Hi! I am curious about Skip Beat and I have wanted to read it for a a while, but the length of the series makes me hesitate a bit. Could you perhaps tell me the pros and cons of Skip Beat? What makes the series so good etc.? Thank you so much for already! <3
Yay, someone is asking about Skip Beat! It’s no secret that I’m trying to make everyone read it, so I’m gonna try and do the same with you haha. Starting with cons as it is a lot shorter.
- The art: It’s quite unattractive at the beginning, with very pointy chins and bad body proportions. It gradually gets a lot better though, I personally really like the current art style. There is still some proportion issues, but nothing too bad.
- Slowness: You don’t notice it at all if you binge read the available chapters, it’s just gonna seem like there is loads of detail and gradual development put into it - that’s a good thing. However, once you are done with it and gotta wait a month for a new, only 30 pages long chapter, it can seem incredibly slow.
- Female lead: The main protagonist, Kyouko, is not your average shoujo heroine at all. She joins showbiz to get revenge on her childhood friend and crush after he betrayed her terribly. She is full of hate and sworn off of love forever. She is also incredibly strong, smart and talented, and does not need a guy in her life. Her innocence and her belief in fairies makes her very endearing and it adds another layer to her character. In my opinion she is a very good role model. I love her.
- Male lead: Just like the female lead, Ren is not your average shoujo love interest either. On the surface, he is the typical, always polite gentleman, I would even say that it is sort of annoying how seemingly perfect he is. I don’t want to spoil the story, but let’s just say that in truth, he has an incredible backstory and a very complicated personality. I think the chapters between 100 and 200, when all of this was unfolding, were the best part of the series. I love him.
- Side characters: The side characters are just as amazing as the main ones, they all get their own character development and they all have very different personalities. It’s also important to point out, that most of the females in this series (Kyouko included, of course), are hardcore feminists, who value their work over having a relationship.
- Plot: The story is set in the showbiz world, it follows Kyouko on her journey to stardom as an actress. During all of this, she meets all kinds of people, makes friends and has various experiences. Apparently Nakamura-sensei planned out the entire story from the beginning, so there is a lot of foreshadowing. As you get further into the story, you can feel that it’s very well-thought-out. The humour is also top notch, and it’s balanced out with angsty and heartbreaking scenes. It’s just a mix of everything that makes a story exceptionally good.
- Romance: The most torturous slow-burn I have ever read about. I guess that is a con if you want fast romance, however, this also makes it very realistic - no one falls in love overnight after all. The development of their relationship is really good and so very carefully done. They literally hate each other at the beginning. Of course, eventually things change and they develop a deep friendship, knowingly and unknowingly helping each other not only with acting, but with personal problems as well. Ahh, it’s just so good, so very healthy and well-written, something which is rarely seen in shoujo manga.
- Message of the story: I think the mangaka is really trying to emphasize, that first you need to learn to love yourself before you can open up and love others. All the hardships and experiences you go through throughout your life are necessary, because all of that shapes you into the kind of person you are today. Without all of that you would not be truly yourself.
TL;DR: Skip Beat is amazing, and surprisingly deep considering that it’s a shoujo manga. It deserves a lot more attention than it actually gets. Honestly, it does not matter if you are a guy or a girl, I think it’s enjoyable for everyone. Don’t let the length scare you away.
