| Alt Name: | 惡作劇之吻 Èzuòjù zhī wěn |
| Genre: | Romance, Comedy |
| Director: | Chu Yu-ning (瞿友寧) |
| Starring: | Ariel Lin Joe Cheng Jiro Wang |
| Opentheme: | "Say U Love Me" by Jason and Lara |
| Endtheme: | "惡作劇" [Practical Joke] by Wang Lan Yin |
| Country: | Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Language: | Mandarin |
| Num Seasons: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 30 |
| Executive Producer: | Jerry Feng |
| Location: | Taipei, Taiwan |
| Runtime: | 70 mins (Sundays at 22:00) |
| Company: | Comic Productions Co. |
| Channel: | CTV |
It Started with a Kiss is a Taiwanese drama starring Joe Cheng, Ariel Lin and Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit. It was based on the first 10 volumes of the Japanese manga series Itazura na Kiss (イタズラなKiss, Mischievous Kiss) written by Kaoru Tada. It was produced by Comic Productions (可米國際影視事業股份有限公司)[1] and directed by Chu Yu-ning (瞿友寧). It started filming 6 August 2004 and wrapped 9 June 2005.
It was broadcast on free-to-air China Television (CTV) (中視) in Taiwan from 25 September 2005 to 12 February 2006, every Sunday at 22:00 and cable TV Gala Television (GTV) Variety Show/CH 28 (八大綜合台) 31 September 2005 to 18 February 2006, every Saturday from 21:30 to 23:00.
It Started with a Kiss was a huge success, together with its sequel They Kiss Again, both locally and internationally, pinning it as the truest and one of the most successful adaptations of the manga. Due to the extreme popularity received by the drama and the actors, Joe and Ariel acted together in 3 successful consecutive dramas.
It is the second live-action television adaptation following the Japanese adaptation also titled Itazura na Kiss and followed by its sequel They Kiss Again in 2007 and South Korean adaptation Playful Kiss in 2010. It Started with a Kiss also aired on Hawaii's KIKU Television weekly on Saturdays at 6:00.
Yuan Xiang Qin (Ariel Lin) is a bumbling, intellectually challenged, naïve, but optimistic high school girl. Ever since she met Jiang Zhi Shu (Joe Cheng) at the freshman orientation, she's been in love with the genius with an IQ of 200. After two years of having a crush on him, she finally musters the courage to confess her love to him at school with a love letter. Zhi Shu is not impressed, and Xiang Qin is left humiliated publicly in front of their entire school.
That afternoon, the new house she has just moved into with her father collapsed in a minor earthquake. She and her father are instantly left homeless because they lacked the foresight to pay for earthquake insurance. Fortunately, her father's old college friend extends a helping hand and invites both of them to live at his house. Little does Xiang Qin know that the kind Uncle Li is actually the father of Jiang Zhi Shu.
Because of this unexpected turn of events, Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin begin living their lives under the same roof. Zhi Shu's mother aspires to bring them together, coaxing Zhi Shu into tutoring Xiang Qin and taking numerous pictures of the couple together. Zhi Shu remains cold towards Xiang Qin, thinking her to be one of the dumbest people he has ever met, and refuses to speak to her at school. Through the course of the series, Zhi Shu slowly warms up to Xiang Qin, who tries her hardest to do better in school for him, as they deal with romantic rivals, their futures, and their relationship.
| Actor | Drama character | Manga character | Relationships | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jiang/Yuan Xiang Qin (袁湘琴) | Kotoko Aihara/Irie | Zhi Shu's future wife | ||
| Jiang Zhi Shu (江直樹) | Naoki Irie | Xiang Qin's crush and Husband | ||
| Jin Yuan Feng (aka Ah Jin) (金元豐) | Kinnosuke Ikezawa | Zhi Shu's rival | ||
| Chang Yung Cheng | Jiang Wan Li (aka Ah Li) (江萬利) | Sigeki Irie | Zhi Shu's father | |
| Cyndi Chaw | Jiang Zhao Zi (aka Ah Li's wife) (阿利嫂) | Machiko Irie | Zhi Shu's mother | |
| Tang Tsung Sheng | Yuan Cai (Ah Cai) (袁有才) | Shigeo Aihara | Xiang Qin's father | |
| Zhang Bo Han | Jiang Yu Shu (江裕樹) | Yuuki Irie | Zhi Shu's brother | |
| Petty Yang | Lin Chun Mei (林純美) | Satomi | Xiang Qin's best friend | |
| Candice Liu | Liu Ya Nong (劉雅儂) | Jinko | Xiang Qin's best friend | |
| Pei Zi Yu (裴子瑜) | Yuuko Matsumoto | Xiang Qin's rival | ||
| Wang Hao Qian (王皓謙) | Sudou | Zhi Shu's college friend | ||
| Ah Bu (阿布) | Ryo | Chun Mei's boyfriend | ||
| Ah Jie (阿傑) | Liu Ya Nong's boyfriend | |||
| Bai Hui Lan (白惠蘭) | Sasuiko | The daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur | ||
| Austin Zhuang | Child Jiang Zhi Shu |
| It Started with a Kiss | |
| Type: | soundtrack |
| Artist: | Various Artists |
| Released: | 14 October 2005 |
| Genre: | Mandopop |
| Language: | Mandarin |
| Label: | Alfa Music |
It Started with a Kiss Original Soundtrack (惡作劇之吻 電視原聲帶) was released on 14 October 2005 by Various Artists under Alfa Music. It contains thirteen songs, in which one song, "Love Ocean" by Ye Qing Long has an English version entitled "Sky". The opening theme song is "Say U Love Me" by Jason and Lara, while the ending theme song is by Wang Lan Yin entitled "惡作劇" or "Practical Joke".[2]
It Started with a Kiss was a blockbuster hit, both locally and internationally. It was one of the most epic Taiwanese dramas ever made and also one of the most popular Taiwanese dramas to be successful internationally.
Joe Cheng, Ariel Lin and Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit received immense popularity and praises for their roles.