Day in and day out, Kyouko Mogami works multiple jobs to support her childhood friend, Shoutarou "Shou" Fuwa, in his rise to stardom as an idol. She never complains about her way of life, as she is deeply infatuated with Shou and would go to the ends of the world for him. However, her heart is broken when she overhears Shou talk about how he views her as nothing more than a maid he cares little for.
Angered over being used, Kyouko flies into a rage and swears to get revenge on her former crush by entering the world of showbiz to surpass him. Joining the relentless and unforgiving entertainment industry proves to be a challenge, as she continuously meets people who force her out of her comfort zone. But for the sake of vengeance, Kyouko is determined to push herself and rise to the top.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
zarusoba
We know the story of the plucky girl making it big in the glitzy world of showbiz. It's the story of Bridget Jones, Josie, the Pussycats, and even Hanna Montana. Skip Beat! puts a welcome spin on it, and it's not just the (fascinating) insight into the Japanese entertainment industry. The story is consistently compelling throughout, and the surreal imagery is inventive and keeps the tone light and humorous, even as its emotions are scathingly deep. While it's not beneath the show to humiliate the characters or make them look foolish, they are complex and principled, and the show has enough compassion togive them their dignity. The way it allows even its most prickly characters to learn and change feels natural, authentic and worthwhile. It's rare to see any show about anything from anywhere as concerned with human dignity as Skip Beat! is.
Let's have a second season, already.
ggultra2764
Been quite a while since I last found a shoujo title that I genuinely enjoyed. Skip Beat focuses on the challenges faced by our lead Kyoko in trying to become a successful actress as she learns that she wants to get more out of it besides being a tool to get revenge on her jerk of an ex-boyfriend and popular musician, Sho Fuwa. Some have called the series as something of a Cinderella story and the description seems mostly accurate as we learn of Kyoko's tragic and impoverished back story and dealing with the ramifications of being abandoned by those close to her. The emotionalscars do affect her at the start of the series as she lacks the passion for wanting to enjoy acting at first as she only seen the profession as a means of seeking revenge on Sho. But as episodes progress, she does develop a genuine love for acting, sees it as something she feels motivated to excel in beyond her original goal of revenge and a number of episodes revolve around how Kyoko approaches a role she would be performing in.
Beyond Kyoko, some other characters get focused on within the world of stardom as they come to connect with Kyoko and we learn of their own personal challenges they struggled through to get to the point where they were at within their careers. Tsuruga's character is given the more prominent focus in his interactions with Kyoko as he seemingly hates Kyoko's motivations for persuing an acting career at first, before the changes in her motivations lead him to start supporting her and developing feelings for her. The series does drop hints that Tsuruga may have a more tragic past than Kyoko and he may have known her for far longer than she thinks, but the series abruptly ends before more of these aspects to the storyline could be explored. This weakness appears to be due to the title's manga source material still being ongoing as of this review.
Another issue I did find with the series at points came with its comedy. Scenes with it tend to pop up throughout a good part of the series, serving to either exaggerate on a conflict or emotional state affecting one of the characters or to lighten the mood following a rather serious development in the show's storyline. The title's comedic style was hit-or-miss for me as I had some moments where the humor focused on the former got me laughing, but others left me indifferent and usually had me feeling that they got in the way of the mood of serious scenes for the latter mentioned moments. Fortunately, the comedy does tone itself down as Kyoko's emotional state improves from adjusting positively to her new life as an actress and doesn't intrude too heavily upon later developments with her character and others.
The visuals to the series are rather standard for a late 2000s anime in terms of detail and design for characters and scenery. Details are clean and bright color is used to go along with the show's upbeat mood, but this and the animation for Skip Beat don't particularly stick out. The same thing applies to the show's soundtrack as it does its part to complement scenes in the series that fit for their intended purpose, but have nothing too memorable with them.
Gripes aside, Skip Beat is still one of the better shoujo titles I've seen recently as there hasn't been anything from the demographic that has seriously hooked me beyond a number of titles that came out during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The focus on Kyoko's growth as an actress is a compelling and enjoyable story worth seeing throughout Skip Beat's 25-episode run, alongside other characters in stardom who interact with her. If you're a shoujo anime fan, this is worth a definite look.
Demi_V
Love can make people do crazy things, even if it’s skipping high school to follow your boyfriend to Tokyo to begin his career as a rockstar. Admittedly, the popular rom-com Skip Beat may give bad presumptions when it’s revealed that the main character’s (Kyouko) sole motivation for entering showbiz is to seek revenge on her ex-boyfriend (Shou) by outshining him. In actuality, Skip Beat is just as fun to watch as its name portrays it to be. The plot itself is actually what brings out the comedy in the anime because of the characters’ reactions. The anime is not reflected on a girl’s life thatrevolves around her ex, but it focuses on how she discovers herself. Apart from the steady pacing, Skip Beat is also a prime example of how creators advertise a manga by ending the anime with a cliffhanger.
The pacing is steady and engaging, and there are no fillers. The dramatic and funny moments are perfectly balanced. Nothing is immediate, including Kyouko’s attempt at stardom. A romance story develops in the anime, and the steady pacing is fulfilled by showing no intimacy within the series. The story also reflects on other characters instead of solely Kyouko, so the viewer gets to learn of situations from those characters’ points of view.
The only problem with Skip Beat is that the story is incomplete. The romance is still in development and has a while until it fully blooms. Kyouko has a past with another main character that was shown in brief clips in later episodes, but it is never fully revealed. Kyouko is clueless about it, while the other character still keeps it a secret. Additionally, a new subplot was introduced near the very end of the series, and a solution is never reached. Although the story itself is incomplete, the creators did a good job on giving a hopeful ending. All of the characters were given a reflection, and it gives the viewer enough for the imagination. Since there has been no talk of a second season for the past four years, the viewer is left with no choice but to read the manga in the meantime. (7)
Instead of a weak-hearted female lead that is usually present in shoujo anime, Kyouko is an aggressive and driven individual. All characters have their own personality, and it’s cool that some actually address the stupidity behind Kyouko’s motivation for showbiz. The main characters and supporting characters all balance out the theme of the anime. There are some characters with huge egos, contributing to the comedy as Kyouko enters the entertainment world by taking one step at a time. The contribution of the other characters also helps Kyouko develop into an independent and strong woman. The “Character” category would have a perfect score of 10, but the interruption of the subplot placed a halt on some of the characters’ development. (8)
The animation is unique from most other anime. Apart from the plot itself, the animation is to thank for the comedy. Demonic and depressing auras, along with emotions, are drawn hilariously with ghostly figures. Also, the characters’ designs as chibi are both funny and adorable. The colors are exceptionally vivid and bright in the character and background designs, giving off a refreshing and fun atmosphere to the anime. (10)
The voice actors were superb. Marina Inoue (voice of Kyouko) did an excellent job separating her innocent vs. aggressive voices to fit Kyouko’s split personality. “Dream Star” by generous is upbeat and expresses Kyouko’s confidence within herself. The OP and ED changed at Episode 20 as there is more love affection shown between characters. The background music is played at the right moments and fits the moods of each episode. (10)
Skip Beat was very entertaining. I was desperately looking for a rom-com, and Skip Beat was often recommended. I turned it down several times in the past because of the synopsis. I was disappointed with no immediate romance, but the steady pacing caused the anime to exceed my expectations. The comedy and Kyouko’s determination are what mostly kept me watching. After the first episode, I became anxious to watch the next episodes to watch Kyouko achieve her goal. I disliked how some characters’ pasts were not emphasized and how a new subplot was introduced near the end. Now I’m reading the manga to complete the story. (8)
Skip Beat is unique from other Shoujo anime, and it’s all thanks to a strong female lead. The drama and comedy are balanced, and the plot is irresistible as you’ll become drawn to the story and feel the need to watch it ‘til the end. It is meant to advertise the manga by leaving the viewer with a cliffhanger. As someone who read the manga after completing the series (starting at Chapter 67), I say that jumping on the Skip Beat bandwagon is definitely worth the ride. (8)
shanimebib
Shoujo Lovers! This is something you can't afford to miss out. As for the rest, you might think twice if you are going to overlook this anime, just because it's, you know what, "Oh! Another shoujo anime. I will pass." A couple of my female friends (blu-chan, hagumi_honey) have been pestering me to watch this anime. I was quite reluctant as the story seemed too iffy when i read the synopsis. And then, I recommended the anime to my sister, since she is a crazy shoujo anime fan, and decided to overlook the anime myself. I was just recently having the time of my life, with Hayate,Ippo and Spice and Wolf II all rolling week in week out, until they all ended. I was looking for a replacement but was not sure what to pick. Then I checked my HDD and thought "okay. there is skip beat! there, I copied from my sister's." I thought lets see whats so good about it, as my sis has been ruining my life wanting me to see that.
And here I am, fell in love with the anime. It actually amazed me to find out later on that the original manga started way back in 2002, and has been really popular ever since and still ongoing.
Anyways, thats me and Skip Beat! Now for the review:
Here is your synopsis. Kyoko (Marina Inoue), an energetic and devoted girl, gave up school and decided to follow her prince-charming Shoutarou 'Sho' Fuwa (Mamoru Miyano) to Tokyo as Sho has set his dream to become the next big thing of Japan. Yeap. His aim is to become the number one Idol in Japan. But there is this big problem. The current heart-throb of Japanese Entertainment line, Ren Tsuruga (Katsuyuki Konishi). Sho goes out of control whenever there is anything about Ren, and throws his frustration and whatnot to Kyoko. Kyoko, as a result has been hating Ren for ruining her love-life. And she badmouths Ren all the time to show her support for Sho. Kyoko, giving her all to Sho, decided to follow Sho through and through, until she overheard that Sho thinks lowly of her and the only reason he keeps her around is for household chores. Kyoko's world shatters. She throws her hatred to Sho and promises him vengeance, that she will take him on in the very world he wants to rule over, the world of showbiz.
Story: 10/10. One of the most lovable of shoujo stories out there I can tell you. Its right there in the ranks of the best. The story is simple but powerful, gives you the "what will happen next" and full of unpredictable outcomes that will keep you entangled and without knowing, you'll definitely get absorbed in no time.
Throughout the entire anime, you'll find the determination and dedication runs through Kyoko and how she without even knowing herself, affects the people surrounding her, the obstacles she is about to overcome to reach her goal, and add to that, doing things which are irregular, if not insane.
And of course, there is love to bloom. Kyoko, dejected through Sho, has closed her emotions of love and decides to never fall for anyone again. Ren, whom she has been badmouthing while with her days with Sho, she finds him also cold and lacking heart. But the reason behind Ren's coldness towards her, is something she doesn't know. But soon, she finds out that Ren is, deep down is not what she usually thought him to be. Will her heart finally skip a beat for the Japan's Number One? Find out yourself!
Art: Okay, I will be honest here. Most of the shoujo anime sucks in drawing when it comes to surroundings. This one isn't an exception either. I hate to tell this, but every time I saw Ren's Porsche 911, I really wanted to redraw that. So yes. 5/10 for artwork of the surroundings.
What covers up for the lack of details in the surroundings is of course the character drawings. There are lots of lots of chibi scenes, i would say every the other scene is probably drawn with chibi characters, but that goes so well with the mood and makes the anime even more lovable. But the best part about the drawing will remain the expressions when the mood is serious or needs attention. The eyes, eyebrows, the lips, the facial shadows everything is drawn so lively that you can actually not only feel the emotional state of the character but also the atmosphere around them. 10/10 for character drawings, which in whole gets an 8/10 overall.
Sound: The BGM and the OP/ED are really superb. The sounds actually help to change the mood and the sounds change often as the animation hovers between serious expressions and chibi drawings. What makes it even more enjoyable is that the sounds are nicely blended with the screenplay. There was not once I felt that the BGM didn't go with the screenplay. As for the OP/ED, I fell in love with both the ED songs and I am sure anyone will too. The second OP is also very nice. Sound gets a 9/10 from me.
Character: This is where the anime is probably reached its best. Kyoko, instead of falling apart, decides to take on Sho from the very instant her world is crushed. Her determination, dedication and ambition mixed with her softness and kindness, make her character one of the best female characters I have come across so far. Her self-declaration of not falling for anyone ever again, shows only her emotional state and although she believes her emotion of love is long dead, she does things for others which shows, deep inside, her heart is still capable skipping a beat or two. This is probably Marina's best performance as a seiyuu after Kasahara (Toshokan Sensou).
Sho, performed by Mamoru Miyano, is already a legend in seiyuu world (Light Yagami (Death Note), Setsuna F. Seiei (Gundam 00), Tamaki Suou (Ouran Host Club), Death The Kid (Soul Eater) and many more). There's nothing much to say about his performance as his character amazingly swindles when he is in the public and when is in private. His shift of voice has always been a class above regular seiyuu and thus making him arguably the best in recent times. Sho is just another addition to his illustrious seiyuu career. He performed so well, you will definitely hate Sho.
Ren Tsuruga, performed by Katsuyuki Konishi, (other major performances: Kamina (TTGL), Komui Lee (D.Gray-man), Haji (Blood+), Tooya (Ayashi no Ceres) Ozma Lee (Macross Frontier) etc.) has been amazing. Ren doesn't show his true emotion in front of everyone. His true personality remains a mystery to Kyoko as she can't compare the Ren who can be both cold and warm from time to time. Konishi performed the character as it should be, Ren, the number one Idol in Japan, who is professional to the last and always puts his works as priority one, shows the reason why he is the most successful man in the world of entertainment. As the anime progresses, Kyoko starts to understand Ren bit by bit, and without knowing herself, starts to admire him as her senpai.
And the anime character list is rounded up with other interesting characters Kyoko is set to meet as she is about the find out that 'revenge over Sho' is not the reason anymore as she takes every step to become an actress. 10/10 for characters.
Enjoyment: You bet I want moar! This anime is absolutely a masterpiece of entertainment. Seriously, I can't but have to say I will love to see they are making a 3 or 4 seasons of it. For now, I will be hoping that the anime gets a well deserved Season 2. And I will be getting the first release out online, because not having Skip Beat! in my watch list is almost hurting. 10/10 for enjoyment.
Overall: I will rate it 9/10, as a whole. This anime has given me so much entertainment that I can rewatch this anime over and over again and will never, ever get tired of it, that I can assure.
I am not sure whether my review will be enough to encourage more people into this anime, but I can guarantee one thing, you wont be able to drop this anime once you've started it ;)
Credulous
If you disregard animation and art, the gender of the main character (usually) and other minor differences; one major difference remains between shoujo/jousei and shounen animes that have romance and drama as the two main themes. This difference protrudes as one thing and that is character interaction, character interaction is a result of script/screenplay and to a certain extent storyboard. Character interaction is one of the key features in anime that needs to be executed well for it to be successful, if an anime has good character interaction then you can almost forgive everything else that's bad about that particular anime. This being said, therehas never been nor will there ever be (probably) a shounen romantic drama/comedy with as good character interaction as a shoujo anime equivalent in themes.
Now why I have decided to start this review by talking about character interaction is because Skip Beat has good character interaction and this saves it from being a bad anime. Now ransack your hearts; this anime had fairly weak storyboard, the events happen rather haphazardly and the character development of some characters are below mediocre. In truth though, it's hard to have good character development for many characters but then you really have to make the characters undergoing bad character development either forgettable or really, really good in entertainment value. Skip Beat did not deliver this hence why some characters feel unfinished or even unnecessary to the story.
All the same this anime is very good, it was a good concept and I particularly enjoyed the fact that the main protagonist wasn't some meek, weak pushover that so many other female main protagonists have been. There was some spunk in this girl that I appreciated even though she could be a bit too clueless at times regarding some things for my liking.
Now my overall rating of this anime is based on the things I have pointed out in this review, but also on the fact that I am expecting a season two as it was not only hinted at the end of the last episode but also due to the storyboard and the overall worthless conclusion to the anime, you know it, I know it; we have seen that ending before. So many times... so many times. Atleast it wasn't as bad as KareKano though.
BleachedSoul
This review comes from my own opinion. ^ ^ Ok, so I've recently finish watching this anime. I've came across it quite a few times, but didn't really bother watching it because the description of this anime just didn't sound all that interesting. I watching it, and now I am regretting not watching it sooner. :) Story: Well i gave it a 10 out of 10. The story truly is one of a kind, it quite surprised me. Well the basic story is about a girl named Kyoko who WAS always stepped on by the one guy she would give anything to( an up-coming star atthat). Through certain chains of events (Yes i will not give spoilers cos i REALLY hate them) she realized she that she needs a change of personality, she will NOT be a pushover any longer. At this point in time she is determined to get her revenge. As she thought she realized....whats worse than to out-shine a star? And that's what this girl is striving for in this anime revenge.
Art: Um, well, I am no expert, so therefore i am not really particular about the art it self. I (as an amature) think the anime art work is done well, plus the quality is pretty good therefore i gave a 10 out of 10.
Sound: Opening - Well the opening song was OK. Well, then again, I am PRETTY choosy when it comes to openings. Um, well PERSONALLY didn't like the intro music much(don't kill me for it), but it was still good cos the song lyrical wise did indeed match with the song :) . Well like one thing i should include is that i think that everyone likes diffrent types of songs right? so i think everyone has their own opinion about it hehe~
Apart from the opening throughout the anime it seems as they put good background music. They really do try to fit the mood, and it really does show. Therefore i gave it a 8 out of 10 ^ ^
Character: Well the characters are all very unique to one another. Well, the female lead (Huraayy) Kyoko is the beginning is very attached and thinks she cant picture her life without her beloved Shotaro. Shes been living with his family since she was young and became very attached to him, after all she DOES love him. Since he wanted to pursue his his dream career as a star and decides to take Kyoko along with him (but not for the reasons Kyoko THINKS). Anyway that's her in the beginning of the story, but she drastically begins to change for the better. She soon starts to relize she must do things for herself too, because she gave and gave to others (meaning Shotaro) but she never took the time to give to herself. Along her journey to a better self, she makes others relize them selfs aswell. Another main character in this story is Ren, a cold hearted star who never expereanced happiness till Kyoko can along. Many characters in this anime change for the better.
Over all, i think all the characters were well thought out (Kyoko-giving caring passionate ect... Shotaro- Full of himself, cruel, antagonist, Ken- cold, distant, means well.) Well i think that the writer put a lot of thought into designing the characters. I was very impressed on how well the clashed with one another. 10/10 :)
Enjoyment: Well i got to say straight of the bat 10/10. Some parts were so filled with humor i just could not stop laughing. The thing is, its not just that that was enjoyable, the serious moments aswell, your just so into it that your expressionless. So a very good amusement in all aspects ^ ^
i got to say, 9/10 over all.
i recommend this to anyone that's interested in good animes ;)
heheee hope this helped some of you~
-Lupa-
I fell in love with the manga and ended up watching the anime afterwards because I just couldn't get enough of it. That being said, I was highly disappointed with the anime adaptation, and felt like the overall vibe was very different than the original manga (and no, I am not someone who automatically feels that the manga version of any story is superior). It's difficult for me to pinpoint exactly why I loved the manga and hated the adaptation, but I'll try. Plotwise, the anime more or less follows the story. Parts were shortened and some scenes eliminated, but nothing that really stoodout at me. However, the anime ENDS right about when the manga starts to get good and the characters start to develop. Skip Beat is a long a** manga (too long some might say - I love it but the mangaka does drag it on for quite a while), and the anime just barely scratches the surface, and leaves more loose ends that it resolves (honestly, if I only saw the anime without reading the manga at first, I would be confused and frustrated since there are so many things that are never explained or reseolved). One of my favorite aspects of the manga was how Kyoko and Ren's career in acting was incorporated in the story (especially seeing how Kyoko grew as an actor and changed for each role that she played), but that was not explored nearly as much in the anime.
The anime also emphasized some of my least favorite aspects of the original story, in a way that made the story seem much more cliche and Kyoko much more annoying. Kyoko comes across as much more over-the-top in the anime, and bent on revenge with not as many characteristics to make her rounded out (a LOT of her character development is also left out since the anime ends so prematurely). The pacing of the how Kyoko's relationship with Ren develops was also a lot faster, which makes it somewhat boring to me since you don't see as much of a transition from hate to apathy to friends to romantic interest.
The art was terrible. Very plain scenes that lacked in detail, angular and unattractive character designs, way too much chibi...maybe some of the worst art that i've come across in quite a while.
Overall. I would say that this was a very dull and cliche adaptation with uninspiring artwork and annoying characters. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's not worth watching if you like the genre - it's alright, and maybe I might have liked it more if I hadn't read the manga beforehand and knew what I was missing out on. That being said, if watching this anime leaves you feeling unfulfilled, I highly recommend that you read the source material.
7PhoenixAshes
This is a fun show. The main character, Mogami Kyouko, is one of the best shoujo heroines to pop up in a long time. I adored her dual personality--she swings between being an innocent, sweet, caring girl to a vindictive, bitter one at the drop of a hat! Her facial expressions are a riot, too, especially her chibi ones. Unlike so many heroines of this genre, Kyouko's motivation for seeking greatness in showbiz is revenge, not love. Of course, revenge is never a good motivation, and a fair portion of Kyouko's character development involves her learning to love and trust people again, or at least to learnto enjoy acting for its own sake.
The rest of the main characters are equally enjoyable. Japanese voice actor Miyano Mamoru (Light from Death Note, Tamaki from Ouran HSHC) is absolutely perfect as as Shoutaro--the character's arrogance, massive ego, and adolescent attitudes are fully on display whenever he speaks. Kyouko's eventual love interest, Tsuruga Ren, voiced by the always-fantastic Konishi Katsuyuki (Kamina from Gurren Lagann, Soubi from Loveless, Hisagi from Bleach), is frankly one of the hottest bishounen to appear on screen in recent memory. He's a fully developed character too, with his own flaws and foibles. Interestingly enough, the viewer sees a good quantity of the action from his point of view, which makes him a refreshing change from the mysterious, aloof bishie that one often sees in shoujo anime. Kyouko's friend, "Mouko" and Ren's manager, Yashiro, are fine additions to the anime's cast as well.
That is not to say this anime is without flaws. The animation is rather poor, and the frame rate is embarrassingly low. Of course, there really isn't enough action in this show to really merit a high animation budget, but at least they could have used fewer still-frame shots and included a little more detail in the sparse character designs. It also seems like that the animators, every time they could, replaced the backgrounds with pink shoujo sparkles and reduced the characters to chibi forms just to save drawing effort.
The anime suffers from major pacing problems as well. The show progresses at a crawl, lingering much too long on unimportant events (like the mini-arc involving the little bratty girl) instead of progressing the plot or Kyouko's relationship with Ren. The ending (don't worry, no spoilers here) leaves something to be desired, too, as it cuts out in the middle of one of the manga arcs. It makes me wish they'd hurried up more in the beginning so they could have at least finished the storyline (perhaps they were hoping for a second season...?).
Anyway, overall this anime is worth watching. The characters, plot, and over-the-top humor simply make up for whatever compositional flaws there are.
And for those of you who've finished the anime and are looking for more, definitely pick up the manga. It eats the anime for lunch.
Redvines32
Skip Beat is definitely one of my favorite anime shows. I honestly don't normally like most shoujo anime, but Skip Beat is different. This show is on my top 5 because it has a fantastic storyline, fantastic characters, and nonstop excitement. On top of that, it has romance as well...with a twist. Kyoko practically loses her ability to love after being betrayed by the only guy she ever loved. She had basically devoted her life to him so, on that fateful day when she is betrayed, it sets her loose. Kyoko stops being a sweet, innocent girl and goes into show business as Fuwa Shotaro(the guy she liked) already is a popular singer. She stops at nothing to try to outshine Sho. He was cruel and now, he needs to pay in her eyes. What will it take? Will Kyoko be able to rise to the top? Can she really win when she only desires revenge? Watch the anime, read the manga, Skip Beat is fantastic!
The story~
The story is excellent and very unique. Kyoko basically becomes a popular actress because she wants to get revenge on Sho. It starts off like this, but then she changes. Acting becomes her passion, and it's not all about revenge anymore (although she still hates Sho haha). She builds a new life for herself in a way, with new relationships and more.
Art~
For art, I must say this is the lowest point of the anime/manga. The men all have weird, pointy chins although the girls look decent. Honestly though, besides the chins, everything is pretty ok xP.
Sound~
8
There is lovely music and it always fits the different scenes. Don't have much to say, but the op/ed was better than average.
Characters~
Wow, the characters are something else. Kyoko, Sho, Ren and everyone else become so developed throughout the show. Hopefully, the anime will continue because they grow even more in the manga. The characters are original and thoroughly enjoyable. Even the villains end up fascinating you and aren't extremely cliche and boring.
Enjoyment~
Overall, I absolutely ADORE this anime. I recommend this show to anybody who is looking something different from the typical, boring shoujo. Skip Beat is on my top 5 for a reason! ;O
Naiika
Ah...Skip Beat...what can I say about you, except that you're probably THE most enjoyable anime I've ever watched. If you've ever jumped into an anime, not expecting much of anything from it, so ready to drop it (I was NOT a big fan of the art at first) and yet after watching a few minutes of the first episode you knew you couldn't for any reason pull away? Well that's how I felt watching Skip Beat! I saw this a while back, but I've currently started reading the manga, so I thought I'd give it a review. Story: The story is one of revenge. Kyouko is devotedto her childhood friend Shou and thus tries to help him out on his quest to become famous. But Shou is a jerk of epic proportions and he mistreats Kyouko to the point she can't take it anymore. She decides she'll get revenge on him for all he's done and how he's made her 'lose her youth.' She decides entering show biz and becoming an even bigger star than him is the way to go. Along the way she learns a couple of important lessons, growing and changing as she tries to make it to the top. It's really not the most outlandish story line out there but I don't think it's the most common either. Even if the story line wasn't solid, it's the trials and tribulations of Kyouko and her UBER awesome personality that makes this anime solid.
Art:
I was a bit turned off by the art to the point I almost didn't watch it, but I decided to at least give the first episode a look-see and I was hooked. I've learned to feel comfortable with the art and I've come to feel it fits the characters just right.
Sound:
I don't pay much attention, so either way, good or bad, I wouldn't know XD
Character:
Kyouko is the solid lead of this anime and by all means it stands on her shoulders alone. She's not your typical weak, crybaby, shojo anime heroine. She's strong, independent, hard-working and strong-willed. Plus, she has a wicked vengeful, 'I'll kick your ---- any day!' kind of attitude. But at the same time she's pure-hearted and deep down she's really just someone who wants to be loved and accepted, whether she understands that herself or not. Plus, she's hilarious. The first episode alone has her whipping out like 100000 facial expressions that are just drop dead funny. That's another thing that makes her great, she's sooooo expressive. You're never at odds about what she's thinking. YOU JUST KNOW. The other characters are great as well, each having a personality that, although seems very shallow, is in fact quite multi-faceted. But one thing is always evident, it seems Kyouko is always the one bringing out the best in everyone.
Enjoyment:
I don't usually laugh out loud at anime... to be perfectly honest, even if it's actually funny, I'll laugh on the inside. BUT I couldn't do that with Skip Beat. It was non-stop LOL-ness, to the point people were staring and thinking I was weird. I can truly say, if you're into this sort of anime, you'll be laughing your tail off too. It's just a fun anime. And you can't help but relate to Kyouko and feel everything she's feeling.
Overall:
I'd say, for shojo anime lovers out there, this is the best I've seen. And I'm sure you'll enjoy it, even if not as much as I did.
sarahgem
The anime is amazing. The characters are learning some lesson throughout the story like learning to love or to move on if something doesn't go your way. The advice they put through the story somehow fits with reality. I don't really find the ending of the show that great but the rest of the story is extremely amazing and fits with the plot. I can't say i loved it but i did enjoy it and liked it, and i recommend you watch it.
Agent_Redacted
Skip Beat! is very fun. Watching it, the show slowly cleansed away all the dirty substances I've gained from Clannad After Story. Making me feel more at ease as I advance throughout the show. Sadly, it ended as a cliffhanger. Resulting in the utmost of disappointment. But overall, the show was great and it does portray your typical drama romance anime. If I had to describe this anime, then I would describe it as "Bitches : The Anime". No offense or anything, but the majority of the female characters in the show does give off an awful lot of bitch vibes. As expected from ashowbiz anime anyways? But I'm not really bothered by it. In fact, it was kind of entertaining.
This show gives me the right amount of drama. Enough amount of romance and a little comedy that aren't funny at all but merely keeps the show fun to watch. Skip Beat! is a very good show if you're looking for a romance and drama anime to watch where all the girls just flex at each other and boys teasing ( abusing ) girl(s). And it's even better as a mind-cleanser if you still have feelings attached to a previous anime you've watched in which really affected you mentally ( and perhaps physically ).
I recommend this to everyone if you love drama & romance and/or just want to watch an anime that is kind of retarded but good at the same time. Oh yeah, the ending is a cliffhanger by the way. So if you hate cliffhangers then I don't recommend you this show. That is all. Bye.
anime2160
I put this anime off for the longest time, but it isn't at all what I expected! After re-watching 5 years later, I still give this anime a 10/10! The art was really good but what I enjoyed most was the chibi-style drawings that emphasized the humour and the funny parts from the anime. I would've liked to see her take revenge on Sho and rise to a higher position, so in other words I would've wanted an OVA or another season so I could see how it ends. But that being said, we can tell that she would've gotten there eventually.
justa333
The reason I enjoyed this anime is because of the main character. After learning that her love interest was using her, she doesn't break down and cry and pity herself, but she takes some action and decides to take revenge on him by going into showbusiness. Story (7) The story might seem a but ridiculous at times ( for example she got into the LME agency way too easily with no talent really). I was also disappointed with the Love Me section as it was forgotten really easily and wasn't really mentioned anymore. It kind of seemed useless at the end, but at the end of theday I was really cheering for the main character to suceed and was looking forward to see how she will deal with various kinds of things.
Art (5)
I didn't really enjoyed art in this series. Sometimes the animation of movement didn;t work at all ( for example when driving, the buldings in the background looked soo cartoony [ on top of that the Porshe was just ugly (And i love cars).
Sound (7)
Character (9)
I loved the main character. I liked how she wasn;t a typical anime heroine which just cries the whole time after her love interest dumps her. What can I say, she had balls.
I enjoyed side characters too especially Ren.
Overall I really enjoyed this series and recommend anyone to give it a go.
Volfenstein
After finishing Kaichou wa Maid-sama and Special A, I was looking for another show that would give me the same flavor. I saw Skip Beat! in the list of recommendations so I thought to try it. Then I read the synopsis and kind of put it on the back-burner. The concept of a girl struggling for revenge and all that drama kind of switched off my interest. Yes, I passed judgement on this show prematurely. My mistake, because this show just blew me away. It was exactly what I was looking for and then some. The story was great.The show does have drama, but the comedy does balance it out. As for the art, it wasn't anything outstanding but I'm not complaining. I never felt turned off by it and the characters designs were fine by me. Same thing with the sound. The music was okay and nothing really grabbed me but it wasn't bad. But what really makes this show great is the characters. Hey, it's shoujo, and the characters are predictable. You have the pretty boys, the plain girl, the rivals and what not. But the voice acting, especially for the main character, was fantastic. I was rooting for Kyoko from episode 1. She is such a likeable character that, in a way, was a breath of fresh air to me. I had just finished Maburaho and the hero in that show annoyed me to no end. But Kyoko on other hand, wasn't so static. She is a good girl but wants revenge. And that vengeful streak often rears up unexpectedly, that it had me laughing. There are tense moments in the show that build up and this kept me hooked, so that I watched episode after episode just to find out what happened next. The ending though, was a bit of a let down. I wanted more; some kind of closure to this wild ride but it just didn't properly appear to me. Nevertheless, all that led up to the ending was so enjoyable that I can definitely overlook the ending.
I don't buy a lot of anime. Why? Cause I'm a guy and I recently got married. I always wonder what my wife would think if she found out that I was watching all these girly shows. But this show is just too good that I'm going to buy it. Then I'll slip it in the DVD player and win her over to my side. Or...would it be that I've gone over to her side? Yup, I'll have to pick up a manly show as well just to even it out.
MagicPotato98
I am a little biased because this is my favourite shoujo anime of all time!!! The reason why this anime is so good is just because most female shoujo characters are very weak, shy and boring and only used as a tool to highlight how hot or amazing the guys are. But Skip Beat! is on another level in terms of the main characters. Kyouko is just the funniest, strongest, and most surprising heroine I have ever seen, her character development will shock you and you will not believe how amazing she is in every way. She actually makes the guys seem less cool compared toher. It is refreshing to see a shoujo anime that emphasizes girl power.
The two main leads are also exceptionally interesting from other animes, and they all have extremely funny and heartwarming moments throughout. The characters are developed well in the 25 episodes.
If you are expecting a lot of intimate scenes, you will be disappointed as the intimacy between the characters moves incredibly slowly (even in the manga).
The only let-down would have to be the ending as it kind of ends on a cliff hanger. But that's probably because the manga is still ongoing.
Please give it a shot and I am sure you will be surprised :)
Priester
Amazing, amazing, AMAZING! Skip was just amazing. I loved this anime because of all the drama...the feeling...the EMOTION...the acting! It was all so wonderful! The only thing I disliked was the ending. It was so....it was SO a cliffhanger! I was so angry but I've seen this whole anime twice because it's so amazing.
nastyrush14
Undeniably shoujo, with a good balance of drama and slapstick. Well I must admit there is a LOT of slapstick going on. However, how the plot was shown had an amazingly constant and timely pace to it. In addition to that, the concept is not overly interesting as it is (when you read the synopsis), but how it is portrayed made it so. I will probably watch the next installment of this series and probably read the manga if I have time. This one was worth the time.
Solanio
This shoujo coming-of-age is nothing you haven't seen before unless you started anime within the last month, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's not worth watching. Equal parts drama, romance and comedy as set in the world of showbiz, a typical charming lead that tries to make self-insertion easy scrapes up the ladder with a variety of virtues that play much better on screen than they ever would in real life, with important people regularly going out of their way for someone they barely know as she rises to the top. But that's par for the course and rarely detracts from the presentation. Two points needto be made. Don't watch this if you're looking for music, there is none. I'd like a single in here somewhere, better yet two - dueling tracks from the male leads would be excellent. Kyoko isn't a singer, but an entertainment anime deserves some memorable music and the OP/ED don't provide.
Two, the acting scenes don't sell. Kyoko spontaneously and repeatedly transforms, almost magical-girl-style, into a premiere actress without any real training and at the drop of a hat. Fine, prodigies exist - but then the way she's written when she's supposed to be amazing doesn't resonate.
The ending leaves a lot of space for a second season, an OVA, something, and I personally found it disappointing, but I can understand this decision and won't criticize, even if I would be surprised by a continuation. Outside from this, it's an entertaining ride that's worth a watch on a rainy Sunday or more generally if there's not a ton on your plate. If you like Twilight this is right up your alley, without the fanfiction aftertaste. 7 of 10.
