Gravitation Volume 5

by Maki Murakami

Book Overview

Shuichi and his band, Bad Luck, are rising stars in Japan's pop scene, and their chief rival, ASK, seems doomed to the has-been status of an 80s hairband. But just when it looks like the top spot on the Billboard charts is Bad Luck's for the taking, a completely unexpected competitor emerges.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591823374
• ISBN13: 9781591823377
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: TokyoPop
• Length: 202 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 16 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 11 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

LuV GRAVITATION!!

If you can overlook the fact that this is a shonen-ai (boy love) series, then you will most undoubtly love this manga! I started reading about two months ago after I read about it in Anime Insider. After I bought the first one, I was hooked!! I bought up to number 6, and want number 7!! >_< <br /> <br />Trust me, the art is beautifully done, the plot is done oh-so-well too and it is just...wonderful!!! <br /> <br />(Lesse, I have ten bucks...and a one...I CAN BUY SEVEN!! ^_^_^)

Surprisingly spectacular

Gravitation has greatly surprised me. It excels at several aspects. The character developement is some of the best I've seen. The translation/language is outstanding. The dialouge is fun, emotional, and excitingly bold. The art is outstanding as well, and it's neat to see how the character art evolves as the story progresses. The story works at a fast enough pace that it's very easy to become hooked. And this excitement stays consistent throughout the different volumes as well.While it does deal with controversial themes, and is intensly mature at times- it isn't entertaining to just a niche audience. It covers a broad spectrum of themes- the relationship between Yuki and Shuichi isn't the only thing that will have you clinging to your seat (and it will!). The story of Shuichi's band "Bad Luck" will interest anyone who likes music, especially those that dig the Japanese visual kei bands. The anime however, does not do it justice- and should under no circumstances be used to judge the manga. The anime is at best a treat for those that have already read the manga, and want to see it in moving color. Otherwise, it could not stand up on its on. It moves too quickly through it's narrow 13 episode limit. I whole heartedly recommend this title. This easily ranks somewhere at the top of my list. I haven't been able to put it down.

One of the best!

A bit of a spoiler warning for this review. I absolutely loved this book if for nothing more than the priceless look on Tohma's face when K throws Shuichi on a TV show in place of Ryuichi. It's just hilarious to see Tohma lose his composure. I really love his charater. It's so unpredictable. Oh, right...this is a review. This book is really just for plot development. Bad Luck gets a new manager and a new keyboardist all in the same day! (Yea!) Karma finally catches up with Taki Aizawa. (double yea!) I really love Tohma. Just had to say that one more time. Read the book and you'll see why!

The funniest popular BL title.

Hey, just wanted to tell you that Maki Murakami has her OWN doujinshi circle called "Crocodile" so when there are no more mangas of Gravitation to buy, scout online for Maki's official REMIX GRAVITATION doujinshis. There are over a dozen. They contain the kind of stuff her publishers would not have allowed her to publish in Gravitation. (Be X Boy would have though.) Basically, if you don't get Remix, you dont have the complete series. Note that because of the content, Remic Gravitation will never be translated into English & sold in stores, but if you're lucky there will be fan translations online.

Riiing Riiing!

Wow!! I'm the first to review this book!! What a great honor!! Anyway, this is an awesome book. As we all saw at the very end of book 4, Ryuichi Sakuma (Drool!) has returned to Japan, and brought his American manager (a tall guy with long blonde hair and a gun), with him! Ryuichi is supposed to appear on a tv show, but he and Tatsuha went to the zoo, leaving K (the American gun toting manager) searching frantically for him. The unsuspectig Shuichi walks into the building and is immediatly dragged out by the American who thinks he is Ryuichi (They look so much alike depite the 13 year age difference!)Shuichi is flung on stage and attempts to entertain the crowd with a game in which people name animals that start with certain sounds (ex: ko-koala). Ryuichi arrives just in time to find Shuichi singing his favorite song by Nittle Grasper. This upsets Ryuichi, who feels that he should be the coolest one around. He tells Shuichi to get off his stage, which leads Shuichi to believe his idol hates him. After this incident, Nittle Grasper decides to reunite (GASP!), which means that Pico Pico Noriko chan is no longer a member of Bad Luck. Shuichi does not like her replacement keyboarder. There is something wrong about him. (...) This is a really great series, and a really great volume. This one is much longer than the previous 4 volumes, so be prepared to say to yourself, "Gee, this is taking much longer than usual..." I recomend this to pretty much everyone, but not to homophobes. Then again, homophobes wouldn't have made it past volume 2, so by now there's nothing but hardcore fans!! Yeah!!