Skip beat! is one of those stories that just grabs you from the get-go. I originally read it on a whim, I had finished catching up to all of the manga I was reading and had enough time left to read for at least one more hour, when I happened to stumble upon it. At first I wasn't too intrigued by it, the plot sounding pretty typical for a shoujo, but then I reached the end of chapter one and could not wait to read the next. I spent all of my free time after that night catching up with all of the available chapters, waiting patiently for the next one to come out every few weeks. Before I knew it seven years passed and I'm still as much in love with this series as I was the first time I read it.

Story: Skip Beat! is very well paced, allowing the characters to develop without it seeming awkward. I always feel excited after every story arc, knowing that the next one will be better and more exciting than the last. The humor doesn't feel forced, like it does in many other shoujo, and has its moments where I will literally laugh out loud from the sheer ridiculousness. it is over the top yet subtle at the same time, and even when they add humor to the more serious moments it doesn't seem off putting or out of place. The only gripe I have with the story is the way it lags in-between chapter updates, which is understandable.

Art: Truth be told I wasn't exactly a huge fan of the art style when I first started reading, and in a way it still bothers me at times, but it grew on me and honestly I can't imagine the style being any different. The expressions are handled really well and its easy to tell how a character feels without them having to speak.

Character: The characters in This manga are what really surprised me, being so lively and colorful and unique. Every character, no matter how short their appearance, leaves a big impact. There is plenty of character development, always a big plus in any series, and despite kyoko being the main character the side characters are never forgotten, even if they do tend to disappear for certain amounts of time.

Enjoyment: One of the few shoujo that I can say has captured my heart, skip beat! has everything I wanted and more. I'm not a huge fan of the shoujo genre, mainly because the plots are so over-used and cliche lately, but this has remained consistently surprising in a way I didn't think was possible.

Overall: There isn't much about this series that I can say I have an issue with, just a few things here and there but that's being nitpicky. Any person, whether they like shoujo or not, should give this series a chance because, hey, you never know, it could be an instant hit.