This site is designed for accessibility. Content is obtainable and functional to any browser or Internet device. This site's full visual experience is available in a modern browser that supports web standards. Please consider upgrading your browser.
ファイト／ステイナイト 
December 29, 2005 | 
56 Comments
I think this is a rather disappointing ending for the series. Not only they cut out so many important side stories, the climax of the series also does not feel as powerful as the manga. Although by cutting some of the plot points, they do manage to make Arashi far more likeable in comparison to the manga version. I think most of the blame goes towards the fact that the series has to be condensed into 12 episodes. Having said that, I also think that part of the blame goes to Kobayashi's directing style, which I think does not suit this series very well. I really hate the overuse of screen transition images and the fact that he chose to eliminate the majority of the comedic moments that made the original manga a pleasant series. This is actually my first exposure towards his work and I have to say that I'm rather disappointed by it.
December 23, 2005 | 6 Comments
Another fine episode for the series from animation perspective. The part where Yukari gets to model the dress to the audience was definitely a highlight of the episode. The scene looks as if it sucked whatever budget needed to properly animate the first few episodes. Music-wise, this episode is also quite impressive. For some reason the song that was used to accompany Yukari's fashion show sounds familiar. But unfortunately I can't seem to identify that song. Oh well, next week will be the last episode and with 9 chapters left to animate and a couple of minor subplot yet to reveal, I have to wonder how the animators are going to do this. To me as long as they keep the end, I would't mind if they cut down some of the minor subplots. Others, however, probably beg to differ about this.
December 16, 2005 | 6 Comments
This episode continues to be as good as last week. In fact, there are several scenes, which I think look a bit better than the manga counterpart. The one that comes at the top of my head is the one where Yukari comes out to show her dress to the others in the group. I always think that she looks a bit strange in the manga but in this version, I think she looks good. I think the addition of colors really improve the character design in this instance. Having said that, I always think that Yukari's normal look is still her best look. Anyway, with 2 more episodes to go, I hope the animators can do the series a justice because I think one of the main strengths of this series is actually tne ending itself.
I think I finally understand the purpose of the random live-action sequence at the start of each episode. I get the impression that the scenes supposed to represent Yukari's black and white world that is slowly but surely becomes colourful due to George and the rest Parakiss members' influence. This becomes rather clear in this episode when the black and white photograph morphs into a color version of the scene. I am also pleased to see the improvement in the quality of the animation in this episode. Some of the objects depicted in this episode, especially those in Mikako's house, is simply too amusing to see. This is the first time I've seen a toaster that creates a bear-shaped toast mark on the sides. I hope next week's animation will be equally as good because I think that's the episode that will feature the fashion show.
If the episode count is correct, then it means there are only four more episodes to cover 2 volumes worth of stories. I hope the writers won't botch these last four because the last two volumes of the story is actually the part that makes this series memorable. I also wish that there are a good amount of budget reserved for these four episodes so that the animators can give them proper treatment. Anyway, I know that I've been harsh with this adaptation so far but I can't really pretend that I like something unless I really do like what I see/read/hear. And while I don't think this adaptation is bad by any means of the word, I think there are many ways in which it could be improved. Oh well, let's just hope that the last four episodes will be the best that this adaptation has to offer.
November 26, 2005 | 16 Comments
The animation seems to be quite good just like last week and that's a good thing. This, episode, however, made me notice that the soundtrack in this show is quite lacking. When there is any, it's usually in the form of Jazz that is used in sleazy soft-core flick instead of the good quality Jazz. Oh well, I supposed I can't have it all with this one. By the way, when you watch this episode, do not skip the ending because after the ending, there are flashes of what looks like a group of people dressing up like Yukari, George, and Miwako. They even have the prototype Butterfly ring on display in that sequence. It's quite amusing to look at and made me realise how prior to this episode, I usually dismiss this particular section.
November 18, 2005 | 15 Comments
Wow, what happened to this episode? Have the animators suddenly been given enough budget to produce the series properly? Because I think the production values looks unusually good here with lots of close-ups and facial shots. Just look at some of those Yukari's glamour shots. It seems as if the animators have saved all of the budget for this episode alone. Either way, I am happy to see this. It also helps that the storyline starts to become interesting as well. Franz Ferdinand fans will also be happy to know that there's a little advertisement for the band in one of the episodes' scenes. Anyway, I hope the good quality continues right through the end because I really like the ending for this series and would hate to see it ruined by lousy animation and direction. As a sidenote, according to Akadot there will be a Paradise Kiss shop in the Odaiba area from November 19th 2005 to March 31st 2006.
November 15, 2005 | 35 Comments
Tommy february6 - Lonely in Gorgeous (MP4, 31MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Paradise Kiss - Lonely in Gorgeous (MP4, 14.7MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Well, here is the lyric for this song. If you didn't manage to obtain the PV, I have a PSP version of it here. Even after several repeats, I still think that the PV looks weird. In general I can't decide if Tommy was drunk or intentionally acting like she was drunk. It doesn't help that 'story' depicted within the PV itself doesn't have anything to do with the lyric. The lyric actually tells a story of a girl who is in love with a boy but ends up having her heart broken by the boy during a party at night. So it definitely doesn't have anything to do with undercover cops or drunk singer. If anything, the lyric sounds as if it was written especially to illustrate the relationship trainwreck depicted in Paradise Kiss.
November 11, 2005 | 13 Comments
I don't get this version of the series sometimes. When the scene calls for a dramatic moment, the anime goes comedic instead. But when the scene is supposed to be comedic, the animators completely miss their mark and just go on as if nothing has happened. This is really unfortunate because the anime has now reached an interesting point within the story. However, it's hard to enjoy the story when I get distracted by awkward cuts, scenes that miss their mark, and weird landscape shots. That last one was especially annoying in this episode. I love my art-y screenshots as much as anyone. But I think there's nothing art-y about a shot of an empty grass field or the outside of an apartment building. Especially not when they're drawn in a generic manner and without a specific focus given to a particular object within the scene.
November 5, 2005 | 16 Comments
Wow, even after using Winny, the raw for this series was as hard to find as a needle in a haystack. I hope this is not an indication of the popularity of the series. But it sure is annoying to find many copies of other series and none whatsoever for this one on the Japanese P2P programs. Anyway, I realised now why I don't like the SD characters so much and that is because they take away whatever emotional moment a scene is supposed to convey. For example, there is a scene in this episode where Yukari is angry at George. In the original manga, her anger and frustration are quite palpable. However, because the animators choose to use the SD, the emotion is no longer as strong as the original intention. It sure is funny but I didn't get the impression that Yukari is actually quite upset about the incident.
October 28, 2005 | 15 Comments
Lately I've been a bit obsessed with the opening theme for this series and have been replaying it over and over again. In doing so, however, I think I've spotted a rather spoilery shot. I actually was a bit surprised to see this but then I realised that this is the kind of spoiler which is only noticeable to those who have read the manga. Besides, there are far more troubling things about the series, such as the character design. I feel that in this episode, the characters look even more different in comparison to the original manga. In some cases, the changes are actually quite good. For example, Miwako looks a bit like a Japanese girl during the 2nd coffee shop scene. But I still wish the design could be a lot closer to the manga's style. I also think that Kobayashi should get rid of those in-betweener dogs and flowers since they look jarring and inappropriate for the series.
October 21, 2005 | 12 Comments
Well, I think the animation is still all over the place and not as good as the original. But I am quite used to it by now and besides, the storyline starts to become interesting. So I think I am just going to enjoy the series based on its storyline. Unless, of course, the animation becomes worse than it currently is at the moment. Anyway, storyline-wise, this episode contains some conversation and thoughts that I can relate quite well. I also think that at this point, the story reaches the part where everyone brings the best in each other and tries to help one another. So on a personal level, I enjoyed this episode a lot more than the first episode. Having said that, signs of George's erratic behaviour has begin to surface here. It'll be interesting to see how the anime handles this in comparison to the manga.
October 13, 2005 | 44 Comments
Opening theme: Lonely in Gorgeous by Tommy february6 (14.7MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Ending theme: Do You Want To by Franz Ferdinand (12.1MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
As far as the story goes, this is essentially similar to the manga. Unfortunately, the character design features some deviation from the original. While the changes are not bad, they are definitely not as good as the original. Voice-acting wise, I like how Yukari sounds like one of those high school girls in Japanese drama. It's nice to hear the actress sounds like the character as opposed to just reading her script. I also think that the opening theme, which is titled Lonely in Gorgeous, is exceptionally good. The ending theme, however, looks quite weird. It features an SD/Super-deformed style which reminds me a lot of Popeye the sailor man series. In fact, this style actually extends to other SD moments within the series.
October 12, 2005 | 33 Comments
I actually want to do this for every single series that I cover but as luck would have it, I don't have as much time to do this as I'd like to. This is actually just an area where you can find small details about a particular series, such as the VA for the characters. It's also meant to give you a general impression about the series in the hope that it'll attract people to the series. Well, not that this particular series actually needs it since it already has installed loyal fanbase thanks to the manga. Anyway, for those of you who have read this long, here's a present for you: a link to Franz Ferdinand's Do You Want To PV. The song will eventually become Paradise Kiss's ending theme. One warning though, the video is quite daggy/campy. I actually didn't like it at first but by now I am quite used to it. :)
Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To PV (Quicktime format)
