Spotlight Character: Kyoko Mogami (Skip Beat) MAL Character Information Page: Kyoko Mogami MAL Favorites: 823 For the next week I would like to have everyone familiar with this character discuss what they think makes it an exceptional character. What attributes make it stand out in the ocean of interesting characters that exist in the realms of anime and manga. Unlike the other two subjects I will not force this conversation to fall into any set structure. Characters that are nominated typically get here because they are adept at breaking the existing character moulds and defying definition. Because of this freedom I encourage everyone to do their very best to stay on topic and keep any and all debate civil. Have fun and I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say about this character. *Due to voting rule changes, this character is shot down from its first poll data. It is now available as a resurrection option. RESULTS OF THE YOU DECIDE POLL: Kyoko Megami was inducted into the club Character list: 28 Yes - 70.0% 12 No - 30.0% 57 Don't Know - 58.8% of the total number polled On 01/01/2010 Kyoko Megami will be voted on for a second and final time |
Dark-EvolutionNov 6, 2010 11:06 PM
| You do not beg the sun for mercy. |
| Well for one, the anime is told in first person so you actually get to see the world through her eyes which is rare nowadays. She's one of those off the wall characters who is very unpredictable and takes courses of actions that are not typical of leading female characters. Part of this is her overemotional tendencies and the moodswings that follow. One minute she is rabid and angry like some kind of she-devil and the other minute she is angelic, kind, and compassionate toward her friends. She's strong and she doesn't need a guy which I think is unique for a shoujo romance comedy. Yet there are so many levels to her personality which slowly unravel throughout this anime as she tries to come to terms with her hatred for her ex while figuring out that there may be more to her actions than revenge. The whole anime is about her growth as a human being who lived only for one person but slowly learned to live for herself. The best part is this is all happening in first person so we hear her thoughts, we see how her thoughts affect her actions, and we can see how she progresses in realtime rather than watching her actions and deducting that she is evolving. Heck, her whole personality is just magnetic that it kind of brings out the inner-feminist in all of us who watch it. |
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| Kyoko's best trait as a character is probably her split personality. when i first started watching it the whole "every person has a box" thing kinda threw me off, i was waiting for the magic to start zipping out of her fingers but now i understand the complex metaphor for snapping. As tigerz said she is strong. I love characters that are strong enough to pull their own weight without constantly needing the aid of others, and although she sometimes falls into dispair, the moments where she shines allways make up for it. |
| I agree with whatever noteDhero says. She's an inspiration. |
 Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
| Kyoko is by and large one of the best female leads that I have seen in both shoujo and anime in general. Not only is she superbly characterized, but the amount of growth and development that she experiences in 26 episodes of an incomplete series is more than most ensembles get in an equally long show. We witness, in Skip Beat, a repressed individual begin to come into her own as an adult and as a woman Firstly, through her relationship to her mother, we see a girl with little self esteem pressured to be perfect in everything that she does. Sure, this fact is used as a cheat sometimes to have her be surprisingly good at an objective just when she needs it, but because it's so couched in feelings of inadequacy and resentment towards her mom, she never takes this reminder lightly. Just like any teenager, when she is reminded of something she is able to do because of a parent she dislikes, she hates herself for it. That's something we don't normally see: self-loathing in a badly-adjusted, yet well equipped lead character. Next, we have her relationship with Sho. That she spent most of her life living for him is one facet of her personality that was already touched on, and with the pandora's box metaphor, we are there with her first major development: blind love to seething hate for her newly ex-boyfriend. The depth of her motivation to crush Sho is never questioned at any step of the way by the viewer because her reaction to the disillusionment of Sho's character is so organically in contrast with the way she had been acting previously. In Kanae, we get a glimpse of how Kyoko's relationship with Sho affected her relationship with peers in her life. Because of the jealousy and hate that she had experienced being so close to Sho as a child, she was never able to become friends with girls her age, but since she always had Sho, she never really cared. After the termination of their relationship, Kyoko is eager to make friends with Kanae despite her attempts to antagonize and isolate herself from Kyoko. This pulls into focus one of Kyoko's main characteristics: as a result of the treatment from Sho and her mother, she is tenacious in achieving and maintaining her relationships. One relationship that does sneak up on her a bit is the one with Ren. It is with and through him that Kyoko develops most throughout the show not only as an actress but as a person. Because of her tunnel-vision in defeating Sho, she is unable to see the feelings she has with the hallmark of her past. But because Ren does recognize this fact, he is very instrumental in helping Kyoko put into perspective her career and her main objective in the arc about Sho's music video. It is because of her talk with him that she figures out that acting is the first thing that she has done for herself, and that she wouldn't let her disgust for Sho ruin her chances of having a life. It is also because of Ren that Kyoko is able to find the strength within herself as an actress to trust her instincts to recreate a famous character in her fashion and stand up to the demanding actress that originated the role. Kyoko is a magnificent character not only because she is well thought out, but also because her interactions with Sho, Kanae, Ren and all the other characters bring out something different in her as is the same for any human being. But even though we see a different side to her through these characters, her brightness, determination, and intensity is never compromised. |
noteDheroJul 1, 2009 9:36 AM
| awesome shoujo lead. that should be an oxymoron, but kyoko somehow is one of the few awesome shoujo leads (who is /almost is as likeable as the bishounen.... WHAT?! totally unheard of) +10 +yes :) oh and tigerz said: Well for one, the anime is told in first person so you actually get to see the world through her eyes which is rare nowadays. is true for any shoujo anime/manga out there. pretty much. (besides the few that do it from -gasp- guy's point of view) |
| I thought of Skip Beat in General as a Shoujo show with Shounen over(under?)tones. I.E. Kyoko always gets out of trouble and occasionally does seemingly impossible feats. Though there is some small explanation of why she can do this or that there really is no explanation of why she is ZOMG QUEEN AMAZING ACTRESS without yknow...ever having acted. I still loved her but I mean sometimes when I was cheering her on it felt like I was cheering on Ichigo or Naruto. A lot of internal monologue and then ACTION for a split second while all the other characters stand around awestruck. But then I like (can stomach) Bleach and Naruto. |
| Concerning her abilities as actress... She was not given any challenging roles during the anime series, except for the last. She has a natural talent for the thing, that is shown through her first basic roles. However, those roles are modeled on herself, on the Kyoko of the past. And that's how a person that never acted and never had any preparation can do it. |
Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
| I loved loved loved this series. I loved it so much that I actually started reading the manga (which I normally never do). I loved the characters, the chemistry, the humor and the sincerity of the whole thing... And yet, I don't think I feel comfortable with the idea of saying yes. And I'm not sure I can put into words why. It just doesn't feel right. Maybe it's just a horrible systemic bias against campy, over-the-top comedies... But she doesn't feel right for me. Sorry. I think I'm actually more likely to vote for the show than Kyoko herself. I'll try to figure it out and come back with a better explanation. |
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| After watching and reading the manga and anime i have to say that i would not have liked the plot nor the story in not for Kyoko. normally i get bored of shojo series but with the addition of Kyoko the girl aiming for revenge of her ex-what-ever-you-want-to-call-the-relationship by doing what he has yet to accomplish, becoming the top entertainer in japan. Kyoko Mogomi is packing a arsenal of vengeful sprites, hidden talents, and several voodoo artifacts. The only thing standing in her way is her lack of love, her vengeful intents, and the best actor in japan who absolutely loath her. This character deserves a look at because of this. I'm giving it a yes because she was fun to watch and to me that is one of the more important parts of a character. |
Hunterking87Dec 29, 2009 10:13 PM
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| Why would so many people watch this?... |
| Because it's fun, bright, romantic and give us hope on a better world and stuff. |
Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
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