The first romance manga I would recommend is…drumroll…SKIP BEAT! If you’re a shoujo manga fan, worship now. You should live and breathe this manga. It’s got everything: hot young male, strong female, lots of comedy, fantastic art, and superb romance. The story sets off with a 16 year-old girl named Kyoko Mogami. She gets shamelessly used (not sexually) and dumped by the man of her dreams, rock-star Sho Fuwa. The real kicker is her reaction. Instead of slumping and weeping, she fights back for revenge. No longer is she sweet and quiet. Here, we have a cute, sassy she-devil who puts ‘don’t get mad get even’ on a whole new level! The main story focuses on her rise to stardom as an aspiring actress at LME productions. She meets superstar Ren Tsuruga, the #1 actor in the entertainment world. After an interesting, need I say rough start, they become friends. It later becomes more on his side. She, on the other hand, is too dense to notice. The manga focuses on conflicts regarding her career, her friends, and her relationships with both Ren and Sho. Yes, a triangle will form way later in the story. Characterization is a strong part in this manga. I love how there’s no black and white. No one is a definite villain. Even Sho reveals his true colors later, and I mean that in a positive way. There are touching moments throughout the books, as bonds are formed and tables are turned. Relationship-wise, Kyoko’s biggest problem is her inability to open herself and love again. Not a big surprise, considering the way she was hurt. Ren’s conflict comes with ‘cracking her open’. He’s trying to find a way inside her heart, all the time fearing that she’ll go back to Shou. Kyoko’s ‘special feelings' for Shou is a constant sore point for him. I don’t want to get into too many details. I’ll leave the rest for you guys. Just believe me, Skip Beat is phenomenal. The acting part is also a strong draw point for the manga. But, being a blog for ‘good romance manga’, I’m, of course, focusing on the LOVE, lol. All and all, if you haven’t read this yet, start lining up! It’s amongst the best romance manga out there!
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