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overthemoonx · 4 months

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Paradise Kiss: I’m Glad Yukari is the “Other Woman”

⚠️SPOILER WARNING⚠️

Let’s play some LDR in here, we’re about to get serious!

Paradise Kiss is a manga and anime by Ai Yazawa, who also created Nana (which I realized is more recognized by the public)

It follows the story of Yukari, an 18 year old girl who’s spent her whole life revolving around academics. After a strange encounter with a group of fashion students at a neighboring school, all of Yukari’s prejudices are thrown out the window when she models for their upcoming fashion show.

The characters involved include Miwako, a bubbly girl which I will analyze later, George, the main love interest playboy, Arashi, Miwako’s boyfriend whose downright terrible, and Isabella, the only normal one of the group who I would absolutely die for.

But as of this moment, we are gonna focus of George and Yukari.

I call Yukari “the other woman” because unlike most anime plots, the main heroine DOESN’T get the guy at the end. And that’s what makes this anime and manga so incredible. The breakup at the end needed to happen.

Yukari meets George pretty spontaneously, as he was the one who encouraged her to model for the fashion show- and I mean, he did anything it took, even if it involved some manipulation on his end.

It can’t be denied that their relationship is extremely toxic. He’s a womanizer who keeps Yukari guessing about his other relationships. If you watch the show/read the manga for yourself, you’ll feel uncomfortable when the two interact. It’s that feeling you get when you have two friends whose relationship is so iffy that you KNOW it’s not gonna work. George does have his reasons for being the way he is, like his relationship with his mother and how it affected the way he sees certain aspects of a relationship and a person, but the relationship is unstable regardless. And Yukari knows this for a fact.

Most mangas would end with the main couple ending up together. But no, at the end of the series, George has plans in another country, and Yukari has dreams. In able to achieve their full potential, sacrifices have to be made. This includes their relationship.

What makes this amazing is that George even invited Yukari to come with him, but she refused. The growth and self-love George and the group have taught her to embrace has fully been sunken into her skin in the best way possible, even if it was learned the hard way. She can put herself first over their relationship.

Yukari ends up becoming a full-time model and marries the person she was interested in before George came along. She seems to be content, even if she didn’t “get the guy.” And that’s what’s so amazing. She didn’t need to, Yukari was complete all along.

#paradise kiss #anime and manga #anime #manga #ai yazawa #nana anime #nana manga #yukari hayasaka #rant post #rambles #character analysis #discussion

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friedricebunny · 1 month

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Thinking about haruichi again always reminds me of how haruichi is like. Genuinely such a funny dude and thus it makes me so mad that there were just so many stories with him where he really didnt do anything or hes just like there to be sexy I guess. like cmon voltage. Give him more george yazawa moments. Give him more chocolate coated lies event route moments. Give him more email moments.

#pj talks #pj talks about utt

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charlott2200 · 11 months

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Happy pride month 2023 !!!

All the prompts i could do this year💖

Prompts of @pridewrite

💖🤍💙💖🤍💙💖🤍💙💖🤍💙💖🤍💙💖🤍💖

Pride month art 2023

Day 14: transitioning+ gender euphoria /A-spec

Prompts of 2022 and 2021 💖

Character : Isabella yamamoto

From :paradise kiss

Canon

*the only part of the prompt is not canon is A-spec

Im not much of a fan of Ai yazawa works , but i know the the series cause the summary videos on the *rayo confuso youtube channel is an amazing argentinian yt channel specialized in shojo anime .

youtube

In the anime isabella is my favorite ,shes lovely and the anime tackle her trans identity themes 💖🤍💙

In the A-spec ,i headcanon isabella could be Aro/Ace ,many think she and Jouji (George' Koizumi) have something ,but for me they re the best friends or platonic .

Hope you like 💞.

#pride month art #pride month #pride #pride write #isabella yamamoto #paradise kiss #ai yazawa #trans character #transgender #trans #trans woman #canon #fan art #art challenge #my art #traditional art

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hxhhasmysoul · 8 months

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Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

These questions always have me like... do I know 10 of anything?

The order doesn't indicate anything, I will number them to keep track.

Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell- I could write that I love it because it has Coyote and end there because that'd be enough. But I also like so many of the characters Annie, Kat, Shadow and Robot, and Parley and Smit and like so so many of the characters. And most of all I love the world building and the story. God how amazingly it is set up.

Digger by Ursula Vernon- The black and white art style is stunning. The story and world building are just so so amazing. My inner anthropology enthusiast connects very deeply with this anthropology coded comic. And also it has Grim Eyes, and Ed and Shadow Child.

Blame! by Nihei Tsutomu - This is still the most beautiful comic I've seen. Idk what about it resonates with me so much but I regularly just like to open volumes at random and look at it. The concept is good too, don't get me wrong. And it's like a 10 vol manga that kinda has like 2 characters that matter and most pages don't have any dialogue or writing at all...

Every single piece of Kon Satoshi's - literally everything that man made is amazing. It's beautiful for one. But also everything he made was about perception of reality. About how reality is formed from the subjective human mind. How it is formed from imperfect memory and lack of full knowledge because it's impossible to have all the information. etc. He hasn't made much, his life was cut far too short. You can watch everything in a week and you should.

The Pillow Book by Sei Shounagon - This book is such a vibe. Shounagon can be subtle yet savage. It's a very easy read too, it's very relaxing. And you can just open it at random and read a bit and just enjoy its beauty.

Hunter x Hunter by Togashi Yoshihiro - It traumatised me, I haven't recovered since. It has permanently merged with my consciousness. It includes Gon and Killua and many other characters I love and very neat writing and a bs power system that's absolutely amazing.

Jujutsu Kaisen by Akutami Gege - It traumatised me, I haven't recovered since. It has permanently merged with my consciousness. It includes Yuuji and Kenjaku and some very neat writing and some frustrating writing and a bs power system that's absolutely amazing.

Parenthesis by Élodie Durand - It's one of the best uses of comic as a medium I've ever seen. The theme in itself is very much up my alley because it's about memory, and perception and the mind. But the way it uses comic... I don't think this story could've been told in any other medium, or if it was it just wouldn't be so much...

Mononoke (2007) by Toei Animation - Fuck me it's beautiful. I'm very not normal when it comes to textile art and it's like textile art but anime... And the stories are fucking amazing. It has a whole story about koudou the traditional art of incense ... There's nothing better than this.

The Duchess (2008) - It's a very entertaining fanfiction about the fascinating woman that was Georgiana Cavendish. Her biography is also a very good read but heavier, but also more nuanced. And Keira Knightley and Hayley Atwell are amazing in it. Plus the visuals...

___

I think I reached 10, yay. Honorable mentions to Berserk by Miura Kentaro - it's just beautiful; Avatar the Last Airbender - it still holds up after all this time; The Witcher aka what my teenage self loved (2 short stories books and the 4 volumes of the saga, the 5th book is so bad you should never read it); Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick - another fav of my teen self; Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa - it's about fashion and has fun characters just not George XD; Velvet Goldmine - the queerness and the fashion.

I'm 100% sure I'm forgetting a lot.

#i like comic books #and animation #mostly #about me #answering asks

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beautifulsnake2162020 · 9 months

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Rambling fangirl thoughts on the Parakiss anime and live action movie

So while there was a lull in my life I discovered Paradise Kiss because of StealTheSpotlight's video on how to dress like an Ai Yazawa character . I haven't personally watched any animes based on her work although I have seen how stylish both the manga and anime were. Out of all the three IPs discussed I was most drawn to Paradise Kiss because of the tall Victorian lady who I would later learn would be Isabella Yamamoto. She's like the version of me that I wish I could afford to dress up as more frequently.

I found myself binging all 12 episodes (I was surprised it was that short) in one day and I watched the live action version with english subs yesterday (or more specifically yesternight). And my gosh I am so glad I discovered it now while I'm in my 20s and not when I was in my teens otherwise I wouldn't have appreciated the ending as much.

Speaking of endings I found an article detailing the differences between the anime and the manga and how the anime and the live action adaptations are just not as good as how the last events in the manga took place. Now while I haven't read the manga yet, I will admit that this article peaked my curiosity into checking out the live action movie version.

The next section is just me rambling on the differences between the anime and the live action film and why I believe their respective endings work for each adaptation. There will be no reference to the manga because I haven't read it yet, but once I have the money to buy a hard copy of it I will.

Due to the differences in media there is inevitably going to be changes to how the story is told.

1.) The anime having the benefit of telling more longer stories could afford to be more nuanced was able to show why despite George and Yukari loving each other, they also weren't made to end up together. They helped each other grow and they definitely made an impact on each other but they were also not good for each other. George while helping Yukari become more independent and mature more, is emotionally unavailable and does tend to play games with her emotions whether it was intentional or not (or more importantly whether there was malicious intent or not). And Yukari is also quick to jump into conclusions and can be judgmental and hypocritical sometimes which is something that we see her eventually grow out of. By the time we get to the end wherein they broke up to pursuit their dreams, its bittersweet because we know it is necessary for both of them to grow and yet it is still painful. This break up was the start of them maturing into becoming a man and a woman. While they may not be a couple anymore there is a lingering sense that they are both grateful for the time they had with each other. Yukari has moved on and is engaged to Hiroyuki who is better for her than George was. And yet we also can't deny that it's because of her mistakes and experiences with George that Yukari has grown from the girl we saw in the beginning.

2.) The live action while still a wonderful adaptation in my opinion has the limitation of having to tell the entire story within two hours. Because of this I assume that the changes made here to make the story work within 2 hours are even more drastic than what the anime has chosen to cut. However having said that the changes that were made for the live action version totally works and even makes the ending wherein George and Yukari end up together worth it. In the live action, while there has been flirting and eye staring between them, they never officially became a couple. Heck it's most likely that in this version they didn't even sleep together unlike in the anime. And that changes a lot of things. Because they were at most, two people who are attracted to each other but they weren't a couple yet, George being emotionally unavailable could be excused as being focused on his graduation dress project and Yukari slowly learning not to brush off the hard work and passions of fashion design students, even if she may not share their passion for fashion designing. The stakes for the graduation fashion show are higher because in the movie their brand, Parakiss, failed to sell any clothes and the blue dress will also symbolize the last dress the team makes together before going their separate ways. It is only after her first runway walk that George allows himself to genuinely kiss her and she returns it unlike the first time he takes her into a hotel wherein she was really clear that she wasn't interested in being his sexual partner or a girlfriend. And over the course of the entire movie we see her falling in love with him even though she may not want to admit it yet. And it is because they weren't a couple yet and we don't know them as a couple during this time that makes the ending worth it. After their heart breaking separation and three years later we learn that she has rejected Hiroyuki and decided to focus on her career as a model. She has become a top model that International clients wants her to model for them which is how she ends up in New York and discovers that George is now a costume designer and Isabella gives her the address to his studio. Their reunion and them sharing a kiss and becoming a couple for the first time in this version of Parakiss is so satisfying because at this point they are both no longer teenagers but more certain adults who have both found their place in the world and found who they are. There's an optimism that in this version of their story, things may work out because both have grown. Which is why them ending up together only works in the live action version of the story but would be horrible in the anime version.

Overall I am glad both versions of this story exist. The anime being more realistic and bittersweet shows how not all people you love are meant to stay with you forever. This nevertheless does not invalidate the love shared or the impact that love has on a person's growth. While the live action shows a story of how sometimes you need to work on your dreams, your identity, and other parts of yourself before being ready to love someone else. And sometimes when the Universe knows you're ready, they'll send love your way.

I can't wait to pass the bar exam next year so that I could finally read the manga.

#Paradise Kiss #Fangirl ramblings #Ramblings on the differences of the anime and the live action adaptations have #both are great #both are valid #I am glad both versions exist #yukari hayasaka #george koizumi #Yukari x George #George x Yukari #None of my irl friends have seen it yet so I'm releasing it here #Because I'm a romantic I might make a fanfiction for live action George and Yukari #And yet another fanfiction idea among many floating in my brain #Parakiss #Paradise Kiss anime #Paradise Kiss live action #Also I just realized that Yukari in the live action played Rei in PGSM #media discussion

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trashmouth-toastzier · 1 year

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oi oi hello it was gay month and i had changed the layout of my tumblr for the first time since i created it :)!! then i drafted this post and only just found it now lol

decided to introduce myself a little and make a list of the non-male characters i like since my bio is a list of the fictional men i like >:)

hi im jules (u can also call me volantis), im 23 and im a non binary lesbian, i use they/them pronouns (and iel/yel in french), im british-french 😔✊ and i also speak some german

here are some of my favourite non-men!!!! (any characters who don't use he/him and/or identify as men) fictional characters:

genshin-> keqing, yanfei, klee, yoimiya, hu tao, shen he, yae miko, qiqi, xinyan, mona, lumine, arlecchino, beidou, collei, diona, dehya, faruzan, fischl, lisa, kujou sara, nahida, ningguang, xiangling

honkai star rail-> hook, natasha, bailu, seele, march 7th, herta, jingyun, kafka

honkai impact-> herrscher of sentience

mha-> himiko toga, mina, mei, ragdoll

proseka/vocaloid-> tenma saki, gumi, kagamine rin, hinomori shizuku, shiraishi an, yoisaki kanade, shininome ena, mayu, seeu, kaai yuki

magnus chase/percy jackson-> alex fierro, hazel levesque, piper mcclean

great pretender-> cynthia moore, abby jones

professor layton-> katrielle layton, flora reinhold, lucy baker, goldie potsby-mahn

love live-> tsushima yohane, yazawa nico, arashi chisato, emma verde, hanamaru kunikida, haruka konoe, kanata konoe, nakasu kasumi, tang keke, minami kotori, ohara mari, yoneme mei, mia taylor, tojo nozomi, tennoji rina, kazuna sarah, heanna sumire, watanabe you, ranpha, shirase koyuki, shitara fumi, kirihara yuuka, miyashita coco, hasekura kasane, kikkawa mizuki, tanaka sachiko, saeki reine, nishimura fumie

homestuck :') -> terezi pyrope, latula pyrope, rose lalonde, kanaya maryam, nepeta lejion, meulin lejion, roxy lalonde, calliope

tokyo mew mew-> aizawa minto, huang bu-ling

little witch academia-> diana cavendish, constanze albrechtsburger

bungou stray dogs-> yosano akiko, lucy montgomery

vanitas no carte-> dominique de sade, chloé apchier, amelia

black butler-> meyrin

pandora hearts-> alice, sharon rainsworth

vampire princess miyu-> miyu

tangled the series-> cassandra

it-> bev marsh

ensemble stars-> anzu, narukami arashi

x-men-> kitty pryde, rogue, mystique, emma frost, jubilation lee, polaris (lorna dane)

moomin-> little my, snorkmaiden

saiki k-> mikoto aiura, imu rifuta

dyslite-> feng nuxi, bai liuli, camille, catherine, yuuhime, discboom, elaine, heng yue, intisar, jiang man, li guang, mona, lin xiao, ye suhua

taz-> lup taaco, aubrey little, dani, lydia, lucretia, N0-3113, irene baker, gandy dancer

the raven boys-> blue sargent

pokemon-> jessie, lillie, blanche, acerola, mina, plumeria, klara, marnie, melony, nessa, sonia, opal, iono, nemona, tulip, mela

yuukoku no moriarty-> miss hudson

the magnus archives-> basira hussain, george barker, helen richardson, melanie king, jane prentiss, nikola orsinov, sasha james

teen titans-> raven, starfire, terra, jinx, bumblebee

bee and puppycat-> bee, cas wizard, toast

stranger things-> max, robin, erica

cookie run-> latte, strawberry crepe, scorpion, hydrangea, snow sugar, bellflower, black garlic, spinach, captain ice, snake fruit, kumiho, starfruit, moon rabbit, lychee dragon, pond dino, angel, black pearl, oyster, sea fairy, moonlight, pumpkin pie, cotton, cream puff, pinecone, milky way

idolm@ster-> hoshii miki, kikuchi makoto, takatsuki yayoi

etc... cause if not we'll be here for years (watch me add more when i think of them)

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aokuro-san · 2 years

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I'm watching some great summaries of Ai Yazawa's "Paradisse Kiss" (I don't know why, reading this author's work is harder than seeing these detailed summaries)... And George is going to become one of the manga characters most horrible I've ever seen (even within Yazawa's work, who is always excellent at creating such horrifyingly realistic characters. Like Takumi or Shoji in “Nana”).

PS: The reality of dating a bad looking ENTP I guess xD

#paradisse kiss #commentary #manga recommendation #entp #george koizumi #george is horrible

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aspiring-holistic-otaku · 1 month

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Season 3 Ramble#4 - All About Art ver.2

As you probably guessed from the title, this episode is all about art. Art is crazy subjective, with a crazy amount of forms, each form having a crazy amount of styles and each practitioner having their own unique spin or application. Art is huge, and I don’t think it’d be right for me to just be yapping on and on about it all by myself, so just like in version 1, which of course I encourage you to check out, I have a guest with me to help out today.

Now how this ramble is gonna go is that unlike other rambles where I rank, describe and then give my opinion on whatever manga I’m going on about that month, this time I'm gonna try and bring up what I thought were the main points of the manga in a more subtle way. I’m still going to give a general description of the manga but instead of the usual yapping we’re going to look at questions asked by the different manga so we can have the more contemplative yapping I believe the subject of art calls for.

I'm not going to transcribe the entire episode here in this post, what I'm going to do is give the descriptions as I said and include questions I thought they asked. If you're interested in our responses please listen in and if the questions themselves interest you please feel free to respond with your own answers. In either or neither case, the manga is still the focus of the podcast so their details are included below.

I usually come up with the descriptions myself unless otherwise stated but this episode all descriptions were pulled from anilist. also the list isn't ranked, the manga are ordered in the way I thought the questions best progressed.

Ok now we can get into it

1) Paradise KISS (story and art by Ai Yazawa, complete w 48 chapters)

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, art-snob extraordinaire. In a glamorous makeover of body, mind and soul, she is turned from a hapless bookworm into her friends 22 own exclusive clothing model.

Do you think the arts are taken seriously?

If you had a child and they wanted to be an artist what would be your reaction?

2) Seaside Cinema Paradise (art and story by John Tarachine, 9 chapters ongoing)

After turning 65 and bereaved of her husband, Umiko visits a cinema for the first time in decades. A shocking, life-changing event awaits her. When she meets Kai, an art student majoring in film, Umiko realises that she wants to make a film. She realises that she is on the side of "the people who want to make films"... Lured by the waves that stir her heart, the 65-year-old dives into the sea of film!

Do you think there's a “too late" to start artistry?

What do you think about formal education in the arts?

3) Girl Meets Rock (Story by Kuwahali and Art by Tetsuo Ideuchi, 18 chapters ongoing)

With a passion for richly textured Japanese rock, first-year high school student Chihiro Hatono steps into the world of the light music club, new guitar in tow. But what awaits her behind those doors...? A drama of unfiltered youth and musical ambition takes the stage!

What do you think is the right attitude for starting an art?

What are some common beginner mistakes you've made or noticed?

4) Rock it, Girl! (Story and Art by Minoru Tanaka, complete w 12 chapters)

Kaname likes playing her guitar and singing by the streets and can't believe her ears when a strange girl who's actually a music producer suddenly offers her a contract for a debut CD.

However she tells Kaname that her voice is completely worthless and that she'll have to debut within a band and just be the guitarist. Furthermore, the vocalist who will sing the songs in her place is an arrogant girl full of herself who immediately starts bullying her; however...

How important do you think personal feelings are to art?

What do you think is more important to keep in mind when creating art, personal feelings or monetary value?

5) Dragon and Chameleon(Story and art by Ryou Ishiyama, 8 chapters ongoing)

Hanagami Garyo reigns supreme at the pinnacle of the manga world, a genius author boasting millions of copies sold. An unrenowned rookie, Miyama Shinobu, lurks in the shadows below, consumed by his envy for fame. Their fates intertwine when an unlucky accident leaves Hanagami and Miyama swapped into one another’s bodies. As Hanagami tries to reclaim what is rightfully his and Miyama refuses to yield, the two mangaka enter a fierce battle with their bodies and pride on the line.

If you could switch bodies with any artist who would it be and why?

What would you do in their bodies?

6) Thermae Romae (Story and Art by Mari Yamazaki, complete w 39 chapters)

When Roman architect Lucius is criticized for his “outdated” thermae designs, he retreats to the local bath to collect his thoughts. All Lucius wants is to recapture the Rome of earlier days, when one could enjoy a relaxing bath without the pressure of merchants and roughhousing patrons. Slipping deeper into the warm water, Lucius is suddenly caught in the suction and dragged through the drainage at the bottom of the bath! He emerges coughing and sputtering amid a group of strange-looking foreigners with the most peculiar bathhouse customs... over 1,500 years in the future in modern-day Japan! His contemporaries wanted him to modernize, and so, borrowing the customs of these mysterious bath-loving people, Lucius opens what quickly becomes the most popular new bathhouse in Rome—Thermae Romae!

If you could travel to any time and place to learn from any artist who would it be?

What do you think about classic vs contemporary when it comes to art?

7) Descending Stories (Story and art by Haruko Kumota, complete w 32 chapters)

This multi-generational epic dives deep into rakugo, a rich form of Japanese storytelling theater. Small-time crook Yotaro has never forgotten the rakugo tale "The God of Death," which the master Yurakutei Yakumo performed for Yotaro during his time in prison. After his release, he goes to Yakumo's theater and pleads to be made his apprentice. Yakumo reluctantly accepts, but Yotaro quickly finds the world of rakugo is complex and grapples with a growing bond with Yakumo's ward, Konatsu. Meanwhile, the two young people bring reminders of Yakumo’s own inescapable past.

Are there any local Jamaican art forms you think are dying and would like to see doing better?

What do you think it would take to see that change for the better?

What did you think about this ramble concept?

I’m gonna go ahead and mention that I make animanga shirts fr now, you can find them on any of my social media by searching MM..AN(I)FASHION, only in jamaica for now but eventually I hope to work with actual publishers and manga creators because honestly it’s not even really about the money it’s just I want the community to have merch they can wear and be proud of but in any case I guess that’s really it... so have a good one until next time.

P. S

as I mentioned in the ramble when I focus on art I try to also look at more art forms than manga because variety is the spice of life. you can check out that "journey" in the link below if you're interested.

#just another day #mm..manga #writeup #paradise kiss #seaside cinema paradise #girl meets rock #rock it girl #dragon and chameleon #thermae romae #descending stories #Spotify

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xxacademy · 2 years

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i could change him <\3

#i’m in love with everything abt him just HOW does he look like this #and he makes clothes?? KILL ME #paradise kiss #george koizumi #jōji koizumi #jōji #ai yazawa

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tonitart · 3 years

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All I really want is you What would you do?

I really think this song fits Yukari’s feelings for George so well.

#they are really that aesthetic couple I like in manga #Made me want to dress up well #paradise kiss #parakiss #george koizumi #yukari hayasaka #ai yazawa #fanart #manga #josei manga #illustration #my art

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knuckleduster · 3 years

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a reading of nana where they're in love with each other definitely works but i really do also think reading it as "just" a friendship is still really good bc it's ultimately a story about the relationship between these two girls rather than their eventual romantic partners which is meaningful regardless of what the relationship between the two is. this is also honestly why i think nana being unfinished and open ended is not that big of an issue bc its not just abt how their relationships will end up at the end of the story

#personally i think theyre both a bit in love w each other but wont realize it #especially with how heavy both of their relationships end up being #also itd be too good of an ending for ai yazawa like same reason yukari and george didnt end up together

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2kise · 4 years

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hi...

#how does he like his eggs in the mrlmmkdkkmdmmdmmnmrmmmmemnnnrn morning #what is he so pretty for #yazawa never disappoints when it comes to chafacter designs IM GOING THROUGH IT #g g g g geo george?????????????????#t the th the funky hair the the the🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒#parakiss

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charisaloser · 2 years

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Paradise Kiss: Self expression and Self actualization

While they are many types of self expression, having a personal style unique to you is possibly one of the easiest and creative ways to do so.

When I first came across Ai Yazawa's work, it wasn't the art style or the praise from fans that initially drew me in. It was the fashion. Yazawa's work stands out to me from other manga and anime in the slice of life genre.(especially those released in the 2000s). Each character has a distinct style and silhouette. They wear different outfits and hairstyles, and sometimes even have changing body features. This helps create a more engaging narrative. Not only that, it can give us insight into the characters.

While often overlooked, character design is an imperative device to establish your unique and distinct style as an artist.

Today, we will be at looking what I believe to be Yazawa's best work when it comes to fashion and character design: Paradise Kiss.

I think one of the main themes in Paradise Kiss is self expression, and it's many forms.

For most of the main cast{Arashi, Miwako, Mikako, George, & Isabella} this comes in the form of their fashion.

Arashi Nagase

Arashi dresses in a style reminiscent of british punk and visual kei. He has prominent spiked hair, countless piercings, a tattoo on one arm, and is often seen wearing punk-style jewelry and darker colours, with the occasional pinch of yellow in many of his outfits. He sports ripped tees, combat booths and leather jackets. He practically embodies the british punk style that Ai Yazawa is so very fond of. True to his punk style, Arashi also plays guitar in a punk band.

Miwako Sakurada

Arashi's style is in stark contrast to his girlfriend Miwako's, who almost exclusively wears soft, light colours. Especially pink and white. While her clothes aren't always loyal to one particular style, it is evident that many of her outfits are inspired by popular Japanese street fashion, for example; Lolita & Harajuku. She is partial to frilly, ruffled pieces of clothing that often feature lace. Miwako's cutesy style is fitting for her often childlike personality.

Isabella Yamamoto

Isabella is almost like the mother figure to the main cast. Her style is mature, structured, and consistent. Out of the entire ParaKiss crew, her style is the one that remains the most consistent throughout the series. She grows through the smallest amount of growth. And believe me, that is NOT a bad thing. It's as if she's the rock of the group, reinforcing her role as the mother figure. A glamourous, feminine, and victorian esque style. She almost always wears the colour purple, or some kind of floral pattern. She sports long skirts, frilly blouses, and extravagant hats. Expensive, and Victorian aristocrat inspired, Isabella's style is one befitting of somebody of her personality and status.

George Koizumi

Last, but not least, we have George, our deuteragonist and a lover of artifice and fashion. If Isabella is the mother figure of the group, George is undoubtedly the father, or the cool big brother. Ai Yazawa has confirmed that George's style was inspired by the character Brian Slade, from Velvelt Goldmine. George almost exclusively wears polished, often patterned, expensive looking suits. He sports hats, and often many accessories. George's style is sexy, professional, and polished, befitting of somebody of his status and background. He is partial to, and often represented by the colour blue.

Yukari Hayasaka

All four of the aforementioned characters express themselves through their fashion and their designs. They have unique, and distinct styles, which reveal details about that character to us. And despite their differing styles, all four of them find comfort in eachother, and form 'Paradise Kiss'.

This brings us to our main character, Yukari. When we first meet her, Yukari is a typical highschool girl. She knows next to nothing about fashion. And to be completely honest, her character design and fashion sense are pretty uninteresting. She really doesn't appear that different from any protagonist in any shoujo or josei manga.

In short, in comparison to the rest of the Paradise kiss crew, Yukari initially doesn't seem all that special. Unlike them, she doesn't dress in a way that really shows who she is. She has no form of self expression.

That said, let's get into how and why Yukari changes over the course of the series.

When we meet her, Yukari is nothing more than a typical highschool student, albeit a highly intelligent one. But despite her straight A's and constant studying, she has almost no idea what she wants to do with her life. Under constant pressure from her mother, Yukari studies hard day after day, almost never asking herself what SHE wants to do. That is, until she meets George, our second protagonist, and Yukari's main love interest.

Initially, George is one of the main reasons Yukari begins to fall behind in school, and yet he is what is pushing her to be BETTER. Until she meets George, Yukari almost never steps out of her comfort zone. Even worse than that, she has no real form of self expression. That later comes in the form of modelling.

Even after spending such a short time with the Paradise Kiss crew, Yukari finds herself torn between two paths: the career oriented life her mother and everybody else expect of her, and the purpose and happiness she feels as a high fashion model. She's torn between what her mother wants, and what she herself wants.

Yukari soon realizes that she has spent her whole life until now studying for no reason other than to please her mother. She realizes that she has no desire to pursue her schooling further, and so she begins to pursue modelling. But it's hard, since she's only ever given in to the will of others. To put it simply, she doesn't know how to be her own person. And when she begins her relationship with George, she pretty much tries to just give in to his will, just as she's done for her mother all these years. But George doesn't allow this.

In simple terms, he pretty much tells her that they shouldn't rely on eachother so much. They both need space to form their own identities and choose who exactly they want to be. For George, he expresses himself through his designs and his fashion. But for Yukari, she doesn't really have an outlet. He tells her that if she just tries to become what others want her to, she won't be her own person, bug merely a reflection of somebody else's desires. She needed to find meaning, something to push her, something to help her become who she needed to be. A form of self expression.

{I don't think George was actually as clear about all of this as I'm making him out to be. To be frank, he was kind of an ass about it. That said, this is my understanding of what he tried to tell her, just simplfied.}

Until she meets George, Yukari lives the life her mother wants her to. Perhaps the life her mother wishes she herself had, but couldn't achieve for one reason or another. This idea of expectations from one's parents is also reflected in George's mother, who has an idea of what she wants George to become, and an idea of what she wished she could ve become, had George never been born.

'So you had a child, and quit modelling. Are you seriously going to place all the blame for that on a man? Where does your own will fit into all of that?'

While I love Yukari, and George's mother certainly deserved to be called out for the way she spoke about her own son, this was hypocritical of her. Despite being the same age as most of the Paradise kiss crew, unlike them, she has no form of self expression. Not only that, her entire life up until now has been dictated by other people. And then when she meets George, the first person who tries to push her into independence, she pretty much tries to rely on him. Where did HER will fall into all of that?

I think Yukari realized just how hypocritical she sounded here as she was saying it. It's here where she realizes just what George was trying to tell her this whole time:

If you derive your own value from other people's views of you, you are nothing more than an image from somebody else's head. You are not your own person.

To be completely honest, I relate to Yukari here. It's hard to try to and find yourself when there are so many expectations from family and society on you. Being forced into a role you don't want is something that's hard to shake, and I wouldn't wish that feeling on anybody. And it can have large effects on one's mental health, and their quality of life.

I think that the lesson Yukari learns in this series is one that most, if not all teenagers must learn at some point if they want to be truly happy. It doesn't matter if you don't fit the expectations of the people around you, as long as you are who you want to be.

It's your life, and nobody else's. And if your life isn't yours and only yours, it isn't a life.

As she grows and spends more time with the Paradise Kiss crew, Yukari's modelling career begins to take off, and she begins to develop a sense of style that is truly her. She's cemented herself as a member of the Paradise kiss crew. The style she develops is one befitting of a high fashion model. Sophisticated, sleek, and trendy. She sports dainty jewelry, tall high heels with details often associated with menswear often incorporated into her outfits. A stark difference from her teenage self, who was pretty unfashionable.

By the end of the manga, Yukari has found success and acceptance as a high fashion model. Her chic, confident, sleek new style embodies this, showing just how mature she's become over the years. Even when she and George have long seperated, Yukari flourishes, finally becoming what he always wanted her to be; her own person. Independent and thriving.

Even though their paths will likely never cross again, the advice George gives Yukari was essential to her becoming who she wanted to be. The two move on with their lives, flourishing in their respective careers, all while keeping the other in their heart.

Apart, but content.

#anime #nana #nana anime #paradise kiss #yukari hayasaka #george koizumi #miwako sakurada #arashi nagase #isabella yamamoto #nana komatsu #nana osaki #manga #fashion #self expression #self actualization #Paradise kiss #parakiss #neighbourhood story #ai yazawa

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