Rating: 
Summary: Very Original
Review: "Paradise Kiss" is one of the best "new" manga to come out of Japan (It was first released in 2000 and is still being published) and I'm glad to see it in English. I am surprised though, that TokyoPop hasn't picked up "Gokinjo Monogatari," (Neighbourhood Story) as it was the prelude to Ai Yuzawa, and followed Mikako (Miwako's older sister) much more closely before the events of Paradise Kiss. Perhaps they will release it eventually (and maybe even the anime) if this title does well. You can read the story though, without any knowledge of Gokinjo Monogatari (although it doesn't hurt).
A new character is shoved into the spotlight for Paradise Kiss, and her name is Yukari. She is your typical prep, and her original attitude towards the art students provids for some witty humor. Don't pick up this title though if you're just looking for pointless humor, becuase Paradise Kiss is very dramatic on the other side.
Everyone who reads this will find themselves relating to at least one of the characters becuase they're all so diverse. Arashi particually stands out to me, and he's very fun and real. Based on a picture Miwako shows Yukari, he already had his eyebrow pierced in 3rd grade!
Rating:
Summary: A Comic Book Library Essential
Review: "Paridise Kiss" is deffinatly one of the best comic books I have so far picked up. It's loaded full of the very famous Japanese fashion. (Lolita Fashion, Japanese Street Fashion, etc.) It is so different from the usual comic books..(Notice that the eyes of Ai Yazawa's comics are diffrent and more wide than normal comic book charecter's eyes. For example, Sailor Moon, and Marmalade Boy.) Still, comic book strives to be diffrent, resulting in how now, there is a whole new style called "Para-kiss." You must check this book out, and if you might want to find out what Lolita Fashion is, you should check out the pure Japanese, infamous books... Gothic & Lolita Bibles, 1 through 4. (I believe that's as far as it goes.) Also, Alice Doll comic have Lolita fashion in them, and so does the comic book "Cinderella" (no, not the classic!) and Cardcapture Sakura...
Rating: 
Summary: a pleasant surprise
Review: Being a die-hard fan of CLAMP, at first I was horrified by Ai Yazawa's bold and different style. CLAMP prides itself in detailed, balanced, and delicate artwork, and I couldn't see the intrigue in Yazawa's illustrations. However, the style soon grew on me, and the plot itself was incredibly absorbing.
There are well-rounded characters, starting with Yukari and ending with Miwako. Yukari, especially being the main character, makes you resent/understand her. Yazawa's pictures are stylish and slightly heavy, but her innovative story-telling and a new look on teenage emotions are incredible. She pulls it off without becoming overly sentimental, angsty or trite.
The love story is slightly disturbing, but I think Yazawa never loses her sight of reality... with a good dose of otherworldliness. The characters are my age, but sometimes I feel like they're from another world, because of the glamour that is infused into them. But at those times, Yazawa introduces another aspect of the characters and their relationships, which keeps me glued to the pages. I think that ParaKiss focuses on young adults and their relationships to their aspirations and parents. An over-done topic, yes. But Yazawa makes it refreshingly wonderful... with a heavy mix of loneliness, sorrow and slight angst.
It was an incredible read, and I can't wait till the other ones come out.
Rating:
Summary: Yazawa-sensei is Amazing
Review: Exactly as the title of this post reads. Yazawa Ai-sensei is incredibly amazing. Interesting premise, good artwork (it tooka while for it to grow on me, but I love Miwako-chan's big pouty lips!), etc. I for one, love where the story seems to be heading. Prude Yukari is thrown into a world of fashion and is, well, forced to deal. o.O; It's a new experience for her to do ANYTHING besides study. The cast of characters are all crazy (in the good way), especially Arashi (...punk with several piercings) and George (playboy who claims to be bi--he seems to have at least a crush on Yukari, although he loves teasing her with his advances). Yknow what? I'm tired of writing this, just check it out because you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Mind blowing shoujo manga
Review: God, this manga is mind blowing! I bought all four series at once and all i do is stay up till morning reading and rereading it. i would've given it 5 stars if not for the obvious Flaw: Yukari Hayasaka, the heroine.The story starts off with Yukari grumbling about how she hates the city, walking across the street, her nose stuck in a book. yep, she's your typical japanese-university-entrance-exams student. But she was picked out by a real punky dude who noticed her unusually tall height (for a Japanese) and she was immediately sort of harassed to go somewhere with him. She was caught by the punky guy, Arashi and his 'accomplice' Isabella, brought down to their comfy studio, the hq of their fashion brand 'Paradise Kiss', and was proposed to be their model for their school's annual fashion show/contest. Here she immediately blows them off, showing her all-Yukari bitchy self (on which showson her looks, & on which Arashi had initially singled her out for), telling them fashion design-istas are NOTHING compared to the uni-entrance-students lot. Arashi then loses her temper on her, dissing her right back for being so stuck up while they had been nice to her all the while and scolds for being all-godly about herself, and in shock/shame, Yukari speeds off the studio, in her haste she had dropped her students pass. Enter George(Gorgeous, more like) - Johji Koizumi - and he agrees after seeing Yukari's pic on the passbook, for her to be their model. He is, after all, their fashion designer extaordinaire, the 'lackeys' - Arashi, Isabella and Miwako - were Yazawa Arts school designer class rejects, after all. George is their king and master. They fear him. They are bewildered by him. They (Arashi, usually) constantly want to kill him. George, a self proclaimed bisexual, is weird, cocky and confused. Product of a loveless childhood - his father a multimillionaire who pours him with money, not love, and his mother the mistress, giving him neither. He pulls all his stunts to get Yukari to be their model,and eventually, she did. The story simply developes itself at its own pace, delving into each character's lives and family, pushing the importance of family and friends, love and some other stranger, deeper emotions. Yukari and George try to figure out their feelings for each other, Yukari trying to figure out herself, George's cold attitude towards love and emotions (on which he has close to none except perhaps sadness). Isabella with her gender crisis (or not anymore, thanks to Georgy) and Miwako and Arashi's completely bewildering romance. And Hiroyuki, who doesn't know where to begin or start. He just is. God what a manga. It balances almost perfectly between outrageous comedy, serious romance, drama and that damn-sweet clothes that they all don. But it rips your heart out in a way like you never known before. Prepare thyself.
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Summary: Diffrent...new.....it's GREAT!!b^_~
Review: Hahaha...wow...i never ever thought i would read a book that had a plot like this but here i am...i picked it up, bought it...read it...and now i'm hooked...you will sure too be hooked! ^^ It's very funny but has a few..um...sexual scenes in it so if you don't like that kind of stuff, i would avoid it...but if you like that kind of stuff read, read, read. All the characters will quickly grow on you..seriously...a few might get on ur nerves and a few mare totally cute. If you wanna read a new but different managa...get this!!!!!! The art is just drawn so beautifully and the story/plot makes you reading. I like it, you'll like it, everyone will like it...get it. ^^
Rating:
Summary: Paradise Kiss is the BEST!
Review: I actually don't have much to add to what has already been said, but since ParaKiss is one of my favorite manga, I had to write something! The art is beautiful, detailed, and in a very orginal style. Her use of screentones is really pretty. She also uses a lot of neat effects, like tracing photographs to make backgrounds. Her writing is as good as the art. I like all the characters, even Yukari, who's pretty unlikable for the first half of the book. The best part, however, is the humor. Most humor manga are all about slapstick, weird exaggerations, and silly circumstances. It's nice reading one where the *writing* is funny. Plus, the clothes are cool! Now, go buy this manga!
Rating:
Summary: ParaKiss Paradise
Review: I have read all three Paradise Kiss books published at the moment, and flittering about as I wait for the fourth to become available. This is one of the best manga I have ever read, and I happened to have read over 50 different series. The book is about Yukari aka Caroline, an eighteen year old high school student who is slowly discovering that she is living a life that is choking her spirit. In a chance meeting with Arashi, the hotheaded punk; and Isabella, the drag queen who is throughly sweet, she becomes entangled with the whole ParaKiss group, including the irresistable Miwako and the unforgettable George; and discovers that there is more to life than just getting into college and becoming successful. This book is a self journey of Yukari and her figuring out what she wants out of life, combined with Paradise Kiss, the designer lable hoping to make it big through its four members and newfound model: Hayasaki Yukari
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Summary: my review of paradise kiss
Review: I have stopped liking manga and anime a few years ago. I used to be very interested in them but after a while certain aspects of them began to bother me. However, I must admit that I like Paradise Kiss a lot. Although it is a manga, the art is different from most manga and the writing style and descriptive quality are also different. In particular I like the clear intention of the author to make her manga similar to the movie Velvet Goldmine, which is an amazing movie--George is clearly based on Brian Slade and Seiji is based on Kurt Wild (by the way, I highly recommend this movie to those who liked Paradise Kiss--it's about glam rock).Good storyline too--I like that the main character is thinking critcally, is reevaluating her decisions, and recognizing her faults--I also find this not typical of most manga I have read. Oh, and I love the bi guys :)
Rating:
Summary: Strangely Beautiful
Review: I must say that this comic book (Manga) is by far more interesting than any other I have yet to read. This first book you just cannot put down. I endend it and imediatly ran to the nearest bookstore and bought all the other volumes. I am impatiently awaiting number 5's arrival. I highly recommend it!!
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