Maki Murakami’s messy haired boys are what first drew me to this series. Something about the soft tousled look they have makes the characters more memorable. Of course it took me a while to realize the Shuichi’s hair was pink! The soft colors on the cover of the volume make it look red-ish so the first time I saw a picture I was shocked.

The things that really gets on my nerves are the constant “butt faces” where pretty to normal looking characters are suddenly distorted beyond belief in a disgusting (looking) show of emotion. This is a trait I accept more easily in a shonen (boy’s) manga but in a shone ai (boy’s love) manga the audience is primarily female- and I think it’s less appropriate.

With the “About Gravitation Track…”, “Q & A Corner”, “How to be Shuichi Shindou” features, and glamour shots galore Maki Murakami has packed this manga full of fun surprises. I always like author talk sections, hearing about the life of a manga-ka (manga artist) and I think it helps American audiences to get a glimpse of Japanese life.

Everybody wants to be a rock star when they grow up but few people actually have the balls to make it. Maki Murakami puts forth a series where you not only know Shuichi will make it but where you want to go smack him when he sabotages his own chances of success. You have to love Shu-chan, he’s too pink and cuddly not to, I mean come on; his adorableness even melts Ice-man Eiri Yuki. The twists and turns Maki Murakami takes along the path keep you constantly guessing. There is no way to predict where the story is going next. I know, I tried for 12 volumes and was still surprised on almost every page. I’m not a fan of roller coasters but I promise you this manga is one thrilling ride.

Gravitation is a shonen ai (boy’s love) story and may not be for everyone but even when Shuichi decides he is in love with Yuki the story remains largely innocent. This is a reminder to us all that love can go beyond age, race, or gender. Feelings are the key. If more people honestly listened to their feelings the world might be a lot nicer place to live.

The sheer number of convention cosplayers wearing Shuichi’s various concert costumes says volumes about how invested the community is in this twisty- turny warped little coming-of-age tale. I don’t know if I believe in gravity as a force of love but Gravitation definitely has a force of attraction with Maki Murakami’s art (butt faces, aside), the glamour of the “I wanna be a rock star” story, and an aloof, gorgeous guy who can’t resist an adorable force of nature this manga has a lot more going for it than most.

As with most manga vs. anime series the anime leaves a lot of character development behind so it was refreshing to revisit Shuichi’s world and actually spend some time watching him at school and home and work before he meets Yuki or gets his big break. Everyone wants to be a rock star sometimes and I can’t think of anyone who has a more interesting ride there than Shuichi and Bad Luck.