I would like to say first that I scorn most shoujo manga. When a shoujo manga captivates me, it is because that manga is not predictable in the least, the characters are not one-dimensional, and the protagonist is not a klutzy damsel in distress (or a magic girl). This manga has captivated me.

I would like to say, first of all, that what caught my attention after the synopsis was the art. I had read a manga by this author before (Tokyo Crazy Paradise) and was shocked to see not only the difference in quality, but the difference in style. Tokyo Crazy Paradise was a shonen manga with romance, and the art reflected that. Shoujo manga needs to give off a different feel from shonen, and I believe Yoshiki Nakamura purposefully elongated bodies and used thinner lines to show his (her?) mastery of style. However, I will admit that the elongated bodies do make me wince every once in a while. The eyes and expression are of great importance to this mangaka; every expression speaks to the reader.

The main characters are very well-rounded. Kyouko is not one-dimensional... she probably has an infinite amount of different personalities lying within her, waiting to be untapped. She is unpredictable, like a tornado. Shou is very much so a human being-- he casts Kyouko away when he does not need her, yet he begins to truly fall for her. He is often confused, and though I despise him, I will admit that he is a better character depth-wise than Ren. Ren seems to be more of the good-looking-with-hidden-darkness type than anything else, which makes him a little predictable and ultimately, a little boring.

The story, though a little plain-sounding, speaks to many girls of the world-- wanting to get revenge on a guy. The characters morph, learning to accept one another, and it begins to change the focus of the manga.

Overall, Skip Beat is a very accomplished manga; very solid and very good; one of my favorites (: