Khmer Dubbed | It Started With A Kiss
This is where became a game-changer. Local production teams—such as Nika Production, PNN, or other early Cambodian dubbing houses—took the Taiwanese original and re-voiced every character in fluent, colloquial Khmer. The result? A show that felt local, accessible, and emotionally direct.
For most Cambodians, the Khmer dub wins because it transforms the show from a foreign product into a homegrown experience . Ask any Cambodian between the ages of 25 and 35 about their teenage years, and they will likely mention watching It Started with a Kiss after school. In the mid-2000s, Cambodian television was dominated by Thai lakorns and Korean dramas. But ISWAK was different—it was the first Taiwanese drama to truly break through. it started with a kiss khmer dubbed
Even today, memes from the show circulate on Facebook. Sound clips of famous Khmer-dubbed lines are used in TikTok videos. When Joe Cheng (the original Zhishu) posted on Instagram in 2023, Cambodian fans flooded the comments with Khmer phrases from the dub. Searching for “it started with a kiss khmer dubbed” is more than an attempt to watch an old show. It is an act of remembrance. It is revisiting a time when love seemed simple, when a cold boy could be melted by a persistent girl, and when a Khmer voice actor’s heartfelt performance could cross cultural boundaries. This is where became a game-changer
So grab some popcorn, find that old USB drive or YouTube playlist, and press play. It started with a kiss —and for Cambodian fans, it never really ended. Did you grow up watching the Khmer dubbed version of It Started with a Kiss? Share your memories in the comments below. And if you’re looking for working links, join our Facebook group “ISWAK Khmer Fan Club.” A show that felt local, accessible, and emotionally direct
The Khmer dubbed version aired on local stations like CTN, MyTV, and even on rented VCDs from neighborhood shops. Friends would gather around a single CRT television, waiting for the weekly episode. The cliffhangers—Will Xiangqin finally win Zhishu’s heart? Will the jealous Jin Yuan ruin everything?—had the entire nation talking.
If you haven’t seen the Khmer dubbed version, you are missing out on a key piece of modern Cambodian pop culture. And if you have, you already know: some stories never get old. Some kisses, fictional or not, stay with you forever.
The plot is classic "opposites attract." After an earthquake destroys Xiangqin’s house, she and her father move into the home of her father’s best friend—who turns out to be Zhishu’s father. Forced to live under the same roof, the clumsy Xiangqin continues her relentless pursuit of the icy genius. What follows is a decade-spanning tale of unrequited love, personal growth, jealousy, and ultimately, a deep and abiding romance. In Cambodia, while English and Thai content have large followings, Mandarin and Cantonese are not widely understood outside of the older Chinese-Cambodian community. For the average Khmer viewer, reading subtitles can be a barrier to fully enjoying the emotional highs and lows of a drama.