It's been a minute since I last wrote a review, but it's been many more minutes since Skip Beat! began. In the simple words of a fellow reader of this series:
"Either we will die or the author will die before this manga is completed"
Honestly I've faithfully followed Skip Beat! for several years now, with the intent of postponing my review until its completion. But what is this? "This pacing is rather slow," thought I. "The clothing and hairstyles are a bit outdated as well, I noticed. Just when did this begin? ...I'm sorry, does that say 2002?!? We're coming up on 20 years now?!"
Before we get into actual series content/quality, my preliminary advice is to put off starting this series for as long as you can so that you aren't left waiting for monthly updates of chapters that are unfailingly short. There it is, I can't do more for you on that front, let's get to critique.
Skip Beat! is sublime, despite its mediocre artwork. A long-running series ought to boast of (1) an expansive storyline and (2) notable character development; Skip Beat! succeeds in both.
We achieve the former through the realm of entertainment. As an actress, Kyoko's ongoing improvement in her acting range translates directly to the environmental expansion viewed by the reader. It's historical drama, it's an action flick, it's shoujo within shoujo (so meta!). I most likely would have dropped the series upon reaching the latest chapters, except one of these subplots hooked my interest and I remain hopeful for more content like it.
The latter benefit, character development, is the author's particular--and possibly indirect--skill. Without this, the series would be truly unbearable. Truthfully, characters' big "realization" moments are somewhat overblown and fairly trite. However, the underlying pace of the story actually results in subtle shifts for the story's leads that are very satisfying to consider at large. I wonder how much this effect is derived from the author's own maturing over 2 decades of work.
To conclude, Skip Beat! holds a unique place in the ranks of shoujo manga for a reason. I think you'll find something to enjoy in its many pages, but if you like conclusions (like me), then hold off for "another minute."
