I was a little apprehensive to start this to begin with. My friend was pushing me to read / watch it constantly, and has been doing so for the past year. Having just finished one of my favourite mangas of all time - Kare Kano, and watching my favourite anime of all time - Ookiku Furikabutte, I was reluctant to start something which frankly, from the blurb, didn't sound all that exciting or original.

Kyoko, obsessed with her friend Sho since childhood, has sacrificed everything for him. She has juggled jobs, quit school, learnt the art of a proper hostess, got to be loved by the parents, supported him in his dream of becoming a singer, and anything else he has asked for on the way. But when Sho gets that first, addictive taste of stardom, he ditches her for the much hotter girls and the much more inticing lifestyle. This acts as the catalyst, and Kyoko becomes bitter - determined that she will beat Sho in showbiz.

The basic plot seems... well, pretty basic. Typical shoujo, she'll try and beat him, he'll find redemption, they'll fall in love, and live happily ever after right? It is a shoujo after all!
WRONG. The friend who pushed me so hard to read this often says "Rather than looking at it as a romance-with comedy, look at it as a comedy-with romance. You'll enjoy it much more."
And she was right. True it's a long winding plot which, at 166 chapters translated, still hasn't reached anywhere NEAR a conclusion, so the die-hard get-to-the-confession-and-make-it-soppy shoujo fans probably won't get a kick out of this humourous, if not romantic story.

But anyone open to brilliant arcs, hilarious moments and lovable characters will thoroughly enjoy this, I guarantee it. From a obstinate die-hard slush or seinen fan, I've now come down with a serious case of Skip Beat addiction. I'm only up to volume 15, but can guarantee I'll reach the stage where I'm waiting impatiently for the next chapter to be scanned.

Thinking back, so far I can't remember a plot line previously used in another shoujo. I think the fact this is a COMEDY with romance rather than a ROMANTIC comedy gives it an edge. There are (so far) no love rivals, no trivial troubles arising between the star-crossed couple (to be honest, there is no couple as of yet - so it's not even possible). Because it is so far from a typical shoujo, the plot lines are so original.

You can almost tell the mangaka, Yoshiki Nakamura, has thought this all out (although, maybe she hasn't and is just a phenomenal story-teller), only tidbits of characters past being fed to an avid reader.
It has the funniest story lines I've ever read in a manga - my mother thought I was mad when she'd hear me in utter hysterics (Kyoko in a chicken suit - SB readers will understand this.)

All in all, this manga will make you laugh, make you cry, make you fall in love with the characters and find yourself immersed in the crazy world that is Skip Beat, and never want to leave.