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極付 楽屋裏王子 [Kiwametsuke Gakuya Ura Ouji] #1
Backstage Prince, Vol. 1
Drawn into the exciting world of kabuki theatre, young Akari spends her time after school assisting the internationally famous actor, Shonosuke Ichimura. In the real world, however, this prince of kabuki is actually a high school cutie by the name of Ryusei.
Akari is totally clueless about kabuki--and boys--but she's eager to learn about both. Her first encounter with Ryusei doesn't go very well, but with the help of a cat named Mr. Ken, the two teenagers quickly become prince AND princesses of kabuki. Love was never so dramatic!
Akari is totally clueless about kabuki--and boys--but she's eager to learn about both. Her first encounter with Ryusei doesn't go very well, but with the help of a cat named Mr. Ken, the two teenagers quickly become prince AND princesses of kabuki. Love was never so dramatic!
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2004
16 people are currently reading
2242 people want to read
About the author
Kanoko Sakurakouji
53 books487 followersKanoko Sakurakouji (桜小路かのこ) is a Japanese mangaka.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
December 31, 2012
So I finished this book this morning . . . and this is what my face looked like.
BOTH of their faces!!! One face was all dead-like because yup. Another typical and cliche SHOUJO MANGA. (Don't tell me there's cliches in beautiful things like manga, too!)
This romance ZOOMED PAST at light speed. Something like that can't be realistic, right?
The other face is tearing up because...okay, those of you who read my reviews know very well that I
DESPISE CLICHES.
I do, with this huge, huge passion! What do we learn from them?! AND WHAT'S ORIGINAL ABOUT THEM?! CLICHES ARE LIKE COPYING OTHER PEOPLE'S IDEAS AND CLAIMING THEM AS YOUR OWN! That's CHEATING!!!!!!!!
(Whoa, calm down Theresa...)
Anyway, I know. I shouldn't be freaking out over just a review. But seriously, come on. Romance doesn't happen that fast.
My darlings, let me show you exactly why this very book is a cliche cliche.
1. SUPER HOT GUY.
Why does the guy have to be super hot? Huh?
Well, I guess the story does express that some hot guys are jerks because they think they're the fo-shizzle.
And a lot of girls don't trust hot guys because they think that hot guys are jerks because they usually are.
But you shouldn't judge someone's looks because they might be hot and seem jerky on the outside, but on the inside, they're cuddly teddy bears.
OOOOOHHHHKAY, so the hot guy is okay in this case. BUT NOT IN OTHER CASES.
Like for example, a very hot guy falling for a very hot girl. (Or vise versa.)
THAT WILL JUST MAKE PEOPLE THINK THAT HOT PEOPLE WILL ONLY FALL FOR OTHER HOT PEOPLE, or that only hot people can fall or be fallen for.
And this, my darlings, is
NOOOOOT. TRUUUUUUUUUE!
Romancey love can happen to anybody, okay? Somehow, in someway. THERE ARE A TRILLION POSSIBILITIES.
Anyway...
2. This romance went by VERY. VERY. VERY FAST.
I don't know. The two meet.
And then there's that minor drama you get.
And then all of a sudden
BOOM.
Boyfriend and girlfriend.
I don't know, there was something curious about this story. I mean, some of it, I really do like.
Akari sees.....I forgot his name. Ichi.....something. Let's call him Ichi.
She sees him, and he glares at her because he doesn't like people, but of course he keeps it to himself because...mysterious, secretive anime guys are cool.
And she's like.....oh. Awkward.
And her friends are like, TSK! GIRLFRIEND! That guys a jerk! (When they were JUST swooning over him.)
THEN she goes into a kabuki club and sees him. And she learns more about him, who he REALLY IS.
And Ichi notices that Akari isn't like other girls. She's different from other girls. She doesn't go, "Oh-em-GEEZAY! WHAT A JERK!" when he glares.
And she takes his fits and his irritation with a smile. She doesn't take things totally seriously like a lot of girls do.
And that's how he feels that she's...something he needs.
THIS PART OF THE STORY IS WHAT I LIKE.
I gotta tell you guys a story really quick....that I sorta told in some of my other reviewy reviews, but here it goes.
Once upon a time, one of my friends told me about her ex-boyfriend because I asked her about them. I didn't know they broke up.
"It's okay," she said. "I'm the one who broke up with him. He always found something to be upset about. He could never be happy. URRRRGH, it was just so irritating."
And yeah, I kind of understand that. I mean, if you're a happy person, and you want to be around somebody who's also happy, but that person is always down about something, it brings you down too! Sadness is contagious, you know!
But...then I started thinking...What a poor guy.
He just needs someone that will make him happy when he's upset, or who will comfort him instead of backing away!
I thought I could help, maybe. NOOO, I wasn't trying to snag the guy for myself! Trust me, he kind of looked scary at times. His mutual face was a glare, and he was this sorta huge guy. He did look like a really scary dude that people wouldn't want to mess with.
He was just...that one quiet guy that just sat in the corner and looked at everyone who glanced at him like this:
But, I got the blallals to march right up to him from behind and say, "HEY! DUDE! Are you okay?"
I say that to a lot of my friends that have broken up with someone. They either seem okay with it, or they seem down. But I try to perk them up! Let them know if there's anything I can do!
He looked at me like..."Who is this crazy, little, Asian chick?" but he didn't say that out loud. (He didn't have to.)
But he said, "I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise."
I kept doing that to him a couple of times. I thought it was probably starting to annoy him.
But then...about a week later, the day came when he asked me for my phone number.
And THEN we started talking. And I got to know the guy better.
And then I started thinking about what my friend said about this guy and I realized....
SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!!!!
He did sort of find things to be upset about. He was always doubting me and saying, "Theresa....you're going to be just like everyone else. You're going to forget about me, or get upset with me somehow, or get annoyed at my depressingness.....Theresa.............you should just leave now before you hurt my SOUL...."
I'd always get super annoyed, and say, "YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU PUNK?!?!!? I'm NOT going to abandon you! I'm going to stick with you RIGHT TO THE END! Don't worry, I'm here for you!"
And then he'd respond with, "Okay." With the dot-dot curve smiley face. :) As if nothing even happened.
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. That guy.
But I realized why he kept talking to me. He never really talked to anyone else. He was always that depressed guy sitting in the corner with nothing to say.
He said no one ever really tried to talk to him, or care about him. Especially a stranger. And I was just that one really weird girl that appeared one day and asked him if he was okay, when I didn't really even know him.
And besides, his smile looks a lot better than his glare. And it feels absolutely AWESOME when I'm the one making him smile.
And we're still smiling together, right now. ^_^
So yeah. I understand what this story is, and I understand Ichi's situation, and Akari's situation.
And then the adorable thing about this story is...Akari didn't want to give up on Ichi when he made her upset. Because love will survive through anything that the world will throw at it! That was absolutely MOVING! FIST POUNDING! HEART CLENCHING!
Hunh. Now that I think about it...This book is not as bad as I thought it was.
I guess the only bad thing about it was
3. WHY DID THE ROMANCE GO BY SO FAST?!?!?!?!?!
She suddenly realized she loved him.
He suddenly realized he loved her.
WHAT HAPPENED?! What the heck?! Love doesn't happen that fast!
Maybe the author is like me, and wanted to hurry and get to the romantic parts. (I'm writing a story and I really can't wait until I get these two characters to kiss....URGH. It's torture. I want to write a kissing scene SOOOOOO BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD, so it's tough making a romance that takes a long long long time for the two characters to realize their true feelings for each other!)
But yeah. I've always thought that love stories had to be REALISTIC in order to teach someone something. Or at least, part of it has to.
I mean, Twilight was NOWHERE NEAR being realistic. And it taught me only one thing:
Vampires are only vicious when they're not able to sparkle.
SPARKLING VAMPIRES?! Those aren't scary! Come on! (Why...do I always rant...about Twilight in reviews for books that don't have anything to do with it?!)
Anyway, if you don't mind such a fast and quick romance, where , please...come and welcome yourself into this book.
As for me, it just feels like the whole story for me was in one book, so continuing this series? I'll have to think about it.
THREE SPARKLY SPARKLY STARS.
BOTH of their faces!!! One face was all dead-like because yup. Another typical and cliche SHOUJO MANGA. (Don't tell me there's cliches in beautiful things like manga, too!)
This romance ZOOMED PAST at light speed. Something like that can't be realistic, right?
The other face is tearing up because...okay, those of you who read my reviews know very well that I
DESPISE CLICHES.
I do, with this huge, huge passion! What do we learn from them?! AND WHAT'S ORIGINAL ABOUT THEM?! CLICHES ARE LIKE COPYING OTHER PEOPLE'S IDEAS AND CLAIMING THEM AS YOUR OWN! That's CHEATING!!!!!!!!
(Whoa, calm down Theresa...)
Anyway, I know. I shouldn't be freaking out over just a review. But seriously, come on. Romance doesn't happen that fast.
My darlings, let me show you exactly why this very book is a cliche cliche.
1. SUPER HOT GUY.
Why does the guy have to be super hot? Huh?
Well, I guess the story does express that some hot guys are jerks because they think they're the fo-shizzle.
And a lot of girls don't trust hot guys because they think that hot guys are jerks because they usually are.
But you shouldn't judge someone's looks because they might be hot and seem jerky on the outside, but on the inside, they're cuddly teddy bears.
OOOOOHHHHKAY, so the hot guy is okay in this case. BUT NOT IN OTHER CASES.
Like for example, a very hot guy falling for a very hot girl. (Or vise versa.)
THAT WILL JUST MAKE PEOPLE THINK THAT HOT PEOPLE WILL ONLY FALL FOR OTHER HOT PEOPLE, or that only hot people can fall or be fallen for.
And this, my darlings, is
NOOOOOT. TRUUUUUUUUUE!
Romancey love can happen to anybody, okay? Somehow, in someway. THERE ARE A TRILLION POSSIBILITIES.
Anyway...
2. This romance went by VERY. VERY. VERY FAST.
I don't know. The two meet.
And then there's that minor drama you get.
And then all of a sudden
BOOM.
Boyfriend and girlfriend.
I don't know, there was something curious about this story. I mean, some of it, I really do like.
Akari sees.....I forgot his name. Ichi.....something. Let's call him Ichi.
She sees him, and he glares at her because he doesn't like people, but of course he keeps it to himself because...mysterious, secretive anime guys are cool.
And she's like.....oh. Awkward.
And her friends are like, TSK! GIRLFRIEND! That guys a jerk! (When they were JUST swooning over him.)
THEN she goes into a kabuki club and sees him. And she learns more about him, who he REALLY IS.
And Ichi notices that Akari isn't like other girls. She's different from other girls. She doesn't go, "Oh-em-GEEZAY! WHAT A JERK!" when he glares.
And she takes his fits and his irritation with a smile. She doesn't take things totally seriously like a lot of girls do.
And that's how he feels that she's...something he needs.
THIS PART OF THE STORY IS WHAT I LIKE.
I gotta tell you guys a story really quick....that I sorta told in some of my other reviewy reviews, but here it goes.
Once upon a time, one of my friends told me about her ex-boyfriend because I asked her about them. I didn't know they broke up.
"It's okay," she said. "I'm the one who broke up with him. He always found something to be upset about. He could never be happy. URRRRGH, it was just so irritating."
And yeah, I kind of understand that. I mean, if you're a happy person, and you want to be around somebody who's also happy, but that person is always down about something, it brings you down too! Sadness is contagious, you know!
But...then I started thinking...What a poor guy.
He just needs someone that will make him happy when he's upset, or who will comfort him instead of backing away!
I thought I could help, maybe. NOOO, I wasn't trying to snag the guy for myself! Trust me, he kind of looked scary at times. His mutual face was a glare, and he was this sorta huge guy. He did look like a really scary dude that people wouldn't want to mess with.
He was just...that one quiet guy that just sat in the corner and looked at everyone who glanced at him like this:
But, I got the blallals to march right up to him from behind and say, "HEY! DUDE! Are you okay?"
I say that to a lot of my friends that have broken up with someone. They either seem okay with it, or they seem down. But I try to perk them up! Let them know if there's anything I can do!
He looked at me like..."Who is this crazy, little, Asian chick?" but he didn't say that out loud. (He didn't have to.)
But he said, "I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise."
I kept doing that to him a couple of times. I thought it was probably starting to annoy him.
But then...about a week later, the day came when he asked me for my phone number.
And THEN we started talking. And I got to know the guy better.
And then I started thinking about what my friend said about this guy and I realized....
SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!!!!
He did sort of find things to be upset about. He was always doubting me and saying, "Theresa....you're going to be just like everyone else. You're going to forget about me, or get upset with me somehow, or get annoyed at my depressingness.....Theresa.............you should just leave now before you hurt my SOUL...."
I'd always get super annoyed, and say, "YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU PUNK?!?!!? I'm NOT going to abandon you! I'm going to stick with you RIGHT TO THE END! Don't worry, I'm here for you!"
And then he'd respond with, "Okay." With the dot-dot curve smiley face. :) As if nothing even happened.
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. That guy.
But I realized why he kept talking to me. He never really talked to anyone else. He was always that depressed guy sitting in the corner with nothing to say.
He said no one ever really tried to talk to him, or care about him. Especially a stranger. And I was just that one really weird girl that appeared one day and asked him if he was okay, when I didn't really even know him.
And besides, his smile looks a lot better than his glare. And it feels absolutely AWESOME when I'm the one making him smile.
And we're still smiling together, right now. ^_^
So yeah. I understand what this story is, and I understand Ichi's situation, and Akari's situation.
And then the adorable thing about this story is...Akari didn't want to give up on Ichi when he made her upset. Because love will survive through anything that the world will throw at it! That was absolutely MOVING! FIST POUNDING! HEART CLENCHING!
Hunh. Now that I think about it...This book is not as bad as I thought it was.
I guess the only bad thing about it was
3. WHY DID THE ROMANCE GO BY SO FAST?!?!?!?!?!
She suddenly realized she loved him.
He suddenly realized he loved her.
WHAT HAPPENED?! What the heck?! Love doesn't happen that fast!
Maybe the author is like me, and wanted to hurry and get to the romantic parts. (I'm writing a story and I really can't wait until I get these two characters to kiss....URGH. It's torture. I want to write a kissing scene SOOOOOO BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD, so it's tough making a romance that takes a long long long time for the two characters to realize their true feelings for each other!)
But yeah. I've always thought that love stories had to be REALISTIC in order to teach someone something. Or at least, part of it has to.
I mean, Twilight was NOWHERE NEAR being realistic. And it taught me only one thing:
Vampires are only vicious when they're not able to sparkle.
SPARKLING VAMPIRES?! Those aren't scary! Come on! (Why...do I always rant...about Twilight in reviews for books that don't have anything to do with it?!)
Anyway, if you don't mind such a fast and quick romance, where , please...come and welcome yourself into this book.
As for me, it just feels like the whole story for me was in one book, so continuing this series? I'll have to think about it.
THREE SPARKLY SPARKLY STARS.
August 29, 2021
Soooo many shojo tropes, don't get me wrong i love a lot of the classic tropes but i think with how short this series is and with the pacing it felt a bit weird. the pace was super quick, the author was really trying to cram in as much as they could in one single volume. It was still good though and i'll be reading volume 2 for the art especially!!
March 17, 2012
With nothing new or original to add to the genre, this book is just... fluff. The pacing is awkward, with the main couple "falling in love" in the space of about 30 pages. The drama is fake - whine whine whine, my boyfriend is so popular and other girls likes him whine. And Ryusei Horiuchi is an ASS. His excuse is that he hates people - well, I can see why people hate him back. He is always glaring and playing judge to everyone else in the manga. He is controlling and overly involved, especially towards his assistant/girlfriend, Akari.
Overall, just poor storytelling and med artwork.
Overall, just poor storytelling and med artwork.
November 10, 2014
De Kanoko me gusta su serie Black bird, por eso quise leer este tomo, Príncipe secreto. Pero no me esperaba que esta historia pudiera ser tan sosa, aburrida, boba. Me costó muchísimo leer este tomo, es más, estuve a punto de dejarlo a medias.
Y bueno, recuerdo que él era un mago importante, ella su asistente, y había un gato de por medio. Entre la pareja protagonista no había química ninguna, menos sensualidad o romanticismo. Los personajes no me transmitieron nada, solo fueron dos adolescentes de instituto trabajando en la magia. Incluso la forma de vender ese mundo de retos, secretos y trucos de magia fue de lo más aburrida.
Una pena que Kanoko hubiera creado esto pudiendo darle más vidilla a una historia gris y sin chispa. ¿Dónde se dejó la creatividad, la sensualidad y el romanticismo de Black Bird? Sin duda en Príncipe oculto no se lució nada.
Y bueno, recuerdo que él era un mago importante, ella su asistente, y había un gato de por medio. Entre la pareja protagonista no había química ninguna, menos sensualidad o romanticismo. Los personajes no me transmitieron nada, solo fueron dos adolescentes de instituto trabajando en la magia. Incluso la forma de vender ese mundo de retos, secretos y trucos de magia fue de lo más aburrida.
Una pena que Kanoko hubiera creado esto pudiendo darle más vidilla a una historia gris y sin chispa. ¿Dónde se dejó la creatividad, la sensualidad y el romanticismo de Black Bird? Sin duda en Príncipe oculto no se lució nada.
November 14, 2014
Meh... the library doesn't have the second volume so I won't know how it truly ends, but I'm sure it's annoying. Akari is a super obnoxious female character. I don't know how Ryusei can stand her hot and cold behavior ("oh I love you! But wait, I'm not good for you! *runs away*) UUUUUGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!! And how many times is she going to talk about how their time spent backstage is their little secret? Okay, I got it the first 40 times you said it. Ugh
I like the general premise of the storyline... if the female lead wasn't super Bella Swan and annoying, it would have been better.
I like the general premise of the storyline... if the female lead wasn't super Bella Swan and annoying, it would have been better.
September 19, 2025
I had no idea another Kanoko Sakurakoji series had been translated and published in the US until coming across it on Goodreads, so I immediately found volume one online and bought it.
It’s clear this story influenced Black Bird, as it feels like an older more contemporary version of it.
The romance definitely came too fast, but some small moments really shined. Like the Paddington Bear 🥹
It’s clear this story influenced Black Bird, as it feels like an older more contemporary version of it.
The romance definitely came too fast, but some small moments really shined. Like the Paddington Bear 🥹
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2014
Oh Shoujo manga, how I like some of your series and some not but at the same time, its fun reading this genre. Yes the story sounds familiar and yeah it has some cliches here and there. But still I found this to be okay but has its moments. The art was good. Same art style reminded me of Black Bird (same artist). Good volume.
January 18, 2018
Short but good series.
December 17, 2021
That romance happened super fast. Blink and you'd miss it.
July 1, 2012
I enjoyed this moderately. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I expected a little more. More humor, or romance, or sparkle… I’m not so sure as to what, but somewhere and at times, it was lacking. While I don't expect manga to add something to their respective genre, or always be thought provoking, it reminded me of marshmallows. It was fluffy and sugary, but eat too much and you'll get sick. It's a shame I don't like marshmallows outside of smores and rice krispies.
Anyway-
I got through the first chapter and was confused when the next chapter wasn't book 2. haha! Since when does shojo have the relationship start on like the second page?! I think it would have been better as a flashback. That way the focus could have been rightfully placed on their struggles as a couple and not how they became a couple (as what you would expect in a normal shojo). That would have made it a standout without changing much. I can't think of too many that not only focus on making a relationship work, but start in one.
I felt that grump-pants Ryusei was more relatable than what would be expected from his character type. I have run into more than my fair share of people who claim to hate people and/or have an extreme inability to state what they actually mean. It's called working in service. geez, will I ever escape? I can also understand trying to keep people away because it's easier. I didn't interpret his antisocial behavior as so much hatred as it was a defense mechanism.
I was also disappointed to learn that much of what was being portrayed for kabuki was not all that accurate. I'm not saying liberties cannot be taken. Of course liberties can be taken, this is a fictional work. But Sakurakouji gave the impression that it wasn't researched, or at the very least, not well. If that was the case, then someone like me could have done the same job. I know of its existence. I can look up names and famous stories. If only I could tell a story, or was able to draw. So, maybe I couldn't do it. Forget I said anything.
Side-note:
Doesn't Sakurakouji draw sexy guys in kimonos? Normally I wouldn't think so, but yay!
Anyway-
I got through the first chapter and was confused when the next chapter wasn't book 2. haha! Since when does shojo have the relationship start on like the second page?! I think it would have been better as a flashback. That way the focus could have been rightfully placed on their struggles as a couple and not how they became a couple (as what you would expect in a normal shojo). That would have made it a standout without changing much. I can't think of too many that not only focus on making a relationship work, but start in one.
I felt that grump-pants Ryusei was more relatable than what would be expected from his character type. I have run into more than my fair share of people who claim to hate people and/or have an extreme inability to state what they actually mean. It's called working in service. geez, will I ever escape? I can also understand trying to keep people away because it's easier. I didn't interpret his antisocial behavior as so much hatred as it was a defense mechanism.
I was also disappointed to learn that much of what was being portrayed for kabuki was not all that accurate. I'm not saying liberties cannot be taken. Of course liberties can be taken, this is a fictional work. But Sakurakouji gave the impression that it wasn't researched, or at the very least, not well. If that was the case, then someone like me could have done the same job. I know of its existence. I can look up names and famous stories. If only I could tell a story, or was able to draw. So, maybe I couldn't do it. Forget I said anything.
Side-note:
Doesn't Sakurakouji draw sexy guys in kimonos? Normally I wouldn't think so, but yay!
July 31, 2012
While this is not my favorite genre, I understand the appeal for young adults. Once I got the hang of how to read in the classic Japanese style, it was very easy to follow. Reluctanct readers will enjoy the quick reading style. This story is about a girl named Akuri and a Kabuki actor named Ryusei. Akuri spends time after school assisting the famous actor. He is shy and doesn't say much. Quickly the two fall in love and live happily ever after. There are some awkward translations from Japanese to English. Overall, teens will enjoy the illustrations and the facility of understanding the text.
December 4, 2015
Drawn into the exciting world of kabuki theatre, young Akari spends her time after school assisting the internationally famous actor, Shonosuke Ichimura. In the real world, however, this prince of kabuki is actually a high school cutie by the name of Ryusei.
Akari is totally clueless about kabuki--and boys--but she's eager to learn about both. Her first encounter with Ryusei doesn't go very well, but with the help of a cat named Mr. Ken, the two teenagers quickly become prince AND princesses of kabuki. Love was never so dramatic!
A very cute and typical shoujo manga. Would definitely recommend.
Akari is totally clueless about kabuki--and boys--but she's eager to learn about both. Her first encounter with Ryusei doesn't go very well, but with the help of a cat named Mr. Ken, the two teenagers quickly become prince AND princesses of kabuki. Love was never so dramatic!
A very cute and typical shoujo manga. Would definitely recommend.
January 6, 2017
Eh. The pacing felt way too fast for me. Chapter One: Boom! they meet, she's his assistant next page, add water, instant romance! The entire time I'm reading, I wonder what exactly is it an assistant to a kabuki actor is supposed to do, and after having finished the first volume, I'm still not sure. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure the manga-ka knows either. The waffling of the main character was bothersome to me as well. "I love you" "I quit!" "I love you!" "I quit!" end scene. Am I the weird one, to never have been in such a relationship? I don't know. 2 stars, would recommend something else.
December 8, 2011
There is nothing new and exciting about this particular manga. It rehashes stories that have been told hundreds of times before and those were likely to have better drama. This would have been better as a one shot story than two books of manga. I'll read the next one, since there are only two, but I can not see myself coming out of that one any more excited. No drama, no real storytelling. Everything ends up nicely tied up in a bow after every chapter. Too easy.
January 4, 2015
Poorly written. Very corny and filled with insta-love. You literally have no idea why these characters all of a sudden "love" each other. This manga had so much potential. Seriously, this was such a good plot but the author did not do anything good with it. The only positive thing I can say is that I am curious to see how this manga progresses in volume 2. This wasn't painful to read but it was almost there.
February 12, 2011
This book got me hooked on manga, and for that I owe it everything.
July 17, 2013
i liked this when i was a teenager, i dislike it now
September 8, 2013
I mean just argh shake head
September 12, 2015
This was a very one note sort of series... they fight, they realize the love each other, they make up, repeat each and every chapter...
February 28, 2024
"Backstage Prince" by Kanoko Sakurakoji is a short (only 2 volumes!) but adorable manga featuring a love story in the world of kabuki theater. Akari, a high-school girl who is clueless about both boys and kabuki, finds herself roped in as the assistant to gorgeous Ryusei, a famous young kabuki actor. But what starts as a simple assignment turns into something deeper as both of them realize the depth of their feelings and need for each other, despite the drama that comes from balancing love with an entertainment career!
The story isn’t long or complex, but it’s endearing in the way it captures the miracles that love can perform. Akari and Ryusei are totally different people from completely different worlds: she’s a happy and cheerful student living an ordinary life, while he is antisocial and grouchy, despite his good looks and his fame as an actor. Yet, they find peace and contentment in being together, and the connection they forge allows both of them to grow. Ryusei’s acting ability improves, and his reliance on Akari gives him the emotional release and strength that allows him to expand his range as a performer. Akari doesn’t develop new skills or discover any hidden talents, but finding that she alone can provide the stability and comfort Ryusei needs to fully pursue his career allows her to see that even someone ordinary can play an extraordinary role. It’s a wonderful example of how love can bring out the best in anyone.
I have more to say on this manga (and others!) in my blog! Check it out here:
https://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blo...
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January 26, 2021Today’s post is on Backstage Prince, Vol. 1 by Kanoko Sakurakouji. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Ryusei and Mr. Ken on it. The intended reader is someone who likes romance manga, is interested in Kabuki, and shojo manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Akari. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the back of the book- Drawn into the exciting world of kabuki theatre, young Akari spends her time after school assisting the internationally famous actor, Shonosuke Ichimura. In the real world, however, this prince of kabuki is actually a high school cutie by the name of Ryusei.
Akari is totally clueless about kabuki--and boys--but she's eager to learn about both. Her first encounter with Ryusei doesn't go very well, but with the help of a cat named Mr. Ken, the two teenagers quickly become prince AND princesses of kabuki. Love was never so dramatic!
Review- A cute story about first love and kabuki theater. Akari does not know anything about kabuki but she hits Ryusei with her bag and agrees to help him until his injuries heal, she hit him really hard and bruised his ribs. Ryusei is shy but mostly just does not know how to talk to people about other things than kabuki. The reader gets some general knowledge about kabuki and I really enjoyed it. The story is very sweet, the characters are interesting and they grow, and the art is very good. It is only two volumes long and I am curious about what is going to happen.
I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.
From the back of the book- Drawn into the exciting world of kabuki theatre, young Akari spends her time after school assisting the internationally famous actor, Shonosuke Ichimura. In the real world, however, this prince of kabuki is actually a high school cutie by the name of Ryusei.
Akari is totally clueless about kabuki--and boys--but she's eager to learn about both. Her first encounter with Ryusei doesn't go very well, but with the help of a cat named Mr. Ken, the two teenagers quickly become prince AND princesses of kabuki. Love was never so dramatic!
Review- A cute story about first love and kabuki theater. Akari does not know anything about kabuki but she hits Ryusei with her bag and agrees to help him until his injuries heal, she hit him really hard and bruised his ribs. Ryusei is shy but mostly just does not know how to talk to people about other things than kabuki. The reader gets some general knowledge about kabuki and I really enjoyed it. The story is very sweet, the characters are interesting and they grow, and the art is very good. It is only two volumes long and I am curious about what is going to happen.
I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.
May 11, 2023
A girl named Akuri and a Kabuki actor named Ryusei are the main characters in this story. As an after-school activity, Akuri helps the famous actor. There are few words he says because he is shy. It doesn't take long for the two to fall in love and live happily ever after.
Overall, I found this to be moderately enjoyable. Honestly, I expected a little more. There was something lacking, the pace of the story, the romance, or the characters themselves… I am not sure what it was, but somewhere it was lacking.
When does Shojo decide to start the relationship after just a few pages? Ideally, it should have been a flashback. By doing so, their struggles as a couple would have been rightfully highlighted instead of how they got together. By doing so, it would have become a standout without changing much. There aren't many that focus on making a relationship work, but also on starting one from the beginning.
In one volume, the author was trying to fit as much as possible.
It would be great if the author developed the storyline of her character in more depth. Despite being a decent shojo manga for me, I wouldn't recommend it.
You can see all my reviews here
Overall, I found this to be moderately enjoyable. Honestly, I expected a little more. There was something lacking, the pace of the story, the romance, or the characters themselves… I am not sure what it was, but somewhere it was lacking.
When does Shojo decide to start the relationship after just a few pages? Ideally, it should have been a flashback. By doing so, their struggles as a couple would have been rightfully highlighted instead of how they got together. By doing so, it would have become a standout without changing much. There aren't many that focus on making a relationship work, but also on starting one from the beginning.
In one volume, the author was trying to fit as much as possible.
It would be great if the author developed the storyline of her character in more depth. Despite being a decent shojo manga for me, I wouldn't recommend it.
You can see all my reviews here
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2019
*Volume 1 & 2 Review*
Backstage Prince was an interesting read. Being only two volumes long, the story couldn’t help but feel rushed
The story begins with an inciting incident that gets right to the overall plot of the story. Akari is a nice girl, pleasantly ordinary but flat in character. She doesn’t grow or change much throughout the story. Ryusei is every bit the dashing prince but is extremely antisocial so often comes across as rude and brutish. I get that he’s not good with feelings and expressing himself but sometimes he did not treat Akari well. At least you can see he does regret his behavior at times and makes some effort to change.
I wish that we could see more of the reaction Akari’s classmate have after learning who she is dating and whether they treat her differently or not. The reactions are 99% focused on the industry, media, and fan reactions.
I liked both volumes equally and the stakes do raise as the story progresses. It’s a nice story; a bit different from my usual reads which was a nice change.
Backstage Prince was an interesting read. Being only two volumes long, the story couldn’t help but feel rushed
The story begins with an inciting incident that gets right to the overall plot of the story. Akari is a nice girl, pleasantly ordinary but flat in character. She doesn’t grow or change much throughout the story. Ryusei is every bit the dashing prince but is extremely antisocial so often comes across as rude and brutish. I get that he’s not good with feelings and expressing himself but sometimes he did not treat Akari well. At least you can see he does regret his behavior at times and makes some effort to change.
I wish that we could see more of the reaction Akari’s classmate have after learning who she is dating and whether they treat her differently or not. The reactions are 99% focused on the industry, media, and fan reactions.
I liked both volumes equally and the stakes do raise as the story progresses. It’s a nice story; a bit different from my usual reads which was a nice change.
June 30, 2017
I have mixed feelings about this. Elements of it were precious and made my heart happy. But overall it's just drama for no reason. Most of the couple's issues could be fixed by communicating, and honestly the main guy is kind of abusive? He yells at her a lot and pulls her around physically - both of which are shown in the manga to cause her stress/pain? And she's "the only person he turns to when he's stressed" or whatever... it's kinda creepy? Like idk, the relationship is not entirely healthy and it mixes with the happy parts to make me feel kinda meh about it.
The last bonus comic about how he met and adopted his cat, though.... WAHHH ALL MY HEART FEELS.
The last bonus comic about how he met and adopted his cat, though.... WAHHH ALL MY HEART FEELS.
September 16, 2024
This manga SPEEDS right by. Its like 3 volumes of character development condensed into one. And we already get jealousy and love triangle drama here in the first volume. It's so fast I feel like I barely got any time to get to know the characters, so there's barely anything to say about them.
... But did I still love this? Hell yeah. It was just a guilty pleasure love. I think kabuki is so cool. And even though the characters are flat, I still enjoyed them. This was just a nice little gem, you know?
... But did I still love this? Hell yeah. It was just a guilty pleasure love. I think kabuki is so cool. And even though the characters are flat, I still enjoyed them. This was just a nice little gem, you know?
October 2, 2021
This was very middling and nothing about it was memorable.
Pros: kabuki is something I don't know a lot about so it was fun to hang out in that world for a minute. Cons: female protagonist has no aspirations beyond supporting the male love interest. Girl, get a life.
Pros: kabuki is something I don't know a lot about so it was fun to hang out in that world for a minute. Cons: female protagonist has no aspirations beyond supporting the male love interest. Girl, get a life.
April 30, 2022
When a very average high school girl accidentally punches a famous kabuki actor in the gut, she works for him to pay off her debt. But what happens when she falls in love with his super-shy, cat-loving, public hating self?
I loved this book, obviously. The relationship is so adorable!
I loved this book, obviously. The relationship is so adorable!
December 31, 2023
It’s nothing ground breaking. It’s interesting. I’m not really connected to any of the characters that much and they fell “in love” real quick. But I suppose they have to since it’s only two volumes long.
October 10, 2017
I think this story will be a good romance story
February 17, 2019
I wanted more kabuki theatre!
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