About the Author

From 1999 to 2009 no shojo manga (girls comics) author in Japan sold more books than Ai Yazawa. Raised in Japan's Hyogo Prefecture, Yazawa grew up with ambitions to become a fashion designer. As a youth enrolled in the Osaka Mode Academy, one of Japan's most competitive fashion schools.

In 1985 Yazawa made her debut in the pages of the monthly girl's anthology RIBON with the title 15th Year. While her tales focused on young love, what captivated readers was her stunning sense of design. Since then she has gone to pen eleven more titles and has sold more than 100,000,000 books in Japan alone. Her title NANA was an international sensation, spinning off multiple movies, animated TV series, fashion lines and even inspiring international talents of music and film.

Paradise Kiss has been translated into 10 languages and is considered her defining work.

Reviews

"Pure soap opera, with riveting characters, this was most people’s introduction to Yazawa in North America back in the Tokyopop days, and paved the way for Nana to be an even bigger hit. Glad to see Vertical putting [Paradise Kiss] back in print so it can get the attention it deserves." - Manga Bookshelf

"Paradise Kiss is one of those series that stands the test of time in its own way as even though it’s dated with some references and some gender politics, it’s a work that signals a small but significant change that followed. It’s a work that broke its own particular ground and reminded to a larger audience that there are a lot more interesting stories to tell beyond just the chase... Paradise Kiss is a fantastic work that comes together beautifully across these three collections. There’s a real love in the work that you can see from what Ai Yazawa has done and it’s been translated and brought across wonderfully here. This is a series that belongs on most every manga fans bookshelf." - The Fandom Post