Mangdays: Skip Beat Volume 2: Who Is Obsessed

Blurb/Summary: 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!

How exactly did this happen? Me, chicklit fanatic, turning into chickmanga fanatic. Skip Beat can do that to you.

Some weeks back, I posted the review of Volume one. Promising I'd stay glued to posting my adventures.

So Volume 2 was as equally exciting. At the end of volume one, we see Kyoko giving up on showbiz and admitting her failure. Volume 2 brings her back with a new banging attitude. She's more determined. More emotionally stable than first and looking to make showbiz cry like a girl.

Anyway, she gets back into LME productions, and the President now taking a liking to her has developed a new section for people without talent. Listen to this, so ridiculous, the LoveMe section. Info about the details are more shocking. People in the LoveMe section are to seek attention to themselves and be loved by everyone. Warning: That's my interpretation of the section description. You'd think of it as a socialite thingy, all the brouhaha about the three idiots. But it's not as glamorous. Actual boot-licking B.S would be done on high-profile celebs just to get them endorse you.

Though Kyoko is aware she's missing a fundamental emotion. The LoveMe emotion, she's willing to try.

Kyoko begging the Prez for a chance into the newly discovered section

The section worms her through super-bitchy divas in the business. One veteran actress who at any point on time needs her luggage carried at the flick of her fingers. And another super-annoying pop-star who for some reason thinks she's snow-white herself and wouldn't want to terminate her career by walking in the sun. More like the Dracula, if you'd ask me.

Kyoko experiencing the wrath of Veteran actress for dropping her luggage

Kyoko losing it as she carries the annoying pop-star

Meanwhile, Kyoko tries hard to control her temper. She still has anger-management issues and it takes the angel in her to fiercely combat this demonic side to keep her stable. For when she's loose, it's like she's got the Mad Cow.

Kyoko being carried by famous Ren after being abandoned by pop-star girl when injured.

Readers are entertained when this pop-star fails to play a role in a movie, and for her jealousy everyone is caring about Kyoko (mainly the lead co-star, the popular Ren) who's been worked so hard by her and has even injured a leg, challenges are lead girl to take the role out of annoyance. Without hesitation Kyoko steps up to the challenge.

Riyuku Chan, annoying pop-star putting up the challenge.

So eager to see if she nails the role in volume 3.

Read volume 2 for free here To make your reading experience better, you can download Mango, the manga reading app for android/blackberry.

Mangadays: Skip Beat Volume 1 Review

Summary: 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!

Aww. Never, ever have I read anything with illustrations conveying emotions so deep... Skip Beat could be described as absolutely entertaining to anyone in need of a manga chicklit (or wants to try).

Kyoko feeling odd upon arriving at the talent auditions seeing tons of girls who wear makeup

Skip Beat follows the story of Kyoko, a girl in her early twenties larger than life (despite illustrations were made in monochrome black-white colours), who leaves small town with her childhood sweetheart, Sho (—or at least she thought they were ooey-gooey since childhood) to take the BIG CITY (Tokyo) by storm in order to make him famous. Years have passed and Kyoko lavishes being the shadow of Sho, cooking for him, cleaning for him and working jobs(!) in order to pay their rent while he lazies around working himself to stardom (—the scumbag!).

Finally Sho has made it to Japan's ranking of top-six celeb pop-stars and shows less respect to Kyoko despite she tries all attempts to make him happy including stroking his ego (—as though cooking and cleaning wasn't enough!).

It doesn't take long for Shotaro to kick her out of his life! But Kyoko wouldn't go down without a fight! One tough bitch, she is. She vows to get into pop-stardom to show Shotaro a thing or two about the consequences of underestimating a woman scorned.

The first volume of this manga rocks! I don't do manga. My roommate who you would describe as a manchild introduced me to Skip Beat (though he's more into the Naruto-Bleach kind). And I loved, loved it! So terrific!

The illustrations are detailed and humorous. Kyoko is humorous! I love her personality and her chutzpah! She's the character you'd expect to replace the ones in those chicklits you found dull. The character that gets you thinking: Can't someone write her! What I really love about Kyoko is that she's plain and loves to keep her looks au-naturel. See, when was the last time one of those were seen in a good chicklit?

Kyoko telling the famous, sexy annoying Ren Tsuraga where to stick it

Though she's two-dimensional—on paper, Kyoko bears emotions a three-dimensional psychopath would possess! Like her coldness, and why she thinks love is, by her words, "The prelude to disaster and despair!!!" Her transformation is very significant to the development of the plot of the story.

I can't wait to pick up volume two of this manga, which would focus on life after dealing with all those emotional demons—and trust me to report my new manga adventures.

Totally recommend this for anyone who is willing to explore but not far out of their comfort zone. Anyone who wants to really laugh out loud and would shout to curious passersby they are reading and enjoying (manga) chicklit!

You can read the first volume and the continuation of Skip Beat here.

So happy I wouldn't be able to post my review on Amazon 'cos I can't afford them chopping off a chunk of it.