Itazura na Kiss - Episode 1

Based on an (as yet unfinished) manga, Itazura no Kiss tells the story of Aihara Kotoko, a girl in the bottom class who, for the last two years, has had a crush on A-grade student and all round smart guy Irie Naoki. After those two years of wathing him from afar, Kotoko finally plucks up the courage to give Naoki a letter of confession, which he rejects instantly without even looking at it. Naoki, apparently, 'doesn't like stupid girls'.

Of course, this is anime we're talking about, so that isn't the end of the matter, and by the end of this opening episode via the destruction of her and her father's house in a minor earthquake, Kotoko finds herself invited to share a home with none other than... The Irie family, Naoki included. Cue much hilarity - Hopefully.

In all honesty, this opening episode of Itsura no Kiss isn't really anything to write home about - The animation is pretty poor, the character designs generic, and while the plot holds some future potential it doesn't show any early signs of being realised here. The jokes are weak, and the inter-relations between characters aren't much better. It's too early to write this series off, and as I say it does have potential as a vehicle for the main characters, but some rather hefty improvements will be required to drag this anime above run-of-the-mill status.