Manga Review: Love Stage!!, Volume 4, by Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 2015

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

Mega otaku Izumi and famous actor Ryoma have finally confirmed their feelings for one another. Izumi successfully makes his debut in the entertainment industry, and everything seems to be smooth sailing in both his public and private life. However, as Izumi continues to do unexpectedly well in his new career, Ryoma starts getting nervous when work begins keeping them apart!

Review:

At the beginning of the volume, we see Izumi reacting to having sex with Ryoma, and I appreciate the different look this series has. Izumi wants Ryoma, but he also felt some pain and discomfort from sex and he doesn’t want that. I like how he finally admits this, and goes to Rei for advice. It’s funny and cute to see.

Next, a new character is introduced. He’s a bit of a sexual harasser, and Ryoma already has a past with him that left him scarred. It leads to some bad situations for Izumi, but ultimately gives the cliffhanger of a fight between the two. It should lead to some drama, but also some fun in the next volume.

In the extra at the end, we get to see some flirting between Rei and Shogo, hinting at a deeper relationship between them. There’s also some hot stuff between Izumi and Ryoma, but I seriously want to see more between Rei and Shogo. I find their relationship interesting, and I mostly just like Rei a lot.

This series isn’t too high on my list, but I still find myself wanting to pick up the next one when I can. It’s more fun than it feels like it should be.