Paradise Kiss Movie

As I was browsing, I recently discovered that there was a ParaKiss adaptation! I was so excited that I watched it without reading the reviews. Haha, bad idea. I haven't read the manga in a long while since I wasn't happy with the ending. I saw the reason in the plot, loved the depth and realism of the characters, but I'm an optimist; If there's a will, there's a way... While reading a comment (not an actual review), I read that they changed the ending so, I was intrigued on as to how they wrote it.

So, looking at the cast, I thought Kitagawa Keiko could pull off a good Yukari seeing her rendition of Hino Rei. (Another stubborn and slightly shrewd character, although not as deep) Also, I saw Mukai Osamu's acting in Hotaru no Hikari and Atashinchi no Danshi and thought he had enough suave and depth to pull of George. Seeing that the leads had the potential to pull the characters off, I was even more excited.
And then the movie started...

Ok. For anyone that actually read ParaKiss, you will be disappointed regardless of whether you liked the manga ending or not. The character development was thrown down the drain, forget about depth, morality, family issues, friendship, name any central theme on ParaKiss--it was gone! From a beautifully heart wrenching manga, they tried to make it into a run-of-the-mill RomCom. Yuck. In fact its ditortion into the typical RomCom formula wasn't even done right! If I had not read the manga, I'd think that (in the movie) Yukari should have ended up with Hiroyuki...completely opposite to what director envisioned as the movie's ending (but ironically, in line with the manga).

It was a mess. I really thought Keiko Kitagawa could pull of Yukari's inner-struggle-covered-by-a-veil-of-stoicism. But whether it was her (lack of) interpretation, or the director, she turned out to be a bratty, emotion driven girl who can only see what's in front of her. In stead of having depth in character, she's turned into some dunce who has no depth, no insight, no real self-identity crisis (which was there before she met the ParaKiss crew). The "pressure" she had from her parents (seen in the manga) was erased and replaced by fluff moments of strict parents being parents. This ended up depicting that Yukari was misconstruing the whole situation, in a victim mentality, and not owning up for her actions (which I remember that she did in the manga. It was one of the reasons why I respected her.)

Then there was the (lack of) interaction between George and Yukari that killed the whole movie. It didn't exist. No tension, no chemistry. It just looked like there was physical attraction and lust. No understanding, no stripping of defenses to only each other, no miscommunication. In the manga, I remember feeling that there was something so alluring about them as a couple. Something that they could only find in each other... It was completely erased in this pointless movie. The only time there was chemistry: the last...2 minutes? of the movie. Where they reunite. (In the manga story line, I felt that at this moment, I feel it is possible for the relationship to work. When they have come closer to finding their own path in life. I'm sure many will disagree, the current ending was beautiful nonetheless)

And don't even get me started on the secondary characters. The actress for Miwako was too tall and to devious looking. I did not feel the Miwako's purity of character at all. Arashi was not rocker enough, and no offence but Isabella was not feminine enough. She's supposed to be the epitome of class and femininity--you cannot tell that she's transgender. (The actor came close to demonstrating her poise though. Nice try.)

I feel that Yamamoto Yusuke was the only person that acted his character to its true spirit. Too bad we don't see how true his rendition is because he barely gets any character development.

Let me say again. The script writing was bad. This movie failed to stay even remotely close to the manga plot, and more importantly the themes. The production team probably wanted to make it a "chic romance story" and it failed at that too!

I blame the production team since I've seen actors perform better than in this vapid movie... Don't watch it. It won't even pass as a fluffy romcom.

So disappointed...I wonder how Yazawa-sensei feels about the rendition.
~Kiyoikou

Luck.

What are the chances that 100% of the time lose something and never find it? I know its well deserved since I forgot it but honestly, why can't people just be nice? Why can't they kindly leave it at lost and found. Besides, the object is not even top of the line. It's mediocre at best! This is an object commonly misplaced. With a plethora of these objects, a lot of which exceed mine in many properties, you'd think ONE, just one would be mine. Dissappointing but not surprising.
... I really hope there is a silver lining this time.

- Kiyoikou