Product Details

• Actors: Johnny Yong Bosch, Sam Carr, Mari Devon, Jasmine Dias, Dorothy Elias-Fahn
• Writers: Ai Yazawa
• Producers: Koji Yamamoto, Masao Maruyama, Ryo Ôyama, Tetsuya Watanabe, Yoko Matsusaki
• Format: Animated, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
• DVD Release Date: December 19, 2006
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000I2KRVW
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #185,115 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Paradise Kiss, Vol. 1" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Based on the manga by Ai Yazawa, the shojo (girl's) series Paradise Kiss (2005) mixes fashion, romance, and teenage rebellion. Yukari Hayasaka is a hard-working student whose parents insist she prepare for college. When she meets four students from the Yazawa School of Design who want her to model their clothes in the school fashion show, she falls for George, the talented, bisexual star designer. Paradise Kiss suggests Project Runway re-imagined by the creators of Fancy Lala. The priggish Yukari does a 180-degree personality switch in record time, skipping cram school and lying to her mother. Just what she sees in the arrogant, orchidaceous George is never made clear. The animation is extremely limited and instead of playing scenes to their conclusion, director Osamu Kobayashi keeps cutting to images of flowers or stuffed animals. The story progresses at a leaden pace, despite the choppy editing, and the result is soap opera slush. (Rated 16 and older: sexual situations, risqué humor, alcohol use) --Charles Solomon

Product Description

Studio: Geneon Entertainment Release Date: 12/19/2006

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Anime works hard to live up to the manga, April 16, 2007

By 

T. Bailey "Butterflygirl" (The Edge of this World) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paradise Kiss, Vol. 1 (DVD)

I just finished the first DVD and I'm a little upset at little annoying things that may not bother a casual viewer, but may upset a fan.

This series has held a special place in my heart for the past four years and when I heard that hey wre making an anime, I quickly picked up the first two volumes at MTAC. After having viewed the first one, I can safely say that I'm more than a little disappointed in the English dub. It's choppy, poorly edited and the voices don't match many of the characters as they should. Isaballa sounds like a woman, and not even a woman with a fairly deep voice, but like a woman that many many men, even transexual ones would have a hard time pulling off.

I'm not particularily fond of the transitional sequences with the flowers as go betweens, it takes that viewer out of the story for just a bit and expects them to pick back up. Then animation is also inconsistant and can go from smooth and flawless, to choppy and almost nonsensical.

However, I blame most of the animation problems on Ai Yazawa'a drawing style being difficult to recreate and animate. It looks beautiful on paper, but moving around and in full color, it looses a lot of it's impact.

If you are a real fan, this will be something you'll want to pick up because the story line and continuity are fairly good and the stylization makes an enormous attempt to capture some of that magic that is Paradise Kiss, but if little things such as that which I have mentioned above will get to you, then I suggest you borrow or rent this and then make a decision.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly Different From The Main Stream Anime..., January 1, 2007

By 

Jackie Almasy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paradise Kiss, Vol. 1 (DVD)

I first learned of this anime through the featured section in "Newtype Magazine" December Edition as I bought it on a whim. I normally don't like buying magazines over seven dollars so when this anime magazine popped into my view, I gave in and bought it. While reading through it, I came upon the anime recommendation for Paradise Kiss. At first, I was skeptic, very skeptic but eventually after finding it for twenty dollars at BestBuy, I gave into temptation and bought the first volume. After watching only one episode, I admit I was strangely hooked.

Based on the manga "Paradise Kiss" by Ai Yazawa, the story focuses on two very different people: Yukari, an eighteen year old high school student and George, a fashion student hoping to get his name out into the world. The typical shojo, it would seem to the naked eye of an anime fan. However, the story tackles many culturally challenged issues of todays world ranging from bi-sexual, cross dressing, and teenagers facing life altering decisions.

The themes of cultural placement and striving against the values of a world are ever present in the characters presented in the first volume. The characters themselves sadly are a tad two dimensional for most of the episodes and the sudden turn around in Yukari's attitude had me baffled.

The music however is very nicely in tuned with the moments of the anime and offer youan escape into a world of romance and rebelious teenagers. The opening song "Lonely in Gorgeous" offers the viewer a funky escape into a colorful world led by the female vocalist, Tommy february. J-Pop does not get any funkier than this while its partner, "Do You Want To" closes with a bang. Performed by the popular band Franz Ferdinand, the notes stay true to the rock bands style of transpiring messages.

All in all, Paradise Kiss is at least worth a look. This different anime stands aside from the main stream anime known to the world and deserves some recognition. I'd say rent it first before buying it but that of course, is entirely up to you reader.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars **Swoons**, January 25, 2007

By 

A.C. Russell "Perfectly PRiL" (IA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paradise Kiss, Vol. 1 (DVD)

Addicting... its definitely different from your typical anime, but a damn good change as far as im concerned! The music is really catchy, and the animation quality and character design is really great. I think the characters are wonderfully depicted. It doesnt have a complicated plot, so its easy to just watch and enjoy! Visually pleasing. Very well done! George is yummy eye-candy, for those of you that like bishounen!

Cant wait for Vol. 2. Id give it ********** 10 stars if I could!