Paradise Kiss - Characters

Characters

Yukari "Caroline" Hayasaka (早坂紫, Hayasaka Yukari?)

Yukari is a pretty-faced high school senior that studies dutifully for her university entrance exams, but cannot find meaning in her repetitive life and feels that she has not lived at all. Although she starts with a snobbish attitude towards the fashion design students, she eventually becomes the model for Paradise Kiss after being scouted by Arashi, "kidnapped" by Isabella, and whisked away to Paradise Kiss' lounge-like "atelier". Her intense relationship with George pushes her to mature further, despite the fact that she feels he is manipulative and cold. She is often referred to, inexplicably, as "Caroline" by Miwako. After she meets the ParaKiss crew, she discovers all new depths to her ambitions and personality. She eventually married Hiroyuki after George goes off to Paris. In the Live-Action version, she rejects Hiroyuki and goes to meet George in New York and they get together.

Voiced by: Yu Yamada (Japanese), Julie Ann Taylor (English)

Jōji "George" Koizumi (小泉譲二, Koizumi Jōji?)

George is an eccentric and charismatic student at Yazagaku fashion school who has extraordinary talent with a gift for fashion design, particularly in haute couture. Despite his cold demeanor, he has extravagant ideas on everything, most of which are not accepted by the general public. He feels that Yukari is a tease, and wants her to become an independent woman that takes responsibility for her own mistakes. His appearance is loosely based on Brian Slade of Velvet Goldmine, and several references to the film are made by him in the manga. He has distinctive blue hair and eyes, making Yukari humorously question if he actually is an alien. The lifestyle that he lives is that of a wealthy young bachelor; he lives in a high-end loft and drives a vintage Jaguar. He is the son of a successful businessman, but because his mother was merely a mistress, he rarely sees his father. His mother often complains that despite his ill will towards his father, he looks and acts just like him.

Voiced by: Kenji Hamada (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English)

Miwako Sakurada (櫻田実和子, Sakurada Miwako?)

A pink-haired student of Yazagaku who works with George to run their own brand, Paradise Kiss. She is the younger sister of the Happy Berry brand's creator/president, Mikako Kouda, who is the protagonist in Ai Yazawa's Gokinjo Monogatari work. She is exceptionally sweet and cute. Miwako tends to act in a rather childlike manner, both in her Lolita style dress and unique vocabulary. Because of her endearing personality, she is adored by many of the characters and is becomes Yukari's closest friend.

Voiced by: Marika Matsumoto (Japanese), Melissa Fahn (English)

Arashi Nagase (永瀬嵐, Nagase Arashi?)

Arashi is a student of Yazagaku with a taste for punk style, piercings, and alternative music. He usually wears safety pins and an assortment of odd piercings. He has spiky blond hair and adopt a rock or punk style, often wearing distressed jeans and black jacket. Though he hinted that he was depicted as a sexy guitarist in the manga, the first time Yuraki met him, his unusual appearance made her think that he was a rapist or a murderer. Later Miwako reassures Yukari that though Arashi looks intimidating, he is very kind. He is Miwako's boyfriend, they have both known each other--along with Hiroyuki Tokumori--from childhood. Arashi has a real inferiority complex, specially when compared to Hiroyuki or when it comes to studies. He does not like study and thinks that no one can perceive studies as enjoyable. He often skips classes. He is very jealous and possessive and even prevented Miwako from seeing Hiroyuki as he thought that she loves Hiroyuki much more. In the manga, it was mentionnned that Arashi had violent reactions and even unintentionnally force Miwako the first time so as to make sure to have Miwako for himself but which revealed to make him feel inferior and guilty as he made Miwako a vulgar sex toy.During a talk with Hiroyuki, he (Arashi) is very aware that Miwako had feelings for Hiroyuki and is insecure about his (Arashi) own relationship with Miwako, believing he wasn't making her as happy if she were to be with Hiroyuki. Hiroyuki tells Arashi not to underestimate Miwako's deep love for Arashi and to trust her more. He added that the real problem was not Miwako but Arashi's complex and that Miwako's resistance was not directed towards Arashi himself but his brutal reactions and Miwako always made amends because she understand best how deep Arashi love her.Even though Arashi has a generally cynical and abrasive personality, he cares deeply about those around him. When Caroline left her home and decided to give up studies, he was the only one except Hiroyuki who tries to convince her to not make such rush decisions. He even let her live in his apartment and went back to his mother's house when she ran away. At the end of both the anime and the manga, Arashi grows up a bit and let Miwako see Hiroyuki again. The three of them even go to the temple together much to Miwako's delight.When the members of ParaKiss engage in outrageous behavior, Arashi is usually the voice of reason. He is the son of a musician, Kanzaki Risa, who is a good friend of Mikako Kouda. (Both characters appear in Gokinjo Monogatari.) Arashi and Miwako eventually marry and have a daughter who looks much like Arashi (to which Hiroyuki believes would look cuter if she had looked like Miwako instead).

Voiced by: Shunsuke Mizutani (Japanese), Derek Stephen Prince (English)

Isabella Yamamoto (山本大助, Yamamoto Isabella?)

Isabella is the mother figure to the members of ParaKiss. This tall Yazagaku student is the epitome of high class and femininity. Isabella inspired George's very first dress during childhood, and often had the habit of taking every piece of clothing that he finished. Isabella encourages Yukari when she needs it the most, whether it be regarding George or her abandoned studies. Notably, Isabella is a transgender woman, and she is mortified when anyone refers to her as 'Daisuke', her birth name.

Voiced by: Chiharu Suzuka (Japanese), Mari Devon (English)

Hiroyuki Tokumori (徳森浩行, Tokumori Hiroyuki?)

Yukari's classmate, an intelligent and handsome prodigy who happens to be the object of Yukari's affections at the beginning of the story. Hiroyuki was once in love with Miwako, but Arashi forbade her from seeing him. He gives advice to Arashi on how to come to terms with his feelings for Miwako and his past actions and soon after the three of them are seen as friends once more just like when they were children. Hiroyuki is at the top of his class and aspires to become a physician. He eventually falls for Yukari, who foolishly assumed that a girl like her would never show interest in him. The two later marry but despite Yukari marrying Hiroyuki, she still seems to have feelings for George as she goes on wearing George's clothes and for the honeymoon, when watching a comedy in which George creates the costume, she cried. Hiroyuki himself in the manga admits that his life is built upon jealousy, referring to Miwako choosing Arashi and to Yukaki still being in love with George. Son of Gokinjo Monogatari character, Hiroaki Tokumori ("Toku-chan"). : Voiced by: Noriyuki Uchino (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English)

Kaori Asō (麻生香, Asō Kaori?)

A former Yazagaku student who is now studying abroad on a scholarship received as the previous winner of the junior Grand Prize. She has romantic feelings for her old friend George, but knows that he is not the type to make a woman happy. According to George's conversation with Yukari, Kaori is the only woman George cannot court and it is hinted that he holds some special feelings toward her.

Voiced by: Miho Saiki (Japanese), Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English)

Alice Yamaguchi (山口アリス, Yamaguchi Arisu?)

Miwako's niece. She is in third grade, and just as perky as Miwako. In the anime, she only makes a brief appearance. Alice has the same eyes as Tsutomu.

Voiced by: Rumi Shishido (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)