Minnie: There are very few anime that has affected me so much that I’m willing to continue reading it from the manga. Skip Beat is one of them. And I’m glad I continue reading it because a lot of awesome events occur only in the manga. If you haven’t read Skip Beat the manga, please [...]
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It's the day before Valentine's Day, and delicious, delicious drama abounds. One of Moko's castmates is constantly harassing her even though she has no interest in him. Hiou comes to her rescue, and she's visibly pleased to see him. She decides she wants to make chocolates for him as thanks, but she doesn't know how, so she asks Kyoko to teach her. Kyoko is thrilled at the idea of spending time
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Minnie: After a long, painful month, Skip Beat has finally been updated! I must admit that I am one of those who fell in love with the anime first and then read the manga later but it’s the case with NANA and many of my other beloved manga.  As of now, Skip Beat is one [...]
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Title: Skip Beat! Vol 18 Author: Yoshiki Nakamura Publisher: Viz ISBN: 9781421525983 May Contain Spoilers Kyoko’s battle of wills continues with Koo Hizuri, a Hollywood star with an ego the size of Japan.  He finds shortcomings in everything that she does, and treats her with an utter lack [...]
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Shinigami no Ballad © Izumi Asuka and Hasegawa K-Suke/Hakusensha So I already incorporated eight of the 13 manga here in the Elex May 2009 post. Bonus entries expected to street 12 May include the world leaders edu-manga (Seri Tokoh Dunia) and the Sherlock Holmes manga box sets, plus two tankou—Godhand Teru 14 and Harlem Beat Until Dawn 1— that should've released last month (but obviously didn't)
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The next step to revenge: get spotted by a talent scout. Kyoko gives up her luxurious apartment and moves in with her employers at Darumaya. However, her landlord is not happy that she changed her looks as he despises modern girls who are normally airheads. Then she sets out to loiter around in the city to get herself spotted by a talent scout. Of course this is pretty impossible considering that she is not really a drop dead gorgeous kind of beauty nor is she showcasing any special talent on the streets.Kyoko decides to take matters into her own hands and heads off to LME talent agency. Another problem comes her way, the two front desk ladies who refuses to let her in without an appointment. The head of the talent department, Sawara walks by at this moment and decides to give her a try. But Kyoko has no interest in entertainment whatsover nor does she has any clue in which area of the entertainment field she would like to venture into. Summarizing her up as another fangirl who was trying to get her claws on Tsuruga Ren, he attempts to drag her out. But bravo to Kyoko for holding on like a rock! But alas, she was no match for almighty Ren who easily kicks her out.Steadfast with her determination to join the entertainment biz (and get her revenge on the bastard Shou), Kyoko sits outside the agency all day surprising both Sawara and Ren. But by the end of the day, Sawara peeps out of the window and found that Kyoko was gone. But his relief was shortlived, Kyoko appears from behind a pole behind the agency's building and basically stalked him from morning till night and basically made his life miserable. He acknowledges her persistence and agrees to let her join the agency's talent audition.Walking out after her meeting with Sawara, she bumps into Ren who was intrigued as to why a person who was not even interested in the entertainment industry would want to get in so much. She blurts out that it was all for the sake of getting revenge against Shou and this caused Ren's dislike to her deepen. Apparently he was not only a talented artist, he really loves the showbiz and hates people who are not serious about the industry. He dismissed Kyoko saying that her guts alone won't pull her through.Arriving at the audition, Kyoko despairs over her chances as she assess the room of talents and beautiful girls who are all aiming for the same thing as her. She flops down on the floor and focused her energy into sewing voodoo dolls. Suddenly Kanae Moko, one of the participants, comes out shouting her irritation at the presence of a child in the room and Kyoko's domestic behaviour. While some other participants fussed over the crying child, Kyoko interrupts to pinch the poor girl's cheeks and chastised her that girls should not get help by crying.The legendary president arrives with a flock of dancers (yes, I mean a flock) and so audition begins! Is it just me or the president is totally kakkoii??? ^o^ Moko impresses the judges with her script memorising abilities but Kyoko ends up a total failure, declaring the reason for her to join the industry was to get her revenge on Fuwa Shou. Erks! However, the president takes an interest in her and decides to let her show off her talent in the next round. And what would that talent be? Erghhh... Cooking?
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Truthfully, I have very high expectations for this series. Not only has my friend, Liz-chan, been gushing all over about it, it seems that Skip Beat! has quite a huge fanbase out there as well. So it has to be good right? Or will it turn out to be another Suzumiya Haruhi nightmare for me? For those who has not been following my earlier blogs, I've dropped reviewing Suzumiya Haruhi for the fact that the storytelling is totally pointless and Haruhi was getting on my nerves. =.="The opening was quite gloomy, narrating something about a hidden treasure box in each person sealed with 1001 locks and I thought it could be containing a special hidden talent in everyone waiting to be discovered. Setting that aside, meet the lead character, Mogami Kyoko, who has got to be the most boring and uninteresting lead character I've ever come across in the anime world. She seems like the totally nice girl-next-door, to good to be true kind of girl, totally the type I hate. Not because she's nice: but because she's the type without a spine.So anyway, finishing with her shift at her part-time workplace, she walks into the changing room to change and found two of her co-workers discussing about some artistes. Who would have thought this simple-looking girl turns out to be quite a fanatic herself? She raced to a CD shop on her bicycle (crashing into the store) demanding for a limited edition poster of one of the discussed artistes, Shoutaro Fuwa. The slight detour caused her to be late for her next job and after all that energy spent on cycling, the tiredness was clear in her face. Her boss voices out her concerns for Kyoko who should be enjoying a normal schoolgirl's life and not working her ass off to stay in such a nice apartment. Kyoko of course replies calmly that she has her own reasons for doing so. You'd better, or you'd make even me feel like kicking you.It was already late by the time she was done for the day. She noticed that the lights in her room was open and was excited on her boyfriend's return. It turns out that her boyfriend was the artist himself, Shoutaro. But wait, the all high and mighty Shoutaro has an attitude problem! He barely even acknowledged her and was being so bitchy I would've thought he was a girl. He wanted to leave immediately but Kyoko, not letting herself be put down (you go girl!), uses a her secret weapon to hold him back - convenience store pudding! I have no idea why is she so head over heels for this guy. So he has the looks, but he's a total dick. The way she's doting on him makes me sick. After watching a show featuring his biggest rival, Ren, Shoutaro stormed off despite Kyoko's effort to reassure him and make him feel better. Big Ego. Sore loser. Dick. >_< Before work the next day, Kyoko tried to phone him but could only reach his voicemail. Concerned on his feelings, she decides to head to the studio after work to check on him and deliver some snacks. Hearing Shoutaro's familiar arrogant blabber, she steps towards the sound of his voice. However, she was stopped dead on her tracks when Shoutaro dismissed her as just a lowly servant he was using to make his life easier after leaving home for Tokyo. That's when the seals of the hidden treasure box in her heart broke, and out comes these evil ghosts. LOL That was so unexpected it was hilarious.She finally grew a spine and threw the whole bunch of food to his face. But, missed (it's okay dear, practice makes perfect. :P). The securities came and dragged her off who was furiously shouting for revenge. Shoutaro being the dick he is (sorry for being so intensely hateful towards the guy) casually dismissed her threats saying there was no way someone as boring as her could defeat him. This is when you see Kyoko undergo a transformation. Yup, she transformed not only emotionally but physically. She got herself a haircut and dyed her hair and wola~ You have a brand new Mogami Kyoko to watch.
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Mimori (from Shou's Angel PV) reappears to give him chocolates, but he's as cold as usual. Her career is advancing nicely (she's going to be a Gravure Idol), but he has no interest in her at all. Meanwhile, Kyoko is in a state of despair because she doesn't have a birthday give for Ren. Everyone tells her isn't not her fault, since the magazine she got his birth date from published faulty
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Minnie: After all the pressure from my commenters, I actually did catch up on the Skip Beat manga. I did it in 3 days I believe. I must remind you guys I read slower than most manga readers so yes, that is why it took me 3 days to catch up. Sad but it’s the [...]
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WHAT A BADLY DISGUISED BLADED IMPLEMENT Note: My friend wrote this thing, but I’m publishing it under my name. Kyoko: OH HAI MY BOSS IS SORTA UNHAPPY BECAUSE HE PREFERRED ME BEFORE I DYED MY HAIR AND STUFF OK NOW TO GO WALK AROUND AIMLESSLY AND HOPE A TALENT SCOUT NOTICES Salesperson: Ma’am, would you like to [...]
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You should feel this way by the end of the episode. Mogami Kyoko is a hard-working girl, holding about 15 jobs in order to help keep up with apartment payments. Her source of motivation is a newly famous musician, Fuwa Sho, who also happens to be her childhood friend.   Love the outfit ♥ He [...]
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This is a series of posts on winter 2009 shows I finished. Hit up the previous one about Clannad ~After Story~ and Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th. This post will cover three more. Maria+Holic What a disappointment. The show went nowhere after seeming so promising. The two best characters of the show, Mariya and Matsurika, were shafted as [...]
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Lately I’ve been wondering, is Skip Beat really that awesome? Bloggers might not have given it much attention, but it’s certainly getting the spotlight elsewhere, be it in forums, chat rooms, or yahoo groups, with fans raving about it, praising it to the high heavens as though it’s a total Obra Maestra. But is it really? Is it not just another overrated series, probably the shoujo counterpart of long-running mainstream shounen series? For once, I decided to take off my rose-tinted glasses and look at Skip Beat from a totally unbiased point of view. Related posts:Skip Beat Anime KITAAAA!!!! Pandora’s Box, UNLOCK!Hawt Skip Beat Furoku GET! (Fangirl Self Revival GET!)On Skip Beat Episode 2, a Close Look at the True Believers and Naysayers, and a Challenge!
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Let’s put some fear into them Mio… Kyoko of the Dark Moon Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of Shotaro-hating people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies [...]
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It's spring (but only in President Lory's mind). Rather, it's nearing Valentine's Day, a day of love that he adores with all his heart. Moko's manager tells her than she'll need to find a special someone to give chocolates too, or Lory will be sad. Since she's a member of the Love Me section, she'll likely be under even more scrutiny on the day of "love." Moko thinks that spending a lot of money
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Skip Beat! 25 (END) A quick final note on Skip Beat! - I hadn’t planned to post about it but after some second thoughts realized I had to say something. Skip Beat was one of the shows I anticipated most last fall because of the manga’s lofty reputation. I’m a shoujo-holic - I love even the worst shoujo manga adaptations (Itazura na Kiss anyone?), so seeing the gorgeous shoujo character designs on the Dark Moon poster and reading the ravings of “Kyoko-sama’s” many fans all over discussion boards had me foaming at the mouth for this show. Did it live up to my (admittedly overblown) expectations? Yes and no. I had problems with the pacing from the start - scenes of Kyoko’s exaggerated inner world seemed to drag on and whole episodes would pass with very little plot progression. I was intrigued enough however by the characters and premise to read the manga - which, as I’ve mentioned, I found vastly superior. Skip Beat has a great spin on the classic shoujo romance narrative. While it employs loads of genre cliches (like the forgotten childhood friend trope) the whole thing is kind of disrupted by the personality of Kyoko herself and her quest for revenge. Even when her flightiness pisses me off, Kyoko remains a fascinatingly unique shoujo heroine. She’s angry, jealous, vengeful, and formidably talented. Her strengths come from denying her own servile nature, not wanting to be loved, and selfishly exploring her acting talent as a way of defining her identity in opposition to the people she grew up serving (Sho, customers at the inn, her mother). Even the romance between Kyoko and Ren is unconventional, because wherever the archetypal “good boy / bad boy” dichotomy appears in the shoujo world, everybody knows the bad boy ALWAYS wins. This is shoujo gospel. And I ain’t complaining, because I love the bad one most of the time. But Ren is decidedly the good boy next to Sho. To have a tough, talented heroine paired with a gentle, supportive male lead really flips the trope on its head. And I feel like that’s a good thing. It’s a shame that this adaptation had a bit of trouble conveying its wicked source material. Not only did the long interior monologues of the manga not translate too well due to the way they were paced, the story wasn’t adequately fit to the 25 episode season either. It ended on an abruptly awkward note, only a few episodes into its most interesting story arc. If only less time had been spent on those sluggish early episodes maybe they could have animated the entire Dark Moon arc instead of cutting it short right before it climaxed, leaving so much unresolved. As it stands we’ll just have to wait for an as-yet-unannounced second season. I’ll be looking forward to it.
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Erm.. a real disappointing ending to a good anime series! The way they try to wrap up everything in the last few minutes is pretty lame. To be frank, I'm not even sure how to summarize this episode.I don't quite understand why they bother starting the Dark Moon arc in the first place. It's awful that they end Skip Beat! in the middle of the Dark Moon arc. Though I don't read the manga, there seems to be so much more to go for the Dark Moon arc.Will there an another season? Well, I seriously hope so. I want to watch the continued rivalry between Sho and Kyoko! Those episodes with them 'fighting' are the funniest.Plot: 9/10 Characters: 9/10 Entertainment Level: 9/10 Art/Animation: 6/10As a whole, I like Skip Beat! It's funny most of the time and everything is very good except for the art/animation, the music and the last episode.SummaryDespite the heart to heart talk with Bo (Kyoko), Ren is still at a loss. He wishes he had not realized those feelings, which Bo was talking about.Meanwhile, the filming for 'Dark Moon' is still ongoing. While changing, Kyoko overhears the other co-actresses commenting on how her acting is better than Ren's. Instead of feeling happy for being praised, Kyoko feels very upset as she personally thinks that Ren is the best actor around. With that, she decides to call Ren's manager to ask for Ren's schedule. Ren's manager promises to give her Ren's schedule only if she fulfills two conditions. One is to eat dinner with Ren and the other is to listen to Ren's work problems. To Kyoko, the first condition is very easy to fulfill, however the second condition is mission impossible.That night, Kyoko pays Ren a surprise visit and cooks dinner for him. The moment she appears in front of him, Ren's unexpected feelings begin to pour out. However, he tries to suppress and hide it by acting cold and indifferent. Throughout dinner, he says nothing much to her and keeps a distance from her. After dinner, he sends her home. Before he leaves, Kyoko, with a heartwarming smile, tells him that she can't wait for the return of Katsuki. Those words of encouragement, again stirs up mixed emotions within Ren. With a cool tone, he replies, 'I'll do my best' and leaves.When Ren reaches home, he receives a call from Takarada, who reminds Ren that he will be removed from the role if he's still unable to act as Katsuki. Ren finally understands that he doesn't have to figure out the role, but he has to feel it. Rather than trying to come up with a Katsuki which people think is better than the original, he will now focus on coming up with a Katsuki he can pull off. Meanwhile, Kyoko is holding on to Corn's stone and praying that it will take away Ren's worries and pain.The next day, Kyoko looks forward to seeing a new Ren. On her way to school, she realizes that, through the many people she met, she also has changed. Though, initially, she entered Showbiz because of Sho, now it's more than that.PicturesKyoko: 'Make her yours. Do whatever you need to do'.Hmm.. I wonder if she will still say the same thing if she knows she's the girl he likes.The co-actresses praise Kyoko for being better than Ren.However, Kyoko is upset because she thinks Ren is the best!The 2 conditions Kyoko needs to fulfill, but she can only fulfill the first one.The dinner turns out to be awkward.Kyoko: 'I'm waiting. I can't wait to meet Katsuki.'Kyoko: 'Please Corn. Take away Tsugura-san's worries and pain.'Ren: 'I need to come up with a Katsuki I can pull off.'The next day, Ren appears to be happier.Kyoko appears to be happier too.
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Skip Beat has been an incredibly frustrating series for me; and not because it was incredibly bad: instead it’s been incredibly good. It’s a true breath of fresh air in the Shoujo genre, I became a fan of it instantly… and yet every single tiny flaw tends to stick out like a needle here. Ack. While [...]
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Minnie: Good news! I’ve been waiting for this episode to come out all day and it’s not out on April Fool’s Day like someone said! Gosh, I can’t believe how addicted I am to Skip Beat… addicted enough to wait all day for Skip Beat Episode 25 aka last episode. Why must Skip Beat end [...]
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