Skip・Beat!, Vol. 50

スキップ・ビート! [Skip Beat!] #50

by Yoshiki Nakamura

Welcome to Hollywood! Kyoko is thrilled as the Route project takes off in sunny California. But even the excitement of exploring a real American movie studio isn’t enough to distract her from the current calamity—when Ren says “Kyoko,” she can tell he means her real name and not her stage name. How can Kyoko act normal when he keeps doing that?!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Contemporary, Shojo, Drama, Comics Manga, Humor

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2024

About the author

Yoshiki Nakamura (仲村佳樹) is a Japanese mangaka. She was born June 17. Nakamura made her manga debut with "Yume de Auyori Suteki" in the manga magazine Hana to Yume in 1993.

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Occasionally there is a book where the author is just setting up the scene for the next few books to play out, but these only come out once a year, and while this is my favorite manga series, I do want to know what the end goal for Kyoko would even be.

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I cannot believe I've been reading this series for almost 20 years.

[BreAnna (Bre'sBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

These last volumes have been so small, but I'm excited for the new project!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[dilan · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’ve been reading this series since i was 13/14… this series has a special place in my heart ! i am proud of myself for making the decision to go to b&n after a movie !!!

[Jojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve now finished up to this latest book and the craziest thing is that Skip Beat has been serialized since 2002! Was every book of five, probably not, but almost the entire time I wanted to read more and I found myself squealing and giggling, constantly, seriously, what a slow burn. Most current arc is super weird, but I believe in our Lord and Savior and trust that she will find us a happy ending, whether it be five or even 10 more years down the line.

[Natalie S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just let him say your name already Kyoko!

[Rach · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s some things I like in this volume. Ren and Kyoko’s conversation about him using her first name with no honorifics was adorable, because he finally understood - it’s not that she hates it but that she loves it so much she can’t control get face when she hears it haha. I can’t say I fully understand the implications of honorifics, just enough to get that it’s an indicator of how well you know someone.

I also love seeing Kyoko finally travel with Moko to America, and the calico named Smore was adorable (though those pre-packaged s’mores treats are not a real thing). I’m looking forward to the Route project officially starting because it feels like we’ve been playing a waiting game for a long time.

My main issue is, it’s been so long since we’ve seen some of these characters that I can’t remember all of their back stories, and then I can’t remember if I was never told anything about them or if I forgot. Like “Prince” Cedric - is he related to Ren somehow? Why is he so rude to people? And who is Mr Duris again, other than the president’s friend? If he is Cedric’s grandpa, is he also Ren’s and they are cousins? Also, why is it a big deal that the director is a Japanophile? Is he not Japanese himself? Some of these issues would likely be solved if I didn’t have to wait at least 6 months between every volume, but it works be nice if there were like footnotes or something to remind us of what we already know from previous volumes.

I also don’t really get why Ren had to go to the US 2 days later than the rest of the group. Am I supposed to know this? Or is it another secret?

You know who I AM excited to see again after a long absence? SHO. FUWA. 😆 Clearly they are going to run into each other, right? ADHD have they even seen each other since Kyoko and Ren confessed to one another? I can’t wait!!

[Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

La parte giapponese del progetto "Route" è finalmente atterrata negli States. Kyoko, partita in qualità di assistente personale dell'amica Kanae, ha già fatto amicizia con le persone più disparate 🤣, compresi certi pezzi grossi (ricordiamoci tutti che lei è riuscita, per puro caso, a vedere il fantomatico direttore generale a volto scoperto, una cosa che non era riuscita quasi a nessuno 😎). Questo viaggio è destinato a portare in scena il passato di Ren (peraltro intorno al progetto girano varie persone che conoscono la sua vera identità e che sono conoscenti - e alcuni pure parenti - dei suoi genitori) e molto probabilmente ci regalerà un nuovo incontro tra Kyoko il bietolone biondo, al momento impegnato all'estero, proprio nella stessa città in cui si trova la nostra protagonista. Sicuramente i due finiranno per incrociarsi e insultarsi 🤣
C'è un altro elemento che spero venga approfondito nei prossimi volumi, ovvero la figura di questo principe, Cedric Bennet, uno dei protagonisti del progetto "Route" - un soggetto che fin da subito non ispira molta simpatia e che non lascia molto tranquilla Kyoko (e temo che la ragazza ci abbia visto giusto).
In linea generale, aspetto con ansia il prossimo volume per vedere l'arrivo di Ren e per capire se il talento di Kyoko saprà fare colpo anche sui colleghi americani.

Due parole sull'inizio di questo volume, con la richiesta di Ren di poter chiamare la protagonista per nome. Anzi, per essere più precisi, "piccola Kyoko". La reazione della ragazza è sempre spassosa 🤣 il povero Ren avrà molto da fare per stare dietro ai trip mentali di Kyoko.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More Good (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

It's more of the same but teeny tiny steps in the direction of romance with Ren and Kyoko. Still cute but really starting to wear after all these years of not much happening. I'm finding myself less and less interested in the show biz side, though I found the trip to LA/Universal Studios/Paramount Studios amusing.

Story: Ren wants to use Kyoko's first name like everyone else does; unfortunately, it freaks out Kyoko every time and so he has to return to calling her Ms. Mogami. As Kyoko arrives in LA, she'll befriend a cat and become engrossed in famous LA movie backlot locations such as the Back To The Future clocktower square.

So yes, some cute moments in the beginning with Ren saying her given name and her head exploding. Certainly, Nakamura's artwork is solid by this time and she knows how to draw the characters and emoting well. It would be nice if Kyoko grew up a bit and perhaps we see a lot less side characters (who all seem to be jumbling into an amalgamation of all previous characters introduced and then dismissed).

So nothing exciting here for the 50th. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Mariána K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not much to say after 50 volumes and over a decade in the world reading this series lol. I can say that there are bits new that I didn't remember being in the monthly chapter releases and the translation is much better that the fan translations. (I will always be grateful to the dedicated fans that make early access possible no matter the translations lol!)

This volume has the Japanese crew finally arrive in LA California. Ren isn't there yet but will arrive next volume. Some minor fun shenanigans, and the hints of potential discord between Americans and the Japanese crew are displayed. Not sure if it was obvious though, since I've read a bit ahead with scanlations and might be better primed to spot the clues.

Loved the adorable and previously unrelated bonus chapter. And my favorite segment was the short conversation between Ren and Kyoto about names. That's all I say so I can avoid spoilers.

[Kastie Pavlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's super slow. But it's Skip Beat! So I loved it anyway. I reread 49 first, since I remembered Ren and Kyoko were having a conversation and I couldn't remember where they left their relationship status. I mean, it's worth a reread regardless, but it also made this feel a little longer than it actually is. I'm looking forward to learning more about the Route project, but, like everyone else, I'd love more Ren & Kyoko. Moko seems to have the focus for now. Loved seeing Yashiro flustered by Mr. D, which is also a reminder of how easily Kyoko wins peoples' hearts. She's such a pure girl. Lol (⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)

[Paulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look...Ren finally standing his ground and formally asking Kyoko to call her by her given name was everything to me, especially because he finally got to see her real reaction behind the determined/scary/scowly face she literally puts on.

As for the rest of the volume...dksjflksjd;glkdjs;fgklneflj;hndfjklngkldfjgkldfjgkljfkgjklfdjgkjgkfjgkljdfkgjkfjgklfjgkjfgkjk
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They're all in America!! Where Koo and Julienna and Shotaro are?!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Love Me uniform assaults people's senses in all the wrong ways.

The mail arrives. An hour or so later, it's time for another 10 months' wait for the next one.

This one's gone so far past my capacity for remembering the secondary characters, I've pretty much given up. At some point, I'll reread the whole series and create a dramatis personae, but for now context clues are working fairly well.

[Gabz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit of a hard one to rate, because for one, it's been so long since the last single volume published in English that it's a bit hard to recall where we left off before. The other issue is that while this volume is as good as usual, we're being treated to a lot of setup and not much action or interactions between our beloved characters. It will definitely pick up in the future, but this collection of chapters didn't make for the best volume, I fear.

[FER · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening chapter of Ren & Kyoko negotiating what name he should call her gave me life. I needed it too because the rest of the volume was certainly there. A trip to Hollywood as Moko's assistant to get her on a set with everyone rather than filming Lotus in the Mud alone. More new characters that I can't find the time to be interested in. And I saw the speech pattern shift. "Mood." I'd still rather be filming Lotus in the Mud please.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would seem we are finally entering an arc that will address the male lead's trauma, the one that led him to move to Japan and hide his identity. It's the last big issue that needs to find some kind of resolution before the story could conceivably be completed. Considering how she handled the main lead's mother issue, I have high hopes for something both realistic and satisfying.

[Meagan Kusek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better and funnier than I remember the individual chapters being. it sure helps to have it all in one book! What seems like a slow-paced story is setting everything up, but at this point, it still is just revving up for the final act.

[Khari · Rating 3 out of 5]

いや、ちょっと言い難いだけどこの単行本は面白くなかった。何も起こらなかった。

[鯊 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Alexandra Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smores is so cute. Also that cliff hanger!

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will forever praise this manga's pacing and character development.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, okay, now things are starting to pick up a little, some conflict is brewing. interesting.
Too bad there's only one volume left so far...

[Evan❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

They are in America…I have a bad feeling about this

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Get 1 - 2 volumes a year and this one felt like a filler. 🫠

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kyoko getting so flustered over katakana and kanji was really funny. I like this new storyline, but I wish the volume was longer!

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The romance...advances?!? Kyoto briefly takes charge of a lost cat.

[Muhammad Rajab Al-mukarrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope it’ll get better.