My Bookish Escape

REVIEW: There is only one word to describe Skip Beat: trash. It blows my mind that this manga is still going strong.

In Skip Beat, Kyoko Mogami follows her true love Sho to Tokyo to support him as he becomes an idol. The only problem is that he has cast her out now that he’s famous! Kyoko will not suffer in silence: she shall get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show business!

The problem is that Kyoko is not a particularly talented person. A talent company hires people with specific traits (singing, dancing, etc.), so find one of those and refine it. It is not appropriate to stalk the hiring manager. Don’t threaten them. In an audition, you do not randomly show your cooking skills. Sorry, but it is not possible.

Instead, she should focus on developing a unique skill or persona that sets her apart. For example, she could work on her acting ability or learn stage presence. With persistence and proper training, she might eventually find success, even if it takes time and effort to stand out.

Kyoko’s desire to be better than Sho for revenge is admirable. However, the way she does it just irritates me so much.

There is something I dislike about the art style. I also do not think it helped with the plot. The character designs feel inconsistent, and the visual style sometimes distracts from the emotional depth of the story. While the art has its moments, it could better support the narrative by emphasizing key scenes and character expressions more effectively, enhancing the overall impact of the plot.

It is amazing that my younger self read this manga up to Volume 26. As I recall, I kept reading to see if it got better, but sadly it did not. Would I continue reading this manga? I am sorry, but no.

REVIEW: Sakura Kinomoto discovers an intriguing book in her father’s library—a book made by the wizard Clow for storing dangerous spirits intertwined with magical cards. As Sakura opens the book, there is nothing but Kero-chan, the book’s cute little guardian beast … Kero-chan tells Sakura it is now her job to capture the escaped Clow cards!

From my perspective, the plot left something to be desired.

This book felt very episodic because it was mostly Sakura battling the newest Clow Card. By half-way through, she had already found all the cards, and she spent the next quarter converting them all to Sakura cards. It felt excessively prolonged, and I wanted her to resolve everything.

The number of things I completely missed as a kid or that were completely glossed over in anime surprised me. Also, CLAMP is a big fan of taboo relationships. It is clear in the manga that Tomoyo’s mother, Sonomi, had feelings for Sakura’s mother, Nadeshiko, and that they were cousins. Toya had an ex-girlfriend who was a student teacher at his middle school. Also, there are many relationships between underage characters and adults. The most obvious one is Sakura’s friend and classmate, Rika. She is engaged to their homeroom teacher.

There are also Sakura’s parents, who married when she was 16 and he was a student teacher at her high school. As well as Kaho Mizuki, who loves Eriol. Despite being the reincarnation of Clow Reed, he is still an elementary school student. His physical form could at least have reflected that. Last but not least is Sakura and Syaoran’s crush on Yukito, who is a high school student. Also, I will let it slide since Yukito does not reciprocate their feelings.

The artwork in Clamp manga is gorgeous, and the omnibus edition contains a lot of gorgeous color artwork.

REVIEW: Yasha, once a mighty warrior king, is now the lord of a slaughtered people he could not save in this lush, sprawling epic. As a companion and protector of Ashura, Yasha travels the land with Ashura, knowing his fate will bring doom to many. In their quest for the other four “Six Stars” who will defeat Taishukuten, the evil usurper of Heaven’s throne, they join forces. However, there are different ways to interpret all prophecies...

Despite all the hype from Clamp fans, this is a disappointment. It has a half-baked plot with flat characters. It’s hard for me to connect with any character. I do not understand why this guy was working for this person he hates, or why he keeps harboring this kid who causes him misery and periodically goes all evil-possessed and is supposed to kill him. I accept that this could happen, but give me a reason (even one that is emotional!) for him to do such a thing. An interesting story requires more than pretty illustrations.

REVIEW: I am one of the few who do not enjoy Tokyo Babylon. When I read this manga over ten years ago, I was not feeling it. My understanding of the story’s content and direction is limited. I disagree on certain aspects. To begin with, the jokes are not funny, and I tire of them pretty quickly. Also, I do not enjoy the art, especially the action scenes. CLAMP does not depict events; instead, they apply speed lines to their pages. While manga encourages readers to use their imagination, there is not a lot for them to engage with.

It helps neither that the characters are not very interesting. Subaru Sumeragi is pleasant, but he is a pushover and has no real character and lacks depth. He often appears passive, responding to events instead of leading the story. Because of this, it’s tough to connect with him or feel invested in his journey.

The romance between Subaru and Seishiro is disgusting. Why is a 20-something-year-old romancing a sixteen-year-old? It has an unsettling dynamic. It damages any chance of depth in their relationship. The weak development in their interactions creates an exploitative and unconvincing romance. This damages the overall story. Having Subaru’s sister cheer for their relationship makes the situation worse.

Clamp’s early works irritate me for this reason. How they portray romantic relationships between adults and children. These portrayals can make unhealthy and inappropriate relationships seem normal. This is especially true for younger audiences, who are more impressionable. They may reinforce harmful stereotypes about love and consent. This can damage viewers' understanding of healthy relationships. Also, these stories can numb audiences to bad behavior. So, it’s important for creators to handle sensitive topics with care and responsibility.

World-building cannot enhance the story’s progress. It often discovers as a distraction. This slows the story and detracts from the main plot. Readers may lose interest if world-building does not connect to character growth or main themes. They might also question how it fits into the story. In this situation, as it pertains to me.