TV-Series
Description
"Gravitation" is a 13-episode anime series based on the manga by Maki Murakami. The story centers on Shuichi Shindou, an aspiring musician and the lead vocalist of the band Bad Luck, who dreams of achieving fame and success. His life takes a dramatic turn when he encounters Yuki Eiri, a successful and enigmatic novelist. After a chance meeting, Yuki criticizes Shuichi’s lyrics, sparking a complex and tumultuous relationship between the two. Despite Yuki’s aloof and often dismissive demeanor, Shuichi becomes deeply infatuated with him, leading to a romantic entanglement marked by emotional highs and lows.
As Shuichi pursues his musical ambitions, he faces challenges both professionally and personally. His band, Bad Luck, struggles to gain recognition in the competitive music industry, while his relationship with Yuki is fraught with misunderstandings, jealousy, and Yuki’s unresolved emotional baggage. Yuki’s past, including his strained relationship with his family and his struggles with his own identity, adds layers of complexity to their dynamic. The series explores themes of love, ambition, and self-discovery as Shuichi navigates the pressures of his career and his deepening feelings for Yuki.
Supporting characters play significant roles in the narrative. Hiroshi Nakano, Shuichi’s best friend and bandmate, provides comic relief and unwavering support. Tohma Seguchi, the head of the record label N-G and Yuki’s brother-in-law, acts as a mentor figure to Shuichi while also harboring his own secrets. Ayaka Usami, Yuki’s sister, adds further tension to the story as her protective instincts clash with Shuichi’s determination to win Yuki’s affection. The interplay between these characters drives the plot forward, creating a blend of romantic drama, humor, and moments of introspection.
The series balances its focus on Shuichi’s musical journey with the evolving relationship between him and Yuki. As Bad Luck gains traction in the industry, Shuichi must confront the sacrifices and compromises required to achieve his dreams. Simultaneously, Yuki’s gradual emotional openness allows for moments of genuine connection, though their relationship remains fraught with challenges. The narrative culminates in a resolution that underscores the growth of both characters, leaving their future together open to interpretation while providing closure to key story arcs.
As Shuichi pursues his musical ambitions, he faces challenges both professionally and personally. His band, Bad Luck, struggles to gain recognition in the competitive music industry, while his relationship with Yuki is fraught with misunderstandings, jealousy, and Yuki’s unresolved emotional baggage. Yuki’s past, including his strained relationship with his family and his struggles with his own identity, adds layers of complexity to their dynamic. The series explores themes of love, ambition, and self-discovery as Shuichi navigates the pressures of his career and his deepening feelings for Yuki.
Supporting characters play significant roles in the narrative. Hiroshi Nakano, Shuichi’s best friend and bandmate, provides comic relief and unwavering support. Tohma Seguchi, the head of the record label N-G and Yuki’s brother-in-law, acts as a mentor figure to Shuichi while also harboring his own secrets. Ayaka Usami, Yuki’s sister, adds further tension to the story as her protective instincts clash with Shuichi’s determination to win Yuki’s affection. The interplay between these characters drives the plot forward, creating a blend of romantic drama, humor, and moments of introspection.
The series balances its focus on Shuichi’s musical journey with the evolving relationship between him and Yuki. As Bad Luck gains traction in the industry, Shuichi must confront the sacrifices and compromises required to achieve his dreams. Simultaneously, Yuki’s gradual emotional openness allows for moments of genuine connection, though their relationship remains fraught with challenges. The narrative culminates in a resolution that underscores the growth of both characters, leaving their future together open to interpretation while providing closure to key story arcs.
Episodes
Staffel 1
1Gravity
Shindo Shuichi loses the notebook containing his band Bad Luck's new lyrics when it slips from his bag on a bridge in Tokyo. A stranger picks up the notebook,reads the first line aloud, declares the writing childish, and throws the notebook back at Shuichi. Shuichi grabs the stranger's arm and demands an apology, but the man introduces himself as Eiri Yuki and walks away without further response. After returning home, Shuichi watches a television interview revealing Yuki as a popular romance novelist who publicly dismisses amateur musicians as untalented. Shuichi's band faces pressure from their manager to produce a commercially successful song or lose their chance at a recording contract. That night, Shuichi rewrites the lyrics completely, abandoning clever phrases for direct emotional expression. The next day, he tracks down Yuki's apartment, pounds on the door, and forces his way inside after Yuki tries to refuse him entry. Shuichi sings the new song at full volume, and Yuki stops his attempts to interrupt, listening silently until the final note. Yuki then tells Shuichi that the singing still lacks technical refinement but acknowledges that he did not turn away or throw Shuichi out. Shuichi leaves the apartment vowing to return every day until Yuki admits his music is good, establishing his determination to win Yuki's approval.
2The Sound That Enchants the Heart
Shuichi Shindo approaches Yuki Eiri on a bridge and hands him his handwritten lyrics. Yuki reads the lyrics,then tears the pages into pieces and calls them worthless. Shuichi shouts at Yuki but cannot retrieve the shredded paper from the river. Yuki walks away without apologizing. Hiroshi Nakano, Shuichi's bandmate, finds Shuichi sitting alone in a park. Shuichi tells Hiro that a stranger destroyed his work. Hiro suggests Shuichi write new lyrics from genuine emotion rather than trying to impress others. Shuichi returns to his apartment and stays awake all night writing. The next morning, he shows the new lyrics to Hiro, who approves. Bad Luck records a demo tape of the new song at a small studio. Shuichi takes the demo to NG Productions and asks to speak with a producer. Tohma Seguchi, the company's director, listens to the first few seconds of the demo. Tohma agrees to consider Bad Luck for a debut but demands a more polished performance. Later that day, Shuichi sees Yuki through a café window. Yuki sits with a woman who laughs and touches Yuki's hand. Shuichi presses his palm against the glass and watches without entering. The episode ends with Shuichi's unresolved jealousy and determination to win Yuki's recognition.
3Stray Heart
Shuichi Shindo climbs the fire escape outside Yuki Eiri’s apartment with a notebook of rewritten lyrics. Yuki had thrown Shuichi out earlier that day after Shuichi demanded he listen to a demo tape. Back at his own place,Shuichi tore up three versions of the song before Hiro arrived. Hiro warned that Yuki, a best-selling novelist known for rejecting all interviews, would never care about a teenager’s amateur music. Shuichi ignored the warning and returned to Yuki’s building at midnight. He stands on the metal grating and sings the new lyrics directly toward Yuki’s lit window. Yuki slides the window open but says nothing; he leans against the frame and listens to the entire performance. When Shuichi finishes, his breath fogs in the cold air, and his voice rasps from straining high notes. Yuki asks why Shuichi persists after being rejected twice. Shuichi answers that Yuki’s eyes showed interest when he read the first set of lyrics, even as he tore them up. Yuki then recalls a childhood memory of a parent walking away from him, leaving him in an empty room. He grabs Shuichi’s collar, pulls him inside, and states that staying will not earn him warmth or praise.
4In the Deep
Shuichi Shindo cannot complete the lyrics for Bad Luck's debut single. He visits Yuki Eiri's apartment for advice. Yuki reads Shuichi's current draft and dismisses the lyrics as empty words. He tells Shuichi to write from personal pain instead of imagined romance. Shuichi recalls his childhood fear of being abandoned by his parents. He writes a new set of lyrics about isolation and the fear of losing someone. Yuki reads the revised lyrics in silence. He then pulls Shuichi into a kiss. Shuichi does not resist but does not understand Yuki's motives. Tohma Seguchi watches the encounter from outside the apartment. He smiles and walks away without intervening. The episode ends with Shuichi holding the completed lyrics,uncertain whether Yuki's kiss was genuine or a game.
5Winding Road
Shuichi and Hiro walk through a park after their rehearsal and encounter two older men harassing a young woman. They intervene with cocky insults and drive the men away. The rescued woman explains she is searching for someone very important to her. Hiro offers to arrange a hotel room for her,while Shuichi leaves to visit Yuki at his home. Shuichi arrives at Yuki's apartment but finds Yuki's younger brother Tatsuha instead. Tatsuha and Shuichi bond immediately over their shared obsession with Nittle Grasper's lead vocalist. Tatsuha teasingly moves close to Shuichi, and Yuki walks in on the scene. Shuichi then learns that the woman he and Hiro rescued, Ayaka, is Yuki's fiancée. Bad Luck's concert approaches, and during the performance, Shuichi spots Yuki and Ayaka together in the crowd. In the middle of a song, Shuichi screams that Yuki is his. After witnessing Shuichi's public declaration of courage, Yuki tells Shuichi he will become his lover, setting up the unresolved tension between the new relationship and the existing engagement to Ayaka.
6Rain
Shuichi Shindo stands outside Yuki Eiri's apartment in heavy rain,holding a cassette tape of Bad Luck's newest song. Yuki opens the door and orders Shuichi to go home, but Shuichi refuses to leave until Yuki listens to the tape. Yuki slams the door shut, and Shuichi remains in the downpour for several hours until his soaked clothes cause his body temperature to drop. Shuichi collapses onto the wet ground, and Yuki hears the thud through his window. Yuki rushes outside, carries Shuichi's limp body upstairs, removes his wet clothes, and wraps him in a blanket. Shuichi regains consciousness to find Yuki heating soup in the kitchen, and Yuki hands him a bowl without speaking. Shuichi asks Yuki why he keeps pushing people away. Yuki reveals that his older brother manipulated and betrayed him in the past, leaving him unable to trust affection. Shuichi responds that he will prove his sincerity through his music. Yuki finally takes the cassette tape and inserts it into his stereo. Yuki watches Shuichi's sleeping face for a long moment before pressing play, and his hand trembles slightly. The next challenge awaits as Yuki's unresolved trauma still threatens to block any emotional connection.
7Ellis
Shuichi Shindo enters Yuki Eiri's apartment and finds a photograph of a blond man. Tatsuha Uesugi,Yuki's brother, arrives and identifies the man as Ellis, Yuki's former lover. Tatsuha explains that Ellis left Yuki years ago, causing Yuki deep emotional wounds. Shuichi later attends a Bad Luck concert where Ellis unexpectedly appears. Ellis speaks privately with Yuki, and Yuki leaves the concert venue with him. Shuichi follows the pair to a hotel room. Inside the room, Ellis tells Shuichi directly that he abandoned Yuki, which shaped Yuki's cold personality. Ellis then attempts to kiss Yuki, but Yuki rejects him and pushes him away. In response, Ellis pulls a handgun from his coat and points it at Yuki. The episode ends with a gunshot as Shuichi screams. The next conflict hinges on whether Yuki survives the shooting and how Shuichi will react to the violence.
8Episode 8
Bad Luck conducts an interview when a member of the rival band ASK approaches Shuichi. The ASK member warns Shuichi that Tachi is planning some form of sabotage. Tohma,however, has already set his own plans in motion to deal with Tachi and his business. ASK gets removed from the picture as a direct consequence of Tohma's machinations. Shuichi then receives a massive surprise: Nittle Grasper returns to the music scene. The band performs better than ever, re-establishing themselves as a dominant force. Shuichi struggles with accepting Nittle Grasper as rivals because they have always been his musical idols. His admiration for the band conflicts with his competitive drive to succeed with Bad Luck. Meanwhile, Yuki experiences internal turmoil as the emotional barriers he built around himself begin to crumble. Yuki's cold demeanor shows cracks, indicating his need for support. Shuichi recognizes that Yuki requires help soon, but Shuichi must also manage his own problems with the return of Nittle Grasper. The episode ends with Shuichi caught between his professional ambitions and his personal desire to aid Yuki.
9Track-9 The Deepest Brain
Bad Luck prepares to release a new album. Mr. K,the band's producer, asks Yuki Eiri for a favor related to the album's sales. Mr. K aims for one million copies sold, and Shuichi shares that goal. Journalists discover that Yuki and Shuichi live together. Reporters gather outside the apartment building to confront the couple. Yuki faces a direct question about the nature of his relationship with Shuichi. The press ambush forces Yuki to decide how much to reveal publicly. Shuichi watches the scene unfold, unable to control the situation. The media scrutiny threatens both Yuki's reputation as a novelist and Bad Luck's rising career. Yuki must choose between protecting his privacy and supporting Shuichi's ambitions. The episode ends with Yuki preparing to give an answer that could change everything.
10Heads or Tails
11Secret Day
12Breathless
13Got it All
Cast
- Noriko Ukai
- Tachi AizawaTim Breese
- Tohma Seguchi
- Mika Uesugi
- Taki "Tacchi" Aizawa
- Ayaka Usami
- Eiri Yuki
- Mika Seguchi
- Ryuichi Sakuma
- Hiroshi Nakano
- Shuichi Shindou
- KBrian Maillard
- Suguru FujisakiLuke Novak
Comment(s)
Staff
- Series DirectorBob Shirohata
- StoryboardJunji NishimuraToshiya ShinoharaKiyoko SayamaKatsumi TerahigashiBob ShirohataYukihiro Matsushita
- Original Manga
- Executive producerRyūzō ShirakawaIwao Kono
- ScriptMichiko YokoteMamiko IkedaAkemi Omode
- Episode DirectorShunji YoshidaKiyoko SayamaBob ShirohataYukihiro MatsushitaYūji YanaseHarume KosakaHousei Suzuki
- Character DesignMiho Shimogasa
- ProducerYumiko MasujimaMasahiro Chiku
Production
- ProductionAniplexSony
