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Gravitation: Collector's Edition #1
Gravitation Collection, Vol. 1
The original Gravitation series is back! Now, repackaged in this gorgeous 400-page collection of the first two original volumes! Featuring brand-new covers and exciting extras, it's a must have for any manga lover and all Gravitation fans.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 24, 2024
This series really has not aged well, but I had to get the new edition in my hands for nostalgia's sake. Gravitation, while not exactly grade A representation for many obvious reasons, was still the first piece of queer media I ever got my hands on, and as such it will always be meaningful to me, despite its shortcoming. The decline in art quality as the series goes on has always been my main grievance, not to mention what it does to Shuichi's looks... I do love the early parts of the series, however, when Murakami's art style was at its best (imho) and there was still some semblance of a coherent plot.
I still have the first volume of the old Tokyopop version and comparing the two translations was a lot of fun. The new translation flows very well and is just as entertaining with its quips and pop culture references as the old one was, though the differences are noticeable. I'm glad they kept Murakami's sidebar rambles in this edition - they were always my favourite thing about older manga.
To be honest I would only recommend Gravitation to other nostalgia-hungry readers like myself, because I just can't see younger, more aware generations being able to look past the more questionable aspects of the series to enjoy what else it has to offer. The thing is, it was and still is laugh-out-loud level of funny in many parts, and provides a variety of fun, funky side characters that add so much life to the main cast, especially in the beginning (miss you Maiko, you were the best). This is definitely a product of its time and should be treated as such, but I wouldn't put it on a pedestal as a classic nowadays.
I still have the first volume of the old Tokyopop version and comparing the two translations was a lot of fun. The new translation flows very well and is just as entertaining with its quips and pop culture references as the old one was, though the differences are noticeable. I'm glad they kept Murakami's sidebar rambles in this edition - they were always my favourite thing about older manga.
To be honest I would only recommend Gravitation to other nostalgia-hungry readers like myself, because I just can't see younger, more aware generations being able to look past the more questionable aspects of the series to enjoy what else it has to offer. The thing is, it was and still is laugh-out-loud level of funny in many parts, and provides a variety of fun, funky side characters that add so much life to the main cast, especially in the beginning (miss you Maiko, you were the best). This is definitely a product of its time and should be treated as such, but I wouldn't put it on a pedestal as a classic nowadays.
December 6, 2024
I remember the anime this inspired being relatively popular when I was in high school. Never read the manga until now. It does have some differences from the anime but I will continue to read it
April 16, 2024
Read:
April 15th,2024
1 & 2 edition Tokyo Pop English edition.
The story is about a senior in highschool by the name of Shinichi Shindou and his best friend Hiroshi Nakano who aspire to be musicians in the rock and pop scene.
Hiro is a brilliant guitarist and Shinichi is a great vocalist however he apparently isn't a good lyricist or good at the synthesizer.
One night as he was taking a detour from his job at the bar in frustration from his writers' slump he stumbles across Eiri Yuki a famous romance author who picks up a sheet of lyrics Shinichi dropped after sneezing.
He tells Shinchi that his lyrics looks as if a third year student had written it and walked off afterwards.
Shinchi frustrated that a random stranger decided to insult him starts to hunt around the neighborhood to find this mysterious man and prove to him he is a talented musician.
Sadly despite the interesting plot,funny dialogue,the rock band related sections of the story and awesome fashion sense of the characters,the author seemed more interested in rushing Shinichi and Eiri's relationship instead of writing their relationship to developed over a course of the series.
By chapter two these guys have already kissed and by volume 2 they have had several love scenes and two of those had r*pe jokes in them which was EXTREMELY distasteful.
Shinichi at this point didn't know Eiri's real last name or anything about him other than that he writes romance novels,is a playboy and has two sibling who are associated with his favorite band.
Shinichi is what you would receive if Kotoko from Itazura na Kiss and Kyoko from Skip Beat fused together.
This guy has so much chaotic energy he is almost unbearable but I don't dislike his character in fact I found him funny for most of the four volumes I've read yesterday.
However the story is still rushed especially the romance and is FILLED with inconsistencies and lazy writing.
I started read this story for the music related themes unlike most of this series fanbase since I enjoy rock band themed manga especially if it's set in the 90s or early 2000s but the BL aspects of this story is becoming a little too much for me especially when the author hints at a age gap between Shinichi and Eiri and drops random r*pe jokes in the story.
Clearly this lady has issues.
Maki Murakami should have spend the first few volumes having Shinichi and Hiroshi build their career as musicians and lyricist BEFORE adding romance into the mix.
How the heck is Bad Luck (Shinchi & Hiro's band) top charts by volume 3 when they only had three live performances and no album was announced to be released till volume 4?
Why is Hiro's mom suddenly okay with him hair a guitarist when she made such a big deal about his supposedly "wasting his time with frivolous things" (music) instead studying to be a doctor?
The characters made the whole situation into a big deal only for Hiro to decide in the SAME chapter that he suddenly didn't care about appealing to his parents after one talk with his older brother who apparently is a actor who had similar struggles with their parents not being accepting of his career till he stopped caring about what they thought.
The fight between the two friends is unnecessary because the problem was resolved in less than two chapters.
The conflict in this story is written in such as juvenile way it's hilarious and is hard to take anything seriously in this book.
Almost nothing is taken seriously including assault and traumatic events.
It's a make how haphazard the BL\MM genre is especially manga and manhwa are in this genre yet people still praise and defend these stories in the reviews.
It's too much. Lmao
At least Skip Beat's author put though into writing the showbiz parts of her story even if her main character wasn't written well.
This story has so much potential but the BL stuff is getting in the way.
April 15th,2024
1 & 2 edition Tokyo Pop English edition.
The story is about a senior in highschool by the name of Shinichi Shindou and his best friend Hiroshi Nakano who aspire to be musicians in the rock and pop scene.
Hiro is a brilliant guitarist and Shinichi is a great vocalist however he apparently isn't a good lyricist or good at the synthesizer.
One night as he was taking a detour from his job at the bar in frustration from his writers' slump he stumbles across Eiri Yuki a famous romance author who picks up a sheet of lyrics Shinichi dropped after sneezing.
He tells Shinchi that his lyrics looks as if a third year student had written it and walked off afterwards.
Shinchi frustrated that a random stranger decided to insult him starts to hunt around the neighborhood to find this mysterious man and prove to him he is a talented musician.
Sadly despite the interesting plot,funny dialogue,the rock band related sections of the story and awesome fashion sense of the characters,the author seemed more interested in rushing Shinichi and Eiri's relationship instead of writing their relationship to developed over a course of the series.
By chapter two these guys have already kissed and by volume 2 they have had several love scenes and two of those had r*pe jokes in them which was EXTREMELY distasteful.
Shinichi at this point didn't know Eiri's real last name or anything about him other than that he writes romance novels,is a playboy and has two sibling who are associated with his favorite band.
Shinichi is what you would receive if Kotoko from Itazura na Kiss and Kyoko from Skip Beat fused together.
This guy has so much chaotic energy he is almost unbearable but I don't dislike his character in fact I found him funny for most of the four volumes I've read yesterday.
However the story is still rushed especially the romance and is FILLED with inconsistencies and lazy writing.
I started read this story for the music related themes unlike most of this series fanbase since I enjoy rock band themed manga especially if it's set in the 90s or early 2000s but the BL aspects of this story is becoming a little too much for me especially when the author hints at a age gap between Shinichi and Eiri and drops random r*pe jokes in the story.
Clearly this lady has issues.
Maki Murakami should have spend the first few volumes having Shinichi and Hiroshi build their career as musicians and lyricist BEFORE adding romance into the mix.
How the heck is Bad Luck (Shinchi & Hiro's band) top charts by volume 3 when they only had three live performances and no album was announced to be released till volume 4?
Why is Hiro's mom suddenly okay with him hair a guitarist when she made such a big deal about his supposedly "wasting his time with frivolous things" (music) instead studying to be a doctor?
The characters made the whole situation into a big deal only for Hiro to decide in the SAME chapter that he suddenly didn't care about appealing to his parents after one talk with his older brother who apparently is a actor who had similar struggles with their parents not being accepting of his career till he stopped caring about what they thought.
The fight between the two friends is unnecessary because the problem was resolved in less than two chapters.
The conflict in this story is written in such as juvenile way it's hilarious and is hard to take anything seriously in this book.
Almost nothing is taken seriously including assault and traumatic events.
It's a make how haphazard the BL\MM genre is especially manga and manhwa are in this genre yet people still praise and defend these stories in the reviews.
It's too much. Lmao
At least Skip Beat's author put though into writing the showbiz parts of her story even if her main character wasn't written well.
This story has so much potential but the BL stuff is getting in the way.
December 6, 2024
CW: sexual assault
I picked this up because I never got to read it back in the day and I'm on a classics kick. This volume...wasn't bad, but from reading the side panels from the author and other reviews, it's not about to get any better from what I can tell. The plot is all over the place, but the art certainly isn't as bad as it could be given how old the series is. Gravitation really feels like something I would have written as this was releasing. Heck, I'm pretty sure I did write something as unhinged as this as it was releasing.
Bottom line, is this the best manga in the world? No, absolutely not. Did it age well? Hell no! But reading it while keeping in mind the time it was created, it still isn't great, but it was kind of fun outside the stuff that didn't age well. I might give the rest of the series a shot, but for right now, I'm putting it on pause ($25/volume is a lot for something like this!)
I picked this up because I never got to read it back in the day and I'm on a classics kick. This volume...wasn't bad, but from reading the side panels from the author and other reviews, it's not about to get any better from what I can tell. The plot is all over the place, but the art certainly isn't as bad as it could be given how old the series is. Gravitation really feels like something I would have written as this was releasing. Heck, I'm pretty sure I did write something as unhinged as this as it was releasing.
Bottom line, is this the best manga in the world? No, absolutely not. Did it age well? Hell no! But reading it while keeping in mind the time it was created, it still isn't great, but it was kind of fun outside the stuff that didn't age well. I might give the rest of the series a shot, but for right now, I'm putting it on pause ($25/volume is a lot for something like this!)
January 2, 2025
"Gravitation" is about young Shuichi, rockstar wannabe, and his budding romance with Yuki, a prickly romance writer.
I watched the anime years ago and was my first introduction into queer specific media. So, my nostalgia might be coming through here.
Despite this, I feel Gravitation is a product of its time, especially concerning those two scenes (if you know you know). I personally can look past these for the most part.
I originally read this series over a decade ago but I still love it. I think the plot still holds up and the humor hits well. Yuki is such a savage and still holds the position of 'favourite gay writer' in my heart.
I'll happily continue the series.
I watched the anime years ago and was my first introduction into queer specific media. So, my nostalgia might be coming through here.
Despite this, I feel Gravitation is a product of its time, especially concerning those two scenes (if you know you know). I personally can look past these for the most part.
I originally read this series over a decade ago but I still love it. I think the plot still holds up and the humor hits well. Yuki is such a savage and still holds the position of 'favourite gay writer' in my heart.
I'll happily continue the series.
September 1, 2025
I think I've always wanted to like this series more than I actually do.
July 27, 2024
Gravitation has always been in my radar, as a 90s shoujo/BL, but I had no plans of reading it.... Until Seven Seas relicensed the special edition. So I'm here not really out of interest for the story, but rather for its historical significance.
The characters are fun, whacky, and have plenty of personality. The art is... wonky, and I'm not pleased to hear the 12-year-old kid on the cover is what Shuichi (18) eventually comes to look like (the author calls this the "lolification" of his design. Which was terrible). The saving grace is that he doesn't yet. But the other characters have cool designs.
The story... is a mess. Even the author says so... The pacing is whack, the romance is downright terrible, the music/school/romance balance is wild, and the dub-con, rape, and jailbait jokes are incredibly uncomfortable, especially knowing that Shuichi will only look younger from now on. And I don't like that they're "gay only for each other." But I can't say I wasn't thoroughly entertained the whole time.
The characters are fun, whacky, and have plenty of personality. The art is... wonky, and I'm not pleased to hear the 12-year-old kid on the cover is what Shuichi (18) eventually comes to look like (the author calls this the "lolification" of his design. Which was terrible). The saving grace is that he doesn't yet. But the other characters have cool designs.
The story... is a mess. Even the author says so... The pacing is whack, the romance is downright terrible, the music/school/romance balance is wild, and the dub-con, rape, and jailbait jokes are incredibly uncomfortable, especially knowing that Shuichi will only look younger from now on. And I don't like that they're "gay only for each other." But I can't say I wasn't thoroughly entertained the whole time.
January 1, 2014
By now, every boy’s love fan and their neighbor’s mailman knows the story of Gravitation. A dream of stardom. A chance encounter. Restarted in 400 pages. Definitely do not try and tackle this read in one day. There is so much plot in the first two volumes of this series. Its hard to believe that, later, the plot all goes haywire in favor of giant pandas and gun wars in New York City. No, that isn’t a spoiler, just a warning to those who haven’t read this series yet. Enjoy the plot while you can because it’ll be over sooner than you think.
Re-reading this makes me realize that the plot for this series isn’t bad. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, as the cover so brilliantly puts it, but it is at least interesting. Shuichi is very much a kid while everyone else around him is very much an adult. He’s being tossed into that adult world head first and is completely unsure of what to do. But he does know that he’s falling in love with Yuki and he wants to continue his music, and that’s all that matters to him.
The manga goes so much deeper than the anime did. Shuichi is in school, he has a part time job, Hiro’s at the top of his class, they both have siblings, there’s so much of their lives that we get to see.
It’s a little bit surreal reading this story again, knowing everything that’s going to happen and how it compares to the anime. And while this book is a lot to take in, it definitely highlights two of the best volumes of the series. I don’t quite remember when the overall plot of Gravitation fades into ridiculous crack, but when it does you’ll definitely want to go back to this compilation book and remember what Gravitation was like in the beginning. A pretty good story with a quirky, scatter-brained uke, a kind of bastard seme, and a whole lot of characters with different stories and motives of their of. Closer to 3.5 stars, actually :)
Original, longer review here: http://www.mania.com/gravitation-coll...
Re-reading this makes me realize that the plot for this series isn’t bad. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, as the cover so brilliantly puts it, but it is at least interesting. Shuichi is very much a kid while everyone else around him is very much an adult. He’s being tossed into that adult world head first and is completely unsure of what to do. But he does know that he’s falling in love with Yuki and he wants to continue his music, and that’s all that matters to him.
The manga goes so much deeper than the anime did. Shuichi is in school, he has a part time job, Hiro’s at the top of his class, they both have siblings, there’s so much of their lives that we get to see.
It’s a little bit surreal reading this story again, knowing everything that’s going to happen and how it compares to the anime. And while this book is a lot to take in, it definitely highlights two of the best volumes of the series. I don’t quite remember when the overall plot of Gravitation fades into ridiculous crack, but when it does you’ll definitely want to go back to this compilation book and remember what Gravitation was like in the beginning. A pretty good story with a quirky, scatter-brained uke, a kind of bastard seme, and a whole lot of characters with different stories and motives of their of. Closer to 3.5 stars, actually :)
Original, longer review here: http://www.mania.com/gravitation-coll...
August 6, 2010
This book is as dayleeshous as chocolate cake, and about as nutritionally useless. I devour it with abandon.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews