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 20

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Gravitation Track 20. The chapter opens with Hiro and Shuichi reading a magazine article about the reformation of Nittle Grasper. Shuichi, despite the fact that Nittle Grasper is their rival, is impressed by how well they're doing despite having broken up three years ago with nary a release or appearance. Hiro tells him to focus and Suguru introduces the new music they're going to be using for their appearance on Hit Stage. Shuichi is a bit perturbed by this, since he's normally the one who runs the show in regards to the band and doesn't appreciate Suguru remixing his work. Suguru explains that because Nittle Grasper hasn't performed in three years, they're expected to be mediocre so Suguru wants them to do a song that will really make Bad Luck stand out. He's very quality over quantity. Sakano really likes Suguru because he's similar to Seguchi in demeanor (and he has a huge crush on Seguchi) and we also learn that Suguru is only 16. They begin to perform the song but Shuichi and Hiro do not care for Suguru's condescending attitude.

Later that night, Shuichi complains to Yuki who doesn't get why Shuichi is so annoyed by Suguru. Shuichi just says that there's something about him that he doesn't like and that he refuses to appear on Hit Stage with him. Yuki does not take any of Shuichi's self indulgent pity party.

                                                        Yuki doesn't have time for your bullshit.

Shuichi gets mad at Yuki for saying something so cruel, but I have to agree with Yuki here. Shuichi is being overly defensive about Suguru's involvement. He shouldn't be so concerned  over who is leading the group but what's best for the group as a whole. It doesn't help his case when we remember last chapter where Shuichi actually, physically DID run away from Ryuichi! Sorry Shuichi but you're in the wrong here. The scene shifts to the next day at the studio, everyone getting ready for a photo op or a radio show or...something. It's not very clear. In another example of the manga's odd pacing, Shuichi has a flashback...that continues the previous scene. Wouldn't it have made more sense to just keep the scene going and then switch to the new one? Anyway, Shuichi yells at Yuki that everything he told him about his past was a lie and that Shuichi thinks Yuki doesn't really love him at all. Yuki, naturally, shouts at him and tells him to get out if he actually believes that. Shuichi knows he screwed up and Suguru figures out that Shuichi is in a bad mood because of a fight. Suguru says that "gay boys" like Shuichi are bad for Yuki and they should just break up. Well...I suddenly don't like Suguru at all. Shuichi is of the same mind, vowing to find out what Suguru's deal is and to make sure he doesn't get too close to Yuki.

The scene shifts to Suguru telling Yuki that the problems with the letter that Taki got have been solved and Yuki wants to know if that was really the only reason he was there. Shuichi, who is also there, wonders the same thing. They get into a discussion about Yuki's past again but Suguru doesn't care about his past, doesn't care about Yuki seeing Shuichi, and doesn't care about Taki. All he cares about is making sure Shuichi is able to perform at the best of his abilities. Oh, and we also learn that Suguru is Seguchi's cousin. Which explains why they're similar in looks and personality actually. Suguru cheerfully bids Yuki good night and Shuichi apologizes to Yuki for eavesdropping and for saying such nasty things. Yuki tells him that he had left out a detail regarding his past and wants to know if Shuichi wants to hear it. Shuichi says he doesn't. Not yet. Yuki tells him to do his best to make peace with Ryuichi and sing with him. And if he can't then just move past it and don't worry about it. Yuki then gives Shuichi a gift: A locket that has his picture along with a picture of the man he killed.

The scene just ends there and we move on to Sakano being shocked that Suguru is Seguchi's cousin (and I just realized there are a lot of "S" named people in this series). Of course, since Sakano has such a crush on Seguchi, Suguru can do no wrong in his eyes.

                                                  "Bizarre" doesn't even BEGIN to describe it

Shuichi is in a fired up mood and ready to sing at Hit Stage, but internally he's torn up. He's not worried about Yuki's past but he IS worried about what happened in Yuki's past to make him change so much from the picture Yuki gave Shuichi.

                                     This is the picture by the way.

The rest of the group find out about Shuichi and Ryuichi and Shuichi is determined to make things right with Ryuichi, ending the chapter before the show is about to begin.

This chapter...Eh, this chapter didn't excite me. It's nice that we finally got to see the man Yuki killed (and I notice he appears to be older than Yuki which makes me wonder how they knew each other) but beyond that nothing really super big, exciting, or important happened.

Tune in tomorrow for Gravitation Track 21! See you then.

Gravitation: Track 15

Hello everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Gravitation Track 15. I hope everyone had a good weekend and is ready to jump right back into things! Things start off heavy with Yuki telling Shuichi that he's leaving him with a very heart breaking look on his face. Shuichi, just as sadly, doesn't freak out or demand to know why or anything like that. He just kneels there on Yuki's bed and says that he understands. I would like to point out that it's a bit difficult to take this super dramatic turn of events very seriously since Shuichi is STILL dressed like a school girl and it's a bit distracting since I keep giggling. Shuichi ruins the drama of the moment anyway by yelling like he normally does (but that's part of Shuichi's character and it makes more sense all things considered) and we find out that it was Maiko who told Shuichi to dress like this (please, please, PLEASE let one of them explain just what the mindset was behind this because my theory last post makes no sense now that we know Maiko dressed him. Maybe it was just plain fanservice on the part of the author).

                                                     Little by little we learn more about Yuki

Of course after saying this Yuki and Shuichi begin to make out...Okay, Yuki? If you really want to leave you're going to have to stop making out with Shuichi. The way that Yuki constantly says he needs to leave and doesn't deserve Shuichi and all that yet never actually does leave shows that he really doesn't want to leave. He feels like he SHOULD but he doesn't WANT to. What needs to happen is Shuichi smacking some sense into the man. Or Yuki needs to let Shuichi know exactly what he's all about. It's not fair or right to break off a relationship without giving some kind of reason for ending it beyond some nebulous "I don't deserve anyone" baloney.

The scene shifts to the recording studio again where Shuichi and Hiro are celebrating the completion of their CD. Noriko breaks up the self congratulation to say that it took them way longer than it should have thanks to Shuichi's issues and how he's saying that he was going to quit Bad Luck twice. Shuichi promises that he's fine now and that won't happen again.

                                               Suuuuure you did. Let's see how long this lasts.

Everyone is understandably shocked and Shuichi explains that because he won't be fighting with Yuki anymore he won't be unable to sing and therefore won't cause any trouble. Shuichi, however, feels bad because of how sad Yuki looked. He doesn't feel comfortable ending things without knowing more. We flashback to when he was in the bar talking with Mika about how he wants to hear about Yuki from Yuki and Mika tells him one thing: the Yuki Eiri he knows is a fake. Now that is interesting. Yuki, it seems, remade himself. Different name, different personality perhaps, and who knows what else? This knocks Shuichi off kilter a bit but he reminds himself that, despite knowing nothing about Yuki, he still fell in love with him. Not the best defense of your relationship Shuichi. Most people would call that infatuation and not love. You'd best be learning more about him before you make any long term decisions. I'm thinking way too hard about this now. Moving on!

Yuki has, once again, returned to his parent's home. His father knows that Yuki can only find peace here and Yuki, while not denying or confirming this fact, acts as nonchalant as he usually does (which I'm not thinking is probably just an act. Who can say anymore? Mika threw the whole thing into question). His father wants him to properly join the temple, shaving his head, stopping smoking, drinking, and dating and of course Yuki refuses to do any of these things. And apparently he dies his hair blond. So he lied about that too. You are a very suspicious person Yuki. He says that he didn't return to succeed his father and that the temple does not bring  him peace but rather gives him the chills. Oh, and he also mentions that he hates Japan. Just what the heck happened to him?

The scene shifts to a hospital where Douche 1 is being visited by Taki. I swear to God author you will NOT make me like these people no matter how many times you show them and try to make them comedy relief. You can not have a character set up the GANG RAPE of another character purely because he's a jealous jackass and then think you can redeem him. I won't stand for it!

                                        You're apologizing to HIM?! You miserable piece of SHIT!

Oh, you're sorry Taki? Sorry that because you orchestrated a GANG RAPE of an innocent teenager, potentially scarring him for LIFE, your douchebag best friend got his ass kicked? Go to Hell Taki Aizawa. I hate you, I always will hate you, and nothing you do will change it. Okay, I've got to move on or else I'm going to just keep ranting and raving all day. Douche 1 tells him to leave Shuichi alone (THIS IS GOOD ADVICE TAKE IT YOU JACKASS) and Taki still wants to go after Yuki in revenge. See? Irredeemable asshole. The woman who gave Taki dirt on Yuki in the first place also told him that Yuki has a hatred of everything associated with Japan. They say he's a murderer and that they remember some kind of story relating to how Yuki killed someone and Douche 1 insists that Taki should stay away from Yuki. As Taki leave, Douche 1 gets a call (from I'm assuming Douche 2) saying that he thinks everything is going to be alright. Then we get this page.

                                                FNASDLKFJDSLKAFJLKDSJFSDLAKFJSDKLF!!!

I hate Taki more than most other villains in media. He's just so completely loathsome! He's petty, he's vindictive, he's just plain evil in the things he does, and probably worst of all, he thinks he's justified in doing these things to these people. If he was a real person I would not hesitate to slam my fist into his face.

Then suddenly there is justice! SWEET, SWEET JUSTICE! It turns out Douche 1 is talking to Seguchi and Seguchi pretty much says that he's dropping their douchey asses because Taki's disgusting and unnecessary need for vengeance is going to cause too much trouble for him. Seguchi point blank says that if Taki goes anywhere near Yuki he...oh, let's just let the picture do the talking.

                                                   So badass! And such pretty eyes!

I'm giving you all the love Seguchi. Destroy Taki's life like he's trying to destroy Yuki and Shuichi's. After that delicious bit of wonderful the scene shifts to Shuichi and Hiro as they celebrate the completion of their CD by drinking. Well, Shuichi had three drinks (three barely alcoholic drinks I might add) and is already smashed. The humor of the situation is smashed unfortunately by Shuichi asking Hiro if he should really give up on Yuki. Hiro says he should and Shuichi flips out at him. Hiro says that he should stop asking him that question since he doesn't act or look like the kind of person who is over Yuki. This discussion is interrupted by none other than Ayaka! I'm a bit surprised to see her to be honest. Hiro tells her that she's lucky since Shuichi is giving up on Yuki. She looks surprised and asks if it's true and Shuichi says he guesses it is. She keeps pressing him and he finally yells at her and says that he doesn't care about Yuki. Ayaka smacks him right across the face. She's disgusted that he would give up so easily after she had been so understanding about his feelings. She says that he won't have to worry about seeing Yuki ever again if that's what he really wants since she accepted Yuki's proposal.

That brings Track 15 to a close! Wow...a lot of stuff happened here! Seguchi was very clear about what will happen to Taki if he interferes but if he's the villain I think he is he won't give up so easily. Shuichi...well he's going to have to talk Yuki out of the marriage. The question is, how? I really have no idea where this is going to end up. And what exactly happened in Yuki's past?! I need to know!

Tune in tomorrow for Gravitation Track 16! See you then.

Gravitation: Track 13

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Gravitation: Track 13. This will be the first chapter of the fourth volume of Gravitation. Track 13 opens with Yuki telling Shuichi that it's all over, calling them pretend lovers. Shuichi wants to know what the problem is and Yuki tells him it's everything about him. That he hates him. Yeesh! Harsh Yuki! Oh, and they both talk about how not gay they are despite the fact that they sleep with men. This is an annoying habit that earlier yaoi stories tend to have. Namely that the men are not really gay, their love just "transcends gender boundaries" which sounds lofty and everything but is a cop out to me. It's like assuring your audience (namely heterosexual women for the most part) that the hot guys they're seeing aren't really gay because that would imply they couldn't themselves have a relationship with them. It's incredibly superficial, like guys enjoying watching two women make out. I just find it incredibly annoying. You're writing a story about two guys in a relationship. Just make them gay! Rant/.

Anyway, Shuichi talks to Hiro about it and wonders what he could possibly have done to warrant this hate. At band practice Noriko yells at Shuichi for his poor vocals but understands what he's going through. Apparently this is just how Yuki treats people who are in relationships with him. Guys got issues. Hiro admits that because this whole thing is making Shuichi cry he won't forgive Yuki. Awww, now see THAT'S what true friends are made of! Sakano mentions that this is the worst possible time for a problem like this to arise and decides to postpone the release date of the CD until Shuichi can work the problem out. Shuichi decides to visit Yuki again to apologize and at the train station runs into a little problem.

                                                       Shuichi's first taste of fame.

Of course it doesn't help that he looks like Ryuichi as well. Soon enough he's being chased by a whole group of women (as well as what appears to be a man. Looks like Shuichi's reputation for sleeping with men proceeds him). Shuichi runs away and barely manages to escape when who should he run into but Taki. He advises Shuichi to be more careful in public now that his popularity has risen higher than ASK's and Shuichi...doesn't recognize him at all. Which makes me laugh and laugh and laugh. Taki screams at Shuichi, telling him who he is which of course alerts the crowd and now they're both being chased.

The scene shifts to Yuki entering the bar with plans to meet someone. He thinks it's a woman but it's actually Sakano who apologizes for tricking him, saying he's doing this as a favor to Seguchi. Yuki takes this about as well as you'd expect him to, prompting Sakano to apologize even harder. He explains to Yuki about Shuichi, telling him that he's depressed and can't record and that Seguchi wants Yuki to patch things up with him. Yuki point blank asks Sakano if that's really alright, considering that Shuichi being gay would hurt record sales. Um...yeah, I doubt that personally but who knows. Sakano, in turn, asks Yuki if he's really okay with not seeing Shuichi anymore. Yuki abrasively dodges the question.

                                                       You are fooling NO ONE.

Then we switch focus back to Shuichi and Taki who have managed to escape from the crowd and are now chilling out in what I assume is Taki's apartment. And they're drinking. And judging by the blush marks on Shuichi's face he's drunk. This is going to end very badly I can already tell. Taki asks Shuichi how he likes it and he says it's fine but doesn't like how you have to be sneaky about everything. Shuichi says it's too hard to be in a relationship under these conditions and doesn't want to be with anyone. Taki asks him if Yuki and Shuichi broke up and Shuichi asks him how he knew about Yuki. This is all Taki needs for confirmation and tells Shuichi that he intends to get pictures for black mail purposes.

                                                          Oh shit.
  
This has major bad news squick written all over it. Taki is of course relishing every moment. He's just loving it and it makes him even more despicable in my eyes. I seriously hate this guy. If he was real I would give him such a good punch in the face! Shuichi now has a choice. He can agree to quit the recording industry altogether or Taki will take pictures that will force him out anyway. Shuichi refuses to leave the recording industry of his own free will, he doesn't care what happens to Yuki when word of his sexuality gets out, and tells them to just get it over with.

The scene then shifts to Shuichi sitting outside Hiro's house, calling him and telling him to help him into the house since he can't walk anymore. When Hiro helps him he totally breaks down, asking why it's such a horrible thing to love someone. Just because Yuki is a guy and famous he can't love him? Is Shuichi really that bad? Shuichi tearfully asks these questions of Hiro who embraces him and tells him that, no, he's not bad. This is terribly heartbreaking. Shuichi was just gang raped. GANG. RAPED. And all just because of one stupid, selfish, jealous, asshole! Taki is irredeemable in my eyes. The man is a monster.

                                            Burn in Hell Taki Aizawa. 

I mean, even Douche 1 and 2 think it's bad what he did. I've gotta talk about something else or I'm just going to LOSE it. Hiro goes into practice the next day and overhears Taki talking. He pretty much says that he's going to release Yuki's name in concordance with Shuichi's with the hope that Yuki's connections will lead to Shuichi BEING KILLED. WHO DOES THIS?! Douche 1 says that Taki needs to stop this madness. Taki says that because he's the vocalist he will never stop.

Thank God that ends Track 13 because I couldn't take much more. I am so angry right now I can't...You know what? I can't even think straight.

Tune in tomorrow when we'll be looking at Gravitation Track 14. 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 10

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! I trust you all had a fantastic weekend and are ready to jump back into Gravitation! Track 10 starts off with Shuichi freaking out about being inches away from his idol Ryuichi Sakuma. Shuichi has idolized Ryuichci since he was in elementary school when he borrowed a Nittle Grasper CD from Hiroshi. Now that he's finally meeting him, Shuichi asks for his autograph right there on stage. In the middle of his concert. Ryuichi, being similar to Shuichi as we all know, happily signs one for him. Luckily Noriko is able to keep her head and draws their attention back to the task at hand. The audience is excited to see Ryuichi but are confused about what Shuichi said. Ryuichi thinks fast and explains that this is all part of a dare that Shuichi had to participate in. He explains that Yuki is a little rabbit puppet and audience buys it, thinking the whole thing is adorable. Yuki himself...is not amused. But really, it all too hilarious to feel sorry for him. This is the first time Yuki's been in a position like this and I can't stop laughing. And yet, even though Yuki seems angry about what happened, he gives himself away in a single panel.

                                             A genuine smile from Yuki. It's a rare thing.

Ryuichi gets Noriko to play a new song and everyone wings it, making up an impromptu song on the spot. Shuichi can't quite believe his luck, getting to perform with Ryuichi. It's a dream come true for him. Not everyone is happy however as Sakano's carefully planned concert, the live show meant to debut Bad Luck, has been shattered beyond repair. Sakano is worried about being fired and, even worse for him, Seguchi has come back from vacation to see the concert. Sakano apologizes for his shortcomings and Seguchi is quick to comfort him, telling him that this turn of events wasn't his fault. Ryuichi, who was meant to only take the stage during the encore, has always done things his own way and Shuichi and Hiro have gained valuable experience in how to handle unexpected events. Sakano thanks Seguchi for his kindness and I find that I really like Seguchi. He always seems to have a nice thing to say and is always encouraging everyone. He's a really amazing guy!
 
Ryuichi gets some applause and decides to leave the rest of the concert up to Bad Luck, where they will be singing their new single. However, before he leaves he decides to sing a song for them as a token of good luck. What comes next is two pages of Ryuichi singing but since we can't actually hear him singing all we see is him in various poses while everyone looks on in awe.

                                                   He's...awesome? I guess?
Yeah, I'm sure this would be a heck of a lot more effective in the anime. Either way, Shuichi is made painfully aware of the gap between Ryuichi and himself. With the concert over, Noriko rails Shuichi and Ryuichi for their idiocy while they both desperately try to apologize. Shuichi feels especially bad about it. A stage hand comes back stage to tell Shuichi that a girl is here to see him and, of course, it's Ayaka. Shuichi asks what she wants and she apologizes for being so rude to him last time. I knew it! I knew Ayaka wasn't a bad person! Hooray validation! She says that she doesn't want Shuichi to hold a grudge against her because they are the same. No matter if Yuki is a boy or a girl or if Ayaka is his fiance or Shuichi is his lover. They both love Yuki as a person and that's what matters. Of course, that being said, Ayaka is not going to just take the back seat and let Shuichi take Yuki away from her! And just like that, this situation was turned into awkward and uncomfortable to romantic comedy hilarity. I am completely on board with this. If nothing else, it's going to keep Shuichi actively pursuing Yuki.

The next day Shuichi goes to see Yuki, with all his luggage strangely enough, and almost immediately clings to him and says he doesn't want to go home. He desperately begs Yuki to allow him to stay at his house. Yuki is, obviously, resistant to this sudden and violent request demanding to know why Shuichi wants to stay with him and Shuichi tells him he doesn't want anyone else to be near him besides Shuichi. Yuki finally tells Shuichi what makes him so special to him, namely that he's not looking for sex, money, or fame. This makes Shuichi happy and Yuki comes to a decision.

                                            What have you gotten yourself into Yuki?

 
Shuichi runs off, saying he'll be back later that night and goes to meet with Hiro. He's in a super good mood and Hiro asks if something happened with Yuki and Shuichi isn't telling. Sakano then comes in with some good news. Their single is doing well AND they have a TV appearance coming up. Shuichi and Hiro are extremely excited about this news but there's a catch. They're not going on TV to sing, they're going on a game show. Apparently the producer of the show saw their live show and thought they were interesting and invited them to be on the show. Shuichi and Hiro are still up for it, since, even if it is just for a game show, it will still be Bad Luck's first TV appearance.

And that brings Track 10 to a close! Three important things happened in this chapter after the culmination of the concert. One, Ayaka officially acknowledges Shuichi as her rival in love and is looking forward to seeing how hard he fights for Yuki. Two, Shuichi is moving in with Yuki for a trial period of a week. Three, Bad Luck is going to appear on a TV game show. We also got the hint of something that I think will come up again later, namely Shuichi realizing how big of a gap there is between him and Ryuichi. At least I hope that becomes a point. It'll probably show up after we deal some more with Shuichi's personal life. It seems to alternate between Shuichi's personal life issues and his professional issues.

That's it for Yaoi Zowee this weeks! Tune in tomorrow for Gravitation: Track 11! 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 7

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Yaoi Zowee! Today we'll be looking at Gravitation: Track 7. We left off with Shuichi and Hiro meeting with Sakano after the they performed at the graduation ceremony. Shuichi is wondering where exactly this guy came from with such an offer and Sakano explains that when he arrived at the airport, Mika was there holding his luggage hostage until he saw "something interesting", forcing him to watch Shuichi and Hiro perform. I knew there was a reason I liked Mika! She is all kinds of awesome! Apparently, since the live show, Sakano was promoted from manager of Seguchi's band Nittle Grasper (subtitled N-G...what does Nittle Grasper even mean? I can't take something seriously when it's name is that ridiculous) to head manager. If I'm reading this right, Nittle Grasper broke up awhile ago (this is according to Shuichi who is a N-G fanboy) and now Seguchi has his own record label called N-G records. Okay, I understand their place in the story much better now. Shuichi is ridiculously excited about this opportunity but Sakano is quick to let them know that, even though they have promise, N-G records has millions of hits. Nothing in the professional world is a guarantee. The biggest issue that Sakano and Seguchi has with Bad Luck is Shuichi's skills relating to the synthesizer. He's not very good. So now they have a new mission! Get a keyboard player!

Hiro and Shuichi drive away (on Hiro's motorcycle no less!) with Shuichi angry about his keyboard skills being called into question. Shuichi is insistent that his synthesizer skills are good enough and Hiro half agrees with him. Shuichi still doesn't want to get a new keyboardist and the conversation turns to Shuichi's singing. Hiro encourages him to sing more during their songs (as this is a manga, I have no idea what any of their songs sound like. Another reason to see the anime!) and Shuichi agrees.

The scene shifts and Shuichi is telling Yuki about what happened. Yuki is less than impressed, calling N-G's judgment into question while Shuichi yells at Yuki for being a bully.

                                                      The voice of reason

Shuichi suddenly notices a Nittle Grasper (seriously, I keep wanting to type "little" since that would at least make SOME sense) video tape. It's apparently of an ultra rare live show that isn't sold anywhere and it's something that Shuichi has been trying to find for ages. Yuki carelessly mentions that it belongs to his brother Tatsuha (any bets we'll be seeing him this chapter? Anyone? Anyone?) who left it there. Shuichi thinks that Tatsuha is really lucky to have it and Yuki says that he can watch it if he likes. Shuichi wastes no time in popping it in. Shuichi is an extremely big fan of Ryuichi Sakuma who played the keyboards in Nittle Grasper before they broke up. Yuki, forced to watch with Shuichi, says he thought Shuichi was a big fan of Seguchi. Shuichi says that he wanted to become more than just a fan of Seguchi. He wanted to become a man like Seguchi. Yuki warns him that though he's nice on the outside, he's brutal on the inside. Yuki still thinks that Shuichi is too naive (and I have to agree with him. I'm a little worried about Shuichi stepping into a world like this) and Shuichi says that he'll settle down. Yuki rewards him for this.

                                                         Squeeeeeeeeeee

Yuki starts getting more intimate with Shuichi who initially starts freaking out. Why is he freaking out? Because he doesn't want to get involved with Yuki until he's sure that Yuki actually, truly, wants to be involved with him. He asks if Yuki will take responsibility and he pretty much answers "Duh. Of course! You're my lover". Hooray! Yuki admits it! We have an official couple at last! So Yuki lays him down on the floor and Shuichi suddenly sees Seguchi singing on the tape. He tells Yuki that even though he's not at Seguchi's level now he intends to surpass him one day. Yuki, a bit too sexed up to really listen, starts having his way with Shuichi though, in the tradition of most yaoi manga, it's all more implied rather than actually shown. Shuichi finishes way too early for Yuki, due to his inexperience, and strips off his shirt, moving in for round two. Shuichi says this isn't what he wants, confusing Yuki. Here is the fundamental difference between Shuichi and Yuki. Shuichi is young and wants something from Yuki. Yuki immediately assumes it's sexual gratification. But Shuichi wants something more than that.  The manga doesn't explicitly say what it is, but sex doesn't make a deep relationship and I think that's more of what Shuichi wants. This makes me think, even more now, that something happened in Yuki's past that somehow screwed with his perception of relationships, like he some kind of bad experience.

The next day, Seguchi is waiting around in an airport for the arrival of Sakano and a woman that we haven't yet seen named Noriko. She is impressed at how far Seguchi has come since his days in Nittle Grasper. Apparently he's had the most success out of his former band mates. Talk turns to Ryuichi and we learn that Ryuichi was the first one to call Seguchi "Genius Tohma" (The word genius in Japanese doesn't always mean "incredibly intelligent" but is used in a more general sense, relating to someone who is incredibly skilled at their profession or pursuits) which is apparently some kind of nickname that people use since Shuichi called him that too.

                                         Maybe I should call myself a Genius Blogger? ...Nah

The scene shifts back to Yuki and Shuichi post coitus and Shuichi is acting like a kicked dog since he said he didn't want to have sex but Yuki still had sex with him at least three times. Now normally this would be creepy and rapey and no one wants that. But Yuki says that he actually DID stop and Shuichi had cried. So Shuichi keeps saying he doesn't want it...but he totally does. You're killing me here Shuichi. Yuki tells Shuichi that he hates seeing him cry and asks him what he can do to make Shuichi happy. This, of course, is what makes Shuichi happy. Yuki showing that he cares, admitting that Shuichi is his love, and asking how he can make him happy. Awww. They're turning out to be such a cute couple.

The next day, Hiro and Shuichi meet with Seguchi and he tells them that while he admits Shuichi is good with vocals, Bad Luck needs a new keyboardist. Someone he calls "unique". Feeling apprehensive, Hiro asks what he means by that and Seguchi responds that he had to persuade her to drop her work in northern Japan to work where they are so they should treat her nicely. And of course it doesn't take a genius (of any kind) to figure out who this new keyboardist is. Noriko happily introduces herself to the shock of Hiro and Shuichi and the chapter comes to a close.

This chapter introduced what I think is a fundamental aspect of Shuichi and Yuki's relationship. Shuichi is energetic, boisterous, and a dreamer while Yuki is more calm, collected, and down to earth. They balance each other, Yuki keeping Shuichi in check and Shuichi, likewise, warming Yuki's coldness. In these later chapters Yuki seems like less of a dick and more just plain snarky, poking fun at Shuichi so that he doesn't get a big head or do something reckless. It's amazing how the same nasty things he says no longer seem nasty in the context of their relationship. It helps that we have had 7 chapters to get to know Yuki as he is. Noriko is obviously going to remain as a major character and I'm interested to see how she interacts with Hiro and Shuichi and how the band dynamic is going to be affected. I have no opinion on her personality right now since I haven't really seen much of her. And Tatsuha didn't show up. So much for my prediction.

Tomorrow we'll be looking at Gravitation: Track 8! See you then.