The episodic nature of P.A. works kind of, but it could have been much better. As PrincessVera says in her review below, "The plot could be tied together better, but isn't.". For instance, c22 ends on a strong note, and yet c23 feels almost entirely unconnected to it. In general, it takes Shiho way too long to make her mind up about whether she wants to stay as a P.A. or whether she wants to become a real actress. What could have been one or two decisive and strong moments was stretched out over far too many chapters.

To that, I have to add that I found the ending of v8 unsatisfying. But more importantly, the author put supernatural stuff into tons of chapters - that doesn't add mystery; it just kills suspense. Specific examples: Once in v2, once in v3, divination in v5, astral projection or something in v6c20, hand reading in c21 (plus an awkward use of multiple personalities), a string breaks to signify bad luck in c22, etc.
Finally, a recurring villain appeared, and Shiho didn't report them to the police for no reason whatsoever. As a result, more people got hurt or died in subsequent episodes...

This story could have been far stronger with a less episodic nature and no supernatural stuff. (And if supernatural stuff felt necessary, it should have been introduced as part of the setting, like Kyoko's vengeance in Skip Beat.)

... Last updated on November 12th, 2013, 7:22am

Private Actress is a manga that captivates its readers with something new and different in the beginning. Its one of the better acting mangas I have read (Skip Beat being THE best). I thought the story got a little slow as it progressed and the ending feels a bit rushed. I wished the mangaka slowed the ending and/or had more chapters between Chiomi and Shiho.

This is a great and very special manga.
It deals with the characters' emotions amazingly and I find few manga to be so touching. It is NOT a quick read to be flipped though quickly, and it is far from a generic shoujo.
The episodic style works very well for this series, and the plot and characters evolve after each case.

I have this series, and although it was a refreshing read, the main girl was a bit too perfect for my taste, but other than that it was great.
7/10. I love the mangaka's art and most of her other stories are good too. Mostly centered around "perfect" girls, but nothing bad about it.

This story isn't very exciting. It's episodic, and the romance is weak. The plot could be tied together better, but isn't.