I have to admit that there are times when I finish watching an anime series and choose not to write about it. Considering my viewing habits, most of the time the reason for not writing is the fact that I think the interest for a title has passed. But there are times when you just don't know what to write, even if you did gain a measure of enjoyment from watching.
I thought about how Love Stage!! might fall under the latter category. And the main reason for that is because I don't know exactly what to say when writing about manga or anime titles that fall under the boys love or yaoi genre.
Yet, I figured that I might as well try, especially since I've been diligent about the timely viewing of my summer anime picks and this was the first title to conclude its run. Also, because I think that this might be a good time to point out that yaoi isn't quite the intimidating genre that some people might think it to be. But before I delve into that, let's focus on Love Stage!! first.
Sena Izumi is the son of a singer and an actress, and is brother to a popular lead of a rock band. It would seem that he was destined to join show business, but instead, he ends up becoming an otaku and is more interested in becoming a mangaka despite his glaring lack of talent in drawing. So, when an opportunity to reunite with the cast of the lone acting job he did as a child (and only because his parents were in the commercial) comes up, he immediately turns it down because of an embarrassing incident during the commercial shoot and because he had to dress up as a girl. Unbeknownst to him, the request for the reunion came from Ichijo Ryoma, who had recently become one of the hottest actors in show business and is desperate to once again meet his "female" costar from years back.
With the premise of an individual mistakenly thinking of another as a girl, it's easy to see that Love Stage!! would heavily feature the comedy genre in its storytelling. You just know that things are bound to go crazy once Ryoma realizes that the girl he has been harboring a crush on for ten years is actually another guy, especially when it's established early on that neither character has leanings towards same sex attraction. And crazy it does get, with Ryoma requesting Izumi to strip so that the sight of his male body would rid him of his long standing crush.
But what if the sight of another man's body doesn't deter you from your attraction? What happens then? Admittedly, I had expected that Ryoma would continue in his efforts to forget about holding the torch for another guy for ten years, but it was nice to be surprised by a character who just decided to embrace the unexpected development. Most of the series was instead focused on Izumi's reaction and his eventual decision on whether he could find it in himself to return Ryoma's affections, notwithstanding the fact that they are both men. It was also nice that another focus of the series was Izumi's realization that his aspirations to become a mangaka would be better served by expanding his horizons on both a personal and professional level.
There's a lot to enjoy in watching Love Stage!!. Both the story and the art used to convey it are cute, and the series never takes itself too seriously. It provides a lot of laughs, especially when it involves Shogo, Izumi's older brother, who is overprotective and melodramatic when it comes to Izumi. But there are also touches of less than humorous elements, such as the concerns expressed by the people surrounding Izumi regarding his lack of interest in the world that doesn't involve his beloved manga series Magical Girl Lala-Lulu.
I enjoyed Love Stage!!, but I didn't label it as a must-watch. The execution of the story was good, but I can't say that it was exceptional. I won't claim to being prolific, but this isn't my first foray into viewing a title under the yaoi genre. There are other titles that would better serve your appreciation for a great story. Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi is one such title, though I never did attempt to write a wrap-up post about it.
I guess that discussing my thoughts on Love Stage!! are more due to the fact that I feel that yaoi could be easily dismissed by those who are not familiar or uncomfortable with the genre. I think it's more important to remember that any genre could provide you with a measure of entertainment. While I won't give it a must-watch label, I found myself laughing at all the parts that were worthy of a laugh and rooting for main characters of Love Stage!!. And empathy for characters is always a good thing, regardless of what you're watching. It means that you are invested in the story.
And for the uninformed, I should point out that yaoi, unlike the bara genre, isn't really focused on homosexuality, despite the rather brazen approach of some creators to depict sex between men. Usually, you would find that the characters are attracted or form an emotional connection to another, and it just so happens that they are from the same gender. It's actually just a reinforcement of the "love is love, regardless of who you are" lesson.
So, whether it's Love Stage!!, Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi or any other yaoi title.... give it a shot. You might end up watching a great story about people making a genuine connection with each other.
Happy viewing!!Labels: Adaptation, Anime, Comedy, Love Stage!!, Romance, TV, Yaoi
