Paradise Kiss – 08

Summary:
Yukari learns that she has to get her parent’s permission if she’s to become a model. Arashi suggests that she just go home and talk to her parents about it, but Yukari doesn’t want to leave George. She does want to tell him about her modeling opportunity, but unfortunately George seems to want to have sex first, and Yukari drops the subject afterwards. The next day, Yukari meets with Hiroyuki, who’s been really worried about her. Their discussion revolves around her boyfriend (George) not telling her to do what Hiroyuki considers the right thing (go back to school and go back home). This gets Yukari thinking and worrying, but it’s not until she meets George’s mother that she has her epiphany. Yukari realizes that she doesn’t want to end up like George’s mother – who complains about her lover, but doesn’t have the will to start a new life – and decides to take things into her own hands again by packing up and leaving the apartment. When she tells George that she’s moving out, he in turn tells her that he knew about the modeling agency and had looked down at her because she to slept with him first instead of telling him about her future. With that statement fueling her anger, Yukari has no where to go but home. Her mother welcomes her as if nothing had happened, but Yukari doesn’t go in until she gets her mother to promise that to listen to what she has to say. Her mother actually agrees to give permission for the modeling agency, but under one condition: Yukari must graduate from high school.

I’m happy that they decided to include George’s mother for pretty much the all of the scene she’s in (I had complained about them cutting out a big part of her scene back in episode four). In fact, they’re pretty good about covering almost all of the important material, despite going through four chapters. I say almost because they left out some of Yukari’s inner monologues, which I feel are important in understanding how she comes to her decision to go home.
Anyway, George’s mother is key to understanding how George thinks. When his mother is complaining about her life, Yukari questions where her will is, a statement which mirrors what George asks Yukari back in episode four. We can infer that George sees his mother in a similar light to how Yukari does when she says that, and that he doesn’t want Yukari to be the same way. And George, with his final statement, is making Yukari realize that she has to put more weight on the issues concerning her own future.
The fashion show is approaching, and there’s a good chance we’ll get to it by next episode. I’m hoping that they don’t cut out the Isabella parts.