Rebecca's Thoughts

Originally in Top 4 Books of November and December

Paradise Kiss (Volumes 1-5) – Ai Yazawa 

Genre: Romance, Josai, Fashion, Coming of Age

AniList Synopsis: Yukari wants nothing more than to make her parents happy by studying hard and getting into a good college. One afternoon, however, she is kidnapped by a group of self-styled fashionistas calling themselves “Paradise Kiss.”

Yukari suddenly finds herself flung into the roller-coaster life of the fashion world, guided by George, an art snob extraordinaire. In a glamorous makeover of body, mind and soul, she is turned from a hapless bookworm into her friend’s 22-own exclusive clothing model.

Instead if just on book here’s 5!! Paradise Kiss is a Japanese Manga series that is up there when it comes to my favourites list! This series is a reread for me, and the anime that is adapted from this manga series is one of my all-time favourites. Really everything that Ai Yazawa writes is gold and although not her most known work I think that this one is the most complete and dare I say the best. Her most famous series is probably Nana and is also a series I’d recommend. Unlike Nana, this series is finished and has a proper ending so it wins bonus points in my book!

This series feels like a fever dream. The story whirls fast yet the story flows in an almost casual manner. I think the characters are what drive the story forward and are the soul of the series. This story is as much about fashion as it is about growing up and learning who you are. Paradise Kiss is a story that I keep coming back to and is reassuring in what it has to say. You don’t have to know what your future will look like, rather you just have to know what you want and do what will make you happy. I find great comfort in that message and think that this story is satisfying in how it deals with ideas like this.

The story is melancholic yet hopeful. I think that the contradictions contained within this series make it seem real and immersive. It’s about coming of age but also being at the point of seemingly not returning. It’s a series about making decisions yet not knowing what you want or what is the best choice. I think that this is a series that I relate to a lot and is something that I hold extremely close to and will talk about every opportunity I have.