パラダイス・キス

PARADISE KISS

ANIME

STATUS
COMPLETE
EPISODES
12
RELEASE
December 29, 2005
LENGTH
24 min

DESCRIPTION

Hayasaka Yukari is a typical high-school student who listens to her parents and attends school every day. As she starts to question her way of life, she encounters a group of fashion design students who have a clothing label known as "Paradise Kiss." The group needs to find a model to showcase their designs in an up-coming fashion show and decides to pick Yukari. Initially reluctant to be associated with this seemingly eccentric group, she eventually realizes they are really nice people. Furthermore, their passion and enthusiasm to follow their ideals make Yukari realize she has not been enjoying her life and thus motivates her to pursue her own dreams. The story follows Yukari as she gets involved in the group and eventually falls in love with the leader, George.

CAST

Miwako Sakurada
Marika Matsumoto
Yukari Hayasaka
Yu Yamada
George Koizumi
Kenji Hamada
Isabella Yamamoto
Chiharu Suzuka
Arashi Nagase
Shunsuke Mizutani
Mikako Kouda
Rumi Shishido
Risa Kanzaki
Urara Takano
Tsutomu Yamaguchi
Kappei Yamaguchi
Hiroyuki Tokumori
Noriyuki Uchino
Seiji Kisaragi
Shinichirou Miki
Kozue Shimamoto
Youko Soumi
Alice Yamaguchi
Rumi Shishido
Kaori Aso
Miho Saiki
Konishi
Tooru Nara
Nakayama
Kotomi Yamakawa
Yukino Koizumi
Yoshino Takamori
Taku Hayasaka
Makoto Tsumura
Jouichi Nikaidou
Kouichi Iwaki
Hamada-sensei
Akiko Kawase
Yasuko Hayasaka
Shouko Tsuda
Higasa
Akeno Watanabe
Sebastian
Kenichi Ogata

EPISODES

Dubbed

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Not available on crunchyroll

RELATED TO PARADISE KISS

MANGA DramaParadise Kiss

ANIME ComedyGokinjo Monogatari

REVIEWS

Aidashpy
65/100
Navigating the Adult World: A Grounded and Mature Coming-of-Age Story That Desperately Needed a Few More Episodes
EDIT: Now that I have read the manga, the anime completely botched the ending. The source is fantastic and fully realized unlike the anime's unfortunate and somewhat contradictory ending.

Paradise Kiss is a coming-of-age story that follows the journey of Yukari, a young woman who has never found her passion in life. But after being thrown into the world of fashion modeling, she finally discovers something she loves. However, this is not just a feel-good story of escapism. The show delves into the harsh realities of pursuing one's dreams, depicting the constant obstacles and struggles that come with it.

The relationships between characters, whether they be familial, friendly, or romantic, are portrayed as complex and challenging. The show does not shy away from depicting the toxic and imperfect nature of these relationships. A prime example is the relationship between Yukari and George, which is filled with uncertainty and often feels one-sided. George treats Yukari more like a sexual object than a person, while Yukari herself is still trying to understand and navigate this new adult world she has found herself in. These relationships can be seen as a representation of the difficulties and complexities that come with growing up and finding oneself in the world.

Paradise Kiss also highlights the idea that even when working towards our dreams, there will always be rough spots and difficult decisions to make. This theme is echoed in the relationships between the other characters as well, with familial and romantic ties being portrayed as complicated and messy. This story does not sugarcoat the harsh realities of life and the struggles that come with it. However, despite these obstacles, Paradise Kiss manages to capture the beauty of pursuing one's passion and the sense of fulfillment that comes with it. It is a reminder that the journey towards our dreams is never easy, but it is worth it in the end. The first 11 episodes do a fantastic job of capturing this theme and capturing the audience's attention.

Unfortunately, the final episode, which had the task of adapting the final and longest volume of the manga, falls short. Instead of giving proper development and resolution to the relationships, it relies on melodrama as a cheap substitute. This leaves the story with an unsatisfying and unfulfilling ending despite the promise of the first 11 episodes. One of the biggest disappointments was the conclusion of Yukari's character. A story all about learning to live by herself and developing her own agency ends with her missing George 10 years after the conclusion of their relationship - a pretty strong contradiction to these themes. It's a shame that the story didn't receive the justice it deserved with just a few more episodes to satisfyingly conclude all of the plot points.

Another important aspect of Paradise Kiss is the representation of Isabella, a trans woman. While she is mostly a background character throughout the series, Yazawa Ai handles her story in a sensitive and respectful way. The reveal of her identity as a trans woman comes in the 10th episode, and it is done in a way that is both heartfelt and nuanced. It is unfortunate that Isabella does not have a more prominent role throughout the series, but the moments that do focus on her are well done and a highlight of this show. However, the final episode does not do her justice, as it ends with a cliche unrequited love story between her and George. This is a common trope for LGBT+ characters in media and it is a shame that the series ends on this note.

It's worth noting that the manga source material may have handled Isabella's story differently (I am fairly certain it does), and I plan on reading the manga to see how it compares.
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