One adaptation after the other I have met many versions of Kotoko Aihara & Naoki Irie from the original manga series Itazura na Kiss for the entire stretch of my childhood to now. There was Yuan Xiang Qin & Jiang Zhi Shu from the Taiwanese drama adaptation, ‘It Started with a Kiss‘ and its sequel ‘They Kiss Again‘. There’s also Oh Ha Ni & Baek Seung Jo from the Korean adaptation, ‘Playful Kiss‘. Then another Taiwanese remake, ‘Miss in Kiss‘ introduced me to Yue-Qin & Zhi Shu. The list goes on. Other adaptations are out there–in dramas, anime & movies–and I don’t think it will stop even when I’m 50, 60 or 90 years old.

It’s a routine that such a franchise, which became a huge phenomenon over time, will continue to have other adaptations in the future, but that you just can’t get tired of it since this is the drama that started everything for you. It may not be the best, but certainly it does have a space in your heart. Admit it or not!

That’s why I was also intrigued when I found this Taiwanese movie adaptation of the series, entitled ‘Fall in Love at First Kiss‘ over the internet and out of curiosity watched it during my day off.

Comparison to the older versions will always be a habit to someone like me who has been a fan of the series, however, that also truly enjoyed this movie version like the others that I want to share it to you on my blog.

So, to kick of the spring season with another movie review, I’ll start dissecting this now for you.

The Characters

Jelly Lin as Yuan Xiangqin (原湘琴)

Darren Wang as Jiang Zhishu (江直树)

The Story

Yuan Xiangqin (Jelly Lin) is on her way to her first day in her new school when she accidentally trips on the stairs and takes along with her Jiang Zhishu (Darren Wang)’s phone. As Zhishu tries to thing of ways to save both Xiangqin and his phone from a very bad fall, Xiangqin grabs on his tie for her dear life’s sake and that’s the first time their lips actually met.

Xiangqin falls in love at first sight for Zhishu. However, as the school year went on, Xiangqin discovers that Zhishu isn’t just an ordinary boy, but in fact a genius with an IQ of 200 and is in the top of the entire school population in terms of everything. He’s so out of her league that it took her two years later to confess her feelings to Zhishu.

Her sincere feelings though was quickly flat out rejected by the cold-hearted prince, Zhishu, who expressed his annoyance over idiotic girls from Class F that kept chasing after him. He knew that he isn’t into her kind and the best way to end her fantasy about him was to show her what she deserved. The rejection she got eventually circulated because of the watching students in Class A’s building.

Xiangqin’s life turns for the worst as she became the laughing stock at school and also lost her home to a weak earthquake. On the other hand, it’s as if luck is also on her side, because her dad is actually good friends with Zhishu’s dad that they end up living under the same roof later.

Zhishu is still cold-hearted to his new housemate, but in time his softer side shows in snippets whenever Xiangqin is around. Of course, wherever Xiangqin is, it becomes a little chaotic and that’s how things start to change for the cold-hearted Zhishu. He learns to think about others and also dream a dream for himself instead of for others.

Things get a little bittersweet for the both of them as they get ready for college life. Zhishu discovers more of himself and begins to think he wants to build a life for himself. He and his dad argues because of this. Zhishu eventually leaves home, but that in the long run his dad gets very sick he needs to step in again. In the process of taking care of everything for his family, though, he sacrifices his relationship with Xiangqin.

Xiangqin is very hurt for the rejection that she keeps getting from Zhishu over time. However, that she also knew it’s time to stop hurting herself where there is Zhishu. So, she and her father decide to move out of the Jiang’s house and from then until a year later, Xiangqin is seen on her own. Her only anchor during those times was whenever she sees updates on Zhishu’s social media account and figures that he’s at least happy with his life with someone even if it isn’t her.

Later, she sees another post from Zhishu and this time it’s about him doing a speech at their old high school. Xiangqin knew she shouldn’t go, but the urge to see him again is strong, so she takes courage even if it’s just for a while. When she goes there, however, Xiangqin is surprised that it isn’t as she expected it to be.

Will Xiangqin finally receive Zhishu’s love?

Review

While this version has its own modern twist to it, I’m not certainly sure if it’s any better than the older versions. I mean, for me it works fine, but it also lacks a lot of things.

The older adaptations had its own set of flaws, but I gotta say I like the Korean version best, (Playful Kiss, Jung So Min & Kim Hyun Joong) then I’d put ‘It Started with A Kiss’ in second place since it’s probably the longest and I had more time to cherish the moments between the leads both during their high school years and as they mature into adults.

On the other hand, this movie felt like a quick recap of everything. I gotta say it made me feel it’s too rushed. It’s like you’re skimming through the entire plot while you also know that it should have been longer. However, that I also understand a two hour movie can’t make up for a whole lot of chapters there. It was originally a series and a movie won’t give justice to the length, which is a given.

What I like about this movie though despite the time constraint is that it was still able to capture the youthfulness of the main characters and also the chemistry between the two leads throughout the movie. I felt real emotions from Jelly Lin and Darren Wang, though both could have worked more on their acting.

Jelly Lin was able to make Xiangqin’s character very lovable (and tolerable to a point). Because despite the fact she’s a noble idiot who is willing to always forgive Zhishu, in time Xiangqin grew up and learned how to fight back and also knew when to give up, which made me feel very sympathetic to her character towards the end.

Darren Wang was also good in portraying Zhishu, however, that often I feel like he was stiff and there was not much emotions there. He felt like a very dreamy character, but I also like that there are moments when you see him become jealous because of Xiangqin that it really breaks the ice for his character. It made me feel that Zhishu isn’t just a perfect character that everybody loves in high school. He also have genuine flaws and unexplainable behaviors and decisions in life, which makes his character a little bit unreadable and often found it annoying. However, if you watch towards the end of the movie, his short POV will be revealed and you’ll witness the small but rewarding gestures of affection he was able to secretly show Xiangqin, which I found totally cute and sweet of him. Basically, he hit it off with the Tsundere type of guy. He’s harsh on the outside that you’ll hate him for making Xiangqin feel ashamed of herself, but eventually there’s that gentleness inside of him too.

As a pair both of them are lovable and also annoying, but I can say that the chemistry is there. There’s no doubt to it that they didn’t feel like an awkward pair of lovers.

Story-wise I can say that the movie is more plot driven than character driven (like the older versions), so there are parts that you may feel like there isn’t any sort of strong motivation for this character to do this and that. There are also those moments you may find a little exaggerating and ridiculous, but if you look at the big picture, those are little flaws compared to the entertainment you’ll gain from watching the movie though I can tell you this isn’t the best. It’s like those typical romance movies you watch, so don’t set your expectations very high.

And while the main characters and some minor ones are good enough in acting, I certainly found Zhishu’s mother’s acting very cringey. She tried to make herself very animated, but failed to do so. The two dads were actually better at portraying their roles and it felt like both leads had better chemistry with them. And then at first I wasn’t sure if the little brother was doing fine, but I guess I liked him towards the end. He certainly did Xiangqin a big favor of making her realized about Zhishu’s intention.

Aesthetically, I dare say that cinematography and setting of the movie was really nice. It made up for what the movie lacked in other aspects despite that it didn’t entirely cover up for it. The theme song during the credits was also really cute and catchy I even downloaded it.

To sum up this experience, I still want to give the movie two thumbs up despite it not being the best. Personally, I won’t pay to watch for it inside a cinema, but I’ll watch it any other day at home. I mean, it’s entertaining, the characters are really cute (and Darren Wang is a little handsome…), and it’s certainly something an ‘Itazura na Kiss’ fan shouldn’t miss.

You’ve watch the older version, so why not another one? Give it a try! I doubt you’ll get bored.

Rating

The movie is certainly not a fail, but isn’t also one of the best out there, so I’m giving it a 4.1 out of 5.0.

Trailer: