What do you think?
Rate this book
グラビテーション [Gravitation] #7
Gravitation, Vol. 7
Determined to become a rock star, Shuichi Shindou is discouraged by some harsh criticism he receives, and must find the strength to overcome his fears and keep trying.
232 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
4 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 10, 2024
And this is the volume that made me give up on the series.
We are over halfway through and it’s clear now that at no point is this series going to explain to me WHY these two are in love. Like WHY are these two together? I can’t see any reason for it at all: they have nothing in common and don’t seem interested in each other’s work or hobbies or in helping each other—and this only changes (a little) in like the final volume or two. Before that Yuki is just constantly grouchy or cold or rude to Shuichi, if he’s not ignoring him completely. Shuichi has no chill at all and his personality seems to consist entirely of “I love Eiri Yuki” and “band”. Yet there’s no real point of demonstration of WHY. What would Shuichi lose (other than having another tantrum) if he lost Bad Luck? Why would that be bad? Why does he HAVE to make Bad Luck successful? And moreover, what would he lose if started dating someone else? I just don’t feel the story has given any real reason for these strong passions of his, so they ring hollow and it’s hard to believe him when he makes grand declarations of going platinum or staying with Yuki no matter what. Each time Shuichi says something like “I love Yuki I just can’t abandon him” my only reaction is “okay, but why though?”
Speaking of plot, there doesn’t seem to be one. The characters more or less just go from incident to incident, tied vaguely together with a theme of “music” or “Yuki obsession” or “incredibly shallow feeling minor personal drama”. It’s mostly these few minor…themes of action, really, which are recycled every few chapters: Bad Luck gets some kind of rival; Bad Luck gets into some hijinks and has to navigate through some publicly embarrassing situation; someone threatens to leave, which rarely ends up being more than a threat; someone says something overly dramatic (like “I murdered a man”) which never develops into anything happening in the plot later on. It feels very sitcom-ish, or like it thinks it’s an episodic TV series instead of a manga.
This is desperately trying to be a comedy, but it doesn’t come off as funny—it comes off as incapable of having a serious or heartfelt moment: like we can’t go a spread without a skit happening or the reader might get bored. The humour is gory, never takes a break, and is constantly at full volume so it ceased to be funny, at least to me. It’s also kind of hard to tell what’s a visual metaphor for humour’s sake and what’s actually happening—people are getting shot and knives stabbed into their heads so often, and the gore persists from panel to panel which leaves me confused. “So is this a gag or are you actually bleeding?”
I skimmed through the rest of the books, and I see that this pattern basically doesn’t change. There are the shortest moments of something that seems like it could be a promise of a deeper plot, but it’s too little too late. Then the series just…kind of ends. It leaves a very “did someone rip the last pages out?” kind of feeling.
I think this series would benefit immensely from moments of downtime which lasted more than a heartbeat. If the characters took some moments to be serious and down-to-earth, it would make it possible to take the grand, heartfelt admissions and declarations seriously. Right now I can’t—everything feels fake (like a big joke) because the series seems allergic to being genuine or honest with its feelings.
It would also benefit from a significant plot running through the series. As it is, the only continuity is Bad Luck trying to make it, the “will they, won’t they” between Shuichi and Yuki (which doesn’t really change or get explained significantly), and some incredibly lukewarm backstory about Eiri Yuki’s past. The rest is just random hijinks which doesn’t amount to much.
This is not a series which rewards the reader for sticking through it, but almost slaps you across the face for it. My advice: read the first book or two and if you’re into that, only then keep going, because it’s just exactly that for 10 more volumes. But if you find the first volumes disappointing like I did, quit now. It doesn’t get better. There is no deep love story waiting at the end of the rainbow; go read Heaven Official’s Blessing instead, it’s WAY more rewarding.
I regret having wasted this much time on this series—I should have listened to my friend’s advice and quit 5 books ago.
One star out of ten for this book and the series as a whole. It’s like Marmite, if you like it you like it; if you don’t, eating dirt will be a more pleasant experience.
We are over halfway through and it’s clear now that at no point is this series going to explain to me WHY these two are in love. Like WHY are these two together? I can’t see any reason for it at all: they have nothing in common and don’t seem interested in each other’s work or hobbies or in helping each other—and this only changes (a little) in like the final volume or two. Before that Yuki is just constantly grouchy or cold or rude to Shuichi, if he’s not ignoring him completely. Shuichi has no chill at all and his personality seems to consist entirely of “I love Eiri Yuki” and “band”. Yet there’s no real point of demonstration of WHY. What would Shuichi lose (other than having another tantrum) if he lost Bad Luck? Why would that be bad? Why does he HAVE to make Bad Luck successful? And moreover, what would he lose if started dating someone else? I just don’t feel the story has given any real reason for these strong passions of his, so they ring hollow and it’s hard to believe him when he makes grand declarations of going platinum or staying with Yuki no matter what. Each time Shuichi says something like “I love Yuki I just can’t abandon him” my only reaction is “okay, but why though?”
Speaking of plot, there doesn’t seem to be one. The characters more or less just go from incident to incident, tied vaguely together with a theme of “music” or “Yuki obsession” or “incredibly shallow feeling minor personal drama”. It’s mostly these few minor…themes of action, really, which are recycled every few chapters: Bad Luck gets some kind of rival; Bad Luck gets into some hijinks and has to navigate through some publicly embarrassing situation; someone threatens to leave, which rarely ends up being more than a threat; someone says something overly dramatic (like “I murdered a man”) which never develops into anything happening in the plot later on. It feels very sitcom-ish, or like it thinks it’s an episodic TV series instead of a manga.
This is desperately trying to be a comedy, but it doesn’t come off as funny—it comes off as incapable of having a serious or heartfelt moment: like we can’t go a spread without a skit happening or the reader might get bored. The humour is gory, never takes a break, and is constantly at full volume so it ceased to be funny, at least to me. It’s also kind of hard to tell what’s a visual metaphor for humour’s sake and what’s actually happening—people are getting shot and knives stabbed into their heads so often, and the gore persists from panel to panel which leaves me confused. “So is this a gag or are you actually bleeding?”
I skimmed through the rest of the books, and I see that this pattern basically doesn’t change. There are the shortest moments of something that seems like it could be a promise of a deeper plot, but it’s too little too late. Then the series just…kind of ends. It leaves a very “did someone rip the last pages out?” kind of feeling.
I think this series would benefit immensely from moments of downtime which lasted more than a heartbeat. If the characters took some moments to be serious and down-to-earth, it would make it possible to take the grand, heartfelt admissions and declarations seriously. Right now I can’t—everything feels fake (like a big joke) because the series seems allergic to being genuine or honest with its feelings.
It would also benefit from a significant plot running through the series. As it is, the only continuity is Bad Luck trying to make it, the “will they, won’t they” between Shuichi and Yuki (which doesn’t really change or get explained significantly), and some incredibly lukewarm backstory about Eiri Yuki’s past. The rest is just random hijinks which doesn’t amount to much.
This is not a series which rewards the reader for sticking through it, but almost slaps you across the face for it. My advice: read the first book or two and if you’re into that, only then keep going, because it’s just exactly that for 10 more volumes. But if you find the first volumes disappointing like I did, quit now. It doesn’t get better. There is no deep love story waiting at the end of the rainbow; go read Heaven Official’s Blessing instead, it’s WAY more rewarding.
I regret having wasted this much time on this series—I should have listened to my friend’s advice and quit 5 books ago.
One star out of ten for this book and the series as a whole. It’s like Marmite, if you like it you like it; if you don’t, eating dirt will be a more pleasant experience.
November 13, 2024
Full review soon.
I finished reading another volume of Gravitation two days ago.
Since the main series has only 12 volumes and I read 7 of them,I might as well finish reading the series.
The last two volumes I've read were so poorly written I couldn't help but laugh at what I was witnessed.
The author isn't consistent with majority of what she wrote and is very lazy when it comes to writing anything that isn't comedy related,even her writing of gay characters is lazy,it's as if she thinks all gay people do is have s*x and joke about their trauma.
Don't even get me started on the age gaps between characters and the unnecessary r*pe jokes.
Maki Murakami (the author)claimed her story is for young girls and that her skills are with drawing not expressing herself with writing as her excuse for her shitting storytelling.
She goes on to saying that she makes a living on drawing and not writing even though she choose to a job that relies on both story and art.
Theses are typical excuses every other female manga (who writes for the female demographic) I've read from,they are only concerned with writing half-ass romance and drawing boys and men they find as attractive.
Of course being a mangaka isn't a excuse for lazy or awful writing nor writing for "young girls" but many women believe it is a good excuse.
Also who the f*ck purchases comedy BL for their young children especially a story like Gravitation?
I certainly wouldn't.
This chick wrote a sequel for Gravitation EX and whatever the other sequel was called for weirdos who wanted to read uncensored and full s*x scenes between Eiri and a younger - looking Shuichi but she couldn't be bothered with improving her characters.
This story has a lot of potential but the writer is wasting what could become a great story.
Maki Murakami is a example of the issue with female mangaka who write and draw shojo,M\M & bishounen styled manga:
obsessed with beauty & sensuality,s*x and romance but lacks any properly writing skills,life experience,maturity as a person,self -control & lack of drawing skills when drawing settings and backgrounds.
I finished reading another volume of Gravitation two days ago.
Since the main series has only 12 volumes and I read 7 of them,I might as well finish reading the series.
The last two volumes I've read were so poorly written I couldn't help but laugh at what I was witnessed.
The author isn't consistent with majority of what she wrote and is very lazy when it comes to writing anything that isn't comedy related,even her writing of gay characters is lazy,it's as if she thinks all gay people do is have s*x and joke about their trauma.
Don't even get me started on the age gaps between characters and the unnecessary r*pe jokes.
Maki Murakami (the author)claimed her story is for young girls and that her skills are with drawing not expressing herself with writing as her excuse for her shitting storytelling.
She goes on to saying that she makes a living on drawing and not writing even though she choose to a job that relies on both story and art.
Theses are typical excuses every other female manga (who writes for the female demographic) I've read from,they are only concerned with writing half-ass romance and drawing boys and men they find as attractive.
Of course being a mangaka isn't a excuse for lazy or awful writing nor writing for "young girls" but many women believe it is a good excuse.
Also who the f*ck purchases comedy BL for their young children especially a story like Gravitation?
I certainly wouldn't.
This chick wrote a sequel for Gravitation EX and whatever the other sequel was called for weirdos who wanted to read uncensored and full s*x scenes between Eiri and a younger - looking Shuichi but she couldn't be bothered with improving her characters.
This story has a lot of potential but the writer is wasting what could become a great story.
Maki Murakami is a example of the issue with female mangaka who write and draw shojo,M\M & bishounen styled manga:
obsessed with beauty & sensuality,s*x and romance but lacks any properly writing skills,life experience,maturity as a person,self -control & lack of drawing skills when drawing settings and backgrounds.
May 25, 2021
Things are starting to go downhill in this series.
April 19, 2022
Things are starting to go downhill in this series.
April 9, 2023
Aburrido
May 30, 2023
For a review please see volume 1 were I review the whole series.
August 26, 2009
We finally learn why people were so concerned that Shuichi's rape was going to be traumatic for Yuki: Yuki was attacked and almost raped when he was a teenager, and he killed one of the men attacking him. So it's still all about Yuki, and his trauma and his angst, and how poor Shuichi is going to have to somehow heal him while also making it to the top of the Japanese music charts.
I really dislike most of the characters in this. Tohma Seguchi is one of the worst; he's in love with Yuki but married his older sister, which is just twenty kinds of creepy. He's also super manipulative and uses people all the time. Yuki is no prince; I give him credit for at least seeking psychological help, but he's still a complete asshole to Shuichi. There is absolutely no reason Shuichi should be as madly in love as he is, except for the idea of destiny, or "gravitation" if you prefer the series title. I spent most of time wishing Shuichi would just give up on Yuki and focus on music and/or find someone else.
I really dislike most of the characters in this. Tohma Seguchi is one of the worst; he's in love with Yuki but married his older sister, which is just twenty kinds of creepy. He's also super manipulative and uses people all the time. Yuki is no prince; I give him credit for at least seeking psychological help, but he's still a complete asshole to Shuichi. There is absolutely no reason Shuichi should be as madly in love as he is, except for the idea of destiny, or "gravitation" if you prefer the series title. I spent most of time wishing Shuichi would just give up on Yuki and focus on music and/or find someone else.
January 31, 2014
Shuichi's relationship with Eiri intensifies when Bad Luck hits platinum! But not all is sweet in Shuichi's sugarland, he comes to find that the stress of having Shuichi around him is causing Eiri to puke up blood. Not only that, but Hiro is, once again, trying to leave Bad Luck. When Shuichi's whole world is crumbling, will he finally give up, or will his burning spirit fight for what he loves?!
Things are finally heating up in this volume (and I must say that I never thought they would). I find myself liking Eiri more and more the further I read. He was so cute and sweet-hearted and tough! Though he reminds me of my mother, unfortunately... ( - - ; )
But Eiri is much, much cooler!
Heck, I'm falling for all of these characters, even Suguru. ( ; >3>) I'm going to be so sad when this series ends, I just know it!
Things are finally heating up in this volume (and I must say that I never thought they would). I find myself liking Eiri more and more the further I read. He was so cute and sweet-hearted and tough! Though he reminds me of my mother, unfortunately... ( - - ; )
But Eiri is much, much cooler!
Heck, I'm falling for all of these characters, even Suguru. ( ; >3>) I'm going to be so sad when this series ends, I just know it!
October 11, 2009
can two guys legally get married in japan? if so, i'm really surprised. i always considered japan to be way more conservative than america. but what is conservative to one nation may not be to another. anywho- i love the disney fixation, but honestly, can either one of them be satisfied with only one date? really?! and how come yuki never thinks for himself? why? he only ever goes what others ask of him, not what's best for him. i wish that would have been brought up in therapy at least once. or the fact that maybe he really doesn't have multiple personalities? yes, he has a sweeter side and all, but i don't see this as constituting a completely different personality.
October 17, 2020
It was wonderful to finally read the much discussed volume 7. I was confused by the author’s serious revelations of Yuki’s illness and betrayal by Kitazawa juxtaposed to Shuichi’s over the top theatrics. I would like to have seen a least one serious moment between the two. I love Shuichi but I would prefer that Murakami would take him down a notch. I understand that this is Tokyopop and shounen ai but a tender moment now and then would make this relationship believable. I am very grateful to all of the fanfiction authors out there that wrote angst filled treatments of the scenes in this volume! Thank you so very much!
June 13, 2010
To old and too disgusted by imbecility and lack of everything what makes story and plot logic and coherent. It should be comedy, well perhaps it is and there is huge cultural gap and age gap,which prevents me to give this manga any good review. Rape was done and now there is murder. More imbecility comes. It should be comedy, perhaps it is.
The utter fails are comments from author. Seriously I want to meet group of people who consider this thing as a peak of yaoi mange genre. Just being curious.
The utter fails are comments from author. Seriously I want to meet group of people who consider this thing as a peak of yaoi mange genre. Just being curious.
August 8, 2010
2.5 stars. There's a really interesting story buried underneath all the crazy, over the top stuff and that's actually pretty frustrating, the knowledge that if the author had just toned down the nutty stuff, this could've been an amazing manga, what with Shuichi's blooming career and Yuki's split personality disorder and a dark past. As it is, you mostly want to strangle the brat *sigh*
Read
July 11, 2016Releí esto porque recientemente me compré el tomo 08. A pesar de que leí esto completo piratamente cuando iba como en 7° y luego lo releí otro par de veces más adelante, había cosas de las que no me acordaba para nada xd. No puedo evaluar racionalmente este manga, lo amo demasiado, amo demasiado la pareja xd
August 30, 2007
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.
Read
August 5, 2011Started out cute and funny enough, but somewhere in the middle of this series it gets waaaay to wacky and convoluted in the bad way.
September 3, 2011
The craziness of this series really is a bit much, but since I have all of the books on my shelf, I'm going to finish reading this. I can't stomach too much of this all at once, though.
July 29, 2016
Another good...okay...uh...yeah, type of volume. At least I'm catching up on series I'm reading so there's that. I still kind of like it.
September 29, 2014
I really am struggling to get to grips with this series
December 27, 2015
This is the volume where it starts going off the rails. Characterization turns bizarre and the plot gets cluttered with weird stuff for the sake of weird stuff.
February 8, 2016
I love this crazy yaoi manga series!
December 28, 2016
Nebolo to najhoršie, ale miestami ma to nudilo a bola som dosť stratená (ale to bude asi mojou hlúposťou, že začínam čítať od 7 XD)
April 13, 2018
Hiro thinking about quitting the band AGAIN felt like filler.
The date afterwards hamfistedly forced in some of Yuki's backstory. It's an interesting story, but the way it's told is so pulp... not well-written at all, very much "tell don't show". There's no mystery to it.
The date afterwards hamfistedly forced in some of Yuki's backstory. It's an interesting story, but the way it's told is so pulp... not well-written at all, very much "tell don't show". There's no mystery to it.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews