Gravitation (manga)

Gravitation (グラビテーション) is a shōnen-ai manga and anime series.

Although shonen-ai content is relatively commonplace in anime, this is one series to directly discuss the characters' homosexuality as such, rather than simply presenting it. The two episode OVA series was released in 1999. The thirteen-episode TV series aired in Japan from October 4, 2000 to January 10, 2001, on WOWOW satellite channel. The original manga series is written by Maki Murakami. It continues the story further than either of the animated series. Although it originally ended in 2002 after 12 volumes, new chapters are now being serialised in an online manga anthology, [Spica (http://www.gentosha-comics.net/genzo/index.html)].

The Gravitation TV series has been licensed for North American release and is available from [Right Stuf International (http://www.rightstuf.com/)] on four DVDs. The OVA series is licensed by the same company but is not yet available. The manga is published in English by TokyoPop.

Eight audio_dorama (drama albums) were produced for Gravitation, featuring most of the seiyū of the TV and OVA series. Five retell events from the manga series, while the remaining three cover new story material. The drama albums also contain musical tracks performed by the Japanese voice actors.

Murakami penned a thirteen volume dōjinshi series called Gravitation Remix. The Remix doujinshi are much more sexually explicit than the manga and deviate heavily from the manga storyline. (The Remix doujinshi contain an element of parody. For example, one volume features a female version of a male character.)

The precursor to Gravitation was a dōjinshi series titled Help!, which followed a similar story line but cast the characters in slightly different roles.

Story

An energetic and pink-haired 19-year-old, Shuichi Shindou (Shindō Shuichi), wants to become a singer as famous as his idol Ryuichi (the lead singer of the band Nittle Grasper). One day, the page on which he had written the lyrics to one of his songs is blown away by the wind. Shuichi runs after it, to find a tall blond man holding it. The man, a famous romance novelist who uses the pen name of Eiri Yuki, insults the lyrics; Shuichi is depressed, but later becomes fascinated with Eiri.

Shuichi's musical group Bad Luck (formed with his best friend Hiro) becomes famous, and he becomes Eiri's lover, but further complications ensue. The series is full of drama and soap opera moments as well as wild comedy. It centres around the musical industry and the romance between Eiri and Shuichi.

Openings & Endings

TV Opening Theme:

• "Super Drive" vocals by Yousuke Sakanoue

TV Ending Theme:

• "Glaring Dream" vocals by Kinya Kotani

OVA Opening Theme:

• "Blind Game Again" vocals by Kinya Kotani

OVA Ending Theme:

• "Smashing Blue" vocals by Kinya Kotani

Nearly all of the music for Gravitation (except songs that appeared on later drama albums) was written, performed or produced by Daisuke Asakura. Guitarist Kenichi Ito also appears on many of the tracks.

Trivia - A montage of scenes from Gravitation where spliced together and soundtracked to the Garbage song 'You Look So Fine' from their six-million selling 1998 album Version 2.0. It can be downloaded from various internet sources.

External links

• Gravitation Official Homepage (http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Animation/gravi/) (Japanese)
• Informative Gravitation Fan Site (http://users2.ev1.net/~cyberian/grav/)
• Gravitation Fan Site (http://dream.shounen-ai.org/)
• Series Review at Boys on Boys on Film (http://www.boysonboysonfilm.com/reviews/gravitation.html)
• Fan Site for the Gravitation band Nittle Grasper (http://www.nittlegrasper.com/)