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Paradise Kiss

I don't particularly go in for fashion, and dramas are not my favorite type of anime. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed Paradise Kiss, a romantic drama about fashion, modeling, love and self-discovery. I'd heard virtually nothing about this short series, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it quite engrossing and well-produced.

Paradise Kiss follows the life of Hayasaka Yukari, a high school girl who's always tried to be a serious student in order to please her mother. A group of student fashion designers approach Yukari out of the blue one day and ask her to model a dress they're creating; Yukari accepts, and along the way begins to question the direction of her own life.

The show continues from there, with a plot that's both surprising and realistic. It's straight drama and romance, with no action and almost no comedy aside from some jarring super-deformed sequences (they don't seem so out-of-place after the first few times, though). Paradise Kiss is only twelve episodes long, and the plot feels tight and well-paced, with no filler in sight.

Paradise Kiss' artwork is beautifully detailed, but not as smoothly animated as it deserves: many parts are noticeably choppy, especially some of the mouth movements. On the other hand, the music is fitting and memorable, especially the mesmerizing opening theme "Lonely in Gorgeous" by Tommy February⁶.

The character design and execution in Paradise Kiss are a triumph: all of the main characters are well-rounded, sympathetic and absolutely believable, due in no small part to the stellar voice acting. There are few, if any, stereotypes, even among the secondary cast members who necessarily lack time for development due to the show's length.

I'd recommend Paradise Kiss highly to any fan of romantic drama, of course; but even for those like me who don't consider themselves fans of the genre, I'd suggest watching an episode or two— Paradise Kiss has a way of pulling you in from the start, and I doubt you'll find it a waste of your time.