Paradise Kiss 2

Paradise Kiss #2

by Ai Yazawa

Beautiful fashion, endless romanticism, and those incredibly well dressed gorgeous boys return in the second volume of Ai Yazawa’s Paradise Kiss. 
 
A lot seems to be happening the life of Paradise Kiss’s enthusiastic heroine Yukari Hayasaka in this second volume.  For starters, both her modeling career and her relationship with the enigmatic pretty boy George begin to take off. One day she's a normal high school girl, the next she stops attending classes and gets scouted by a modeling agency. Yukari thinks she has it all, now that she has George and the rest of her new friends at the atelier.  However, what will happen when she realizes that maybe her love with George isn’t all that she fantasized it would be, and that she can’t run from her real life forever?

Genres: Manga, Josei, Romance, Graphic Novels, Comics, Comics Manga, LGBT

264 pages, Paperback

First published December 4, 2012

About the author

Ai Yazawa (Japanese: 矢沢あい, Yazawa Ai) is a Japanese manga author and illustrator. Her pen name comes from singer Eikichi Yazawa, of whom she is a fan.
Yazawa started her comics career in 1985. She specialises in shojo manga (girls' comics). Most of her works have been serialised in the magazines 'Ribon', 'Cookie' and 'Zipper'.
Yazawa's stories focus on young, often rebellious women and their relationships. The characters are always very stylish, and Yazawa herself is known for her sense of fashion. (She even attended a fashion school for some time after high school.)
Among her most famous manga are Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai (I'm No Angel, 1992–1995), Neighborhood Story (1995-1998), Paradise Kiss (1999-2004), and Nana (2000-2009), the latter awarded a Shogakukan Manga Award in 2003. Some of these works have been adapted into anime and live action movies.

Reviews

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe as a teenager the idea of running away from home is exciting but truthfully it's SO stupid. STAY IN SCHOOL. LISTEN TO YOUR PARENTS. Believe me, wait to grow up, the world isn't running away.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness...I never would have guessed this volume was so raunchy!!!

[Nisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

My full review is posted in Volume 1.
My Paradise Kiss Review

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm literally in love with this story omfg, I don't want it to end 😭

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich bin froh, der Mangareihe noch eine Chance gegeben zu haben. Dieser Band hat mir besser gefallen als der Auftakt und ich hoffe, dass der Folgeband dieses Niveau halten kann.

Yukaris Persönlichkeit beginnt sich weiterzuentwickeln und neben den spannenden Einblicken in die Modewelt und ihren ersten Erfahrungen als Model wird auch deutlich, dass sie sich mit Georges Verhalten ihr gegenüber nicht wohlfühlt. Sie wird immer weniger zu einer Figur, die er einfach herumkommandieren und kontrollieren kann und das gefällt mir. Ich möchte sehen, wie sie ohne ihn erfolgreich wird.

Ich fände es sehr spannend, wenn sie im kommenden Band ihre Beziehung zu ihm noch stärker reflektiert und lernt, auf eigenen Beinen zu stehen. Außerdem bin ich erleichtert, dass sie wieder zur Schule geht, um ihren Abschluss zu machen. Man merkt, dass sie beginnt nachzudenken und über die ersten glücklichen Gefühle der Verliebtheit hinauszusehen, durch die sie vieles vernachlässigt hat.

3,5 Sterne

[Romi (likes books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aah, this series. I only just finished it and already I'm longing to return. I found it so interesting and unique an experience, this series, because I could like and simultaneously dislike almost all of the characters and see their flaws, the ones they spoke of and were aware of and lived with (or regretted), and the ones they didn't, and it was all just a part of the story- their story. These are characters who are jealous and passionate and imperfect and angry, and yet for all the moments where they were malicious and vicious (excepting Miwako, who was always kindness itself, and Isabella, who never got involved) they had moments of pure love and sweetness, and it was all about the people they were.

[Nella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this volume out of all three large volumes to be the toughest to read. The writing and art are just as wonderful as the others, but the subject matter made it hard to get through. The main romantic relationship gets very toxic and emotionally abusive. Arashi and Miwako's romance turns physically and emotionally abusive as well. All the while, ParaKiss keeps working on the dress for the big day.

[emma ⁠☆｡⁠*⁠♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the way they break the fourth wall, especially in this volume is sooooo silly to me. I genuinely laughed multiple times because it was just so silly. I love when the magazine they're published in appears in world and yukari just stares out at the reader. very funny and also. uncanny. don't look at me.

[Princess Banana of Bananaland · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is too dramatic

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I still really enjoy reading this, I love the art and the idea, and I definitely want to read the last book in the series. There are still some problematic issues however, especially with Yukari and George's relationship. It was nice to see some character development on Yukari's side, but she really has to go a lot further before this series ends.

[simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

to often i see abusive and/or one sided relationships pretrade in a disgustingly romanticized light in modern young adult fiction, one need look no further then twilight or 50 shades. But unlike marrying the prince, yukari knows that what george wants is virtually impossible; someone who isn't submissive and thinks for themselves, but with that said, would they do so because he told them to, thus not thinking for themselves? I actually like how even given all this "love" and stuff she still goes home and finishes school, i just wish more kids would look into this series if not for the fact that shes strong willed enough to leave a sociopath while shes still young, and i just wish that more people finishing highschool know about this series. Because if anything, people should not have their future taken away just for what they think is love.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always forget how wonderful the Paradise Kiss series is. There is some wonderful, deep reflection by all of the characters about a variety of subjects. I love the discussion about traditional education vs. experience or untraditional post-highschool endeavours, and the exploration of how we are all in these webs of relationships, sometimes we treat people well, sometimes not.

[Nameh dah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mejor que el primero, con la misma calidad que el primero.
Te quiero, Vertical.

[Andres Halden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continues to be a fun, interesting series.

[Anaika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initial Read 5 stars
Second Read 5 stars

[Kiera Beddes · Rating 3 out of 5]

See review for part 1 for more thoughts.

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Süße girls, süße fits und ein toxic boy mit toxischen beziehungsdynamiken.