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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Sho decides to take the high road rather than confront Vie Ghoul about their theft of his song. But VG frontman Reino doesn't take kindly to being ignored and devises a devious plan to get Sho's attention--he's going after Kyoko! Normally, Kyoko's not the type of girl that needs rescuing. But for some reason, Reino's presence petrifies her. Will Reino's evil scheme work better than anyone imagined?! The last review I wrote for Skip Beat! covered vol. 2-3, and when I was sent a review copy of vol. 15, I remembered the series fondly enough to make sure I caught up on all the intervening volumes. I'm very glad I did, because the series has really grown on me. Our heroine, Kyoko, is still in full possession of her...let's call it her unusually powerful vibes, which generally translate into her anger or hatred being strong enough that the target can practically see them. (Or be stabbed by them, or buffeted around the room...) She's also become a force to be reckoned with in several arenas: she's come to love acting for its own sake, rather than its potential as a vehicle for revenge, and her talent has won her a significant role in a new drama (opposite Ren, her main love interest, although she still consciously sees him primarily as a mentor). On the vengeance front, Sho, the former childhood friend she dreams of overshadowing, has started seeing her for what she's become, rather than as the quiet girl who once sacrificed everything for him. In practice, her relationship with Sho is becoming quite interesting. Kyoko still overflows with hatred at the mention of his name, but when it recently became obvious that an up-and-coming band is not only copying Sho's style but blatantly stealing from him, she zeroed in on the weakness in the way he's handling the situation and warned him. As for Sho, he's seeing Kyoko in a new light, even if it's still overtly antagonistic. Ren, the ostensible male lead, doesn't get a lot to do this time around; vol. 15 is heavily focused on Vie Ghoul's competition with Sho, and how badly Kyoko is being caught in the middle. The upstart band isn't terribly interesting in its own right, but they're doing a good job of forcing Kyoko and Sho to interact more than they have in a long time. Rumors about their relationship are flying among the other showbiz people, and it seems like only a matter of time before the public starts having the same suspicions, especially since the specter of reputation-damaging gossip looms large in this volume. All in all, Skip Beat! is remarkably engaging, and a lot more fun than I gave its premise credit for when I started reading. Vol. 15 of Skip Beat! includes a page of cultural and translation notes. Review copy provided by VIZ Media. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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