Gravitation by Maki Murakami

Hello again,

So, look who's getting back on schedule here? I have been having such a good week, though to be honest I  still haven't been reading very much manga, and especially not watching any anime. I did catch up on some of the series I've reviewed though, since quite a few of them had new chapters released last month. This week I'm diving into the past for my manga review and picking one of the first manga series I ever read. In my opinion it's one of the best manga series made because it includes music, drama, romance, and it's hilarious. So, without further ado I'll introduce 'Gravitation' by Maki Murakami.

'Gravitation' is the story of Shuichi Shindou and his band who are on their way to becoming music icons, while also following the exploits of Shuichi in his attempts to make famous romance novelist, Eiri Yuki, fall in love with him. Shuichi and Yuki could not be more opposite, as Shuichi is a charismatic jokester and Yuki is harsh and cruel. The manga is both serious and comically ridiculous as it includes a lot of typical shonen-ai qualities, but also quirky additions like panda robots, machine gun femme fatales, and spontaneous nose bleeds. The story is also heavily rooted in the romance between Shuichi and Yuki, who are known for their majestic and sometimes painfully one sided gay romance, as Yuki cruelly plays with Shuichi's infatuation.

When I first read this manga, I was not impressed with the art. It looked rushed and in the old style of manga from the 90's. However, as I read more volumes, he art improved as did the unusually compelling storyline. I was definitely more interested in the romance between Shuichi and Yuki, because at that time I didn't realize my favorite genre was shoujo... but, the rest of the plot still kept me interested to keep reading. I don't think this manga is for everyone, as it takes itself a little too seriously or just not at all. The series ended in 2002, but new chapters are released for a sequel series called 'Gravitation Zero' or 'Gravitation EX'. The original series even has an OVA anime, which is supposed to be pretty good, though I didn't enjoy it as much as the manga.

Read 'Gravitation' here: http://manga.animea.net/gravitation.html

Best wishes,
Pseudonymous Jayne :)