Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Skip Beat Episode 25 summary and series summary

This is NOT fair. It hasn't been 25 weeks already! I refuse to believe that Skip Beat is over and my week will now be Kyokoless!

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It....it can't be over....

But sadly...it is. :( We can all hope and pray for a second season but for now...no more episodes. Game over man. Game over.

But let's pretend to be positive as this series was pretty much perfect and very enjoyable. So dry those eyes and get your fill of this spoiler post and series review. Enjoy my massive number of screenies and the number of times I whine for a season season. Because you know you want one too.


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Kyoko approves of her own molestation! WOOT!

Ren is trying not to explode at Bo as he thinks the special person in his life is Kyoko. He tries to be in complete denial about the entire situation. Ren explains the reason he has issues with Bo’s explanation because if it is TRUE…then Ren’s interest is in high school. Instead of Bo being disgusted with Ren Bo declares VICTORY. Hello, Ren is supposed to play the role of an “adult” falling in love with a teenager?! How can he FAIL if that is his real life inspiration?! Besides Bo/Kyoko points out, 16 is of legal marrying age in Japan so YAY! Kyoko basically tells Ren to nail that piece of 16 year old butt aka HER OWN! Yashiro has to remind Ren about the Dark Moon schedule as Ren has become obsessed with thinking about Kyoko. He begins to panic and is mighty special. Back on the set Kyoko continues her amazing performance as Mio. The filming is rather rushed as Ren is not there and they are filming random scenes. During a costume change Kyoko hears the main actress talking about how Kyoko is a much better co-star than Ren is, as Kyoko makes HER feel the emotions she is supposed to. Kyoko freaks out as Ren should not be compared to anyone but especially her. She is a newbie and is not close to Ren’s awesome abilities. Ren is on a talk show and talking about how he isn’t popular with the ladies and how he was recently dumped. But when the interviewers ask him if there is someone he is currently interested in he fails at hiding his emotions and it is fun times on the show!

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What do you mean I'm in love?!

During the interview Yashiro gets a phone call from Kyoko. She wants to know what Ren’s schedule is and is generally her usual spaz when asking this simple request. He states he will give Kyoko the information based on two conditions. One she must cook and eat dinner with him and two she must talk/listen to him about this Dark Moon problem. Kyoko says she will do condition one but two will be impossible due to Ren being older, her senior in the biz, and a man. Ren is driving home and generally feeling lost with himself. Suddenly Kyoko is knocking on his car window and looking cute. Ren looks a little shocked and thinks back to what Bo said about being excited when seeing this person. Yashiro is off thinking his plan has worked…but then worries about Ren’s tendencies to act cool and calm instead of showing he is happy.
At Ren’s place things are not going well and Kyoko fears for her life. She fails to understand that she ticked off Ren when she said the reason she was offering to make dinner was because of Yashiro’s request. She just lives in fear that Ren is going to eat her face. She turns on the TV for a distraction and it happens to be on a couple with a huge age difference (20 and 39). As they watch the program Kyoko asks Ren’s opinion on the couple and he thinks that nothing is wrong with it. Kyoko goes X_X as 4 years is nothing compared to 19! Kyoko gets really uncomfortable when Ren just stares at her. But she goes back to feeling defeated on the car ride home as she has not helped out Ren at all. Kyoko words her thank you to Ren a little funny (“thank you for letting spend the night with you”) and Ren freaks out. Before he can peel out into the night Kyoko tells Ren that out of everyone she is the one most excited to see Ren’s Katsuki and knows he can do it. Ren is touched by her words but drives off coolly. Ren realizes that he was hiding his emotions again and has another emo like moment.

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Even his car is emo like.

Back at home Kyoko has gone out on the balcony with her magic stone. She thinks back to her pal Korn and prays to her rock. She prays that a little bit of magic can touch Ren’s heart and he is able to act out this role in true Ren fashion. Lory has called Ren and warned him he has two days to get his act together or he will lose his role. Ren sits down and thinks about Kyoko’s encouraging words. Ren seems at peace and a shooting star seems to light up the magic rock, causing Kyoko to think the magic worked. Kyoko is on her way to school thinking about how in such a short amount of time her life has changed dramatically. That even though at times things got rough, she is changing and growing as a person. She thinks of all the people she has met since her fight with Sho and they are shown in the background doing their new thing. Ren and Yashiro are walking down the hallway and run into Kyoko. She smiles so happily and Ren…THE END!

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You deserve this and more Sho. Keep on suffering!

…:( Another series of mine has ended. More sadness in my life. But I will pull through and blog this last episode. I am very brave like that. XD

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What else is on TV now that Skip Beat is over?!

I was wondering how they were going to wrap up this arc. Some bloggers and viewers are upset and others feel they left enough open for a second season. Personally I am THRILLED at the thought of a second season. There was one part of this episode that wasn’t accurate to the manga…but it is totally understandable on how they left it opened ended. Had they followed the manga exactly it there would have been another episode or two. That and Ren figuring out the role for himself isn’t the end of the world. The manga was better at showing Ren and Kyoko getting closer but it still works. As long Ren GOT IT that was the point.

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Ren makes the same faces a lot...

And to be very, very fair the anime has been pretty faithful to the manga so far. It would feel petty to yell at them for resolving the Ren issue before season two. Kyoko did help in her very own way and sometimes these MOG I need to be a better actress/actor moments get a little long. I am glad Ren figured out his problem and moved on.

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Ren is so amazing he gets it just like that!

I do think it was a little odd they choose to end the series in the middle of an arc…but Dark Moon IS a long arc. They were either going to end the season early and nothing would have gotten resolved or they would end in the middle of this long arc. And honestly this section of the arc got covered pretty well. It would have been stronger had Ren arrived on set and show everyone his mad acting skills but it is just implied. The other parts of Dark Moon deal with other issues so it seems okay to end the season at this point.

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There are many more "evil" moments to come! DO NOT DEPRIVE US!

There were more ironic times in this episode. The way Kyoko was pushing Ren to get with 16 year old chick was hilarious since you know..she is the 16 year old girl. I understand that Ren is a little slow in the relationship department and doesn’t realize that (in Japan) Kyoko is legal. In the long run 4 years is not a big age difference. Also…Ren is special in not realizing him being scared to do anything with Kyoko is the EXACT frame of mind he needs for this role. Ren is a very special man.

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Bo is more excited than Ren is X_X

Of course there was one more Ren/Kyoko misunderstanding. Their entire relationship has revolved around misunderstandings. Mostly because Kyoko is blunt with her words and doesn’t realize the impact of her honest answers. Now that Ren realizes he does have feelings for Kyoko he wants to be special in her eyes. He doesn’t want Kyoko to do things because she HAS TO or was TOLD TO. He wants her to do things/think of him because she wants to. So while Ren is a little mean picking on Kyoko (really, he should know at this point she is a little spacey) I understand where he was coming from.

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The tension is lovely.

But I understand where Kyoko was coming from as well. She has gotten burned before when she lied to Ren or when she hid things from him. So she is trying this honesty is the best policy route and she still gets screwed over. I doubt she will change and that is part of her charm. XD But I do feel bad watching her suffer at the hands of Ren.

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The sparkles of doom.

In the end Kyoko redeems the night with her blushy feelings and telling Ren to do his best. I mean…how can you stay mad at her innocent little face and pure actions? Even though I think Ren knows Kyoko is confused about her feelings (love=admiration) but he is still touched he is special in her eyes. That and wording their evening how she did was enough to break the tension.

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Ren is the most mature person EVER!


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And then he gets sucked in XD

Ren resolving his Katsuki issues was rather fast but eh….I am sure in Ren time a week of being unable to act out a role was really a lifetime. He suffered enough, got scolded, and found out he had to feel Katsuki not just learn about him. Or something like that. At least he has his own life to go on and he can just pretend to be himself on set. And Kyoko feels as if she had a part in his healing with her magic stone…which is more ironic as she is praying to Korn (who is Ren) to help Ren.

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Kyoko is such a dreamer XD

I really loved how they summed up the season (not series!!!) by showing what everyone is up to. I thought Moko’s was the weakest as it made no sense unless you read the manga (but I am glad they left that boring arc out). But Sho’s was the best. I love how he gets a miserable ending and that he will fail at all he does. Or that Kyoko is just being awesome with her life and proving Sho wrong. XD Makes me happy.

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You still need to be stabbed.


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Thanks for taking such good care of Kyoko.


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We need more Moko!


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I see that you losers are still in class....XD


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Cynical kids deserve a little bit of happiness.


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Why aren't you in jail for battery?

I love how the season ends with Kyoko smiling at Ren. I am glad that they didn’t try to force a romance in this tiny amount of time and just left it open ended. They are both growing as people and they are going to do it together.

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Don't leave us Kyoko!

I think as a whole this series has been very successful. I have seen a number of people complain about the art style but it had me rolling on the floor at some points. I mean, Super Sayian Kyoko was awesome! I thought the art style was very similar to that of the manga. The only thing that didn’t live up to the manga was Angel Kyoko and..that was going to be impossible anyway! So I think that it was very good and I am known for being picky with art.

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How can you not like this art?!

Kyoko started out being the girl that got on my nerves. Not COMPLETELY. I mean, I don’t like girls who think it is okay for guys to treat them like dirt and devote their lives to their man’s every whim. She came to Tokyo just to be with this jerk and she worked two jobs just so he could start his career. She was a doormat and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

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GET YOUR REVENGE!

But…she changed completely. Once she found out that Sho was using her she did a 180 and she vowed revenge. That I like. She didn’t sit at home and feel sorry for herself. Sure she went a little crazy and promised she was going to do things without thinking it through…but she wasn’t going to let Sho treat her like crap. She has self esteem and a lot of guts. You have to admire that in a person.

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That and her happy outlook on life sorta blocked reality from hitting her.

No matter how tough things got Kyoko kept on going. Most people would be discouraged with having to take a job as a stuff chicken and with every co-worker screaming at her. I probably would have given up 25 times if all that happened to me. But Kyoko is strong (and a little dense at times) and she kept pushing on.

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Don't have a special skill...cut a radish!

The funniest parts of the shows were her meltdowns. And there are way too many to count. She was over dramatic about…everything. Between her inner demons coming forth and trying to injury people to her sobbing on the floor…it is hard to pick ONE defining moment. But I was most amused at her antics.

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Personally I think she did the best in that audition....

I am glad that Kyoko had a back story that made sense. The formal way she acts in all she does and how she views the world is directly related to how she was raised. At times it could be frustrating watching her be SO formal…but it was understandable. And it was nice seeing ONE PERSON who wasn’t acting like a giant diva.

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How could you call that person plain?!

Yes she was confused on her feelings about Ren. But given her fail relationship with Sho that is to be expected. And she is special. She doesn’t realize that what she thinks is devotion to a fellow actor and admiration is actually love. And it’s not VERY annoying to watch. Just gives us something to look forward to next season where she…maybe falls in love with him? And love at first sight things can get a little old.

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The sparkles of love.

Ren got on my nerves most of the series. I was promised that he was going to improve and he did. Slightly. I still think he was a little condensing with Kyoko in terms of her reasoning for joining the industry. Everyone has their reasons for doing certain things. And…acting is a job when you get down to it. It’s not something fluffy you need to FEEL IN YOUR HEART I WAS BORN TO DO THIS ROLE! Sometimes people want to be famous, some people want to be rich, and some people want people named Sho to suffer. He shouldn’t judge someone so harshly when they are getting the job done.

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Run from the torture!

But after all that drama Ren grew on me. Or at least I could tolerate him a little bit better. He learned that he had affect Kyoko’s life despite only knowing her a few days in her childhood. He (hopefully) realized that Kyoko needed to do this to get back at Sho, that it was her way for moving on. He felt touched by her serious attitude on set and enjoyed her positive/crazy attitude in real life.

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Always around to protect her.....

He did have a little bit too much fun picking on Kyoko. Ren has yet to be put in his place as everyone treats him like he is beyond touchable. People feel uncomfortable around him and it is hard to be true around Ren. Hopefully he has learned that about himself and tries to be more personable in the next season.

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Critical Ren is very critical.

Sho has not redeemed himself this entire series. He is still a giant jerk and he needs to suffer MORE. It made me sick at times the way he viewed Kyoko and how he used her. He doesn’t show any remorse and I really don’t care if he realizes that he loved her all along. Kyoko should NEVER go back to such scum and he needs to be taken down a few pegs. Please be leaving Sho.

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Abusing animals on national television!!!

I really liked Moko a lot. She had the right amount of snark to play off Kyoko’s innocent nature but she was never outright mean. She had things to learn as an actress and she decide to learn from the experience. Once she stopped seeing Kyoko as a rival they were able to eat ice cream together and run away from psycho ballerinas. The show could have used more Moko.

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Cheers to success.

Most of the side characters were special. I am not too keen on people injuring Kyoko and leaving her to die in the sun nor people saying she is not a real actress. Most of these people existed for Kyoko to change. Everyone who came in contact with Kyoko walked away a better person.

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Maybe Kyoko is not as loopy as we all think...

My favorite arc was the Sho music video arc. Kyoko looked SO GORGEOUS and the emotions she bottled up just spilled out of her. She got to show Sho that yeah, she will make it in the industry and that he grossly overestimated her. She learned a lot on that set even if her cover was blown. I wish we could have seen the final product but I am pretty satisfied.

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How is that not the most beautiful scene out of the whole show?

Almost everything about this series I loved and I am sad to see it end. Hopefully the next season is already in the works so we don’t have to suffer that long without our precious Skip Beat. And yes, there WILL be a second season. There has to be! We all need more Kyoko in our lives! But until then…we have the manga. XD

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Kyoko demands more Skip Beat!

Thanks for reading!




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