Paradise Kiss

I discovered Ai Yazawa, perhaps like many others, through her well-known series NANA - it has basically been my "bible" ever since my early teenage years and gradually helped me a lot in becoming more accepting of myself. When I read that Ai Yazawa's work "Paradise Kiss" would be picked up by Vertical Comics and return with a 20th anniversary edition, I was beyond excited! Ai Yazawa has a very unique way of telling stories - her works may not be to everyone's liking but to me, the mixture of gripping emotions, humour, plot twists and the inspiring philosophy are simply brilliant. "Paradise Kiss" is no exception - we basically deal with a group of teens who want to chase their dreams, make it big in the fashion industry and find out who they really are and what they want to achieve in life. Although this may sound like a typical coming-of-age story, it is anything but that - instead, it comes with toxic romances, life-changing (and partly stupid) decisions, many "pearls of wisdom" and a depth unlike any other manga to date. The main character in this series is Yukari, a bookworm and a bit of a moody teenager without any particular dreams or interests. Basically, all she wants is to keep her mom somewhat satisfied by studying well and getting a decent job after graduating from a good university. But one day, she is discovered by a group of students from the Yazawa School for the arts - Arashi, an intimidating guy with lots of piercings; the motherly and ridiculously tall Isabella; incredibly kind Miwako who always feels inferior to her successful sister; and talented yet enigmatic designer George, who comes off as cocky but can actually be quite sweet. These guys all want Yukari to be their exclusive model in a fashion show - but she doesn't have any intention of following their invitation since going along would result in less time to study. But what must be, must be - and in the end, Yukari ends up getting a physcial makeover, entering the world of modeling, and struggling between following her own dreams and remaining her mom's presentable child. To make matters even more complicated, she also starts falling in love with George... whose feelings are incredibly difficult to decipher and whose reputation as a "boyfriend" doesn't seem to be particularly good... Generally speaking, it's impossible to describe Ai Yazawa's stories simply with words (though I tried) - you have to explore them yourselves and read them carefully if you want to get a grasp of more than just the big picture. If you haven’t yet owned this brilliantly dazzling work and don’t mind the slight unhandiness of an omnibus volume, I'd say it’s time for you to pick this one up! Yukari's internal transformation, the incredibly messy relationship she has with George, and the unique side characters with their very own quirks will surely leave a lasting impact on you... and maybe teach you a thing or two about this bittersweet life. Even 20 years later.