The process of reading all the available 197 chapters took me only 3 days. This is again a new record - the previous was full RuroKen in 4 days.
After finishing the anime 'Skip Beat' I felt an urge to read the original and was not even feared by the fact that the manga contained nearly two hundred chapters and has been published for ten years. After starting reading I simply could not tear myself from it. I could hardly make myself go to bed, I ignored my studying and had my meals while reading.
Now that I think of it, it is not an indicator of something good. 'tis not that I was so interested I wanted more and more. 'tis that I was waiting for something to happen and since nothing happened I went on reading. Let me explain how it was
After finishing the anime 'Skip Beat' I felt an urge to read the original and was not even feared by the fact that the manga contained nearly two hundred chapters and has been published for ten years. After starting reading I simply could not tear myself from it. I could hardly make myself go to bed, I ignored my studying and had my meals while reading.
Now that I think of it, it is not an indicator of something good. 'tis not that I was so interested I wanted more and more. 'tis that I was waiting for something to happen and since nothing happened I went on reading. Let me explain how it was
Stage 1 - reading first 30 chapters
Wow, this is really good! The anime version was close to the original!
Stage 2 - chapters 60-something
Oh, so events shown in the anime version end only here? It sure took a lot of chapters... Well, the most interesting is still ahead...
Stage 3 - reading chapters 87-156
Yesterday I read 86 chapters. Today I could not stop and read 70 more. I am so engrossed in reading... There are so many likeable characters... I cannot wait for the next chance to read but as for now I must go to sleep...
Stage 4 - reading chapters 156-180s
Somehow... I have seen this kind of situation already... And I have seen this expression... And this talk here and these details there are really long...
Stage 5 - reading chapters 180-190s
Finally! I sense some movement towards a breakthrough!
Stage final - reading chapters 193-197
You are kidding... After all that... I only get this???
Wow, this is really good! The anime version was close to the original!
Stage 2 - chapters 60-something
Oh, so events shown in the anime version end only here? It sure took a lot of chapters... Well, the most interesting is still ahead...
Stage 3 - reading chapters 87-156
Yesterday I read 86 chapters. Today I could not stop and read 70 more. I am so engrossed in reading... There are so many likeable characters... I cannot wait for the next chance to read but as for now I must go to sleep...
Stage 4 - reading chapters 156-180s
Somehow... I have seen this kind of situation already... And I have seen this expression... And this talk here and these details there are really long...
Stage 5 - reading chapters 180-190s
Finally! I sense some movement towards a breakthrough!
Stage final - reading chapters 193-197
You are kidding... After all that... I only get this???
Plot and characters
What I said about likeable characters is true. The main heroine I already described while speaking of the anime, but the other characters proved to be also great. Even the types I dislike, such as fragile guy director Ogata, or overly positive make-up artist Jelly Woods, became my favourites, not to mention characters like capricious child Maria or arrogant and clumsy friend Kotonami.
Some chapters were also especially cute and enjoyable, such as the thank-you party resulting in Maria meeting her father and Kyoko receiving many presents
Even more I was pleased with the romance that started to bloom. I liked accidental moments making the Main Hero feel jealous toward the Main Heroine, or when the Main Hero fell on top of the Main Heroine, or when the Main Heroine helped the Main Hero regain his senses and overcome the shadow of the past... I loved how the Main Hero and the Main Heroine admitted to themselves their feelings... And then I get a very, very hot scene. And I never get what I wanted.
What did I want? I wanted a confession. An expression of slowly but steadily growing love. A manifestation of trust. At least something weakly resembling any of these.
Instead of that I get nothing. Yeah, pretty nothing. After many repeating moments when Kyoko was thinking 'oh no, I cannot tell Tsuruga about this, he will get angry', when Ren was worried about being overwhelmed by his past, etc., etc. - everything stayed where it was, with both Main Hero and Heroine misunderstanding each other. That is because they chose acting over their true selves. They chose pretending to be Heel instead of opening their souls to each other. She said - I will believe in you. He said - I will not lose to anyone in acting. 197 chapters end in just a silent reconciling.
I am disappointed
What I said about likeable characters is true. The main heroine I already described while speaking of the anime, but the other characters proved to be also great. Even the types I dislike, such as fragile guy director Ogata, or overly positive make-up artist Jelly Woods, became my favourites, not to mention characters like capricious child Maria or arrogant and clumsy friend Kotonami.
Some chapters were also especially cute and enjoyable, such as the thank-you party resulting in Maria meeting her father and Kyoko receiving many presents
Even more I was pleased with the romance that started to bloom. I liked accidental moments making the Main Hero feel jealous toward the Main Heroine, or when the Main Hero fell on top of the Main Heroine, or when the Main Heroine helped the Main Hero regain his senses and overcome the shadow of the past... I loved how the Main Hero and the Main Heroine admitted to themselves their feelings... And then I get a very, very hot scene. And I never get what I wanted.
What did I want? I wanted a confession. An expression of slowly but steadily growing love. A manifestation of trust. At least something weakly resembling any of these.
Instead of that I get nothing. Yeah, pretty nothing. After many repeating moments when Kyoko was thinking 'oh no, I cannot tell Tsuruga about this, he will get angry', when Ren was worried about being overwhelmed by his past, etc., etc. - everything stayed where it was, with both Main Hero and Heroine misunderstanding each other. That is because they chose acting over their true selves. They chose pretending to be Heel instead of opening their souls to each other. She said - I will believe in you. He said - I will not lose to anyone in acting. 197 chapters end in just a silent reconciling.
I am disappointed
Graphics
well, in general what I said about the anime graphics applies to the manga also
conclusion
they say 'Skip Beat' is not your average shoujo, here romance is only of secondary importance, and the growth of the characters is the main theme! absence of kisses only proves its depth!
do not make me laugh. if the 'development' were really crucial, if the 'romance' were absolutely unnecessary, there would not be that scene. you know I swallowed it in several minutes but people say it took 3 chapters for the characters to lie on each other in turns, biting and leaving kiss marks on their partner's bodies. instead of the development and true romance I get a 'development' and a 'romance' - only artificial substitutes which satisfied the readers wanting for some physical manifestation of 'romance', which was enough for them to call it a 'development'
if I knew from the beginning what kind of manga 'Skip Beat' is, I would not be this angry. what made me angry is the fact that the beginning had an absolutely different pace, storyline, manner, style, etc. I am angry because I dared to compare the beginning of this manga with the last chapters. and I am truly angry. if not for my dear friend +Арагорн Араторнович who kindly listened to my thoughts and supported me greatly, though it was 4 A.M. and we were busy with another topic previously, my head would probably have exploded. U-chan, thank you for your understanding
if I knew from the beginning what kind of manga 'Skip Beat' is, I would not be this angry. what made me angry is the fact that the beginning had an absolutely different pace, storyline, manner, style, etc. I am angry because I dared to compare the beginning of this manga with the last chapters. and I am truly angry. if not for my dear friend +Арагорн Араторнович who kindly listened to my thoughts and supported me greatly, though it was 4 A.M. and we were busy with another topic previously, my head would probably have exploded. U-chan, thank you for your understanding
in the end, let me reproduce a post from mangafox forum which I completely agree with. I need not even have written all this because this wonderful person expressed all I could wish to say
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