Skip Beat PS2 Introduction

Review

The story featured is more like a sidetrack. It doesn't strictly follow the story in the original manga.

This story happens after returning from the filming trip for Dark Moon. It probably also happened after Kyouko's birthday, since her birthday was not known prior to this event.

You could say it's inconsistent, since the meeting with Reino again was different from in the Manga. (And 2 different scenarios where you see Reino again, at that.) This follows its own original storyline.

This game's plot is basically, Kyouko gets 3 job offers. One with Ren, another with Shou, and the last with Kanae. You can imagine that there's a bit of conflict during that time.

Anyway, depending on your choices, you get one of the 3 Paths.

Before your scenario is fixed, you get 4 way options most of the time. One choice is towards Ren, one is towards Shou, and the third towards Mouko. The last one is neutral. The path you end up on will depend on these choices.

When you reach one of the paths, you will not be getting 4 way options any more, but 3 way options. This affects the ending you get.

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So, in contrast with what I said, the options you choose regarding these 3 characters overall will determine which path Kyouko ends up on.

Note that if she is neutral, she will still end up on Mouko path, but she will not be going through Mouko's ending.

Anyway, for Shou, even choosing to argue with him will take Kyouko closer to his path. Odd but true.

In addition, I will like to highlight the difference between a logical choice, and a stupid option.

For example, in one scene, Kyouko's classmates were talking bad about Mouko san, and she goes up to them. You are given options to ask about Ren's Magazine, or ask about Shou's CD, or ask them what exactly they are talking about Mouko. Even though you may be aiming for Ren Path or Shou Path, common sense will the logical thing to do is about Mouko. Why would you talk about Ren in this situation? It is a stupid option, as I say.

By logical choice, I mean choices which Kyouko herself would most likely take.

For those jobs, one of these jobs is already more favorable than the others.

And as you go through the story itself, and see more of these choices, you will find that even though you have full control, you will see that by default, most of these logical choices will lead to Ren. For example, why would you choose to waste you time with Shou, when Yashiro already asked you an important favor with Ren? Why would you choose to focus on arguing with Shou, when you should be thanking Ren? Why would you choose to work with Shou instead of Ren?

So, my main point. All these logical choices, will all end up taking Kyouko on the Ren path. So basically, Ren's path is like the default, the one with the highest probability.

But granted this is a game, and you have full control over these decisions, to make the game go whichever way you wish of course. But my point here is to highlight that Ren's path is default.

In addition, logical choices would also take them to the good ending path (mostly). For example, if Kyouko had already decided to work with Ren, why would she all of a sudden, start to think about Shoutaro? If she had already decided to work with Shou, why would she make life difficult for him now?

(Important note, it seems getting the Shou's good ending was not as easy as I thought.)

So this is the point I would like to make. The highest probability and most logical result, is Ren's path, and his good ending.

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Okay, here's my review so far. I got to Ren's Good Ending on my first try. But I got to Shou's Normal Ending on my first try. I played again with some changes, and still, I ended up on the Normal Ending for Shou.

Ren's path has more choices. Anyway, I did the logical things which she would have, considering that in order to get to Shou's path, you have to argue with him a lot. Simply put, I made Kyouko argue with him a lot to get to his path, and continue to argue with him on his path. But that only gives the normal ending. Basically, if you want to get Shou's Good Ending, you have to argue with him a lot first, then be very supportive of him on his path. Which is not nearly as consistent as with Ren's. Which means in other words, to get Shou's path, you must do stupid things, and if you want his good endings, you must do even more stupid things. :P

For Ren's path, I simply made her not keep her distance away from Ren (logically speaking, there's always the chance that Kyouko's normal reaction is to split when she sees Ren), make her speak with him when she can, and make her take her work seriously. That's all it took for the good ending.

I thought for certain that Shou's path is a complete waste of time, and he's just going to be a total jerk again. I was surprised, but I was wrong. (Not that wrong though. Basically, take away Ren, he loses the chance to be the bad guy, and put in Reino, he gets a chance to play the hero.)

Unlike for Ren, almost all of Shou's choices are more or less similar. Basically, no matter what you choose, Kyouko always end up bickering with him.

Ren's choices are mostly more distinct. Most of them, you can see which are the better choices. Shou's choices are harder to see the differences.

Shou's path is not the nightmare I imagined. But Ren's path is definitely still the best.

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For voices. From what I know, the voices in this game, I did some checking. It appears most of the voice actors (seiyuu) are the same as those in the Anime.

Kyouko isn't voiced, unfortunately. -_-
(They always do this every time! They never voice the protagonist! Sigh.)

Shou's voice actor, although supposed to be the same, sounds bad in this game. Sometimes he's too soft, sometimes he's too loud. And his laugh is damn annoying. I sometimes even wonder if he really is the same actor in the Skip Beat Anime.

Ren's voice still sounds good though.