Gravitation, Vol. 8

Book Description

*A New Cult Classic *A romantic comedy/drama about making it in the music industry *Spawned a ton of collectibles in Japan; Soundtracks, pencil boards, calendars, phone cards, postcards, artbooks *Gravitation anime available on DVD *A forerunner in the hugely popular Shonen-Ai (boy love) category

After going platinum and getting a date with Eiri, Shuichi thought nothing could bring him down. But when Seguchi delivers an ultimatum to the happy couple, Eiri takes it to heart and breaks up with Shuichi. K tries in vain to help a devastated Shuichi recover, but the surprises just keep coming when Shuichi ends up kidnapped and on a plane to the US for a debut!

Customer Reviews:

Though I give the translation a 3........2005-11-09

Murakami-sensei's art has improoved munches since she started. The translations are funny, but the American references suck! They ruin the humor completely. A great deal of manga readers will already know about the original Japanese references & those who don;t need to get with it. You can't get by on manga without taking in tons of cultural tidbits in a lengthy period of time. Also, this volume's sidestory is Remix Gravitation 8.5, the most confusing of the series (why did K have short hair?)

It's Gravitation.......2005-07-18

Art is one thing that throws me off a Manga. And the art is horrible. Though alot more graphic then the Anime (which is upsetting), I think the Anime wins hands down. The Manga is lacking in a few things and it's confusing but still worth it for a Fan of Yaoi.

I love it!.......2005-01-02

This is actually the first Gravitation book I've read, but I've seen all the anime. First off, the anime and the manga are not really the same thing - the premise is the same, but the plots have several differences (none of the events in this book are in the anime) and even the personalities of some of the characters don't always seem to match up (is it just me, or does Eiri seem sweeter in the manga? ). In this book, everything seems right in Shuichi's world - his record hits Platinum and his relationship with Eiri is actually going pretty well. Unfortunately, Shuichi's boss, Tohma Seguchi, ruins it all by telling Shuichi to choose between Eiri or his band. Shuichi becomes convinced that Eiri is in love with Tohma. In this book, Shuichi is also, er, brought to America.

I enjoyed Shuichi, even though he seems a little more flighty in the manga than he was in the anime, but I have to say that I'm a big Eiri fan. There are a few absolutely adorable Eiri scenes in this book, my favorites being the ones with the print club stickers - if Eiri could just bring himself tell Shuichi what he's thinking when he looks at the sticker, their relationsip would be a lot less rocky. Then again, Shuichi would also be annoyingly mushy all the time. Anyway, I not only love the story, I love the artwork as well. There are both gorgeous guys and pretty girls, something for everyone! :) I highly recommend this volume, although it would probably be a good idea either to have read earlier volumes or seen the anime, so that you know about Eiri's past and how his relationship with Shuichi usually functions. Also, a quick note, if gay relationships disgust you, this is probably not the manga for you. I've heard others say that even people who don't approve of such relationships would find themselves liking this series, but, after reading some reviews of other manga series with same sex relationships, I'm not so sure.

Average customer rating:

Way better on the second reading.
It's Gravitation
I like
...bloody funny to me....::shrugs::

Gravitation, Vol. 7
Maki Murakami
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591823390
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Book Description

Eiri and Shuichi's intense relationship continues to escalate as Bad Luck's record races to the top of the charts--Eiri's coming out party on national TV boosts his popularity, as fans chant, "More-more-more!" But just as everyone is feeling sky high, Hiro announces that he's hanging up his guitar and quitting! Will Shuichi's queer eye for the rock guy convince Hiro to return to the stage? Or is the band finally out of luck?

Customer Reviews:

Way better on the second reading........2005-11-11

I read the preceding six volumes and loved them, but I found this one cluttered. The plot jumped all over the place. It bugged me a bit how all the silly stuff started to get in the way of the main storyline, especially the scene where they're trying to get past all the paparazzi and fans to get to the date. That dragged on a bit too long. It's good, but it gets driven into the ground a bit.

HOWEVER, once I'd read the whole thing and knew what was going on in those scenes, I could skip back through the book and read only the parts that focused on Shuichi and Eiri, and when you do it that way, it's the best book in the series so far.

Who knows, perhaps I just had less patience for the humor scenes because I was reading it at 3AM and I really wanted to go to bed, but I just couldn't put the book down. Which obviously means I was enjoying it.

So yes, this book is totally worth it. The whole series is worth it. This is the first series I've liked enough to even think about buying. (I'm not one of those ppl who's obsessed with anime, I usually only see it at my friend's house, cuz she and her sisters are really into it. I think it's fun, but I don't go out of my way. She lent me the Gravitation OVA cuz she thought I'd like it, and I fell in love.)

It's Gravitation.......2005-07-18

I like.......2005-02-05

I have to keep this short...
For the record, not everyone in this manga is gay. And no, Shuichi doesn't wear those outfits(the ones on the cover) because he is gay. Sheesh...
I love Gravitation. It's one of the funniest mangas I've ever read. It's also the only romance manga I've read but nevermind that.
Also, what I really like about Gravitation is the lack of sterotypes, you know the ones seen on certain tv shows... It's just about guys who happen to be attracted to each other and not worry about sexuality. It's sincere!!!
If you're homophobic you probably don't want to read this but it would open up your mind. Learn a thing or two!!!
Okay, I'm done.

...bloody funny to me....::shrugs::.......2004-12-12

...no one's been leaving any reviews for awhile, so why not? I have to say this is the funniest d*mn manga I've come across, Fushigi Yugi not withstanding. To be able to enjoy it, however, without cringing at the utter insanity, there's something you need to understand at first.
Maki Murakami is one crazy psycho. You can tell from her info blurbs and random babbles that she's no Naoko Takeuchi. She's perfectly insane. And so is this manga. We've got sex, alcohol, rabbits, and rock n' roll. What more do you want outta anime? It's like that new Gwen Stefani album...if you don't go into it looking for the meaning of life, and not expecting it to be really deep and insightful, it's fun, completely nonsensical, and improbable. In a good way.
On the downside, don't buy this if you're a raging homophobe, because half the cast is 'flaming', if you catch my drift...and I wouldn't buy it for your 13-year old granddaughter, because the language is through the roof. However, the date scenario in this one is the definitive reason for buying it. It just is. Ciao!

Average customer rating:

Awesome Series!!
It's Gravitation
Not Murakami's fault

Gravitation, Vol. 6
Maki Murakami
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591823382
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Book Description

Frustrated by Ryuichi's superior talent, Shuichi decides to get into his own groove in order to go head-to-head against his idol. And when Eiri makes an unexplained exodus to New York, Hiro convinces Tatsuho to dress up like Eiri and make some magic happen! But when Shuichi gets carried away and locks lips with the costumed Tatsuho, will the face-sucking scandal be too hot for everyone to handle? Or will Shuichi tell everyone to kiss off?!

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Series!!.......2007-03-09

I love the series! It's so interesting that it makes me want to never put down the book. I have to keep reading, it's that good.

I've been hooked into the manga series, and I'm considering buying the rest of the volumes. The artist/author's story is so greatly written, you'll be hooked into it like me and other fanatics of the series.

One thing, though, which greatly confuses me, is when people say the art is "awful". I don't get it. I think that the art is very professional, and very good. I admire the way the books are drawn. The details are amazing. ^_^ I guess the people who claim that just don't appreciate beautiful art. ^_~

I consider for you all to try the Gravitation series.

It's Gravitation.......2005-07-18

Not Murakami's fault.......2004-06-10

First of all, I just ADORE Gravitation. I love the story and the characters, especially Yuki ^_^. I didn't even really have a problem with the previous volumes' translations. However, the translating and editing in book 6 is horrible. The slang almost made me cringe (mainly Ukai's lines), the book repeatedly spelled cell phone, "cel phone", and there were times when the characters would refer to the wrong people (K would say Eiri, when it was Hiro doing the actions).

Book Description

As Shuichi decides to debut in the US with XMR records, his relationships with Eiri and Reiji reach an impasse. Shuichi breaks the news to Eiri that he wants to forget about his life in Japan...including Eiri!

Customer Reviews:

It's Gravitation.......2005-07-18

WARNING: MAY CAUSE TOLERANCE OF OTHER HUMAN BEINGS.......2005-02-01

I am surprised by the review below. Allowing young adults, and adults alike, exposure to these shonen-ai and shojou-ai sources provides hope for a more understanding world. This idea of acceptance is an earlier theme in the Gravitation series. Gravitation has opened eyes to different ways of life, and gives identifiable characters to real people through the use of humor. It is the only graphic novel series that I have bought, and it is one of my favorite anime series. Shonen-ai is a genre that I hope will continue to increase in popularity. Shibby;)

Good, but I've there's been better........2005-01-13

In all honestly, I adrore Gravitation but this volume was a slight let down in a way. Starting from here or so, things just start to get a silly. I mean, Gravitation is meant for a few laughs, but this volume just pushes it over the edge a bit.
There is a few cute scenes with Yuki and such in them and it opens quite a few new possibilities but some of the less important scenes tend to get in the way.

The artwork is changed a little bit if you dig through it and you can tell where the artist changed a few things here and there. I'm quite fond of the artwork still though, compared to the artwork during the first book.

The volume is good and I wasn't too disappointed but the earlier books were, in my opinion, better plot wise.

Where Reiji-sama reigns supreme.......2005-01-02

Well, this is Gravitation and I'd be surprised if you read the first 8 volumes and then suddenly stopped.

In any case, Reiji remains a main character and actually has a few cuter moments. There's more mass destruction and more insane hilarity in this volume that we've (hopefully) come to love. If you're entertained by Gravitation's humor, you will not be dissapointed. However, I wish there had been more of a focus on Yuki and Shuichi's relationship and I must admit that I despise Shuichi's blond hair.

On the up side, the artwork in this volume surpasses all the previous ones. I'm impressed with the shading and several other points which I won't spoil.

Viva la Gravitation!

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!.......2004-12-17

I stand by my title, it was ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! I loved every minute of it--and Reiji-sama too! I love crazy chicks! lol

Average customer rating:

Good, But Not The Best
Disappointment
Gravitation Vol.10.

Gravitation, Vol. 10
Maki Murakami
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591823420
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Book Description

Shuichi returns to Japan and to his surprise, Eiri has come to greet him at the airport. Shuichi reveals that he just wants Eiri to open up to him. Hearing this, Eiri offers to say "I love you"...if Shuichi agrees to pay him every time he says it. Although Eiri is joking, Shuichi is dead serious about raising the money to hear those precious words. However, Eiri says something else that will leave Shuichi so shocked he will be unable to sing!

Customer Reviews:

Good, But Not The Best.......2005-02-19

If you are reading this I am assuming that you have read Gravitation volumes 1-9, so I won't do an overview on the rest of the series.

Volume 10 of Gravitation was, in my opinion, as step up from the last two. I'm not a big fan of the whole New York escapade, (Even though it does give you a better insight on Eiri) and I was rather glad when it ended in this volume. I was also happy to see the return of Ryuichi, who had been absent in the last few volumes, as I find him to be one of the most entertaining characters in the series.

A few things it did not like: Rage simply gets on my nerves. Most people would not continue stalking an obviously gay guy, but nevertheless Reiji persists, getting rather irritating after a while. Also, too much of Tohma being evil. He's really being painted as the bad guy of the story, but judging from what we know about him he really shouldn't be this much of a bad guy.

In short, though volume 10 was certainly entertaining, I'm hoping that the last two volumes will be even better.

Disappointment.......2005-02-18

I have loved this series, but the last 2 volumes haven't been lived up to the promise of the preceding ones. Volume 10, in particular, was disjointed and repetitive. Frankly, I think the series would have been much better if it had been compressed into 8 or 9 volumes. The multitude of side stories and plot twists are making me lose interest. Too many of the characters look alike, which makes the action and dialogue difficult to follow.

I'm sure I'll finish reading the entire series, but I don't think I'll look on it as favorably as I once used to.

Gravitation Vol.10........2005-02-13

If You are looking at this product you have probably read 1-9 of the gravitation series and are looking for a better summary of the manga than the back of the book provides. Because tokyopop actually highlighted something quite small in the occurances in this manga. What I saw as the main point, although this the kind of book of Gravitation that had so much little things going on... The main point was that bad lucks management team(Mr.K and Mr.Sakano) has a shocking change that will effect alot of things. Bad luck has to release 3 albums in three weeks, and that of course changes thanks to Tohma, which by the way Tohma has a really big emotional change in here as well. And probably the last thing important to the gravitation story is a look on Yuki and what has been happening to him lately. Other than that a visit from ark and miako(maiko) as a little side story.

alright, all in all this manga was extremely good, but it wasnt the GODLY BEST of all the issues so thats why i give it a four, I'd give it a 4.5 if that was available ^^; because gravitation holds true to it's comedy, and to it's sadness. so bye bye for now.

Average customer rating:

Yuuukiii!!! Where's my Yuki?!
FULL SERIES REVIEW: Insane, delightful, funny and exciting!
Full Series Review. No Spoilers.
Pretty Good
Whoa

Gravitation, Vol. 1
Maki Murakami
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591823331
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Book Description

Shuichi Shindou is determined to be a rock star. He has no experience, no talent, and no band. After finding a charismatic guitarist and getting a gig, he's ready to show the world what a genius he is with his powerful lyrics. However, Eiri Yuki overhears his amateurish verse and puts the young musician in his place. Unable to get the harsh criticism out of his mind Shuichi forces himself into Yuki's life and the two find their futures inexorably intertwined. The force that brings them together is like gravity and there is nothing they can do to stop it.

Customer Reviews:

Yuuukiii!!! Where's my Yuki?!.......2007-08-12

Like thousands of manga series, this story romantisizes stalking, only it's the uke chasing after the seme, so it HAS to be comedy, ne? & the doujinshi's made by the mangaka herself romantisize even more taboo things. But yaoi girls love & thrive on taboo! Picture Queer As Folk's Justing & Saiyuki's Goku as one person; Shuichi, & Queer as Folk's Brian & Saiyuki's Sanzo as one person; Yuki. (Yuki & Sanzo are so similar it's scary! Right down to the tragic past!) The akward thing about this series, is that it seems like a normal everyday setting, but in the latter half, you get drowned with unealistic sci-fi out of nowhere, also in the 2ed half of the saga, there's so much stuff happening at once like an addrenaline rush while the first half was slow & easy.

FULL SERIES REVIEW: Insane, delightful, funny and exciting!.......2007-06-10

I recently loaned all twelve volumes of this exceptional series (plus the two novels and "Gravitation EX Vol 1"), to a friend of mine. He had no real experience with manga. He liked these, though. Liked them enough that he bought the DVD of the series (not as good). I remember one of his first questions after reading it for a while was, "Does it always maintain this level of energy?"

"Gravitation" is a love story/comedy/drama/weird series centering around a budding pop-star Suichi (who I love so very, very much), and the object of his affection, a writer named Eri Yuki. Eri constantly rebuffs Suichi at, and here's the important part, ALMOST all turns, and Suichi keeps coming back to him.

That paragraph doesn't do any real justice to the series, though, which is, as my friend noted, incredibly energetic. It's wild, funny, enjoyable, light-hearted (most of the time), etc, etc, read the headline of my review, ad nasuem.

It's also the only series where I've seen a panda-shaped battlemech stomp through New York City and someone shoot someone else in the face as a way of waking them up.

Yeah, I know. All this sounds odd. It is. But it's also great. Strongly recommended.

Full Series Review. No Spoilers. .......2006-08-31

GRAVITATION is the story of Shuichi Shindou, high school senior and aspiring musician, whose talent and self-worth become completely hung up on his infatuation with the mean-and-nasty romance novelist who insulted his lyrics. The plot follows Schuichi's pursuit of the novelist, his insane musical career, and the way the two affect each other; veering from side-spitting comedy to gut-wrenching drama and back again without batting an eyelash. There are dozens of characters, a confusing array of interlocking subplots, the author admits she is making it up as she goes along, and the story always seems on the verge of running completely out of control. Yet somehow it all ties together triumphantly in the final volume. Despite being extremely funny/silly/insane, it is also a story with substance, strong characters, and a meaningful payoff.

There are a few difficulties I should warn you about. Many of the characters are frustratingly hard to tell apart, and Shuichi keeps changing his darn hair, which can make it hard to find him in the mega-cast. The art often makes it hard to decipher what is going on, or who is doing what. The musical industry machinations are particularly hard to keep track off without a scorecard. MEANING that if you are so eager to find out what happens next that you barrel through the story (like I did) you will miss half the plot. So do yourself a favor and buy the books two or three at a time, and pace yourself. Or at least make note of everyone's names: The character list at the beginning of each volume just covers a few of the major players, and is completely inadequate to the task of helping you figure out what is going on. The art improves greatly as the series progresses, so re-reading Book 1 immediately after putting down Book 12 (which I did three times consecutively) requires a brief period of adjustment.

It is a series that takes a little effort, but in the long run I found this to be a part of its charm, and it is definitely worth it. The series earns its 16+ rating mostly through serious adult themes, frank (but not graphic) sexual content, violence, irresponsible use of firearms, and the potty mouths of youth.

Pretty Good.......2006-06-13

Gravitation was the first manga series I've read and I really liked it. There were a few translation issues, such as the addition of pop-culture references and obviously American slang, but it was still worth reading. Since I don't read or speak Japanese, I'll have to stick with the English version.

Besides the obvious romance in this manga, there is actually a plot, so it's not just fluff. Not to mention this story is very funny. I've read this book more than twice and I still laugh. I liked the artwork for the most part, but I like Naoko Takeuchi's artwork more. Fortunately, this book is in right to left format, unlike Sailor Moon, where they flipped all of the drawings so that the book could be from left to right.

I've read the entire series, which is really good. However, I think it would be better if someone besides TokyoPop did the translations.

Whoa.......2005-10-26

i love this, i tend to find it sweet. It's a wonderful and romantic story that will have you screaming at the characters!! *Turns to First volume* Damn you Yuki!!! Quit teasing Shuichi!!!!

Average customer rating:

Disapointing
Oh my. :D ::fangirl::
It's Gravitation
A little info and my opinion....
what's not to like?

Gravitation, Vol. 2
Maki Murakami
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 159182334X
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Book Description

Just when Shuichi Shindou's rock star dreams seem to be coming together, everything falls apart. His gifted guitarist Hiro quits the band, the new manager wants to take Shuichi off the keyboards, and Shuichi finds himself constantly berated by their producer. The one person he can fall back on is his biggest critic, the cynical and abrasive Yuki. But in love, as with music, the more serious things become the greater the pressure ... gravitation takes its toll.

Customer Reviews:

Disapointing.......2006-11-10

After intriguing first volume, the second volume of Gravitation was a big disappointment. Sweet and puppy-like Shuichi continues to pursue cool and distant Yuki, but the older man completely takes advantage of the boy. After claiming time after time that he isn't interested in men Yuki blatantly rapes the Shuichi even though the boy pleads with him that he's afraid and hurting. Afterwards Yuki is his cold self and brushes off the whole incident. I know rape is a common theme in BL, but this was just disgusting. There was no consequence either for the rapist or the victim, and the whole incident was promptly forgotten. It's also worth noting that it's true the manga is more explicit than the anime, but there are no "naughty bits" here if that's what you're scared of (or looking for).

In addition, I really don't like Murakami's style in her older work - it's smudgy and uneven, and I have difficulties in differentiating between different characters.

Oh my. :D ::fangirl::.......2006-05-04

I have to say... out of half the series of Gravitation I've bought so far, this one I like the most.

But to say something about it. The art is beautiful. There is no explict content. This is bl (boy love) not really a yaoi in this case, but a shounen-ai at the same time. This volume has semeXuke quite alot.

As far as hilarity, if you've seen the anime of Gravi.. where Tatsuha comes in, it's in here as well. As a fangirl Gravitation v. 2 would be my favorite. :3 In here.. Yuki and Shuichi have their share of "scenes" with a little resistance that makes it cute.

It's Gravitation.......2005-07-18

A little info and my opinion...........2004-10-01

Gravitation is my favorite manga yet. I read a few others such as InuYasha, Chobits, and CLAMP, but Gravitation is still by far my favorite.

For those of you who haven't already read Gravi, the story revolves around two characters; Shindou Shuichi, and Yuki Eiri. Shuichi is in a band 'Bad Luck' along with his partner and best friend Nakano Hiroshi, otherwise known as Hiro. At the moment, the band is only locally known, but the two are very popular at their high school; Tohoku High. One night when Shuichi is walking home from work, taking a shortcut, he's looking at his lyrics thinking about what his sister Maiko said earlier about a girlfriend. He sneezes and the lyrics blow away. This is where Yuki comes in, picking up the lyrics, then harshly criticizing Shuichi about them and the story progresses from there.

Vol 2 is a bit more graphic than Vol 1, but still good all the same. The book is for 16+, but that didn't phase me much. Gravi is a shonen-ai manga, otherwise known as boy/boy love. Shonen=boy, ai=love, thus creating boys love. And even if shonen-ai is iffy to you, it's still an enjoyable story.

The drawings are great, and the little notes and other things just add to the story, making it more interesting.

what's not to like?.......2004-07-13

J-rock stars, bishounen's, humor...what's not to like? This is an awsome story of Shindou-san's first love...that is, next to music ^_^

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