Gravitation: Track 22

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Gravitation Track 22, which starts volume 6! I forgot to mention that track 21 was the last chapter of that volume. The chapter opens up with K helping Hiro escaping from (or to, it's not quite clear) somewhere, chased by a group of fans. Once again the pacing in this manga is all over the place. What happened with Shuichi and why was he crying? Apparently it's not important enough to talk about. How much time has passed? Impossible to tell. Either way, Hiro and K arrive at the recording studio. Sakano and Suguru are discussing Bad Luck's first album, "Gravity" (subtlety does not exist in this manga) is number 16 on the charts. Shuichi hasn't come into work this morning (and hasn't shown up all week in fact) and K decides to check up on him. Since K is planning on being a bit rough with Shuichi (as is his wont) Hiro goes in his place since he needs to talk to Shuichi about something anyway.

                                        Shuichi is less than pleased

So of course Shuichi is just playing sick. What I find odd is that he's playing sick at his mother's house. His mother completely overreacts and tells Shuichi to stop acting like a child, playing sick and suddenly I see where Shuichi gets his manic personality from. Hiro tells Shuichi it's time to come back and Shuichi points out a poster in his room that Hiro and Shuichi had skipped school to stand in line for because Shuichi needed it by any means necessary. Hiro asks why he's being so sulky and why he's crying when he basically just realized his dream of singing with his favorite band. It's because he's jealous of Ryuichi. Hiro gives him a bit of a pep talk and Shuichi regains his confidence.

The scene shifts to K talking to Yuki about Shuichi. Yuki is irritated because K is bothering him while he's trying to work (and I just realized that, much like how we never hear any music, we haven't read anything Yuki has ever produced either. Yet he's an award winning novelist and seems to know what he's talking about since he critiqued Shuichi back in chapter one. I would like to read SOMETHING he wrote. Anything at this point) and Shuichi isn't there. K is basically saying that he didn't think that Shuichi could ever reach Ryuichi but now he sees that Shuichi does have that talent. Yuki immediately catches on to what K was doing. He's hoping to get a huge effect from this. He doesn't think that aiming for Ryuichi won't be enough to make him truly great. Nor will money. Only one thing will. Yuki quickly catches on to what K is saying and thinks he's crazy. Later on, Shuichi comes back to Yuki's place with a new haircut.

                                     Boo new haircut! Although I'm now reminded about Tibet's plight.

Yeah, I do not like this hair cut. For those who can't tell, it's the style that was on the first image of Gravitation I showed on this blog. Thus the first step on his feminizing has occurred. I have to agree with Yuki who says he looks like a middle school girl. This is just not a good look for Shuichi. I understand the idea behind it and it's a great one. Since Shuichi is no longer trying to copy Ryuichi, he cut his hair so he won't look like him anymore. I still don't like it. Yuki compliments Shuichi on his haircut and every time he starts acting like his normal self, mysterious gun shots appear in the wall surrounding him, prompting him to act more lovey dovey with Shuichi. It's clear that K is somewhere, watching them. His plan? Yuki says that if Shuichi can sell a million copies (go Platinum) then he'll take Shuichi out on a date. Shuichi FLIPS OUT in excitement at the idea of going on an actual date with Yuki and K congratulates himself on a job well done.

The next day Shuichi is back to his normal exuberant self, nothing but sunshine and cheer. All according to K's plan, Shuichi burns through every single publicity opportunity to make sure Gravity sells as well as possible. Suguru and Hiro both eventually catch on to K's plan. K then brings up a good point. We all know that Shuichi's world revolved around Yuki...but what exactly does Shuichi mean to Yuki? Hiro informs Shuichi that they've sold 400K albums already though Shuichi is slightly discouraged by just how much further he has to go. Sakano and the group discuss the plans for Bad Luck going on tour and K tells them they have another television appearance to put in. Just as Hiro and Shuichi get all excited about the chance to be in the top spot on an actual music show...K tells them that it's a cooking show. This band just can't catch a break with its TV appearances.

Shuichi asks Yuki to help him cook and...I'm sorry, Shuichi just looks too much like a girl. It's ridiculous! Actually...he kind of looks like Demi Moore now that I look at it. Well now I'm just going to be thinking of Shuichi and Yuki making a clay pot together every time I see them. Awkward. The cooking show is apparently some kind of celebrity competition where teams compete against each other. Shuichi is determined to win and the chapter ends with K seeing that someone named Tetsuya Ukai is going to be on the show with Bad Luck. If I remember correctly, Noriko's last name is Ukai. So I'm guessing this is her brother then. K seems surprised by this but we'll have to wait until next chapter to see what the big deal is.

Again, there's precisely zero conflict in the story now and while there were some funny parts in the chapter, I found this to be kind of a slog to get through. Not to mention that Shuichi now has that God awful haircut. There had better be some kind of conflict soon or I'm going to entirely lose interest in this series.

Tomorrow we'll be looking at Gravitation Track 23! See you then.

Gravitation: Track 21

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Gravitation Track 21. The chapter starts with Ryuichi and Shuichi meeting up before the show starts and it is SO AWKWARD. Of course Ryuichi just happily tells Shuichi to do his best and...Shuichi immediately forgives him and all the problems between them are over. Well that was anticlimactic. The author even tries to fake us out by having the "Track 21 End" graphic on the second page before K grabs Shuichi and tells him that things can't be solved that easily. He warns him not to get too chummy with Ryuichi since it's a dog eat dog world and Ryuichi already practically has victory in his hands. Nittle Grasper (seriously what does this name even mean?) begins a sound check and everyone turns to watch Ryuichi sing. Once again the audience is shafted as we can't hear Ryuichi sing (but, like always, we are assured that it is very, very good) but Shuichi realizes that Ryuichi was actually holding back so as not to embarrass Shuichi with his skill. Shuichi is PISSED that Ryuichi would do such a thing and refuses to be considered the underdog anymore. The show will begin in five minutes and K thinks it's ridiculous that Shuichi thinks he can beat Ryuichi while Sakano tells him to stop being such a dick about it. K responds that they both know Ryuichi well after being his manager for as long as they have (Sakano when he was with Nittle Grasper and K when he was going solo) and is pushing Shuichi to be the best he can be by pitting him against Ryuichi.

Hit Stage finally begins and the hosts introduce Bad Luck.

                                           Something about Shuichi seems...off in this picture

Before things get truly underway, Shuichi tells Hiro and Suguru to not go easy on Ryuichi tonight because he won't go easy on them. The song they're going to perform is called "No Style". And thus begins what to me is the weakest part of the manga. The music. Sure the characters say that the singing and playing is really good but the readers don't get to experience it at all. It feels like the very heart and soul of the story is missing. Pretty pictures of posing pretty boys does not a good concert make (well, to me anyway). This is probably why the anime is more popular (that and I have a sneaking suspicion it's far more subtle in its Boys Love tones. This series had to get that reputation from SOMEWHERE damn it!). It doesn't help that Shuichi apparently just consistently makes up lyrics as he goes in stressful situations. It's all very muddled and confusing at times. They finish their performance and Ryuichi gushes to Shuichi about how awesome he was and asks for his autograph while Shuichi just stares on in confusion. Noriko drags Ryuichi away so they can perform and Ryuichi declares that he's buddies with Shuichi who is beginning to suspect that Ryuichi never hated him in the first place (which we, the readers, already know is true. Suddenly this whole subplot is feeling very pointless).

Shuichi lashes out at K who had been fueling his worries about Ryuichi hating him in order to get a better performance out of him. Shuichi refuses to believe that someone who is always so gentle could be as rude as he was being the time he told Shuichi to move. Shuichi must live a sheltered life. K is inclined to agree telling him that if he thinks Ryuichi is gentle than he's clueless. Well when you have a character who dresses like a rabbit in public, carries a stuffed animal around, and constantly gushes it's easy to make that mistake. If that's not his true personality it must be exhausting putting a show on like that all the time. I have to wonder why he even bothers. Before Shuichi can argue further Nittle Grasper takes the stage. Ryuichi flashes Shuichi a friendly victory sign before he goes into serious mode.

                                               SUPER serious mode.

And, joy of joys, we have yet another musical performance where everyone says how great and wonderful the band is, how Ryuichi is totally different from before now that he's singing (it's called a stage persona it's not like it's that big of a deal) and Shuichi is of course awe struck by their talent. Shuichi remembers listening to this band every day and watching their videos and wishing he could be Ryuichi. K gently reminds him that he shouldn't change what can't be changed and should just take his personality and strengths and work with them rather than trying to model himself after Ryuichi. He has a point. It's pretty blatantly obvious that Shuichi has been copying Ryuichi's style. Being energetic when he's offstage, then being more "cool" and in control when he's onstage. So now I'm curious how much of Shuichi's personality is his genuine personality and how much of it was just him slavishly copying Ryuichi. Suddenly everyone saying how much Shuichi and Ryuichi are alike is taking on a weirder tone.

K urges Shuichi to go out and sing with Ryuichi and Shuichi is all too happy too do it now that he knows Ryuichi doesn't hate him, only to be intimidated by Ryuichi's stage presence. Sakano panics and tries to rectify the situation while Shuichi panics and tries to do something that won't embarrass himself further since he doesn't have a mike to sing with. So he dances. Very poorly I might add which just seems to piss Ryuichi off. Ryuichi comes over to Shuichi and...

                                  Of course it's a happy ending, what did you think was going to happen?

Everyone practically wets themselves in excitement over how they sound almost the same (is that a good thing? I don't really see how that's a good thing. Isn't it important to be unique in this industry?) and when the song is over everyone is saying how awesome and amazing it was, Ryuichi hugs Shuichi and tells him that was amazing...and Shuichi starts crying. Which is how the chapter ends.

Alright, I'm not sure why Shuichi is crying but my guess is that he's had some kind of epiphany regarding Ryuichi and the way he's been modeling himself after Ryuichi. That, or he's just really overwhelmed by fulfilling his dream and singing with Nittle Grasper onstage which is something he's wanted to do for the better part of his life. I have to admit, I'm not as interested in the band aspects of this series. I'm more interested in learning more about Yuki and his past than I am about whether or not Shuichi is going to be successful. I mean, with all these high end music industry people surrounding him and the audience constantly being reminded of his talent it's kind of expected now that Bad Luck is going to do really well. There's not much conflict there. In fact...there's not much conflict anywhere anymore! Something new better come up, fast, or this whole series is going to be a chore to get through. I would say it's impossible to drag a story on for hundreds of pages with no conflict but I've read Twilight. I know better.

Tomorrow we'll be looking at Gravitation Track 22! See you then.

Gravitation Track 18

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Gravitation Track 18. The chapter starts out with Taki (oh joy I'm so excited to see what happens already) ditching the recording studio to do something (evil) and his manager telling him he's being selfish for dumping recording because he just doesn't feel like it. He finds...something, some kind of piece of paper and frowns at it before the scene abruptly shifts to Shuichi. I have no idea what that was but we'll probably be finding out about it soon enough. Shuichi is depressed because he's convinced that Ryuichi hates him now and, with him being so popular and influential, he feels like this is the end of his career. And he's 25 minutes late to recording as K is helpful enough to remind him. Wait...what is he doing there?! He tells Shuichi that Sakano, Noriko, and Hiro are all already there and Shuichi asks what HE is doing there. He's there for Ryuichi and says that he's going to be Shuichi's manager from now on. Shuichi brushes him off but Sakano confirms this to be true as he's just heard about it this morning. Shuichi goes ballistic and demands to know what the heck is going on.

K says that he admires Shuichi's bravery and the luck he's had that brought him this far but the way he currently is he'll have no chance of rising in the ranks and reaching the top levels. He scoffs at the idea that Shuichi could actually reach Ryuichi's level. Before Shuichi can respond (and I'm positive he would have given this guy a verbal dressing down) Douche 1 walks in and says he wants to speak to Shuichi. The scene shifts and we see Taki visiting Yuki.

                                       I hate you so much. Just learn to quit.

So it turns out that the paper Taki found was a letter telling him about Yuki's secret. Which is he now gloating over. Taki says that Yuki doesn't know the first thing about who actually knows his secret. I'm sure he thought this was going to make Yuki break down into a nervous wreck over who does and doesn't know but Yuki just shrugs and basically says that Taki is right. He doesn't know. He didn't know until recently thanks to everyone helping him remember. He then questions why Taki should even care and calls him nosy. Bless you Yuki. he then says that Taki is being stupid, digging his own grave by coming here. Taki blows up and demands that Yuki admit that what the letter says is true. So yeah, Taki is still trying (and failing) to ruin Yuki's life. So then Shuichi breaks through the wall and kicks Taki right in the head.

                                                      More badass than words can convey.

Shuichi yells at Taki for daring to raise a hand against Yuki and Taki calls him an idiot. Taki then reveals his master plan: circulate the information about Yuki's crime which will mean the end of his career which in turn will weaken Shuichi since Shuichi is at his weakest when Yuki is in trouble. Do I even need to reiterate how much of a petty asshole this guy is? I love how Shuichi basically says "Well duh he's a killer! So what? Even killers deserve to live sometimes." This is a good point. We don't even know the nature of Yuki's crime. He could have easily killed someone in self defense. Then Shuichi says this.

                                                    Shuichi does not take your bullshit.

I love how Seguchi, Yuki, and now Shuichi just refuse to acknowledge Taki as any kind of real threat. He's just a pathetic excuse for a human being, trying to bring down others rather than try and raise and improve himself. Taki has the oh so wonderful come back of "Shut the fuck up!" and then runs away like a pansy. Douche 1 and 2 run into Taki on the street and Taki rails on them, calling them traitors for telling Shuichi what Taki was doing. Douche 1 just says that it's all over. Taki refuses to give up and Douche 1 just says he's gone too far. Shuichi has already won. Taki listens as well as you'd expect. Meaning that he doesn't listen at all and runs away again. He ends up in a phone booth to call a publisher to release the story of Yuki's past but while he's dialing...

                                                    Commence the pants crapping.

The scene shifts before we can see what Seguchi is planning on doing to Taki, back to Shuichi and Yuki. Shuichi asks him if anything is wrong and Yuki breaks down and CRIES. In front of Shuichi! This freaks Shuichi out who tries to comfort him and Yuki reveals his fears: He can't remember the exact details of the time he killed so what if it WAS all really his fault? He doesn't want to end up betraying Shuichi or going back to killing and he's deeply afraid this might happen. He cries into Shuichi's chest as the scene shifts back to Seguchi. Something he says disturbs me quite a bit: "I wouldn't care if you beat or killed Shindou-san but not for something as stupid as your wrongly directed resentment". So...he's saying he doesn't care if Shuichi gets killed if the person has a good reason for doing it? Bwuh? What kind of person talks like this?! Seguchi, my love for you has fallen with that statement. That's a cruel and dispassionate way of looking at the world. Seguchi says that if Taki is a good boy and behaves then he'll get the future he was promised. The only future I want for him is a shallow grave but it doesn't look like I'll be getting that. Seguchi tells Taki that Yuki and Shuichi wouldn't be the only ones who would be hurt if Taki got his revenge.

The scene shifts back to Yuki and Shuichi and they get into an argument that is completely adorable. Yuki is embarrassed that he's crying in front of Shuichi since he hasn't done it in years and tries to act tough while Shuichi tells him to just accept that Shuichi is trying to make him feel better. The scene shifts back and forth between Seguchi and Taki and Yuki and Shuichi. Seguchi tells Taki that he won't be the one to heal Yuki's wounds. Well, he says "he" so I'm assuming the "he" is Yuki. But does this mean they had a relationship or something in the past? To make matters MORE confusing it turns out SEGUCHI sent Taki the letter! My head hurts. Taki demands to know why Seguchi is going through all this trouble to protect Yuki when he's a killer and Seguchi...pushes him out in front of a car! And says that he loves Yuki the most of anyone in the world! Wait...I...wha...WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! Holy shit Seguchi just straight up KILLED TAKI in cold blood! I know I said I wanted him dead but I wasn't serious! I was expecting a punishment for what he did but seeing it actually happen it's...surprisingly grisly. I'm retracting all my love of Seguchi for now. He seriously is freaking me right the hell out.

The chapter ends with Sakano telling Hiro and Shuichi that, thanks to Shuichi's singing during the live broadcast, Bad Luck's popularity is rising. Noriko uses this moment to tell them that she's officially leaving Bad Luck and rejoining Nittle Grasper.

I admit it, I got shivers reading this chapter. Seguchi is one cold customer. I really don't like that he admits that he loves Yuki. Although it does make his statement about not caring if Shuichi is killed make more sense. He needs him around to keep making him money for N-G records but he's also blocking Yuki from him. It makes me wonder though...what's he going to do to Shuichi? I feel very uneasy. Noriko leaving Bad Luck to rejoin Nittle Grasper also makes me wonder. Are they making a comeback? That would be an interesting development! It's unfortunate that the week is over meaning I'm going to have to wait a whole weekend to find out what happens! Oh well. Perseverance!

On Monday we'll be looking at Gravitation Track 19! Have a great weekend and I'll see you then.

Gravitation: Track 14

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Track 14. Luckily I have had time to cool down after the heinous, reprehensible, completely evil and irredeemable acts that Taki inflicted on poor Shuichi physically and mentally and am ready to move on with a cool head. The chapter opens with Shuichi waking up in Hiro's house, his memory of the night previous fuzzy (after the GANG RAPE) and Shuichi is...surprisingly over it. Ugh. I had hoped this wouldn't happen. The author has used rape as a means of drama but refuses to actually acknowledge any of the long term effects that would be associated with such an act. Shuichi shouldn't be looking back on it so nonchalantly. Frankly I find it disturbing when authors so carelessly use rape for purely dramatic purposes. Rape, in my opinion, should never be used unless you are willing to take it seriously and portray it in a realistic light. To be quite honest unless you have a DAMN good reason for including it you probably shouldn't. Now, to be fair, Shuichi might just still be in shock and there might be ramifications later on stemming from this. We'll just have to wait and see.

While Shuichi ponders his situation (mostly concerned that his relationship with Yuki is now surely over rather than worrying about the GANG RAPE) Hiro travels on his motorcycle to Yuki's house in order to talk to him. Hiro tells Yuki what happened and Yuki, true to his character, shows no reaction outwardly. Hiro asks him if he even cares since he cut all ties with Shuici. He says that Shuichi being talented isn't his fault and he shouldn't be punished for it. I love how they're really just ramming it home how much of a jealous arrogant prick Taki is. I'm really hoping that he gets his just desserts in the end! Hopefully sooner rather than later. Hiro continues berating Yuki, saying that if he didn't want to be in a relationship with him he should have broken it off before Shuichi became so seriously in love with him. Then this happens.

                            Somewhere, Taki is crapping his pants in fear and he has no idea why.

The scene shifts to Shuichi going into work, both Noriko and Sakano looking surprised to see him. He tells them he's feeling better (they were told he had a cold) and asks where Hiro is. Noriko tells him that Hiro has been missing for two hours. She then asks if Shuichi recovered his vocals or if he made up with Yuki. Shuichi answers by offering them farewell gifts. Since he doesn't want Yuki or N-G records to be slandered he's deciding to give up working in Bad Luck. He doesn't tell Noriko and Sakano why exactly but tells them they'll know soon enough (when the photos are published I assume). At that moment Hiro comes in and says that he's refusing to let Shuichi go. After all, he did say he wasn't bad and that's enough for Hiro. True friendship! It's so beautiful. Hiro tells Shuichi that Yuki is actually in the building, in Lounge A and he's ready to kick the piss out of Taki. This gives Shuichi new strength to go on!

The scene then shifts to Yuki being a total badass, beating down Douche 1 until he realizes who Taki is. Rather than let himself get beat up, Taki surrenders the negatives to Yuki. Taki asks him why he went easy on him when he beat Douche 1 so ruthlessly. He remarks that just by looking at Yuki's eyes he knows he's more than just a novelist.

                                                    What demons lie in Yuki's past?

Yuki brushes off the accusation as Shuichi begins to pound on the door, demanding to be let in. Yuki calmly strolls out of the room before yelling at Shuichi to shut up already. Shuichi is...uh...well Shuichi is...I'll just let the picture do all the talking.

                                                     Why Shuichi? Just...why?

Now I'm not stranger to dressing in women's clothing myself but I have to wonder what Shuichi's mindset is. I don't think this is the appropriate time for something like this. Yuki just stares blankly at Shuichi for awhile before turning and walking away leaving a dejected Shuichi behind. Shuichi gives chase and shouts after Yuki, asking him why he's running away. Is it because he's a bad guy? Or just because he's a guy in general? Suddenly, I understand his mindset just a bit. He's dressing like a girl because he loves Yuki and he thinks Yuki hates him because he's a guy so he's dressed up like a girl in order to appeal to him. It's a warped way of thinking but in character for Shuichi. I would also like to mention that Yuki thinks Shuichi has really nice legs. Just because Yuki almost never compliments Shuichi. All of this excitement is too much for Shuichi who promptly pukes and passes out. He expects Yuki to be furious with him but instead he has a gentle look on his face which surprises Shuichi. Yuki tells him he passed out due to lack of rest and orders him to take it easy. Shuichi jumps up and says that since he's a guy he'll be alright and will just leave. Then Yuki shouts at him that he's had enough. Shuichi braces for impact and Yuki tells him that he doesn't care that Shuichi is a guy. That's not why he broke up with him. He's doing it because he's leaving.

That's where the chapter ends. Damn cliffhangers! And on a weekend too! Frustration! Well, at least we got a straight answer out of Yuki for once. He's leaving somewhere. There is no elaboration on what he means (we'll probably find out next chapter) but I'm guessing he's leaving the country and, as such, he didn't want to hurt Shuichi by getting involved with him and then leaving so he broke up with him. This was a STUPID move and he probably ended up hurting Shuichi worse over all but I'm willing to cut him a break if he explains himself well enough. I have to admit I loved seeing Yuki kick ass for Shuichi's sake and while Shuichi dressing in a schoolgirl outfit was bizarre it was completely hilarious and Shuichi does look good in it. I'm also intrigued by the hint to Yuki's past. Has he actually killed someone before? If so what's the story behind that? What were the circumstances? So many questions! Hopefully we'll get some answers.

That's all for this week of Yaoi Zowee! I hope everyone has a great weekend! On Monday we'll be looking at Gravitation: Track 15! See you then.

Gravitation: Track 12

Hello everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Gravitation Track 12. The chapter opens with the game show considering Shuichi's proposal while Sakano, predictably, freaks out. Even Noriko doesn't think it's a good idea but the people running the game show decide to allow it. And why wouldn't they? I mean, Bad Luck wins and they exchange 100 million yen with just singing a song. The game show proceeds and the scene shifts to ASK. Douche 1 rushes in to tell a man called Taki (the third member and group leader of ASK as far as I can tell) to turn on the game show and watch Bad Luck without saying explicitly why he should.

                                                                         Taki Aizawa

 Hiro begins to answer the questions one by one without even trying, a testament to the guitarist's intelligence. Taki immediately understands what's going on. Shuichi has found a way to perform on a show that's not a music program. Then he basically whines that Shuichi is more popular than him and acts like an aging prima dona peeved about a rising ingenue. It's like he's Carlotta and Shuichi is Christine (I wonder if anyone has ever done a Phantom of the Opera/Gravitation crossover? Huh...). We switch back to the game show and Shuichi has to do a physical challenge while answering questions. The problem is Shuichi is...well to be quite blunt he's dumb as a sack of rocks. It's a good thing he's good at music otherwise I have no idea what the heck this kid would do for a living.


The scene shifts to the producer of the game show in the booth and we discover that Shuichi being chosen to answer these questions is no coincidence. The producer is aiming to make sure Bad Luck loses since he doesn't want them to sing on the show. Luckily Seguchi arrives to save the day! He knows that the producer is only concerned about the number of viewers watching. So Seguchi proposes something simpler than a come from behind victory for the other team. One that will draw a more exciting conclusion. Of course, in order to keep suspense, we the readers don't find out immediately what Seguchi has in mind. Instead we turn back to Shuichi and Hiro who are now trailing in points. Noriko and Sakano have already written the show off as a failure since Shuichi obviously doesn't know the answers to any of these questions. However, we finally discover Seguchi's plan with the last question worth double points.

                                                         Oh, I WONDER who that could be?

Shuichi runs like a bat out of Hell to answer the question that anyone reading this series would also know: Yuki Eiri. So of course Bad Luck wins the game show and it's a big celebration. Taki is confident that Bad Luck won't be able to sing because they don't have the proper equipment on the game show and since it's a live broadcast they don't have time to set everything up. Seguchi is one step ahead of everyone though and hands a guitar and microphone to Shuichi and Hiro much to the shock of Sakano. They've got three minutes of live broadcast to work with so they move fast. Shuichi and Hiro immediately begin and Sakano faints from the stress of it all (I feel for this guy. It can't be easy being a manager for such an unruly group).

Taki is a stink about this especially since Shuichi is getting a lot of attention. He's immediately suspicious (of course he is, characters like this are always suspicious) since Shuichi managed to know the answer to that one question and none of the others. Douche 1 points out a magazine article to him reporting Bad Luck's first live show when Shuichi shouted out that Yuki was his. Uh oh. Taki is getting some unsavory ideas about what to do with this information. I'm thinking...black mail. It's so slimy and diabolical and I wouldn't put it past a guy who hangs out with douches.  

                            And then Taki got an idea. An awful idea. Taki got a terrible, awful idea.

Noriko thanks Seguchi for his help giving Bad Luck a chance to perform and Seguchi is extremely modest about it. Noriko isn't buying it and starts going over the events of Bad Luck's inception. Noriko joins, Ryuichi throws in during the live performance, the game show, it all points to Seguchi showing more attention to the group than he's letting on. I guess he can't be too overt with it since he's also working with ASK and as an executive at N-G records he can't show favoritism. A clearer picture is being made when Seguchi tells Noriko that Sakano had felt a certain gravity from Shuichi and Seguchi, trusting Sakano who he's been working with for 3 years (more or less), is supporting Bad Luck. He admits to Noriko that, the way the business world works, only ASK or Bad Luck will be able to survive. Whoever is the most popular will continue to make music. The other will be dropped.

The scene shifts to Taki, enraged by Bad Luck's success, getting a phone call from a friend of his. He's at a bar with a rather seedy looking woman who tells Taki that if he wants dirt on Yuki, she's willing to talk. She tells him that lately Yuki has been going out with guys, specifically that she heard the name Shindo in regards to who Yuki is seeing. So now Taki knows their secret and he has the look of the predator on his face. The scene shifts to the early morning where Yuki is reading a magazine about Bad Luck while Shuichi sleeps. He talks to himself about how, come tomorrow, one week will have passed and that their time together will officially be over.

And that brings Track 12 and volume 3 to an end. Hey! We're officially a quarter of the way through Gravitation! Awesome! I don't like this development of Yuki being done with Shuichi after a week. It's especially aggravating since a great plot point has been introduced with the jealous Taki having information to black mail Yuki and Shuichi. It would be such a great test of their relationship! And now it looks like the whole thing is being tossed aside because Yuki is being a DICK! Welcome back dick Yuki! NO ONE MISSED YOU!

Ahem. But I digress. We'll just have to see what happens.

Tomorrow we'll be looking at Gravitation:  Track 13! See you then.

Gravitation: Track 11

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we're going to be looking at Gravitation: Track 11. The chapter starts off with Shuichi returning to Yuki's home at night (like he said he would in the last chapter) with a bag of groceries in hand, determined to make Yuki dinner. Yuki is skeptical of this and his skepticism is well founded since Shuichi only manages to cut himself while trying to make dinner. Yuki helps him out and the two sit down for a nice meal.

                                           Well, as nice as Yuki gets anyway.

Shuichi notes that it's easy to get good at cooking when you're the only one doing it for yourself and Yuki asks to see the cut on Shuichi's hand. Shuichi wants him to kiss it better but Yuki refuses, being more practical and bandaging it up. He cuts Shuichi's romantic thoughts short by ordering him to do the dishes to earn his keep. Shuichi wants to play the PSX with Yuki while all Yuki wants to do is get some work done. Yuki's patience is slowly being worn thin here and Shuichi is really overstepping his boundaries for only just having come to live with Yuki. All of this is interrupted by Tatsuha storming into the room, demanding to see Shuichi. He's angry that Shuichi got to have a duet with Ryuichi without being invited. While those two argue Mika storms in, angry at Tatsuha for...something. You know, this is the first time all three of these siblings have been in the same room together since the manga started. It's all short lived as Yuki loses his temper and throws all of them out.

Shuichi, Tatsuha, and Mika all meet up with Noriko and they all go to meet Ryuichi at the bar. Seguchi is there as well as Ryuichi and Tatsuha finally gets to meet him. We learn that Ryuichi only came back to Japan from Los Angeles because Noriko asked him too. Tatsuha pretends to be ill so that Ryuichi will help him and they'll get to spend some time together. Seguchi finds the whole thing pretty amusing, unlike Mika, who is just annoyed. For some reason, Seguchi gets really worked up when he discovers that Shuichi and Yuki are now living together.

                                              Woah...Settle down there Seguchi.

Mika takes responsibility for really being the one, along with Tatsuha, to get Shuichi kicked out. However, she also says point blank that Shuichi really doesn't know anything about Yuki which is very true. The scene shifts to Yuki and Mizuki. He was asked to read a manuscript (for editing purposes I would assume) and he's handing it back to her while she thanks him. She asks how things are going with Shuichi and Yuki denies having got into a fight with him. She's not buying it and tells him that if there's a misunderstanding they should work it out. After all, it takes two people to be in a good relationship. She leaves and Yuki thinks to himself about the situation. He's simply not used to living like this. Before he can have any more time to himself, Shuichi returns. Yuki apologizes for throwing him out and Shuichi tells him he didn't want to be an annoyance. Even though he doesn't know anything about Yuki he wants to hear about him from Yuki himself. Yuki reiterates that Shuichi can stay with him for one week, staring tomorrow. So I guess today was just going to be considered a practice day. Before Yuki can give Shuichi a kiss, he falls asleep, exhausted from the work he had to do.

The next day, Shuichi meets with Hiro, Noriko, and Sakano again, telling Hiro about his plans with Yuki. Noriko tells them to stop fooling around since they're going to be going on the game show soon. Sakano, obviously still nervous over what happened during the live show, asks them to please just stick to what they did in rehearsal. We also learn that Seguchi is going to be at the studio since ASK is also performing on a different program and since Seguchi is their producer, he's going to watch. A stage hand then tells them to get ready to be announced and they make their way to the studio. On the way there, they run into two guys from ASK.

                                            And they're total douchebags. Lovely.

 Hiro tries to get Shuichi to stay calm, but Shuichi doesn't even know who these two are and says as much. This causes one of them (they don't have names right now so let's just call them...Douche 1 and Douche 2. It'll be like Dr. Suess, only less whimsical) to get angry and man handle Shuichi. Shuichi is not having any of this nonsense and belts him one, right across the face. So much love Shuichi. So much love. Douche 2 jumps in to help his friend, grabbing Shuichi in a headlock but the whole thing is stopped by Noriko. The third member of the band comes in to further break the matter up, telling Shuichi he better watch himself. Shuichi takes offense at being treated like a kid and the third member responds that if he doesn't like it he can just get out. Shuichi is understandably angry at these jerks. He hates to be underestimated and that's exactly what these three are doing. I really, REALLY hope they get theirs in the end. I guess Bad Luck has made their first rival band!


As the game show gets under way, Sakano is freaking out. He had a bad feeling that something is going to go wrong, given Shuichi's track record and the fact that the broadcast is live. Noriko tells him to settle down, saying she's looking forward to the live music broadcast they'll be giving after the game show. Shuichi and Hiro whisper about what just happened and Shuichi is too annoyed to just let it go like Hiro suggests. As soon as the first question is asked, Shuichi buzzes in and says that they don't need the 1 million yen prize. If they win, he wants to sing a song.


So ends Track 11! I love this development. Shuichi has never been one to just do as he's told and take hits. He knows what he wants and he's working towards getting it in any way he can. I'm not sure if this is going to be allowed (though I don't see why anyone would object necessarily either) but if it is, then Bad Luck is taking a major step in their development. Maybe if they get more viewership than ASK they'll establish themselves as an actual threat.


Tune in next time for Gravitation Track 12! See you then.

Gravitation: Track 9

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Gravitation: Track 9. The chapter opens with Tatsuha calling Ayaka's mother in Kyoto to let her know that her daughter is okay. Maiko appears with Ayaka who is wearing one of Maiko's shirts, since Ayaka came down from Kyoto with only the clothes on her back. Shuichi had to tell Maiko that Ayaka was looking for her long lost brother since if he had mentioned Yuki's name both her and their mother would have wanted to tag along to meet him. In payment for giving Ayaka one of her shirts, Shuichi gives Maiko a clipping of Yuki's hair and one of his cigarette butts. That...is creepy and gross but Maiko's happy reaction is pretty hilarious so I'm not all that bothered by it. Shuichi mentions that there are a lot of girls like Maiko out there who dream of Yuki, including himself but Ayaka is the only one who is in a position to have everything he has to offer.

Shuichi goes to confront Yuki about it but, like most things, he's completely dismissive of her and the situation in general. This annoys Shuichi who tells him it's rude to not see her after she came all this way to see him. Yuki asks a very obvious question: Why is Shuichi, Yuki's lover, helping out Ayaka, Yuki's fiance? Shuichi deflects the question by demanding to know where he ranks in Yuki's affection since his beeper is going off constantly and he always smells like perfume. Yuki says that Shuichi ranks number one which, as expected, makes him practically melt with happiness. They argue some more about the amount of lovers Yuki may or may not have (I believe that Yuki has no other relationships but it is possible he has a lot of one night stands. It's hard to say and Yuki is usually frustratingly coy about these things) until Tatsuha ushers Ayaka in to reunite with Yuki. Ayaka is incredibly nervous and embarrassed meeting with Yuki and I can't say I blame her. He is rather intimidating. Ayaka, however, already has an idea of what Yuki is going to be like and has her rose tinted glasses firmly in place.

                                                           You poor, sweet fool

Yuki acts like a perfect gentleman, greeting her with a smile before putting his arm around her shoulder and leading her away deeper into the house as Shuichi watches on. He admits to himself that he had hoped Yuki would have acted a bit more cold with her. This is Shuichi's downfall. He's a really nice guy and he wants to do what's right. It's just unfortunate that, in this instance, doing what was right is in direct contrast to what he himself wants for himself. Shuichi is going to have to learn that, in regards to Yuki, he has to act in the best interest of the relationship in order to make it work. Tatsuha tells him to stop being so depressed. He knows Yuki and it was clear to him that he was just trying to torment Shuichi. Tatsuha asks Shuichi why he thinks Yuki would do that. Shuichi knows that Yuki likes to act this way and that he knows even as a number one lover he can't really compete with a fiance. Tatsuha is quick to let Shuichi know that he's not the only one who loves Yuki for Yuki and not because of his fame, money, or plain sex. Ayaka is the same way. That makes her even MORE of an interesting obstacle to the relationship! We're going to find out exactly where Yuki's love interests truly lie.

The next day Noriko is one more pressing hard for Shuichi and Hiro to practice. They are going to make their live debut in a week (which means their CD has already been released...and we haven't heard a single word about how successful or not it was) and she wants to make sure they're ready. Shuichi and Hiro are kind of slow to get going but all Noriko has to say is that Ryuichi might be there to kick Shuichi's ass into high gear. She already knows exactly how to motivate Shuichi. It's a wonderful thing. Before they can get back to practicing, Ayaka shows up again to see Shuichi. Yuki told her everything about Shuichi. She says that two men doing what they're doing is "low classed" and she told Shuichi not to see Yuki ever again. I'm inclined to let loose an emotional tirade and defame her but lets look at this from her point of view. How would you feel if your fiance was seeing some random person behind your back? You'd want to make sure he was scarce too. This is also exactly the kind of catalyst that Shuichi needs. If he truly does love Yuki he won't let this stand in his way.

Immediately after Shuichi gets done talking with Ayaka, he races to talk to Yuki. He demands to know if tormenting him is really this fun and Yuki responds that, yes, of course it is. Oh Yuki. It's amazing how you have the same attitude and yet I love you so much more than I did when this thing started out. Yuki, ever the voice of reason, tells Shuichi that the only reason Ayaka is here is because he brought her here. Shuichi tries to resist Yuki's charms but is ultimately unable to. And then BAM! Sex. Poor Shuichi just can't stay mad at Yuki. It's too cute for words. Shuichi asks Yuki if he really likes Ayaka and he responds that he's not sure. In this situation, it doesn't matter if Yuki likes her or not. He's annoyed that the marriage was arranged by his father for the sake of the temple without consulting Yuki's opinion on the matter. He is expected to just do it because it's his duty. Yuki wants to know why he has to answer this questions which annoys Shuichi.

                                     Now if you could actually SAY that to him, you'd be golden

The scene shifts to the day of the live show and Shuichi addresses the gathered crowd, telling them about their new CD which is going to be released including their debut song "No Style". As Bad Luck performs, Shuichi notices Ayaka in the crowd with Yuki and gets nervous, forgetting the lyrics. He manages to get a hold of himself deciding that it doesn't matter if Ayaka is Yuki's fiance. They're both the same in that they love him. Halfway through the song, as Ryuichi is approaching the stage to help Shuichi out since Sakano thinks he looks nervous, Shuichi suddenly stops and asks the audience if he can say something. The single greatest thing to happen yet in this manga then happens.

                                                                Hell. Yeah.

There is so much to like about this scene. Yuki's expression is priceless. You just know that he never in his wildest dreams expected something like this. I love that Shuichi is actually standing up for himself and what he loves and he's willing to fight for Yuki even if he gets annoyed with him and fights a lot. Lastly, and this is a more subtle detail, I like Ayaka's expression. It's not outrage or anger or mortification at what Shuichi's saying. It's more bemused, like she's realizing that Yuki will never be hers and she should step down. This is probably not the optimal situation for her either.  She's in the same position as Yuki after all, part of an arranged marriage that she has no control over with a man she hardly knows. I have this feeling that people are quick to demonize her character simply because she's the "woman in the way" and that makes me sad because Ayaka seems like such a kind and gentle person. It's disheartening to know that there are probably "fans" out there who label her as a bitch and a whore (which is especially ironic considering that Yuki himself is a bit of a manwhore but that's okay apparently because he's a cute guy. Ugly, ugly double standards). Rant/. Anyway Ryuichi gets up onstage in order to help salvage the show so Sakano doesn't go ballistic over what Shuichi did and the chapter ends there.

Track 9 wasn't as exciting as Track 8 but it still nicely progressed Shuichi and Yuki's relationship. I feel that Shuichi, as he gets used to Yuki, is more willing to call him out for his cold and rough behavior while Yuki is helping Shuichi to grow a pair. No matter what happens between Yuki and Ayaka there is going to be some major fallout. Shuichi better watch himself.

This brings the second week of Yaoi Zowee to a close! I hope everyone is enjoying reading the blog and has a nice weekend. Monday we'll be picking up again with Gravitation: Track 10! See you then. 

Gravitation: Track 8

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Track 8, which is also the last chapter in the second volume! Let's keep the ball rolling shall we? The chapter opens with Noriko reminiscing about the she was in Nittle Grasper (nope, never going to like that name but I will stop mentioning it). Ryuichi Sakuma was on vocals, Tohma Seguchi and Noriko Ukai were on keyboards. Ryuichi is currently pursuing a solo career, Seguchi is a record executive, and Noriko is now joining up with Bad Luck. When Noriko mentioned that Shuichi's vocals were similar to Ryuichi's, it made what was already quite clear even more obvious. For awhile now Seguchi and Noriko have noted how similar Ryuichi and Shuichi are (and their names are even similar now that I look at them side by side like that). Bad Luck is pretty much a second generation Nittle Grasper. I'm a little worried that they might follow in the same footsteps, breaking apart after awhile. Hopefully that won't happen.

                                                         They even look the same!

 Noriko is...less than enthused about Shuichi's vocals. She outright tells him that he's ruining her song while Hiro and Sakano look on. Noriko seems to be a perfectionist and she's not letting Shuichi go until he gets it right. Shuichi tries to sing it again but his voice gives out and they decide to take a break. Shuichi complains about being worked so hard but Sakano says that the reason Noriko is pushing him so hard is because he reminds her of Ryuichi. This excites Shuichi and causes Noriko to whip a can of soda at Sakano. She clarifies that the only way Shuichi reminds her of Ryuichi is how foolish they both are. True to Shuichi's personality, this still excites him. He's just happy that any part of him is like Ryuichi. Hiro says that he's exhausted and decides to go home and Shuichi asks to go home with him. Through this conversation we discover that Shuichi is living on his own and wants to go home with Hiro tonight. Hiro asks how things are going with Yuki and Shuichi and we discover that Shuichi hasn't really talked much to Hiro about his relationship. Hiro wants to meet Yuki and Shuichi warns him to keep his hands off Yuki. Hiro says he has no interest in him and they walk home together.

Back in the recording studio, Noriko and Sakano discuss Shuichi. She likes his singing voice but thinks his personality could use some work. They discuss Shuichi's and Hiro's first single and say that it's going to be released on the 10th of next month. Their live debut would be soon after that. Noriko doesn't think their live debut will be any good as it is, saying that ASK will not be outdone by them. So she has a plan to hire an arranger and because it's coming as an order from the producer, the people organizing it will have no choice but to obey. The scene shifts back to Shuichi and Hiro traveling to Yuki's place so that Hiro can meet Yuki. We also learn that Shuichi moved into an apartment closer to Yuki's place so that they would be closer together though he doesn't admit this to Hiro even though he already figured it out. While they're searching, they see a woman getting accosted by two men. She's just looking for directions but the two insist on taking her out somewhere.

                                                                 A new face

Shuichi and Hiro drive away the two in their own special way (namely, acting completely ridiculous, Shuichi forcibly signing his name on one of their faces, and then beating the crap out of them which is completely awesome. I love you Shuichi!) which causes the girl to faint. They take her to get something to eat in a place less crowded and she thanks them. We discover that her name is Ayaka, she's a high school student, and that she was wandering around that place so late at night because she was looking for someone.
Worried for her, Hiro suggests that she go home but she says she can't because she lives in Kyoto and it's too late to take the train. Hiro then offers her a place to stay at his home for a few days. Ayaka refuses to go home until she meets the person she's looking for. Shuichi decides to leave on his own to visit Yuki and is happy to see that the lights are on in Yuki's house. He rings the bell and Yuki is taking too long for him so he gets annoyed and hammers on the door until Yuki comes to answer it. Just hearing his voice is enough to make his anger go away and he's determined to take the initiative tonight. However, someone unexpected answers the door.

                                           Okay, so I was off by one chapter, give me a break!

Yes, Tatsuha Uesugi has finally made his appearance. Why the different last name I hear you ask (and no, I don't care if you didn't actually ask)? Lest we forget, Yuki Eiri is a pen name. This is the first time Shuichi learns of this. Shuichi suddenly remembers that he still has the Nittle Grasper tape that belongs to Tatsuha and hands it back over to him. Tatsuha is ecstatic to have it back and even kisses the cover. He REALLY likes Ryuichi. Shuichi is super excited about finding another big Ryuichi fan. Tatsuha notices what about three other characters have already discovered: Shuichi is a lot like Ryuichi. This...takes a bit of a darker turn as Tatsuha gets a bit touchy feely with Shuichi. Saying he smells like Ryuichi (which is true since Shuichi is imitating him, using the same shampoo and emulating his hairstyle) and that Ryuichi probably feels like Shuichi does too. Tatsuha suggest they have sex and they can pretend they're other people (Shuichi is to Ryuichi as Tatsuha is to Yuki) but Shuichi adamantly refuses.

Luckily Yuki arrives in time to save the day. Yuki and Tatsuha talk for awhile about various things while Shuichi comments that Yuki and Tatsuha are incredibly alike. Seriously, look at Tatsuha's picture up there. He's pretty much just a black haired Yuki. They have a pretty good relationship despite the fact that, when they were kids, Yuki would always be mistaken for a foreigner thanks to his pale eyes and hair while Tatsuha never had to worry about that. Shuichi asks Tatsuha how old he is and Tatsuha responds that he's a sixteen year old monk. So he's two years younger than Shuichi despite looking like Yuki. Yuki finally gets fed up with Tatsuha and asks why he came there. He admits that he's looking for someone, a young girl with long hair from Kyoto. Ayaka Usami. This, of course, shocks Shuichi.

The next day at the recording studio, Shuichi brings Tatsuha along with him so that he can see Ayaka and yells at Hiro who didn't answer any of his calls the previous night. Luckily, Hiro brought Ayaka along too since she wanted to see them record. Tatsuha tells her it's time for her to go home since she's causing an uproar there by her absence and she continues to refuse to return until she meets with the person she's looking for. Turns out that she's not looking for Tatsuha but instead Yuki. And then the bomb is dropped on Shuichi.

                                                                     Oh crap

 And so ends Track 8. All I can say is thank God this isn't Friday. Because I could not stand waiting a whole weekend to see what happens next. This was a fantastic chapter. I love what Noriko brings to the group even if she wasn't featured as much in the chapter. She's a professional who has experience working in a band which is going to be incredibly helpful to Hiro and Shuichi who have absolutely no experience whatsoever in the professional world. Ayaka brings the first major obstacle in Yuki and Shuichi's relationship. We've known that Yuki had a fiance for awhile now, thanks to conversations other characters have had with and about Yuki. Shuichi, on the other hand, had no idea. This is a major blow to his confidence since he doesn't know that Yuki wants nothing to do with her. I'm not passing any kind of judgment on Ayaka just yet since we have no idea what her stakes in this situation are. I've got to say though, this was a fantastic chapter.

Tune in tomorrow for Gravitation: Track 9 which starts off volume 3! See you then.

Gravitation: Track 6

Hey everyone! It's time once again for Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking a Graviation: Track 6. At the end of the last chapter we discovered that Hiro was going to quit playing guitar to focus on pursuing a career in medicine. Shuichi is, naturally, distraught at his choice. Since they were in junior high they had said they would become famous and Shuichi refuses to let him quit. He doesn't want just any person to play guitar in his band, he wants Hiro. I should also mention that yesterday I said they were at Shuichi's house talking about school when they were, in fact, in Hiro's room. Anyway, Hiro's mother hears them shouting and comes up to see what's wrong. Hiro makes up an excuse and we get his reason for quitting guitar via his mother.

                                             Another piece of the puzzle falls into place...

So he's quitting more out of family pressure than anything else. I wonder if Yuuzi will ever show up in the manga? I think it depends on how big of a part Hiro will play in the story. If anything, it would be part of his character arc. Shuichi asks him if he's really okay with quitting guitar and he just says that he's sorry. The scene shifts after this to Maiko and...some guy with glasses. Oh wait! They mentioned this guy way back in the first chapter! When Maiko was saying that Shuichi should get a girlfriend and he said that Maiko only wanted him to have a girlfriend because she was in a relationship and thought he should be too. They never gave a name, just showed a picture of a guy with glasses, so I'm assuming this is him. Regardless, he's the student president and he tells Maiko that Hiro is resigning from being this year's graduation representative. Huh. I didn't know he was in the first place. Does this mean he doesn't intend to graduate anymore? Is it related to the talk he had with Shuichi?

Speaking of Shuichi, when he gets to school he's accosted by a group of students who are angry at him for taking away the entertainment for graduation. Apparently Bad Luck was going to play as a sort of farewell concert since Hiro doesn't intend to keep playing guitar. Hiro complains they're all being too loud and Shuichi loses his temper, yelling that if Hiro was so unhappy playing guitar he should have quit a long time ago, calling him less than worthless. Wow Shuichi...Hiro responds as well as you'd expect.

                                             By decking him in the face. Can't say I blame him...

Hiro yells at Shuichi to just leave him alone, saying that Shuichi is being selfish. Shuichi responds by punching Hiro right back in the face, refusing to leave him alone. They trade blows and insults until the teacher arrives in the classroom, holding Shuichi back. Shuichi yells that he though that they were best friends and that Hiro is always running away. The teacher tells him to stop hitting Hiro since his appearance is important for the entrance exams that are coming up. Shuichi is still angry while Hiro apologizes again, understanding now why Shuichi is so upset about him giving up guitar.

After school, Shuichi goes to Yuki's place, unable to go home with his face in the condition it's in from the fight. Yuki is reticent about letting Shuichi come inside but once he starts sniffling Yuki relents and lets him come inside. Shuichi tells him about what happened and Yuki tells him not to worry. People fight all the time. Shuichi tries to raise doubts but Yuki is annoyed by all the noise, especially since he has a deadline coming up in fifty hours.Shuichi apologizes and Yuki offers him a drink. Shuichi refuses and they both sit on the couch, Yuki telling him that if he wants anything, he just as to ask. They're silent, but it's clear to both of them what Shuichi wants. Yuki begins a countdown for him to ask and Shuichi finally says he wants a kiss. They start making out but Shuichi collapses on top of Yuki, raising his all his doubts, worried about Hiro, wanting him to keep playing guitar but not wanting to get in the way of his parent's expectations. Yuki tells him to settle down and says that he's not a bad guy. He then tells Shuichi he's "considerably amazing" since the way Shuichi likes people goes beyond gender. This shocks Shuichi as much as the audience since Yuki almost never says anything nice to Shuichi's face. Of course, promptly after that, this happens.

                                                         One beer too many there Yuki?

Shuichi tries to get Yuki to a more comfortable position rather than on the floor, but he can't move him. He also mentions that seeing Yuki sleeping is "not cute" but he's not fooling anyone. Your blush gives you away Shuichi Shindo! So he decides to just hold Yuki's head on his lap as he thinks about Hiro. Shuichi has been so focused on pursuing his dream so recklessly if he's been neglecting Hiro's thoughts on the matter. What if he really does want to become a doctor and as a consequence of that he has to stop playing guitar? It's not necessarily wrong and it's a bit selfish of Shuichi to keep him tied to the band if he can't be.

The next day, while walking, Hiro runs into, surprise surprise, his brother! From now on, every time a name is mentioned, I'm going to assume the character will show up within the chapter or in the next chapter. It always seems to happen.

                                              Nii-chan basically means "brother" by the way

Hiro was actually on the way back from taking a test (the entrance exams I assume) and he says he didn't do a very good job. His brother mentions that everyone believes he'll pass eventually so he shouldn't worry. Hiro, however, is convinced that he'll fail no matter what his brother says because he nearly fell asleep during the test. Yuuzi tells him not to worry about it, that whatever happens, happens. He's not exactly having the best luck via work either, having failed another audition (he's an actor). Hiro tells him that their parents are going to be disappointed in him for still working freelance at age 23. Yuuzi tells him he doesn't care. It's his life and he's going to live it the way he wants to. Okay, I love this guy already. I feel the exact same way! Listen to your awesome brother Hiro! Hiro knows that he's not like his brother, though there's something about his carefree demeanor that reminds him of someone. Do you know who he means? I'll give you a hint: It's Shuichi. Because, duh.

Hiro asks Yuuzi how he knows he's happy with is life and Yuuzi replies because he likes the things he does. Therefore he's happy. He knows that his dreams won't come true unless he puts in the effort to make them come true. And thus we come to find out why Hiro keeps running away and why he's not doing as well as he should be: He lacks self confidence. Because of this he ended up throwing away his friendship with Shuichi but now that he's realized this, as Shuichi has realized his own shortcomings, surely now they will get back together in the band, right? God I hope so.

In the next scene, graduation is here! The student president (does he have a name? If he does I can't remember and I don't really care at this point in time. I'll remember it if he becomes important later on) asks Maiko if Shuichi and Hiro have made up yet and she responds "No, not even close". Damn! On the bright side (though it is somewhat bitter given the circumstances) Hiro has apparently done very well on his exams. During the ceremony, Hiro gives the closing speech. Shuichi is determined to apologize to Hiro for what's happened because he's such a good friend, even if they are going their separate ways. Hiro then shocks the audience by saying that not only did he fail the exams (WHAT?!) he's going to devote himself to being Shuichi's sole guitarist (WHAT, WHAT?!). Shuichi storms out of the assembly and Hiro catches up with him, apologizing again.

                                                            This is so adorable

And so, Hiro and Shuichi perform on stage again, horrifying Hiro's mother. Mika tells her to settle down and congratulates her. She doesn't get why but all is revealed as Sakano is there as well, offering Shuichi and Hiro the chance to make a CD. Hell. Yeah.

I loved this chapter. It had some great character development, gave the plot another kick in the pants, and gave Hiro some screen time after being largely absent the last few chapters. I've also noticed that the artwork is improving which is a definite plus. However, I'm still worried about when the transition is going to be made between the way Shuichi looks now and the pink haired effeminate boy he'll eventually become. I try not to think about it.

Tune in tomorrow for Gravitation: Track 7! See you then.

Gravitation: Track 5

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! I hope you had an enjoyable New Years! Let's get right back into the swing of things with Gravitation: Track 5!

The chapter starts out with Mika trying to wake Yuki up. Both siblings are still at their parent's house and Yuki has a phone call from Mizuki. We don't hear the conversation but it's apparently about urgent business. We get some playful teasing with Mika and Yuki, which also reveals that Yuki feels bad about what's happening with Shuichi, getting swept up in his life. He does admit he thinks Shuichi is cute though which is always nice. I've noticed that Yuki is less of a dick when he's around other people besides Shuichi. Strangely enough. Mika makes a comment that Tatsuha, Yuki's sixteen year old brother, is already performing his public duties as a monk, to which Yuki replies that he's still a womanizer, which causes Mika to proclaim them both as hopeless cases. I love the interactions between the characters in this series. Yuki, after staying at his parent's house for 3 days, decides it's time for him to leave.

Meanwhile, Shuichi is being released from the hospital.  The doctor tells him that he collapsed due to catching cold in the fountain combined with the stress from his life. He gives him some medicine and sends him on his way. Unfortunately for Shuichi, his mother forbids him access to his computer since the doctor said to lay off stressful activities for a few days. So until graduation, he's not allowed to write any of his music or go to any concerts. Ouch! Tough love. Then this happens.

I love Shuichi's mom. Shuichi decides to get some sleep and lies in bed, thinking about what happened. Misuki told him not to get discouraged just because his demo tapes were rejected once or twice, but since both times he showed them to people they turned him down completely he wonders what the point is. Then something unthinkable happens. Yuki shows up to visit him. With a bouquet of flowers. That's...amazingly sweet! Nice going Yuki! Good job! But this is just a front of politeness for Shuichi's mother's sake. As soon as Yuki's in Shuichi's room he calls him a brat, tugs on his cheek to wake him up, and tells him he thought he might be dead. Gah! Every time! It's like insulting Shuichi is reflexive! Shuichi is freaked out by Yuki's sudden appearance and asks what he's doing there. Yuki tells him he's there to visit him and this makes Shuichi smile which makes ME smile. Yuki says that Shuichi ruined his connections with Tohma which...I honestly don't remember happening. Which is kind of embarrassing. Did I miss something? I'm willing to blame anything I miss on the translation since it's a bit rough. Shuichi then continues acting adorable by hugging Yuki and telling how determined he is to succeed.

D'aaaaaw, this is seriously so adorable. Yuki brings up a good question though. Why DOES Shuichi love him so much? Shuichi tells him it has nothing to do with his money or his looks. He loves him for him, because he understands him. This...I'm not sure how much I buy this. What makes Shuichi so sure he understands Yuki when he knows next to nothing about him or his life? Yuki has a look on his face that makes me believe he's thinking the same thing. Yuki tries to get Shuichi to lie back down and get some rest but Shuichi clings to him, refusing. So Yuki pins him down on the bed, despite Shuichi's protests that his mother might walk in and see them, and starts to kiss him on the neck. Yuki tells him not to worry since his mother left to go to a concert with the next door neighbor. This is all moving too fast for Shuichi who continues to protest the situation but Yuki is insistent.

Before anything more than making out can happen, the scene shifts and we see Seguchi talking with his manager Sakano. They're listening to ASK who's recording but they don't have a very high opinion of them.

Sakano says that even though Shuichi is rough around the edges, he has a great talent, that the feelings he puts into his lyrics pull you in like a gravitation. Hooray for title drops! Seguchi asks Sakano how long Sakano has been his manager and he says it's been about three and a half years. Seguchi instructs Sakano to send ASK back to Japan after their crisis is over. What is that crisis you ask? I have no idea! They haven't mentioned it and if they have, I don't remember what it is. I don't think it matters though.

The scene shifts back to Yuki and Shuichi after their first sexual encounter. Poor Shuichi is totally sore after it and annoyed at Yuki for it snapping at him that he didn't want to do that. Yuki argues that Shuichi gave into his feelings and if he didn't like it he could have stopped any time during it. Basically, they're both a little embarrassed and are arguing to cover it up. It's still completely adorable! And as a plus, there was no rape! A call this a success. Then Yuki ruins it again (doesn't he always?) by saying he doesn't think they should see each other anymore. No! Bad Yuki! You don't have sex with someone who wants a relationship with you and then drop him like a hot potato! Shuichi is having none of this, clinging to Yuki again, not willing to let him go. Shuichi goes back to sleep and Yuki thinks about his situation. I get the feeling he's never been in a relationship with someone who wants him for him and not for sex or money.

Is this a turning point in Yuki's character? I think it is! The next day at school Maiko is freaking out because not only was Eiri Yuki in her house but she missed seeing him completely. Hiro is more concerned about the fact that Shuichi had a day off of school and he didn't put any effort into studying. They both tease him about his relationship with Yuki as well, which is something that Shuichi really wants to keep secret. He tries to use Hiro's notes to study for his test, but Hiro isn't letting him. Later on, when Shuichi and Hiro are alone in Shuichi's room, they talk about what college Hiro is going to go to after he graduates. He plans on going medical school to become a doctor. In order to do this...he's quitting playing guitar? And that's how the chapter ends?! Gah!

Okay, I didn't see that one coming. I hope Hiro really doesn't end up quitting! Then Shuichi would just be by himself in the band! I have a feeling that Seguchi is planning on helping Bad Luck get started which will inspire Hiro to keep at playing guitar. I'm really glad that Yuki is softening towards Shuichi. How will their relationship develop? Only time will tell!

That ends Gravitation: Track 5 the first chapter of the second volume! Tune in tomorrow for Gravitation: Track 6! See you then.