Take me away too…
Paradise Kiss is a beautiful shoujo anime with quite a really pretty title.
Yukari is a high school senior getting ready to take the university entrance exam. However, before the exam she meets by chance the members of Paradise Kiss, and they want her to model for their end of year fashion competition. As she becomes more involved with the group, she becomes determined to become a top model.
This anime is such an escape from reality. After watching it, I really wished that someone would also just come up to me one day and give me an opportunity such as that (maybe not modeling but something that is not…). Take me away from my routine life and allow me to do something special…
Anyways, I certainly felt something as I watched Yukari ditch school and home for a few days to find out what she truly wants to do. (Oh well… I should just do what I need to do, stop complaining, and forget about whatever…. I’m rambling.)
I really like Arashi.
The animation in this anime is just absolutely stunning. Gorgeous. Although the characters are not your typical big eyes, big chested loli or cutesy icons, they have a really classy elegant look that I really loved. I should also mention their clothes are also very nice. Shoujo in general have better art, and this is an anime about designs and modeling after all. High fashion and classy, Paradise Kiss certainly packs a lot of panache.
I like Miwako a lot as well.
Looking for scans of Paradise Kiss was actually really fun, because the artwork is just so exciting and spectacular; some very Andy Warhol and a bit psychedilic, and others really handsome and shoujo manga-ish. There are so many more beautiful scans around.
(This is a revised version of a post (Feb. 2007) from my old abandoned blog. I’m trying to bring all my posts to a single place.)
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Good choice~~
take me away~ XD~
I thought about giving this a try…
@Fallen_Lilith: It sure is. ^ ^
@AnimeMusicBoi: Take me away too…
@shidare: This is definitely worth the time.
Change ‘top model’ for ‘giant robot pilot’ and this would be the greatest shouko story ever.
I really liked the art for Paradise Kiss.
I only watched the anime, but didn’t get a chance to finish it.
Another one for the backlog… :p
@Snark: I’m sure it would be just as awesome, but not so much shoujo.
@shijima: I love the art too. I’ve only watched the anime as well. It’s really good and I liked the ending a lot, so yea.
I’ve watched it halfway too…remembered really liking the style and art in it. Great OP and EP songs too. Ai Yazawa would have been in the fashion business if she wasn’t a mangaka. Heh. Somehow, looking at all the pics makes me miss Nana tho…I need to catch up with that. Is it too much to hope that 7 and 8 have re-united and will live happily ever after together…? >.<
The first image is so cute!
The anime seems to be really cool, for what u said, and I also would love an opportunit to take me away from my routine life…I think that everyone would like that, so I might like to see it, to see how the main character will enjoy her ‘new life’.
“After watching it, I really wished …”
Isn’t it great how animes get you to imagine alternate realities different from mundane lives. Happens to me all the time. :p
Para-kiss has always been on my to watch list. But always seem to get pushed down and after some time I actually forgot about it -.-”
Reading your post brought it up again… Lol!
*Powers up anime-hunting mood. Enter target: Paradise Kiss*
@Fujii_Itsuki: This really does remind me of Nana too, except it’s shorter.
@Yuri Downloads: Everyone would love such an opportunity, but so few get it…
@blur: That’s why I watch anime, to imagine the alternate realities that I wish could be.
the artwork sure is very different! i like this style.
@”G”: Me too. I love this style. I especially like the third picture.
Just finished it… Wow! Love it…
Thanks for posting this. Without it, I’d probably never push it up on my to-watch list and never get to experience such a great anime.
@blur: Thanks a lot. Your comment really makes me feel like my reviews are not completely and utterly worthless.
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One of the best animes/mangas ever no doubt about that ^_^
@obsidianfactory: It’s definitely a very interesting watch and I’m glad you agree.
The art style does indeed remind me of NANA as others have commented. I wonder what an anime version of America’s Next top Model will look like? Well, guess I’ll have to pick this show up and find out.
Oh comrade Yi, I do hope you enjoy reading my reviews as much as I enjoy reading yours. I don’t want a lot of fans, I just want to help others find anime worth watching or throwing into the trashcan if I say it’s bad…only after they themselves discover how bad it is out of curiosity.
As you can probably imagine, I love love love the fashion aspect of this anime. The dreams of glamour… etc.
Anyways, I love your reviews and I think you do a great job of pointing out the good and the bad of an anime.
p.s. When you make a comment, you can link to your forum page of reviews under “website” so other people here can enjoy your reviews as well.
I liked Paradise Kiss, it gave me a different feel to it than other anime have in the past.
I also liked that George was Bisexual, there aren’t many LGBT members in anime that aren’t yaoi or yuri based. Although I think it would have been nice if they dug a bit deeper into his relationship with his boyfriend, but I guess since the story was about Yukari; they didn’t.
Yea, it’s a very different and stylish anime.
Also, I think you make a great point. George’s being bisexual is something we don’t see too often in anime, and even less, as the male protagonist in a shoujo anime. But I love that Paradise Kiss did not shy away from that, and I think it worked really well.