It's Just Another Manga Monday: Skip Beat 31

Well, it's been a long, long time since I've done a manga post; one reason being I haven't been able to post much for the past month and another being that I haven't read any manga. I didn't realize that was in part from not having any manga on order, so I was missing some of the new books, most notably Viz titles. I rectified the situation, put in a nice big order with Rightstuf.com and got my books some time in the past two or three weeks. I even read three of them so far, so I am primed and ready to go.


Alison Can Read started a weekly Manga Monday meme which I have jumped on. I've been reviewing manga from the start, but it is nice to have a place were like minded Otaku can meet and share our favorites.

So, for this week, I give you Skip Beat 31 by Yoshiki Nakamura.

Book Description (From Amazon):
Release date: June 4, 2013 | Series: Skip Beat! (Book 31)

A bestselling romantic comedy
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!

Ren is fighting to keep himself under control, but living as Cain Heel and simultaneously building the character BJ are really wearing him down. Kyoko is getting really worried, but even President Lory can’t do more than encourage her to support Ren. Can Kyoko’s own dark side give her the insight to help her friend, or will she be forced to watch as he self-destructs?!

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen audiences.

My Review:
Well, the action is really intensifying. Ren is deep into his character, Cain Heel. The character he plays as Cain Heel is a blood thirsty demon, wild and uncontrollable. But the deeper he gets into the character playing the character, the closer he is getting to the secrets of his past and he is in danger of losing himself completely.

This volume opens with Ren as Cain standing over a ledge with Murasame in a choke hold. Murasame can't breathe and he decides if he is going to die, he's going to take Cain with him, so he flops over the edge pulling Ren along with him. As they fall, Kyoko as Setsu cries out and Ren comes to his senses. He pushes off Murasame and lands on his feet while Murasame lands on the safety net. We later learn the reason for Ren's actions and Murasame realizes he may have pushed Ren too far this time.

Kyoko, on the other hand, calls the President and asks him if there is anything wrong with Ren and what she should do about it.  She is beginning to notice he is acting stranger and stranger the onger he plays Cain.  She is told that she is there to support him, to be his rock. She was under the impression that she was tagging along to make sure Ren ate enough, but she is now being told that she needs to look out for Ren. The President doesn't tell her, though, about Ren's past. When the President asks if Ren has done anything, a clueless and naïve Kyoko kind of freaks out remembering from the last volume how Ren cuddled with her in his sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, though, the President has a secret agenda in having her accompany Ren.

And then we get to see Sho again. His manager is trying to stop him from watching any TV because she doesn't want him to find anything out about Kyoko, but Sho has been watching videos on the computer and a video comes up of Kyoko which sets him off. He starts yelling and calling her names. He calls her cell phone and leaves insulting messages for her. I can't decide whether he is jealous of her increasing popularity or if he still cares for her. I'm leaning towards the jealousy angle as he has always been shallow and vain.

The President decides it's probably time Kyoko had a manager, a young, handsome one. Mr. Yashiro is expecting Ren to protest or get angry, but he just plasters his Gentleman's smile on and says it's a good idea. Mr. Yashiro is still trying to get Ren to admit to his feelings for Kyoko and can't understand why Ren isn't more protective and possessive of Kyoko.

To make matters worse, Mr. Kijima got Kyoko's email address and decides to send her a text form a set where he is shooting a commercial with Ren, but things start to get interesting when Kyoko emails him back.

Volume 32 is due out December 3. Whaaa??? Four whole months to wait??  Nooooooo!!!