Gravitation (TV Mini Series 1999–2001) Poster

(1999–2001)

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8/10
A must watch even 22 years later
couponsandsamples11 July 2021
I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but I was glad I did it in the end. It was an engaging story from start to finish. I only knocked off some stars for the outdated and problematic portrayal/tropes of gay men. I recognize it for what it is though and the time I which it was released. I still enjoyed it and was rooting for the main characters the entire time! A definite watch no matter your orientation.
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7/10
A romantic comedy with a difference
Tweekums30 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Protagonist Shuichi is lead singer in up and coming Japanese pop group 'Bad Luck'; one day his life is changed when he drops the piece of paper with his latest lyrics written on. It is picked up by a man who tells him that they are trite… rather than taking offence or just ignoring the uninvited criticism he finds himself strangely drawn to the man. It turns out the man was author Eiri Yuki. Shuichi goes to see Eiri and is surprised when they end up kissing… surprised because he didn't think he could feel that way for another man. A relationship gradually forms but Eiri can find Shuichi irritating and it is complicated by the fact that he has a fiancée already… even though he hasn't seen her for some time. Away from this relationship the band is getting more successful which leads to animosity with the lead singer of the rival band 'Ask' who doesn't want to see their dominant position usurped.

When I started watching this series I knew very little about it; I certainly didn't realise it featured a gay relationship at its centre; when I learnt this I decided to continue watching despite realising I was not part of the target demographic. It turns out the series wasn't bad at all; there were plenty of funny moments and a decent enough story. Most of the characters were good although I couldn't help thinking that Shuichi was far too obsessive; had Eiri been a woman Shuichi's actions would have seemed creepy rather than funny. As one might expect from a series about a band there are plenty of musical numbers and these were quite fun… thankfully these songs were left in the original Japanese in the English dub.

On the subject of the dub; I usually prefer to watch in Japanese with subtitles but this dub was watchable despite sounding a little bland at times. Some things grated though; it seemed odd when people who were talking about people they knew well referred to them as Mr This or Mr that when English speakers would be unlikely to do that; it would have been better to either use the Japanese honorifics or use the characters given names.

Over all I'd say this is worth watching once even if you aren't part of the target demographic (it is officially Shojo). There is nothing that could be considered offensive in the story; it is certainly far less graphic than series aimed at boys where it seems de rigour to show female characters in revealing clothes at some point.
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8/10
A funny rock anime
Irishchatter1 March 2018
Definitely this one would make you laugh with Shuuichi being the really over excited rocker kid from town with the famous grumpy romantic novelist Yuki.

Also Shuuichi's pink hair just really was outstanding throughout this series and like if I wasn't happy the way my hair looked or if I didn't like the colour of it, I definately would go for his hair! I know I'm weird but it just really appealed to me as a Yaoi fan haha.

I even liked the character Hiro who was Shuuichi's bandmate, he just had that caring and laid back personality that would make you want to become friends with him. Character development = on fleek lol!

Definitely a movie to watch if you're into Japanese music or just want a cute romantic anime movie to watch for laughs!
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A fantastic anime - romantic, funny, dramatic, exciting!
regionalgirl3 May 2003
Gravitation is one of my all-time favorite animes. It's got a great story line and some of the most unique characters I've ever encountered. The star, Shindou Shuichi and his best friend Nakano Hiroshi are a struggling Japanese Rock band. An already unsure Shuichi has even bigger doubts about himself and his career after an encounter with the mysterious Yuki Eiri. This anime is exciting and hilarious! So many twists and turns throughout the series keep you guessing at just how our pink haired star will overcome his newest obstacle. This anime may seem a little... different. Mainly due to it's yaoi (male/male) natures, but don't let that urk you. This anime is really fantastic. Only 13 episodes (and two OVA) it's short, but it really makes up for it. If I were grading, I'd give this show an A+, no doubt, for great animation, great charcaters, and all in all a great story.
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10/10
the best!
GirlFromOZ868 May 2006
This is my all time favorite anime/manga of all time. Not only is it hilarious and cute and bubbly but it has a very beautiful love story and a very strong message about love. It really shows the point that love is love and cant be denied no matter the gender.

And the characters, oh my what would gravitation be with out its wonderful characters. The star, Shuichi Shindou, is a young aspiring musician with a killer voice. He has a super hyper personality you cant help but fall in love with. He is very passionate and would do anything for those he loves. And then there's Eiri Yuki, a beyond beautiful writer with a cold and harsh personality. He is very smart and witty and a very interesting and great character. Shuichi's best friend Hiro is the genius guitarist for their band bad luck. Hiro is a very sweet character and a great friend to Shuichi. Then there's the o so lovable Ryuichi. He is probably the craziest character in this series. he is a lot like Shuichi(crazy and hyper)but actually even more crazy and hyper. He acts like a child a lot but when he sings(hes the lead singer of the band nittle grasper)he gets super serious and crazy cool. He also happens to be Shuichis idol. Another grand character is Bad Lucks manager K. Hes a trigger happy American that will stop at nothing to help Shuichi and bad luck.

Gravitation is a story about two unlike people falling in love even though there are many obstacles in their way. This series i feel could never be hated by anyone and everyone who watches it is sure to fall in love.
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10/10
Outstanding
Gravitation is an anime which tells the heart-warming story of Shuichi, the lead singer of a Japanese rock band called Bad Luck, who encounters and begins a romantic relationship with the romance novelist Yuki.

The characters are all likable and their voices match perfectly. Shuichi is the hyper teenage boy who dreams of becoming a rock star and has an interesting taste in fashion, Yuki is shrouded in mystery and can be rather cold to Shuichi at times, Hiro is the extremely supportive and companionable best friend of Shuichi, and K is the intimidating manager of Bad Luck. Each character has a different personality and their own dreams, so there is a great variation.

Secondly, the plot is well-paced and heart-wrenching; not once did it fail to make me emotional or put a smile on my face. It doesn't take itself too seriously and the romance isn't mushy or cringeworthy. I can honestly say this is the best love story I have ever heard. Additionally, Yuki's backstory is horrific and enough to make me understand why Yuki is how he is as well as to sympathise with him.

Thirdly, the animation is faultless. All of the scenery and the characters are vibrant and skillfully drawn. Shuichi, Yuki and Hiro are easily the most attractive characters and their outfits reflect their personalities, especially Shuichi's feminine clothes and dog costume.

Finally, the music is enjoyable to listen to and memorable, and it is the music which is key to Gravitation. Although the show has a tendency to repeat its songs, they don't become tedious.

All in all, Gravitation is a unique, hugely entertaining and fun anime. The yaoi (gay) couple are adorable and their relationship is realistic, the story is captivating and filled with hilarious moments, and the animation is incredible.
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10/10
One of my all time favorites
coledenzler13 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Sweet, silly, heart-wrenching. It's like a soap opera with an ending. Sort of. This will only appeal to you if you feel intensely and can picture yourself in the Yuki-Shuichi dynamic. This is a story about melancholy love and what happens around it. It's not "deep" but it might make you feel for Shuichi and Yuki. If you have a fantasy world and a guy like Shuichi or Yuki is the star if it, you will like this movie. Shuichi is sweet, innocent, eager to please, dynamic, almost bipolar,and f-ing adorable. Yuki is cruel, uptight, closed off, demeaning, and yet cares deeply for Shuichi and (hopefully) mistreats Shuichi only because that is the only way he has learned to cope with the world and everyone in it. Sure they are both unhealthy and crazy, but at least they are crazy for each other. 10/10 for the way it makes me feel.
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1/10
the main love interest sucks
cookiesareawsome14 October 2021
The love interest for the main character sucks, he's so rude and mean to the main character. He keeps secrets all the time, plays with his emotions. I stopped watching after 5 episodes, jesus.
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5/10
"If only that was the punchline"
jaysshukla20 September 2021
Everything about this series is so exaggerated. Whether we talk about Shindo starts arguing over silly things so much that it literally turns him into a cat or a dog or eventually even makes him dumb, being unable to speak anything or how fast he starts running after the break up, leaving behind even the full speed train or the manager using Guns, rifles or grenades during the rehearsal. I know I shouldn't be surprised with that as there are many anime with such ultra exaggerated stuffs. It should however be noted that in recent Shounen ai anime, we no longer see the uke main character casually wearing crops and shorts (and that too even during the stage performance).

Yuki's backstory has been hyped since the earliest episodes. We just keep waiting for that but that intense moment almost never comes. When everything is so exaggerated, Yuki's backstory was done very subtly. Even the ending feels incomplete to certain extent.

This is probably one of the worst anime I have watched .

. .

. .

If only that was the punchline.

The best thing about this anime is its humour. Though silly at times, you quickly get used to it and it keeps you entertained.

I was expecting some great songs since it's a musical anime but I like OVA songs more than the ones featured in the series. The animation definitely is outdated but the series animation turns out to be many times better than the OVA's.

It's better not to talk about the characterisation here because in so many aspects the anime feels incomplete or as if it is missing few things. Most of the characters or their circumstances too felt unresolved.
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Love It
SpazMcG728 December 2004
I absolutely love Gravitation. It's honestly sweet and human and in most ways, very believable. One of the only Anime with 100% authentic feeling. The music is a big plus as well, as is the writing. Givent I've never seen the English Dubbed version of this anime, but if it's half as good as the Original Japanese then I'm sure it's wonderful. Being that this is my favorite yaoi, I've only got good things to say about it, and though others are entitled to their opinion, to those who insult it for being either "stupid", "immoral" or "unnatural" can I just ask you to open your minds and watch it? You may really love it. Also, most fan's who watch it are in love with yuki and his bad boy ways, this is not me, personally I prefer Ruichi in all of his childish glory.
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1/10
I download the wrong movie .
superiver-6542410 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I thought it was the movie with the same title or the animation just like. MOONLIGHT MILE .I became even more convinced that he was an old anime. When I watched the first episode, I became desperate. Adhering to the principle of not wasting time, I have finished reading it now that I have downloaded it. When I saw the protagonist's dress, I couldn't bear it immediately! I really can't bear it physiologically. Later on, I watched the wandering starry sky while listening to the soundtrack of this film, and I finally finished watching it. When downloading a movie in the future, be sure to keep an eye on its content.
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great fun
blackfractal7 October 2003
This anime is one of the few, GOOD shonen-ai series. It is a story about love (not sex): the 'gravitation' of two people and how their relationship affects everyone around them. The plot is based heavily on the personalities of its diverse, interesting and overall likable cast of characters. Once you get over the notion that just about every one of these characters seems either gay or bi, it's really great fun. The soundtrack is really good, too, if you like Japanese techno.
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It's Gravitation!
Finite-Dream4 November 2002
What else is there to say but "It's Gravitation!"

Once getting over the gimick of "Hey! Look at the gay guys!" this show still has some neat stuff to offer. The singing is amazing, just check out the OST. The characters are amazing. The songs are great. It's histerically funny. The background music is superb. The animation is -very- pretty. And did I mention the music?

Get used to The Rage Beat, though, because you're going to hear it a thousand times. And you better like random English, because at -least- a quarter of this completely forsakes Japanese.

Which is really, really funny. ^^ After Sakano-san's random outburst of "Oh my sweet baby" whilst spinning his head, I had no respect for my own language anymore.

If you're looking for plot, though, go far far away. There's really nothing more than the band thing and the Yuki nonsense. Yeah, you finally learn what happened in his past. Ta-da.

Rather, this show is driven by the characters. Especially Ryuchi! Kumagoro BEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMM!

((You might want to check out the OAV for that one.))

So if you're a shounen-ai fan and you want something cute and fluffy, this is the show for you.

((Also recommended: FAKE))
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It has corrupted my friends!
Flameshadow18 June 2003
All of my friends who have seen this show have become obsessed and madly in love with Yuki!!! While I'm not an obssesive fangirl of this show, It has great music and animation, and is often meaningful and funny. The only thing bad is that there are only 13 episodes and it is only availible in Japanese(which is ok, because dubbs can ruin a show)
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Watch out! *SPOILER* What makes Gravitation so good!
Luka-chan22 January 2003
Warning: Spoilers
The main plot of this series is the relationship of two famous people. What makes the story interesting is the fact that they are completely different from each other, except for both being male. Shuichi, the youngest one, is the vocalist of the upcoming band Bad Luck; he is completely emotional and expansive. Yuki, the handsome novelist, loved by many women all around Japan, is cold and a little bit cruel (although there is a sad story that explains his behavior). What we see is how this relationship affects not only the personal life of the two people involved, but also their careers, their friends, their enemies, their families and their fans. It includes advice, arguments, marketing plans, media stalking and even blackmailing. The greatest thing about Gravitation is that it is not always serious. There are a lot of funny situations and characters. It begins on the messy relationship of the two famous guys: they fight so much and Shuichi makes such a big deal of it. He turns his mood really quickly (although his emotions are always exaggerated), depending on how Yuki is treating him. Other funny characters are Ryuichi, Sakano, K and Tatsuha. Ryuichi is the vocalist of the band Nittle Grasper and he is Shuichi's idol. He has two personalities: the serious one (on the stage) and the completely childish and crazy one. Sakano is Bad Luck's producer and he is always freaking out about everything that affects the band, specially the relationship between Shuichi and Yuki. K is the manager of Bad Luck and he always uses his guns (no kidding) to persuade people to do what he wants (in a funny way, of course). Tatsuha is Yuki's youngest brother, from whom he is completely different. He is Ryuichi's biggest fan (together with Shuichi) and he makes anything to get close to his idol. Gravitation has something we almost never see on japanese animation: a corresponded love relationship.
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Good anime story with GREAT ILLUSTRATION
lia0002716 December 2002
WOW! Excellent drawing from this anime which make me like this anime. The story is good, about someone who not give up so easily to be with someone he loved. Many people had bad past, but this anime touch us to forget about the past and learn to enjoyed the time which we had. And sometimes the story can made me laugh, that's very funny when Shuici did something unusual.

I think this anime is not story about "Gay", but very coincidence that the one who he love is a man.

And the songs from this anime for tv series and ova is great. I really like the song, especially from the ova version (song : IN THE MOONLIGHT). This song is really saying about Shuici-kun and Yuki in ova, the lyric is honestly GOOD.
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A common misconception.
Negai11 February 2005
A common misconception about Gravitation is that if you are a male, you have to be gay or bi to enjoy it. This isn't true. The relationship between Shindo and Yuki is only half of it - the music is also a huge part, and it's very good. The voice acting is excellent, especially by the last few episodes. Just don't watched the dubbed version. The "gay" part is VERY tame (especially compared to the manga).

Though the storyline gets off the track of the original manga, it basically stays on track, even though some of the characters have different parts (in the manga, Noriko comes in way before K-san and has a much bigger part, the scene with Aizawa Taki is a lot more drawn out and intense, et cetera). The ending to the anime is well done and it doesn't seemed rushed or dissatisfying. This is good not only for people who like shounen-ai, but people who like a lot of colour and Japanese club music.
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Gravitation
Anime_KuroNeko2 July 2005
most people say this Animes just for girls i don't think that way,i believe its one that is for everyone who understands it & or isn't bothered by the same sex dating & etc... to me this Anime is awesome cause its something different from what I'm used to,i mean cause i see a lot with the different sex but finally i saw this one with the same sex,that got me interested but over all this is one funny,cute show that can pull some people right in & for the characters like Shuichi & Eiri,they make a cute couple & the other characters in the show just make it more interesting & enjoyable to watch,& its not just the romance part of the show thats got me hooked,its Shuichi & his band,cause they try to become number one in Japan but hey this is the way i look at it
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Destiny is Unstopable...until it gets dubbed
Pendolse135 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Gravitation, a manga that ended as a 12 volume manga then was picked up again by Murakami Maki-san. I liked the manga, but the anime had a few artistic flaws in it. The art flaws and plot revises were covered up by good voice acting.

Shindou Shuichi is an aspiring musician and in a band with Nakano Hiroshi called 'Bad Luck'. One night Shuichi loses his lyrics and Yuki Eiri, novelist finds them. All forms of stupidity, romance, and wackiness there after ensue.

In the anime version, Yuki loses some warmth of his character which he had towards the end of the manga. The art was very good in then manga, but the art in the anime's was pitiful and the dub truly accented said flaws.

Overall, Head to Chinatown or something like that for subbed goodness. Read the manga as well. Avoid the dub if you're already a fan.
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Gravi is so cool!
scyllaya5 February 2006
Gravitation is just absolutely awesome. It's one of the best animes I've ever seen. The characters are original, and the story is so good!! The shounen-ai is an extra thing in it in my opinion. There are lots of really good jokes in it (eg. Ryuichi is playing with Japanese words) and basically it is also a love story, a really good one. If you don't mind the shounen-ai (male/male love) you must see it. It's an No. 1 anime!! ^_^ My favorite character is Yuki Eiri, well... I guess most of the girls think like that. He's the absolutely cool character. Shu-chan is really cute and funny. And Ryuichi Sakuma is also funny, but sometimes he can be really serious, and than he's awesome. And the music is also really good. The singing voice of Shuichi is Kotani Kinya, and he's voice is really godlike. I just love it. The lyrics are also really sweet, a nearly cried when i first read the In The Moonlight and the Shining Collection. But Nittle Grasper's songs are also good. There's one thing I can say: "Utsuru toki o osorenaide" - (Don't fear the time of change) /Ryuichi in the song Sleepless Beauty/
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Very Good Anime
to_hell_with_you23 June 2005
I have downloaded three episodes, but i still crave for more. This is basically what the story is about: The lead singer in a Japanese band called Bad Luck falls in love with a novelist. The novelist tells him that his lyrics are worthless, but really he has fallen in love with the young singer. The novelist, Yuki, then tells the young singer he can move in with him. The singer has to deal with Yuki's past lovers, such as his fiancée, and must calm his loud and hyper self down in order to win over Yuki's love and to know about his past. Finally, the young singer tries everything to make Yuki love him back, he even dresses like a girl, despite being a guy, so he would get loved back. I can't really say what goes on after this, but i know that the young singer goes through a harsh time trying to keep up with his band, the rivalries, but most of all, Yuki's love. I will try to download all 13 episodes or buy the DVD set and I'll keep u posted.

By the way, i forgot how to spell the lead singer's name and if you want to see them for yourself, just download them at Kazza or ,what i use, LimeWire!...
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