Paradise Kiss – 04

Summary:
Unable to find a good fabric, the group decides to create their own design using Isabella’s bead collection. Yukari really wants to help, but Isabella keeps telling her that she should focus on her studies. George ends up creating an elaborate flower design and so everyone starts working on it right away. George assigns Yukari the task of returning some books on the library, but she gets angry at him for it – Yukari says that she wants to help with the dress instead of studying. Talking with Isabella afterwards, Yukari admits that she wants George to think about her needs; since she’s mainly studied up until now, Yukari feels that she wants to expand her horizons. Isabella is relieved to hear that Yukari has thought this through and hopes they can make a dress together. Yukari learns later that the fashion show is really a contest, and that Miwako’s sister Mikako won in her second year. Miwako worries about Yukari lying to her parents about where she is, but Yukari doesn’t see any way around it. George takes Yukari home, but first they go out to dinner at an expensive restaurant. Yukari learns that George has a rich father, but also that George is an illegitimate child. George then takes her to his own place, which is very upscale. On the phone with her mother, Yukari makes up an excuse about taking care of a sick friend. Seeing her lying like that, George questions Yukari’s own will, and says that he won’t be responsible for what happens to her. Yukari replies that she’s acting on her own, so George pushes her to the ground and climbs on top. Yukari slaps him, which causes George to say that he doesn’t like girls who don’t have initiative and tells her to go home. With nowhere to go, Yukari calls Miwako, and Miwako comes to pick her up. Yukari’s mother then calls her and tells her to come home, so Yukari decides to comply. Before she can go, she gets another phone call from George asking where she is. He tells her that he basically still likes her, and the two go home together after Yukari forgives him. He returns a hair clip that fell out earlier and the two kiss before she goes home.

Another five and a half chapters in this episode and I pretty much have the same complaints as last week. Actually, I was more or less pleased with the way the first half of the episode turned out in comparison to the manga – everything important was covered except for the George-promises-to-take-Yukari-to-dinner part. That’s not so true for the second half however. They cut out a large portion of Yukari’s argument with George in his apartment – she gets a lot more lines and seems a lot less passive in the manga. Then they skip over most of George’s conversation with his mother, and that’s really quite an important scene in understanding George. Heck, I’m not really sure they even identified who she is.
On the plus side, I was a lot happier with how the episode looked animation quality-wise. There are less weird angle and far away shots, and plenty of movement. Choice of music also seems better (including an insert song that I didn’t recognize).
So Yukari and George had their first big fight, and resolved it. The fashion show is approaching, but the next episode will be about Yukari dealing with her mother and becoming a model.