Gravitation - Reviews

Alright, this is going to read like a headache, so I'm going to give you a fair warning on it before I start.

Gravitation... Really does not live to the hype. I've read lots of BL manga over the years, and have watched my fair share of BL anime as well. I have tastes of what I like and gripes about others I don't. However, I consider myself pretty open minded and tolerable when I pick up something new. Especially if I've heard lots of good things about it.

This reads like a stroke. This is most likely just translation errors and myself not understanding what exactly is going on a good portion of the time, but it reads like a stroke. I'm reading this all in English by the way as a native English speaker. Although I really do love the art from the 90s and early 00's, I really do not miss the writing from that time. It's not just BL stories that suffer from it, but there seems to be a majority of BL from that time that is written like a nightmare. I can't really explain it.

The characters... God... Some of them are pretty one dimensional. I was reading this today and I still can't tell you most of their names. The only two characters that seem to have some of their sense is the Producer and Hiro, and that's really setting the bar low. My biggest gripe is about Eiri Yuki, and... Oh I forgot the main character's name. Uh, Shuichi. Don't get me wrong, I think like Shuichi sometimes, I'm not going to say I have all my brain cells together, but... Wow.

I'm 7 volumes in. Seven. Volumes. And you still cannot make me believe the relationship between these two is realistic, capable, and healthy in any sense of the word. I understand that Eiri has PTSD and a bad past, believe me, I do... But there is no reason for him to treat Shuichi the way he does. I sat and tried to rationalize it, coming from someone who does have PTSD, among other things. Maybe he just had bad coping mechanisms? Maybe he has other illness? Maybe he really does have a kind heart, but just a hard exteiror... Not really. Any good points that Shuichi brings up, is no where near enough to cover up all the bad parts of him. 

Not to say Shuichi is any better, but he's more like a helpless kicked dog than anything else. He chases after Eiri, I'm not sure why, but he does. Maybe Eiri isn't my taste, but the amount of times Shuichi chases him is... Exhausting. Eiri just drops him like a fly and runs away, but then comes back and still treats Shuichi more like a sex friend than a real partner. I have Borderline. I drop people and run back to them over the smallest bits of paranoia, but I was finding this so exhausting to the point where I could no longer sympathize with the characters. I couldn't figure out why go back to someone who dismisses you constantly. Why chase someone like that? Once, maybe twice, I get for stories like these, but I've counted maybe 3 to 5 times where something akin to this happens. 

Shuichi is probably one of the dumbest protags I've met. I love silly dumb protags, I think there is a lot of comic relief potential for them, and they make for great people you want to cheer for. Shuichi's dumbass-ness supercedes all of this and it makes you want to smack your head in the wall. When you learn a BIG SECRET about your lover, most people will sit on it and think about it, you know? Especially if it's something THAT bad. Shuichi pays it almost no mind. "Yuki is Yuki." Yeah... But you're not going to think about how you know SO LITTLE about him and when the most crucial bit of information you get from him is this... Run away, my guy!

I'm not so much a fan of abuse, but I'll take it if I think the story is still really good. Sometimes people write abuse great and it shows, and sometimes people write abuse and it sucks, but the story is still good regardless. Gravitation has neither of these. While it does explain a bit more about Eiri and adds a bit of drama and suspense... It just feels like that's... It. The story is still not good with it being there or with it not being there. Maybe it was to cater to a particular type of fan, or maybe I missed the message there, but it turned me away for a bit.

To sum up my crap: The pacing feels like a nightmare where I cannot figure out what is happening, the writing is not very good, the plot is sub par at best, the characters are not well drawn out and are flat, major relationship red flags (if you care about realism), and overall... It's just a boring read. There are better stories out there, BL and not, for this time era. Gravitation is overhype hot garbage that if I wasn't dedicated to finishing, I would have stopped at volume 3. But hey, at least the art is nice.

The only reason I picked up the manga was because I was not satisfied with the anime's ridiculous ending. I had high expectations cause I absolutely loved the concept of the story and the main characters <3, but unfortunately I was a little let down. Now here's why:

Everything was perfectly fine with the manga until volume 6... that's where the events started to get a little ridiculous. You could say that it was a romantic comedy from the start, but after a while it resembled a gag manga, which I found hard to forgive cause it ruined the romance aspect which I really enjoyed </3 If it wasn't for all the bazooka action, explosives, and the mecha panda (I hated it!), Gravitation would be close to perfection. I'm just not a fan of this kind of "humor", well not in a boy's love at least! It did feel as if the author was dragging it unwillingly, perhaps that's why she decided to go with all those crazy events. I think she could definitely do better if she put more love into it. A little disappointed... but at the end everything turned out OK, just OK though (no fancy ending, unfortunately, to make up for that big let down). I wish the last 7 volumes would get a re-do...

Here's My review of the classical Shonen-ai Gravitation

STORY:

   An 18 year-old high school student, named Shuichi Shindo wants to become a great rock star in Japan with his best friend, Hiro Nakano. One day, when Shuichi had to make lyrics for a love song, his lyrics got grabbed in the wind and landed into the cold and handsome romance novelist, Eiri Yuki's, hand. Yuki looks at his lyrics and disses it for being poorly written. Even though Shuichi didn't like Yuki, He believed that he fell in love with Yuki at first sight. And just doesn't know why but wants to be with Yuki. And does what ever it takes to be with him, even though Yuki doesn't quite understand it. Yuki has the same feelings for Shuichi too, but due to his problems, has extreme difficulty expressing it. This series is about part Shuichi's band life and part of his relationship with Yuki. This series is full of insane comedy like slapstick and sexual innuendo and also full of great drama in it too.

   Anyway, I like how the this series have actually two stories and they balance out. Like how I wrote above, one is Shuichi's band story and the other is the romance factor between he and Eiri.  The romance is quite interesting, I've never seen such a romance like this before. First of all, this couple isn't all sugary and sweet. *Unlike a lot of romances I've seen in anime/manga.* There's a crap load of fighting and conflict in the relationship because the characters have their own issues, *especially Eiri*, also a lot of couples fight all the time anyways. To be honest, this series wouldn't be as funny if they didn't fight, it would be just boring. But there are a lot of sweet moments in there too. Now the band side of the story is quite entertaining and insanely hilarious and there are some unexpected turns taken in it, even if it has a basic premise of becoming an awesome rock star.

ART:

  The art in this series starts off  as a little bit sketchy and old school. * Cuz this series is like 14 years old* But as the story progresses, the art becomes less and less sketchy and the style changes. But what's annoying, every couple volumes it changes. But the art is overall pretty nice.I think that the expressions and actions Maki gives to the characters during the comedy is really, really funny. And there are some pretty awesome fight scenes in this series.

CHARACTERS:

     These characters aren't the most original in the world but they are very likable and hilarious *examples the crazy gun slinging manager, K, The crazy manager that has a giant Panda Bot, Reiji and the childish and split-minded, Ryuichi.*. Also a lot of the characters, not just the main ones had something to do with the story. Also there is good development with the main cast. I especially really liked the development with Yuki and his friend, Tohma.

OVERALL:

I majorly enjoyed Gravitation. Because of its constant LOL moments and its story. The story always wanted me to find out what's next and is barely boring. If you like pretty interesting relationships, band stories, or crack comedies, Gravi is right up your alley! You don't have to like Shonen-ai or Yaoi to enjoy this at all. :)

Despite all the recommendations, I just don't care much for this book/series. Friends think I'm mad for not loving it, but quite frankly, it's another story about homosexuality for the sake of homosexuality, with the backdrop of a music industry.

First time I read it, I couldn't understand why someone would be attracted to a complete stuck up and it never got any better each time I tried to return to give it a go again.

Oh well. Never mind. It's one to sell on for me.

OMG THER GAY THS IS WEERD AWKWWWWEEERD

Well, that was pretty much my first impression of this. I didn't know it was yaoi when I checked out at my public library, and my oh my was I in for a shock. I had read a few copies of a different yaoi, but this is the first I've read the whole way through, and it was great.

Let's kick this off with a review of the story!

WARNING!!! I WILL talk about the story here. I will try my hardest not to spoil anything, but if you want to play it safe I suggest scrolling down to the "Art" section and so forth of this review. Thanks!

So, the lead character is Shuichi Shindou, a highschool student that's not doing so hot in school. He sings, writes lyrics, plays keyboard-- he's just a little hot shot isn't he? Ha ha, well not really. He's a bit of a dork, but that's where all the love is in this series.

Moving on, he's walking one night, and he drops his lyrics sheet and they blow away in front of him. Someone picks them up. OMG HU IS IT TEL ME PL0X

And, enter Eiri Yuki. The male who is convinced he is straight, and who will eventually fall for Shuichi (I am leaving out a key part of his character on purpose-- you must read it to experience the joy. It's also a big HUGE part of the plot). He picks up Shuichi's lyrics, disses them (yeah, I know), and crushed little Shuichi's hopes of becoming a successful lyricist- and making him want to give up his music path entirely. Luckily, his sister and his best friend Hiro pick him up again, and he sets out to find this stranger who did this. AND SO STARTS THE CRAZY RIDE CALLED "GRAVITATION!"

Seriously, for me to sit here and type all of the plot, and all of the twists and turns would not only ruin your (the reader's) experience with this series, but also just...no.

ART! This is where the spoiler-fraid people can scroll to. Not like I really put too much into the "Story" section of the review, but...

The art in this series is just amazing. It definitely makes this series worth while and addicting. I find myself cracking up at pictures alone, it really is something that shows you you're reading something good. Just a big ol' bucket-o-laughs, really. Though be warned: Murakami is not afraid of changing the hair of her characters. But it's nothing that I've taken negatively, it's a great touch. She doesn't change them every other chapter, just occasionally-- with notice from the other characters, of course. I have no more to say about this topic...

CHARACTERS!

Again, BIG props to Maki Murakami for this. The characters set a path of their own, and never really waver. There is character progression, but it's not like they're bipolar or anything. Unless their character is...does that make sense? It will.

OVERALL...

If I had the money to buy a manga series, this would be in my top 5. I love it that much. I have read this series 3+ times cover to cover, and it has never failed to make me crack up at the same parts throughout each chapter. It's addicting, and the more you read it again, the more you find out new things and love it all the more. I would recommend it to any manga lover, and if you're open to yaoi, get it. I never cared for yaoi, but this has changed that.

WELL, I hope you enjoyed my review. I don't write reviews often, can you tell? Hee hee. I'm sorry if you want to kill me for writing this horrible review of your favorite manga...really though, even if you eminate hatrid from every section of your body for this review, I still say you should get this manga. Words (especially mine) don't do it justice.