Review and recommendation of Paradise Kiss, the anime

I just finished watching all 12 episodes of Paradise Kiss on YouTube (it's fansubbed and not yet released in the US, so there are no real copyright violations). Having dried my tears, I'm here to say if you like shoujo manga/anime, have read the manga, or just want to check it out, go watch Paradise Kiss.

My sister and I are big fans of the manga and have collected the entire series. It's short, only six volumes, but incredibly good. Because of the length the story is self-contained, taking place during only a few weeks time with a brief epilogue. It's about a group of kids at a fashion design school that rope in an unsuspecting student from a nearby private prep school to model their dress in the school fashion show and competition. (Image on the left shows, from top to bottom, Isabella, George, Yukari/Caroline, Arashi, and Miwako.) Yukari, or as they call her, Caroline, is forced to reevaluate her entire life as she begins modeling, falls in love, and discovers a life where people do what they really want to do, for themselves, rather than what is expected of them by parents or society. The manga itself is enjoyable, funny, heart-wrenching, and thought-provoking, and the art style, combined with the emphasis on fashion, makes for ornate pages, loads of detail, and some truly beautiful outfits.

The 12-episode anime follows the manga almost down to the letter. The only area where it's lacking is the detail in the manga which creates a slightly more cartoony, simplistic art style and kept me from the anime for a number of years after it's release. It's a pity that the detail got lost in the translation from comic to show, but it's also unavoidable. Other than that issue, the anime is virtually perfect. There is almost zero deviation from the plot line, the voice actors are very talented, the simpler art is still beautiful, even some of the best outfits are preserved. Seeing a treasured manga like this come to life was such a wonderful experience for me, but I'd recommend it to people that haven't read the manga as well (like you, maiden117). It's short enough to watch in a few days, easy to download, enjoyable to watch, and the ending is tear-filled and wonderful.

It may seem silly to find so much depth in a sort little manga about 18 year old fashion designers and a prep school kid, but the truth is that the depth really is there. Yukari's situation, George's choices, character backstory, and the fashion show itself all present questions about choosing actions and identity, human relationships (including both friendship and love), and personal responsibility. All of the answers that Parakiss offers are situational (and inspirational, encouraging the audience to find answers for themselves), but the questions are universal. The manga and show are both humorous, beautiful, sexy, and challenging. Somehow there's a balance between all of the above, and it works out very well.

I loved this as a manga and still love it as an anime. If you can find the time and are at all interested, go watch Paradise Kiss. Remember to watch out for Miwako's kompeito! And enjoy.