Skip Beat! (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Skip Beat!, also known as Extravagant Challenge, is an upcoming Taiwan and Japan co-produced television drama
based on the Japanese shōjo manga of the same name
by Yoshiki Nakamura
. It is a joint production between Gala Television
, Comic International Productions, and Honto Productions under executive producer Doze Niu
. Skip Beat! is scheduled to premiere on December 18, 2011 on FTV
and December 24, 2011 on GTV.
, Gong Xi starts working on multiple jobs in order to support Bu Po, whose popularity quickly rises, eventually becoming one of the top idols in Taiwan. One day, Gong Xi catches Bu Po flirting with his manager, and learns that he only used her so she can help him with his living expenses. Heart-broken and betrayed, Gong Xi vows to get revenge by becoming a bigger star than him. Gong Xi auditions for L.M.E., Bu Po's rival talent agency, and joins L.M.E.'s new-found department "Love Me". At L.M.E., Gong Xi meets famous actor Dun Helian, who eventually falls in love with her.
A bright and intelligent high school graduate who gives up her chances for university to support her childhood friend and love interest, Bu Po Shang, in his pop idol career. She later finds out that Bu Po only used her for his own selfish reasons and had no intentions to spend the rest of his life with her. Devastated and vengeful, Gong Xi vows that she will exact revenge. Bu Po tells her that the only way to do this is to join the entertainment industry and defeat him. Gong Xi immediately auditions for L.M.E., Bu Po's rival talent agency, and is accepted into the company's new-found department, Love Me (Chinese: 愛我吧部).
A famous young actor who takes his acting very seriously. He is one of the most popular idols in Taiwan and is under the same talent agency as Gong Xi. Although he maintains a perfect public image, he initially shows signs of distaste towards Gong Xi, and is disgusted by her reasons for joining the show business. However, he soon realizes Gong Xi's talent in acting and begins to support her endeavors. He eventually falls in love with Gong Xi, but she is too concentrated on her motives to notice his pursuits.
Born Shang Jieyong (尚界勇), Bu Po is Gong Xi's childhood friend and love interest. Although egotistical, arrogant, and cocky, he is an extremely talented musician. Fully aware of Gong Xi's romantic feelings for him, he successfully convinces Gong Xi to travel with him to Taipei to support him financially while he focuses on developing his singing career. He ruthlessly deserts Gong Xi after becoming famous, and tells her that she should join the entertainment industry if she wants revenge. Upon seeing Gong Xi's transformation, Bu Po realizes that he had more feelings for her than he originally thought. He holds great animosity towards Dun Helian because of his popularity and his close relationship with Gong Xi.
A young rising star who attends the same auditions as Gong Xi. She is desperate for a successful acting career and initially despises Gong Xi for standing in her way. Similar to Gong Xi, she joins the "Love Me" department of L.M.E. to touch up on her acting ability. After working together in various projects, Gong Xi and Nanqin develop a deep friendship.
announced their development of Skip Beat in early 2008, and invited producer Kikuko Miyauchi from Japan to produce and Jyu Youning to direct. In April 2008 Ariel Lin
, Jerry Yan
, and Joe Cheng
were cast to portray Gong Xi, Dun Helian, and Bu Po Shang respectively. However, Yan and Cheng could not come to an agreement with the script and Cheng dropped out of the project in July 2008. Following Cheng's withdrawal, Doze Niu
replaced Jyu as director and producer. In November 2008, Niu, Lin, and Yan held a press conference for Skip Beat! in Tokyo
, Japan, announcing that they would begin filming as soon as they find another actor to replace Cheng.. Following the press conference, the script had to undergo a rewrite, and the drama's Japanese developers suffered a financial breakdown due to the restructuring of their joint venture company. Lai Congbi, Deputy General Manager of Gala Television, announced that filming will be pushed back. Yan, who already signed to film a Mainland Chinese drama in March 2009, was forced to withdraw. Niu wanted to replace Yan with Wu Chun
, but Gala Television postponed the production indefinitely in January 2009 due to persistent financial problems.
In April 2010, Niu and Gala Television brought Skip Beat! back into production with Lin returning to star. In May 2010, it was reported that Super Junior
members Choi Si-won and Lee Dong-hae were cast to portray Dun Helian and Bu Po Shang respectively. In February 2011, Ivy Chen was cast to replace Lin, who withdrew from the project because she was already booked to film In Time with You
when Skip Beat! was to begin filming. On March 31, 2011, a press conference was held for Skip Beat! in Taipei, attended by over 100 reporters and fans. Niu announced that Jerry Feng will take his place to direct. Niu praised the drama's "too brilliant" script and that he "didn't want to leave it behind."
On an estimated budget of 60 million TWD
(2 million USD
), each episode cost about 4 million TWD (132,000 USD) to produce.
Skip Beat! was promoted at the 17th Shanghai Television Festival, in which a three-minute sales presentation trailer was aired to attract potential Mainland Chinese distributors. A distributor bought the copyrights for 191,000 yuan
(30,000 USD
), and online distributors bought the rights for 63,800 yuan (10,000 USD), becoming the most expensive Taiwanese drama to broadcast in Mainland China. As of August 2011, it was reported that foreign distribution rights totaled 3.7 million TWD (120,000 USD) per episode. The cast will attend a premiere event on December 18 to promote the drama.
will perform the opening theme "華麗的獨秀 (S.O.L.O.)" written by Tim McEwan, Lars Halvor Jensen, and Reed Vertelne, with lyrics penned by Zhou Weijie, who also helped write in Super Junior-M's EP
Perfection
. Lee Dong-hae will write and perform the ending theme "This Is Love" (Chinese: 這是愛).
bought the rights to premiere the drama first on Sunday, December 18, 2011. GTV will air the first episode on December 24, 2011. Hong Kong
's Television Broadcasts Limited
(TVB) bought the rights to premiere the Cantonese
-dubbed
version on December 25, 2011. Skip Beat! is the first Taiwanese drama to have simultaneous broadcasts in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. TVB's J2 channel previously aired the Cantonese-dubbed anime version of Skip Beat! from February to August 2010, and rebroadcast the anime again in 2011.
Source:
Taiwanese drama
Taiwanese Drama refers to dramatic programming of television programming extended stories usually dramatizing relationships through the general range of ten to forty one-hour episodes. They are produced in Taiwan and have gained increasing popularity in the Mandarin-speaking community...
based on the Japanese shōjo manga of the same name
Skip Beat!
is a Japanese shōjo manga by Yoshiki Nakamura. It is the story of a 16-year-old girl who discovers that her childhood friend and romantic goal, Sho Fuwa, only keeps her around to act as a maid and earn his living expenses, as he works his way to become the top pop idol in Japan. Furious and heart...
by Yoshiki Nakamura
Yoshiki Nakamura
is a Japanese manga artist. Nakamura made her manga debut with "Yume de Auyori Suteki" in the manga magazine Hana to Yume in 1993.-Manga works:*Blue Wars*Can't Give Up MVP *Skip Beat! 『スキップ・ビート！』*Tokyo Crazy Paradise 『東京クレイジーパラダイス』...
. It is a joint production between Gala Television
Gala Television
Gala Television Corporation is a nationwide cable TV network in Taiwan that is operated by the Gala Television Corporation, established on June 13, 1997.-GTV Channels:GTV currently operates three commercial cable television channels:*GTV One / CH 27...
, Comic International Productions, and Honto Productions under executive producer Doze Niu
Doze Niu
"Doze" Niu Chen-Zer is a Taiwanese actor, film director, show host, screenwriter and producer. As a film director, he is best known for the Taiwanese film Monga.-Life and career:...
. Skip Beat! is scheduled to premiere on December 18, 2011 on FTV
Formosa TV
Formosa TV is a television station based in Taipei, Taiwan. Established on March 27, 1996, FTV began broadcasting on June 11, 1997.The station was wholly owned and operated by the Democratic Progressive Party. Due to this, its news programs are often of a Pan-Green perspective...
and December 24, 2011 on GTV.
Synopsis
High school graduate Gong Xi gives up her chances for university in order to support her childhood friend and romantic goal, Bu Po Shang, in his pop idol career. Upon arriving in TaipeiTaipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Gong Xi starts working on multiple jobs in order to support Bu Po, whose popularity quickly rises, eventually becoming one of the top idols in Taiwan. One day, Gong Xi catches Bu Po flirting with his manager, and learns that he only used her so she can help him with his living expenses. Heart-broken and betrayed, Gong Xi vows to get revenge by becoming a bigger star than him. Gong Xi auditions for L.M.E., Bu Po's rival talent agency, and joins L.M.E.'s new-found department "Love Me". At L.M.E., Gong Xi meets famous actor Dun Helian, who eventually falls in love with her.
Main characters
- Ivy Chen as Gong Xi (宮囍), based on the manga character Kyoko Mogami:
A bright and intelligent high school graduate who gives up her chances for university to support her childhood friend and love interest, Bu Po Shang, in his pop idol career. She later finds out that Bu Po only used her for his own selfish reasons and had no intentions to spend the rest of his life with her. Devastated and vengeful, Gong Xi vows that she will exact revenge. Bu Po tells her that the only way to do this is to join the entertainment industry and defeat him. Gong Xi immediately auditions for L.M.E., Bu Po's rival talent agency, and is accepted into the company's new-found department, Love Me (Chinese: 愛我吧部).
- Choi Si-won (voiced by Penny HsiehEnergy (band)Energy is a Taiwanese pop rock boy band formed in 2002. The original band consisted of five members, namely Milk, Ady, Toro, Penny and Joe. Toro and Milk left the band in 2003 and 2005 respectively. Xiao Gang joined the band in mid 2007...
) as Dun Helian (敦賀蓮), based on the manga character Ren Tsuruga:
A famous young actor who takes his acting very seriously. He is one of the most popular idols in Taiwan and is under the same talent agency as Gong Xi. Although he maintains a perfect public image, he initially shows signs of distaste towards Gong Xi, and is disgusted by her reasons for joining the show business. However, he soon realizes Gong Xi's talent in acting and begins to support her endeavors. He eventually falls in love with Gong Xi, but she is too concentrated on her motives to notice his pursuits.
- Lee Dong-hae as Bu Po Shang (不破尚; lit. "Unbreakable Shang"), based on the manga character Sho Fuwa:
Born Shang Jieyong (尚界勇), Bu Po is Gong Xi's childhood friend and love interest. Although egotistical, arrogant, and cocky, he is an extremely talented musician. Fully aware of Gong Xi's romantic feelings for him, he successfully convinces Gong Xi to travel with him to Taipei to support him financially while he focuses on developing his singing career. He ruthlessly deserts Gong Xi after becoming famous, and tells her that she should join the entertainment industry if she wants revenge. Upon seeing Gong Xi's transformation, Bu Po realizes that he had more feelings for her than he originally thought. He holds great animosity towards Dun Helian because of his popularity and his close relationship with Gong Xi.
- Bianca BaiBianca BaiBianca Bai was born on 23 October 1982. She is a Taiwanese model and actress. She graduated from Shih Hsin University and started her career as a model with Catwalk Modeling Agency before becoming an actress...
as Jiang Nanqin (江南琴), based on the manga character Kanae Kotonami:
A young rising star who attends the same auditions as Gong Xi. She is desperate for a successful acting career and initially despises Gong Xi for standing in her way. Similar to Gong Xi, she joins the "Love Me" department of L.M.E. to touch up on her acting ability. After working together in various projects, Gong Xi and Nanqin develop a deep friendship.
Supporting characters
- King Chin as Mr. Du (杜先生), Helian's manager.
- Ada Pan as An Yangyang (安鴦鴦), Bu Po's manager.
- Allen Chao as President Luo Li (羅利社長), the director of L.M.E.
- Frances as Maria (瑪麗亞), Lou Li's daughter.
- Charge Pu as Mr. Shen (椹先生), the casting director who introduced Gong Xi to L.M.E.
- Egin Lee as Liuli'er (琉璃兒), a popular young singer who attempts to sabotage Gong Xi's career.
- Jessie Zhang as Xu Yongchun (徐永春), the producer of Bu Po's debut album.
- Ke Shu-qin as Sister Qing (晴姐)
- Cherry Hsia as Yimei (逸美), the female lead in the television drama Dark Moon.
- Wu Min as Shangguan Junzi (上官君子), Helian's co-star.
- Ko Yu-luen as Director Xin Huan (新桓導演), the competent director of Helian's new film.
- Chang Shao-huai as Director Xu Fang (旭方導演), the director of Dark Moon.
Development and pre-production
Gala TelevisionGala Television
Gala Television Corporation is a nationwide cable TV network in Taiwan that is operated by the Gala Television Corporation, established on June 13, 1997.-GTV Channels:GTV currently operates three commercial cable television channels:*GTV One / CH 27...
announced their development of Skip Beat in early 2008, and invited producer Kikuko Miyauchi from Japan to produce and Jyu Youning to direct. In April 2008 Ariel Lin
Ariel Lin
Ariel Lin |Hakka]]: Lim2 Yi3 Sen2) was born 29 October 1982. She is a Taiwanese actress and singer, who won Best Leading Actress in a Television Series at the 43rd Golden Bell Awards...
, Jerry Yan
Jerry Yan
Jerry Yan was born 1 January 1977. He is a Taiwanese actor and member of Taiwanese boy band F4. His birth name is Liao Yangzhen .-Career:...
, and Joe Cheng
Joe Cheng
Joseph Cheng, also known as Joe Cheng, was born on 19 June 1982. He is a Taiwanese model, actor and singer. Although he started his career as a model, Cheng is well known for his role as Jiang Zhishu in Taiwanese drama serial version of Japanese manga Itazura Na Kiss, It Started with a Kiss...
were cast to portray Gong Xi, Dun Helian, and Bu Po Shang respectively. However, Yan and Cheng could not come to an agreement with the script and Cheng dropped out of the project in July 2008. Following Cheng's withdrawal, Doze Niu
Doze Niu
"Doze" Niu Chen-Zer is a Taiwanese actor, film director, show host, screenwriter and producer. As a film director, he is best known for the Taiwanese film Monga.-Life and career:...
replaced Jyu as director and producer. In November 2008, Niu, Lin, and Yan held a press conference for Skip Beat! in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan, announcing that they would begin filming as soon as they find another actor to replace Cheng.. Following the press conference, the script had to undergo a rewrite, and the drama's Japanese developers suffered a financial breakdown due to the restructuring of their joint venture company. Lai Congbi, Deputy General Manager of Gala Television, announced that filming will be pushed back. Yan, who already signed to film a Mainland Chinese drama in March 2009, was forced to withdraw. Niu wanted to replace Yan with Wu Chun
Wu Chun
Wu Chun was born on 10 October 1979, birth name Goh Kiat Chun, is a Brunei-born Taiwanese actor, singer, former model and gym instructor....
, but Gala Television postponed the production indefinitely in January 2009 due to persistent financial problems.
In April 2010, Niu and Gala Television brought Skip Beat! back into production with Lin returning to star. In May 2010, it was reported that Super Junior
Super Junior
Super Junior is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak, and was once claimed to be the world's largest boy band...
members Choi Si-won and Lee Dong-hae were cast to portray Dun Helian and Bu Po Shang respectively. In February 2011, Ivy Chen was cast to replace Lin, who withdrew from the project because she was already booked to film In Time with You
In Time with You
In Time with You is a 2011 Taiwanese romance drama written by Xu Yu Ting and directed by Winnie Chu . It stars Ariel Lin and Bolin Chen as the main characters in the drama.-Synopsis:...
when Skip Beat! was to begin filming. On March 31, 2011, a press conference was held for Skip Beat! in Taipei, attended by over 100 reporters and fans. Niu announced that Jerry Feng will take his place to direct. Niu praised the drama's "too brilliant" script and that he "didn't want to leave it behind."
On an estimated budget of 60 million TWD
New Taiwan dollar
The New Taiwan dollar , or simply Taiwan dollar, is the official currency of the Taiwan Area of the Republic of China since 1949, when it replaced the Old Taiwan dollar...
(2 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
), each episode cost about 4 million TWD (132,000 USD) to produce.
Filming and promotion
Filming commenced in April 2011 in Taiwan and moved to Japan in June. The main cast filmed promotional photoshoots for the drama on July 28, and attended a wrap-up banquet hosted by the production crew afterwards. Post-production officially began on July 29.Skip Beat! was promoted at the 17th Shanghai Television Festival, in which a three-minute sales presentation trailer was aired to attract potential Mainland Chinese distributors. A distributor bought the copyrights for 191,000 yuan
Chinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
(30,000 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
), and online distributors bought the rights for 63,800 yuan (10,000 USD), becoming the most expensive Taiwanese drama to broadcast in Mainland China. As of August 2011, it was reported that foreign distribution rights totaled 3.7 million TWD (120,000 USD) per episode. The cast will attend a premiere event on December 18 to promote the drama.
Music
Super Junior-MSuper Junior-M
Super Junior-M, often referred to as SJ-M or SJM, is the third official sub-unit of Korean boy band Super Junior. They are the first international music group in the Chinese music industry to have members of both Chinese and Korean descent, and is also the first group produced by Korea's CT ...
will perform the opening theme "華麗的獨秀 (S.O.L.O.)" written by Tim McEwan, Lars Halvor Jensen, and Reed Vertelne, with lyrics penned by Zhou Weijie, who also helped write in Super Junior-M's EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Perfection
Perfection (EP)
Perfection is the second extended play and third overall release by Mandopop boy band Super Junior-M. It was released in Taiwan on 25 February 2011 by Avex Taiwan, to be followed by other Asian countries in March 2011...
. Lee Dong-hae will write and perform the ending theme "This Is Love" (Chinese: 這是愛).
Broadcast and viewership ratings
List most Gala Television productions, Formosa TVFormosa TV
Formosa TV is a television station based in Taipei, Taiwan. Established on March 27, 1996, FTV began broadcasting on June 11, 1997.The station was wholly owned and operated by the Democratic Progressive Party. Due to this, its news programs are often of a Pan-Green perspective...
bought the rights to premiere the drama first on Sunday, December 18, 2011. GTV will air the first episode on December 24, 2011. Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's Television Broadcasts Limited
Television Broadcasts Limited
Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...
(TVB) bought the rights to premiere the Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
-dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
version on December 25, 2011. Skip Beat! is the first Taiwanese drama to have simultaneous broadcasts in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. TVB's J2 channel previously aired the Cantonese-dubbed anime version of Skip Beat! from February to August 2010, and rebroadcast the anime again in 2011.
| Country/Region | Channel | Timeslot | Episode premiere | Episode finale | Avg rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan Republic of China The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor... |
FTV Formosa TV Formosa TV is a television station based in Taipei, Taiwan. Established on March 27, 1996, FTV began broadcasting on June 11, 1997.The station was wholly owned and operated by the Democratic Progressive Party. Due to this, its news programs are often of a Pan-Green perspective... |
Sunday 21:40 | 18 December 2011 | 11 March 2012 | TBA |
| GTV Gala Television Gala Television Corporation is a nationwide cable TV network in Taiwan that is operated by the Gala Television Corporation, established on June 13, 1997.-GTV Channels:GTV currently operates three commercial cable television channels:*GTV One / CH 27... |
Saturday 22:30 | 24 December 2011 | 17 March 2012 | TBA | |
| Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
TVB J2 | Sunday 20:30 | 25 December 2011 | 1 April 2012 | TBA |
Viewership reception
| Episode | | Original Broadcast Date | | Average | | Rank | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 December 2011 | |||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 7 | ||||
| 8 | ||||
| 9 | ||||
| 10 | ||||
| 11 | ||||
| 12 | ||||
| 13 | ||||
| Average | ||||
Source: