Skip Beat!

When I first heard about Skip Beat, I (sadly) wasn't one of the first people who loved it from its summary. In fact, after reading the brief summary I went "Psshhh, what's so great about this? No originality at all! The art isn't even that great either!" and walked away.
The reason I first started to read it was because
1) I had finished my favorite manga at the time
2) I was extremely bored and it was ranked quite high
Horrible reasons I know, and I really didn't think I would enjoy Skip Beat at all. In fact I don't know why there were so many people that love this series.

After the first chapter, I was hooked. The main girl at first was just like any other but the comedy and sarcasm and carefully drawn out eyes got my attention. Plus, the originally "not so original" plot began to seem much more interesting. After that, I read every single chapter up to 139 in about 3 days.

Story: It's not that high on the originality style because I can probably name a couple of stories that revolve around revenge and etc. However, the plot after the beginning, although a bit cliche, is still quite different and makes you crave more. That's the important thing, sure plot is necessary but even if the plot isn't "original" so long as the characters are good, then the story will automatically be good. Which is why this is 9.

Art: Okay, so the bodies are a bit exaggerated and elongated to show how "beautiful" they really are. Even though this a bit of a turnoff for me at first before I read the manga, I grew to be able to ignore the bodies and focus more on the facial expressions and eyes. Her eyes are amazing, it shows you all of the emotions and feelings. Since you can grow to ignore or later like me now, enjoy the exaggeration then art goes to 10. If you can't, it's more 9 since you cannot deny that most shoujo manga art is quite beautiful.

Character: No matter what anyone says, characters are JUST AS or even MORE important than the plot. No matter how unique or original your plot is, if your characters don't match up to it, the book or manga is not going to fare well. What Skip Beat lacks in it's originality department, it shows up in the characters. I won't go into great detail at the people because it would border on spoilers but as you read you can greatly identify each of the character's inner thoughts. Since this is told in Kyoko's perspective, you get to see how crazy she gets and laugh your head off at her "misfortune"! Truly an interesting main character.

Enjoyment: It's great. That's all I can really say. You laugh, you sympathize, you cry and you get angry along with Kyoko. It's amazing when a manga can get you going that much. This manga really is great and I'm sure even the worst critics (like me) can enjoy this.

Overall: 10. Simply (almost) perfect. A great read!

(Man that really was long! But I hoped this helped at least someone!)
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Skip Beat isn’t your classic Shoujo, The cover is deceiving, on the outside it looks cute and fluffy, you open it up expecting a pleasing little love story with the usual clichés of a cute protagonist and her knight in shining armour.
But Skip Beats protagonist is not a mere Mary sue… Not at all, she’s dark, vengeful lacking in essential emotions such as love and her knight in shining armour Shoutaro, is an egotistical user.

Story: I first started reading this manga after being dumped in a foreign country for a local Thai girl, so for me this was like medicine… I could really relate to the character, and laugh with the story as it puts light on a dark subject.
It isn’t fun being used by the person you love, but instead of Kyoko rolling up in a hole she deside’s to get her revenge on Sho by entering his scene, the entertainment world.
The only possible down side to the story line could be the length, if you like the couple to be together within the first five chapters, Skip Beat might not be for you. But I found in this Shoujo I didn’t need them to be together for this to be one of my fav’s. Factors such as the humour, the characters personalities, and the story arcs all make up for this.

Characters: it’s a pleasure to read about these Char’s, Kyoko may be on a mission for revenge but her char grows throughout the story, she’s abit of a dork and lovable, you’ll be laughing during every chapter.
All the chars do advance during the story, at first you see Sho as the bastard he is… But later on he starts to grow on you… and the reader starts to forgive what he had done.. Its an emotional journey when you start to feel bad for the villain.

Art: To be honest, I did not like the art so much at the start.. (This proves how good the story line must be.) But I find now… I really like it… Why…. Well… I think her drawing is flawless in that style. It isn’t exactly a style I see a lot, but she can express things so well in the story. Hand actions, facial expressions, I even find the main man Ren quite attractive. This is Strange seeing as I didn’t like the art style to be gin with… I deduce that It must grow on you. But something I loved right from the start was her chibi’s! They are so very cute!
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It's always a shock when you start submerging yourself in a story that you don't think will be that interesting and suddenly find yourself completely lost in it. Being a big fan of stories about the underdog, I'd have to say, Skip Beat! definitely captivated me; you're pulled in and can't stop reading wondering what will happen next.

The characters themselves are very unique and well developed. The main character turns out to be a young heroine, Mogami Kyoko, probably one of my favorite characters. Her natural frankness and unsurpassed perseverance makes you just want to root for her even though the way she was introduced into the entertainment world is so unusual. Despite being undermined and looked down upon, it's just amazing how much she achieves and shines. Besides Kyoko, there are so many characters that you meet in the story, each with their own complex story and background. The characters are so dynamic, each in their own way that it just makes you want to know more about every single one of them.

It's no surprise that the characters themselves are so well developed since even those characters have to try act out other characters within the story, almost like a story within the story. The main storyline is quite simple, but the complexity lies within the background of each actor, each character. As you read on, you find out that everyone has a secret that they don't wish to be revealed, and that must be how it is in the entertainment industry.

As far as art is concerned, I must say that I have no complaints at all, although the author does tend to "chibi" forms a lot probably because of the difficulty and detail involved with each character. However, when it comes to the crucial moments, the expressions and looks on the faces of each character are amazing. When a character looks angry, it sends chills down your spine. The author certainly breathes life into each character. A smile can be from genuine to cruel to down right evil.

Overall, I loved the characters and the story development of Skip Beat! If you enjoy stories about the underdog, someone with a little bit of talent and a lot of perseverance, then I definitely recommend giving Skip Beat! a read.

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Skip Beat! is the one manga that I've been completely dedicated to. I've seen the anime and the drama, and read the current 200 chapters. No other manga or anime that I've picked up has had this honor so far. I have rewatched the anime and re-read this manga multiple times, and it is always refreshing and enjoyable. I swear this review will be chock-full of praises.

Story: (I'm going to avoid writing a summary here as much as possible) Kyouko put her soul into helping her childhood crush fulfill his dream of becoming a top celebrity. When she's betrayed by him, she decides to crush him by joining the entertainment industry. This entry to a world that seems so unfitting for Kyouko brings her in contact with life-altering experiences. A reader is hooked from the first chapter. Somehow Kyouko weasels her way into a great talent agency, in the most hilarious way anyone has ever entered. Thankfully, the entire manga is not fixated on the beginning events and initial conflicts. Every arc adds more complexity and depth to the story. Most of the manga is humorous, but there is a very nice balance of darkness. The mangaka did a superb job in using flashbacks, different characters, and different jobs to highlight every aspect. Skip Beat!'s plot is extremely detailed, and the wait for the next chapter is always painful. A surprise is ever-present in every new arc and the storytelling is brilliant.

Art: The expressions are stunning. The characters eyes are captivating and every emotion is perfectly conveyed by the picture alone. Panels of chibi is often incorporated along with detailed anime profiles. The art is gorgeous, although it doesn't rely too much on the surroundings. The manga does focus on gestures, and some sort of "movement" exists in the images. Skip Beat panels on their own convey a lot, but the story is considerably lacking without the text. I admit I was put off by the men at the very, very, very beginning, but the mangaka's style improves considerably. I can say that the characters contend as some of the hottest manga characters in shojou manga. Another visual treat is Kyouko's many transformations according to her roles. The art is clean and is a credit to the mangaka's skill.

Character: This is easily Skip Beat!'s biggest asset. And unbelievable amount of depth resides in every character. Kyouko is innocent, pure, dense, clumsy, funny, friendly, eager, elegant/polite, perceptive, hardworking, professional, intelligent, scary, vengeful, confused, loving, hateful, etc. ALL AT ONCE. The mangaka purposefully made the protagonist the kind of girl who makes voodoo dolls to the point of obsessing over perfection, rather than the good-hearted flat shojou girls too prevalent in mainstream manga. Readers can quickly sympathize with the many overlapping parts of Kyouko's personality. Her roles also make up important aspects of herself, because they require a process of discovery and essentially possess her once attained. She is described as the eternal butterfly, the actress nobody recognizes because she disguises herself in personas that are completely unlike her normal self.

The pain of Sho's betrayal is further enhanced when readers learn about Kyouko's past and childhood in increments. All jokes aside, she went through some pretty serious stuff. Sho evolves from a jerk to a childishly-possessive jerk (and also a very funny jerk lol). He isn't discarded from the story after the inciting incident, and still has some various purposes. This is a relief to me, because I would have easily forgotten him otherwise and would wonder why Kyouko hadn't. I hate to say this, but Sho's existence is actually important.

Ren is the perfect counterpart to Kyouko. At first he seems only to be a handsome gentleman who is serious about his work, and also a target of Kyouko's hate. Ren then grows as Kyouko's tutor and benefactor, where the readers fall in love with all of his good qualities. Finally, Ren's darkness is exposed during the latest arcs, where he has an inner struggle with himself. He is granted with as much depth as Kyouko has, and his growth is just as crucial to the story. I can't wait to see how he further evolves.

I haven't even commented on the plethora of supporting characters. I recommend you read Skip Beat! yourself in order to meet them. You can't miss eccentric characters like President Lori, or at-first-I-thought-he-was-supposed-to-be-a-serious-character like Yashiro (Ren's manger). Mangaka-San did a wonderful job in creating a community so diverse. Every new job brings Kyouko into contact with new people, and they provide something more to the experience. I'm not even going to try to remember all the people in the 200 chapters (just read the Grateful Party Chapter for a fraction of them).

Enjoyment: You've got my opinion on this by now. If I actually comment on this I'll exhaust the thesaurus of positive connotations relatable to Skip Beat! ;D

Overall: Skip Beat! and its adaptions are one of the reasons people don't lose hope in the shojou genre. If you haven't read it yet - put it in top priority. Re-readability is also very high, for all of those who have already. I fell in love with this so quickly, ironically while the characters have a hard time finding this emotion themselves.

Thank you if you somehow have gotten through all of that. Apologies for the lack of substantial review and more of a fangirl's rant. Still, Skip Beat! deserves all the praise I haven given it - and let the super minority of people who think it's overrated answer directly to ME >u~ read more