Manga Read: Skip Beat!

Currently I am following several mangas, one of which is Skip Beat!. It is a long-running manga series that dates back to 2002. Its creator is Yoshiki Nakamura and this manga has been a great success. To date, about 20 volumes have been published

The manga follows a young girl's trials and tribulations of surviving in the showbiz world and it also showcase her intricate lovelife. Kyoko Mogami has always been in love with Sho Fuwa and when he asked her to follow him to Toyko to realise his dream of being a star, she agreed immediately.

However Sho only treats her like a servant and he declares that he has no feelings for her at all, in front of his manager. When Kyoko heard this, she was heartbroken but her rage overpowered her and she swore revenge on Sho through an unusual way, by getting into showbiz and make it to the top so that she can crush him.

To achieve her goal, she joined Sho's rival, Ren Tsuruga's company, LME. Ren's popularity is much higher than Sho's, hence making him a rival to Sho. Sho has vowed to overtake Ren in the popularity stakes and control the entertainment world.

Kyoko displayed her amazing talent during LME's audition, which she had tried very hard to get into. However she failed the audition as she lacked the most important virtue that an artiste needs, love. Due to her constant obsession over Sho, she gradually forgets her own existence and hence when Sho dumped her, she lost the ability to love, or so she thought.

Despite her failure, the president of LME, Rory Takarada, decides to create an entirely new section and Kyoko would be the first member. That section is named 'Love Me', alluding to its mission of cultivating talents who lack the love virtue.

Throughout Kyoko's work in LME, she encountered many setbacks which she met with much gusto. Her strong determination and professional attitude towards her work slowly gains the respect of Ren Tsuruga, whom initially had disliked Kyoko's motivation to join the entertainment industry. In the later volumes, Ren is revealed to be Kyoko's childhood friend, Kuon Hizuri, although she does not recognize him due to the name and appearance change.

Kyoko's first audition for a drinks advertisement met with unexpected results and she was casted alongside with her fellow 'Love Me' member, Kanae Kotonami. Subsequently, she was casted in Sho's new PV due to the advertisement's success. That PV marked the first confrontational meeting with Sho after her entry into the entertainment world. Kyoko was subsequently casted in a TV drama, Dark Moon, and received rave reviews for her performance as Mio.

The manga is currently ongoing and I can't wait for the next volume to be released. The numerous setbacks that Kyoko faced and conquered made it a truly worthy read among the best mangas. Her never-say-die attitude is so strong that even when she has an injury, she still carries out her role to the very end. That's what I like about this series. It teaches valuable lessons about life and its trials.

Kyoko is only a 16 year old girl yet she managed to overcome so many difficult setbacks that even her seniors in the industry are beginning to like and care for her. The most evident person has to be Ren, for he had fallen in love with the gutsy girl despite his reservations about love. Even Sho has come to realise that he,too, has feelings for the girl that he had once tossed aside.

Now this manga has been made into an anime and its currently still running in Japan. In Singapore, it's being aired on OKTO every Friday at 11pm and it's a must for me to catch the show.

Below are some of the cover pictures for Skip Beat!:

Vol. 01 Cover - Kyoko Mogami

Kyoko in her Love Me uniform

Vol. 09 Cover - Ren Tsuruga

From left to right: Sho Fuwa, Ren Tsuruga and Kyoko Mogami

Vol. 17 Cover - Kyoko with Ren (my fave pairing!)

Vol. 05 Cover - Kyoko with Kanae Kotonami

Kyoko with Maria, the granddaughter of the LME president

Kyoko as the evil angel in Sho's PV, Sho by the side

Kyoko as Mio in Dark Moon

Currently there are confirmed talks of filming a Taiwanese idol drama version for the anime series. Jerry Yen will be playing Ren Tsuruga and Ariel Lin will play Kyoko Mogami. However the confirmed start of filming has been delayed due to a change in the Japanese company and it is not known when a date will be confirmed.

For me, I don't like the choice of Jerry and Ariel playing the leads. In fact, I don't want the anime to be adapted into a Taiwanese idol drama. The story will definitely be mangled to pieces in favour of promoting the stars in the show. It's horrible to see the stars making coo-coo eyes all the time, irregardless of the story plot.

But fans have no choice in this matter and we can only wait and see how things go. Kyoko's character is so complex that I doubt Ariel Lin can portray her well. I probably won't be watching the idol drama. The manga and anime are more than enough for me.

Hurray to Skip Beat!