Gravitation
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Gravitation
Gravitation is a popular Japanese anime and manga that falls under the category shonen-ai. Different from yaoi manga, shonen-ai depicts romantic relationships between young men but not graphically.The Story
The story surrounds aspiring singer Shuichi Shindo who, with his band, Bad Luck, wants to become Japan's next big thing, like his idol Ryuichi Sakuma of the disbanded legendary group Nittle Grasper. One evening, Shuichi is writing lyrics for a song when his paper is blown away and picked up by a tall stranger. The man dismisses Shuichi's hard work, which hurts Shuichi deeply, although he is intrigued by the stranger. This will be only their first encounter, as the stranger, romance novelist Eiri Yuki, and Shuichi eventually meet again and begin a relationship.The story expands to include the beginnings of Bad Luck and their rise to fame, as well as their rivalry with the band ASK; the reformation of Shuichi's idol's band, Nittle Grasper; a long suffering fiancee of Eiri's who wants to finally marry him and serves as an enemy then an ally for Shuichi; the public scandal surrounding Eiri's and Shuichi's relationship; attempts by Eiri's inner circle to keep Shuichi away from Eiri in "Eiri's best interests"; and the secret of Eiri's painful past that he has trouble remembering and which is keeping him from giving in to his feelings for Shuichi.
Along the way there is some great music, a diverse set of interesting characters, plenty of comedy and touches of drama and violence.
As is typical in Japanese shonen-ai and yaoi, one character does all the chasing while the other keeps refusing or pushing them aside. However, in this case the tables are turned as it is the innocent Shuichi who is in pursuit of the reticent Eiri, as opposed to the usual setting of the more masculine character pursuing the more naive character.
Cast of Main Characters:
Shuichi Shindo
Innocent and ambitious, Shuichi wants to be a great success in the Japanese pop music scene. However, after meeting mysterious novelist Eiri Yuki, Shuichi Shindo falls so hard that Eiri is his number one priority, which is a difficult situation because Eiri is reluctant about their relationship and keeps pushing Shuichi away. Meanwhile, Shuichi's band is climbing the charts and Shuichi's relationship with Eiri is getting in the way.Hiroshi Nakano
A big brother character to Shuichi, he is his best friend and the other original member of Bad Luck. Quiet and far more wise than the impetuous Shuichi, Hiroshi tries to serve as the voice of reason for Shuichi as he falls head over heels for Eiri. Hiroshi himself is not immune to love, as he finds himself smitten with Eiri's fiancee.Eiri Yuki
Mysterious and serious, Eiri allows Shuichi into his life then makes every excuse to get him out of it. Deep down he is frightened by an old memory that surrounds his love for a former teacher and a crime he committed when he was 16.Touma Seguchi
Member of the disbanded chart-topping group Nittle Grasper and head of N-G Records, Touma signs Bad Luck and finds Shuichi Shindo interesting as a person. Unfortunately, he is tied to Eiri Yuki, who is his brother-in-law, and proves to be an impediment in the relationship between Shuichi and Eiri. Mysterious and calculating, Touma is a man of power who tends to get what he wants.Ryuichi Sakuma
Lead singer of the defunct band Nittle Grasper. He left the band three years ago to make it big in America but has returned to Japan, and inspired by Shuichi's live performance, wants to reform Nittle Grasper. Shuichi is excited at the news of Nittle Grasper's reunion, but now that makes Ryuichi his rival. However, Ryuichi is a good-natured rival and even more naive than Shuichi.K
Ryuichi's former manager and now the manager for Bad Luck, K is aggressive in promoting the band--he even carries around a big gun and hand grenades. His concern is first and foremost Bad Luck, but in his shaping of the band's career, he ends up involving himself in Eiri and Shuichi's relationship.Categories: Anime | Manga