I discovered a "new" manga yesterday--"Skip Beat!" by Nakamura Yoshiki (of "Tokyo Crazy Paradise" fame). ^_^ It's about a girl, Mogami Kyouko, who sacrifices her life after middle school to help--earning money, keeping house, etc.--her childhood friend, Shou, achieve his dream of becoming the top idol. When she discovers that Shou has just been using her and doesn't actually care about her at all, she swears she'll get revenge by becoming an idol and beating him. The problem is, she isn't interested in singing, dancing, acting or playing music--all she's got is her perseverance and determination to surpass Shou.
Kyouko is a great character. She starts off as a paragon who's willing to put aside her own desires for Shou, but once she's been betrayed, she reveals an interesting/scary/funny "evil" side.
Unfortunately only three volumes have been scanlated (by AtlantisDream, Condensation, and Manga Downloads), and there aren't any groups currently still working on the series. =( You can download the second and third volumes from Sacred Tear, but the first volume is mainly available only on IRC.
