Thinking about all my favorite comic books recently, I thought I would share some on the blog. My favorite of the Japanese comic books (manga) is Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa. I love all of Ai Yazawa's comics because first the art is gorgeous and with great fashion design, and second the stories are painfully honest about the trials and tribulations in life. The characters are realistic and flawed, but absolutely all lovable!
From Amazon: The last thing Yukari wants to do is stand out. So when she met the punk with the piercings and the stately drag queen while walking home from school one day, she wanted nothing to do with them. But curiosity and fate are working against the young preppy as she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into their high-fashion wonderland of Paradise Kiss. Yukari has just the look that the eccentric fashion troupe wants in their new model, and their mysterious leader, George, always gets what he wants.
In addition to Paradise Kiss, Ai Yazawa's Nana is equally amazing, just a little bit more to take on at 21+ volumes. (Paradise Kiss is only 5 volumes.) They've both been made into anime and live action movies as well.