Review 69: Gravitation

Art: 8.5
Plot: 9
Characters: 9.5
Sex: 8.5

This is it, the one you've all been waiting for! The sixty-ninth review! Nah, just kidding. But Gravitation is surely one of, if not the most popular yaoi manga/anime in America. I've read/seen both, I was just saving this review for sometime special. And, oh yeah, there's like two-hundred other yaoi mangas I've read and have to review at some point.

I think most of us know what Gravitation is, but I'll recap (badly) just for decorum's sake. Shuichi Shindo is a wannabe rock star who's always full of energy and optimism, until one day a handsome stranger reads his lyrics and pronounces them 'trash'. Stunned and demoralized, Shuichi sets out to find this man and convince him - for his pride's sake - that he can and will be a famous musician. Along the way he discovers that the stranger is Eiri Yuki, a popular romance novelist with a dislike of people in general.
Somehow, beyond the realms of logic, Shuichi and Yuki end up entwined in various dramas, including the beginning of something like love.

The art is very nice, of course. I prefer the anime, but the manga has some great chibis and funny Yuki expressions (somewhat reminiscent of Totally Captivated, though I'm sure this came first). All the characters are easily distinguishable and unique.

The plot is lots of fun. And the dialogue is intensely witty, to the point where sometimes I don't get the jokes for a moment ("You don't seem like a guy delicate enough to pull a Sylvia Plath"). Laugh-out-loud humor is paired with realistic and engaging drama of a degree that actually makes sense, for once. Shuichi's quest to become a musician is one we can all sympathize with and compare to our own goals, particularly ones that others may condemn as impossible.

The characters are superbly done. Shuichi is more than just a wannabe rock-star - he's also very emotional. His optimism is balanced by the way he's so easily affected by what people say to him. He isn't stupid, but at the same time he is made to look foolish by Yuki, who serves not only as his love interest but as a complete foil. Yuki's seriousness and maturity clashes directly with Shuichi's opposite qualities, and as a result they're enjoyable to read about and quite likeable.

The sex comes along in time, which is suitable for the romantic comedy/drama that this is. The nature of the characters makes for more intense scenes, such that it doesn't have to be the first time to get readers interested in said scenes. The chaotic relationship between the two makes their sexual encounters just as unpredictable, a definite crowd-pleaser.

All in all, 35.5. I sense a high-score!

Recommendation: Really, you can't go wrong with this one. The only exceptions are if you want something completely serious, tragic, and downright depressing. Go read "A Bird in a Dream" or
"Intense Rain" and cry in a corner.