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A review by rereader33
Skip Beat!, Vol. 1 by Yoshiki Nakamura
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while I understand this was written in the early 2000's, the stereotype surrounding women and make-up is incredibly outdated.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.