The storyline of ItaKiss is always going to be a little cringy/problematic/misogynistic/dated, but you can’t help but forgive it because of all the cute little moments even though you know it’s bad. Even though you know that Naoki is a manipulative prick, and Kotoko is so aggravatingly devoted and wrapped around Naoki’s finger. Such is the nature of Itazura na Kiss. Now the acting for this particular rendition… wasn’t great. Now I didn’t expect too much from Naoki’s character because he’s meant to be largely emotionless and deadpan, so I’m mainly talking about the actress who played Kotoko here. IMO, Kotoko is the most pivotal character in this series, as she has this mindnumbingly cute, mindnumbingly dumb persona that you just can’t help but love. I felt this strongly when I watched Honoka Yahagi/Miki’s portrayal of Kotoko (whom I see as the ideal Kotoko, as she was the only one I didn’t find annoying but rather, very charming). But for this actress…. her voice sounded like a 5 year old most of the time PLUS her acting skills were terrible in comparison. And don’t get me started on the iconic rain scene. It was, I’m sorry to say, terribly acted out. There was zero tension or desperation in the scene. It just felt like two people simply saying lines back and forth with no conviction at all. I mean, again I didn’t expect too much from Naoki, but c’mon Kotoko, you love this man!

Sato Kanta’s Irie Naoki, in my opinion, was overall very true to his original character, as even when he was cold to Kotoko, you could see the little nuances, gestures, and gazes saying that he truly did hold affection for her, even as he teased her or ignored her. This was hard to tell in previous versions of Itazura na Kiss, as even Furukawa Yuki’s version seemed a little lifeless, or bipolar at times. Even visually, Sato was the most similar to Naoki in comparison to all the other adaptations. Just compare him to the original manga artworks! Sato IMO truly embodied Naoki.

Storywise, it was rushed, which is understandable given it’s 3 movies rather than 2 seasons of a show. I just wish that this was made as a drama rather than a movie trilogy. It did an okay job for what it was worth, had some cute scenes (especially in the first film), but overall… meh. If Kanta and Honoka had done a rendition together… It’d probably be perfect for me.

While I like Sato Kanta’s acting, the overall acting (including Kotoko’s) isn’t great, hence my rating.

Sidenote, but that animation of Kotorin… Let’s just say that if some creepos I met once made such a thing about me without my consent… I would be filing a sexual harassment report. Also shame on her friends (and Naoki) for thinking such a thing is funny.