where i watched all three versions and can make a decent comparative analysis is hana yori dango. perhaps much of the basis is personal preference but i thought hana yori dango (japanese) was great, meteor garden (taiwanese) was so-so but good considering the time frame, and boys over flowers (korean) was what-the-fuck entertaining mess.
with itazura na kiss, i have watched both adaptations so far and again, it started with a kiss (taiwanese) was okay, and itazura na kiss (japanese) was good considering the time frame. it was aired in 1996 and i watched it around ten years after that, and i still enjoyed it very much.
considering that the production company behind the korean adaptation is the same one who produced the awful-ly (emphasis mine!) entertaining boys over flowers, i’m not really looking forward to this one. unless they cast someone i really like (i,e, kim min jung or kim ji hoon or you get the picture),
i’m not really into making sure the adaptation follows the original work (in this case, manga) faithfully). what i really want is for the production to make sense on its own so that people who watch it won’t go, “what-was-that?! o_O every time they do watch an episode.
To be fair, it’s not really one of the best manga, but it has its quirky cliched charms. Will the Kdrama be any good?! imo, no way. Can it even be as earnestly charming albeit flawed as the TW one, even harder. I’ll try this out as a new thing, but I’ll be messing with myself to have expectation or try comparisons, that should be safe enough.
The TW one stroke a very right balance for its genre. Even purists of the manga didn’t completely hate it (which was already a feat) and it incorporated many unique styling and charms of a TWdrama , making it endearing in its own way, which is precious in any adaptation. In other words, at least I can see effort, thoughts and heart poured into the drama to make it work. BoF, was a calculated business endeavor to make one $churning machine. The production blatantly put no care into the writing and many crucial aspects in a tolerable drama. It did not even show enough respect that drama is sth that ppl sometimes called art.
And yes, the bottom line is, I don’t think both characters are easy to please. I agree Kotoko is one of the dumbest /most clingy manga girl ever. That’s y I had new respect for Ariel Lin fr ISWAK, she is one of the best TW idol drama actresses out there, no contest. It’s near impossible to make her character endearing, but she did. Naoki’s hot genius is no better, we get the usual cliched cold prince going on, but he is borderline stinky. And somehow Joe Cheng made it his own and still didn’t annoying us all off. ( Frankly, I don’t find him perfectly handsome, but he just has that dazzling star quality made for this biz). And they did good at sticking with the nuances, and developing the relationship between these flawed and lacking characters in the TW version. Romance in a shoujo manga is seldom btn 2 perfectly sweet things anyways.
So am I worried they will get the casting/script right? nope, since I think it’s hopeless after all the shrewd business calculations usu made by Group 8. They KNEW their formula well, and it worked insanely fine with BoF, there’s no reason for them to ‘mess’ with a ‘good’ thing.
I’m worried about the casting because I really don’t picture any young Korean actress that I know of being able to pull off the Kotoko character. Perhaps they will look for a new talent but that’s also very risky.
:O please please please pleaaase let it be good! oh gosh. they cannot kill this one. even the taiwanese version was awesome, and anyone who has watched taiwanese adaptations of mangas or animes know what i mean by that, so they BETTER not butcher it.
by the way, i really did like BOF but i am with you that although it was enjoyable, i’m still left bitter at the fact that they didn’t make it out to be what it had the potential to be. my problems with it was the soundtrack, both the songs and the way they would play a song every two minutes in the beginning,although that did improve a lot towards the end, how they made me hate jandi’s character, and her OUTFITS WERE HORRENDOUS by the way, the way they tried too hard to make it cute, i mean it’s a kdrama! it’s ok to make it kdrama style, doesn’t haave to resemble a taiwanese drama it can be light and cute but also a bit dramatic at the same time. too bad, because it seriously could been the best version BOF ever, or really close second to HYD.
an afterthought, IF they manage to lure MGY. I’m more than willing to eat back all my words.
well, BOF afterall was mostly a trendy drama… i enjoyed it because i did what i what i usually do when watching that genre of kdramas… you have to tune off your thinking cap and just embrace the illogical parts. but it did solidify Kim Bum’s appeal as an actor and pretty much gave birth to a whole bunch of acting careers… Lee Minho (the most obvious, and he got the most benefits post-BOF), Kim So Eun… Kim Joon rose out of obscurity as a member of TMAX, even if he was the least “explored” F4 character… heck even those how only appeared for a handful of episodes like Kim Min Jung (recently signed as a lead for a kdrama) and Lee Shi Young (released a debut single, and got into WGM) all got plum prizes for being in the mess that was BOF…
anyways, about Group Eight and producing a kdrama adaptation out of ISWAK… well, even the taiwanese version was in a sense a trendy drama. And I think so far, Group Eight has shown itself as one of those kdrama companies that focus on dramas that appeal to teans/ young adults… and tend to create a somewhat “mania” / “hyped” drama.
Oyy… how about Kim Bum and Kim So Eun for ISWAK?
loved ISWAK and TKA to bits. i love not just the chemistry between ariel lin and joe cheng but the whole cast. hope the korean version could at least live up to the taiwanese version.
^-^ I loved the anime series! The japan version was funny, funny, cute and okay ( wasnt really into the actress), didnt watch the Taiwan one….mmmm…. hope itll be good….crossing my fingers and toes!!!!!!
BOF….. (can hear the “ALMOST PARADISE!!”… song….CRINGING!!! URG!!)….over it….
ISWAK was my first first taiwainese drama and I LOVED it….this is going to be very interesting….let’s see how badly they butcher another one of my dramas….atleast I hope they find the perfect characters for Ariel’s and Joe’s parts…..those two was like the best on screen pairing for ISWAK……something makes me think Goo Hye Sun would make a good female lead, but i do not want to see her do another high school role….UGH.
@missmanderley……Kim So Eun and Kim /bum as the leads in the kdrama version of ISWAK. hahaha omg think of the ratings that would pull in…like the 50s??? lol i’d like to see that happen just to see the reaction.
0.0 Oh dear. I was able to read some scanlations of the manga online, and it was fine. I’ve watched the Japanese live action which was made in the late 90’s (it aws ok) and also ‘It Started With A Kiss’ which I actually liked, and surprisingly I LOVED it’s sequel more.
But I did notice how the endings to the Japanese drama and Taiwanese drama was different, adding their own distinctive flavors.
Hopefully the Korean version won’t kill what could be a good adaptation if handled well.
But with all these manga adaptations (which were usualy then developed into Tdramas, then Jdramas, THEN Kdrama, then moves to mainland Cdrama), what’s next? Hana Kimi?
NOOOOOOOOOO…………WHATTTTTTTTTTTT………I can’t belive they are turning MY favorite manga into a K-Drama version Group 8 better do an excellent job adaptaing this Manga……….the Tawainese version is the BEST people………..if you guys haven’t watched look for it, it so worth watching….. that’s how I fell in love with Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng……their chemistry is what makes this story sooooooo great…..I mean their kisses are so passionate and real that sometimes you forget that they are playing fictional characters ……….I love their family and friends…….the Taiwanese version in my eyes is Perfect ……but I’m not sure if Group 8 can find a couple that can transmit such chemistry and realness to the audience…..the Manga is long and was not originally finished….even the Taiwanese version left the series open ended, because the writter never got to finished the Manga……..I’m just crossing my fingers that the production team make and excellent version worthy to watch and have it up there with the Taiwanese version………..BOF/BFF was great to watch but it could has been sooooo much more. The production team forgot that details is what makes great dramas..not just fashiong, pretty faces, and music…I just hope the production team really have a great writter to adapt this loving, caring, and oustanding Manga…… ARJOE FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hated Goong, and I hated BBF… so this drama doesn’t give me much expectations.
holy shot i would LOVE to see kim soeun & kimbum be the leads!
but honestly, i cant imagine them being the chracters but heck, who knows!
i can imagine lee junki being ahjin with the hairstyle he had in my girl.
HA? i think there are soo many mangas out there, why keeps making the used ones?
ISWAK Tw version is my favorite – just because the main leads’ chemistry ( Ariel & Joe ), but have to admit the drama is over the top.
But! we do need brainless drama to watch sometimes, right?
I loved ISWAK (as it is know by international fans). However, I am not sure how well it will be “adapted” into a kdrama. I stopped watching Boys Before Flowers near the end. I don’t know if I’ll look into this new production either. The one interesting/wierd thing about the main manga was that it was left incomplete as the manga artist passed away.. this left the jdorama and twdrama open for an “creative ending” (which might be good or bad for a kdrama!)
P.S – I have watched the jdorama version as well (which wasn’t that great – even if it did precede the twdrama).
P.S.S – Hopefully they won’t copy it action for action & line for line, like they did with “The Man who can’t get Married”
I have mixed feelings about this. With knowledge of Group Eight’s track record, it might be best to keep this in mind, despite Group “expect the worst but hope for the best.”
I’ve seen parts of the Japanese version, but it’s the TW version — ISWAK and the sequel TKA (They Kiss Again) that made an impact. While it might not be perfect, the dramas hold a place in my heart. Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin have incredible chemistry!
Just as long as nobody dies of sudden cancer harboring a hidden birth secret, we hope. — This made me LOL! Korean ending FTW!
I noticed that a lot of people are saying that BBF’s Lee Min-ho showed himself as a promising actor in BBF. Umm… really? I didn’t see it. Maybe it’s because the chemistry (or lack thereof) with Gu Hye Sun’s character. They were so terrible together and their scenes were painful to watch. Personally, he didn’t play a convincing Domyouji either.
Annnnyway. ISWAK was so terrible as a drama in both Taiwanese and J versions, so let’s hope the Korean one is better… :/
I think BoF was decent… it could be worse (like Goong S), although I do have to say LMH and GHS didn’t have TOO great of chemistry (overshadowed by side couple? XD)
I also heard that group 8 will not recycle actors they have already used for this drama… so new faces?
I liked Itazura na Kiss, both the jdrama and the tdrama, but they weren’t very good. At least this won’t have to live up to the supreme awesomeness that is Hana Yori Dango.
First off, JB– LOVE the twitter update right now (Style/Hon mix-up) I can only imagine the befuddlement, but I like the idea!!
second: “the producers who butchered adapted Hana Yori Dango into the hot mess that was Boys Before Flowers” It’s moments like these when I really love reading your updates, as you truly do know where to point the blame at a botched series, instead of simply saying “well, it just should have been better” or “so-and-so was so good in XXXX, why do they suck so much here?”, or “why does XXXX just not feel right together, here?”
On the whole ISWK debate, this is probably one of the few manga/manhua/manhwas that I haven’t read yet (don’t really care for the artist’s style), so I think I can approach it with a completely open mind, unlike so many of the others which have been adapted as of late, but I certainly do hope that Group 8 has learned SOMETHING from all the fan mumblings and groanings after BOF.
i knew this was coming, itazura na kiss was bound to be next on the kdrama scene’s, if not group 8’s, hit list.
ISWAK and TKA have a very special place in my heart. the leads had amazing chemistry and i adored the family dynamics. having not read the manga and having found the ancient jdorama adaptation intolerable, i can’t comment on those. yes, iswak and tka had their issues with the but i wonder whether the kdrama will be able to live up to those.
nonetheless i’m interested to see the progress of the production, eg. the leads, director, etc.
thank you for sharing this javabeans (:
Before I was bitten by the Hallyu bug, I was first seduced by Jerry Yan through Meteor Garden to explore the world of TDramas. I would say MG and ISWAK are my two fave dramas of all time. Joe Cheng is so fiiinnneee. I would be interested to know as to who they would cast for this as opposed to whether it would be a good adaptation. Honestly, I watch T, J, and Kdramas with no expectation other than being entertained by hot, male, eye candies LOL!
Everyone keeps mentioning Joe Cheng. Not to get off topic, but does anyone know where he is these days? His dramawiki doesn’t list him as working on any dramas for 2009. *puzzled*
They better cast people who can act, eye candy can stuff it as long as they’re okay looking I don’t care. So no newbies with no acting background, I hated KHJ in BOF, he’s a god awful actor, if he gets cast then I won’t even bother.
And will people stop dissing INK, its ancient, not to mention the drama was made too early and the manga hadn’t even got in to its stride.
I’ll watch it only if they cast kimsoeun. Hahaha. I think she could pull off an ariel lin very very well.. maybe even better. Yes, I’m biased. ^^
i dont want to sound mean but i honestly think they are going to screw up It Started With a Kiss.
The Taiwanese version was soo good and the chemistry between the lead actors was amazing…..I am not looking forward to this and will probably not watch
@ 40 & 46 ~
Thanks for your input…I think I will give it a go based on your thoughts and what appears to be a big thumbs up from the majority of those who have commented. I have seen very few T-dramas (Bull Fighting, Devil Beside You), so really…my experience with them can only be improved…LOL (although, Mike He is painfully attractive)!
Alright, so after I finish ‘The Man Who Can’t Get Married’, ‘Koishite Akuma’ and ‘Binbo Danshi’…good lord, that’s a lot of tv watching…
aside from the arjoe chemistry, what made iswak and tka awesome in my eyes is the whole supporting cast. zhang mama is the best mom in dramaland, have not met a mom as funny as her in all the dramas i have watched. the side love story of christine and ahjin was also worth following. even the development of the love story (or lack of it) of pei zi yu and wang hao qian was fun to watch. iswak’s music was so good, but not so tka. hope the korean version does well too. i am not going to judge group 8 on BoF because i didn’t watch it, didn’t watch meteor garden either. i dunno what it is about hana yori dango but it just didn’t capture my attention. if group 8 is the company behind fantasy couple, then they have my vote. i love fantasy couple.
Okay, so if they’re going to adapt this into Korean style ending, PLEASE NO CANCER—-and dying. Also, ISWK and TKA was awesome, the key formula???? CHEMISTRY between the leads! So please group eight take that into consideration. I don’t know if anybody can beat ArJoe’s interpretation of the character, ArJoe had amazing onscreen chemistry, fit the roles perfectly. I hope they cast relatively new and young actors to portray the characters since The Kiss did started while they were in High School.
I agree with all of you that wrote ARJOE FOREVER!! Hahaha, looking forward to Korean version….
Wow… just wow. I wasn’t a fan of BBF, but my friend’s mom loved it. I kind of liked the manga and preferred watching the japanese version of BOF. I did not enjoy the acting in the korean ver. for the leading girl… and I felt that the korean take on Domiyoji was very very different. I’m not sure if that was a good or bad thing, some people love it, some don’t….
It just seems so… of what hollywood does. Comic book movies like batman, spiderman, Incredible Hulk and etc. I am a big fan of originality.
Sorry if I wound any one with my words, it’s just what I think….
Oh gosh, well they could have chosen a better manga to make into live action … because ISWAK isn’t exactly my favorite. The main girl is the typical weak character who falls for the prince of the school and stalks him everywhere. Or it could also have been the way Ariel Lin was acting her out: she got annoying. Wonder who they’re going to cast though.
*squeal* I loved the Taiwanese version of It Started With A Kiss!!!!! It’s my favorite Taiwanese drama of all time! (2nd – Fated to Love You, 3rd – Smiling Pasta) Yay!!! Boys Before Flowers wasn’t that bad, I’m watching Shining Inheritance now… (waiting for funny bits but it seems to be all melodrama.) Anyway, running off-topic there, it would be interesting to see who’s being casted first before watching. The Japanese version is meh (maybe coz it’s really old).
I’ll probably pass it if the first episode is like BBF. Seriously, I only like a little bit of the Taiwanese version (1 only, not the second one) of Itazura na Kiss. I tried to read the manga to see how valid the acting was in the T series but I gave up because I wasn’t fond of the drawings. However, Ariel Lin portrayal of the main character irked me because she was beyond annoying and that is to say she doesn’t exaggerate the character, the character is just plainly annoying. I don’t like girls who are so adamant about a boy that acts like a jerk.
Enough said about that. After the BBF Korean version I have to admit I’m quite tired of overacting, poor script with random events popping up (tell me how does both Rui wants to be a doctor?), and probably the feeling that it doesn’t follow exactly like an anime or like a drama. It’s like in between – very annoying.
The main reason that killed my interest in Korean series lately and tempted me towards Japanese series is mostly the acting. Let’s give an example: after I watched 2 episodes of Style, I realized that the main actress are either maniacs or a runaway from the hospital. That sounds harsh but I was annoyed through the 2 whole hours I watched it.
But………. if this turns out good, I won’t mind enjoying it. Oh please don’t disappoint me…. : (
Oh wow another tw drama turned korean.I will give it a try b/c I really ended up liking ISWAK. The lead girl’s character (not the actress ok) was a bit much, but her chemistry w/ joe cheng was ‘wow’ perfect.I think that and the cute theme songs made ISWAK memorable.oh and the parents
Neat.ISWAK’s what got me to start on tw dramas. It was annoying but something about it made me earnestly watch it.the 2 leads did really well together. Ariel lin did a little too well portraying her character.sometimes stories like this is fun to just sit and watch.korean version has the potential to be/seem better definitely but I think ISWAK’s always gonna be something more for me. Just like My Girl is the best korean drama..for me. Jeez I love these 2.
Oh lol btw what’s that guy’s name? The one who has that huge crush on ariel lin’s character? Both of them were in F class aha, funny guy.
I really don’t see why they feel the need to keep doing remakes of series that have been made a million times. Itazura na Kiss has a perfectly decent Japanese adaptation, and quite a good Taiwanese version in It Started With A Kiss, so why on earth would they make another one? I could say the same for BOF, though. I’m already dreading this one because you can bet your bottom dollar that everyone who gets casted in this will be instantly shot to stardom, regardless of whether they’ve earned it or not.
@ peep
His name is Jiro Wang. He’s part of the famous boy band – Fahrenheit (He’s the HOT temperature). I totally fell in love with him in the drama… so much so that I looked at most of his other dramas too..
Wow. I’ve heard about this adaptation in the news a few weeks before…but didn’t know there is concern with the production quality. Not familiar with this production company, Group Eight.
I completely ADORE the Taiwanese version of the It Started with A Kiss and They Kissed Again. It Started With A Kiss is a cute storyline with good chemistry by the leads. Though the characters were flawed (In real life, I think I would not be able to tolerate the leads because of their extreme characters i.e. extremely stupid vs. extremely arrogant / smart. ) but somehow ISWAK worked its charm and I ended up liking the characters and interested in them. The soundtrack was also good for ISWAK and I still have the songs playing on my mp3 list. ISWAK gathered lots of fans in Taiwan and internationally..since Meteor Garden, I don’t think there is another TW idol drama that was able to gather that many fans/adoration. Hence, the sequel, TKA was met with huge expectations from fans. I think TKA was successful because of the leads’ even better chemistry and acting. There was already a huge fanbase for the ArJoe (Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng) pairing and they did not disappoint. TKA was able to portray blissfulness and love between the family members, classmates and of course Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu. The director, actor and production team did it with heart and it showed.
As for the Korean version, I am still looking forward to it. However, if it is all about money and no “heart”, then…..I’ll just drop the drama.
I *think* the anime’s ending has the “permission” of the mangaka – meaning, the mangaka’s husband finally gave what the mangaka wanted for her manga/story to end. so, I don’t think, at this point, that Group8 should freely give an ending of their own. then again, it will all depend on their negotiations.
honestly, though, before BOF, I was hoping ISWAK will be adapted into a Kdrama. I could see it happening before. but am also not that excited with the production company. then again, maybe they learned a thing or two from BOF, in terms of executing story-wise. sadly, BOF garnered such high ratings that Group 8 might not even realize their failures.
(now i’m going to watch ISWAK and TKA for the umpteeth time.)
Lol. This kinda turned into a BOF discussion. xD
Aniwhos, I’ve watched the anime and the Taiwanese version. I like the anime more than the drama version. Why? Ariel Lin’s character that plays Kotoko is extremely annoying the the drama series… like.. she’s a freaking stalker AND pretty stupid… I did not get how he fell in love with her.. I guess it’s all the “kind, innocent, & caring” things that supposedly all guys in drama fall for.
I find the anime cuter and.. well more endearing in my opinion.
Both the anime and Twdrama version have happy endings so if the Kversion is going to be “original & different” then does that mean they will not end up together…? Hmm, I hope the cast will be good.. like you guys said before, I would love to see Kim Bum and Kim So Eun pair up again (: but I highly doubt it.
OH NO! I saw this post and those were the words that came instantly out of my mouth!
Not because I don’t want a Korean production of another favourite anime. No. The ‘oh no’ was in response to the many months that I can forsee of me obsessing over another drama.
ISWAK was another favourite of mine, even though I found Ariel’s character very annoying. Again it was the lead male who drew me in. Will Group 8 use LMH again? One can only wait and see.
So, we get another adaptation of a popular shojo manga about a naive (read: stupid) and innocent (read: boring personality) girl that falls in love with the most awesome (read: rich/smart/ athletic /all of these + awful personality) boy at school.
What a surprise! *yawn*
And all this time I was hoping that someone will be brave enough to pick something a bit more interesting like Mars or LIFE…
Yes, so I just finished watching a few fanmade mvs after reading this article and I feel like watching iswak again.rawrr, oh man this sucks. despite the kind of unrealistic characters, I kind of understand how those very leads came to like each other. That’s a good thing or else I wouldve dropped the drama since the girl character is a bit on the annoying side. But thumbs up for ariel, she did a complete turn for that character.it’s a ‘dreamy’ kind of drama;watched it during college sem lol.alright I hate to but I gotta watch it again.
This production team seem to also bought the rights to GOKUSEN.
ugh I think it’s just me who think this way but – Please don’t cast Kim So Eun and Kim Bum. I really hated them in BOF they were so annoying together!! but the strange thing is that I loved Sojiro and Yuki on Hana Yori Dango. Anway slightly off tangent there. I actually don’t like tdramas – but ended up really liking IswaK. I hope they casted really great actors. Kotoko is extremely annoying and the male lead’s character is such a cold and uncaring asshole. I actually really hate the storyline and the characters, but for some reason Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng made it enjoyable for me, it must be their amazing chemistry and their acting abilities, they were just plain awesome on screen. I usually hate asian music but the soundtrack was really good. I hope kversion will be good if not better than IswaK! But I’m not holding a lot of hope.
uhm.. can’t wait to see it.. i love the taiwanese version, i only hope that they should cast good characters for it..
Seriously all the Korean versions sucked..(BoF was ridiculous..) so i hope they wont butcher this one..
Everyone by now knows how amazing the chemistry on ISWAK and TKA was. They were adorable as they fell in love in ISWAK (very believable) while they were so cute as newlyweds in TKA. Few mentioned though just how amazing the soundtrack of ISWAK was. Really good as an album on its own and worth downloading to listen to!
ISWAK was my first asian drama ever and the reason for all my current obsessions. I want to see their version as long as they don’t slaughter it.
we all know that ISWAK and TKA were really good and the main leads portrayed the characters well,
and we all know that BOF is such a BIG failure
wrong casts esp for that ahjumma turned high school girl aka GEum jandi aka Goo hye sun, that was ugly enough (at least for me), I skipped all of her parts (all of them!!), and I was tired to see her useless cuteness (for me she’s not that cute, that thick make up didn’t help her!)
and I hope if group 8 will make k vers. of ISWAK, they won’t do it as they did in BOF, really it’d be a failure!
and I wonder the casts, please don’t put an ahjumma again!!!
@98 Ah yes! The soundtrack! Absolutely wonderful for ISWAK, every song was perfectly chosen. However, TKA was very disappointing, thanks to them getting most of the cast to sing, and the songs were all just bland.
Im dreading to hear what kind of OST they’ll come up with for the Korean one. Im hoping its NOTHING like BOF.
actually, there was a jdrama version of itazura na kiss and it was aired in 1996, way before the twdrama version it started with a kiss in 2005. the jdrama had a cute lead actor, but it still has an old school feel to it probably because it was made in 1996. as for the twdrama, let’s just say i forced myself to finish the first season (only because during those times i felt i had to finish everything i started on, but now i realized what a waste of time that reasoning was), but i couldn’t bring myself to finish even 10 minutes of the second season. i’d probably watch the kdrama version if i like the actors because the story doesn’t really do anything for me (because stupid girls?! wth).
as for the kdrama boys over flowers? i don’t even want to go there, it is so not worth the time even for a degrading comment.
Well we can’t have all leading ladies to get the man b/c they are beautiful, poor but smart, spunky/ stylish all the time . Iswak’s got that typical storyline but w/ a twist, makes you wonder how it’s really gonna work out b/n smart and dumb.ye like some people said I like the soundtrack.it’s the only tw drama I like. I don’t see the point in making another version but whatev. BOF was a no no for me.I didn’t fall for any of the guys and saw no great chemistry.but it was a ‘rich’ drama alright.
@EM (101)
I loved the ISWAK sound track…. I used to play it everyday when I was watching the drama.. I’ve also been playing with thought of having it as my ringtone.. (Right now my ringtone is Okaeri from Absolute Boyfriend/Zettai Kareshi)
Sings: *Say that you love me.. say that you care*
I’ve already watched both the Japanese and Taiwanese versions. Personally, I thought Itazura no Kiss is so funny – loved both Sato Aiko and Kasiwabara Takashi, especially Sato Aiko. She made me laughed so hard. I watched this drama over and over again and never get bored with it.
On the other hand, It Started With A Kiss didn’t move me a bit. It is quite dull and both the leads are not that great.
Looking forward to this new Korean version – Kim Bum and Kim So Eun might be a good choice>>> Their chemistry in BOF is incredible.
I’ve been waiting for Korea to pick up this story ever since I watched ISWAK. I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.
I saw a Japanese television live action version of this in crunchyroll (before it became legitimate lol), that starred one of the actors from Nana…can’t remember the name. It was made more or less a decade ago. It was more appealing than the Taiwanese version.
I dont know how to react to this news…!?!!!
Well, the Anime ISWK has a special meaning for me, as its the entrance-ticket for me to Asian drama’s. First Taiwanese and then my lovely Korean Dramas.
Its this animes fault that I get a K -Drama addict.
The T-Drama “It started with a Kiss” and its sequel “They Kiss Again” are really best stuff to watch .
Only City Hall topped it so far.
Because in both dramas the chemistry of the main characters are extra-ordinary.
In ISWK and TKA, Ariel Lin as Kotoko is incredible good. Playing a girl with an IQ of 100, which falls in pure love with a boy of an IQ of 160 played very very goo by Joe Chen as ZhiSu is the main plot. Those 2 actors had such a great chemistry, that even I was infected with the ARJOE (Ariel&Joe) Virus.
Well be warned…while whatching it, you sometimes get the urgent need to beat up Ariel (for beeing so naiv, stupid) and Joe (for being so arrogant and cold)…You always think, they do fit together, their characters are to different, but this keeps you not from being as stupid and naiv like Kotoko, to jope and longing for, that Zhisu starts to love her….^^
All the best is the Final part….!
(( The director did a great and. Like in City Hall…or better said vise versa…at the end every scene MADE A SENSE…starting from the 1st Part. It is a very very good bitter-sweet ending ^^
Even the writer of this beautiful story did/could not finish it
So I cant imagine a better one in the K-Drama
And…also…I cant imagine that the great performance, espacially of Ariel Lin can be topped…Show me an adequat korean actress….(maybe Moon Geun Yung ..but I have never seen her in a big comedy )
For the boy….I dont understand this Kim Bum hipe, in my eyes he is very much overrated. Let this be my oppinion. I do not want to offend anyone ^^
And will the K-version be able to capture the magic of the many beatiful sweet scenes, which made you high with happiness, like you are doped
So I will give the K-version definetly a try. But the T-version has and will for ever has a very special place in my heart. I laughed, ginned like an idiot, cried unconciously wth Ariel (when she begged for his love…while he couldnt cope with his jealousy…one of the best scenes, acting performce I will never forget in 2 nd seq.) it was wonderful journey to watch this beautiful romance…
So, for the one who never has seen the T-version, before you watch the K-version its a duty to watch the K-drama.
Unfortunatelly its hard to watch it online in good quality…:(
Maybe there are good quality online now…I hope so.
I did not watch BOF…as I have watched already 2 versions…Taiwanese and Japanese….so a 3rd version did not catch my interest anymore.
I hope that the K-Version of ISWAK will be in its own way good, too
My suggestion as main actors are “Kim Sun Ah & Cha Seo Wong” …lol
At least the chemistry would fit 100000%
ISWAK and TKA were the 2 best tw dramas of all time. Ariel Lin was absolutely brilliant! ArJoe chemistry was just amazing…
even if Group 8 says they will give a korean style of ending, i doubt it will be like a sad ending. Didn’t they say the BBF will have a korean twist to the ending and still the main leads got together.
hmm…am just curious how they will make it into a kdrama knowing that from the title that it will and should have lots of kisses as I’ve seen from ISWAK and TKA , and boy they sure have lots of kisses from that one, not just kiss smack, as in passionate kisses and the leads did it almost believably thats why some of us here says that Ariel and Joe have great chemistry…..and as for Kdramas, with the exception of some that I could count on my fingers, the kisses are always just literally touching one lips from another lips and thats it, sometimes the only bonus we got is to see that ‘kiss’ from all angle when the camera start circling the two embraced and kissing (??) couple….but still I don’t mind it, am still more a Kdrama fan than Twdrama and Jdrama…why? coz Kdramas undeniably has lots of eye candies in it!! lol!….but seriously, I also think that Koreans have more great and better actors than the other two….and now for Itazura na Kiss to be made into a Kdrama will look forward to it even if only want to know how’s the ‘kisses’ will be in a Kdrama….
No one from BOF will fit in ISWAK….
Not only must the main characters have chemistry but the supporting cast too like the mom and the brother (the chubby one)
I know this day would come sooner or later…..i’m part excited and part “hmmm”…
It’s a great T-drama….(especially part 2)….so hopefully it would also be great as a K-drama…..
But i do wondering whether or not the two lead can deliver a chemistry that is as amazing as arjoe.
@doris p NgPinas
Yes, they kissed a lot in ISWAK and TKA…..well the drama’s title was the premisses
And you are right K-drama kisses are so boring….EXCEPTION :
Jo Gook KISSING Shin MiRae in CITY HALL (the kiss scene in the car is definetly one of the best onsreen kisses I have ever seen
so sweet and tender .)
Now its funny to read this article, as when I watched the CH-Kiss….I was thiking, remembering that ISWAK-TKA had the same sweet …lot of….kisses !!!
I wonder how they will realize this in the K-version….as korean dramas are to 99% so STINGY and disappointing with their kiss scenes
And I agree with some comments for playing the girl in the K-version.
The heart, not the stupidity has to be emphasised….Its needs a extraordinary performance from the actress to keep a fine balance to portray between the heart and the stupidity ( not a nice word really ). It has to be played by a very good young actress, not to remain in the shadow of Ariel Lin !
So in my eyes, the already suggested actors are not fitting…unless the K-version will show sth totally different from the Manga
Wow 105 comments!!
I love and adore ISWAK to bits. It is my all time favorite t-drama. Reading comments over the years makes me realise it is a love or hate it drama with no middle in the road. I can understand how people hate it because of the female lead’s stupid and stalkish character. However, ISWAK’s charm lies with its execution. T-dramas tend to be over the top and cheesy heavy, but not ISWAK. Director Winnie has put together a drama full of hearts, and he did it so understatedly as if snapshoting quietly bits and pieces of the intertwining years of Xiang Qin’s and Zhi Shu’s growing up. There is no over sensationalised drama. Wtaching it is like gowing up with the Yuan and Jiang families. If you ask an ISWAK lover what so great about it, I bet one thing they’d say is they love the whole cast. I love all the characters in ISWAK including Jiang Mama, Zhi Shu’s obnoxious but cute younger brother, the tennis coach, and even the Jiang’s family dog, not to mention the charcter played by Jiro Wang! You virtually become part of those two famiies and that little universe of theirs. Of course, ArJoe chemistry is a key to make this drama work. Ariel Lin’s portrayal of this idiotic and persistent girl makes you cringe and love her at the same time.
I watched this two years ago, ie two years after it was aired, but still found very lively discussion of the drama at some forum where every character, scene and dialogue were discussed to death by international fans, kind of like cult classics discussion. I know this is a bit off topic but can’t help relive my love for ISWAK. The OST is a standout compared to other t-dramas. Say that you love me, say that you care….I want to watch it again!
They Kiss Again the sequel is a different story. I didn’t watch it in full but I love its ending which is deeply affecting and moving.
Back to the K-adaptation. My response is Oh No, not Group 8! And no Kim Bum/Kim So Eun either! The tragedy of BoF is its commercial success by virtue of the four hot guys hides its disastrous failure as a drama. Taking away the magical fun of the first 10-12 episodes and the star turn of Lee Min Ho, there’s nothing much left to remember. The KK-KSE pairing was so promising early in the drama but in the end I just didn’t care and all the KK caddish charm also dissipates into thin air.
Having said that, I think a young Yoon Eun Hye can pull out the Xiang Qin character very well. When watching ISWAK, I couldn’t stop myself from comparing Xiang Qin to Goong’s Shin Chae-kyung. They are just so similar. Is there a younger Yoon Eun Hye out there?
I LOVED BBF!!!!
It was such an addiction and i thinks its good as it is… okay except the ending which sucked.
@115 epyc. You’re totally right about Goong’s Shin Chae-gyung comparison to Xiang Qin! I never noticed it before but now i can definitely see it. Yes, please, where can we find a younger Yoon Eun Hye to play Xiang Qin. I’m sure YEH is young enough to play Xiang Qin (YEH’s the same age as Gu Hye Sun who played Jandi in BBF), but she probably wants to play bigger roles under better production companies. But YEH does have the right quality to play the female lead. She’s a great actress and I don’t think she’s as conventionally pretty as the other actresses, but when she dresses up, she looks incredibly beautiful, and there is also something about her that makes her inner beauty shine inside out.
i loooove ISWAK. The taiwan version was really good :] yeah some parts were kinda blah! but overall it was a pretty good drama. im actually looking forward to the k-version of it, and i wonder who would be casted……
I luv ISWAK and TKA…great chemistry between the two leads.Ariel played her parts very well as being stupid/dumb and naive character as I re-call when I watch this T-version I would like to pinch her in my laptap so she would wake up from her stupidness but anyway it’s called acting and laughing at the same time when she’s trying very hard to learn her lessons while Joe played his part soo well as well.The last time I saw ISWAK and TKA is in crunchyroll but I don’t know if it still there because the last time I noticed that they focus more on anime.
TKA, I luv it soo much as it focus, being a newly wed couple and her wanting to become a nurse for all the wrong reasons ha ha ha…
I don’t like this one to have a re-make ,but what can we do it seems a trend now.
I am just hoping that the K-version will not butcher this one just like wha they did in Meteor garden and HYD…
I did enjoy watching ISWAK and They Kiss Again because of the sizzling chemistry between Joe and Ariel.
But I really disliked how dumb Ariel’s character is. I thought she was suppose to be clumsy not stupid?
Anyway, I’m looking forward to this for next year, and can’t wait to hear who are casted~
@ 104 Me too. Used to have the whole album on constant repeat.
Ahh, Im feeling nostalgic haha, havent listened to it in a while, gonna listen to it now. hehe
@114 Yeah a lot of the time kdramas are disappointing with their kisses.
However there are still the gems out there. I remember Que Sera Sera had a lot, of course City Hall and others like Goong, Coffee Prince, Sam Soon
TKA did have a lot of kisses but I remember ISWAK only had 3 and they werent anything special. Stationary kisses. xD
Im hoping the korean ver. will actually take the title into account and give us something to be excited about. Although they may take into account their ‘teen’ audience and give us nothing like with BOF
#85, peep: the name of the guy so in love with ariel lin’s char is ah jin (real name is Jiro Wang). in ISWAK/TKA, Ah Jin ended up with Christine.
Now that the Kdrama going to take over the Itazura na kiss fever… I guess there is a very very slim chance we will ever see ISWAK 3 or Precious kiss or whatever it was rumored to be called?? I know chances were little but deep down I still hope Winnie will end it with the story her husband released. I want to see mini Xiang Qin. =D
ERRR… I have mixed feelings about this- afraid that they will bomb it.. I watched MG, HYD and lastly BBF.. Could not go on further after the first 10 episodes of BBF. Came back after a break to see the ending (skipping all the repeats of drama..first NY then Macau…nice sceneries but storyline was BAD) Truly my first disappointment with Kdrama. Haven’t seen one since…. (I used to watch a lot!!)
I am a late bloomer for Tdrama since I only watch ISWAK and TKA after BBF… I agree with Ginie that we could see the passion from the director. He truly made it with all his heart spending lots of hours (1 yr) to make a series representing his style. I like the not over the top drama in every second of the show and the sequel which showed their family interactions…
I better not start with Ariel and Joe. Lol.
Seriously.. I hated Ariel cause of XQ until I saw the real her… Totally different and I am her big fan now!! Yes.. like everyone else, XQ grew on me. It is her determination that kills me (with laughter). Japanese version is way more degrading on women than the TW version..Aiko couldn’t stop SCREAMING!!!.They had a better and faster pace though/
I will have to wait and see the casting for now…
One more thing…what happened to the world of creativity? Do people still write scripts/storyline or is it all about adaptations..? Sigh
I think this would be another hard time for Group Eight to choose for leads.
But hey, there’s always Kim So Eun & Kim Bum,;P
and others as well.^^
They’ll surely take time for it. Coz the taiwanese version was great, the chemistry of the leads was phenomenal, and, yes, from the title of the drama, the kisses should be “kisses” not fake or just simple ones. If they really want to make it a hit, the leads should top ArJoe or just at their level.
I’m a fan of So Eun/Kim Bum tandem, seeing as the two have grown mature in their roles & acting after BOF, so I think they can pull off ISWAK.:)
So Eun said in an interview before, if she would have a kiss scene, she won’t refuse, because it’s part of being an actress, and her dream is to be a great actress, flexible in different roles & genres.:)
Kim Bum has done kissing scenes before, but to top Joe, he has to do better.:)
All in all, I’m excited for this adaptation.^^
I have a feeling Group 8 is going to butcher this.
And I think YEH is a good choice for the role. Besides, she seems to understand what it takes to make a good on-screen kiss i.e. Goong and Coffee Prince.
wow, reading all the different comments, some like ISWAK, some hated it.
Maybe it’s just me. But I find ISWAK and TKA endearing. One, Ariel Lin trumps the character down cause she seriously lives out her character to the point you’re like “Oh gosh, can she get anymore stupid than that?!” and it was balanced out nicely between the Japanese and Taiwanese specialities. True, it was not the best cause some flaws are so glaring it hurts like BOF. But being a Taiwanese drama with all their KUSO-ness, it’s actually understandable.
I like TKA’s ending cause though both characters learned to overcome their differences and commit more to the marriage, Xiang Qin (Ariel Lin’s character) still has that silliness (like stepping on dog poo) which shows how real her character is. They changed but not like 180. Sometimes Kdrama characters don’t sit well with me cause the main female was at first feisty then turned into a sobbing bag by midway and never recovered. Where is the consistency of her character?!
I like how the side stories held up well, like the romance between Ah Jin (Jiro Wang) and Christine, the parents of both sides, the brother, the best friends, the nursing group (that has to be the silliest nursing group i’ve ever seen) to the extent that it’s really as if they were shot on candid instead of acting. true, the camera movement was migraine-inducing. true, some of the acting was less than great. true, she is as dumb as anything. true, you really don’t know why he fell in love with her, etc.
But…
It has substance. It has chemistry. It has some character depth. (Not as much as Lee PilMo on Sol Pharmacy House XD)
So am I anticipating the Korean adaptation? You bet!
I just hope they do it with more Korean blend and a strong cast especially main female lead.
And get a good music director please. No more of that BOF mess. I agree with ppl who said that ISWAK soundtrack was good. TKA was not that good though. How bout the guy who did Tazza? Soulmate? Throw in SUJU KRY and I’ll b very happy.
btw, i don’t mind if moon geun young becomes kotoko. i think she can pull off the character without being annoying. besides, she has that young look but the age to pull the high school and university.
XD
main guy lead…lee min ho, nay. he has to act in other type of characters. this is too stereotype for him. can we have siwon? hehe. sorry was thinking bout how tall joe cheng was. and siwon in attack of pinup boys. siwon can get a little too greasy though. but he totally pull off that arrogant cold guy well, imho. XD
but please find someone great for ZHang Mama’s part. I JUST ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS MOTHER IN LAW. okay, caps vomiting here. hehe.
#127
but please find someone great for ZHang Mama’s part. I JUST ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS MOTHER IN LAW. okay, caps vomiting here. hehe.
..Kim Sun Ah should play the Mama…LOL
I never got into the T version because I dislike Ariel Lin’s acting; I just couldn’t stand watching someone ACT dumb (as she did in it started with a kiss). It’s also the reason I partially gave up on T dramas, for the reason that they think acting dumb/ditzy is a source of hilarity when it’s just embarrassing for the girls who are forced to do it. I only watched about 2 episodes, and couldn’t force myself to watch more, even seeing how popular it was. I hope the K version is good
. I disliked BoF overall but liked little segments of it… it’s hard to like a series when you don’t like the main character. I didn’t like the main character, her acting, the actor herself. GL to this kdrama! I desperately need a good kdrama to attach myself to after the ending of Shining Inheritance </3.
Here we go again! The BOF days. I haven’t seen that many comments for so long. Guess this new drama will prove to be another contentious one.
Scrolling through the comments, I find mine reflected in many of them. Namely, I love the manga to bits, just like I love BOF the manga. Secondly, no one has done a decent job of adapting these fav mangas. Thirdly, I AM looking forward to the Korean version even just for the laughs. I have not much confidence in the production team given their track record but I look forward to reading JB’s ravings and rantings on this. Think we will see more of the latter – and what a fertile ground for your sarcasm/wit! That was the most enjoyable bit about BOF, reading your recaps.
(other than watching Lee Min-ho)
Still, Group Eight: Please don’t mess this up!…..or should I say… not too much.
I hope that this drama is just as good as the adaptation done by Goong and Fantasy Couple. I loved those dramas. As for Goong S… I never finished the drama. I found it too boring and the main girl’s acting too awkward…
I hope they do a good job with choosing a cast this time. As much as I loved BOF, the casting was really awful. I think that Kim Bum was the only not awkward one (maybe due to experience)
So they’re going to make a korean version of Itazura na Kiss, let’s hope this will be better than Boys over Flowers. I’m a fan of the taiwanese version.
okay so i know everyone is entitled to their own opinion….
BUT, for people that complain about Ariel Lin’s acting in It Started With a Kiss: She was supposed to act dumb lol! If you’ve ever read the manga, the character Ariel portrayed was really like that (dumb, obsessed with the guy, etc). Ariel played her perfectly by the manga so don’t blame her. If you have a problem with that character than just say you don’t like the storyline, but REALLY that’s how the author intended for it to be! (honestly I am not trying to offend anyone though)
well. hopefully, the ending isnt bad? i dont know, i really liked that the taiwanese production (It Started With a Kiss, and then They Kiss Again) was ended tastefully. I liked that the director chose to end the series where the manga ended, because it seemed really respectful to the original writer. It’s sort of upsetting that there WILL be an ending, andit makes me sort of wary that Group 8 is in charge of this drama…
Naoki Irie = Yoo Seung Ho ……………..
Ah, I love this manga. If this gets turned into complete shit, I’m going to be pissed. I’m not going to lie, I liked It Started with a Kiss and TKA!
I’m excited for a korean version. Even if it’s not the best, it’d be nice to see a korean version. But I agree, I hope they end off where the manga ended. A sort of open endedness is nice.
I don’t even wanna think of the ending they’ll come up with.. The story was just destined to be unfinished. Open ended forever. Hahaha so much cheese.
[...] Full Credit : Dramabeans [...]
I WATCHED THE TAIWAN VERSION IT STARTED WITH A KISS AND THEY KISS AGAIN AND I REALLY LIKE IT A LOT I WATCHED IT SO MANY TIMES JUST TRY TO WATCH IT AND YOU WILL SEE ..AREIL LIN AND JOE CHIENG IS VERY SUITABLE TO EACH OTHER AND I WILL BE WAITING FOR THIS ONE TO COME OUT TO COMPARE THE TWO VERSION…THE TAIWAN VERSION IS POPULAR TO ASIA AND I GUESS IF THEY’RE MAKING THIS DRAMA HOPE THEY CAN FIND COUPLES THAT SUITS EACH OTHER AND MAY CLICK AS XIANG XIN AND ZHI SHU….I GUESS I MAY SAY THAT THE FIRST EPISODES ARE NOT VERY INTERESTING BUT AS YOU’RE WATCHING EACH EPISODE YOU’RE GONNA LIKE IT A LOT ESPECIALLY THE SEASON 2 THEY KISS AGAIN…I’M A KOREAN ADDICT SO MOST THAT IM WATCHING WAS ALL KOREAN AND I’M COLLECTING KOREAN DRAMA DVD’S..BUT WHEN I WATCHED IT STARTED WITH A KISS I KINDA LIKE SOME TAIWANESE DRAMA ALSO WHICH IS KINDA LIKE KOREAN DRAMAS ALTHOUGH KOREAN ACTORS AND ACTRESSES ARE MOST LIKELY VERY PRETTY AND HANDSOME…SO I HOPE THIS VERSION WILL BE A SUCCESS TOO…ALTHOUGH IN BOYS OVER FLOWERS FOR ME I WATCHED IT BECAUSE OF LEE MIN HO BECAUSE I ALREADY WATCHED THE TAIWANESE VERSION AND JAPANESE VERSION BUT I PREFERED THE STORY OF THE JAPANESE VERSION IT’S JUST THAT THE KOREAN F4 ARE MORE HANDSOME THAN THEM BUT THE ACTORS IN JAPANESE VERSION WE’RE GREAT..LOOKING FORWARD FOR ITZANURA NA KISS KOREAN VERSION…THANKS DRAMABEANS FOR ALL THE UPDATES……
TO EPYC YOU’RE RIGHT ISWAK AND TKA IS A REALLY GOOD TAIWANESE DRAMA UNLIKE SOME TAIWAN DRAMA LIKE YOU SAY IS CHEESY…XIANG XIN AND SHI ZHU IS THE BEST COUPLE FOR ME…AND THERE’S A NEWS THAT THEY WILL BE HAVING SEASON 3 WHICH ENTITLE THE LAST KISS BECAUSE THE SEASON 2 DONT HAVE AN ENDING RIGHT BECAUSE THE WRITER DIED BUT LAST 2008 THE HUSBAND OF THE WRITER WROTE THE FINAL BOOK OF ITZANURA NA KISS AND IT SAID IN THE NEWS THAT THEY ARE NOW MAKING THE SCRIPT FOR THE LAST SEASON..HOPE IT WILL BE TRUE BECAUSE I LIKE TO SEE ARIEL LIN AND JOE CHENG TOGETHER AGAIN AND SO THAT THEY CAN ANSWER WHAT HAPPEN TO XIANG XIN AND SHI ZHU…
I GUESS GROUP EIGHT WILL NOT MAKING THEIR OWN ENDING BECAUSE THE LAST BOOK OF ITZANURA NA KISS COME OUT LAST 2008 THAT WAS WRITTEN BY THE HUSBAND OF THE WRITER AND ALREADY COME OUT WITH THE ANIME VERSION THE SAME YEAR SO I GUESS THE KOREAN VERSION WILL BE BASE THEIR ENDING ALSO IN THE BOOK WHICH THE HUSBAND WROTE….
FOR THE TKA ENDING YEAH THE ENDING IS NOT GOOD BUT THEY WILL BE HAVING SEASON 3 THE LAST KISS…………SO WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT I KNOW IT WILL BE GOOD BECAUSE THE ANIME VERSION OF ITZANURA NA KISS 3 IS VERY GOOD….CAN’T WAIT
Ohhhh … a Korean version of ISWAK – I loved the TDrama very much, but it had a lot of flaws. I kinda hope they will have high production values, better equipment and the likes … but who are they going to cast? … maybe some new faces, but I just bet they are going to turn it into some idol drama.
Just a few days ago I was wondering if it would be possible to have a korean remake of this, and then I find this out. I’m really glad of this.
I have to say taiwanese sense of humor is not for everyone, even if they like asian drama style, I really enjoyed tw version by the time I saw it, I’m really eager to see this production even though it has the same production house of BBF haha.
Waiting for this.
As I’ve read the article about Korea is adapting another manga series – “Itazura Na Kiss”, I was estatic & excited! I am an ardent fan of the Tdrama Version “ISWAK & TKA”. It’s one of my all time fave drama series of all time because of it’s plot which is light, playful, upbeat & intoxicating. I was pretty satisfied with “Boys over Flowers except for Koo Hye Sun (let’s be realistic) she is older than Lee Min Ho. However, she imparted her role so well.
I hope that Group Eight will choose their lead stars carefully in order to surpass ARIEL LIN & JOE CHENG’s tandem. This duo is so natural in comes to acting esp. when they do their “kissing scenes”, they are very fervent, impassioned in expressing their feelings & we can feel the love for each other. I’ve noticed Kdrama when it comes to “kissing scenes” they ARE NOT PASSIONATE!, it lacks sparks, sometimes is unemotional.
Facts of existence, when it comes to disclosing our feelings to someone we love we often use ostentatiously display of affection to the public, sometimes we “go overboard” we don’t care what other say or think.
Sajangnim Song Byung-joon, I personally anticipating this manga series to it’s Korean version that you the Group Eight may choose making its own, “entirely different, Korean-style ending.” Make this series as dignified as the Tdrama it self , hope you can promise the public as long as nobody dies of sudden cancer, harboring a hidden birth secret or a shocking twist on the very end. We are also hoping for a sequel like the TKA.
KAMSAHAMNIDA
Well…at first I did not like the idea very much.
But as watching ISWAK againg, I tought…maybe, it could be interesting to watch a korean version. But I had big problems in imagining which korean actors could play them…Kim Bum…definetly NO !
Or this BOF actresesses…deifinetly NO, too!
So I was not very keen for this project….
But…at the moment I am watching TAMNA…and yesterday it made a click in my head.
The Exiler Park Gyu, played by the BOF actor IM JOO- HWAN is PERFECT.
He has this same cool, harsh attitude like Joe Cheng in ISWAK.
I love him…IJH is a good and convincing actor. I am totally sure he can play Joe Chengs part in a perfect way, with his own style…
Ahhh what an exciting thought
Even Seo Woo, who plays the girl In Tamna, who also has a very good chemistry with IM JOO HWAN, resembles Ariel Lin, and she is quit good playing, too
Both could be the perfect couple for the korean version, because even in Tamna they remind me of ISWAK
Geez, thr whole time while whatching Tamna, I was thinking, that both Park Gyu and Beo Jin, from Tamna are in someway familiar to me..That I do know them from somwhere, that they remind me all the time of somenone…
And then I got it. Thats how we say “the jeton dropped finallay” …They reminded me of ISWAKs ArJoe
Yes, both should definetliy play the main leads of Iswaks korean version.
If they will play it, I am eager to watch this drama next summer
#147 @ jink
These are really really GREAT news. It was o hopless dream for us to see a season 3 of ISWAK….Now they are planning LAST KISS
Well, even fearing it could have an sad end (LAST KISS sounds so sad)
I will be happy to see ArJoe together again.
Season 3 will be definetly a more serious drama, regerding her loss of eyesight.
It will be I suppose a bitter sweet love story. Ahhh can’t wait to watch it.
Thanks for this great news
Well…funny…then maybe the korean version Vol,1 will be shown the same time like taiwanese season 3 ????
Hope not so
ok i like 1) hana yori dango followed by the korean and taiwanese version. I love to watch ituzura no kiss especially the japanese version. it is a classic idol drama in 1996. That was many years since i watch this drama.
At first i find kotoko very annoying because she overacted in the show and she is very loud. However, i started to like aiko sato in the drama as the story progress towards the ending. Sato Aiko actually make Kotoko silly, cute, funny and rough. But i am disappointed that the series ends so fast. It did not illustrate their story completely as compared to the taiwanese version. The best part of the drama is hottie … Takashi Kashiwabara… He is extremely cute and handsome, cool……. Naoki.. He did a great job this popular drama. But i feel that more can be done to the storyline and characters.
The tw version of it started with a kiss is good. i actually enjoyed the show. Arjoe did a good job. But the sequel of TKA is very stupid – Ariel plays xiang qin in an annoying way. But i must admit that she is cute at times. The best part of this drama is that Arjoe have great chemistry, the story talk about the family, XQ, ZS, Ajin etc. Therefore it makes the whole series more complete.
The author of this animie did a great job. Hope that the K version will meet up to its expectation.
Japanese drama – Ituzura no Kiss is better than ISWAK and TKA.. Takashi Kashiwabara is more charming and act more convincing than Joe cheng.. Sato Aiko is funnier and more sensible than Ariel when she act as kotoko in INK. Japanese version is more enjoyable and all the actors and actresses are better. When i first watched this idol drama on tv , i was totally attracted to the story. After so many years, it is still a classic. let’s just say each version has its own good and bad parts. But i will always support INK!
Hi lily….sorry but I have to disagree totally.
I watched last weekend till morning 6 am the japanese version.
kotoko was pure horror. bad bad acting. her stupid screamings, and idiotic grinings which made nearly 80% of the drama, I can honestly say …it was absolutely annoying.
Irie-kun was played well…but missing the elequencyof and charme of Joe Cheng. He played him as the best.
And Ariel Lin played Kotoko very very good. Deeper and compared to japanese kotoko, at least bearable !
If someone says Ariel kotoko is annoying…go watch the japanese kotoko…Its nearly unbearable.
Even the Anime was better then the japanes version….!.
I stand it till 6 am, with hope of a u-turn…waiting for magic, till the end…but sorry, nothing like that happened. I have to admit I could not watch the last part of last episode…it has been removed from the net. I couldnt find it anywhere else..Missing episode is 9 (4/4 ), the final part !
In my opinion, even a bad NEW bad korean version will never ever be as awful as the japanese version. Thats impossible in my eyes.
Due to this I am looking forward for the korean version, because of the possibility to comaper it with the…Anime, japanese and tiwanese version.
And I hope IM JUN-HWA will play Irie-Kun
Joe Cheng and Takashi Kashiwabara are the main reason why i watch – It Started with a kiss. They are So HANDSOME….I really wonder if the K-version can be comparable with my two hunk! They played their parts so well…
I hope the k-version will not ruin the beautiful story and i hope that the male lead will be good looking too. 
To: Madita
It is ok. Everyone is entitled to their own views.:) Perhaps this is my first japanese Idol Drama, It left a great impression to me. The ending is nice, Kotoko finally grow up and does not create troubles as much as she does in the past.
To me, The jap version is the creator and, the TW version just buy the copyright and make it better.
i like hot ,cute japanese anime guys
i’ve already watched both jversion and taiwanesever..
and i think jversion better than taiwanversion,,that is because i love and very love to irie naoki(takashi kashiwabara)..he was very cool,and nothing can’t lost him..hhahahahah,,i like kotoko(sato aiko),too..she was very idiot that i was see,,
because of it,i hope kversion can give comedy and romantic drama like jversion..i will wait that!!!
i agree with chajjye, can we have Choi Si Won from SUper Junior act as Irie Naoki ?
I think he is most suitable than others. With his gorgeous outlook and his charisma. and he has natural prince aura in him.
he can acting well. just see his filmography, ever filmed with Andy Lau.
I JUST LOVE THE TAIWANESE VERSION (ISWAK), THE PLOT, AND THE CASTS ESPECIALLY ARJOE…
ARJOE is SIMPLY irreplacable..
ISWAK is really an adorable series…if ever a korean version would be made from this, i guess Jang geun seok as Naoki and Park shin hye as kotoko would give it justice…
Oh my lord! I SO want to see this. ISWAK is an excellent story, and I don’t want to do comparisons with the Taiwanese version because Korea is on a different level.
Though I am excited, I was also this way with BOF. That’s because I watched the Japanese version season 1 and 2, then watched the Taiwanese version, season 1 and 2, but when I watched the Korean version it was like watching the show over again just in a different language. They did have a few of their differences but it was already a predictable drama which made it all the more worse with their flaws. I have high hopes, however, because ISWAK has a special place in my drama-obsessed heart but that might be only because I absolutely adore Joe and Ariel. Well, if they do DO ISWAK, they better come correct and have a fist full of dynamic characters instead of stiff idols.
AHH~
Siwon, please?
I would love for him to be in this!
i vote Choi Si Won as Naoki !! ^^ it would be great drama ^^ i bet for this !! ^^
his acting skill is really great!!
Yes!! Choi SI Won !!!! Yes!! Choi SI Won !!!! Yes!! Choi SI Won !!!! Yes!! Choi SI Won !!!! Yes!! Choi SI Won !!!! as Naoki Irie !!
choi si won FTW!! joe cheng is hard to beat so I hope it’s someone really awesome.
javabeans, you know a lot about the ‘good’ korean actors, who do you think would be good for the main roles?
Wow Siwon I can’t believe it. Yes i would go for siwon Naoki Irie. He’s just too good to be true.
CHOI SIWON CHOI SIWON CHOI SIWON CHOI SIWON ………….. GO FOR IT!!!
okay- ISWAK=(for me) IS UGH JUST UGHHHHHHHHH!!!!
oh my gosh! i watched a little of the first episode, but reading the plot summary(unbiased ones) made me just wanna hurl. I like my girls a little smatter and not total ditzes who are running after some guy who wont give them the time of day. o.O-many dramas(?!) That just give me the HIVES! i watched the t-dramas DBY and WWL(not finished) and perhaps i was too used to the amazingness of rainie and mike, wherein rainie did not play the “stupid” girl, perhaps a little clueless but certainly not something that i’d be too embarrased as a fellow female to watch-especially in WWL where though the theme of rich/poor was kept up, she at least had her smarts and didnt need anything but the guy character’s mutual love. I’ve been a fan of t-dramas way before k-dramas, and i feel like yeah, the kisses in k-dramas are not good-or a lot, which could be the same thing really(sometimes). After watching YAB i couldnt believe we hadnt even gotten a kiss(hot meaningful one) at the end. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for geun seok to plant his hot lips on park shin hye’s character as a way of “something to remember me by on cold lonely nights(teehee)” but whoa- nada. ugh just ugh- well getting back to the main topic- ISWAK for me just doesnt do it. I’m a psych major(and women studies) so for a drama to wrench that out from me and make me to enjoy it at all is just sucky. I think smiling pasta kinda bordered that “too much stupidity alarm” Its not just the idiocy that has me at such a distance- the desperation. Her desperation is like of a dog’s. Dogs will follow their masters around anywhere no matter how badly treated-hmm, i think i just described her. I dont think the sweet scenes can make me withstand the way she follows him around(especially when he moves out). And just when other’s show their interest in her(why?!) he stakes his claim and says that she only like him so they should just stop. Do you realize that that’s not just confidence but almost ownership- one she glad gave him the power to. Sorry- terrible rant cause i’m bored and freezing!
Hmm…maybe it’s one of those “leave your common sense and brain at the door”kinda dramas…still…
It is so funny to read all of the different takes on ISWAK, and INK. One of the first Taiwanese dramas that really stuck with me was this. True, the girl is completely dotty, but actually I really love how Ariel and Joe played the leads. Their chemistry is amazing!!! for both seasons. I am really curious to see who will lead in the korean drama. I will watch it regardless, because I love the story… but they could choose Jang Geun Suk for the lead. He plays the overbearing person very well. … ah, Whatever, I love ISWAK and the anime of INK. I don’t read mangas at all… i get impatient with the pictures. But, it would be so much fun to see how the characters will act. I do agree about chemistry!!! Whomever they choose, please GOOD chemistry!!!!!!!!!!!