MJ Review: I'm Not Your Stepping Stone

[Jason]

Title: I’m Not Your Stepping Stone
Mangaka: Shiuko Kano
Originally Serialized in: June Comics Piace (Magazine Magazine CO., LTD)
Genre: Yaoi, Romance
Licensed by: 801 Media
Price: $15.95 (USD)
Rated: 18+

While at a work site, a poorly educated construction worker, Kazuya, meets and falls for the girl of his dreams. The biggest problem? The girl’s younger brother, Masahi, a star student with an arrogant streak, has his sights set on Kazuya for himself. When Kazuya makes a vow to earn his high school diploma, and asks Masahi for help, the sex-starved teen only wants one thing as payment for tutoring: Kazuya’s body. This premise, coupled with Shiuko Kanno’s kinetic, attractive artwork, makes I’m Not Your Stepping Stone a must-own for yaoi fans who like their stories both sexually charged and romantic at the same time.

Both Kazuya and Masahi are interesting characters, confused about their feelings for each other and not sure where this heated affair is going. Masahi refuses to admit he’s madly in love with the older man and hides true affection behind a bad attitude most of the time. Meanwhile, Kazuya has never had a male lover and he’s certainly never been on the ‘receiving end’ during sex before. He brushes off the intimacy as something he has to put up with if he wants to pass the test and earn his degree, but before long, Kazuya realizes that Masahi has claimed his heart along with his body.

Shuiko Kano does an excellent job of bringing all this delicious sexual tension to life with her beautiful, nicely detailed artwork and unique character designs. It’s easy to tell everyone apart, and while the guys are very attractive, I really enjoyed how Kano portrayed Masahi’s sister as a cute, plump and curvy young woman. That’s not something usually seen in manga, especially when the character is supposed to be an idealized dream girl. Also, the screen toning throughout the book is great, keeping every page visually interesting without being too full.

I’m Not Your Stepping Stone comes with a well-deserved mature content warning -- this book is hot. Masahi can never get enough of Kazuya, and their sex is plentiful and explicit. No invisible penises in this manga! Some of the language in their dialogues can also be very adult and there are a couple of scenes where the characters indulge in some self-gratification. However, don’t let the intensity of the content distract you from the plot, because a lot of character development does occur at the same time.

Another plus about this book is that all 210 pages are devoted to Kazuya and Masahi. While I do enjoy the bonus stories that pad out a lot of manga volumes, often unrelated to the main characters, it’s a refreshing change to find every chapter in I’m Not Your Stepping Stone following the two stars. I also have to point out how much I love 801 Media’s books. They consistently put out high-quality releases from great mangaka, and they don’t skimp out on the paper stock or color inserts. This manga is no exception.

Overall, I’m Not Your Stepping Stone is one of the most entertaining and sensual yaoi manga I’ve read this year. Shiuko Kano brings to life good characters with a lot of great sexual tension, making this book an enjoyable, and highly recommended, read.

Reviewer: Anne Cain
Proofer: Eduardo Menendez
Editor: Lissa Pattillo