Skip Beat Volume 21 Review

By Caddy C 1 year, 5 months ago

Caddy C is a fan that doesn’t pull punches. Watch out!

Skip Beat! and I have had a tumultuous relationship since I picked up the first volume cold from my local library. I had no previous knowledge of it, having only seen ads for the anime version on Crunchyroll.

After reading the first chapter, I was smitten. Skip Beat! features a heroine who, instead of swooning over the rock star bishounen who treats her badly, swears holy revenge on his holier-than-thou ass. Awesome! When Kyoko’s demonic grudge alter-egos made their appearance, I fell in love.

Skip Beat! breaks the shoujo mold by focusing on Kyoko’s sense of herself, which has depended on others for so long that she has forgotten her own dreams and ambitions. I really liked how the early volumes developed Kyoko as a person with her own issues to work out, instead of treating her as simply one third of a love triangle. By the end of the first volume I became invested in her development as a person and an actress.

Then, Skip Beat! wandered. As the story entered its teen volumes, the triangle emerged and even became a square at one point. Instead of taking an active role in her life, Kyoko became a tool in not one, but two male character’s machinations. Ren, the brooding but gentlemanly love interest took center stage and took the opportunity to work out some daddy issues. While the story arcs involving other characters were interesting, they weren’t the heart and soul of Skip Beat! Taking Kyoko out of her role as a woman on a mission of self-discovery (with a hearty side helping of revenge) took the story away from what drew me to it in the first place – Kyoko.

Luckily, as Skip Beat! works its way towards the 20+ volume mark, the manga is meandering back to its roots. Volumes 20 and 21 brought back two fun female characters, Moko and Maria. Kyoko’s interactions with them are less fraught and more fun, and in volume 21, Kyoko is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny.

Sticking with Skip Beat! to volume 21 hasn’t quite been arduous, but it’s been an interesting journey full of ups and downs. Being as critical of shoujo manga as I am, it’s a testament to Kyoko’s feminist cred that I remain as committed to her as I was from the start. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her and watching her rise to stardom in volumes 22 and beyond!

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