| Title | : | Paradise Kiss, Part 1 of 3 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1935654713 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781935654711 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 280 |
| Publication | : | First published September 4, 2012 |
Paradise Kiss, Part 1 of 3 Reviews
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[December 16, 2014] This book surprised me! I thought it was going to be a cliche manga, but there's nothing cliche about it. The story at the beginning was okay, but after a few pages, things intensified and then I was surprised, everything turned out not as I expected, the characters are charming, though the clothes aren't my cup of tea, I loved it. Seriously, I want to get the rest of the series.
[December 13, 2018] rereading the book again to jump to book 2 and 3 which I got last April. Plus, I just discovered that there are two adaptations of the series, one is an anime 12 episodes series and a 2011 movie! I really want to watch them!
I got to say, as an older woman, I feel that what Yukari was doing was so naive and kind of stupid. I didn't think George was worth it. -
There is something about Ai Yazawa. She takes a story that could very easily be pop garbage, and instead makes it one that buries itself into your heart. I forgot how much I had loved Paradise Kiss when I first read it a year ago. When I recently finished the Nana series, I looked back at my 4 star review and thought, "Paradise Kiss couldn't possibly be as good as Nana!" Well, it is. The art style feels familiar after reading Nana, but the stories are very different.
Whereas Nana explores the friendship between two different women, life landmarks, and fame; Paradise Kiss shows us the importance of finding your passion and not going with the flow of what is expected, and that even the people that you think are very different to you have the potential to be friends or teachers. There was a key moment in Paradise Kiss when the main character, Yukari (Caroline), figures out that though she thought she was so on track with her cram school and good marks, and that the PK designers are silly and stupid, it's the opposite. Through the course of Volume 1, she starts to examine her own actions and beliefs, and is actually able to change them and learn to be who she chooses. This seems like a common theme in manga/novels, but my god it is powerful in PK. I think it is the juxtaposition of Yukari against the members or PK that make this so strong: the hard worker who just wants to get into University, with no passions other than that; against the ones who follow their dreams of making art, and work hard at it.
Like Nana, Paradise Kiss also explores the intricacies and hurdles of human relationships - the strained one between Yukari and her overbearing mother, the unlikely but budding romance between Yukari and George, the difficult love triangle between three childhood friends. I think this is what puts Paradise Kiss above other manga, and Ai Yazawa above other mangaka. And can I just say how much I love Isabella, the transgender woman who designs for PK? I love her. She is an amazing mother figure to Yukari and the rest of PK without becoming a cliché. -
6 WONDERFUL STARS!!!
I ADORED this manga with my whole heart and am really glad I took my time with it.
A lovely story to savour.
RTC -
3.5 stars
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#fashion #designer #firstlove
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Really happy that this one is being re-published. I only had 2 volumes of this manga (2 and 5), and couldn't find the rest since Tokyopop stopped with manga releasing.
I am really happy with this volume, I like the size (though it is a bit bigger then the normal manga (in height)).
The story is great, can't wait for the second part to come out. -
No conocí la edición de Tokyopop, solo pude leer la argentina de Ivrea cuyos tomos estaban partidos a la mitad, por lo que aquí la cosa está hecha con cariño y se nota a raudales. Extrañé si las páginas a color que hicieron mucha falta, pero la edición vale la pena sobretodo por el tamaño.
Ya espero con ansias los siguientes. -
An excellent start to this manga series where fashion is the main focus, as the protagonist, after an invitation, agrees to model for a fashion school team. Their love for fashion and the clothes,dresses they design touch Yukari's heart and motivate her to follow her own dreams!
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Still lovely after all these years.
Full review soon -
When I first read this, more than 10 years ago, I was intrigued by the story of a girl, veering off her expected path of studying and trying to rank high in school, to enter the world of fashion and love. But I realize now, that I was dumb as nails, because, reading it now, I know that Paradise Kiss is much more than that.
This is one of the Josei manga that remains with you for a lifetime. I used to consider it my favorite series, and now I realize that I had a lot to learn from it and it's still relevant to me, as an adult woman.
Yukari is the protagonist, and she is not as likable as one would expect from a main character. She is beautiful, but is packed with flaws and insecurities. The best part is that she doesn't remain a static character. She changes, challenges herself, makes mistakes, has fights, doubts herself - and with this journey, she learns a little more about what she wants and needs in her life. This is not a love story. It might seem like that, but I think it's a coming of age story. George is the catalyst in Yukari's life, so that she stops playing the victim and accepting complacency, and instead finally finds her own agency. Its a journey that all women can relate to. -
Paradise Kiss is a mix of romance and drama, with frequent comedic bits. The artwork is exquisite and shines in the story setting of high fashion. Romantic relationships between the main characters are complicated, messy, and unhealthy. Some of the slapstick comedy bits seemed out of place when the story got more serious.
Since Paradise Kiss was first published in 2000, the acceptance of bisexual and transgender people has grown. So to a reader in 2023, Isabella being called a man yet living her life exclusively as a woman, and Arashi using the word 'homo' in reference to George, come off as the characters being mean and ignorant. I feel like the manga volumes would benefit from translation notes or context notes at the end of the volume. -
I don't know how to feel about this series. I like the art and how meta the story gets, but I'm not sold on any of the characters. Not digging the romance either since George is such an asshole.
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Read #1
Started on December 20, 2015
Finished on December 21, 2015
2015 CramAThon Read #2
Challenge #2 (Bind-up)
*_* SO CUTE. I just ordered the rest of the series -- I'm totally regretting that I didn't order them all together so I could immediately finish it. It was a little problematic in some places -- I'm so predictable, but I didn't like how the boys treated the girls. However, I think the character negatives were intentional, so I overlooked it. (E.g., although George was very hot/cold to Yukari, in a way, I think he was doing it to push Yukari to admit her feelings -- he just went too far sometimes.) I think George's issues with fully trusting people will probably play out in the next two volumes, too (I hope).
I just really loved the characters! And so much sexual orientation openness! It was very refreshing! -
I have to say I was a little (read: more than a little) disappointed in the way our MC (and others) regarded sexuality and gender identity, and I was uncomfortable, early on, to the point of considering closing this manga. But I read on, and in the end I loved this. I feel like Yukari grew a lot in her understanding and her character as her horizon was widened. It doesn't mean I've forgotten those highly uncomfortable and not okay moments, but I think that will have been the extent of it. I hope.
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i expect my experience reading this would be much different if i had not seen the anime first. maybe some of the magic is gone. i love the art and the creative use of panels. the story is an interesting one. it's just that George is an asshole, Miwako is both adorable and annoying, and the character's frequent breaking of the fourth wall is jarring. granted, i'm not the target audience for the book.
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What a gorgeous manga! I don't traditionally have interest in stories involving fashion, but the artwork is beautiful and complexity of the character relationships is very interesting. There's seems not much manga for women in my demographic in North America (except yaoi... which is a tricky genre), but Paradise Kiss is a great addition to the josei offerings. I'm so glad this got republished after Tokyopop ceased production. I just picked up volume 2 for some good holiday reading :)
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I'm rereading this for the first time in a few years. The illustrations are as gorgeous as ever, and I like how it's not a stereotypical shojo romance. Yukari is relatively innocent without being demure or scandalized and her growing pains are rendered with honesty. George is genuinely meant to be a jerk more than a romantic ideal, but the chemistry between him and Yukari is real and palpable. I forgot just how compulsively readable this series is.
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I loved the fashion aspect of the series. It was just fun to see the outrageous costumes. The drama was a little grating. The protagonist was so wishy-washy. I wanted her to be more confident, which might be a bit much to expect from a high school senior. Her love was as cold as ice and it was baffling why she even liked him to begin with.
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I've been reading Paradise Kiss and Nana simultaneously, which is slightly problematic because they're by the same author and have similar concepts but I seriously just love them both so much that I can't stop. Can't scream enough about how much I enjoy the combination of art and fashion and music and punk she brings to her works. Paradise Kiss is just a super enjoyable read.
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This was a cute, enjoyable read. I liked the fashion aspect of it and absolutely loved the art style. The characters were fun, if a little bit trope-y, and while there were a few problematic aspects for me—mostly in the way sex, sexuality, and gender were sometimes handled—I did like the story overall, and hope to keep on with the series.
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Romance set in the fashion industry. Surprisingly addictive!
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Her art style is pretty cool and unique, and the story keeps up a good pace. Excited to read Parts 2 and 3!
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Initial Read 5 stars
Second Read 5 stars -
Freakin' gorgeous artwork (when it wants to be) and a very unique story. I'm reading the English 3-part manga that includes all 10 original volumes.
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Maybe 3.5? But I've actually read the whole series and some later plot points I really disliked are casting a bad shadow on something I might have otherwise liked more
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the best
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Dude, f*** George.
