Love as never had a better voice     Jun 16, 2007     reviewed by Shin    

Gravitation is a series I recently picked up because my friend recommended it to me. Its her favorite series, so I decided to read it. And lets just say the best way to sum it up is Love!!! I have to say it is not for everyone. You have to be a bit open minded, and accept the fact its all boys. But outside of that. Its definetily one of the more enjoy series you can read. Also Shuichi is Adorable!!!<3<3<3

Shin also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

Fun little guy!     Aug 04, 2008     reviewed by Gothjet    
(Gravitation: Kumagoro 14)

Cosplayers will love him as a prop, a friend on those lonely nights, or just to toss around! seeing that rabbit face will brighten up anyones day!

Gothjet also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

Handy!     Aug 04, 2008     reviewed by Gothjet    
(Myth Messenger - Gravitation: Stars on Stage)

I used this for my sophmore year of high school and thank goodness I had it! fit everything I needed it to and with so many convenient pockets, school was a breeze. One problem though. After a while if walking it really hurts your shoulder. Other than that, it's a great bag!

Gothjet also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

One of my favorite anime series'     May 21, 2008     reviewed by ChloeBlack101    
(Gravitation TV: Complete Collection (Thin-Pak))

First I have to admit as of right now I have only watched the anime, the OVA, and read two of the manga volumes. So this is the opinion of someone who doesn't have much of a comparison between the anime and the manga.

Gravitation is one of the first animes I ever watched, and it's still one of my favorites. You get completely drawn in by all the characters, especially, naturally, Shuichi and Yuki. Yuki's back story is what I looked forward to the most, though I admit I don't feel they went into it enough in the anime. I'm sensing I probably will like the manga more (hence the reason I went out and tracked down the entire series). But still, though the manga will probably turn out to be better, I'd recommend this anime anyway, at least for the simple fact you can better get a feel for Shuichi's music (and love of music). It's harder to envision the music side of this story (which, being a music lover, I loved) in the manga form then it is in personal, BAM! right there in your face anime form. It might not be as good as far as the manga goes, but I feel if you're a fan of Gravitation, you'll be wanting more, so you're glad to get your hands on anything Gravitation related. That's how it was for me, it draws you in that well.

I've heard people say it's better to turn it to Japanese and watch with the subs because the dub loses some of the original storyline, but I personally wouldn't have an opinion on that. I loved Yuki's voice on the English dub. I thought it suited his character wonderfully, but then again I'm Yuki-biased.

ChloeBlack101 also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

Didn't like the OVA as much     May 21, 2008     reviewed by ChloeBlack101    
(Gravitation: Lyrics of Love OVA)

As much as I love anything Gravitation, I didn't like the OVA as much. It was definitely sweet, and stayed true to the anime (I have yet to read all of the manga). But I think the different look in animation threw me off (as far as I could tell it's all the same voice cast, but it was animated differently, and I found it distracting). Nonetheless, it was sweet, definitely had some awwww moments to it, and some hilarity. I'd give it 5 stars for pure love of all things Gravitation related, but the difference in animation warrants the downgrade to 4, for me at least.

Still, I'd recommend watching/reading ANYTHING related to Gravitation, because no matter how much there is, it's just not enough. It always leaves me wanting more of delicious Yuki and bubbly Shuichi.

ChloeBlack101 also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

A manga that gets you addicted!!     Feb 18, 2008     reviewed by Panda-chan!    

I came over this manga when I saw that one of my friends had a bag with a picture on it, and the name Gravitation. So I asked her about it, and she told me how good the manga was. Personally, I am addicted to Yaoi and Shounen ai! And when I read the first version of Gravitation I was alittle sceptic. But when I came to the second one, I was totally in love with the manga.

There's allot of love in Gravitation, and the relationship between Eiri and Suichi is really exciting! Eiri may seem like an asshole, but it seems more like he's abit frightened by love (Perhaps, even though he is a writer for a love novel, he is uncertain what love is) and the fact that he seems taken by Suichis personality.

The only downside with this manga, is that Suichis personality can sometimes be a bit irritating (like one time when Eiri and Suichi made love, and Eiri asked why Suichi never became happy for all the effort he put into it, and Suichi came with an akward reaction), and the fact that Suichi is somewhat too emotional for my taste. But, for some odd reason, I've learned to block his stupidity and instead look at the charm he has, and the fact that he's so in love with Eiri eventhough he doesn't know him that well yet.

Panda-chan! also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

A Force That Draws You In     Oct 30, 2007     reviewed by TheReviewer    

It happened on a dark night with an artist walking the streets and came upon a man with blonde hair and piercing eyes, a man who he did not know would come to envelop his entire world.

Meet Shuichi, a determined, hyper, straight forward lovable dunce of a character. Meet Yuki, the cold, critical, and aloof author who holds many secrets.

This series was one of the first that introduced me to the manga scene. For a story, it is hilarious and full of energy. Maki Murakami is random, fun, and entertaining. It's a bundle of laughs. As for the artwork, the character designs change throughout the manga, which shows how much the creator grows, but I would have liked for her to keep the same style through the entire manga.

If you're looking for a story of insane romance, ecstatic characters, and lots of boy love, then this is your cup-of-tea.

Disclaimer: some scenes are not suitable for kids under the age of 15 considering there are adult themes.

TheReviewer also recommended: Fake, Only the Ring Finger Knows,
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

Gravitation Review     Oct 11, 2008     reviewed by ChocoMilkTea    

I used to be such a fanboy for this series. Looking back, I can still see why I loved it so much, but I feel like I evaluate it with a more objective perspective now.

STORY - I would venture to say that Gravitation was probably one of the first of its kind. Certainly, this was the title that opened the floodgates for hundreds of other shounen-ai titles at the turn of the century. Sure, if you pick through the music and ignore the gay pairing, you leave yourself with a simple, old-fashioned love story about one person pursuing another's love while a troubled past stands between them. Nothing new there at all. But Murakami's decision to intermix a very strong musical plotline together with the core romance was a very smart move indeed and probably one of the main reasons I took to this series so readily. I really appreciated the fact that Shuichi's attention was split fifty-fifty between his career and Yuki -- this balance made things interesting in so many different ways because there were times when Shuichi's two goals seemed to go against each other and he had to decide which was more important. The fact that he sometimes had trouble putting one above the other made him easy to sympathize with, and it was refreshing to see that the romance wasn't always the absolute central point of the series.

I also really enjoyed the insight into the music industry, though much of it was certainly exaggerated. It's amusing in a way how much I shirk away from caring about the rival bands and scandals for musicians in real life, but Gravitation got my attention anyway. The drama was good, and I suppose you grow to care about these characters much more than those in reality. Unfortunately, Yuki's deep, dark past could be considered the most cliché aspect of the entire series, and even in my fangirl days, I was never really impressed by it. Still, within the thirteen episode series, the subject is skirted around constantly and details always remain a bit fuzzy around the edges. I suppose it's partially because much of the series is very comedic and the horribly tragedies of the past are only explored enough for the present to make sense. It works alright enough, but it certainly isn't anything amazing.

All in all, Gravitation's story is a good, fun twist on a simple, old love story. While not perfect by any means, it's still both a brilliant comedy and a touching romance, and there's enough little surprises to keep you excited for the entirety of its run!

CHARACTER - I don't think there was a single bad character in this entire series. Each and every one of them had some sort of role to fill and had their moment in the spotlight. Though there were a few classic archetypes like Yuki, the dark and mysterious one, and Hiro, the best friend, somehow the little quirks in their personalities made them seem a little less typical. Yuki especially, armed with his tragic past, was an interesting character to follow because he himself admits that he doesn't understand himself. In retrospect, his probably wasn't the most accurate or the most convincing account of trauma and psychological health problems in the world, it works well enough for the story's purposes.

Shuichi was a fun protagonist, considering he was also one of the series' primary sources of comedy relief (in the first episode, he was late for a meeting because he had to go save a turtle being harassed by a bunch of kids, you know). Spastic and crazy most of the time, he's moments of seriousness almost seem random, but where Yuki's past only worked well enough, Shuichi's dynamic personality actually worked very well. It's clear that his love started off as simple infatuation and that he had to deal with mostly un-reciprocated feelings for several episodes; it was thus intriguing to watch how his generally happy personality dealt with the chaos, turmoil, and heavy uncertainty that came with the relationship he found himself in. It was also nice to see a character that wasn't always sure of himself and his feelings -- even though it was easy for the audience to tell how he felt, Shuichi still questioned himself and the purity of his love wasn't cheapened by the absolute certainty other characters sometimes have.

Pretty much all of the other characters are also worth mentioning, but I'll try to be more brief for the rest of them: Ryuuichi and Tohma are probably the most interesting characters aside from our main boys. Both front one image of themselves while maintaining ulterior motives that are both understandable, easy to sympathize with, and realistic enough, making them more whole as characters. K and Sakano, both wonderfully unique and quirky, aid Shuichi in the comic relief, and they do it oh so very well. Tachi, and to a lesser extent, the rest of ASK, are probably the flatest characters in the entire series, which is rather impressive, I think, because they're not that unbelievable of characters despite that. And though Gravi is a very obviously bishounen-centric series, the three whole female characters we get are all fairly respectable. Mika, Noriko, and Ayaka all serve their roles well and don't bring down their sex! Power to that.

ART & ANIMATION - The animation was more or less average. It wasn't outstandingly exceptional, but nor was it terrible and poorly done. Some introductory scenes are made to look like a live action piece, which made things interesting, but again it isn't anything eye-popping. The bright and flashing lights during performances were good and realistic; some of the backgrounds throughout the series also looked quite nice because of similar effects. Though the characters are drawn in a pretty generic style for the most part, super deformed chibi people jump in quite often for emphasis and comical effect. The normal characters don't much resemble Murakami's original style, but thats probably partially due to the fact that Murakami's style changed dramatically during the course of her twelve volume manga. The chibi style on the other hand, is pretty easy to recognize as Murakami's own.

MUSIC - Gravitation is everything about the music. The music in this series is what makes it complete, and I wouldn't have it any other way. From beginning to end, Gravitation is filled with perfectly appropriate background music, no matter how long or short the clip or scene is. Many a times, insert songs are rehashed as soft instrumental and piano versions, helping to bring in familiar themes for emphasis and emotion.

J-rock artist Kinya Kotani sings all of Bad Luck's music in the series. Though his music has changed significantly since his work in Gravitation, his work at the time suited Bad Luck very well because Kinya's personality was near identical to Shuichi's. Seriously! Someone like that actually did exist in real life! The Rage Beat, Bad Luck's main insert song is incredibly upbeat and energetic, perfect for pumping up the audience; it's also very inspiring to listen to and helps gear everyone up for some exciting confrontation. The Rage Beat actually plays once an episode for like the first five episodes, but you don't really tire of it. If anything, you get more excited for it every time. Blind Game Again, the band's other insert song is equally energetic, though a bit more serious sounding, which fits very well with when its used. Nittlegrasper's only song in the series is Sleepless Beauty, which is performed by K.ITO + D.K. (Kenichi Ito and Daisuke Kuroda) It's a breathtaking song and also suits the band very well.

Funnily enough, Murakami obviously got her inspiration for some of the characters in Gravitation from real life groups. Nittlegrasper, a legend in the series, is comprised of Tohma Seguchi (keyboardist), Noriko Urai (keyboardist), and Ryuichi Sakuma (vocalist and lyricist). Nittlegrasper disbands with Ryuichi leaving to pursue a solo career in America, and Tohma becoming the president of NG, a producing company. Now, Icemen was a real life j-rock band, though they certainly weren't as famous as Nittlegrasper, they performed Shining Collection, Nittlegrasper's song in the Gravitation OVA. Icemen is comprised of Daisuke Asakura (keyboardist), Kenichi Ito (guitarrist), and Michihiro Kuroda (vocalist). Icemen disbanded in 2000 with Kuroda leaving to pursue a solo career in America, and Daisuke is now the very capable producer of many j-pop/j-rock bands. Including Kinya Kotani. And K.ITO + D.K. And Yousuke Sakanoue (who did Gravi's OP theme). NG produces all the music for Bad Luck. DA produces all the music for Kinya. Well, what a coincidence! The change that Murakami made was adding in Noriko, the purple-haired keyboardist in place of Kenichi, the red-haired guitarrist. But wait, Hiro, of Bad Luck, is a red-haired guitarrist! And they're both on white guitars no less! Guess she was trying to make it less obvious where she got her inspiration.

Really though. The music in Gravitation is fantastic. The OP theme is one of the few that I actually sat through every single time because I was so enthralled by its energy. The ED theme is similarly entrancing, though with a slower, calmer melody. Good stuff guys, seriously.

DUBBING & VOCALS - The original voices in Gravitation are exceptional. A lot of renowned voice actors worked in this anime, and they all live up to their name. Seki Tomokazu works Shuichi's personality beautifully. His voice is energetic and strong when need be, and softer, more quiet and scared when need be; the emotion that rings in Shuichi's voice is incredibly convincing. Shuichi's singing voice is that of Kinya Kotani, and I've already rambled about that. Ryuichi's voice has a similar effect with emotion. Yamaguchi Kappei has played a lot of famous leads, including Ranma and Inuyasha, and though he doesn't play lead in this anime, his character is nonetheless quite essential and a good voice never hurt in that. And since Ryuichi's character changes so quickly from second to second, it's amazing that he sounds so good. His normal, chibi, cute character is fitted with a perfectly adorable and simply lovable voice. It really does sound as if a child is running around and squealing about the Monster Gao and cars going zoom. Then, quickly, in the blink of an eye, Ryuichi will be serious and his voice suiting him just as wonderfully.

My favorite voice in the series is neither singer however, but rather, Tohma Seguchi, for he is voiced by Orikasa Ai. You can't really can't tell Tohma was voiced by a woman unless you already knew. She does a phenomenal job with it, making Tohma a strong and eeriely convincing character. He can show support and kindness when he wants to and give calm and simply chilling orders when he's irked. Tohma means buisness; he gets what he wants. And that's made perfectly clear. Orikasa Ai is also the voice of Ryoko from Tenchi Muyo!, and not to mention Quatre from Gundam Wing, who looks freakishly like Tohma's twin.

Gravitation has been licensed and dubbed in the US by The Right Stuf International. Because TRSI hasn't worked with that many series, the names on the cast list are unfamiliar and unimpressive for the most part. I bought the first two DVDs when they came out and thus saw the first six episodes dubbed. I couldn't do it anymore after that. As a fan of the series, I realize I was probably (and still am) a bit purist about it, but I usually consider myself to have a pretty high tolerance for bad dubs (I made it through ten episodes of the 4Kids One Piece, after all). Gravitation's dub was just that awful. All of the characters sounded flat and unemotional, and they all sounded like they had the same voice actor. Shuichi wasn't nearly as energetic as he should have been. It was simply bizarre hearing Tohma with a very generic man's voice. Yuki's voice was probably the most forgivable, but that's probably because his archetype was the easiest to type cast for. One of these days, I might go back and watch those DVDs again for a second impression, but when the original is just so damn good, I don't know why I would. (My impression of the dub does not affect my score in the sound category of this review.)

OVERALL - Gravitation really is a piece of work. It can go from absolutely hilarious to troublingly dark (and vice versa) in three seconds flat. You get two stories at once, two missions, two goals. You seem to jump back and forth from one to the other, but in truth, they're both intertwined through relationships and an mysterious history, making things quite intriguing. Gravitation is worth a watch, even if you aren't particularly fond of shounen-ai. In the end, it's a romantic comedy with a dark twist, and I've known a good number of people who don't care for the genre at all to have fallen in love with this series because the boy's love isn't the point. (Just a plus.)

ChocoMilkTea also recommended: Loveless,
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

READ IT!!!     Aug 06, 2008     reviewed by raynebou    

gravitation was not only, my first yaoi, but one of my all time favorites. the story line goes through many changes, and some very surprising things are learned, my only complaint is Rage, she is annoying, and kinda ruins the manga for about 5 volumes, but then at the end, she's gone! yay! but then her return in gravitation ex, ARRGH! but other than that, i highly recommend gravitation, for those of you who are just starting this genre, or the more experienced among us^^

raynebou also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

Beyond adorable!     Aug 04, 2008     reviewed by Gothjet    
(Gravitation: Patch Shuichi Sleeping)

This sweet little patch has been on my backpack for a year and still in fine condition!

Gothjet also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

A total favorite!     Jun 19, 2008     reviewed by amusmental (Julie)    

I'm not a yaoi fanatic, but this story is hysterical for anyone! The characters and situations are hysterical! Shuichi is a random spaz and constantly overly emotional in every direction. You never know what he's going to do next, and he's surrounded by so many other kookee characters it's no wonder he goes a little batty sometimes! I'd seriously suggest giving this series a try, even if you're not into yaoi. It'll give you a good laugh.

amusmental (Julie) also recommended: Gravitation X, Kanpai!, Gamerz Heaven,
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

...If i could put 6 stars i would...^.^     Jun 16, 2008     reviewed by XxInsaneRagdollx    

Gravitation is a story of love at it's best. Shuichi shindou is an artist who just wants to make it big with his music. He lives and breathers for his synthesizer and microphone until one day he is walking home from work and runs into the arrogant, and ever so intimidating Eiri Yuki. Shuichi drops his lyrics in front of him, Yuki mocks the lyrics...and without stating the whole story...it becomes gravitaiton form then on. The comedy is great, the story is amazing, and the artwork....well, let me just say that i idolize maki murakami, her style is amazing, although there are huge changes between the artwork in volume one and volume 12. Overall if you like shounen-ai it's a must read. THe anime is amazing as well. The music and the comedy is great. My only critique of the anime is that it was too much of a sumary of the manga. I really hope there are plans to make more of the anime or something, but i have a feeling that's all over and done. Anyway, gravitation is a great read, and almost everyone i know fell in love with it.=]

XxInsaneRagdollx also recommended: loveless, gakuen heaven, ghost!, junjou romantica,
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

Gravitation     Jan 26, 2008     reviewed by Otaku    

i loved the anime but i've only actually read the 12 volume because i have to live in scotland lol we're a bit behind but today i found Gravitation EX, i couldn't believe it i thought it was finished but when i found this i fell in love with the whole thing all over again, not to mention i got my friend desperate to read it, i'd definetly recommend this manga and of course the anime too. i love the characters especially shuichi!

Otaku also recommended: loveless,
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

Depends on what you like     Nov 13, 2007     reviewed by bkworm    

I really like both Gravitation the Manga and Gravitation the Anime. It is important to note that they aren't the same. The anime is less crazy than the manga but when you get down to it the story is so cute. Like some of the other reviewers said you do have to keep in mind that it is a love story between two boys but in both, anime and manga, it isn't too explicit. You can tell what's happening but you don't see it.

bkworm also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

It's Great!     Jul 14, 2007     reviewed by Dark Angel    

I have all the manga published, plus the two novels, plus the OVA and TV series on dvd. This is one series that I highly recommend in all it's forms. Shuichi is a hyperactive yet loveable character that most anyone can identify with, and his antics and misshaps are humerous yet heartwarming. And who doesn't like good music (anime series)?

Dark Angel also recommended: Sensual Phrase,
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

The wait is over!!!     Jul 12, 2007     reviewed by Obsessed    
(Gravitation EX Vol. 01)

First and foremost - if you are already a gravitation fan why haven't you purchased this manga. I mean really.

For those unfamiliar with the series, this is a difficult place to start. The story takes off from the final vol of gravitation (#12) which makes this technically gravitation 13. Therefore you need to buy 12 additional novels along with this one to really get all of the underlying jokes of the series. Everyone has that kind of money right?

Now for the vol itself. The art style is great with the exception that it makes characters who are supposed to be older looking too young. If that doesn't make sense pick up a copy at a bookstore and look at Ryu. He's 31 years old and looks about the same age as Shu (19) and younger than Yuki (24). The same problem is present for Tohma. That and what happened to Tatsuha! He's way over tanned.

The writing is as chaotic as ever with random plot twists. The humor is just as top-notch. I love the surprise from Shu-chan that there are Yuki cosplayers (You heard right a room full of Yuki!) and Shu and Yuki fan-doujinshi (I want a copy).

My only real complaint about the series is the small degree of fanservice. The Ryu loves Shu plot seems to have been born from fan sites along with Tohma dressed as a nurse. (I thought he decided to leave Yuki along to be with his pregnant wife? Who is not present along with Noriko-chan)

Still, the series is loveable, fun, and seriously funny.

Obsessed also recommended: hands off,
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

Love     Jun 26, 2007     reviewed by A.G.J    

I am in love with this series, that's all I can say. It is hilarious and adorable. Though each and every volume of the manga has slightly different artwork, it does not take away from how much I love this series. But for those who do not find interest in this type of manga, it is boy x boy love. Though I would not suggest the anime, it is horribly different from the manga.

A.G.J also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

the worst books ever     Jul 21, 2008     reviewed by eiri yuki    

i think it is (>.<) the worst book ive ever read.... it is so awful, i cant belive she got to make all those. then they are sooooooooooooo BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

eiri yuki also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No

Ehh... The manga is better...     Jun 26, 2007     reviewed by A.G.J    
(Gravitation TV: Complete Collection (Thin-Pak))

I do not suggest Gravitation the anime. It is completely untrue to the manga. The manga Gravitation is in fact my favorite manga of all time, but for the anime, I would have to say differently. The anime has most of the basic events right, but it jumbles everything up, so nothing happens like it does in the manga.

A.G.J also recommended:
Is this review helpful? Yes | No