Learning How to Lose, in Six Easy Steps. Step One: Tetris / Step Two: Fun and Games

Learning How to Lose #1

by Alex Gabriel

It’s not that Ryuu’s a bad loser – he just wants things to be in order. And in the natural order of the universe, he should not be losing to dorks.

Losing is a thing Japanese pop star Ryuu Shiwasuda does not do – certainly not gracefully. Image is everything to hot-headed Ryuu. Sure, his macho bluster is only a cover for shyness and social awkwardness, but he takes it (and himself) very seriously.

So when gratingly cheerful punster Hiro Takahashi delivers the ultimate insult of letting Ryuu win at a video game, Ryuu is cut to the quick, and vows swift vengeance. Can’t be too hard to beat a dork like Hiro, right?

Wrong. As Ryuu chases after his elusive victory, he’s forced to add more and more items to the list of “things to beat Hiro at” – and is shocked to find that Hiro’s quirky charm is sparking never-before felt desires in him.

Ryuu’s life and career have no place for a male lover. But he’s already in too deep. Can he risk going all in? And what does he stand to lose if he doesn’t?

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Humor, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 22, 2014

About the author

I am a writer. Mostly, I write gay romance – frequently with an element of the supernatural, fantastical or futuristic.

About Me

It all began when I learned to decipher the alphabet. I soon found that the world was full of wonderful stories – but not all of the tales I wanted to read were being told. In self-defense, I began to write, and haven’t stopped since.

In what little time my busy schedule of reading and writing has left me, I’ve worked as a copywriter, a translator, an English teacher, a linguistics tutor, an alibi S.O., a soap maker, a cloakroom attendant, a bartender, and other such things. Only the jobs that involve writing have stuck.

About My Stories

My primary focus is always on the characters. My goal is to create real, interesting and multi-faceted people and develop relationships that ring true… in the context of a world and a story that grab the reader and don’t let go.

I love fiction for its capacity to explore countless different worlds, ask thousands of different variations on what if.

What if time could flow backwards, what if we could travel to alternate universes, what if magic worked, what if gods and demons walked among us? What if telepathy and/or other such powers existed? What if stories were real, and reality just a fiction?

What if…?

Reviews

[Bitchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

I am writing this as more of a review for the whole series, because I truly feel like you can't read any of these as stand alone, and I think that they would have been better served edited down into just one, maybe two books.

This series is set in the Japanese world of J-pop stars, and I truly think the reader would get the most out of this series if they were more familiar with that world. The series is filled with honorifics and societal norms that are quite unfamiliar to someone like me. I kept getting pulled out of the story trying to figure out what something meant, or how things were done. There was also reference to several different bands (at least two, Hiro's group and Ryuu's group), tv series, movies, game shows, and interviews, which I think dragged the story down at times. I found myself skimming the bits that didn't further Hiro and Ryuu's relationship in any way.

I did really enjoy the characters, although Ryuu did have his frustrating moments. Hiro, though, was an absolute, quirky, happy go lucky dream.

The series is told from Ryuu's POV solely, and I would have LOVED to get at least some of Hiro's POV. His thoughts and feels were a bit of a mystery, I just wanted to know more of what he was thinking throughout the story.

Book one focuses entirely on introducing the readers to the characters and to the setting, with absolutely none of the romance coming into play. It starts out with Ryuu determined to beat Hiro at Tetris, and it just grows from there, to hanging out trying to get one up on Hiro, to what became a really solid friendship between the two young men. It was a lot of fun, if a bit frustrating to this reader, because there is absolutely NO romance in this installment, but trust me people, that part IS coming!

[Tonileg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary clean M/M romance set in Japan with guys living in the boy band lifestyle.
I liked this story. At first I though it was a pseudo-documentary of boy bands set in Japan, but very slowly and subtly it is a coming of age story about two guys becoming friends and then more, although it is only hinted at in these first two parts.
Tetris shaped my early adult years. I carried my light grey gameboy everywhere with me (with extra AA batteries!) to the point that I started to dream in multicolored block shapes with Mario Brothers characters.
So of course I'm going to read anything named after my childhood favorite electronic game.
Japanese pop star Ryuu Shiwasuda is grumpy and barely conceals his disgruntled behavior as a popular boy band member. Ryuu's opposite is the sweet and silly Hiro Takahashi.
Hiro is the hero of the story.
Dude! If you read the story, that was totally Hiro style and I can now never be forced to mention aardvarks on TV!
So, I'll stop with the 'in' jokes. This is a wonderful insight to city life in Japan. I'm not sure that a total stranger to Japanese culture will enjoy this story as much as I do, but it was fun and I did more then a little reminiscing of my summers in Japan as a child.
Super fun and I'll be looking into the other parts to this story.
177 pages and freebie

[Meep · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* - Got this free in a promotion and wasn't sure though I've loved the authors other stories. I liked it a lot more than expected. The characters are interesting and watching their growing friendship was fun.

Think this will be more popular with J-pop fans. Not being a music-show fan I was at something of a loss faced with the Japanese music industry world. There was little to explain the setting to the unfamiliar and it took me awhile to determine this was how they're industry runs rather than them being part of some talent show. It's interesting.

I did find the names confusing; people addressed by second or first names, shortenings or nicknames caused a few pauses - but I'd put that to my own unfamiliarity with Japanese names.

Also it's YA the boys are just out of their teens but in many ways seem younger, perhaps due to culture and work demands.

Though no cliffhanger the ending felt unfinished. This is a book of building friendship relationship development is part two.

I like the writing and the characters, Hiro is fascinating. Not big on YA or boy-bands so if it feels I'm damning with faint praise the issue there is me not the book. Will be reading the next part to see how things progress but likely end it there.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really is stretching to put it in the romance category as it is really just a bromance at this point. But it is a sweet bromance and I really enjoyed Ryuu and Hiro's characters and seeing them become friends. I can't wait to read the rest in the series to see how this relationship progresses.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this!

It popped up in my feed and I recognised the author of Love for the Cold-Blooded (which I also love) so grabbed it on KU.

After my previous (not great) read that was all tell, tell, tell instalovey it was lovely to read a well researched, super slow burn, well written, character led story that was all show not tell.

Already on the next book...

[Maiko-chan [|] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. I had no idea I needed this in my life but an Asian pop star, a fantastic cover (that jacket is so hot), and that blurb? *insta one-clicks the entire series, flails at Erika in eternal thanks*

--

[7/12/15]
4.5stars

This story is entirely character driven, maintaining a focus on the interactions between Ryuu(-chan) and Hiro, how the two come together and build their friendship, the little things that make them who they are and the subtle ways they change and influence each other.

"Come walk in the rain with me, Ryuu-chan," Hiro says. His voice is low and oddly serious; his eyes are steady on Ryuu's. "It's a beautiful day."

The romance may not be there yet in this part of the series but it's certainly well on the way.

They watch each other again, taking each other's measure, but something has changed profoundly, and everything is different.

Other favorite quotes:

He is definitely going to win in the end. He's just going to have to practice harder, that's all. It's not the first time he's had to work hard for something he wants.

"Then I will prove to you that I am worthy of your blade."

It's not meant to be a sad song. To Ryuu, it's full of joy and hope, and the strength to overcome obstacles - finding your own way and having the courage to walk it, no matter what.
...
"But it's not about any general kind of blossoming, you idiot," Yo adds. "It's a love song."

This was cute and everything I didn't know I needed (but now crave) and I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the series to see how their relationship progresses.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars

Reading-wise 2016 wasn't a stellar year for me, but I'm so glad to finish it with this great trilogy that I gobbled up in two days.

So this series is about Ryuu and Hiro, members of two popular Japanese boy bands, who start hanging out pretty much by chance (well, because Ryuu can't stand to lose to Hiro in games, and after that - everything else), and then... It's not a secret what eventually happens then, but how they come to it

This series is a great example of an English-speaking author tackling a completely foreign culture and doing it right. Granted, I'm not a native and the world of idols, j-pop groups, talents and so on is not the aspect of Japanese culture I'm mostly familiar with, but what I do know had never once clashed with what we're shown here. Er, except for Hiro's love of lame word puns. I'm not sure about them - they're English word puns, not Japanese ones, after all.

But everything else - helping with promoting other groups, acting, mandatory blogs, messages to each other in magazines, tons of inane variety shows (life of a Japanese idol is very different from that of an American musician) - that rang so true. And of course everyday life - customs, manners, they even phrase certain things the way a Japanese person would.

Anyway, being Japanese and having very busy jobs means that guys have noticeably more innocent lives, compared to what you'd expect from members of European or American boy bands. Which, in turn, means that their romance is a slo-ow burn.
I guess, some people would think that nothing much of importance happens in book one. Me, I was just basking in authenticity. And the wait paid-off in spades later.

[Serena.. Sery-ously? · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*

Volevo essere più cattiva e andare con due stelle, ma poi leggendo i commenti delle altre persone ho capito che questo volume non può essere considerato a sé stante ma deve esser preso insieme ai seguiti: cioè, avrebbe potuto benissimo essere un volume unico, ma la trilogia è più fyga e tira di più..
La lettura mi ha parecchio annoiato, ma credo che ciò dipenda molto dalla mia totale ignoranza del mondo che viene rappresentato, quello delle boyband in Giappone e di tutte le cose che devono fare come artisti e idoli che, a quanto pare, non comprendono cantare (ah beh!).
Pur trovando alcune uscite molto simpatiche ci sono due grandi problemi: la narrazione al presente in terza persona (seriamente, perché?) che confonde da morire e soprattutto i protagonisti. Ryu verrebbe da sbatterlo al muro e dargli un sacco di botte, Hiro è tenero e simpatico, ma mai nella mia testa è apparso come personaggio realistico, sembra una caricatura!!

Diciamo che c'è uno 0,1% di curiosità per lo sviluppo della storia fra loro (che io non ho visto nemmeno di striscio e ci riporta al "Era meglio un volume unico), ma penso proprio che la metterò a tacere senza troppi sforzi.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars.

Part one of this series is pretty much an introduction to the life and times of Jpop boy band member Ryuu and his unlikely friend Hiro, who's in another boy band in the same entertainment company. I'm not into Jpop but it was easy to follow along with because of some similarities to the Kpop world. This book started out a bit dry but by the end I was ready to plunk down my $2.99 to read the 2nd installment, pretty much because of Ryuu and Hiro and their adorable friendship.

See my review of the series here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still waters by Alex Gabriel is one of my favourites. So this book was a surprise. It was so different, like really different. I had hard time getting into it, I don't know if it was because I was recovering from migraine or just not the right book for me at this moment.

However I did push forward and read it. It was funny and I probably should pick up book 2 right now, because the story didn't end here.
The level of excitement Hiro manages to produce by just breathing made me tired. Way too bubbly. That entire Idol world was somewhat confusing. I guess it's opposite attract kind story. Very slow and definitely needs that the entire series is read, in order to get the full story. It will be interesting to see where their story goes.

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

My third work by this author. I'd been putting it off as it didn't look as interesting as the others I'd read by him. But I finally tried the sample, then bought.

There are various reasons I had been putting it off, the main one, or at least the one I wish to note in a review box is a relatively simple one. Most of the books I've read involving Japanese characters set in Japan have been written by westerners. I've only read two written by a Japanese fella living in Japan, and then three or five by a guy of Japanese descent living in the USA. Oh, then there was that All You Need is Kill book. And all those manga's I'd read. Well, the point I was attempting to make is that I wasn't really that sure I wanted to add yet another layer of confusion to my idea of what is Japan and what makes Japan Japan.

So, there was that holding me back.

The story involves 'idols' in Japan. Music people. Specifically Ryuu Shiwasuda and Hiro Takahashi, members of two different music groups. Told from the perspective of Ryuu, except for several blog entries, emails, and interview question answers from both that are intermixed in between sections of the book.

It's an interesting look at a particular aspect of Japanese culture I hadn't really thought that much about - the entertainment part. Those who make music, movies, tv shows, etc. I have no real idea how much to take what the author dishes up as based on reality, and how much is fantasy. I mean, I have a much better grasp of the situation, limited though it might be, of a book that involves an American actress, or singer, or the like. While I have nothing to base a pre-existing opinion on regarding Japanese entertainers. Other than the few movies, and books and the like that I've sampled in the past. Which doesn't really give a good foundation to determine whether or not all of this is just fantasy with a thin coating of 'this is Japan', or if there's a solid bit of connection between the Japan in the book and the Japan of reality.

I would probably say that Ryuu's character is of the kind I couldn't stand, but I was mostly able to see past that. I'm not sure I'd be able to be in the same room with Hiro - he's just too hyper.

I went into this book with two things in the back of my mind - I'd read two works by Gabriel previously - both involving graphic gay male sex. One, the Superhero one, seems to have been dripping with it, while the other, the fantasy one, seemed to have had a sex scene shoehorned in. So, gay characters will be involved. The second thing was something I saw while glancing through other people's tags. And noticing one or more had something like 'no-sex' or the like. So, gay characters without sex.

Hiro's orientation isn't exactly revealed in this first book, but Ryuu seems to be described as a straight man. Not even bisexual, but straight. So, instead of two gay men, I apparently have an open question and a straight man who like hanging out with each other. Considering that the things they do together, punching, hugging, wiggling near each other, are the same things both do with their fellow male non-gay members of their music groups, then the fact that they do that while alone with each other isn't actually an indication of anything one way or another.

(This is where being 7 or 20% into the second book before I write anything about the first can get things confusing. I know there's no sex in this first book, that's not the confusing thing. It's Ryuu's bumping into his ex-girlfriend part. And the scene in the shower where Ryuu has some quite happy thoughts about women. Those bits that reinforce the nature of Ryuu's orientation, at least up to this point in his life. I think both occur in the second book. Though the ex-girlfriend gets a mention or two in the first book).

Regardless of my lack of prior knowledge of Japan's music and acting scene, which will hence forth be 'contaminated' by what I read in this book here, the book was quite interesting and entertaining. The book does kind of end abruptly, though. Which is how I ended up 7 or 20% into the second book before I had a chance to write anything here. I just bounced over to the second book and continued reading. Those without that option might be annoyed by the abrupt ending of this book.

In terms of gayness - I had originally placed this book on my 'gay' shelf that I use to indicate gay male characters. I then briefly put it onto the bisexual shelf. But there's nothing in this book that indicates that any of the characters are gay or bisexual, so, I had to remove both shelves. Bisexual and gay turn up in the next book.

If you squashed book one and two together, then you can safely and easily use such tags like 'romance' and 'MM' or even, shockingly I know, 'bisexual'. But as it is, none of those tags really work here. Unless by 'Romance' you mean bromance. bro-mance. I guess I can call this 'music' and 'japan'. I'm not even sure I can call it contemporary - not having the knowledge needed to tell. Wait, I believe the book is set in 2012. So, contemporary. I can't actually use that tag/shelf though. As my only contemporary shelf is aligned with romance.

[piranha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not into J-pop and in fact i hate the whole idol culture. But I know about it -- mostly sideways because I used to read a lot of manga, and consequently got very interested in Japanese culture. And this book did something unexpected: it made me less judgmental of idols. Mind, I still dislike idol culture, the cold-hearted, bottom-line-oriented manufacturing of young teenage recruits into colour-coordinated facsimiles of actual people for the consumption of the masses, pseudo-role models who must be perfect in every aspect. Think Disney on super-steroids. These kids are so controlled, they can't do anything even in their private lives that might possibly mar the shellacked saccharine surface, or they're finished. This book doesn't rip the curtain off the fakery to expose it, but it does so indirectly (and possibly without meaning to, because I think the author is a fan), and paradoxically, that made me feel for the actual idols behind their masks. It's got to be a desperately lonely life.

People who know nothing of Japan and idol culture will likely miss not only many of the references, but also the very slow character development. If you don't know that even thinking of somebody by their first name is a Big Deal, they will only be confused by Ryuu switching names for Hiro. Reviewers who claim this is all telling and no showing simply don't get it (and probably can't) -- it's a very different, indirect way of showing instead of telling. Because Japanese don't tell directly. Certainly Ryuu doesn't, not even in his innermost voice, and the story is told through Ryuu alone. I found that incredibly well done because I have a brutally direct inner voice, and yet Ryuu felt very real to me. Now, I've never even been to Japan, and so I am not properly qualified to judge, but I have absorbed other, foreign cultures, and this feels quite authentic to me; there seems to be a lot of Japan here, in many small instances.

And because they're not explained, the book will fail most of its readers, and that's sad because it's actually a fascinating glimpse into a foreign subculture. Those familiar with the subculture, and especially its fans will probably gobble it up, and enjoy it because it's very well written. For those wondering, I don't know enough as to whether this is thinly disguised fan fiction about specific guys in specific boy bands (it definitely has that Johnny's feel, but the names have the serial numbers filed off), or whether it's an amalgam. I'm hoping the latter because I don't like to support real person slash, which I consider an invasion of privacy.

The other thing that'll annoy more people than not is that there's no proper Western romance here. Me, I love a slow boil and this entire book is slow boil; step by step Ryuu grows to view Hiro as a true, close friend. And personally, I see that as very romantic, though not in the Western sense which is so entangled with sex, and has all but forgotten the romance of discovery. I consider my closest friendships to be deeply romantic (but not sexual), and I love this, and would even love it if it never became more than a bromance. So, if you're expecting kisses and sexual tension and all that jazz, this isn't the book. And maybe that is a problem with the format in which this is published, but I haven't read the other two books yet.

[Kendra T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

I have to start by saying that I almost didn't want to finish this book, and I am so glad I did. This is part of a series and this first book is the weakest of the books. It gets so much better. If you are questioning whether to continue on, go for it!

OK. Now for the real review.
Like I mentioned, this is part 1 of a 3 volume series, each volume broken into 2 parts. The series is the story of Ryuu and Hiro and how they navigate from friends to eventual lovers. Volume 1 is all about how the two guys meet and become friends. There is no romance whatsoever in this book. It is strictly about how they meet, how they get to know each other, and how they become friends.

While it was interesting character development, as someone who is not familiar with the Japanese culture (pop or regular), I had a hard time keeping up with some of the book. I didn't understand a lot of how the pop world worked, and there was no explanation of it. It was all assumed that I should know it as a reader. It also threw me for a loop when Ryuu called Takahashi by that name and then all of a sudden he started calling him Hiro. I can assume from looking into it that it Hiro is his familiar name and that is why there was a change, but some kind of explanation for the reader would have been helpful. Instead, it made it annoying at times to read the book. I still can not in any true complete way explain the pop culture of these boys (e.g., how does the talent mill work? for being "huge" pop stars, they seem to get around without being noticed anywhere-is that normal?)

I feel like this back story could have been quite a bit shorter. There was a lot of information in these many pages that I didn't need.

For a positive, part 2 was much more interesting than part 1. We really started to get to know the guys in part 2. Their humor started to seep through. I LOVED LOVED LOVED the part where they made a bet with each other to act like the other person for a day. It was funny, but it was also humbling (I think) for Ryuu to see how he is perceived by others.

This far in, I am really looking forward to the next volumes. I want to see how the friendship for these guys grows. And the ending to this volume--the last page or so? Loved it.

[blub · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don't even know how to start off. I read the whole series (all three books in succession). The books are highly character driven and like aged wine gets better and better with each volume. Readers get a detailed view of the emotions and thoughts of Ryuu the main character and some residual feelings from Hiro.

I feel that if I try to even summarize I'll spoil the entire series. Anyway for the first volume:

Ryuu Shiwasuda and Hiro Takahashi are both Japanese idols in different boy bands under the same management. That being said they do move in the same circle and are well acquainted. Anyway, while Ryuu is waiting for his turn on a talk segment, Hiro charms/ropes Ryuu into playing Tetris. Ryuu being competitive by nature finds out Hiro has let him win. This serves to only anger Ryuu and this pretty much kick starts their close friendship. Readers follow along as their friendship deepens and their relationship blossoms and evolves.

I like seeing the personal growth between the two. It's pretty subtle and glaring apparent through the story. The characters are both quirky and very likable. The camaraderie was entertaining to witness.

I did find issue with what I assume to be some of the puns...it could have just been grammar issues...at the time I wasn't sure. I'm aware some puns are better in Japanese and don't translate well in English and I'm not sure if that was what the author was going for.

The mention of some foods i.e. bitter melon just made me squirm and my mouth salivate in pain (bitter melon is exactly as it sounds extremely bitter and it gets worse day by day if the dish is allowed to sit).

Overall, my first though when reading through the volume was that it read very close to a yaoi novel. I love yaoi novels and this actually brought to mind some of the yaoi stuff I loved to read.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, this is such a slow burn, that by the end of the book I am not even sure if the two MCs are gay. I knew it was the first in a series, but I thought they'd be at least a little further along than this....

I have no idea if this is a realistic portrayal of how the J pop culture and icons work, but it certainly seems real. What few bits and pieces of Japanese culture I do know are correctly reflected here. I think this was written for those who are fans of manga/anime, which I am not.

But that being said, I still enjoyed it, and will probably go on to read the following two books.

The world of boy bands in Japan, as portrayed here, is one of manufactured fame, in a reality show kind of way. The two men work on performances with their bands -- not really competing, and both bands apparently were put together from the same talent pool, with the same producers -- along with commercials, interviews on TV talk shows, occasional parts in films or TV shows, in between living what sounds like fairly normal lives. They seem to be more minor celebrities than anything else. And they are very conscious that every boy band eventually grows older, to be replaced by the next wave of new talents. Though they have a career, they know it is transitory, and are trying to figure out where their lives should go next. Ryuu and Hiro seem to both be on the cusp of being replaced, and for Ryuu especially, it is a time of confusion. His friendship with Hiro grows from being mere acquaintances to BFFs, and it is literally the last page of the book when Ryuu first realizes that his feelings for Hiro might actually be deeper than friendship.

Sooooo, not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm intrigued, and I kinda like the slow burn. Even when the pace is glacial. Maybe they might kiss by the end of the second book. I'll let you know....

[Anna Goerlitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.
This is rather difficult, as this book was obviously not meant to stand alone. This first book is clearly an introduction. To both our main protagonist, Ryuu and his best friend / soon to be love interest (one would hope), Hiro, as well as to the world of JPop fabricated teen idols.

The book is set in Tokyo in the JPop world, which is a world completely foreign to me, even though I have visited Japan and enjoyed the excitement and quirkiness that is Tokyo. The setting is interesting, if slightly surreal, but creates a great back drop to the two young men's story.

I really enjoyed the author's voice, and also Ryuu's slightly snarky narration. And as I was aware of the serial nature of this book going in, I felt ok with the abrupt ending. But I still hope, to see the story and the relationship moving forward in book 2.

Overall series rating (all three books): 3.5-4 stars Very enjoyable and recommendable. If you start, you will need to get the next one.

[Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a romance novel!! As an fan of AG's other book 'An Evil Minion's Guide to Dating a Superhero' I was expecting to see some humor from this book. I did not. There was like one funny part in the middle that got my hopes up but then it flatlined again.
This book follows the life of Japanese idol Ryu. After a competitive game of tetris he starts to blossom a friendship with idol Takahashi Hiro. There is no plot that I can see. It's just the two of them hanging out. Very little humor. Ryu goes through SOME character development as he ponders the heart of losing gracefully. If this series does go somewhere I dont have the patience to find out. I'm done.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked the one up as a free read on ARE and what a great book. It looks like the story of Ryuu and Hiro is covered over 3 separate books (I've just bought the other 2) and the story is a very slow burn. I'm really enjoying getting to properly know Ryuu and Hiro and how their relationship is slowly changing from mild hostility in the very beginning to something a lot closer by the end of step 2. Really looking forward to reading Step 3 and 4 now.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Stopped about halfway. The writing was quite bothersome for me--all telling.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Felt like a first novel published without support. Long stretches of telling instead of showing, without any deeper character development. Stopped after first chapter.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book: 3 stars since it's mostly the setup of the friendship

Series as a whole: 3.5 stars...with caveats

This is one of the more engaging m/m romance series I've read this year. (It's been a pretty middle of the road reading year for the most part.) But I was very much drawn into this world of manufactured Japanese pop stars and fully invested in the characters and their relationship. So what about those caveats?? Well...

There's some potentially problematic attitudes towards the top/bottom dynamic, BUT they feel more like an exploration of that attitude and/or a reflection of that attitude held by (or at least protrayed by certain portions of) the Japanese culture. YMMV so be aware in case you have no tolerance for this, but for me it just pinged my radar as an attitude being portrayed by the book, not something that was being shared/endorsed/enabled by the book. I don't think this crops up until Book Two since they are firmly in friendship territory here, but there may be inklings of some internalized homophobia. (I can't remember...)

But then there's one scene at the beginning of Book Three -- that has nothing to do with the top/bottom issue specifically, but is part of the problematic dynamics often found in yaoi/boys' love graphic novels -- that I just have to pretend never happened. It's dub-con at best between our two MCs who are in an established sexual relationship. I had to skip a couple of pages to avoid reading the bulk of it. It's the type of thing that has the potential to ruin a book for me, but every once in a blue moon I'll find a book that I can just decide: nope, that scene didn't happen. And still preserve my enjoyment of the rest of the story. For whatever reason, this was one of those.

[Tünde Kasza tóth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's really hard to rate the books by themselves bacause actually this is one book broken into three parts.

We see everything from Ryuus POV, and I don't know if the writing style is literary genius or just the author's getting better by the end. I came to believe it's the first one.

The whole thing starts very dry, like a documentary about Ryuu's life, he did this, he did that, this happened, that happened, but very slowly it turns into something much more natural as his friendship with Hiro develops. It's even there in his thoughts. He calls Hiro by his last name (Takahashi) even in his head in the beginning, but as the two get closer and closer he starts to refer to him as Hiro first just occasionally, but later on all the time.

This is very slow burn, but there is so much emotion and love here, like a warm blanket on a cold night, it just made me want to snuggle down and enjoy it.

I am familiar with Japanese culture, so it was easy for me to follow, but I don't know how would those fare, who aren't.

While I applaud the writing, I know some people are not into that, but don't give up until you get at least halfway through. If you are still not invested by the time you reach 50%, then I guess you can take it or leave it as you wish. But you will be, believe me.

[Laks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this one in two days and then completed the whole trilogy in a week! I am not a big fan of musician romances, but this one is a lot different and I loved the story, setting and characters. The Japanese pop scenario is not familiar to me, so it took me a bit to understand the wordings and characters. But after a few pages, I was wholly immersed in the story and rooting for Ryuu.

Ryuu is a complex character. Even though externally mature and gruff, he is completely immature emotionally and needs a handbook to sort through his emotions. Takahashi sneaked into Ryuu's life and finally into his heart. Ryuu stood no chance against the goofy, friendly, beaming ray of sunshine, that is Takahashi.

The first book is all about getting to know each other, as the title says its all fun and games, literally. No steamy scenes in the first book. We see the friendship developing into romance in second book. The final book in trilogy shows Ryuu becoming more mature and brave.

Awesome series! Couldn't get enough!

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and suuuuuuper slow burn, especially compared with Love for the Cold-Blooded, or The Part-Time Evil Minion's Guide to Accidentally Dating a Superhero. Both heroes are Japanese boy-band pop stars (in different bands), with the ridiculous lives that go with that. One is the uptight grumpy one and one is the super chilled out sunshine one.

Hero still has not realised he might be romantically interested in his BFF by end of Step Two.

I get the impression the author has either lived in Japan or is deeply into Japanese pop fandom.

[cc · Rating 4 out of 5]

sometimes, a story is just so simple and pure that it makes your heart happy. this is one of those times. i love ryuu and hiro and i just want them all to be happy and loved.

at first, i wasn't sure i would jive with the writing style. it's present tense and very episodic and tells instead of shows, but ... it worked. i feel like i understand ryuu and i see why his relationship with hiro is so important and i can see the ways in which this friendship is changing him for the better, making him happier and kinder.

honestly, there's nothing about this story i didn't like. definitely recommend it if you want to be happy.

[Rhode PVD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for series: It’s fun and sweet on one hand, the characters were adorable and I liked the setting of the Japanese entertainment world which was new to me. On the other hand, I’m slightly uncomfortable reading a western author writing smexy times about Asians. The fact that the characters had exhausting jobs that they didn’t seem to truly enjoy in an industry built on girls fetishized young men was a weird layer of mirroring on top of that.

So I liked it and had reservations simultaneously.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I don't even know what to make of this book. As the first two parts of a six-part series, it doesn't have much of a story arc; instead, it's a series of simple yet poignant vignettes. I couldn't help but be charmed by it, though. These seemingly simple snapshots into Ryuu and Hiro's friendship somehow sneakily endear the characters to the reader. I can't wait to read more and to see their relationship develop.

[Jewel Boo · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of words

AND at 78% and that's 20% more than I wanted. There were characters and situations but nothing that grabs you and says read this. I'm still confused on if these are teens.
Just fell flat

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of trilogy here.

[Carminex3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how natural and calm it is