Danica Davidson
November 19, 2021 
Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost is a retelling of the famous fairy tale, only it has unique twists and turns. It’s also done by Kaori Yuki of Godchild, The Cain Saga and Angel Sanctuary, so it has her flair for ornate, gothic style.
This story opens with Beauty as Belle, a young French girl, living with both of her parents. Her mother is apparently murdered by the Beast, and then there’s also talk that the Beast turns people into “idoles.” At any rate, Belle’s father is convinced his wife is dead, and he blames Belle for it, and says he wishes the Beast had killed Belle instead. The father also berates Belle for having purple hair, and there’s a belief that she might be a changeling and not really his daughter. He keeps her locked up at his house for years working as a seamstress, but then she escapes and goes to confront the Beast herself. She is convinced the dead body she saw was not her mother’s, but it was just dressed in her mother’s clothing to fool her. So she wants to find out where her mother is.
So right here is a pretty different setup from the fairy tale we know. There’s talk about whether being ugly makes you an ugly person, and Belle’s father has convinced her she’s ugly. The Beast says he knows what he looks like, but he really doesn’t care. In fact, the Beast seems much more likable than the Beast who attacked Belle’s mother. So there’s quite a bit of mystery going on about the story behind Belle’s parents and the Beast.
Parts of it can be a little confusing. The artwork is beautiful, as expected of Kaori Yuki, who is very skilled at detailed, baroque artwork. So far it’s hard to say much about the characters, except the father comes off as a jerk, and something isn’t adding up with the Beast. Belle is described as something of a tomboy, and while she does run off to see the Beast and try to find her mother, a big part of her personality so far seems demure and she’s not super fleshed out yet. The first volume in the series ends with a new mysterious character being introduced and we’re teased that there will be more about her in the next volume.
Story & Art: Kaori Yuki
Publisher: Kodansha
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
