Kotoko of Class F has a secret: she's head over heels in love with Naoki of Class A! When she finally summons up the courage to give him a love letter, Naoki doesn't even read it. In fact, he even goes out of his way to tell Kotoko he doesn't like stupid girls. Ouch! It seems like Kotoko's heart has been broken and there's no hope in her and Naoki ever coming together - that is, until a natural disaster of fateful proportions intervenes. When Kotoko's family house is turned into rubble by an earthquake, her father has them all shacking up with an old school friend and his family - and this old friend's son is none other than Naoki! Whether it's trying to get past Naoki's cold demeanor or getting picked on by Naoki's little brother or studying like never before to get into college with her crush, Kotoko's life is harder than ever before. Can living under the same roof as Naoki improve Kotoko's chances of a whirlwind romance - or will Naoki just shoot her down again?

Itazura na Kiss (イタズラなKiss/Mischievous Kiss) is Kaoru Tada's most well-known shoujo series from the early nineties that has gained a huge fan following back in Japan and is considered one of the titles in its respective genre as a classic - and after reading DMP's release of the first seven chapters in omnibus format, it's not hard to see why it is so well-loved (or why its English language release was so anticipated by shoujo fanatics). It's a romance story full of drama and humor, all led by the impossible couple that is Kotoko and Naoki. I find myself loving the Kotoko/Naoki dynamic a lot - they squabble all the time and act more like rivals that love interests, but they also genuinely care about each other in the end, once you strip off all the bluster and posturing. Kotoko still is in love with Naoki and Naoki is slowly warming to Kotoko's energy and upbeat spirit. You can clearly see that living under the same roof has changed both characters in notable ways. Could one of those changes in the end be a romantic relationship? It's the slow but involving progress of their unusual high school courtship that will bring readers back to read more of their story together.

Overall, this manga is a welcome throwback to the shoujo era of the late eighties/early nineties, from the artwork down to the old school manga references in text. In a market when a lot of romantic manga is angsty dramatic messes that read like rejected Degrassi scripts, Itazura na Kiss is a lighthearted entry that succeeds in creating a suspenseful "will they or won't they?" style series while still maintaining its good humor. As the heart of the series, Kotoko is a strong-willed young woman who may still be in Class F with the rest of the academic failures but can still work hard when it comes to working to become Naoki's equal. If you enjoy a romantic push and pull story between two people as their feelings turn tender towards each other, you can't go wrong giving this series a go. I am looking forward to reading the next volume featuring those turbulent lovebirds Naoki and Kotoko - and once you finish the first book, I think you will too. ( )

I was reading it because I liked the anime, but I don't think I'll continue reading the manga. The art isn't very attractive, and there's no big difference between it and the anime, so I'd recommend just watching the anime. It's much prettier, and you get the same story and characters. ( )