Nakamura Yoshiki - Skip Beat, vol. 01-03 (Eng. trans.)

[oyceter]

Mogami Kyoko has dedicated most of her life to her childhood friend Shotaro's dream of being an idol, including moving to Tokyo with him to basically act as a combination housekeeper/secretary/babysitter. When she overhears Sho telling another woman that he brought her along only to help himself out, she decides to become an idol and smash him down to size.

So far, Kyoko isn't doing so well with the "making her way into show business" thing, largely because she doesn't want people to love her enough (that's what the talent company's president says). Now she's got to somehow acquire said feelings of love, even though vengeance is the emotion spurring her on.

While I like Kyoko's vengeful evilness, I am still somewhat disturbed by the whole "you cannot succeed in show business unless you want people to love you!" thing. It reads too much like various exhortations for women to please other people. Also, there's a plot through vols. 2 and 3 that involves what I hate the most -- two women pitted against each other.

I am glad that it's for work and not over a man (though it partly is as well), but it's still irritating, particularly since romantic interest and star talent Tsuruga Ren does everything perfectly and without effort.

I'll probably keep reading this, just because the library has it, but I'm not a fan yet.