Love Mode has been my favorite series for a long time now. I was excited to hear it was brought over. I admit the first volume isn't the best. While I'm not a great fan of the Takamiya and Izumi pairing it is fun and interesting to watch Izumi come to the slow realizatioin that he's gay. (I'm still amused about his image of gay men) (pg. 45) This is not a one shot smut manga. You have to be into Love Mode for the long run as it follows different couples in their struggles. Some with happy ends and some in heartbreak. Possibly what I love most aboud Love Mode. ^_^. I wish they'd make an anime out of it but oh well...Biblios dropped off the face of the earth ;_;

I've been a huge fan of Love Mode for the past few years, and I can tell you that even in Japan it's still popular enough to be kept on the store shelves when so many yaoi series disappear into the out of print void. That said, the first time I read it I wrinkled my nose a lot - the main characters in vol. 1 aren't quite my cup of tea. I find high school-Izumi to be really closeted and whiny, and as someone else said, Takamiya comes off as too good to be true (although I think when you actually look at what he does in the book it's clear that he's not quite an angel). However, as other reviewers have pointed out, once you're past this initial introductory volume, the author really finds her footing and starts producing some of the best work in yaoi manga.

The series tells the story of the relationships between a set group of characters: Izumi and Takamiya in this volume; escort club owner Reiji and Naoya, a high school student living on his own after his family died in a car crash; Reiji's brother Kiichi, a doctor, and his manservant/lover Haruomi, who have their own troubled pasts to contend with; sickly escort Izumi, the hot guy next door and the lonely old man who brings them together; and a trip into the past with the story of Reiji and Kiichi's &@#*^! father. This is one of the only manga I've read that has actually made me cry - the author has a gift for drawing heartbreaking expressions and loves to prove that everything can get worse before it gets better, but she usually provides a happy ending after all the pain.

By the 11th and final volume, I think you'll find it hard to dislike any of the main couples in this series. Even whiny Izumi and Takamiya, who I thought I'd never want to see again after volume 1 get better - check out volume 4's bonus chapter for a look at what makes their relationship tick. My favorite by the end was Kiichi - there has to be someone in the story who can get one over on Reiji, and Kiichi is such a wonderful conniving [...]. Even most of the side characters are great and memorable. While I'm a fan of yaoi manga, I won't try to pretend I like it because it's deep and highbrow, but I think that Love Mode is one of the few series out there that really balances between giving you the action you want with genuine exploration of the relationships and characters and drama. I highly recommend any fan of yaoi or relationship drama check it out, and remember to buy volume 1 and 2 at the same time so that you don't lose hope in the series from the start.