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Title:  Skip Beat! #5

Author:  Yoshiki Nakamura

Publisher:  Viz

ISBN:  1421510227

May Contain Spoilers

After her silly antics to get back at Sho, Bo the chicken became popular with viewers, and Kyoko lands a regular role on a TV show.  Not content to don the chicken suit and play the part of a giant fowl, she heads off to an audition for a commercial.  Moko’s in the running for the role, too, but her usual fire is missing.  Kyoko learns that Moko’s lifelong rival, nasty rich girl, Erika, has her sights set on landing the job.  Can Kyoko re-ignite Moko’s fierce competitive spirit, or will the other girl accept a quiet defeat at the hands of her enemy?

Yeah!  Skip Beat! is back on track with this volume!  As stated in the review for the previous volume, I just could not relate to Kyoko and her chicken suit.  I enjoy the book more when she’s going head to head with rivals at auditions, or fighting with Moko as they perform their Love ME duties.  While at times amusing, the whole chicken story left me rather cold. 

The chemistry between Moko and Kyoko really melded here.  Kyoko, longing for a friend, has set her sights on the stand-offish Moko as her best buddy.  Moko, seeing her only as a competitor for treasured roles, wants nothing to do with her.  When the two are teamed up through a random drawing at the audition, the other girls complain that they have an unfair advantage as they know each other.  The director agrees, and the two suddenly find themselves at a huge disadvantage;  instead of being allowed to practice a skit together, they are the only team that has to completely ad lib their routine!  The entire audition was cleverly conceived, and the high energy and near hysteria of the nervous participants added to the fun.

A new character, Erika Koenji, was introduced in this volume.  Moko and Erika have a tumultuous history that goes back to grade school.  Disgustingly wealthy, Erika learned to throw her money and connections around at an early age, and as a result, ends up being chosen for most roles she auditions for.  The director of this commercial, young, eccentric Ushio Kurosaki, won’t be bought, so Erika actually has to win a position based on her own merits.  She’s an incredibly unpleasant girl, but her self-possessed thoughts did have me chuckling at her incredible arrogance.  She certainly chose the right profession to pursue!  She usually tramples all over poor Moko, mostly because the other girl refuses to put up much of a fuss, and just accepts the situation.  This totally annoys Kyoko, who gives Moko more than a piece of her mind, and challenges her to find a backbone and stand up to the odious Erika.

This book was a lot of fun, and I really hope the chicken suit gets stuffed in some distant closet.  Ren makes a few cameos, but with will all of drama at the audition, his presence wasn’t even missed.

Grade:  B+

Rated for  Teen