Paradise Kiss

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Whenever I read "Nana" from manga-ka Ai Yazawa, I feel suckered into a world that, not only is fantastic, but is completely relatable... She has a knack for producing characters that are flawed, human. And make them likable... One doesn't realize the skill of an author so much when just given one example of their work, and, since I had only read the "Nana" manga (and absolutely love it, despite its flaws) I wasn't able to see just how good Ai Yazawa's pacing and storytelling can be... :)

"Paradise Kiss", an amalgamation of a love for fashion and love in general, is, as a whole, a ... much better body of work than "Nana". It works so much better because the author doesn't go off into tangents all the time. She focuses on the core group of characters, and builds up each of their stories. By the end of the five volumes you are left with a bittersweet, melancholy mood, haunting you long after you close the cover. You're left wondering just what will happen when such-and-such meet at such-and-such musical, or just what everyone will look like at such-and-such time...

Yazawa's art is just as stylish and edgy as in "Nana", but with a higher concentration on fashion and "style". It is a highly emotional story, full of the troubles associated with following your own path in life, and living accordingly. Yet, there is a self-awareness incorporated in it, with characters commenting about their presence in the storyline and whether or not there are enough pages for them. These comedic touches help the readers to not get bogged down in what could just be one angsty read.

Also, the ending is perhaps one of the most realistic endings I have ever read in a manga. Whereas one expects it or wishes for something different, Yazawa captures the conflicting emotions of growing up well. And for this alone I can recommend it to anyone. It's just that, "Paradise Kiss" has many good things to base a recommendation :)

As someone who has engaged with Ai Yazawa’s works like NANA, Tenshi Nanka ja Nai (I’m Not an Angel), and Kagen no Tsuki (Last Quarter), I am very familiar with what she is capable of. Ai Yazawa has the power to write characters who are flawed but you still feel for them and want them to be well, even if you don’t agree with all their decisions. Characters who you look forward to seeing how their journey ahead will be like. Characters who aren’t pretentious and are truly doing their best at what they strive towards. So after about eight weeks of waiting to borrow ... the 20th edition omnibus of Paradise Kiss from my local library, I was shocked by how unenjoyable this manga was for me.

So, what happened? If I were to put it simply, Paradise Kiss felt like a blend between Neighborhood Story (Gokinjo Monogatari; prequel) and NANA that did not mix well. Now, you certainly do not need to read or watch the adaptations of Ai Yazawa’s other stories to understand Paradise Kiss. I’ll explore what did and didn’t work below:


Story & Characters: I usually write my reviews where the story and characters are discussed separately. But Paradise Kiss is an exception, since the characters are the story.

Yukari: When one thinks of a protagonist, they should typically be likeable. Being likeable can mean different things to different people, such as whether they’re relatable, if we think we would ever be friends with someone like them, or maybe they have qualities we like. Quite simply, we just like seeing them on our screen, including the moments where they grow. If none of that applies to the protagonist, at least they’re tolerable and they don’t destroy our enjoyment. Yukari unfortunately did not fulfill the basic requirements of a protagonist.

Yukari grew up being tailored to study without hobbies, and that showed when she got carried away (harassed) by a group of fashionistas who went to a different school than her. Yukari was exposed to an industry that was foreign to her and yielded to it on the pretense of “broadening [her] horizons” and “experiencing new things.” She wasn’t genuinely interested in modelling at the time, as she was mesmerized by this flashy society where she let others doll her up. It was okay for her to see what it was like with the Paradise Kiss crew, but she went along with being a model without doing any research or practice on her own! Throughout the series, Yukari felt like that one crayon who doesn't fit in the case at all. There are all these unique colours in that case, but she's just not part of that society and that's okay.

Yukari was a baggage to the people around her, wanting them to show love in ways she didn’t vocalize or being reckless where people covered up for her. Yukari lacked confidence, and she was a coward whenever she blamed others for situations she did not walk away from or even when people shared their genuine concern. She’s the type of person who would yell at you and want you to comfort her. Sure, she apologizes later (sometimes) after an outburst, but there was no growth in genuinely improving her interactions with others like thinking of other people’s feelings before she opened her mouth. Or at least observing people before putting them on the spot, which saves her the effort of later apologizing. In short, Yukari was a selfish and immature person who was clingy and lacked communication skills.

George: This man is a mess. He is a hypocrite for imposing his ideals, without ever seeing how he could fulfill Yukari’s needs. George does not know how to compromise in love, it’s him in his own world. Maybe there is an exception if you are his mother Yukino who is incapable of caring for herself. But besides Yukino who he doesn’t have a fulfilling relationship with emotionally, it’s obvious he prioritizes himself and his crafts. He will forget about you when it comes to work and not apologize about it, just like how his father Joichi treats Yukino. He is truly not your type of human who will emotionally support you. He goes at the beat of his own drum, and you either submit to him or you don’t. Even being friends with this dude would require extra effort because he leaves his phone off or doesn’t always have the habit of picking up, so it’s better to go to his home and hope he doesn’t have someone sleeping over.

George is seen as mysterious. Yet, what’s really in his heart? What is he thinking? When he says he likes you, to what extent is that? Is he serious about you? Or are you just a toy to him? Yukari danced around this man without settling their issues, and she can’t say with confidence what it is that drew him to her. To be honest, George was the first man who flirted with the then-inexperienced Yukari, and she grabbed the opportunity. George admitted before that he doesn’t resist when people come to him, so he didn’t try to at least present himself as the faithful dude anyone would prefer. Yet, Yukari continued going back to George even though he has been hurtful to her and they don’t even share the same preference sexually.

Arashi: Where do I begin with this trash? For those of you who are familiar with Neighborhood Story, I’m sorry to inform you that he is Risa’s son. For those who are not familiar with Neighborhood Story, Risa is Mikako’s best friend from high school. And Mikako is the protagonist of Neighborhood Story (prequel) and Miwako’s (Arashi’s girlfriend) older sister. I believe Ai Yazawa should not have even made the Neighborhood Story connection because Risa as a person was attentive to the people around her and always supported her good friends. How did such a good person like Risa raise such a sorry excuse for a human? I cannot fathom this either.

Arashi has an inferiority complex and is immature, which shows in how he treats Miwako. Please take note that this man is your example of a toxic partner, where he’s the type to forbid you from talking to a childhood friend and even break your phone by throwing it across the room. Arashi has even forced himself on Miwako, and she goes along with his desires to satisfy him. Arashi wants control in love and he struggles with trusting his partner. Arashi knows he’s a major cause for Miwako’s psychological pain, but after hanging out with her for 18 years, I can’t tell you there is genuine progress. Why do people know they’re horrible and don’t work on improving themselves? I have no idea.

However, strangely enough...Arashi does care for Yukari. He’s bad with words, but he pays attention. Maybe he inherited Risa’s observant nature. But he mostly talks without thinking. What Miwako sees in Arashi is beyond me because there are many people in the world who can be kind AND they show it ._____.

Miwako: Another mystery to the entire series. Ai Yazawa writing that Miwako’s mother Ruriko is away for work is uncharacteristic. For those of you who are familiar with Neighborhood Story, Ruriko was attentive to Mikako as much as possible, so why wouldn’t she do the same for Miwako? Maybe Ruriko was okay with Mikako spending time with Miwako, but Mikako has her own work and family too. The lack of attention given to Miwako by her parents gives some explanation as to why she doesn’t seem to get guidance regarding her future or even Arashi. It’s also out of character for both Mikako and Risa to be uninvolved when Arashi is such a jerk to Miwako. It’s possible that Miwako keeps Arashi’s dark side to herself, but it’s odd that Mikako at least doesn’t seem to pick up on the bad signals.

Despite Miwako being called cute by Yukari, she wasn’t a likeable character to me. I admit Miwako makes the effort to be there for Yukari and she’s responsible for her family whenever she babysits Alice (niece/Mikako and Tsutomu’s daughter). But she really needs to think on her own, like she imitates Mikako without looking at who she herself is. Miwako knew how she felt about Hiroyuki (a childhood friend), yet she stayed and tolerated Arashi. Arashi says his opinion and she goes along with it, even when it’s bluntly unprofessional and unsuitable to the space.

Hiroyuki: The character I liked the most who got the short end of the stick. If you’re familiar with Neighborhood Story, he is Hiroaki’s (“Toku-chan”) son. He’s the only character who made sense to me in terms of characterization when Ai Yazawa made her Neighborhood Story connection. Just like Toku-chan who people confided in when he ran the bar, Hiroyuki is your decent man who has your back. He listens without ordering you around and he respects your decisions, even if it’s not what he would do personally. I completed this story thanks to Hiroyuki LOL.

Other characters like Isabella and Noriji’s (a friendly and caring superintendent from Neighborhood Story) return were fun. Isabella deserved more attention. Isabella was the reliable ‘mother’ of the Paradise Kiss crew who was observant and had a sense of self. I’m happy that she had a supportive worker at home who accepted her gender identity, without feeling like she had to wear boys’ clothing or call herself by a male name. Noriji continued to be reliable, wanting to be there for others without imposing. It’s too bad he doesn’t appear in NANA.


Now...I’m aware several readers are unsatisfied with the ending. I agree that the ending could have been explored. The way the ending was written didn’t make me want to look forward to the characters’ futures, where I felt like Ai Yazawa was just done with them. No character development where we get a timeskip, so we don’t know what happened in-between.

Although, Ai Yazawa’s art was pleasant overall. Her designs were all unique and Yukari truly shined on stage. Isabella was always outstanding.

Overall, I feel accomplished for completing this story LOL. I didn’t even need to read every text where there were times when I skimmed through, or even skipped pages. I could tell what was happening based on facial expressions, for example I just knew that Yukari would raise her voice and cry or George would make a comment without being committed to working together on what was in front of him. This pair took up so many pages, it’s a shame when the attention could have been better divided to other characters. I feel that the themes were present (e.g. bad parenting, feeling charmed by a hottie and considering giving up your future for them), but the execution just wasn’t it for me.

If your like me, you probably like deeper mangas then the ever so cliche tale of a innocent high school girl who falls in love with the nice guy and then falls in love with the guy who she has constantly insults while he is chasing after her. It scares me too how I kind of got the gist of most shojo mangas (Although, I must say that to those kind of stories, Im addicted ^.^).
Anyway, Paradise kiss is about this unwelcoming, smart, attractive, and tightly wound girl, yukari, who meets her fate when a student of a fashion school asks her to ... model for them in the next fashion show. When she finally accepts, she meets George a handsome designer and the head of the "Para Kiss" clothing line, Miwako who works with george and wants to start her own fashion line like her sister, Arashi who is miwakos boyfriend and plays in a rock back, Isabella who is the "mother" of the group, and Tokumori Yukaris friend at school.
The events that happen are unpredictable, the story is well said, the characters are appealing, and the art is captivating! I really enjoyed this and you might too.
(WARNING: THE SLIGHTIEST SLIGHT SLIGHT BIT OF ECCHINESS IS IN HERE! BUT NOT TOO MUCH NOT GRAPHIC AT ALL!)

Paradise Kiss is a josei manga written by the mangaka of the famous Nana. It is apparently a sequel to a previous work of hers, Gokinjo Monogatari, which I wasn't aware about until after I already started reading (oops). This is only my 2nd time reading a josei manga (shoujo reader all the way), but I still found this one quite enjoyable.

Yukari is a senior in high school who has known studying all of her life. One day, however, she is kidnapped by a group of fashion designers who believe that she would be the perfect model for the next fashion show. Even though she ... is reluctant to participate at first, Yukari becomes interested in these designers, and also intrigued by their leader, George. She eventually becomes immersed into the fashion world and believes that it is her true calling. Is it possible for her to include both fashion and academics in her life, or can she only choose one? And what kind of person is George, really?

The art for this manga was very well-done and good at depicting comedy and maturity when needed. It also was very detailed when it comes to fashion, which I love.

The characters were so-so for me. I liked Yukari originally, but found that later she seemed impulsive when it came to important decisions she had to make. I think she could've been more sensible. Also, at times her feelings for George were a bit much, and I was unsure about whether she wanted to continue fashion because of passion or because of George. George, on the other hand, I liked even less. He kept a lot to himself and didn't provide Yukari any help when she had problems. I liked the minor characters much more, but I would've liked to learn more about them.

Overall, the manga was an enjoyable read. I always like manga where the protagonist is trying to find him or herself. I would also recommend this to those who like realistic manga and romance. The manga is also mainly about fashion so if you like career-oriented manga, you'll probably like this one as well.

Also, the ending was superb.

Paradise Kiss is an absolute gem. The characters are flawed but, for the most part, lovable. It's a story of growth and finding one's feet in life. I love how Yukari, the female lead, goes from being listless and unsure of herself to a passionate adult who has found and enjoys her place in life. We get to see the (often painful) beginnings of this change. The ending left me raw but satisfied. This truly is a masterpiece...I had no idea I'd love it so much.

Art 9/10 - At first I wasn't so sure about the art style. Upon reading I quickly changed my mind. ... The proportions can be downright scary at times...however, it actually adds to the charm of the manga. This is an intentional style. The comedic sketches are on point. If the art is holding you back from reading, like it did with me, don't fret...you'll end up enjoying it.

Everything else is a solid 10/10!

SPOILERS - PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE READING IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE MANGA YET!!!

SERIOUSLY!!

I MEAN IT! c:



I normally don't write spoilers...but, there are just some things I'm compelled to address. I've heard people complaining about how Yukari doesn't get with George in the end. But, I think that is the best outcome! He was downright horrible to her. You can tell he had true feelings for her but is too selfish to give her what she really needs. If she got with him she would have given up too much of herself...only following him around the world. She chose to live her life for her - which, is strong and beautiful. He was her stepping stone towards a better life. That is why I think she carried love for him even years later. Not because she wanted to be with him but because she was thankful for the good things he did do for her. And there are the naysayers who might cry, "Then why didn't she just get with Tokumori in the beginning?!" ...isn't it obvious? He was a great guy from the beginning. But, Yukari had a shallow love for him. She wasn't ready for a real relationship and he probably wasn't, either. (Especially considering Miwako) What happened with George, and the other hinted-at relationships over the 10 year gap near the end, gave her the depth and capability to have a meaningful relationship. She got with Tokumori at the perfect time in life. And at the end of the manga you can tell they are going to be truly happy together...with no regrets. It's realistic, meaningful, and a lovely way for the story to end.

i just finished this and im crying so much...

Ai yazawa knows how to portray a real relationship. Sometimes love is not enough and george and yukari ending is the perfect exemple for that.

But thats one thing that i hate the most and that thing it was Arachi! Argh such a toxic boy, even thought he seem to change a little this doesnt change the fact that he r*ped miwako and was transfobic with isabella.

The fashion scenery was so good, i was in love with everything and the ending was perfect 'cause it was real.

Vou mandar a real aqui, queria que a yukari ... e a miwako tivessem largado os namorados delas e fossem morar juntas que nem Nana e fossem felizes para sempre como melhores amigos e é sobre isso e ta tudo bem!

For the first time in a long while, my endeavor to find good women's manga ended with a positive result. Even though I'm still not exactly thrilled this was a nice way to expand horizons.

Art: Gotta say, while there are lots of pretty, close shots of beautiful characters in the flashy outfits, everything else is rather awful.
While some drawings like chapter and volume covers, as well as occasional manga panels have more or less realistic proportions, the rest of the manga is filled with skeleton people trying to hide inside skin bags with various degrees of success. It's inconsistent but it's probably a ... stylistic choice so your mileage may vary. I found it to be pretty bad cause fashion to me is about using clothes to bring out the best features of human physique and go even further beyond. Stick people don't work for that.
Next are backgrounds, they are absolutely dreadful, no two ways about it. It's better than something like Sailor Moon or BeruBara who completely annihilate spatial awareness.
Paradise Kiss has three types of backgrounds:
1. Absolutely nothing - nothing uncommon for women's manga, they often focus on characters and their appearance to a point where backgrounds doesn't seem to matter to them.
2. Minimal outlines - bare minimum of a background, at this point you actually have an idea of where things take place. Better than a void of nothingness but lacking in detail and not rally pretty to look at.
3. PHOTOS - straight up photos! No, even worse. It's very badly filtered photos. This practice existed in manga for a while but this is the first time I see it done this badly and lazily. Inio Asano and Mokoto Shinkai at times get criticized after someone praises them for what is essentially a traced photo but after this I'm sure people would give them credit for at least putting in effort to have it look nice and fit the style of their work.
Overall the linework is clean but rough, as in, lines themselves are often not smooth but there's no excess either. Aside from up close shots that have nice and smooth art with varying line weigh the rest is mostly flat looking.

Story: you might think Paradise Kiss is about fashion and you would be right. But it just as easily could've been acting or making music or drawing art. The fashion thing is just a setting for a character driven romance.
ParaKiss romance is rather well done, I expected another Cinderella type story that little girls and teens could insert themselves in and while there is a smidgen of that, it's not the point. The characters here are just believable enough to care about their attempt to build a relationship while having to deal with their own and each others flaws. It captures well the storm that takes place in someone's mind when they are high on love. Making irrational or impulsive decisions or coming to far off conclusions that are however easily understandable.
In the background there's a plot about all of the characters finding their place in life which I think made a compelling addition to romance. While it doesn't exactly go in depth on all of the themes is brings up, the part about growing up is decent. Our main heroine starts as an aimless student that goes wherever her mother points her to but along the way finds her true self, she finds what she wants to do in life and happiness it brings gives her courage to pursue her dreams. It's a sweet message.

Funfactor: Given how I hated most shoujo/josei manga I've read prior, I think it's worth something when I say this was decently enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend it to just anybody but if you like more complex romance that delves into psychology behind human relationship and doesn't just ride on melodrama I'd definitely recommend this.

Okay so I personally feel like this manga was not as good as it could've been. The characters each were pretty deep but I feel like they weren't explored into enough, especially the main character male. Honestly this is pretty refreshing compared to all the typical romance mangas but I felt very unsatisfied upon finishing the manga. Overall the art was beautiful but I feel that there should have been more development with the story and the characters as well.

(SPOILERS AHEAD!!) Ok so honestly the way that the manga started was very unsettling for me. She meets random people who want her to model ... and the next second she's apparently in love with the male main character. THE HECK. And it's not even a crush she flat out says "I'm in love with this dude." GOD. And he's very mysterious and some may feel like thats a good thing but I still feel like I have no idea who the heck the main male lead is and I don't like that. He just disappears to Europe at the end and poof he's gone. And in the end she ends up with the guy she first had a crush with. Omg it irks me so much because all throughout the manga she showed no emotion for the guy she ends up with. If anything i feel like she should've ended up by herself or some thing. This manga has a lot of mystery to it and definitely leaves the readers to their own interpretation. But basically to summarize what I got from the manga is a stupid girl who, yes has gone through hardships, becomes a toy for a narcissistic, shallow man and ends up not together in the end because they both know it won't work. A very realistic story that's not cliche but could've definitely been developed more. The girl still shows love for him at the end when he leaves but that thought is completely thrown in the trash when she's seen married to a different man almost 10 years later. (10 YEARS COMPLETELY NOT EXPLORED INTO.) We basically have no idea what happened to the main lead besides the tiny bit of info that he's making costumes for theater. Ugh honestly I might get hate from my review but this is just my personal opinion. I still loved the characters but ya know like I've repeatedly said, they could've been explored more into. And one last thing I actually hate the main character girl. She's very bland. Her mother was absolutely terrible to her but doesn't do anything to stand up for herself really. She forgives her mother when she gets slapped. Also the mother is very shallow. She only likes success and even favored the younger son over her daughter. But when her daughter proves that she can make it in the modeling industry she does a complete 180 and all of a sudden supports her. Such a disgusting parent. And yet the main char doesn't seem to mind and goes about her business. Ugh her relationship with her mom was one of the main reasons she felt the way she did in the beginning of the manga and I was hoping for some big thing to happen but it never did. (I don't consider her running away a big thing and neither do I consider the mother crying a big thing because right after she continues to abuse her daughter by slapping her across the face completely disregarding the fact that a model's face is everything.) Basically the mom's attitude never changed. Only thing that she did change was the fact that she supports her daughter's modeling career.

UGH god this manga was frustrating to me and to be honest would not recommend but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. (PS I'm sorry it might sound like i'm rambling and not make sense but I marathoned this manga in like 4 hours and feel very crazy right now.)

Paradise Kiss shows a real life scenario in which love stories don't always end happily for the main characters but somewhere in the future, it will all be okay. I like how they portray the main character, Yukari , during the first part, is quite a person that whenever she makes a decision and she gets influenced by her love for him, she gets swayed easily. As the story goes, she began to be firm with her decisions. People like that really do exists in real life. :3



This type of plot is also shown in one of the author's mangas, NANA; well, it ... is one of famous mangas. To the reader who seems to go beyond the typical love story, you might enjoy this. ^_^



Anyways, it is really a good manga.

I can't start this review without an introduction because one of the easiest ways to describe this manga is by asking: Have you ever watched the 1957 musical film "Funny Face" and the 2006 film "The Devil Wears Prada"? Yes? Good. Now, try to imagine the plot of the former without all the songs & dance and mix it with the plot of the later. Then, you will be prepared to read Paradise Kiss.

If I idolized it by the first time I've read it? Yeah, sure. If I would idolize it if I've had read it today? I don't know.

The first time I've read it ... was when it was licencised in my country, back in c.2007. I managed to re-read it completely once, a long time ago, but I still remember vividly most of its story. I also watched the live action when it was released.

Why I was so fascinated by this manga when I've had read it by the first time...? It was because I was in that phase when we like everything we read and watch? It was because it is about fashion (something I always loved) and was created by someone who understands this subject? Because Yazawa had a beautiful character design and knew how to tell a story with characters and stories that you could meet anywhere in real life? Because it is realistic without being grotesque?

I made the last question be the last one on purpose, because this is what makes me keep on respecting this manga, no matter how frustrating it can get at times. This should even be the theme of this story, "frustration". Not something traumatizing and distressing, just... Frustrating.

Sure, the official theme is how you should face your and other people's taboos and live your life how you want to, even if it means having a career that most people considers to be eccentric or somehow strange. But another strong theme, related to the former, is how life can be frustrating because, for better or worse, it doesn't always ends up like you planned it to. Literally from the first to the last page this is shown by the author. This is why I don't like the live action - they changed what made this story good and believable, the only good thing about the film was the soundtrack.

But you know, saying a lot of times how this is a frustrating story doesn't mean this is a bad read. Of course it have its faults but at the end of the day this is a good story if you want something that can feel real without too much melodrama and strange situations.

"No one can be completely sure of their own will. Everyone is worried and confused and influenced by the ideas of people around them."

What if you stopped trying to meet your family's and society's expectations? Could you be sure you wouldn't end up just finding other impossible expectations to be met? That's what happens to Yukari Hayasaka in Paradise Kiss--she's unable to meet her family's expectations, and when that's too much for her and she finds an alternative life to live, she finds herself new expectations that she'll never be able to live up to, forcing her to change from within. She struggles to understand ... whether what she does is done of her own volition, or because it's what's expected of her.

I love this manga because it shows that there's so much potential in life. You really can just quit everything you're doing right now and find a new path. It's alarming how quickly Yukari's life changes, and it's scary to think about the repercussions of her leaving everything behind and gambling with her life. It's easy to get so caught up in everyday life that you don't even consider the richness of the world and the many choices in front of you. But there's this thing I've heard people say about solo travel or moving away from your hometown: no matter where you go, you're still you. She's still Yukari and still has to deal with the same identity problems she had before, even if she ran away from her past life and is in a different one now. She's still going to have problems, and she's still going to have to deal with them.

Yazawa's characterization of Yukari and those around her makes a rich, character-driven story. It's the characters that move this plot, and this plot moves at a startling pace. It's a short series that makes for a quick read, but the themes (self-actualization, familial and romantic relationships) will be staying with me.

I love manga that has to do with the showbiz industry. So of course i had to read this one, a quite known manga about fashion. It was surprisingly shorter than i thought but it was perfect. There could be more added to make the story longer and like everyone who enjoys a series, i dont want it to end. However, i was satisfied with where and how it ended.

I understand that Yazawa Ai's art style is not for everyone. My first experience was with Nana (ok it was an anime so wasnt her work but still was an imitation of her style), i wasnt ... really a fan at first (though i love the eye thing at the opening song) but as i progressed and as my taste developed, i began to love her style. I prefer her somewhat more realistic eye style to some other shoujo manga where the eyes take up half the face. And the fashion, i really like the outfits in this manga, well duh its a fashion manga, the clothing ahould be at least decent but it was more than that, especially that fashion show design outfit, im telling yall, screenshotting all day.

There were a lot of quirky character in this manga, a bunch of freaks and a couple of straight-men (/women) to balance the scale. The main girl, Yukari/Caroline/Carrie cried a lot and was kinda weak and whiney but somehow, i liked her when i normally hate her type. Not really sure why. George, the love interest, is the type of guy who would make you swoon and think "what a cool guy" but someone you would like to remain a fictional character and hope you will never meet (sorry George and all the other "George" out there dont be too sad about that but its the truth) i dont have a character i particularly like over others but seiji from the glittery planet seemed cool, wished he got more panels.

I throughly enjoyed it, didnt put it down except to eat and attend to my sickly self.
***KINDA A SPOILER BUT NOT REALLY...IS***
The manga was great because it was a smidge bit more realistic than other shoujo manga are, like nana it does not have the most favorable ending. And though its sad and makes you want to hate the manga, its the truth. Life is not always a rose colored dream. There are gray days as well. But it is up to you to color in reality. Quote that. But dont, its copyrighted (not T^T).
Overall? If i were a teacher, and manga were tests that are to be graded id give it a 90 good job Para, you got a borderline A-

first: YOU GOT TO LOVE E AND KNOW HOW AIZAWA WRITES, DRAWS AND FEELS
ok, so, im a aizawa bitch and im straight by the way lol; its just a masterpiece i cannot expland in precisive words but let's imagine this:
-you got 5 volums to create a whole world and carachters and arts and history to make something come alive out of that, otherwise the major thought will be about how short this material is and because of that u wouldn't be able to absorb much things of that
-with only 5 volums to introduce me to what is the concept of fashion and love, she got ... me in my kness
- its so sensible, the dialogues are so sweet and deep, i'm used to reading romances and dramas not in manga only but manly in books of notable writers and, she still got me in tears
-all the carachters are deep, even those ones that appears for maybe 20 pages only
-i don't have to say nothing about the drawing technique of aizawa is for me by far the most beautiful and delicated one in the manga world and this fit perfectly with a work that talks about fashion; such beautiful dresses, hats, necklaces...
thanks aizawa for bringing me that, i'l always cry reading it
*nana will still be on my top 5 and not paradise kiss because short books are harder for me to create such a connection but, we could say that he is there hidding behind nanas...
one more thing, im kind of george with my ladies, if you know what i mean...

by the way i assure you guys that im straight like 4 real

10/10 FOR EVERYTHING AND DONT BOTHER ME
-vini, brazil (sorry 4 my bad english ;'D)