Anime Gravitation

[Dagger]

I've only seen up until Episode 6..... *sobs*

Gravitation is seriously the most addictive show I've ever had the good fortune to watch (thanks, Scott!). I also happen to own the first two volumes of the manga, and can safely say that both are excellent in their own right.

I found it interesting how the anime's director chose to portray Yuki; he's a bit softer in the manga, and occasionally even goes SD.

neko, is Gravitation really only twelve volumes long? I heard that it's still running in Japan, but that Maki Murakami decided to take a break (of undetermined length) from drawing it.

~Dagger~

[Guest rttocs77]

What does SD mean? Want me to bring 7-13 and the OVAs monday?

Are there any other differences in terms of character personalities that you can notice between the manga and the anime?

[Verykawaiineko]

The president tohma is one of my fave characters...[spoiler]so nice and helpful but if you lay a finger on his eiri-san hell push you into traffic....[/spoiler]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Dagger IX1 [/i]
[B]I've only seen up until Episode 6..... *sobs*

neko, is Gravitation really only twelve volumes long? I heard that it's still running in Japan, but that Maki Murakami decided to take a break (of undetermined length) from drawing it.

~Dagger~ [/B][/QUOTE]

*tears* yes Murakami-sensei said that she was taking a break from it...i want it to continue but she is concentrating on other projects...if you dont have enough Gravi..there are always the remixes drawn by Murakami-sensei her self...*evil grin*

ps yes yuki is soo kawaii in the manga [spoiler]like when he started to smoke the WHOLE pack of cigarettes and set the bed on fire...*laughs*[/spoiler]

PPS SD is super deformed or big heads with lil bodies, or chibies or just REALLY KAWAIII

[Dagger]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by rttocs77 [/i]
[B]What does SD mean? Want me to bring 7-13 and the OVAs monday?

Are there any other differences in terms of character personalities that you can notice between the manga and the anime? [/B][/QUOTE]

Yes! That would be FANTASTIC. ^__^

Hmm.... well, for one thing, the manga contains a [i]lot[/i] more sexual content than the anime. The first volume is listed as 13+; by the second volume, the rating has risen to 16+.

Mika (Yuki's big sister) is a lot more aggressive in the manga. She refuses to take crap from anyone. In the first volume, when Yuki uses Shuichi to get her off his back, she becomes absolutely furious and storms off, telling him that she hates him. The same thing happens in the Gravitation anime (during episode 2, I think), but Mika only calls Yuki a fool before taking her leave.

Oh, and neko's right about the meaning of "SD."

~Dagger~

[eleanor]

[size=1] The ending to the Gravitation series is pretty well done in my opinion. ^_^ [spoiler] Tohma, the president of NG, loves Yuki Eiri and thought it would be best for him to stay away from Suichii because of the heartache and guilt of the murder of his tutor. When Yuki tells Tohma "I'm going home," he means Suichii.[/spoiler] [/size]

[Doukeshi]

It is truly, truly sweet and so very inspiring. Just check out who I represent in mal's lil club heh. Though shuichi irritates the hell out of me [spoiler]what was with the dog suit in the final episode anyway, I mean seriously if you're going to stop someone from commiting suicide surely there would have ben a more appropriate way[/spoiler] *takes a deep breath*. Anyway...I haven't read the manga, though I'd like to.

[Verykawaiineko]

Shuichi i thought was alot more mature in the Manga even tho the author admits to having fun lolita-izing him..yay..i like happy endings....

[Dagger]

My fellow Gravi fans, I have thrilling news. ^_^ The Right Stuf has not only finished dubbing the series, but has also set a release date for volume 1 (finally!). The first DVD will come out on June 29 of this year, which isn't all that far away.... I can't even begin to describe my excitement.

[IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18694&stc=1[/IMG]

That's an image of the optional artbox. Needless to say, I'm extremely pleased with its high quality and lovely design; I know I won't mind forking over a few extra dollars in order to have it sitting prettily on my shelf. The pictures which they choose really capture the spirit of the show.

Gravitation Vol. #1, "Fateful First Encounter," will contain episodes 1-3. It's going to be accompanied by a veritable host of extras: a reversible cover, the U.S. trailer, liner notes, an art gallery, Bad Luck profiles, Right Stuf previews and other items yet to be announced. It seems as though TRS is putting a lot of effort into this series--an admirable and daring move. I'm quite happy about how they're handling its release.

~Dagger~

[Kinoko Shima]

I just finished watching the whole Gravitation series. It was awesome! Shuichi definatly is more mature in the manga than in the anime, but that's ok. It's still very very sweet and totally hillarious! I cried during the last few episodes (i'm an emotional person). The part that really got me was at the end of the last episode. It was just too sweet! At least to me anyway. Those who have seen the series know what I'm talking about. :D

[adempton]

Well, I got my hands on Gravitation Vol. #1 by Right Stuf. Sadly, I'm a little disappointed. For the record, I've seen this entire series [I]multiple [/I] times on fansub, and it is one of my absolute favorite to date.

I think I'm going to get my little dub rant out of the way. Typically I can't stand dubs, so excuse my lack of tolerance. ^^; First, I was extremely relieved to know that Right Stuf got the license to this series, because I certainly did not want it butchered... And they put quite a bit of effort into the US distribution, but ohhh my goodness. I think the first painful part of the dub is Shuichi's entrance. The classic "[COLOR=Magenta]LA LI HO![/COLOR]" is replaced with "Heyaaaaaaaaaaaa" ...[I][B]*twitch*[/B][/I]
But I have a bigger beef. Hiro sounds like he as a subwoofer in his throat. His voice is way too deep or has too much echo. I can't stand listening this guy talk. Everyone in the series speaks so close to monotone, I can't help but become insanely bored. (Like during the scene where Shuichi talks about saving the helpless turtle... all life was leeched out of that scene. All life.)
Yuki sounds like a 50-year-old nerd. I guess I can't notice such things in Japanese because it isn't my native language, so I really wouldn't be able to say such things otherwise. But it's really painful when you can hear them trying to sound dramatic at a certain point, and they fail miserably. >_<

[quote name='Dagger IX1']It's going to be accompanied by a veritable host of extras: a reversible cover, the U.S. trailer, liner notes, an art gallery, Bad Luck profiles, Right Stuf previews and other items yet to be announced.[/quote]
The extras really aren't that impressive. It's nice to have them, but I wouldn't have cared if they weren't there. The art gallery is small (at least on this volume), I've seen better bios of these characters, and the U.S. trailer is really badly done. (I probably could have done better...) The linear notes were somewhat interesting, but they didn't contain anything I didn't already know.

But the DVD does have its pluses. It [I]is [/I] a DVD, after all. And the video quality is just phenomenal. I was blown away by the clarity of the art. Obviously I know what a DVD looks like, but I've seen the lower-quality fansubs so many times. This was an amazing change. If anything, besides supporting a great anime, this is the main reason to get the DVD's.

There is one thing I don't understand though. I really don't have much basis for saying this, but the Japanese track sounds different. Maybe because it's more clear? It just seemed less intense. Maybe Yuki's voice doesn't have as much bass to it or something since it isn't on my computer speakers... I'd be curious to see if anyone else comes up with the same observation.

Well, that's pretty much my look at it. I know it sounds pretty cynical, but don't let me degrade it too much. By turning on the Japanese track, my favorite anime is 10x more enjoyable, and on a DVD! It's very worth it. It just could have been a bit better. ^_^

~adempton

EDIT: I just wanted to point out that the Japanese track sounds perfectly [I]fine[/I]. I blame what I said on my computer speakers, since I was running the DVD off of my DVD-ROM. Once I put it in my actual DVD player (even with my cheap sound system) it sounded awesome. Way better than the fansub, even. So worry not, Yuki still has his mysteriously hunky deep voice, and The Rage Beat has never sounded better. ^_^

[Dagger]

[quote name='adempton']I think I'm going to get my little dub rant out of the way. Typically I can't stand dubs, so excuse my lack of tolerance. ^^;[/quote]

*laughs* I'm a huge proponent of dubs, so I guess people perusing this thread will really get both sides of the story. ;)

My copy of volume 1 arrived in the mail earlier today. Having watched the first episode, I can say that Gravitation's dub definitely shows promise. However, some of the actors are just starting to ease into their roles, and as a result of this there are a couple of awkward moments.

I personally think the English VAs were extremely well-cast, with the lone exception of Yuki (Rome Elliot). Tohma in particular sounds magnificently soft, calm and dangerous. Rich McNanna, who plays Shuuichi, has a more inconsistent performance but demonstrates that he's capable of matching his Japanese counterpart's tone and energy (though rarely both at once). Sakano's English voice blew me out of the water--it's absolutely perfect and just as hilarious as the original.

I'll admit I had my heart set on hearing Crispin Freeman as Yuki. Honestly, I can't imagine any English voice actor better suited for that role than him. Rome Elliot pretty much nails Yuki's characteristic deadpan, and he isn't a bad actor. Yet I [i]know[/i] Crispin Freeman would have matched the Japanese performance almost exactly. Oh, well...


[quote]The extras really aren't that impressive.[/quote]

Did you get the limited edition backstage pass? I love that thing, heh.

EDIT: I forgot to add that although the English dub could end up being way above average, right now the Japanese version totally owns it. Gravitation's original cast is just brilliantly good.

EDIT #2: Okay, I just watched the next two episodes. I'm happy to declare that Gravitation's dub improves by leaps and bounds--I have no qualms about watching the remainder of the series in English (since I've already seen the Japanese version countless times). Ironically enough (at least considering my earlier comments), Rome Elliot may be the best actor in the entire American cast. Once I grew accustomed to his voice, I realized that he does a fantastic job of conveying emotion while sounding like he couldn't possibly care less--which is practically Yuki's stock in trade. It was immensely unfair of me to be biased against him even before I ventured into the dub.

~Dagger~

[nolimits]

[COLOR=Indigo][FONT=Georgia]


I've seen a lilttle of it, but already am madly in love, i'm still trying to get the DVD, so if anyone has any information of where to get it in Canada, how much it is ...

~peace~

PS: thanx Dagger Ix1 for the tips :)[/FONT][/COLOR]

[IMG]http://img7.imagetown.net/76855000.bmp[/IMG]
:love:

[Dagger]

TRSI just announced that they have secured the rights to the Gravitation OVA (the uncut version, thankfully). It's set to come out sometime in the summer of 2005. I'm glad they've picked it up; hopefully this means that Gravi has proven to be a financial success for the company. ^_^

~Dagger~

[eleanor]

[color=firebrick] XD This thread is so old! Back when my user name was anime_gurl. ... *shudders*

I got this really, super cheap Gravitation box set about a year ago, I think, but I'll probably end up getting this one, too. Americans always add in all the extra stuff. :3 I probably won't even try the English Dub because I thought the Japanese dub was amazing...and I like to read subtitles. :D Now my brain is getting excercise...or something.

I'll probably snatch up the OVA when it comes out...the art difference is sort of leaning in my favor there, but we'll see.[/color]

[adempton]

I loved the Gravi OVA. I think it could be just because I wanted more, and it gave me an extra little taste. I really loved the end [spoiler]where Tohma says in English "It's... Gravitation." lol. It's like the corniest line ever, but I just thought it was great.[/spoiler] I think it gave me a chill at the time. ^^;

I've been so impressed with the quality of the TV DVD's, I'm really looking forward to seeing the OVA on DVD as well. I saw it a while ago (I still have it on my PC actually) and the video quality is horrendous. Sound was also a little muffled sounding if memory serves correctly. Something tells me the subbing is a bit off as well. Thanks for the heads up on it Dagger, something to look forward to. ^_^

[quote name='Dagger IX1']hopefully this means that Gravi has proven to be a financial success for the company. ^_^[/quote]
Hopefully, yeah. I wish for insane success with shounen-ai anime, because naturally I want (need) more to be made.

mal, that cheap box set you got was probably some sort of low-quality bootleg or something, no? If that's the case then these DVD's are definitely worth it. I'm such a stickler for quality. o.o

~adempton

[eleanor]

[color=firebrick] Naw, it was real deal. It was just amazingly cheap. O_o.

But I'm going to get the DVDs, anyway, I love Gravitation too much. ^_^[/color]

[Dagger]

Best Buy finally sent me volume 2, which includes one of my favorite episodes (Quiz de Pon!). For anyone else who might be watching Gravitation dubbed, pay careful attention to Ayaka, who is played by Rachael Lillis. She sounds just right: well-bred, polite to a fault and surprisingly spirited.

I'm still utterly cowed by the video quality--there are a lot of details (especially during the concert scenes on this particular disc) that I just didn't notice when watching my fansubs. The extra-vibrant artwork in episode 4 is also a big treat. I haven't gotten around to seeing episode 6 yet, but if I remember correctly it ends on something of a cliffhanger. It's a good thing volume 3 will be coming out in less than a month. :)

~Dagger~

[Godelsensei]

[COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]I can't believe I haven't posted here yet: after all, Godel simply loves Gravitation.

I haven't actually watched the show, but I have read the first eight volumes of the manga, and it would be a complete and utter lie to say I disliked this series in any way.

My favourite volumes will always be one through four, because I thought the characters had the most realistic substance throughout them.

Yes, that box-set is lovely, isn't it, Skippedry-chan? *wants it* The only thing I don't like about it is Hiro's shirt. O_o"" Leopard skin never looks good on [i]any[/i]thing or one--don't you agree?

Actually, a comic-book shop around here is screening Gravitation in the evenings of September. Too bad I wont realistically be at Yonge and Eglington at 9pm. *mutter* Stupid Universe! Ruining everything for me!

[Spoiler]Yeah, you were right Skippedry-chan--I do like K-san. He's pretty cool--for an American.[/Spoiler] xP *steals your box-set and runs away laughing maniacally*

Edit:

Seeing as the Hairy T stuck a picture of Yuki on their "anime screenings" banner on their site, I am sure they're selling Gravi there. (<--addressed to the lady in the blue font, who wanted to know where to buy Gravi in Canada) You can also find the manga on the shelves of any Chapters or !ndigo.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Dagger]

Thanks to various complications, volume 4 appeared in my mailbox way before volume 3--as a matter of fact, v. 3 still hasn't arrived. *fires off another email to customer service*

I'm posting because I finished the seventh and eighth volumes of the manga, both recently released by Tokyopop, and the differences between the Gravitation anime and manga really struck me as I re-read them while stewing over USPS's painfully slow shipping. The story and humor have become even more manic, making the television series seem (in comparison, at least) positively sedate. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, per se, but in my opinion Tohma has gotten really out of character. This makes it very hard for me to buy into the latest plot twists.

Gravitation used to be one of the only series whose manga I prefer to the anime version. For better or for worse, that's changed. The anime handles [spoiler]Yuki and Shuuichi's "platinum-selling" date[/spoiler] so much more gracefully than the manga, and makes the transition from [spoiler]funny and sweet to tense and dramatic[/spoiler] more effectively. I actually hated the manga's version of the [spoiler]date scene[/spoiler] and all the hijinks that preceded it. SD Yuki is funny. [spoiler]Cross-dressing[/spoiler] Yuki is, however, mortally scary. ^_^;;

For those of you who have been following the latest installments of the manga and anime, which do you like better, and why? I'm still leaning a little toward the manga, if only because there's more of it, but now I've started to view the anime in an even more favorable light. Whoever adapted the script did an excellent job despite not always having the best material to work with.

~Dagger~

[Godelsensei]

[COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]Despite having sto--uh, borrowed volume one from my dear friend, Samm, I haven't watched it yet.

I also have a firm hold on her volume eight, however, and I have read that many a time through.

One thing I don't like about the manga is how much [spoiler]Shuichi's character changes. He goes from being an independant, though depressed, synth-handler, who's got a vice grip on his fellow students' favour, to a crying, whiney [i]uke[/i]. I mean, he was [i]uke[/i] material to begin with, but not that intensely.[/spoiler]

I also agree that Tohma's [spoiler]gone psycho[/spoiler], but what can you do?

EDIT:

Oh yeah, and before I forget: Samm has the box, too, though she hid it in a drawer somewhere, because Ryuichi's nipples are scary. X_x Kind of ironic, seeing as she was looking around for Remix earlier today.

Is Remix really as unwholesome as is said?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[DarkOtakuBoy]

I have to say, I absolutly love this anime. Romance, goofy antics, harsh drama, and J-ROCK!!! ^_^ I normally dont get so involved in the characters plights (only other one I felt as strongly about is, Fruits Basket), but this one really brought me into the storyline.
I do have to say however, I'm not a HUUUUGGEE fan of short, 10-20 episode, anime series. I like epics. lol. I somehow always feel with short anime that the plot is thrown at me at lightning speed, and a lot of character development is left out. Thats not really the case here. I mean, the plot was right on track. I would like to have seen more of the supporting characters fleshed out. True, we got some info on Hiro's own love problems, but it didnt really seem to be enough. Hell....maybe I'm just too hard to please. hehe

Question....does the manga go more in depth about the characters backrounds and maybe have some side stories? That would rock much.


DarkOtaku Boy

[Dagger]

[quote name='DarkOtakuBoy']Question....does the manga go more in depth about the characters backrounds and maybe have some side stories? That would rock much.[/quote]

The manga does reveal Yuki's past in a more detailed manner, and (unlike the anime) sort of delves into his [spoiler]mental issues. There are several places where it strongly hints that he's not merely a cold-hearted bastard--he actually has multiple personalities or some other kind of dissociative disorder.[/spoiler] Particularly in the earlier volumes, the manga spends more time exploring the characters' emotions. However, while the manga is hysterically funny, the humor can also feel even more incongruous than in the anime. The artwork is initially kind of sketchy but does a complete turnaround about halfway through. I'd suggest buying the first volume to see if it clicks with you; I have found reading the Gravi manga to be a pretty rewarding experience. It definitely helps to flesh out the world and characters presented in the anime.

[quote name='Godelsensei][COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]One thing I don't like about the manga is how much [spoiler]Shuichi's character changes. He goes from being an independant, though depressed, synth-handler, who's got a vice grip on his fellow students' favour, to a crying, whiney [i]uke[/i]. I mean, he was [i]uke[/i] material to begin with, but not that intensely.[/spoiler][/font'][/color][/quote]

That is undeniably bizarre. It's exacerbated by the fact that the artwork improves dramatically over the course of the series, and yet most of the character designs remain fairly consistent--except when it comes to the manga's protagonist! Shuichi has started to look younger and younger, too; in some scenes of the latest volume, he could be easily mistaken for a middle-schooler. In one of the earlier author's notes, Maki Murakami actually mentioned how she was inadvertently "lolita-izing" Shuichi, but I never really noticed it until now.

[quote name='Godelsensei][COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]Is Remix really as unwholesome as is said?[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]

Ohhh yes. Ms. Murakami is nothing if not a dirty fangirl. The stories--if one can really call them that--are incredibly graphic, plotless, unadulterated smut... and hilarious, to boot. As I read Remix, I was reminded of the best comedic moments in the first few volumes of the regular manga, although the humor in Remix is obviously not very, um, appropriate. On a similar (but less pornographic) note, Gravitation had a doujinshi "pilot" of sorts, which contained the manga's basic storyline but revolved around different characters--Tatsuha and Ryuichi! Some more information about that can be found [url=http://www.nittlegrasper.com/index2.html][u]here[/u][/url]... click on "Nittle Grasper" and then the "Help!" icon with Ryuichi. As far as I know there aren't any scanslations available, though.

~Dagger~

[sinna]

have'nt been able to see the anime yet, though iv'e read through all the books currently out. I belive one of my freinds has the series on dvd, so i should be able to see it soon (hopefully)

[Dagger]

I hope you enjoy it. ^_^

Well, I finally got my hands on volume 3--which is great, as not only does it have one more episode than the other three discs, but also contains some of my favorite scenes in the entire anime.

For those of you who have seen the show, which parts or episodes did you find most memorable?

I absolutely love episodes 8 and 9. In episode 8, Shuichi stands backstage and watches Ryuichi [spoiler]perform on stage for the first time since they sang together. As Nittle Grasper's single comes to a finish, Shuichi collapses to his knees, almost in tears.[/spoiler] I love Nittle Grasper's music, and obviously that adds a lot to my enjoyment of it, but what I found really interesting was the rapid, effects-filled, music-video-like editing used to give the sequence a sense of drama and motion. This aspect of it is especially impressive given the show's limited budget. The moment when Ryuichi snaps out of his usual silly mode and stares coldly at the camera is simply mesmerizing. It's possible for the viewer to really understand why Shuichi feels so distant and unworthy.

When Ryuichi's performance is recapped in episode 9, the same footage is used but with far fewer filters and minutely slower movement, which lends it an entirely different mood.

I believe that episode 8 also includes the one and only time Yuki actually [spoiler]breaks down and cries[/spoiler] in the entire show. This is another scene that comes across so much better in the anime than in the manga. Although I was initially let down by what I heard of Gravi's dub in the beginning of volume 3, it once again improved tremendously in a very short period of time. I'm starting to love Rome Elliot... his Yuki is less sadistic and self-assured than Kazuhiko Inoue's, and so far he's completely owned all the really important emotional parts. I pretty much stopped breathing when I heard him [spoiler]choke back his grief[/spoiler] in the aforementioned scene.

And now, on to volume 4!

~Dagger~

[Kanariya]

[size=1][color=darkslateblue]Oh holy crap, I haven't even SEEN this thread yet?!?! *gasp* I gotta get back on these boards more often, I'm missing a bunch of stuffs.

Anyway, back to topic. I have just seen Gravitation like a month ago, and I am keeping up with it on On Demand. (Lame >.>) Yeah, I'm buying the manga for Christmas, cause I don't have any money at the moment. The DVDs are too expensive for me, I can't spend twenty-five dollars. And I don't buy on Ebay because I'm not legal age to actually buy on it anyway. Plus, I think mom would be pissed if I stole her credit card and spent money on DVDs on anime.

So far, I just ended from the episode when Shuichi (whatever how you spell his name), Hiro, and the other guy (yeah, not paying attention -_-), went on that game show. They bleeped out a word, what's Japanese for cat or something. I still don't get it. XD And plus, I wanna get farther in the series, because mentioning of "Yuki's Past", and you know the dramatic stuff will come in then, lots of drama. I love drama. ^_^

I remember, like coming across some reviews for Vol. 4 of Gravitation, and people said it was the best volume that was ever released. (Manga) I am trying not to read you guys' spoilers, hard to resist.[/color][/size]