Love Stage!!

This show is pretty bad. I say this being gay, so its not homophobia that makes me dislike it. This show was made for straight females, not the LGBT+ community.

Animation - The visuals in this show are at best generic, and at worst not there. Very few scenes actually have backgrounds. This could be a stylistic choice, but honestly it comes off as lazy.

Plot - Its a romance. The only plot is the two "love interests" getting together. Why would a romance actually have a plot?

Audio - I watched this with the Japanese dub. Its not good. Honestly its pretty annoying.

Characters - The main love interest is honestly a terrible person. He's homophobic and obnoxious. There is a scene where he sexually assaults the protagonist (I only managed to watch around 2 episodes after that, so I don't know if he gets any kind of consequences from that, but I don't think he does). The two "romantic leads" play into heteronormative stereotypes and don't have any chemistry. Its honestly uncomfortable to watch. I don't see how they could possible get together after everything that happens at the beginning.

Considering this is a yaoi anime, I was surprised as to how cute it was. I actually liked it quite a lot. The artwork was stunningly beautiful, voice actors great, and the plot was very well-developed. I hope there will be a next season, someday. I would love to see it. Until then, I'm checking out the manga too. Recommended.

Literally I am in love with this yaoi! Ok so Im gay myself (no hate pls) and last year I just discovered this yaoi and I instantly fell in love with it! This yaoi is now a big part of my life and I recommend all yaoi lovers to check this out (and the manga is fantastic as well)

Okay so I have a couple of problems with this anime. First thing I will say is that the basic premise of 'boy falls in love as a child and they reunite' has the potential to be a cute story but this anime is not as PG as that.

(This part may contain slight spoilers) The main character of this anime Ryouma sexually assaults his love interest Izumi multiple times and everyone just seems to accept it? Ryouma forces Izumi to undress, proceeds to kiss him and fondle him until Izumis brother intervenes and initially Izumis brother tries to keep Ryouma away from his little brother (dealing with victims guilt) but eventually just decides Ryouma is a good guy? Anyways next Ryuoma and Izumi become friends and Ryuoma repetitively kisses an unconscious Izumi. Later in the series Izumi tells Ryuoma "to do as he pleases" with him and is visibly upset and uncomfortable and Ryuoma is delighted and proceeds to do so.

Personally I found the relationship creepy, and watching it progress wasn't satisfying as I wanted Izumi to stand up for himself and get away from Ryuoma.

The main two characters are not that likeable. The only characters that I found remotely interesting were Izumi's brother Shougo and the company manager Rey. I would have liked to see more about them, and their relationship rather than the main.

The animation was full of blank backgrounds, and instead of being artsy (like it seems to have been) it comes across as distracting.

I could continue to talk about the negative stereotypes it plays into about gender roles in gay relationships and the use of victims guilt to build a sexual relationship but this review is already too long and thought out for an anime that is the opposite.

The characters in this show are probably the main factor that made it enjoyable for me and what it does effectively. To be honest, I liked having practically every character in this episode. Izumi, the more feminine figure in the relationship and the youngest of a family of renowned entertainers, is the first of the two protagonists. Although his family is greatly concerned about his lack of skill, he has an ambition of becoming a manga artist. Izumi's amazing eyes have more to offer now that his character has grown during the program.

The story itself isn't all that remarkable, but that doesn't always mean a negative thing. Does it involve any risks? Not especially, but adequate for the goal the show is attempting to achieve (illustrating the interaction between the primary characters). Not to give too much away, but the program starts out as a typical romantic, practically love-at-first-sight romance before swiftly transitioning into a humorous story of a yaoi relationship. The most enjoyable aspect of it all is how funny it is. The characters' genuine chemistry is nearly as significant as the plot that the chemistry is trying to develop in the first place.

Okay, Love Stage. I would be lying if I said I didn't appreciate this show-this is the first yaoi show I've ever finished, and I don't think I'll be actively looking for more in the genre. There are only ten episodes in the show, and although this did not detract from its quality, I think the two extra episodes would have helped the show somewhat for reasons you will probably understand related to development. Still, I would suggest it.