Paradise Kiss is a shoujo (girls') manga (comic book) series, that is often referred to as 'fashion manga'. It follows the life of a girl in her late teens, Yukari Hayasaka, who is struggling in high school and desperately wants to pass the entrance exams for college to please her overbearing mother. Everything changes though when she runs into Arashi and Isabella, part of the Paradise Kiss clothing design group. They ask her to model for their clothing line in a runway show! Soon after, she meets the other two members of the Paradise Kiss team: Miwako and George. Initially Yukari tries to keep her distance from these Yazawa School for the Arts's "freaks", but she quickly grows to love them, and they become her closest friends. As she gets caught up in a whirlwind of high-fashion and professional modeling, she starts to miss more and more school, and begins questioning her plans for the future.
And when Yukari's new friends and boyfriend show her that school isn't everything, she's torn between living the way everyone else wants her to, and doing what she knows is right for her.
While Paradise Kiss may just be another typical tale of a teenage girl growing up and finding herself, the touching, unique characters and the intriguingly difficult world of fashion design that makes up the other half of the plot truly set this series apart from the rest.

Volumes
(Contains spoilers)

PK Volume 1 Released: May 2002 "For once there was an unkown land, full of strange flowers and subtle perfumes, a land of which it is joy of all joys to dream, a land where all things are perfect and poisonous." - Velvet Goldmine The last thing Yukari wants to do is stand out. So when she met the punk with all the piercings and the stately drag queen while walking home from school one day, she wanted nothing to do with them. But curiosity and fate are working against the young preppie as she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into their high-fashion wonderland of Paradise Kiss. Yukari has just the look that the eccentric fashion troupe wants in their new model, and their mysterious leader, George, always gets what he wants. (back cover)

PK Volume 2 Released: August 2002 "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only; fashion is something in the air. It's the wind that blows in a new fashion. You feel it coming, you smell it... in the sky, in the street. Fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. - Coco Chanel Yukari's got big problems. She used to be a normal school girl with classes and homework just like everyone else. But ever since she met the fashion-forward posse known as Paradise Kiss, her life has been turned upside-down. She's fallen in love with fashion designer extraordinare George, a major player who calls himself an "equal opportunity lover." Her newfound love of modeling doesn't exactly thrill her parents-or fit in with her former long-term goals. And since she's started cutting class to hang with her new friends, she's in danger of being kicked out of her house. (back cover)

PK Volume 3 Released: October 2002 "Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new." - Henry David Thoreau It turns out that Yukari is a natural when it comes to modeling. In no time, her career takes off, and soon she's fielding offers from bigtime modeling agencies. But she soon discovers that she needs her parents' consent before anyone can represent her. Yeah, like that's ever going to happen! When Yukari asks the love of her life, George, for some professional guidance, he gives her grief-not answers. Does this gues even know the meaning of love? Yukari is beginning to wonder if he's worth her time-or her devotion. (back cover)

PK Volume 4 Released: January 2003 "One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art." - Oscar Wilde The school fashion show is finally here, and it’s a last-minute fight to the finish to get the awesome ensemble ready on time. The drama escalates when a stressed-out Yukari literally passes out from exhaustion in George’s car. Will she recover in time to model for the show?! Meanwhile, a mysterious female friend from George’s past shows up to support him on the big day. Are they just friends ... or something more?! Yukari’s not sure who she can trust anymore. All she’s 100% sure about is that she wants the Paradise Kiss posse to take first place at the fashion show, no matter what it takes. Will they reign victorious or be forced to taste the agony of defeat? (back cover)

PK Volume 5 Released: February 2004 "Fashion anticipates and elegance is a state of mind... a mirror of the time in which we live, a translation of the future and should never be static." - Oleg Cassini Yukari discovers that the fashion world is not all glam and glitz when Paradise Kiss puts on their first runway show. Mixed reviews that focus more on Yukari's good looks than George's clothing designs make the Paradise Kiss crew think twice about continuing their fashion careers after graduation. Not to mention that the cold reception at the show has caused George to doubt his ability as a designer. Meanwhile, Yukari's desire to go to college brings her relationship with George to a crossroads that will change her life forever. Will this be the end of Paradise Kiss? (back cover)

[SERIES COMPLETE]