Paradise Kiss – 05

Short Summary:
Yukari, with her bags packed, bumps into the group right as they are about to go on a picnic. They learn that she told her mother everything, but that her mother didn’t react supportively and slapped her instead. Yukari got mad enough that she moved out; she now plans to find a job and quit school. The group then tries to figure out where she’ll live from now on, and the final decision has her staying at Arashi’s place. Yukari knows that her midterm tests are soon, but she also knows that she wants to move forward and find a job. In the morning, Miwako pays Yukari a visit and tells her about an opportunity at her sister’s company, Happy Berry. Yukari goes in for an interview, but Mikako tells her that the position is already filled. However, Mikako then offers her a different job – a one-time modeling opportunity. Yukari and her friends are elated to hear the news, though George warns her to be more confident in the way she view herself and modeling. Meanwhile, Hiroyuki has noticed that Yukari isn’t showing up at school and is worried that she’ll miss the exams. He calls her the day of the photo shoot and tells her that he’s been trying to contact her. When he called her house, her mother told him that Yukari wasn’t there, and then quickly hung up. Yukari informs Hiroyuki that she’s gotten once in a lifetime chance, so she won’t be showing up for the tests. And so, Yukari moves forward to her job with a determination to leave her mark.

They move at a slower pace this episode, and only covered some 3 and a half chapters. That’s a good thing – in fact, I’m happy with the way they covered pretty much all of the important stuff, since it’s mostly Yukari-centric, unlike last week. However, the animation is nonexistent for several parts in the middle of the episode, including parts of the picnic and when Yukari moves in with Arashi. In those particular scenes, we’re relegated to several static or almost static shots. It improves a lot in the second half, so I can’t complain too much.
I really like Yukari’s character, but Yamada Yuu’s line delivery comes off as a bit flat sometimes. Anyway, Yukari’s decision to quit school and start working marks a turning point in her life. She was unhappy with the way things were going, so she took the opportunity presented to her and is now on the way to doing something that she enjoys. The next episode should show us this particular photo shoot, but should focus mostly on Yukari and George’s relationship. I wonder if they’re actually gonna animate her first time…

For the time being, I’m sticking Paradise Kiss to being blogged sometime between Thursday and Friday. I’ll write it up on Thursday if I have the time, but no guarantees. The post should be done by Friday/early Saturday though.