I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 2 years ago. It's always been a personal feature, but now I'm going to try turning it into a meme. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme would be a good way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.
The linky will be below my review.
Skip Beat! vol. 13 by Yoshiki Nakamura
Kyoko Mogami followed her true love Sho to Tokyo to support him while he made it big as an idol. But he's casting her out now that he's famous! Kyoko won't suffer in silence--she's going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz!
Kyoko Mogami followed her true love Sho to Tokyo to support him while he made it big as an idol. But he's casting her out now that he's famous. Kyoko won't suffer in silence--she's going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz (courtesy of the back cover and Goodreads)
Review
*Warning: Potential spoilers. My manga reviews tend to be more of a summary than a review. I find it hard to review manga in the same way I do regular books.
Most of this volume is taken up with Ren's acting test. Ren has to convince the president of his agency that his acting is up to romantic snuff or he's sacked. Of course Ren passes. He does it with style. After his rehearsal with Kyoko the night before, Ren is confident that he can perfectly act his scenes. He decides to improvise. Ren's costar Itsumi isn't going for it. She thinks he's being too brash at insisting on improvising. What's even worse is that Ren insists he can "make Itsumi act" like her character. Frankly, this would annoy me too. Itsumi isn't going to fall for Ren's charms.
But she does. When Ren acts out the part of his character, Itsumi loses herself. Ren's statements and body language evokes exactly the reactions that Ren wants her to have and that her character would have. It showcases Ren's acting talent - he not only understands his character but the personalities of his co-stars as well. I love how this series has given me a different idea of acting. Just how much talent it actually requires.
After the acting test, Ren and the president go into a limo to talk. Kyoko sees them from the window and worries that Ren is getting a talking-to. It's actually nothing of the sort, but Kyoko is terrified that Ren might be upset. She catches him as soon as he leaves the limo and offers him her good luck charm.
It's a sweet moment but brings up something that confuses me. Someone gave Kyoko a good luck charm that she has inexplicably named Corn. From some recollections, it seems like Ren met her when she was a little girl and gave it to her. But I haven't seen this for sure. Kyoko thinks it came from a fairy. Ren seems to remember this event with much love for Kyoko. But I can't figure out if it's an actual memory or his imagination.
The charm has always confused me too! I generally assume that Ren is right in these situations though. Kyoko is so flighty sometimes... but that's why I love her. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat little summary/review, Alison! Vivi bought this volume too!!! XD
ReplyDeleteTo clear things up for you guys, the charm IS from Ren. This may be considered a spoiler, though it's more like their past: When Kyoko was a little girl, and when Ren was a teenage boy, they spent a couple of days together, and since she cried a lot, 14-year-old Ren gave "Corn" to her, telling her that it's "magic", etc. etc.
So yes, the stone is like a connection of the two of them from the past.
I hope the charm is from a pleasant memory instead of a made-up moment! That would certainly dampen the romantic gesture.
ReplyDelete"Someone gave Kyoko a good luck charm that she has inexplicably named Corn."
ReplyDeleteThat made me snort. I think we should all have good luck charms we name after vegetables:) Does Kyoko know Ren loves her yet? I'm hoping he's able to tell her sometime soon!
Oh getting to learn more about acting was what I enjoyed about reading Honey Hunt (which reminds me I need to get back into that series), there was also some focus on acting in Kare First Love but a lot more on photography which was one of my favourite parts about that series. I love it when a series gives greater insight into things we think we already know.
ReplyDeleteOooooohhh! I love Skip Beat!!! I"m a bit behind! I gotta catch up. I"m a bit further than this volume though. I so wish they would continue the anime! LOVE the anime! I think I should re-watch it! :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love you're site!! I see you were/are reading Fruits Basket and Vampire Knight. Two of my favourite manga series and anime!! We were in Japan there in May, missed you by a month, it's such a fantastic country, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteDon't start me gushing!! :)
Yeah, that incident of the blue stone with Ren and Kyoko was real. I won't spoil it because it comes up in much later chapters/volumes, but we find out everything about that time period and why Ren and Kyoko had met all those years ago. Kyoko, having been only 6-years-old at the time, has a very fuzzy memory of it compared to Ren, who was 10.
ReplyDeleteThe reason Kyoko calls it "Corn" becomes significant, too, in regards to Kyoko's childish misunderstanding of the Japanese language when she was a kid. It has great significance to Ren, though.