Skip Beat!

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Skip Beat!

Skip Beat! HCD Cover By Yoshiki Nakamura
スキップ・ビート!
Genre Comedy, Romance
Manga
Author Yoshiki Nakamura
Publisher Flag of Japan Hakusensha
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine Flag of Japan Hana to Yume
Flag of Germany Daisuki
Flag of Sweden Shōjo Stars
Original run 2002
Volumes 19+ current 123 chapters

Skip Beat! (スキップ・ビート!?) is a shōjo manga by Yoshiki Nakamura about a girl's revenge on a boy who viciously betrays and uses her to gain his way into stardom. Changing herself and through perseverance she has to overcome the obstacles in her path of vengeance.

In Japan, it was first published by Hana To Yume in 2002, while in the United States, it is published under the Viz Media's Shojo Beat label in 2006. There are currently 19 volumes in Japan and 12 in the United States.

In 2002, a drama CD adaptation was made and released by Marine Entertainment (MMCC-7029). The drama CD covers the first volume (acts 1 to 5) of the manga.

Contents

[edit] Plot synopsis

The story is about Kyoko Mogami, a wistful yet cheery sixteen year-old girl who loved her childhood friend, Shotaro, but was cruelly betrayed and thus seeks revenge against him. She used to spend a lot of time at Shotaro's parents' inn and learned a lot about housekeeping, hostelry, and other stereotypically correct feminine jobs (sewing, cooking, etc.). Shotaro, not wishing to take over his parents' inn, becomes 'bored' of living in Kyoto and decides to move to Tokyo to pursue a career in music. Sho, as he is called by his fans, asks Kyoko to leave high school, Kyoto Prefecture and her life 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 is ranked seventh in the top twenty most popular entertainers of Japan. It appears that Shotaro never helped with the cost of food, apartment, or necessary products. However, one day as she brings him his lunch at a company building, she overhears Sho complaining about her to his manager, saying that she is a boring and plain girl that he'd like to be rid of, proceeding to sweet-talk and flirt with his manager, whereas he hadn't even put his arm around Kyoko in her life. Unlike other heroines in the same situation, 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 Shotaro. Enraged, Kyoko attempts to attack Sho, but is instantly carried off by security. Sho mockingly tells her that if she wants revenge, she had better become a bigger star than him. She then begins planning how to accomplish this, getting her revenge in doing so.

Kyōko immediately cuts and bleaches her hair, while selling her possessions to throw away her past. She then moves out of her apartment into "Darumaya," a place where she works in the evenings. As Sho had scornfully said, the only way she could beat him would be to become more famous than he. She goes to the largest production company that isn't Queen Agency, which sponsors Shō: L.M.E. L.M.E. happens to be the same company that manages Ren Tsuruga, one of Japan's most popular actors and Shō’s main rival. Through persistence and partially stalking Mr. Sawara, head of the talento division at L.M.E., she manages to get an audition.

At the audition, Kyōko, whose life had been spent in one form of one service or another, performs as her talent the art of katsura-muki, a special type of vegetable peeling. She impresses the judges with her originality (she peels a daikon into an enormous flower) and uniqueness of her skill. She also meets Kanae Kotonami at the audition, who proceeds with Kyōko to the next round.

However, the next round is where Kyōko meets her failure: it is a reaction test where she must listen to a cellphone and spontaneously act a response. The cellphone conversation is a man telling her that he's sorry, that he didn't love the other girls, and wants to get back together with her - resulting in Kyoko smashing the phone on the ground and screaming in rage, after feigning happiness at first.

At home, Kyōko cries, but not because she's failed the audition, but because she was told that the reaction lacked the desire to be loved. She is told that in order to be an entertainer and win over fans, she has to love them and herself as well. This is something she doesn't think possible; essentially, Kyōko has lost the feeling of self-worth that one needs in order to be a human being. Nevertheless, Kyōko impressed the President, Lory Takarada. In fact, he was so piqued with interest that he privately notes to Sawara that if she returns of her own initiative, he'll have a special program waiting for her. He decides that since she lacked the key ingredient to making a star, he will make a new branch especially for people like her so they can gain back feelings of love. It is here that the "Love Me" branch is established, but unfortunately for Kyōko the branch is a jack of all trades type, so she finds herself doing everything from starring in a commercial to cleaning gum off the floor! With some initial blunders, Kyōko actually starts to excel and acquire some feelings of love as well as some memories of a rock from a boy named "Corn" whom she had a special bond with when she was a child.

[edit] Characters

Kyōko Mogami ( 最上キョーコ Mogami Kyōko?, もがみキョーコ)
Kyoko as Mio in her role in the drama Dark Moon
Kyoko as Mio in her role in the drama Dark Moon
Drama voice by Miki Nagasawa
She's not your typical shōjo heroine. When the boy she thought she'd be with forever dumped her cruelly, Kyōko didn't weep or wail or drown herself in despair. Instead, she got "pissed," vowed to get revenge. After changing her image, Kyoko made it her life's goal to make Sho pay by climbing so far up the show-biz ladder he'd rue the day he ever look down on her! Kyōko tried to get into the showbiz world by applying to Shō's rival company, L.M.E, but while her audition stood out, the president of the company realized that she lacked the key point needed to become an idol: love, as without genuine love for this profession and for the audience, she cannot make it far in this world. However, despite her failure, she had such an interesting and impressionable audition (she did katsura-muki as her talent portion) that Kyoko is given a second chance. The L.M.E. "Love Me" section is thus found. Lory makes a deal with Kyoko that if she whole-heartedly completes all the jobs given to her as a love-me employee to the client's satisfaction (which is determined by how many points they stamp onto her record book), by the end of certain period of time, when she has accumulated enough points, she will be given a grand debut. Thus begins her journey into the show business world.
As an actress, Kyoko is unrefined but creative and spontaneous, able to impress talent scouts with her unique talents and improvisations. In her earlier jobs, she utilizes the skills she learned from working in an inn in Kyoto Prefecture (like cooking, walking "properly," and performing a traditional tea ceremony) to act the part of a wealthy, cultured lady. Though passionate and hot-tempered, Kyoko is able to show an impressive professionalism and discipline when it comes to acting, even to the point of putting the job before her injury. When forced to perform a tea ceremony in a movie scene with Ren, she is able to keep a serene face and act her part while kneeling on a badly sprained ankle. Yet despite the pain, she refuses to get up or stop until she has completed her job. Because of this, the director and everyone else was incredibly awed by her determinism and strength. Late on, Shuuhei, Ren's father, referred to her as the "scary kind of actress," meaning no one knows her true potential or the limit of what she can achieve in the future.
When she is in her room in "Darumaya" she is often seen explaining how she would exact revenge on the two men that make her life miserable to a large poster of Shōtaro and a small photo of Ren, the latter of which increasingly becomes larger as the story progresses (the size of the picture reflects her level of hatred towards the person on it). She also carries with her various voodoo dolls of Ren and Sho, which she uses to vent her anger and perform curses. The dolls, incredible in the attention to detail, are handmade by Kyoko. They feature Sho and Ren in various state of fear, distress and submission.
She becomes a regular in a show... wearing a chicken suit for the character "Bo". She assumes this character on serveral occasions to bond with Ren, because he is too scary to approach in person. She likes to cling to Kanae and calls her "Moko" (it is seen in vol. 4 that every girl hated Kyōko for her familiarity with Shou). Kyōko never liked to drink soda (even as a child) but she made herself drink it for an important commercial audition. Kyoko seems to have a bad relationship with her parents. Her mother, Saena, was a strict and emotionally distant parent who eventually left her with the Fuwa family when Kyoko was much younger. The effects of Kyoko's difficult childhood can be seen throughout the series, particularly in her acting. For example, when Kyoko was acting with Maria, she stated that parents that despise their children really do exist. Kyoko's father is presumed dead. Kyoko might have a slight crush on Ren, but she mistakes it for admiration sometimes and even denies it since she "possibly couldn't let herself fall in love again". After seeing the certain scene where "Katsuki" (played by Ren) is looking at the girl he loves in the play, Kyoko remembers the smile (he has shown it for her a couple of times before) and comes to the conclusion that Ren might not hate her or dislike her, as she thought before. She shows deep respect for Ren and admires him a lot, and even denies that she is not at the same level as him, when two girls is discussing it. It is shown that Kyoko does not know that Ren might be "corn" her "fairy-prince" like guy. Recently, she was the caretaker for Kuu, and actor who played in the previous version of the drama "Dark Moon". He is also Ren's father, although Kyoko does not know this.
Ren Tsuruga (敦賀蓮 Tsuruga Ren?, つるがれん)
Drama voice by Ken Narita
Ren is, in outward appearances, an extremely nice and polite star. However, he shows his true self whenever he deals with Kyōko. Although at times teasing, he harbors a love for Kyōko. For example, he doesn't allow himself to be near her alone sometimes, because the urge to hold her is increasing. (ex. in volume 12, when Kyoko falls, after trying to get a pot from the cabinet, and instead of getting her head and butt hurt, Ren puts his hand in front of both parts, and squeezes her as a result of his urge) As the story progresses, flashbacks reveal a past with Kyōko when she was smaller, however, Kyōko 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 United States 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 Ren Tsuruga is only a stage name. He is the son of a famous actor named Kuu and his mother's name is Julie. 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.
Shōtaro Fuwa (不破尚太郎 Fuwa Shōtaro?, ふわしょう)
Drama voice by Nobutoshi Kanna
He is a typical stuck up star, and is also very ruthless. Shō had no qualms about tricking Kyōko 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 Kyōko 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. Further on in the series though, we see Shō beginning to show a kinder side to her and hints at him having real feelings as opposed to just possessive feelings. Shō thinks of Ren as his rival and is extremely petty at times when they meet, even going as far as to issue an unofficial challenge to him.
Kanae Kotonami (琴南奏江 Kotonami Kanae?, ことなみかなえ)
Drama voice by Yukiko Tagami
Kotonami's character, at first glance, looks like she was being set up to be the villain to Kyōko's angel, but as with all of the female characters in this series, Kanae is much nicer than she appears. While there was fur flying about at the beginning, both girls have a need for a true friend, and ultimately find that in each other (albeit reluctantly on Kanae's part and too willingly on Kyōko's part. After their tag-team effort in winning an audition for a commercial, the two becomes best friends. Kyōko likes to call her "Moko"). Despite some differences in their personality, both girls recognize that they are in fact very similar, most notably their desperate determination to reach the top of the show-biz pyramid. Both coming from a poor family, they both strive endlessly to achieve their dreams. This, they recognize in each other, thus leading them to become friends. They are both incredible actresses with a great deal of respect for each other's talents. Kanae desperately wanted to be a star and was at the same audition as Kyōko, but while she did better than Kyōko, she also failed. She became the second member of Love Me, and has used that to her advantage. Kanae puts up a strong front, but is very self-conscious and is prone to self doubt. It is later revealed that Kotonami has problem dealing with kids, stemming from the fact that she comes from a large family with an obscenely large amount of nieces, nephews, and siblings. Although her attitude towards Kyoko may seem aloof at times, it is clear that she values their friendship, as she reluctantly shares her secret with Kyoko when she fears her unwillingness to share her troubles might drive Kyoko away.
Lory Takarada (ローリィ宝田? ローリィたからだ)
Drama voice by Banjo Ginga
He's the President of L.M.E, and is very showy. He is one of the first people to recognize Kyōko's promise of being a great star, and created the "Love Me" section because of this. Lory has a very deep voice, and often has a huge entourage with him to create the world's greatest and sometimes strangest entrances. He also has a granddaughter, Maria, who idolizes Kyōko.
Takenori Sawara (椹武憲 Sawara Takenori?, さわらたけのり)
Drama voice by Tomoyuki Kōno
He's a part of L.M.E. and was tormented by Kyōko into getting her into an audition. He's actually very supportive, despite Kyōko's penchant for tripping her own idol career up.
Maria Takarada
Maria is the granddaughter of the President of L.M.E. and used to use her cute appearance to get people's sympathy. She did so before Kyōko's audition, however Kyōko recognized this, and called her out on it. While some people would be angry at Kyōko, Maria began to idolize her, and views her as an ultimate big sister. Maria also suffered from a huge guilt complex from her believing that she is the cause of her mother's death. As a result, Maria was unable to talk or even be around her father, since she thought that he hated her. Kyōko managed to make Maria understand that her father didn't hate her, or think that Maria caused her mother's death. Maria also loves to dabble with black magic (along with Kyouko's side) and also has a large crush on Ren Tsuruga.
Kyoko's Demons
Kyōko's demons were always with her, however they were kept at bay by her extreme love and devotion to Shō. When Shō's true impression of her comes to light, so do her demons. The demons often scare everyone around her, which Kyōko uses to her benefit. They also help keep Kyōko's drive going, as she sometimes questions her motives for stardom. Most of the time, the demons are held back by Kyoko's remaining pure feelings whenever the "pure Kyoko" feels that the anger is getting out of line. The demons give Kyoko a dark aura that is frightening to passersby. She has also used them as kanashibari to trap Kanae Kotonami.

[edit] Trivia

  • Katsura-Muki is the art of vegetable peeling, and is extremely hard to do. Often only the best top chefs are able to do this, which is why Kyōko's ability to do so impressed the judges.
  • In Japan, by law, students only have to go to school up until the 9th grade, so this is why Kyōko is able to drop out of school. Just like most places, Japan does not have very many openings for high school drop outs, so most students are encouraged to at least finish high school.
  • In Japanese, キョーコ, if translated directly is Kyouko, but is correctly romanized in the Hepburn style as Kyōko. Viz uses the romanization of Kyoko for its easier readability to their customers. See also: Japanese Long Vowels

[edit] External links