Is not easy to be an actress!! - Skip Beat (manga/anime)

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.

Skip Beat! is a Japanese shōjo manga by Yoshiki Nakamura. It is the story of Kyoko Mogami 16-year-old girl who discovers that her childhood friend and romantic goal, Sho Fuwa, only keeps her around to act as a maid and earn his living expenses, as he works his way to become the top pop idol in Japan. Furious and heart broken, she vows to get revenge by beating him in show business. In Japan, the manga was first published in Hakusensha's shōjo in February 2002, while in the United States, it began publishing under Viz Media's Shojo Beat label in 2006. As of June 2008, nineteen volumes have been released in Japan, and as of May 2009, eighteen volumes have been released in the United States.

In 2002, a drama CD adaptation was made and released by Marine Entertainment, and covers the first volume (chapters one to five) of the manga. An anime adaptation is produced by Hal Film Maker, and began airing October 5, 2008. It ended airing with episode twenty-five on July 12, 2009.

The plot of the manga/anime

Skip Beat! follows the story of Kyoko Mogami, a sixteen year-old girl who loves her childhood friend, Sho Fuwa (Shotaro), but is betrayed by him. Having spent a large part of her childhood at Shotaro's parents' inn, she learned a great deal about hostelry and other such jobs.
Shotaro, not wishing to take over his parents' business, moves to Tokyo to pursue a career in music. Sho, as he is called by his fans, asks Kyoko to leave high school and her life in Kyoto Prefecture behind to help him. Upon arrival in Tokyo, Kyoko lives an unreasonably frugal life, spending nothing on herself and doing whatever she can for Sho, who eventually becomes ranked seventh of the top twenty most popular entertainers of Japan. One day, she overhears Shotaro complaining about her to his manager, saying that she is a boring and plain girl.

He proceeds to sweet-talk and flirt with his manager, in stark contrast to the cold and demanding attitude he usually exhibits towards Kyoko. Kyoko doesn't shed many tears when she learns that Sho thinks she's only good for housekeeping. Instead, her "Pandora's box" opens and she vows vengeance on Sho.

As she is carried away by security, Sho mockingly tells her that if she wants revenge, she had better become a bigger star than him. And so, Kyoko changes her appearance and enters the entertainment industry, facing many challenges along the way.

Skip Beat! follows Kyoko's journey to climb the showbiz ladder as she meets interesting people, troublemakers and friends alike, with hopes of getting revenge on Shotaro, as well as regaining the sense of compassion that she had lost when her heart was broken by him. As Kyoko cultivates her acting and friendships, she soon discovers a sense of self separate from her initial plans for revenge.

The main character

Kyouko

Kyouko's life has always known only one aim-- to please others. Be it her mother who didn't care much for her, or Sho's family, who took her in after she was abandoned. Suddenly, childhood friend Sho asks country bumpkin Kyouko if she wants to go to the city with him. He aims to be a big star and wishes for her support. When he commits an unthinkable crime to Kyouko's frail self-esteem, he awakens another side in her.

She changes from being an innocent girl to a woman full of the desire of revenge towards the man that used her like a stepping stone; but she didn't know that, in her way to making him suffer and cry at her feet, she would begin a whole new life into the show business and find herself having a great talent and love towards acting.
Now Kyouko is some sort of cute, joyful, and full-of-purpose woman...while also being a "woman who holds grudges" and acts in some crazy and unexpected ways, although she is still not able to recognize her own value and talent, and even less the way other people see her.

(In the Manga)
While not aware of her talent, Kyouko is very protective of her love life as she is also very dense with people's word with her. She's afraid to love again due to Fuwa Shou abandoning her. Tsuruga Ren as her senpai is in very close relationship to her and might as well be in love with her. On the other side Shou wants his existence in her life to be the biggest for he knows that Kyouko won't forgive him so easily. During the shooting for "Dark Moon" she encounters 'Vie Ghoul' a band out to destroy Shou. The vocalist Reino was interested in Kyouko and the trouble begins.

Ren Tsuruga

Ren is, in outward appearances, an extremely nice and polite star. However, he shows his true self whenever he deals with Kyoko. Although at times teasing, he harbors an unrequited love for Kyoko. As the story progresses, flashbacks reveal a past with Kyoko when she was smaller, however, Kyoko is still unaware of this. She cannot reconcile the sweet "fairy-prince Corn" with Ren's current personality. Interestingly, at the age of twenty, Ren has lived a large portion of his life in America. In fact, he began his acting career in the US albeit disastrously. 

Although he gained experience, he was fired so often that he has lost count in contrast to the staunch and disciplined actor he is today. Fortunately, his past in America is unknown to the public as Tsuruga Ren is only a stage name. Although there are hints of a dark past, his earlier years are shrouded in mystery. However, recent chapters imply that his name was originally Kuon.

Fuwa Shoutaro

His real name is Shoutarou. He keeps it hidden because he finds it as a very old and traditional name.He natural hair color is brown but he later bleached them blonde. He is a typical stuck-up star, and is also very ruthless. Shō had no qualms about tricking Kyoko into going with him to Tokyo so she could be a free servant for him. He also had even less qualms about being extremely cruel to her when she discovered this. Shō eventually figured out that Kyoko was in L.M.E., and was surprised to see her transformation. It is also revealed that he has more feelings for her than he originally thought, though most of these lean toward a general possessiveness for Kyoko, who had been his constant companion and servant since childhood.

Here is the link for the manga and anime:-

Skip Beat - Anime
Skip Beat - Manga

enjoysss....