Gravitation (manga)
Encyclopedia
is a shōnen-ai manga
series written by Maki Murakami
.The story follows the attempts of Shuichi Shindo and his band, Bad Luck, to become Japan's next musical sensation
and his struggles to capture Yuki's heart. Fitting for the subject, the anime features a large amount of music, a diverse set of characters, plenty of comedy, romance, and touches of drama and violence.
The manga originally ended in 2002 after 12 volumes, but new chapters are being serialized in an online manga anthology . It is known as gravitation EX or gravitation genzo. The first volume of this manga has been licensed and is published in English by Tokyopop
. The Gravitation novel was released in English by Tokyopop on March 7, 2006. There is also the Gravitation Collection which consists of 6 volumes, each of which has two original volumes of Gravitation in it. Gravitation has also been adapted into an anime
series lasting 13 episodes. It was directed by Bob Shirohata.
A 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 anime goes to roughly volume 7 of the manga. The Gravitation TV and OVA series have been licensed for North American release by Right Stuf International.
A manga sequel has been written under the title of Gravitation EX, published in English by TOKYOPOP.
The manga is a quirky blend of over-the-top humor (Reiji's giant panda robot destroying parts of New York, Shuichi's explosive nosebleeds and ridiculous declarations of love, K's machine gun wake-up calls, Touma's half-teasing come-ons, etc.) and gay love. The storyline is just serious enough to be compelling, but also contains elements of parody. The characters are often thrown into insane situations and in some scenes the art style is dramatically overdone for comedic effect, one of many of Murakami's well known traits and characteristics in her manga styles. This manga can get a little over the top at times, but it draws you back in with it's humor and voice.
The art style of the manga is notably different in volumes 1-5 than it is in volumes 6-12. The first half of the series has a more "old-fashioned" style that slowly changes and becomes noticeably different by volumes 6-7. The second half features cleaner lines, and more polished and stylish appearance. This also appears in the sequel, Gravitation EX, where each character's drawing style is drastically changed.
series titled Help!, which followed a similar story line but cast the characters in slightly different roles.
Murakami went to New York to research for a storyline later in Gravitation where the characters visit the city.
Murakami has created dojinshi based on Gravitation which she describes as "pretty hard-core, adult stuff. Remix is softcore and Megamix is much more hardcore." She created the dojinshi to explore tensions between the characters.
Murakami penned a thirteen volume dōjinshi
series called Gravitation Remix under the group Crocodile Ave. The Remix dōjinshi are much more sexually explicit than the anime and deviate heavily from the manga storyline. Fans have requested that Tokyopop license Gravitation Remix, but Tokyopop regards the depiction of some characters to be too young, also they are concerned about themes of incest, so Tokyopop has not licensed them. They contain an element of parody
.
In addition to the Remixes, Murakami created four highly sexually explicit "Megamix" dōjinshi
, dubbed Mega-gra, Megamix: Panda, Megamix: Kumagorou, and Megamix: Capybara. These also deviate from the storyline as the Remixes do, with Panda including shota
content. A new Megamix is currently in the works, entitled Megamix Zebra. Megamix Zebra will feature Shuichi, Ryuichi, and Eiri in a threesome
, with Shuichi as the seme.
licensed the series for an English-language release in North America and published the twelve volumes from August 5, 2003 to July 12, 2005. Tokyopop is also re-releasing the series with extras; three compilation volumes have published with the fourth planned to be released January 12, 2010. Madman Entertainment
distributes the series in New Zealand and Australia.
A sequel to the series, Gravitation EX, is being serialized in the online magazine Genzo. Tokyopop published the first volume in English on February 13, 2007. Madman Entertainment also distribute the series in New Zealand and Australia. Murakami took a break from writing Gravitation EX, and resumed it in 2011.
of the TV and OVA series. Five retell events from the manga series, while the remaining three cover new story material. The drama CDs also contain musical tracks performed by the Japanese voice actors.
Both were published in North America by Tokyopop. Gravitation was released on March 7, 2006 and Gravitation: Voice of Temptation was published on July 11, 2006.
Opening Theme: "Blind Game Again" and End Theme: "Smashing Blue" with the Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement done by Mad Soldiers and Sung By Kinya Kotani
. There is 3 insert songs, which Part 1 had one called "Spicy Marmalade", the Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement done by Mad Soldiers and Sung By Kinya Kotani
. Part 2 had two, the first one "In the Moonlight" with the Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement done by Mad Soldiers and Sung By Kinya Kotani
and the second "Shining Collection" with the Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement and Sung by Iceman
.
The opening and closing themes to the TV series were "SUPER DRIVE" and "Glaring Dream", performed respectively by Yosuke Sakanoue and Kinya Kotani
and Mad Soldiers. Most other music in the Gravitation franchise (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 as well as Kappei Yamaguchi.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written by Maki Murakami
Maki Murakami
is a Japanese manga artist most famous for the boys love manga Gravitation, which, in addition to the Gravitation novel, is published by in the U.S. by Tokyopop. Gravitation was the first BL to have broken into mainstream leading way for the overwhelming popularity of yaoi/shounen-ai today...
.The story follows the attempts of Shuichi Shindo and his band, Bad Luck, to become Japan's next musical sensation
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
and his struggles to capture Yuki's heart. Fitting for the subject, the anime features a large amount of music, a diverse set of characters, plenty of comedy, romance, and touches of drama and violence.
The manga originally ended in 2002 after 12 volumes, but new chapters are being serialized in an online manga anthology . It is known as gravitation EX or gravitation genzo. The first volume of this manga has been licensed and is published in English by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
. The Gravitation novel was released in English by Tokyopop on March 7, 2006. There is also the Gravitation Collection which consists of 6 volumes, each of which has two original volumes of Gravitation in it. Gravitation has also been adapted into an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series lasting 13 episodes. It was directed by Bob Shirohata.
A 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
WOWOW
WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...
satellite channel. The anime goes to roughly volume 7 of the manga. The Gravitation TV and OVA series have been licensed for North American release by Right Stuf International.
A manga sequel has been written under the title of Gravitation EX, published in English by TOKYOPOP.
Plot
The story surrounds an aspiring singer, Shuichi Shindo, and his band, Bad Luck (formed with his best friend Hiroshi Nakano, who is on guitar). Shuichi wants to become Japan's next big star, and follow in the footsteps of the famous idol Ryuichi Sakuma, lead singer of the now-disbanded legendary group Nittle Grasper. One evening, Shuichi is looking over lyrics for a song he was writing when his paper is blown away by the wind and picked up by a tall, blond haired( light brown in the manga)stranger. The man dismisses Shuichi's hard work as garbage, which hurts Shuichi deeply. Despite his anger, he is intrigued by the stranger. This will be their first encounter as Shuichi becomes fascinated by the stranger, who soon turns out to be the famous romance novelist, Eiri Yuki (real name: Uesugi). Both the manga and the anime follow this plot.The manga is a quirky blend of over-the-top humor (Reiji's giant panda robot destroying parts of New York, Shuichi's explosive nosebleeds and ridiculous declarations of love, K's machine gun wake-up calls, Touma's half-teasing come-ons, etc.) and gay love. The storyline is just serious enough to be compelling, but also contains elements of parody. The characters are often thrown into insane situations and in some scenes the art style is dramatically overdone for comedic effect, one of many of Murakami's well known traits and characteristics in her manga styles. This manga can get a little over the top at times, but it draws you back in with it's humor and voice.
The art style of the manga is notably different in volumes 1-5 than it is in volumes 6-12. The first half of the series has a more "old-fashioned" style that slowly changes and becomes noticeably different by volumes 6-7. The second half features cleaner lines, and more polished and stylish appearance. This also appears in the sequel, Gravitation EX, where each character's drawing style is drastically changed.
Gravitation EX
The story picks up directly after volume 12, and is more like a soap opera than the original manga. In the span of twenty chapters (as of April 2008), Shuichi and Eiri find and agree to momentarily take care of Kitazawa Yuki's son, Riku. Shuichi kisses and conducts a short affair with Sakuma Ryuichi, who announces that he's always been in love with Shuichi. Eiri is in a car accident that causes him to temporarily lose his eyesight, and Reiji announces that she's making all that has happened into a movie. Shuichi believes that this movie is the reason Ryuichi "pretended" to go after him, although Ryuichi's true motives remain unknown. In January 2008, Murakami went on hiatus, leaving the continuation of the monthly serials uncertain. The June 2011 issue of Gentosha's online magazine Web Spica announced on Friday that Maki Murakami is resuming her Gravitation EX boys-love manga after more than two years. The new chapter will appear in the next issue on June 28, and Murakami is illustrating the cover along with Kujira (Yamabiyori).Development
The precursor to the Gravitation manga was a dōjinshiDojinshi
is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...
series titled Help!, which followed a similar story line but cast the characters in slightly different roles.
Murakami went to New York to research for a storyline later in Gravitation where the characters visit the city.
Murakami has created dojinshi based on Gravitation which she describes as "pretty hard-core, adult stuff. Remix is softcore and Megamix is much more hardcore." She created the dojinshi to explore tensions between the characters.
Murakami penned a thirteen volume dōjinshi
Dojinshi
is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...
series called Gravitation Remix under the group Crocodile Ave. The Remix dōjinshi are much more sexually explicit than the anime and deviate heavily from the manga storyline. Fans have requested that Tokyopop license Gravitation Remix, but Tokyopop regards the depiction of some characters to be too young, also they are concerned about themes of incest, so Tokyopop has not licensed them. They contain an element of parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
.
In addition to the Remixes, Murakami created four highly sexually explicit "Megamix" dōjinshi
Dojinshi
is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...
, dubbed Mega-gra, Megamix: Panda, Megamix: Kumagorou, and Megamix: Capybara. These also deviate from the storyline as the Remixes do, with Panda including shota
Shotacon
, sometimes shortened to , is a Japanese slang portmanteau of the phrase and describes an attraction to young boys, or an individual with such an attraction. Outside Japan, the term is used less often with this meaning. It refers to a genre of manga and anime wherein pre-pubescent or pubescent...
content. A new Megamix is currently in the works, entitled Megamix Zebra. Megamix Zebra will feature Shuichi, Ryuichi, and Eiri in a threesome
Threesome
A threesome is a group of three engaged in the same activity. In relation to a sexual activity a threesome refer to the activity involving three people of any gender or sexual orientation...
, with Shuichi as the seme.
Manga
TokyopopTokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
licensed the series for an English-language release in North America and published the twelve volumes from August 5, 2003 to July 12, 2005. Tokyopop is also re-releasing the series with extras; three compilation volumes have published with the fourth planned to be released January 12, 2010. Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
distributes the series in New Zealand and Australia.
A sequel to the series, Gravitation EX, is being serialized in the online magazine Genzo. Tokyopop published the first volume in English on February 13, 2007. Madman Entertainment also distribute the series in New Zealand and Australia. Murakami took a break from writing Gravitation EX, and resumed it in 2011.
Drama CDs
Eight audio dramas were produced for Gravitation, featuring most of the seiyūSeiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
of the TV and OVA series. Five retell events from the manga series, while the remaining three cover new story material. The drama CDs also contain musical tracks performed by the Japanese voice actors.
Novels
There are two novels. The 1st one follows the story line for the OVA's. A second novel of Gravitation called Gravitation: Voice of Temptation which is written by Jun Lennon starts out with a steamy scene between the couple. Later on, as Shuichi is on his nationwide tour with Bad Luck, he finds a note. The writer claims that she has Yuki. Shuichi now goes on a wild goose chase throughout Japan to find his kidnapped love.Both were published in North America by Tokyopop. Gravitation was released on March 7, 2006 and Gravitation: Voice of Temptation was published on July 11, 2006.
OVA
Called Gravitation: Lyrics of Love was split into 2 parts, each being 28 minutes long. The first part originally aired on July 23, 1999 and the second part originally aired September 22, 1999. The synopsis:- Shuichi Shindo is the famous lead vocalist of the rock band Bad Luck. Usually he writes the lyrics for their songs, but now he's depressed because Yuki keeps ignoring him. Yuki has been known to be cold to Shuichi before, but he's blantantly ignoring Shuichi this time. It may be that Yuki's latest writing job is the reason for his recent attitude.
OVA Music
Opening Theme: "Blind Game Again" and End Theme: "Smashing Blue" with the Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement done by Mad Soldiers and Sung By Kinya Kotani
Kotani Kinya
, also known as KINYA, is a male singer and actor from Saitama Prefecture, Japan. His songs were made into theme songs for the anime Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and various songs for Gravitation.- Career :...
. There is 3 insert songs, which Part 1 had one called "Spicy Marmalade", the Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement done by Mad Soldiers and Sung By Kinya Kotani
Kotani Kinya
, also known as KINYA, is a male singer and actor from Saitama Prefecture, Japan. His songs were made into theme songs for the anime Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and various songs for Gravitation.- Career :...
. Part 2 had two, the first one "In the Moonlight" with the Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement done by Mad Soldiers and Sung By Kinya Kotani
Kotani Kinya
, also known as KINYA, is a male singer and actor from Saitama Prefecture, Japan. His songs were made into theme songs for the anime Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and various songs for Gravitation.- Career :...
and the second "Shining Collection" with the Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement and Sung by Iceman
Iceman (Japanese band)
Iceman was a three-man Japanese pop music group, consisting of Daisuke Asakura , Kenichi Ito , and Michihiro Kuroda ....
.
TV series
Episodes are called "Tracks".| # | Title | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|
TV Music
The opening and closing themes to the TV series were "SUPER DRIVE" and "Glaring Dream", performed respectively by Yosuke Sakanoue and Kinya Kotani
Kotani Kinya
, also known as KINYA, is a male singer and actor from Saitama Prefecture, Japan. His songs were made into theme songs for the anime Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and various songs for Gravitation.- Career :...
and Mad Soldiers. Most other music in the Gravitation franchise (except songs that appeared on later drama albums) was written, performed or produced by Daisuke Asakura
Daisuke Asakura
is a male Japanese pop artist.His childhood consisted of electronic organ lessons and the expectations to follow the family trade of plumbing.Asakura began his career with landing a job at Yamaha right after high school. While under Yamaha, Asakura worked on the EOS synthesizer; he was also...
. Guitarist Kenichi Ito also appears on many of the tracks as well as Kappei Yamaguchi.
Reception
Almost half a million copies of the Gravitation manga have been sold from its release in 2003 to 2007, and in 2005 it was the top manga on BookScan with BL themes. Rachel Woods notes that even a milder shōnen-ai manga "relies on sexual innuendo, comic double entendres, and coded visual references in order to maintain an erotic undercurrent that is not sexually explicit in nature", and discusses a page from Gravitation which shows the characters kissing, but using "fragmented panels" which show Yuki's "wandering hand" to provide a "tantalizing and suggestive imagery" that encourages the reader's imagination.Further reading
- 365 days of manga review of Gravitation EX
- IGN review of Gravitation EX
- Comic Book Bin review of Gravitation EX
- Mania review of first compilation
- Graphic Novel Reporter review of first compilation
- Animefringe review of the OVA
- Active Anime review of the TV series
External links
- Gravitation Official Homepage by Sony Music
- Gravitation Official Homepage from RightStuf
- Gravitation Sequel Official site by Genzo Track
- Gravitation Official site from Madman Entertainment, Gravitation anime distributor in Australia and New Zealand (Anime series)