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clowdywings's review
1.0
(°_°) um... what is this???
I’m not exactly sure the whole reasons why people push this on the internet so much. Everywhere I go in search of shojo, I see “Skip Beat” in ‘One of the Top 5 Best Shojo!’ articles. It’s not quite that good.
The first thing you do when you want to enter a talent company is to find a trait that you know they hire (singing, dancing, etc) and refine that skill. You don’t stalk the hiring manager. You don’t threaten them. You don’t randomly show off your cooking skills in auditions. Just... no.
I respected that Kyoko wanted to be better than Sho just for revenge. Cool. But the way she does it is just so aggravating.
The art style is not my favorite. The male faces are drawn so poorly I thought they were photoshopped like that as a joke. Some scenes (without faces/heads most of the time) were drawn very well. Those most often were the backgrounds. It’s a problem when the assistant’s work is better than the lead mangaka.
Otherwise those issues, it’s pretty much a stereotypical late ‘90s to early ‘00s manga art style.
It’s over 45 volumes and STILL being produced, which is quite a feat for shojo manga. I’m definitely not going to continue this series since I have little to no motivation to push myself through that.
I’m not exactly sure the whole reasons why people push this on the internet so much. Everywhere I go in search of shojo, I see “Skip Beat” in ‘One of the Top 5 Best Shojo!’ articles. It’s not quite that good.
The first thing you do when you want to enter a talent company is to find a trait that you know they hire (singing, dancing, etc) and refine that skill. You don’t stalk the hiring manager. You don’t threaten them. You don’t randomly show off your cooking skills in auditions. Just... no.
I respected that Kyoko wanted to be better than Sho just for revenge. Cool. But the way she does it is just so aggravating.
The art style is not my favorite. The male faces are drawn so poorly I thought they were photoshopped like that as a joke. Some scenes (without faces/heads most of the time) were drawn very well. Those most often were the backgrounds. It’s a problem when the assistant’s work is better than the lead mangaka.
Otherwise those issues, it’s pretty much a stereotypical late ‘90s to early ‘00s manga art style.
It’s over 45 volumes and STILL being produced, which is quite a feat for shojo manga. I’m definitely not going to continue this series since I have little to no motivation to push myself through that.
miafbatista's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
akookieforyou's review
4.0
*4.5*
Oh my, I just loved this so much! Kyoko is quite a unique and engaging protagonist, it's a bit refreshing seeing a woman have actual pure rage when she's been wronged, and to set out on a path of revenge (there's only a handful of stories like this that I've seen in shoujo).
However, even with a darker sounding premise like that, this series so far has been a bucket of laughs. The comedy is so on point, with such great timing, and great artwork on the characters and their reactions to things. I laughed audibly multiple times, which is definitely a feat. I also really love that you know there will be a romance, but that it'll be a slower burn, and won't take away from Kyoko's development as a person. I love things like that.
I can't believe that I actually had the gall to dislike the first couple of episodes of the anime, when I watched it many years ago. I think I just wasn't paying much attention (like for some reason I thought Kyoko wanted to be an idol?? And I was just carrying that wrong assumption around for years lmao. Weird). I will definitely be rewatching it though, gotta give it an actual fair chance.
I did randomly watch, and adore, the Taiwanese live action drama though. I highly recommend it for any fans who want a slightly different interpretation of the story (though it's mostly the same as far as this volume goes).
Can't wait for the next volume!
Oh my, I just loved this so much! Kyoko is quite a unique and engaging protagonist, it's a bit refreshing seeing a woman have actual pure rage when she's been wronged, and to set out on a path of revenge (there's only a handful of stories like this that I've seen in shoujo).
However, even with a darker sounding premise like that, this series so far has been a bucket of laughs. The comedy is so on point, with such great timing, and great artwork on the characters and their reactions to things. I laughed audibly multiple times, which is definitely a feat. I also really love that you know there will be a romance, but that it'll be a slower burn, and won't take away from Kyoko's development as a person. I love things like that.
I can't believe that I actually had the gall to dislike the first couple of episodes of the anime, when I watched it many years ago. I think I just wasn't paying much attention (like for some reason I thought Kyoko wanted to be an idol?? And I was just carrying that wrong assumption around for years lmao. Weird). I will definitely be rewatching it though, gotta give it an actual fair chance.
I did randomly watch, and adore, the Taiwanese live action drama though. I highly recommend it for any fans who want a slightly different interpretation of the story (though it's mostly the same as far as this volume goes).
Can't wait for the next volume!
cinnamonroll216's review
3.0
I read this book when I was younger but I don't remember so.... I remember when your boyfriend is not your boyfriend but her going after him is crazy and is different which is why I forget about this book.
rereader33's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, I'm going to be completely real here: I had absolutely ZERO expectations going into this volume. I never watched the anime and hadn't read the manga up until this point for two reasons: 1) the concept never interested me (not big on show biz) and 2) the series is long as FUCK and can't fathom enduring a series like this for that long. I decided to try this because the library has most of the series and I figured I should try it, since it is a fairly popular and well received series. And folks, this volume DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
What I enjoyed most about this volume is that it did so many things right. For example, towards the end when the agency guy is telling her where she lacked, it wasn't any of this philosophical, romanticized bullshit, it was simple: she can't express love, and in an industry where you have to be loved by fucking EVERYONE and be able to convey love, that's a serious issue. I was genuinely floored that Kyouko's biggest issue was something simple, down to earth, and correlates to her aspirations. Also, Sho's reasoning for leaving his home and becoming a celebrity, while slightly flippant and selfish, is something I can imagine a lot of people (especially in Japan) would struggle with and I liked how it was portrayed. He's not just some egotistical asshole who wants to be famous, he has a perfectly valid reason for wanting to pursue this career.
The biggest issue I have right now, though, is the cast of characters. Kyouko is really the only one I like, but that's mostly because everyone else is either an asshole or slightly lacking in any real personality (other than the president of LME, he's a hoot). Also, I can't really connect with Kyouko or any of the other characters and I'm worried that this will impact my reading experience. Hopefully not, but only time will tell. Another quick note, while I understand this was written in the early 2000's, the stereotype surrounding women and make-up is incredibly outdated. Not the worst I've seen from the era, but definitely something that irked me.
One slight nitpick I have is that the artwork/art style is VERY early 2000's which is not an aesthetic I'm terribly found of. Don't get me wrong, it's not ugly or anything, but for me that style worked in the early 2000's and that's about it. The girls' designs aren't too bad, but I swear the mens' chins are so FUCKING long and sharp they could stab someone with them. Again, not the end of the world, just not my preferred aesthetic.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on this volume. I'm going to try a few more volumes because I think this story does have promise, but it's not something I'm going to actively seek out. I do highly recommend it, it's a good start to the series.
What I enjoyed most about this volume is that it did so many things right. For example, towards the end when the agency guy is telling her where she lacked, it wasn't any of this philosophical, romanticized bullshit, it was simple: she can't express love, and in an industry where you have to be loved by fucking EVERYONE and be able to convey love, that's a serious issue. I was genuinely floored that Kyouko's biggest issue was something simple, down to earth, and correlates to her aspirations. Also, Sho's reasoning for leaving his home and becoming a celebrity, while slightly flippant and selfish, is something I can imagine a lot of people (especially in Japan) would struggle with and I liked how it was portrayed. He's not just some egotistical asshole who wants to be famous, he has a perfectly valid reason for wanting to pursue this career.
The biggest issue I have right now, though, is the cast of characters. Kyouko is really the only one I like, but that's mostly because everyone else is either an asshole or slightly lacking in any real personality (other than the president of LME, he's a hoot). Also, I can't really connect with Kyouko or any of the other characters and I'm worried that this will impact my reading experience. Hopefully not, but only time will tell. Another quick note, while I understand this was written in the early 2000's, the stereotype surrounding women and make-up is incredibly outdated. Not the worst I've seen from the era, but definitely something that irked me.
One slight nitpick I have is that the artwork/art style is VERY early 2000's which is not an aesthetic I'm terribly found of. Don't get me wrong, it's not ugly or anything, but for me that style worked in the early 2000's and that's about it. The girls' designs aren't too bad, but I swear the mens' chins are so FUCKING long and sharp they could stab someone with them. Again, not the end of the world, just not my preferred aesthetic.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on this volume. I'm going to try a few more volumes because I think this story does have promise, but it's not something I'm going to actively seek out. I do highly recommend it, it's a good start to the series.
abby_can_read's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
📱
This was cute. I found the characters a little annoying and I struggled to care about the plot.
This was cute. I found the characters a little annoying and I struggled to care about the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Toxic friendship
tia_bookcase's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
crhogan's review
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bilingual_introvert's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this series in high school and figured I'd reread it as an adult to see if it holds up and it definitely does for me. I love it, it's so funny, I love how her motivation for success is somewhat unusual and I'm really excited to refresh my memory of the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse