Gravitation 4

グラビテーション [Gravitation] #4

by Maki Murakami

Taki Aizawa, cantante de una banda rival, siente celos del talento de Shûichi. ¿Podrá escapar nuestro héroe de su trampa!? ¡Aquí tenéis un nuevo episodio cargado de emoción de esta trepidante historia de amor! Incluye la historia corta ¡Un brindis por tu cuello!

Genres: Manga, Yaoi, Romance, LGBT, Comics, Graphic Novels, Music

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1997

About the author

Name in Japanese: 村上真紀

Reviews

[Nocturnalux]

Volume 4 is both a turning point in Gravi, in which the manga goes into very dark territory that will be incorporated into the narrative onward, and more of the same zany quirkiness so that its identity as sheer whiplash is fully established, for better or for worse. This volume articulates such heady subjects as emotional labor, consequences of homosexuality attendant to fame in the 90's, responsibility- and lack thereof- even going into xenophobia in Japan, while also having Shuuichi crossdress for laughs not once, but twice.

As is to be expected, trigger warnings abound and will be spoiler tagged.

It starts with Yuki breaking up with Shuuichi, which is not surprising and will become something of a theme. Yuki does have reasons for this and they will be justified in the awful of ways but he is still a jerk, going as far as dropping a slur. This was far too common in BL of this time period but this case is particularly egregious. Apart from the hypocrisy involved- Yuki, somehow, thinks he can insult Shuuichi when he, too, is very much involved in this as well- it also does away with Yuki's insistence later on that his reluctance to committing to their relationship (for lack of a better term, I am being generous to Yuki here) not having anything to do with their both being men. In fact, Yuki goes as far as to tell Shuuichi when accused to this that "I never said it was because you were a man". I guess Yuki is channeling Char who "never betrayed anyone".
Yuki may not have stated in so many words but by hurling this slur at Shuuichi, it amounts to the exact same thing. It may, in fact, be even worse.

If this feels very off, it is not as much in universe because BL and to some extent, Japanese male homosexual notions that predate it by centuries, view the matter. Yuki as the "seme" is not as impacted by socially constructed demeaning connotations. So he is free to bandy this kind of language around, while Shuuichi can only employ heterosexuality ("I like girls!") and the usual obliteration of sexual orientation as such ("Sure you're a man, you may be a man, but,") in a highly unarticulated outburst, complete with tears. Interestingly enough, the bulk of the volume will deal with this general tendency being completely subverted.

It is probably very telling how much of sexual orientation is connected to this kind of highly charged language. While Shuuichi does worry about this a lot, which makes sense given the vacuum of sorts in which he has lived up to this point, only Tatsuha, the resident bisexual character, can actually articulate such notions without falling apart. It may very well be because he is, in a sense, immune to consequence (probably because he is too secondary a character for this to matter enough to warrant even a mention but one does wonder how a Buddhist priest gets to be this openly queer, especially given the growing importance this ability- or, more properly, this inability- will accrue for the main couple) but that he actually claims a sexual identity probably factors in.

As per usual, Shuuichi struggles with band activities so that now his professional life is also compromised. His concerns hinge on how the spotlight may have cost him his relationship with Yuki. In a particularly sad moment, he reaches the conclusion that being famous does away with much of his freedom, including doing something as simple as going on a date. The entertainment industry in Japan may be even more ruthless than its Western counterpart. In this regard, Gravi is entirely realistic. Even had Shuuichi not been dating a man, his ability to lead anything close to a normal life would be considerably hampered.

At this very low point, disaster strikes, in what is perhaps one the strangest, out of nowhere deranged cases of revenge. Aizawa, the leader of ASK, the band that has been a rival to Bad Luck since their debut, completely takes leave of any sense of morality and decides to have Shuuichi gang raped in order to make him quit the band. Apart from being unspeakably evil, it is also utterly counterproductive even from Aizawa's POV. The idea is to film the whole thing then blackmail Shuuichi into quitting the band, lest he leak to the press that he was dating Yuki. What does Aizawa win from this, one cannot help wondering. He does not know about Seguchi's possessive ways toward Yuki but even then, Bad Luck was not threatening ASK's spot as the top band on the record label. Seguchi himself is baffled when he finds out and states as much. His bandmates, who had nothing to do with this, at all, and one of whom lands in the hospitals once Yuki finds out, are equally horrified. All that Aizawa has to say for himself is that "you wouldn't know if you're not a vocalist". By this token, Aizawa should take out Ryuuichi who is, in-universe, the best singer ever. Maybe Ryuuichi's being in the States does not make him a threat? Be it as it may, it is borderline random.

Rival bands are a common feature of music fiction. Anime and manga, in particular, love this so much that you have entire franchises dedicated to competition, from UtaPuri, to The Idolm@ster, B-Project, Idolish and I could go on. Shoujo, that in some ways is closer to Gravi's roots, is every bit as fond of it. Fierce musical battles are taken to absurd extremes but off the top of my head, I cannot think of anything even close to Aizawa's turn to criminality. Occasionally, things get out of hand in other ways- we get rigged stages and in one occasion, for a while the whole cast thought someone had even been killed- but since that is so over the top, it does not quite carry the same punch.

Rape, of any kind, is the kind of horrifyingly experience that is part of lived experience. Springing this on a poor unsuspecting reader is likely to result in a very negative experience but BL, by this point in history, had already established itself as having plenty of sexual assault so odds are, not many were truly shocked even if precious little in the story itself had foreshadowed it. Genre rules more or less dictated it would happen, but how it did is still very left field.

What we have here is firmly in the domain of "bad rape", as opposed to the even more common and extremely disturbing "good rape". "Bad rape" happens whenever the narrative accepts what took place as rape, in this case it uses several terms to that effect. Gang rape tends to be "bad" almost by definition, even in BL. "Good rape" happens when the narrative dismisses the lack of consent as a non issue, or retcons it as being consensual all along: it is what BL is better known for and by far the most dangerous aspect it inherited from shoujo and then amped up into absurdity. "Good rape" takes place between the chosen couple, which is basically what grants it this off kilter status. To the point that it is not unusual that the distinction comes down to the parties involved and not the deeds. Gaslighting, coercion, restraining someone against their will even forcibly despite verbal requests not to do so, all this is "acceptable" under "good rape" if it's the "right" person doing it. Basically, if it's the guy on the cover then it's fine.

Gravi flirts, very briefly, with "good rape" but for the most part it knows better. Not all manga has learned this and even modern titles cater to this terrible, but fortunately now rarer, trope. Case in point, 抱かれたい男1位に脅されています。1 Dakaretai Otoko Ichii ni Odosarete Imasu. , a good comparison since it also deals with the entertainment industry.

Gravi handles this devastating event by unintentionally shifting, yet again, genuine interaction and emotional bonds toward Hiro/Shuuichi away from the canonical pairing. This because immediately afterward, Shuuichi seeks Hiro's help, not Yuki's. Not wanting to get Yuki at all involved is behind this but be as it may, the person who is there to give Shuuichi support and who provides the emotional labor needed, is Hiro. Visually, this is expressed by Hiro holding a battered Shuuichi in his arms and further confirmed by his telling Shuuichi that he hasn't done anything wrong. It may very well be the most powerful moment in the entire volume. Not only because it is so raw but also because it encapsulates all that allowed things to escalate to this point: it's because Yuki is a man, and their being celebrities. Ultimately it is Aizawa's fault entirely but what allowed this sick plan to work is a double bind of homophobia in a shame society.

Yuki, eventually, does step up but I could not help thinking that Hiro's role has a resonance to it that Yuki lacks almost entirely. The way Hiro goes about it may not be the best either, given he lets Shuuichi to rest so that he can inform and blame Yuki for what happened. Yuki is very obviously not to blame for this, but I can see why Hiro would think so. He thinks Yuki should have broken up with Shuuichi sooner if he was not serious and that it is Yuki's inability to own to the relationship that caused this to happen in the first place. One can see why Hiro would not be thinking straight, after all his best friend is in a world of pain but for this very reason, Hiro should have stayed with Shuuichi and be there when he woke up.
Hiro does not because the plot demands Yuki be brought into the scene.

The problem is, even when Yuki is made aware of this, his reaction is not to rush to Shuuichi's side either. This can be explained given Yuki's background but it does make one wonder how qualified to be Shuuichi's- dare I say anyone's- significant other he truly is. After all, his first impulse is to beat a member of ASK into a pulp, and it's not even Aizawa. Yuki sends a completely innocent man to the hospital. More, he actually knows this. In order to go more into this, some later revelations need be broached so it is time for that ultimate solipsism, the spoiler within the spoiler: Yuki was himself involved in something way too similar when he was 16, in New York. As will be later be made known to us, and to Shuuichi, this is the reason why Seguchi and Mika are so protective of him. Yuki's teacher had him gang raped, Yuki grabbed a gun and killed them all. This is what he "confesses" to Shuuichi at the very end of this chapter, omitting the actual explanation for the killings. Yuki does this a lot, he will fail to add crucial information, almost always with terrible results. It is Hiro who realizes and says as much, Yuki's initial apathy having fooled Hiro into believing him entirely indifferent to Shuuichi. I cannot quite recall if Yuki was indeed raped or if he killed his would-be-abusers first- nor can I recall how he came into possession of a gun in the first place- but the two situations are too akin. Apart from any concerns for Shuuichi, it surely triggered memories. This is Yuki's dark past that gets vaguely alluded to. It is, to some extent, extremely convenient as it is used as the go to justification for every shoddy thing Yuki does but I do commend the manga for being aware that rape has lifelong repercussions. In fact, as Mika explains to Ayaka, Yuki was a very sweet, easygoing boy until this derailed his life completely and the more we learn about it, the more heartbreaking it becomes. One cannot help but wonder if Murakami-sensei is not perhaps going a bridge too far in having something like this happen to both her main characters but the delivery does more to establish a thematic link than bogging it down with implausibility. Because we are not told, at this point in the narrative, Yuki's backstory. Savvy readers will probably get some inkling so that when all t's are dotted, it will make perfect sense, but that a full disclosure does not happen right now allows for the manga to gain a greater sense of continuity.

As I have mentioned before, BL suffered from most of its titles being simply too short to carry on a full bodied story. This one volume approach forced mangaka into retelling the same stories, with characters that amount to expies of one another, as opposed to carrying out one cohesive single story with the same well developed cast. Since Gravi has several volumes to play with, it can space out events so that the reader can enjoy it on a deeper level, be it at a first or repeat reads.

It is to be expected but still a bit jarring that medical intervention is not sought. Given that the action takes place in the 90's, when the AIDS crisis was very much front and center, one might think that surely either Hiro or Yuki would think of taking Shuuichi to a hospital, even if Shuuichi himself is too battered to consider it. But no. This is the norm, at its core BL is a fantasy but once it steps into this territory and engages with gang rape, the drift from reality becomes strained.

Ayaka gets her redemption here, by actively helping Shuuichi get back with Yuki. She almost says I Just Want My Beloved to be Happy, playing it so very close to the trope that one can see Murakami-sensei was very eager to do away with the typical BL misogyny. It is greatly appreciated and the way Ayaka goes about it elevates her from demure Yamato Nadeshiko into kickass girl with plenty of agency. Her coming to Tokyo on her own already said as much and she was already very capable of speaking up her mind so this is more of a coalescing of her character. None of this mattered as far as the fans are concerned, though. Ayaka remains perhaps the most hated character in the entire series, which is truly remarkable, all things considered.

What gives Ayaka such power over Shuuichi has nothing to do with Ayaka herself and everything to do with her being a woman. She can dangle her fabled engagement as a spur to Shuuichi only because she can, well, get engaged. Heterosexuality and its enforcement backs her as as a placeholder of sorts. It is worth remembering that Ayaka is 16. She has been engaged at least since she was 14.

Through Ayaka, one gets a glimpse into the limitations of a girl's condition. Ayaka, like Yuki, is the daughter of the head of a Buddhist temple, which is why Yuki's father finds this engagement a great deal. Yuki gets to do his own thing and be a writer, and Tatsuha, who is the same age as Ayaka despite coming across as much older, is already a monk. Ayaka, however, seems to have no sway other than in placing herself in connection to the engagement. Be it to uphold it, renounce it, Ayaka has no position outside of this. Tatsuha gets to inherit the temple if so wants, Ayaka will not inherit her family's.

To some extent, this results from the narrative. Ayaka is not the main focus and how she lives outside of her crushing on Yuki, or cheering on Shuuichi with some tough love, and later on dating Hiro, does not concern the manga much. Still, what we are presented with is a massive case of failing the Bechtel test. The one time Ayaka talks to another female character, it is to talk about Yuki with his sister. It also makes sense since she has just renounced the engagement but given the dearth of female characters (and Gravi does much, much better than most BL in this regard) it is still a bit sad that the only one of these who has a life entirely unconnected to the guys is Noriko. It is probably not a coincidence that Noriko is something of a self-insert character.

What does Yuki have to say about Ayaka in all this? Well, he gets to comment on how her breasts haven't grown to his father. Yeah. Not a good look, my dude, and Ayaka dodged one hell of a bullet here.

Yuki straddles this line between being most definitely worthy of our empathy and utterly despicable. One of the elements that upsets the balance in the direction of empathy is revealed in this volume. A minor character mentions that Yuki "hates all things Japanese" and later we find out why. After Yuki briefly returns home, his father expects him to dye his hair black, Yuki goes on about how father and "you lot" had long hated his blonde hair and blue eyes and that is the reason why Yuki developed a hatred for Japan. He actually uses the term [日本嫌い], with the same construction as 女ぎらい: ニッポンのミソジニー (one uses the kanji form, the other the kana but it is the same term, 'hate', 'contempt'; in the second case it translates as 'misogyny').

This may come across as too extreme but there are real life counterparts. As recently as 2017, an Osaka high school student sued her school for forcing her to dye her brown hair brown. When she decided to stop dying it, "The school then removed her desk from the classroom, erased her name from school rosters and barred her from a school trip." (source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/wo...). She won her case in 2021.

Yuki's pluralizing of the discrimination he faced makes it clear that it is not just his father's prejudices but a collective. It was also what got him to leave Japan for America as a teen, so it must have been truly unbearable and given he ended up losing the one place where he felt at home in a traumatic event of devastating proportions, it surely compounded everything

This does raise quite some questions that I am not even sure ever get answered. Did Mika, who can pass for Yuki's twin (leading fans to think Seguchi married her in a textbook case of transference; in the anime she has brown hair for some reason), also experience racism? Yuki's father does not seem to mind her having blonde hair, perhaps because she will not represent the temple? Then again, if Yuki's father has such issues with blonde offspring, how- and why- did he end up marrying (assuming he did) someone who might pass their genes like this? Just where is Yuki's mother? I'm assuming dead as orphans in manga are a dime a dozen but just when did she die?

This all adds an even darker undertone to the marriage project. Yuki's father describes Ayaka as suitable because she is not like other young girls (read, "kids these days") but a proper lady. As an only child of a temple family, beloved by her parents, she seems the perfect fit to handle Yuki's wayward ways. Ayaka here is being painted as the ultimate Japanese beauty. She is not exactly the Yamato Nadeshiko type but that is what Yuki's father seems to rely on, in order to "correct" Yuki's foreignness.

There is quite a lot to unpack in this volume alone. It is also very relevant, despite being such a 90's product: Atae Shinjiro's announcing that he is gay may not seem that big of a deal, until it is read against this background. Because for all of Gravi's wackiness, it intersects reality even if only intermittently.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume raises the question: Should I create a "head, meet desk" shelf? I am honestly kind of surprised I didn't stop reading with this volume. Shuichi is gang-raped by a rival band member trying to humiliate him and/or Yuki so that Shuichi will quit music. It's really, really sad when Skip Beat treats a situation with more sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Word of advice: under no circumstances should you enter the entertainment industry in Japan unless you have your own ninja bodyguard to follow you around 24/7 (hmmm, now there's an idea for a manga...). The really frustrating thing about Murakami tossing the rape grenade into the middle of the plot is that everyone treats the assault as something that will affect Yuki, and they show no sympathy for Shuichi. Shuichi's best friend goes and yells at Yuki for what happened to Shuichi because of him, but he isn't shown consoling Shuichi. Which is okay, because even Shuichi doesn't seem to think it's a big deal as long as Yuki doesn't reject him. *headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk* Yuki goes to attack the guy responsible for Shuichi's rape and does more damage to someone who wasn't involved. Even the people who go confront the douchebag only threaten him not to reveal what he learned about Yuki--that he's a murderer--and say nothing about staying away from Shuichi.

[H.K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ughhhh Yuki and Shuichi are so toxic for each other. They make me nauseous. Also Hiro is too precious for this manga. He doesn’t deserve to be sucked into Yuki and Shuichi’s crazy drama. The short story at the end was really cute and way more interesting than the main story.

[Erin Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

i'll read the volumes i already have but after that i probs wont continue. i forgot how poorly sensitive subjects were treated lmaooooo. the shit u love as a weeb always turns out to be kinda shit doesnt it

[Riki (˶˃⤙˂˶) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 💫

This series…
It’s so dumb and just bad, that it’s kinda funny and good?

[Forthright . · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have rarely seen so much ridiculousness set alongside drastically reprehensible things. Drama all over the place. And now I need see this through.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Shuichi with all my heart. I can see him as a successful pop star because he is so passionate, free and in tune with his feelings and emotions. His love for all emanates from his pores. I do not think that his relationship with Eiri is toxic, it is just that Yuki is Shuichi’s total opposite. Yuki wants to be in total control of himself which makes him so cold when compared to Shucihi effervescence. I do believe Yuki loves Shuichi. I can’t understand the need for manga writers to feel the need to have their characters raped. I just wonder if there is a cultural difference in the meaning of rape to the Japanese. The idea that Shuichi is not taken to the hospital makes no sense. The idea that Shuichi would sacrifice himself to protect Eiri is in character but why rape? Still, I love this series and am looking forward to see more of this crazy love story.

[Brittany Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Warning for rape

The rape that takes place in this volume is a gang rape and I can't say that it was handled poorly because it really wasn't handled at all. Besides Yuki getting the evidence and beating up a guy who had NOTHING to do with it, nothing was done about it. Shuichi wasn't even acting traumatized, he was acting like his normal idiot self. This happening to him also affects Yuki in a personal way (this is much later in the series) and you can't tell by how he just walked away without even punching the person responsible.

Any form of media handling something like rape, and it comes up more than once in this series and with more than 1 character, shouldn't be filled to bursting with jokes, gags, and flashing people.

I honestly don't find this series funny at all, but the series makes for good fan fiction.


At least Ayaka took the hint.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume really do much for me. Same Yuki and Shindou braking up and getting back together like the other volumes.

The only good thing about this book was when Yuki beat up the guys that raped Shindou but even that couldn’t really save this book.

Ryuichi finally makes an appearance.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

[Adrian Santiago · Rating 1 out of 5]

Violación y blablabla.

[Kirei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit they censored the anime so much judging from this volume alone.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a review please see volume 1 were I review the whole series.

[Karen Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.4

[Leila Anani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no idea why this series is as popular as it is. Maybe I'm too old for it, I seem to recall liking it better when I was younger but even so...

Eiri dumps Shuichi (and while we might suspect its to protect his career - it would be hard to market a gay teen rock star, that really does not come across and I could well be giving Eiri far nobler motives than he deserves).

Shuichi then gets gang-raped by a member of rival band ASK and two thugs. I've never seen such a dark topic treated so cavalierly. He cries on Hiro's shoulder for a bit then he's right as rain.

He dresses as a school girl because he thinks Eiri doesn't want him because he's a guy. This is self indulgence on the part of the artist who clearly just wanted to see Shuichi in a sailor suit - still he does look cute.

Eiri then decides that he'll have to be the one to leave and goes and confirms his engagement to Ayaka. More cross dressing as Shuichi pretends to be her and cancels the engagement.

Eiri finally reveals the first of his demons - that he killed someone and asks how can Shuichi love him?

There's also a daft vampire bonus one-shot 'A Toast to the Nape of Your Neck'

Hmmmmm way too much angst going on here this is worse than a soap opera. I'm also not convinced by the romance. Eiri is inscrutable, cold and I have no idea why Shuichi adores him so much. Then again Shuichi is childish, dumb and feels far too young to pull off the depth of love he claims to profess.

Really not feeling this series. Waaaay overrated.

[Starbubbles · Rating 3 out of 5]

what kind of book was this?! yuki this and yuki that. suddenly he has a split personality, and is the only one affected by shuichi's attack. why? b/c he's the only one who counts for some reason. then yuki admits to murder, and everyone's fine with this? no extra questions? like how, why, or how did you get away with it? are you sure it was even you and not tohma? like i said, it should have gone one way or the other, super ridiculous or super dark. instead we are left with a half baked idea of human behavior.

[Mati · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too old for it. Considering it as one of the worst yaoi ever read. Yes too old for it. Comedy style is not for me. Still continuing to read it, because it is in Czech.
The progress went from bad to worse and even if the drama was in the air, i would have done nothing to the plot. It was like author was using the zombie brain eating ability.
Rape is the move of the plot yeah. Blackmail and making mr utter jerk to mr utter jerk with dark past was ridiculous.
This manga is not comedy but utter tragedy.

But still it is in Czech so...*face palm*

[kuristina- tabreez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eiri dumps Shuichi in fear of their homosexual relationship compromising both his and Shuichi's careers in the public.
Heart broken and vulnerable, Shuichi is lured in by Taki Aizawa, the lead singer of Bad Luck's rival band ASK, and in a private room he and two of his cronies gang rape Shuichi and take pictures to send to the press.
When Hiro tells Eiri of this, Eiri is livid and goes straight to all of the members of ASK to get the tape and to beat them near death.
Even though Eiri obviously still cares for Shuichi, will he take Shuichi back? Or has he already set other plans with Ayaka?

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series. Well just like with Black Bird, I was thinking should I continue the rest of the series? I first saw the anime for this and had no idea what it was or heard of it. The music I remembered liking. Also its Yaoi. I did not know this then thought huh, now I know. This was when I was watching more anime and looked up what some of these terms, genre, mean. This volume was okay. Then it got a little weird I guess.

[Nikki Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yaoi or boy-on-boy love manga. It was the first and only series of that genre that I have read, and was utterly hilarious. It had great funny, sentimental, and sad moments. A lot of fun to read, and quite unpredictable. The art was a little lacking, the only reason for 3 stars instead of 5.

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have expected a little deeper reaction to what happened to Shuichi - especially on Shuichi's part - but it was great to see a really serious, even crazy Yuki! Yeah, Shuichi had to go and make a mess again - of course - but what we learned of Yuki's past was amazing. Loving it!

[Sara]

Started out cute and funny enough, but somewhere in the middle of this series it gets waaaay to wacky and convoluted in the bad way.

[Fugo Feedback]

Lo compré en edición argentina porque estaba sospechosamente barato. Si puedo después la subo.

[Grace 🎻 · Rating 3 out of 5]

so the beginning of this volume quickly escalated! Also it's hardly surprising what Eiri has done in his past.

[Cyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hijos de puta de ASK...

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one breaks my heart, how Shuichi feels what happens to him is his fault...it's sad how many people really do feel this.

[Lise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and crazy yaoi manga series

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the one

[🍁 katie 🍁 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't even think the writer knows where this is going right now.

[Dony Grayman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Edición argentina, tomo 4 de a nadie le importa cuántos, menos que menos al editor.