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Love Stage!! #7
Love Stage!! 7
Izumi Sena is an average guy born into a family of famous celebrities. A college student and total otaku, he works hard every day with the goal of someday becoming a manga creator.
In an attempt to hide from his stalker, Izumi moves in with Ryoma. The two enjoy home-cooked meals, baths together, and steamy action between the sheets! It looks like smooth sailing for these two—that is, until Izumi decides he wants to top Ryoma! Freaked out and unsure what to think, Ryoma beats a speedy retreat. Separated, the two give serious thought to what it means for a man to love another man. Could this spell the end for this showbiz couple?
In an attempt to hide from his stalker, Izumi moves in with Ryoma. The two enjoy home-cooked meals, baths together, and steamy action between the sheets! It looks like smooth sailing for these two—that is, until Izumi decides he wants to top Ryoma! Freaked out and unsure what to think, Ryoma beats a speedy retreat. Separated, the two give serious thought to what it means for a man to love another man. Could this spell the end for this showbiz couple?
186 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2016
34 people are currently reading
590 people want to read
About the author
Eiki Eiki
34 books207 followersJapanese: 影木栄貴
Her real name is Eiko Naitou.
EIKI Eiki is a friend of ZAOU Taishi (TSUDA Mikiyo). She has published several solo manga, numerous yaoi doujinshi and one collaboration manga with Taishi Zaou. Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou go by the circle name Kodomo Keibitai and publish alone as well as with Zaougumi under the name Kozouya.
EIKI Eiki is the older sister of DAIGO (Daigo Naitou), the vocalist of J-rock band BREAKERZ, and her grandfather was the former prime minister (Mr. Takeshita) of Japan. One of her assistants was the very talented male yaoi artist UZUKI Jun.
Her real name is Eiko Naitou.
EIKI Eiki is a friend of ZAOU Taishi (TSUDA Mikiyo). She has published several solo manga, numerous yaoi doujinshi and one collaboration manga with Taishi Zaou. Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou go by the circle name Kodomo Keibitai and publish alone as well as with Zaougumi under the name Kozouya.
EIKI Eiki is the older sister of DAIGO (Daigo Naitou), the vocalist of J-rock band BREAKERZ, and her grandfather was the former prime minister (Mr. Takeshita) of Japan. One of her assistants was the very talented male yaoi artist UZUKI Jun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
February 17, 2018
Finally, the final volume. I was so excited when I knew Ryoma finally agreed to bottom. However, the way the author solved each problem in this book was rather abrupt, amusing, cheesy, and unsatisfying. The stalkers thing really tarnished the purity of this series imo, it's disgusting and unbelievable, and I really hate that Izumi was sexually harrased and the stalkers didn't even get arrested for molesting our cute Izumi, damn! 😬 Just like I said, it was rather abrupt with so many things happened in this book. It makes me wonder whether this series was axed, haha. The Ryoma-bottoming scene too, very unsatisfying, it's like the author wanted to emphasize this to reader : "Izumi is seme now, satisfied? But you know, Izumi is too cute to be seme that an uke like Ryoma felt nothing when he was penetrated, because Izumi's dick is smaller than Ryoma's." How sad is that? I know this is a fluffy and comedy yaoi, don't expect something deep or serious but at the very least show us that Ryoma enjoyed being an uke too... 😑 And I don't like it too when Izumi's friend helped Ryoma to reach his decision for bottoming. I want him to find his answer without outsider meddling.
From authors' note, they said reverse role is unpopular because readers hate it. Really? Here I thought it's the authors that hate it. 😅 And the way the authors gave us warning about Izumi-seme sex scene was rather ridiculous and way too exaggerated, I was laughing when I reached the warning part, wow, didn't realize that readers hate reverse role so much that authors need to warn it like that. Smh. Big deal, huh.
From authors' note, they said reverse role is unpopular because readers hate it. Really? Here I thought it's the authors that hate it. 😅 And the way the authors gave us warning about Izumi-seme sex scene was rather ridiculous and way too exaggerated, I was laughing when I reached the warning part, wow, didn't realize that readers hate reverse role so much that authors need to warn it like that. Smh. Big deal, huh.
March 23, 2022
Qua abbiamo toccato il fondo del trash.
La cosa quasi divertente è che avevo ragione sul rapimento (visto l'andazzo dei volumi precedenti non era poi così difficile da immaginare) e, anche se non ho azzeccato il movente, ho praticamente indovinato il colpevole. La cosa davvero irritante è che per tutti i volumi si parla di abusi sessuali o di tentati stupri con una leggerezza che davvero non riesco a tollerare, come se fosse buttata lì tanto per aggiungere drama e far capire ai protagonisti chi e cosa vogliono. Mi dispiace, ma per me è no e qui penso che si sia toccato il fondo.
Ps. Ho apprezzato la scena del matrimonio, soprattutto visto che non riguarda Ryoma e Izumi (in quel caso penso che avrei chiuso direttamente il manga senza leggere il pezzo finale).
La cosa quasi divertente è che avevo ragione sul rapimento (visto l'andazzo dei volumi precedenti non era poi così difficile da immaginare) e, anche se non ho azzeccato il movente, ho praticamente indovinato il colpevole. La cosa davvero irritante è che per tutti i volumi si parla di abusi sessuali o di tentati stupri con una leggerezza che davvero non riesco a tollerare, come se fosse buttata lì tanto per aggiungere drama e far capire ai protagonisti chi e cosa vogliono. Mi dispiace, ma per me è no e qui penso che si sia toccato il fondo.
Ps. Ho apprezzato la scena del matrimonio, soprattutto visto che non riguarda Ryoma e Izumi (in quel caso penso che avrei chiuso direttamente il manga senza leggere il pezzo finale).
October 11, 2020
This will be my review for the series as a whole. Let us begin...
... what is my life? ( T . T )
So, in case it wasn't obvious, Love Stage!! is a manga that is wildly outside my typical comfort zone. How, then, did I come by it? The anime. Obviously. You see, I've been in an anime-binging mood for a good while now. And hey, for what it's worth, the Love Stage!! anime isn't half bad. Sure, much like it's manga counterpart there were problems - more on those in a minute - but for the most part it was light-hearted, occasionally cute, and actually pretty funny. I enjoyed my time watching it, especially because some elements kind of reminded me of another anime I watched and loved years ago (Skip Beat!, in case you were wondering). So naturally I was curious enough to want to see more, and as there are only seven volumes I thought "yeah, why not?"
I... honestly can't decide if I wish I hadn't bothered now or not.
Let's get the most obvious point out of the way first: Love Stage!! is categorised as yaoi, or boy's love (BL). Which, you know, fine - I'm not a homophobe, nor am I particularly squeamish, though what I will say is that the anime in no way prepared me for just how graphic the manga is. Sure, the sex was implied in the anime, but the manga seriously doesn't hold back. Like at all. Obscuring certain body parts doesn't magically make me unaware of what's going on and given that some of the pictures were pretty full on regardless, I have to wonder why they bothered. Anyway, my only real complaint in this particular arena is that there was just so much of it. Seriously, who needs a sex scene every other chapter? I get it - they're doing the nasty on the regular. I don't need a front row seat each and every time (especially when most of them just seemed gratuitous). But... well, I'll admit I'm not exactly a veteran of the genre, so maybe that's part of the draw?
Anyway, the point I'm making here is that the homosexuality (graphic or otherwise) isn't why I couldn't bring myself to give this series better than a 3. The main reason for that lies in those aforementioned problems. What are those problems? Well, there are two, and the first can be summed up thus:
SEXUAL ASSAULT!!!
Seriously, I can't even believe the amount of sexual assault/harassment that is either glossed over or just plain ignored here. It starts when Ryoma assaults Izumi near the beginning, apparently in order to 'reinforce the fact that Izumi is a boy' so that he can fall out of love with him (and by the way, it's worse in the manga - much worse!) and from there it just sort of becomes a thing. I actually lost count of the number of times Izumi was harassed or assaulted in some way - by random thugs, by a TV producer, by Ryoma while he was asleep and therefore unable to give consent, by Ryoma again during their first time (if one party says stop or is obviously not enjoying themselves, the other should fucking stop), by hired goons... Seriously, what the hell?! And then it gets even better (worse?), because Ryoma loses his memory and then Izumi gets to have his turn as the predator.
I cannot even with this. I mean it's anime/manga, so it's not like I'm taking it seriously (and because of the silly/light-hearted tone to the rest of the story, I'm inclined to think it's mostly being played for laughs) but still... This is a dangerously inadequate depiction of consent issues pretty much across the board. I shouldn't have to say this, but it is not okay to kiss/touch someone without their say so. If they're asleep and they've not agreed to anything beforehand - not okay! If they're obviously struggling or not enjoying themselves - not okay! And especially, especially, if they outright say they don't want it - not okay!
God damn...
My second problem may not be as blatantly horrifying as the first, but I think it's still worth mentioning. Basically, Izumi's whole family sucks. To a man, they're all selfish, manipulative, and completely dismissive of Izumi's thoughts and feelings throughout the whole goddamn story. He states right at the start that he doesn't want to be a celebrity. And instead of supporting his decision, his family members all take turns to goad, bully and blackmail him into doing it anyway. His mother whines like a child instead of talking to him about it. His father steps back entirely and obviously doesn't give a crap. Rei - his surrogate parent - outright calls his dream stupid, shouting at him and mocking him in an attempt to make him fall in line. And when all that fails, his big brother comes along and bribes him into doing it anyway. And I know he eventually makes the decision to become a celebrity so that he can get life experience or whatever, but I can't help feeling like none of the people closest to him ever really take his opinions on his own life seriously.
If I'm honest, this second point was the main reason I wanted to read the series after watching the anime. I was hoping that at some point his family would be forced to face the reality that Izumi is his own person and can make his own decisions. I wanted them to eventually come around to supporting him, or for him make his dream come true through his own hard work and prove them all wrong (and I know technically his dream did come true, but in such a bullshit fashion that I don't even think it counts). I thought Izumi carving his own path was going to be the focus of the story in the end. But instead what I got was a weak story about two dudes being in love and having lots of sex, and not much else.
That said, I can't say I hated the whole thing. Certainly there were issues, and the story was unsatisfying, but despite that Love Stage!! had it's moments. It could be cute (when it wasn't being horrifying), and it was funny more often than not. I've definitely read worse.
... what is my life? ( T . T )
So, in case it wasn't obvious, Love Stage!! is a manga that is wildly outside my typical comfort zone. How, then, did I come by it? The anime. Obviously. You see, I've been in an anime-binging mood for a good while now. And hey, for what it's worth, the Love Stage!! anime isn't half bad. Sure, much like it's manga counterpart there were problems - more on those in a minute - but for the most part it was light-hearted, occasionally cute, and actually pretty funny. I enjoyed my time watching it, especially because some elements kind of reminded me of another anime I watched and loved years ago (Skip Beat!, in case you were wondering). So naturally I was curious enough to want to see more, and as there are only seven volumes I thought "yeah, why not?"
I... honestly can't decide if I wish I hadn't bothered now or not.
Let's get the most obvious point out of the way first: Love Stage!! is categorised as yaoi, or boy's love (BL). Which, you know, fine - I'm not a homophobe, nor am I particularly squeamish, though what I will say is that the anime in no way prepared me for just how graphic the manga is. Sure, the sex was implied in the anime, but the manga seriously doesn't hold back. Like at all. Obscuring certain body parts doesn't magically make me unaware of what's going on and given that some of the pictures were pretty full on regardless, I have to wonder why they bothered. Anyway, my only real complaint in this particular arena is that there was just so much of it. Seriously, who needs a sex scene every other chapter? I get it - they're doing the nasty on the regular. I don't need a front row seat each and every time (especially when most of them just seemed gratuitous). But... well, I'll admit I'm not exactly a veteran of the genre, so maybe that's part of the draw?
Anyway, the point I'm making here is that the homosexuality (graphic or otherwise) isn't why I couldn't bring myself to give this series better than a 3. The main reason for that lies in those aforementioned problems. What are those problems? Well, there are two, and the first can be summed up thus:
SEXUAL ASSAULT!!!
Seriously, I can't even believe the amount of sexual assault/harassment that is either glossed over or just plain ignored here. It starts when Ryoma assaults Izumi near the beginning, apparently in order to 'reinforce the fact that Izumi is a boy' so that he can fall out of love with him (and by the way, it's worse in the manga - much worse!) and from there it just sort of becomes a thing. I actually lost count of the number of times Izumi was harassed or assaulted in some way - by random thugs, by a TV producer, by Ryoma while he was asleep and therefore unable to give consent, by Ryoma again during their first time (if one party says stop or is obviously not enjoying themselves, the other should fucking stop), by hired goons... Seriously, what the hell?! And then it gets even better (worse?), because Ryoma loses his memory and then Izumi gets to have his turn as the predator.
I cannot even with this. I mean it's anime/manga, so it's not like I'm taking it seriously (and because of the silly/light-hearted tone to the rest of the story, I'm inclined to think it's mostly being played for laughs) but still... This is a dangerously inadequate depiction of consent issues pretty much across the board. I shouldn't have to say this, but it is not okay to kiss/touch someone without their say so. If they're asleep and they've not agreed to anything beforehand - not okay! If they're obviously struggling or not enjoying themselves - not okay! And especially, especially, if they outright say they don't want it - not okay!
God damn...
My second problem may not be as blatantly horrifying as the first, but I think it's still worth mentioning. Basically, Izumi's whole family sucks. To a man, they're all selfish, manipulative, and completely dismissive of Izumi's thoughts and feelings throughout the whole goddamn story. He states right at the start that he doesn't want to be a celebrity. And instead of supporting his decision, his family members all take turns to goad, bully and blackmail him into doing it anyway. His mother whines like a child instead of talking to him about it. His father steps back entirely and obviously doesn't give a crap. Rei - his surrogate parent - outright calls his dream stupid, shouting at him and mocking him in an attempt to make him fall in line. And when all that fails, his big brother comes along and bribes him into doing it anyway. And I know he eventually makes the decision to become a celebrity so that he can get life experience or whatever, but I can't help feeling like none of the people closest to him ever really take his opinions on his own life seriously.
If I'm honest, this second point was the main reason I wanted to read the series after watching the anime. I was hoping that at some point his family would be forced to face the reality that Izumi is his own person and can make his own decisions. I wanted them to eventually come around to supporting him, or for him make his dream come true through his own hard work and prove them all wrong (and I know technically his dream did come true, but in such a bullshit fashion that I don't even think it counts). I thought Izumi carving his own path was going to be the focus of the story in the end. But instead what I got was a weak story about two dudes being in love and having lots of sex, and not much else.
That said, I can't say I hated the whole thing. Certainly there were issues, and the story was unsatisfying, but despite that Love Stage!! had it's moments. It could be cute (when it wasn't being horrifying), and it was funny more often than not. I've definitely read worse.
July 4, 2022
That was an unexpected marriage. I thought, it will definitely be Ryouma and Izumi tying the knot, but yea, not that Rei and Shougo's relationship is out of the blue though, because we were there to witness their relationship grow deep—or nah, 'twas the gods, granting Shougo's wish. Kidding!
Throughout the whole series, we get to see Ryouma get smitten with Izumi's cute form. Going far as to removing his glasses to see his feminine eyes, and handing him only female costumes to fit when they were shopping. Unconsciously, Ryouma only accepted the parts of Izumi that can pass as female, even though, repeatedly he's claiming he takes Izumi for who he is; man, with a hanging male part. And Izumi failed to notice it too because they're both ignorant and new to relationships. In the end, it was still the Ryouma from before who is obsessed over the idea of the girl Izumi. This is why I was worried that Ryouma's aversion to being a bottom will not be resolved and might only serve as humor (which is pretty bad, if that's the case.)
But, the main theme for the final volume is fulfilling and satisfying indeed. I loved how Eiki closed the curtain for the Love Stage series. This volume tackled Ryouma's real feelings for Izumi after seeing the bigger picture when Izumi temporarily lived in his place; Marriage to potential anti-fans, stardom downfall, and of course the fact that if they live together forever, one way or another he has to bottom for Izumi.
What does marriage mean? What is love, really? And after all the hiding and cowering, his answer is still the same: Izumi.
The reverse chapter is mostly funny and gratifying. It was not that common moment in most bl manga. And I loved how it discussed the acceptance of masculinity of both parties in a homosexual (male) relationship, and I couldn't agree more. Position isn't a role you have to fulfill when making love. It is only a matter of preference that can be switched every time you engage in such situations.
Also, yes, the kidnapping incident is really maddening. And Ryouma couldn't have been more self-centered when he up and left Izumi because he doesn't want to bottom—WHEN THERE IS A CERTAIN STALKER LURKING AROUND. I was hurt and confused. But it sure let us in on the sad and depressing reality of showbiz and sexual harassment. How the exploiters can always get away without having their image ruined.
So, it could have been five stars for me because I enjoyed the main idea of the final chapter—but that was really a jerk move. Although, the realization (of him being such a jerk and how it was really Izumi who accepted him for who he is) was really good that if Eiki Eiki published that few panels as a standalone (lol) it will be as sure 5 stars for me. This is why your bro Kuroi is goat. He was also the one who made Izumi realize his masculinity side in their relationship.
So, this final volume? 4.5 stars.
Throughout the whole series, we get to see Ryouma get smitten with Izumi's cute form. Going far as to removing his glasses to see his feminine eyes, and handing him only female costumes to fit when they were shopping. Unconsciously, Ryouma only accepted the parts of Izumi that can pass as female, even though, repeatedly he's claiming he takes Izumi for who he is; man, with a hanging male part. And Izumi failed to notice it too because they're both ignorant and new to relationships. In the end, it was still the Ryouma from before who is obsessed over the idea of the girl Izumi. This is why I was worried that Ryouma's aversion to being a bottom will not be resolved and might only serve as humor (which is pretty bad, if that's the case.)
But, the main theme for the final volume is fulfilling and satisfying indeed. I loved how Eiki closed the curtain for the Love Stage series. This volume tackled Ryouma's real feelings for Izumi after seeing the bigger picture when Izumi temporarily lived in his place; Marriage to potential anti-fans, stardom downfall, and of course the fact that if they live together forever, one way or another he has to bottom for Izumi.
What does marriage mean? What is love, really? And after all the hiding and cowering, his answer is still the same: Izumi.
The reverse chapter is mostly funny and gratifying. It was not that common moment in most bl manga. And I loved how it discussed the acceptance of masculinity of both parties in a homosexual (male) relationship, and I couldn't agree more. Position isn't a role you have to fulfill when making love. It is only a matter of preference that can be switched every time you engage in such situations.
Also, yes, the kidnapping incident is really maddening. And Ryouma couldn't have been more self-centered when he up and left Izumi because he doesn't want to bottom—WHEN THERE IS A CERTAIN STALKER LURKING AROUND. I was hurt and confused. But it sure let us in on the sad and depressing reality of showbiz and sexual harassment. How the exploiters can always get away without having their image ruined.
So, it could have been five stars for me because I enjoyed the main idea of the final chapter—but that was really a jerk move. Although, the realization (of him being such a jerk and how it was really Izumi who accepted him for who he is) was really good that if Eiki Eiki published that few panels as a standalone (lol) it will be as sure 5 stars for me. This is why your bro Kuroi is goat. He was also the one who made Izumi realize his masculinity side in their relationship.
So, this final volume? 4.5 stars.
Read
August 16, 2019
RESEÑA EN EL BLOG ➜ http://bit.ly/2OXj7O4
Los problemas para Izumi parecen no acabar nunca pues tras la reconciliación con Ryoma, un acosar comienza atormentado mandando cartas donde explica lo que le haría si lo tuviera para él. Es por eso que Rei le pide ayuda a Ryoma, para que este deje a Izumi vivir en su casa en lo que se averigua la identidad del acosador.
Ryoma está más que feliz en ayudar pues no solo cuidará de Izumi sino que lo tendrá para él sólo y así su deseo de vivir juntos se hará realidad. Pero no todo es miel sobre hojuelas pues la relación entre ambos se va formando más seria y ahora Izumi desea cosas que Ryoma no sabe si será capaz de aceptar.
Un amor que sucede una sola vez en la vida.
Llegamos al séptimo y último tomo de Love stage y yo no puedo estar más que conforme con este genial final. Desde el primer tomo tenemos claro que Ryoma se enamoró de Izumi por su apariencia delicada y femenina y esto siguió así aún cuando averiguó qué en realidad Izumi es hombre, pero ahora por fin en este tomo lo vemos tomar conciencia de lo que de verdad significa salir con un hombre y aunque su respuesta no fue positiva, si fue una respuesta que me encantó pues nos permitió ver qué al final de cuentas, aunque Ryoma siempre fue el más lanzado, es en realidad Izumi el más comprometido y maduro de la relación. Y ver esta faceta de él me sorprendió muchísimo pues desde la primera reseña les dije que Izumi en realidad puede llegar a ser muy tonto y claro, su bobería es parte de él, pero ahora también vemos mucha fuerza en él.
No quiero contarles mucho por eso de los spoilers, pero les diré que Izumi ahora quiere ser el "macho" de la relación y eso es lo que desencadena todo, la madurez inesperada de Izumi y sobre todo unas escenas de lo más divertidas que estoy segura les va arrancar risas a todos. Y es que voy a volver a insistir, pero más allá del tema yaoi, Love stage se caracteriza por ser una historia hilarante donde los personajes se ven inmersos en situaciones de lo más bizarras que harán que el lector muera de risa.
La relación de Izumi y Ryoma también es un gran punto fuerte en esta historia. Una relación que vamos a ver pasar por todas las etapas, desde el rechazo hasta la aceptación. Y todo este proceso hace que el lector se sienta más allegado a los personajes y festeje o sufra con ellos.
Finalmente para terminar con este manga, me gustaría decirles que hace poco se acaba de anunciar la adaptación de un live action de esta historia y personalmente me estoy muriendo de miedo pues espero que sean capaces de transmitir la esencia de la historia. Una historia de verdad divertida, con dos protagonistas únicos, brillantes y un poco muy bizarros.
Zona de spoilers: No suelo hacer esto pero es que esa última escena donde Izumi se vuelve seme y Ryoma en uke ha sido la cosa más genial y divertida que he leído en mucho tiempo. Sin duda un cierre perfecto para esta peculiar historia.
August 19, 2019
This manga mish-mash of a cute central romance, decent relationship advice from secondary characters, and the oldest, most tired romance tropes in existence comes to a close. Trope-wise this time it's . Between this and the hypnotism plot from a couple volumes ago, I think that the author is well aware of how careworn the storytelling tools she's using are, and is getting as silly and over the top with them as possible.
This series was worth going through once for me, but isn't a keeper.
This series was worth going through once for me, but isn't a keeper.
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June 27, 2019Well there were a few cute moments, very very few...I sadly wasn't a fan of this series
February 19, 2021
After finishing the final volume, I'm a bit underwhelmed. The ending seemed rush, the stalkers getting away with a slap on the wrist for sexual assault, the warning for the "switch/reverse" scene was over the top, plus a myriad of other typical BL tropes. Overall it was mostly funny and light-hearted, and I do realize it is an "older" (it's not really) manga that may not be as progressive as one would hope...but still. It was enjoyable to read once through, but I'm happy I checked the series out from my library.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2018
This story could have used one or two more volumes. It ended very rushed imo but overall I really enjoyed this series. It was definitely funny and cute and I loved the characters. Especially Rei.
July 15, 2019
Un final apresurado a mi gusto, la historia podía dar otros 3 volúmenes por lo menos.
April 12, 2021
Serie interessante, ma l'ultimo volume rispetto agli altri volumi mi è sembrato troppo veloce, lo avrei voluto un po più succoso.
April 4, 2022
Sexual assault as a way of creating plots and a r*pe scene? What is wrong with you people
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2023
finally finished this. Loved the caracters but the plot has kind of gone missing😬
March 18, 2025
El mejor de todos porque mi pareja favorita (la secundaria) se casa y homosexuales casados siempre es bien
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2022
Serie carina, se cercate un BL abbastanza light fa per voi, i disegni sono molto belli e i personaggi si fanno amare fin da subito. Unica pecca il finale un po' affrettato🤔. Per il resto molto carina.👍🏼
January 12, 2021
Dios, este final me hizo reír, sufrir, emocionarme, casi llorar... En fin, fue INCREIBLE, ame está serie totalmente
June 15, 2019
a few mixed feelings with this last one as it throws in a few of the standard yaoi tropes... video review is here https://youtu.be/CaUNgKBtpjM
June 8, 2024
Okay this is gonna be a both a review for this volume and the manga as a whole.
This volume:
This volume honestly sucked so bad and its honestly an awful way to end a manga. While the pacing has been a problem for the whole manga it was genuinely horific in this volume. While i didn't hate the idea of a stalker especially in a manga about two actors it just sucked?? Like the reveal sucked the reason why sucked and it was honestly a bit interesting at the start when i believed it was about izumi. It seems the mangaka wanted to have them live together (and to show ryouma bottoming which whatever) and didn't know how to go about it, and sexually harass izumi once again, which sucked. Also, it seemed super rushed ending just giving us a glimpse of what's going on now. Thought it was funny when the mom and dad asked to have another kid ngl.
The series as a whole:
The manga had a major problem of using these bl stereotypes to the max, which i usually wouldn't mind, but those ones that use it a lot are usually set to one or two volumes. The other problem is the sexual harrassment, which i know fits *deeply* into bl stereotypes, but there's so much here. It seems very aware that its sexual harassment (aka always calling it that, nothing else) but... doesn't do anything about it. Why is izumi getting harrassed randomly by a gang? Why is ryouma talking about being harassed by this director and nobody taking it seriously? This is honestly the biggest problem i have with the manga, it seems to want to show this but would rather focus on their relationship which would be fine if again they didn't lay this all on so thick. I think thats all i have to say on this manga, i remember liking it a lot about 5 years ago, but it honestly it might have been only the first couple of volumes because it honestly just got worse as it goes.
This volume:
This volume honestly sucked so bad and its honestly an awful way to end a manga. While the pacing has been a problem for the whole manga it was genuinely horific in this volume. While i didn't hate the idea of a stalker especially in a manga about two actors it just sucked?? Like the reveal sucked the reason why sucked and it was honestly a bit interesting at the start when i believed it was about izumi. It seems the mangaka wanted to have them live together (and to show ryouma bottoming which whatever) and didn't know how to go about it, and sexually harass izumi once again, which sucked. Also, it seemed super rushed ending just giving us a glimpse of what's going on now. Thought it was funny when the mom and dad asked to have another kid ngl.
The series as a whole:
The manga had a major problem of using these bl stereotypes to the max, which i usually wouldn't mind, but those ones that use it a lot are usually set to one or two volumes. The other problem is the sexual harrassment, which i know fits *deeply* into bl stereotypes, but there's so much here. It seems very aware that its sexual harassment (aka always calling it that, nothing else) but... doesn't do anything about it. Why is izumi getting harrassed randomly by a gang? Why is ryouma talking about being harassed by this director and nobody taking it seriously? This is honestly the biggest problem i have with the manga, it seems to want to show this but would rather focus on their relationship which would be fine if again they didn't lay this all on so thick. I think thats all i have to say on this manga, i remember liking it a lot about 5 years ago, but it honestly it might have been only the first couple of volumes because it honestly just got worse as it goes.
May 12, 2024
El review & rating es para toda la serie~
Creo que me veo obligada a contar la triste verdad: comencé a leer este manga hace casi 2 años, después del tercer volumen lo pausé ya que, bueno, no lo encontré tan entretenido/interesante como esperaba y lo postergué y postergué por tanto tiempo que, cuando me decidí a terminarlo, tuve que volver a leer desde el comienzo...
Decidí leerlo básicamente por recomendación ._. al parecer hay muchas amantes de BL que aman éste manga y lo consideran un must-read, por ende me pareció buena idea darme una oportunidad con él.
Si les soy honesta no fue lo que esperaba, lo encontré un poco absurdo y aburrido, desesperante en muchas, MUCHAS, ocasiones hasta el punto en el que ya no quería continuar con la lectura pero me mantuve firme y quería saber en qué terminaba.
Hubo una pequeña parte de la historia (en el arco de la serie/drama de TV) que sí me atrapó pero fue tan efímero que supongo no logró hacer que de verdad me enganchara con toda la historia, y el final lo sentí apresurado y bastante insípido. En resumen este manga NO me gustó, sentí todo un poco soso y plano, y los personajes... ¡Uff! Creo que el único que me gustó fue Rei, pero tampoco es que lo haya amado... Y el protagonista, Izumi, bueno, de verdad que no lo soporté la mayor parte del tiempo.
Creo que simplemente no logré conectar con la historia ni con los personajes, supongo que al final no fue para mí.
Creo que me veo obligada a contar la triste verdad: comencé a leer este manga hace casi 2 años, después del tercer volumen lo pausé ya que, bueno, no lo encontré tan entretenido/interesante como esperaba y lo postergué y postergué por tanto tiempo que, cuando me decidí a terminarlo, tuve que volver a leer desde el comienzo...
Decidí leerlo básicamente por recomendación ._. al parecer hay muchas amantes de BL que aman éste manga y lo consideran un must-read, por ende me pareció buena idea darme una oportunidad con él.
Si les soy honesta no fue lo que esperaba, lo encontré un poco absurdo y aburrido, desesperante en muchas, MUCHAS, ocasiones hasta el punto en el que ya no quería continuar con la lectura pero me mantuve firme y quería saber en qué terminaba.
Hubo una pequeña parte de la historia (en el arco de la serie/drama de TV) que sí me atrapó pero fue tan efímero que supongo no logró hacer que de verdad me enganchara con toda la historia, y el final lo sentí apresurado y bastante insípido. En resumen este manga NO me gustó, sentí todo un poco soso y plano, y los personajes... ¡Uff! Creo que el único que me gustó fue Rei, pero tampoco es que lo haya amado... Y el protagonista, Izumi, bueno, de verdad que no lo soporté la mayor parte del tiempo.
Creo que simplemente no logré conectar con la historia ni con los personajes, supongo que al final no fue para mí.
August 11, 2018
Izumi & Ryoma start living together, they are so domestic and overly cutes. Ryoma is like the perfect house wife.
The two boys get caught kissing by Izumi’s friend, Kuroi. Izumi is super hype about his relationship and brag a lot about it. Ryoma confess to his boss about his boyfriend, the older man told him to be careful and warn him that maybe one day, he will have to choose between his lover and his career.
After his conversation with Kuroi, Izumi decide that he wants to also be the man in the couple and switch place during sexual activities. Ryoma is totally freaking out and manage to find a way to escape the situation everytime. Eventually, he needs some time to think about their relationship.
The stalker catches a feel at Izumi in his work place. Rei watch over the young man like a protective mom. He isn’t doing a good job because Izumi get kidnap and almost rape again. (AGAIN ? Seriously can we get rid of this plot, it like the 3 times this happen in the series….) Marylin get away with an apology, that girl deserve a more severe punishment. Ok fine, this is a light/romance/yaoi manga that is supposed to be funny, I guess realistic things is out of the question.
At least, Izumi & Ryoma get their happy ending.
The two boys get caught kissing by Izumi’s friend, Kuroi. Izumi is super hype about his relationship and brag a lot about it. Ryoma confess to his boss about his boyfriend, the older man told him to be careful and warn him that maybe one day, he will have to choose between his lover and his career.
After his conversation with Kuroi, Izumi decide that he wants to also be the man in the couple and switch place during sexual activities. Ryoma is totally freaking out and manage to find a way to escape the situation everytime. Eventually, he needs some time to think about their relationship.
The stalker catches a feel at Izumi in his work place. Rei watch over the young man like a protective mom. He isn’t doing a good job because Izumi get kidnap and almost rape again. (AGAIN ? Seriously can we get rid of this plot, it like the 3 times this happen in the series….) Marylin get away with an apology, that girl deserve a more severe punishment. Ok fine, this is a light/romance/yaoi manga that is supposed to be funny, I guess realistic things is out of the question.
At least, Izumi & Ryoma get their happy ending.
September 14, 2017
Oh man. Oh man! I was so, so excited for this! The final Love Stage!! volume. I've been dying to know how this crazy, a bit OTT story would end. And, wow... it just came so short.
A lot (?) happened in this last volume. With the stalker (?) issue that I lost interest in because I figured it out way to soon. The living together cuteness I would have loved to see so much more. It would have been great to see the boys learning things about each other that couples only learn in close quarters. Then the Izumi wanting to top drama. Oh god. I was so mad at how it was handled and then a bit hopeful and then just disappointed all over again.
The most troubling thing is all those story lines opened themselves up to another volume easily! This volume felt like it should have dealt with the domestic issues/Izumi topping and then another one to tie up a better stalker storyline and the TINY bit of yay cuteness at the end!
I love this story and it's manga so I know I have to take what I can get. I'm just so disappointed with this ending. Doesn't change the fact that I'll still read this series and this last book again but still. Such a disappointment
A lot (?) happened in this last volume. With the stalker (?) issue that I lost interest in because I figured it out way to soon. The living together cuteness I would have loved to see so much more. It would have been great to see the boys learning things about each other that couples only learn in close quarters. Then the Izumi wanting to top drama. Oh god. I was so mad at how it was handled and then a bit hopeful and then just disappointed all over again.
The most troubling thing is all those story lines opened themselves up to another volume easily! This volume felt like it should have dealt with the domestic issues/Izumi topping and then another one to tie up a better stalker storyline and the TINY bit of yay cuteness at the end!
I love this story and it's manga so I know I have to take what I can get. I'm just so disappointed with this ending. Doesn't change the fact that I'll still read this series and this last book again but still. Such a disappointment
January 31, 2024
hmm i have very conflicting thoughts….lets start with this final volume - it felt kind of off from the rest of the series? idk the vibe seemed different and i didnt love that there was a literal warning for izumi to top and then ryoma didnt even enjoy it?? the ending seemed very abrupt to me and like there should have been another volume after this one.
on love stage!! as a whole: a highly addicting and slightly silly series that i would have loved to be able to rate higher but there was so much noncon and SA that was just really unnecessary?
this review is getting messy as heck but i just have a lot of thoughts so for now i’ll settle at a 3 star rating overall for this series (i am glad i finally finished it though! my first read through in 2016/2017 i stopped at volume 6 so at least i finished this time!)
on love stage!! as a whole: a highly addicting and slightly silly series that i would have loved to be able to rate higher but there was so much noncon and SA that was just really unnecessary?
this review is getting messy as heck but i just have a lot of thoughts so for now i’ll settle at a 3 star rating overall for this series (i am glad i finally finished it though! my first read through in 2016/2017 i stopped at volume 6 so at least i finished this time!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2021
The stalker plot comes to a head in this one as Izumi gets kidnapped. As if that wasn't enough, Ryoma has walked off to think, because he doesn't know if he can handle Izumi's desire to top sometimes...
Great ending to an adorable series. While I much prefer Ryoma being the Seme (as indeed does Ryoma!) this reversal really does add depth to their relationship, proving that Ryoma really does love Izumi for who he is and not just as a substitute girl. This gives a nice resolution to Rei/Shogo as well - those two really need their own series! And we get a hint that Kuroi might soon find love also. He's great in this episode, advising both Izumi and Ryoma.
I have such a soft spot for the entire series. So cute.
Great ending to an adorable series. While I much prefer Ryoma being the Seme (as indeed does Ryoma!) this reversal really does add depth to their relationship, proving that Ryoma really does love Izumi for who he is and not just as a substitute girl. This gives a nice resolution to Rei/Shogo as well - those two really need their own series! And we get a hint that Kuroi might soon find love also. He's great in this episode, advising both Izumi and Ryoma.
I have such a soft spot for the entire series. So cute.
August 4, 2022
El final ha llegado, y con ello este último tomo es más como un regalo para todos los lectores que hemos estado siguiendo sus pasos.
Ryoma le propone vivir juntos a Izumi, para pasar tiempo juntos y vivir una vida de pareja ya que la sociedad no les permitiría casarse como tal.
Pero es demasiado pronto y por tanto, no deciden nada en el momento de la propuesta. No obstante, las circunstancias de la vida privada de Izumi cómo estrella, le obligan a tener que salir de casa para mantenerlo seguro, por lo que de la noche a la mañana deberá mudarse con Ryoma a su departamento.
No obstante, Izumi querrá experimentar más con su sexualidad y eso pondrá en aprietos a Ryoma, lo que hará que se alejen el uno del otro y por tanto, siga el peligro tanto de su relación, cómo la integridad de Izumi.
Ryoma le propone vivir juntos a Izumi, para pasar tiempo juntos y vivir una vida de pareja ya que la sociedad no les permitiría casarse como tal.
Pero es demasiado pronto y por tanto, no deciden nada en el momento de la propuesta. No obstante, las circunstancias de la vida privada de Izumi cómo estrella, le obligan a tener que salir de casa para mantenerlo seguro, por lo que de la noche a la mañana deberá mudarse con Ryoma a su departamento.
No obstante, Izumi querrá experimentar más con su sexualidad y eso pondrá en aprietos a Ryoma, lo que hará que se alejen el uno del otro y por tanto, siga el peligro tanto de su relación, cómo la integridad de Izumi.
September 6, 2017
I loved this series. It’s cute and cheesy, if a bit ridiculous and over the top at times. This last volume felt a bit rushed, and the conflict was one of those ridiculous times, but it was still good—amusing, actually. And the ending…so cute. It made me smile. The mangaka alluded to a future story about Kuroi. If this is true, I hope SuBLIme publishes it!
I felt there could have been more to this manga, with it being the last volume (and sometimes I wanted to smack Ryouma), but everything ended well, and we all get our happy ever after. If you’ve been following this series, get this last volume!
I felt there could have been more to this manga, with it being the last volume (and sometimes I wanted to smack Ryouma), but everything ended well, and we all get our happy ever after. If you’ve been following this series, get this last volume!
October 6, 2017
Diese Serie ist für jeden BL Fan ein Must Have!
Ich möchte hier nichts groß artiges über den Inhalt des Mangas erzählen, da es sich hier bei um den Abschlussband handelt.
Der Manga hat eine schöne moderne Story line und hat einfach wundervoll Gezeichnete Charaktere.
Es fehlt nicht an Humor, nicht an BL Romantik und vor allem nicht an Pikanten Szenen auf die man sich freuen kann.
Was mich dazu bewogen hat diesem Band volle 5 Sterne zu geben, ist vor allem das Bonuskapitel.
Ich habe hier einige BL Reihen stehen aber so etwas habe ich noch nicht gelesen und fand es wirklich klasse. Wer wissen möchte was passiert muss sich den Manga kaufen ;)
Würde sogar gerne mehr so was in der Richtung lesen.
Ich möchte hier nichts groß artiges über den Inhalt des Mangas erzählen, da es sich hier bei um den Abschlussband handelt.
Der Manga hat eine schöne moderne Story line und hat einfach wundervoll Gezeichnete Charaktere.
Es fehlt nicht an Humor, nicht an BL Romantik und vor allem nicht an Pikanten Szenen auf die man sich freuen kann.
Was mich dazu bewogen hat diesem Band volle 5 Sterne zu geben, ist vor allem das Bonuskapitel.
Ich habe hier einige BL Reihen stehen aber so etwas habe ich noch nicht gelesen und fand es wirklich klasse. Wer wissen möchte was passiert muss sich den Manga kaufen ;)
Würde sogar gerne mehr so was in der Richtung lesen.
June 28, 2021
Ed è finita anche questa!!!
Punti in più perché alla fine i due protagonisti si scambiano i ruoli ed è una cosa che apprezzo molto. Eppure l'autrice ha deciso di mettere un avvertimento per i suoi lettori che potrebbero non apprezzare...
La storia dello stalker si è risolta in quattro e quattr'otto e . Cosa che non trovo per niente giusta!
I due protagonisti chiacchierano troppo e si perdono in un bicchiere d'acqua. Perfino Ryoma, quello che mi stava più simpatico, prende e scappa.
Però dai, per essere uno yaoi l'ho letto quasi volentieri. È stato abbastanza simpatico!
Punti in più perché alla fine i due protagonisti si scambiano i ruoli ed è una cosa che apprezzo molto. Eppure l'autrice ha deciso di mettere un avvertimento per i suoi lettori che potrebbero non apprezzare...
La storia dello stalker si è risolta in quattro e quattr'otto e . Cosa che non trovo per niente giusta!
I due protagonisti chiacchierano troppo e si perdono in un bicchiere d'acqua. Perfino Ryoma, quello che mi stava più simpatico, prende e scappa.
Però dai, per essere uno yaoi l'ho letto quasi volentieri. È stato abbastanza simpatico!
November 4, 2017
Definitely could have lived without the obligatory sexual assault scene that allows Ryoma to ride in and look like a hero, but otherwise I enjoyed the conclusion to this series. Taishi Zao's art has been consistently high-quality throughout, and I thought that all the loose threads were wrapped up very well. (In particular, the note that Izumi finally does become a successful mangaka, albeit a still terrible one, and that Rei and Shogo are able to get married and have the support of the family, gives the reader a satisfying fairy tale "and they lived happily ever after" conclusion.)
December 1, 2017
I really don't want to say goodbye to these characters. I loved their love story. I laughed, I cringed, I cried, and now the volume is done.
But you know some companion mangas won't hurt like can we see them 10 years in the future, married, and maybe with like a pet or something I don't know.
I know there are the companion novels called back stage but I'm serious! I don't want to say goodbye to izumi and ryoma and their love!
The anime needs to at least give me a season two, if anything, give me season 2!
But you know some companion mangas won't hurt like can we see them 10 years in the future, married, and maybe with like a pet or something I don't know.
I know there are the companion novels called back stage but I'm serious! I don't want to say goodbye to izumi and ryoma and their love!
The anime needs to at least give me a season two, if anything, give me season 2!
August 11, 2019
Creo que de todas las parejas gays que he leído, esta es mi favorita. Me encanta su relación, creo que es de lo más sana, se dedican tiempo sin dejar de vivir su vida, cuando Ryoma pierde la memoria, Izumi entiende como se sintió él al rechazarlo y cuando Izumi intenta ser el Seme, Ryoma entiende como se sintió Izumi al ser perseguido como él lo hacia. Una historia muy bonita y entretenida.
Mi unica queja es con el final, creo que en el tomo 7 las cosas pasaron muy rápido, me hubiera gustado ver más el desarrollo de ellos como de la pareja de Shogo y de Rei.
Mi unica queja es con el final, creo que en el tomo 7 las cosas pasaron muy rápido, me hubiera gustado ver más el desarrollo de ellos como de la pareja de Shogo y de Rei.
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