Keiko Kitagawa Yukari 'Caroline' Hayasaka
Osamu Mukai Jouji 'George' Koizumi
Yusuke Yamamoto Hiroyuki Tokumori
Shunji Igarashi Isabella
Kento Kaku Arashi Nagase
Aya Omasa Miwako Sakurada
Natsuki Kato Kaori Asou
Hitomi Takahashi Yukino Koizumi
Shigemitsu Ogi Joichi Nikaido
Michiko Hada Yasuko Hayasaka
Let me just say that I am a huge fan of Ai Yazawa. I love NANA and second is Paradise Kiss. I loved the story of Yukari and George. I have to say that the ending was very disappointing and I was definitely of the 'I don't like this' variety but I learned to live with it. The lesson being not everything is a happy ending, sometimes beautiful memories are all you are left with. BUT the romantic in me wanted MORE. I wanted the happy, love conquers all ending. I needed it. So I never re-read it. I watched the whole anime as well knowing that at the end I would be sad. (I have to say that this is kind of funny as in NANA Hachi and Takumi are my favorite couple/characters. Their life is anything but easy and there are tons of problems. It's not the perfect happy ending for them, but to me they seem almost more realistic that way. And I can see myself as Hachi doing the same exact things. Her philosophy of love should be understanding and compromise and Takumi's being honest from the get go. He loves her but work will always be more important than her in some sense. But you can feel that he loves her and well that's all I'll say cuz I could go on forever.)Anyway on to the live action of Paradise Kiss. Based around Yukari who is a very dedicated student and the designers of Paradise Kiss. While in the manga the story really revolves around the group, in the live action it really focuses on George and Yukari, their background and life, and then sub plot would be Paradise Kiss. But that change is ok. George's reality check on Yukari helps her find herself, and in return she teaches him that it's ok to love. They still are a part of the fashion grand finale, working their best to win the grand prize. Yukari is still trying to find out who she is and battling her mother in the process, but relaying on George as well to give her the unwanted advice she needs. The scene with the wardrobe and Yukari touched me so much I cried. I will say this as well.
THE ENDING IS DIFFERENT. Not what you would expect, but good none the less. Give it a watch, like the first NANA the live action definitely delivers. While not very long, does seem to cover the manga very well (as the manga wasn't very long either). BUT don't expect it to be a exact copy, because like book adaptations it never really is.
~ Onyx
