Ai Yazawa

Ai Yazawa is a comics genius. I just finished reading her fifth and final installment of "Paradise Kiss" and it was wonderful! The art was beautiful, with the perfect expressions on each of the characters at the perfect moments to evoke just the right moods. I found myself stopping sometimes just to admire the art for minutes at a time. It really is incredible, especially the elaborate fashions. The story itself just kept getting better and better as the series progressed, something you think just isn't possible as you read each installment. The characters grow in the most unexpected ways and really get under your skin emotionally before you even realize they're there! The relationships between characters Arashi and Miwako is one of the most complex and realistic relationships I've ever read about. The model/main character Yuraki also has a love/hate relationship with the mysterious George that rings just as true, and as a character that sometimes shines and sometimes becomes someone you pity and wince at her actions, she has to be a great invention to come off as one of the characters I treasure most within the medium. I felt like I made a transitional voyage with this character as she grew and became someone wholly different at the end of the series. I'm so glad I'm getting into Shoujo manga and it's really exciting because I'm just beginning to discover this wide world within the comics universe. I was just lucky enough to start my venture with probably one of the greatest comics out there. And Ai Yazawa's "Nana," being serialized in "Shojo Beat," is shaping up to be even better than "Paradise Kiss," if such is possible! Check this creator out PLEASE!