The appeal and reviews of "Paradise Kiss": A story of fashion and youth

The appeal of Paradise Kiss and its background

The TV anime series "Paradise Kiss," which aired in 2005, is based on the manga of the same name by Ai Yazawa, and is a work with themes of fashion and youth. This anime was produced as the second installment of Fuji TV's anime slot "Noitamina," and was loved by many viewers. Below, we will introduce the appeal and background of "Paradise Kiss," as well as detailed information about it.

story

The main character, Hayasaka Yukari, is a diligent high school student attending a preparatory school. She begins to question the way her parents tell her to live, and as she reexamines her own life, she encounters a group calling themselves "Parakiss." This group is made up of students from Yazawa Art Academy, and they scout Murasaki to be a model for a fashion show. Although she is confused at first, Murasaki is drawn to the unique personalities of these students, and the story depicts her growth and change.

Commentary

"Paradise Kiss" was produced as the second title for Fuji TV's anime slot "Noitamina." "Noitamina" aims to propose new directions for animation, and "Paradise Kiss" was produced as part of that. The original story was by Yazawa Ai, a popular shojo manga artist known for "NANA" and other works, with Kobayashi Osamu ("Beck") as director and Yuki Nobuyuki ("Record of Lodoss War") as character designer. Popular talent Yamada Yu also voiced the main character Murasaki, which became a hot topic.

cast

The main cast is as follows:

• Yukari Hayasaka/Yu Yamada
• George Koizumi/Kenji Hamada
• Miwako Sakurada (Miwako) / Marika Matsumoto
• Arashi Nagase (Arashi) / Shunsuke Mizutani
• Daisuke Yamamoto (Isabella)/Chiharu Suzuka
• Hiroyuki Tokumori/Noriyuki Uchino
• Yasuko Hayasaka/Shoko Tsuda
• Taku Hayasaka/Makoto Tsumura
• Yukino Koizumi/Yoshino Takamori
• Mikako Koda/Rumi Shishido
• Tsutomu Yamaguchi/Kappei Yamaguchi
• Alice Yamaguchi/Rumi Shishido
• Kozue Shimamoto/Yoko Sawami
• Kisaragi Seiji/Miki Shinichiro
• Hikasa/Akino Watanabe
• Professor Hamada/Akiko Kawase
• Sebastian/Kenichi Ogata
• Tonoha Hoji / Okite Porsche
• Kaori Aso/Miho Saiki
• Joji Nikaido/Koichi Iwaki

Main Staff

The following staff members were involved in the production of "Paradise Kiss".

• Original work: Ai Yazawa
• Published by Zipper
• Published by Shodensha
• Director, series composition, scriptwriter: Osamu Kobayashi
• Character design and chief animation director: Nobuteru Yuki
• Costume design: Atsuro Tayama (A/T)
• Art director, stylist/Asami Kiyokawa
• Color design: Yoshinori Horikawa
• Art Director: Shinichi Uehara
• Director of photography: Seiichi Morishita
• Edited by Yoshiko Kimura
• Sound Director: Masafumi Mima
• Music: THE BABYS, NARASAKI (COALTAR OF THE DEEPERS)
• Producers: Yoko Matsuzaki, Yukihiro Ito, Koji Yamamoto, Masao Maruyama, Ryo Oyama, Tetsuya Watanabe
• Animation producers: Masao Morosawa, Tsutomu Fujio
• Animation Production: Madhouse
• Produced by Parakiss Production Committee (Fuji Television, Aniplex, Dentsu, Madhouse, Shodensha)

Main Characters

The main characters are as follows:

• Yukari: A third-year high school student at a preparatory school. Nicknamed Caroline. She is at an age where she is questioning her own life and is often worried about it. She is scouted to be a model for Parakiss because of her height and beauty.
• George: A third-year student at Yazawa Art Academy. A man who aspires to be a designer. He is the central figure of Parakiss and has an outstanding talent for design. He is the son of a mistress and is rich.
• Miwako: The mascot of Parakiss. She is the younger sister of Mikako, the main character of the previous work, "Gokinjo Monogatari." She is currently staying with her older sister and her husband. She is very busy babysitting.
• Arashi: A guitarist in a band. He loves Miwako and is very jealous. He is a valuable straight man in Parakiss, which is full of funny characters.
• Isabella: A man's body and a woman's heart. A pattern maker for Parakiss who excels at cooking. She is Parakiss's wife who always supports George.
• Tokumori: Yukari's classmate and classmate. Yukari secretly has feelings for him.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• stage-1/Atelier (2005/10/13)
• stage-2/Illumination (2005/10/20)
• stage-3/Kiss (2005/10/27)
• stage-4/George (2005/11/03)
• stage-5/MOTHER (2005/11/10)
• stage-6/NEW WORLD (2005/11/17)
• stage-7／Butterfly (2005/11/24)
• stage-8／Tokumori (2005/12/01)
• stage-9/Designer (2005/12/08)
• stage-10／Rose (2005/12/15)
• stage-11/Stage (2005/12/22)
• stage-12/future (2005/12/29)

Theme songs and music

The theme songs and insert songs are as follows:

• OP1
  • Song Name: Lonely in Gorgeous
  • Lyricist: Tommy February 6
  • Composer: MALIBU CONVERTIBLE
  • Arrangement: MALIBU CONVERTIBLE
  • Sung by: Tommy February 6
• ED1
  • Song Name: Do You Want To
  • Lyricist: Alex Kavnouras, Nicholas McCarthy
  • Composer: Alex Kavnouras, Nicholas McCarthy
  • Arranged by: Rich Costey, Franz Ferdinand
  • Vocals: Franz Ferdinand
• IN1
  • Song Name: THE BABYS
  • Guitar: Shunsuke Mizutani
  • Bass: HRUNA
  • Drums: RIE
  • Vocals: Shunsuke Mizutani

Paradise Kiss Charm

Paradise Kiss is a work with themes of fashion and youth, and its appeal is manifold. First of all, the process in which the main character Murasaki reexamines her life is depicted realistically, evoking empathy from viewers. Another part of its appeal is the unique characters of the Parakiss members. Their dreams, worries, and relationships are carefully depicted, drawing viewers in.

Furthermore, the anime's visuals are also excellent, with meticulous attention to detail in the fashion design and colorful images. Character designer Yuki Nobuteru's technical skills shine through, faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work. Music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work, and not only the opening and ending songs, but also the insert songs enhance the quality of the entire work.

Background and production story

"Paradise Kiss" was produced based on the original work by Yazawa Ai. Yazawa Ai is known for her realistic portrayals, which she created using her experience in the fashion industry, and the staff made a great effort to recreate that worldview in the anime. In particular, the costume design was a focus of attention, with the fashion show scenes supervised by actual fashion industry professionals, resulting in a production that paid close attention to every detail.

Director Osamu Kobayashi also pursued the unique expression of anime while respecting the atmosphere of the original work. For example, in order to depict the changes in Murasaki's inner self, many scenes depicting the world from her perspective are included, allowing the viewer to deeply understand her feelings.

Viewer reactions and ratings

"Paradise Kiss" has been well-received by many viewers since it was first broadcast. In particular, many viewers sympathized with the story of the protagonist Murasaki's growth and the relationships between the members of Parakiss. The realistic portrayal of the fashion industry and the beautiful visuals were also highly praised.

Furthermore, the voice acting debut of Yu Yamada, who played the main character Murasaki, also became a hot topic, and her acting skills also attracted attention. Yu Yamada carefully expressed the delicate emotions of Murasaki, leaving a deep impression on viewers.

Recommendations and related works

For those who enjoyed "Paradise Kiss," we also recommend "NANA," another work by Yazawa Ai. "NANA" is also a work with the theme of youth and dreams, and depicts a deep human drama. Other interesting works set in the fashion industry include "Parasite Single" and "Designer."

Furthermore, for those who are interested in fashion, we recommend works with a strong fashion element, such as "Sailor Moon" and "Tokyo Ghoul." These works pay special attention to the costumes and styles of the characters, and are a great visual treat.

summary

"Paradise Kiss" is a work with a theme of fashion and youth, and its appeal is wide-ranging. Many elements have the power to draw viewers in, such as the coming-of-age story of the main character Murasaki, the unique characters of the Parakiss members, and the beautiful visuals and music. You can also feel the commitment and effort of the production staff, and it is a work that faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original. It has received high response from viewers and is a work that is loved by many. Please give it a watch.