I never liked the idea of remakes or understood the point of taking the trouble to tell a story that people already know. That is, until now. Having finished the first six episodes of Itazura na Kiss ― Love in Tokyo, I’m literally counting down the days until the seventh episode comes.
我不喜欢翻拍的理念，也不明白为什么要花心思去讲一个众所周知的故事。这是我之前的想法。但现在，在看过前六集《新一吻定情》后，我改变了这一看法，我几乎每天都在期待着第七集的播出。
The latest TV adaptation of Japanese manga Itazura na Kiss follows almost the same storyline as the 1996 and 2005 versions: A high school girl named Kotoko writes her first love letter to Naoki, the smartest and cutest boy in the school and, sadly, is turned down. But fate intervenes when the house of Kotoko’s family is destroyed by ameteor. While the house is being rebuilt, Kotoko and her dad stay with the dad’s childhood friend, whose son turns out to be Naoki! As expected, the boy eventually falls in love with Kotoko.
根据日本漫画《一吻定情》改编而成的最新剧集同1996年和2005年的老版故事情节相差无几：女高中生相原琴子向“校草”江直树递出人生第一封情书，却遭到拒绝。但命运捉弄，琴子的家被一颗流星夷为平地。在重建家园期间，琴子父女住进琴子爸爸的儿时好友家中，而这位好友的儿子居然就是江直树!不出所料，直树最终爱上了琴子。
A meteor sounds like a melodramatic and crazy way to initiate a love story, but this time it’s told in a convincing manner.
用流星来作为一个爱情故事的开头听上去似乎有些天马行空和矫揉造作，但这回《新一吻定情》则选择了一种更为真实的叙事手法。
For the first time, Naoki isn’t a god among men ― he shows human flaws and emotions. Beyond hischiseled cheekbones and flawless hair we are presented with a guy who can get angry, nervous and embarrassed, too. And Kotoko is no longer Miss Good-for-nothing. Slow witted as she may still be, she impressed me with her perseverance and adorable cuteness. After all, who could’ve believed that the perfect, unapproachable Naoki and the thickheaded, plain looking Kotoko of those previous versions are a good match for each other?
第一次，直树不再是“男神”——他有常人的缺点和喜怒哀乐。除了轮廓分明的脸颊以及完美无瑕的发型之外，呈现在观众眼前的是一个会生气、会紧张和会尴尬的男生。琴子也不再是一个平淡无奇的女孩。尽管做事仍就“慢半拍”，但她不屈不挠的毅力和娇小可爱的模样都令人印象深刻。毕竟，之前那些版本中，拒人于千里之外的完美直树与相貌平平的呆木琴子这对情侣搭配难以令人信服。
Besides this, a fitting cast really brings these credible characters to life. Yuki Furukawa, 25, is tailor-made for playing Naoki. Tall, slim, irresistibly handsome, and with a voice that kills ― there’s nothing any man could do to stop his girlfriend from drooling over him. Then there’s Miki Honoka, who has a real knack for playing Kotoko. The 16-year-old really knows how to keep her cuteness from beingcloying.
除此之外，犹如量身定做版的演员阵容也使得剧中人物更加真实且鲜活。25岁的古川雄辉是出演江直树的不二人选。高挑修长的身材、令人无法抗拒的帅气以及秒杀一切的嗓音——男士们已经无法阻止女友花痴这位帅哥了。饰演琴子的未来穗香演技娴熟，16岁的她知道如何卖萌且不令人生厌。
Another plus is that rather than telling the story only from Kotoko’s perspective, which is the typical approach, this new remake walks a fine line between Kotoko’s and Naoki’s perspectives. This is a smart move as it allows us to see how Naoki’s feelings for Kotoko develop and grow over time. It also avoids the fairytale-like ending becoming an abrupt twist ― a narrative flaw that has afflicted previous versions.
本剧另一个加分的亮点是，不同于老版中完全从琴子角度出发的惯有叙事手法，新版剧集在琴子和直树的视角中转换得游刃有余。这点的妙处在于，让我们看到了直树对琴子的感情是如何发展变化并与日俱增的。新版也摒弃了峰回路转般的童话结局——这是所有老版故事的通病。
Despite the predictable ending, it’s fair to say that, for a remake, Itazura na Kiss ― Love in Tokyo has its share of surprises.
尽管结局尽在预料之中，但公平地说，对于一部翻拍作品，《新一吻定情》还是令人有所惊喜的。
