It Started With a Kiss Review

Drama: It Started With a Kiss
Alternate Titles: 惡作劇之吻 / 恶作剧之吻 / E Zuo Ju Zhi Wen
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Language: Taiwanese
Number of Episodes: 20 or 30 (depends on version)
Film Date: September 2005
My Favorite Episode: 29

My Rating: 4.5/5

Main Cast: Joe Cheng as Jiang Zhi Shu
Ariel Lin as Yuan Xiang Qin
Jiro Wang as Jin Yuan Feng/Ah Jin
Tiffany Xu as Pei Zi Yu

Introduction/Description of Main Characters:
Jiang Zhi Shu - Intelligent, athletic, good looking - everything a girl looks for in the perfect boy. He can even cook well! His life is perfect until he meets Xiang Qin. She moves into his house after her house collapses because her father is good friends with Zhi Shu's father. Through the occurance of Xiang Qin, Zhi Shu learns about what it means to have a goal, to be happy after getting something small accomplished. And as the drama progresses, you start to see Zhi Shu's attitude towards Xiang Qin soften.

Yuan Xiang Qin - At school she's in the lowest class - class F. But ever since the orientation of school, she's had her eyes set on the perfect Jiang Zhi Shu, who is in class A. One day she gets the courage to give him a love letter, but Zhi Shu just walks past him. Heartbroken, Xiang Qin cries and thinks that life is never going to get better...until her house collapses and she moves into Zhi Shu's house! She keeps perservering and loving Zhi Shu even though she knows he can't stand her and he despises her. But her work pays off as Zhi Shu starts to like Xiang Qin.

Ah Jin - Ever since the first day of school he's had a crush on Xiang Qin. He is always following her and keeping her company. Even though Ah Jin knows that Xiang Qin doesn't like him at all, he still waits for her. He even learns how to be a cook at her dad's restaurant, patiently waiting for the day when Xiang Qin will come to him instead of Zhi Shu.

Pei Zi Yu - She occurs later in the drama when Xiang Qin, Ah Jin, and Zhi Shu graduate from high school. A very smart, athletic, and beautiful girl, she's everything a guy would wish for. But once she sees Zhi Shu, she has her eyes set on him. They're also in the same class and major as well as in the tennis team so it's easy for them to meet. She becomes another problem for Xiang Qin as she tries to win Zhi Shu's heart.

My Favorite Songs: Come a Little Closer, Meet, Hear, Joke, Can or Can't, The Whole World Knows

Synopsis: After an earthquake destroyed Xiang Qin's house, she and her father moved in with the family of her father's college buddy, Uncle Ah Li. To her surprise, the kind and amicable aunt and uncle are the parents of her cold and distant schoolmate Jiang Zhi Shu, a genius with an IQ of 200 whom not too long ago rejected her endless crush on him. Will the close proximity give her a second chance to win Zhi Shu's heart? Or, will her love for him end under his cold words? What happens when there is competition for his heart?

Review: It Started With a Kiss was a good drama. Not as good and addicting as Smiling Pasta, but it was quite original and unique in its own way. I enjoyed how this plot was not like one I have seen before. It is a very sweet drama. Although Zhi Shu is smart, athletic, and very good looking, he doesn’t really have anything that he wants or yearns for in life. Zhi Shu has never experienced the feeling of happiness or jealousy. Unlike him, Xiang Qin has gone through all these feelings and she’s not afraid to hide her true self. Thus, in the beginning, Jiang Zhi Shu hates and despises the annoying Yuan Xiang Qin because of her talkative and dumb behavior, but as the drama progresses, you notice that he slowly changes his feelings towards her. This is a very cute romantic drama if you like watching these. If you like the dramas that aren’t overly dramatic and are more realistic too, watch this drama! There were many parts that I found funny and made me laugh. Some scenes where Xiang Qin daydreamed were very hilarious. The ending of the drama was especially hilarious! But a bad thing about this drama was that there were 20 or 30 episodes (depends on which version), so sometimes it was boring, and many different events just randomly happened throughout the passing of time. Another bad thing about this drama was that Xiang Qin was a bit too naïve and dumb, so it was irritating. One last thing that got on your nerves was the fact that everywhere Zhi Shu went, the girls would be interested in him and try to win him over. But overall, I enjoyed this drama thoroughly and the characters were very cute! The acting of Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin was also very funny! So, if you’re the type that likes those dramas that aren’t too fast and dramatic, and those that make you laugh, choose It Started With a Kiss! And if you like those dramas with a few cute moments, this is the right one to choose. This was certainly one of my favorite dramas! (There is also currently a sequel to It Started With a Kiss called "They Kiss Again". I heard that begins during Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin's honeymoon, and later on back at school where Zhi Shu studies to be a doctor and Xiang Qin studies to be a nurse. But I haven't seen it yet.)

~Source for character descriptions and synopsis: www.mysoju.com/it-started-with-a-kiss, http://wiki.d-addicts.com/It_Started_With_A_Kiss