Compared to a lot of BL of the time and before, I found myself engrossed with Love Stage and staying up later than I should to watch more and suffering for it in the morning, only to watch more and do it again the next night. While the tropes are common, the plot is predictable, and the characters are fine but not standout, I blew through this series and enjoyed it. The humor is surprisingly enjoyable, and the earnestness of the characters is endearing. I was never bored with the cast or annoyed with the plot progression. That may seem like a low bar, but older animated BL that this reminds me of wasn't exactly a greatest hits of the best material. The close familial vibe of the cast was warm and inviting. Our main character's annoying traits were funny because he received comeuppance for them rather than expecting the audience to simply like him for being quirky. While I was quick to say that the plot was predictable, I still was sad that it was only 10 episodes and would gladly welcome more. I feel the marks against I mentioned are valid criticism, but Love Stage was consistently a good time despite those. And I have to respect it for that. Overall I was pleasantly surprised and always entertained, which is all I can really ask for in a show.
