Gravitation: Lyrics of Love, is a 2-episode OVA aired before the actual Gravitation series. It's about the lead singer of the band "Bad Luck," named Shuuichi Shindou, whose been in a slump lately because his novelist boyfriend, Yuki Eiri, has been acting cold and distant lately. It's genres are, obviously, romance (shounen-ai specifically), as well as being a comedy.
Story: 6/10
This is an OVA tied to a 13-episode series, so there's not much to be expected in the plot department. Shuuichi is upset at Yuki for being so cold, and most of the first episode involves him being in a slump and trying, unsuccessfully, to
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make him open up. The second ones takes place mainly in the Tokyo Bay Music Fest, where Shuuichi's favourite band, Nittle Grasper, is playing, and has him become able to write songs again. It's nothing really ground-breaking, thought-provoking, or especially original, but it's fun and enjoyable nonetheless.
Art: 5/10
The animation is a bit choppy. Scenes that would normally be very cool looking, like their performances, were mediocre. Smaller details like mouth, eye or hair movement were lacking. Though less prevalent than what I mentioned previously, there were also some still scenes and looped scenes (the latter were mostly found in the op). Granted, this was both an OVA and somewhat old (from 1999). Also, note that the animation was often rather over-the-top and "comical." Expressions were exaggerated, people were physically crushed by words, there was full-face blushing and turning into rockets. This all could be good or bad depending on whether you enjoy that type of thing or not. I felt it was fitting considering the comedic nature of the show itself.
Sound: 8/10
I'll use this section to talk about music and voice work, starting with the former.
Besides the opening and ending, there were also many insert songs, as expected from an anime revolving around singers. All of the above were very catchy and well-done, with good singing and instrumentals. There's a mix between the more enthusiastic and straight-out catchy songs, like the opening and "Spicy Marmalade," and the more melancholy, like "In the Moonlight."
As for the rest of the OST, it didn't really stand out quite as much. Decent, sometimes more enjoyable, and fitting for the scenes, but nothing really special. Nothing really bad though, mind you.
On to the voice work. I've only watched the Japanese version, so I can't comment on the dub. The voice acting was pretty good. Most characters had fitting voices, from the stoic and deep Yuki Eiri, to the excitable and energetic Shuuichi Shindou. I only had a few gripes with this section. One was that there were a few adult males who were still voiced by women. It just sounded a little off, and made their genders confusing too. The other was that Shuuichi's voice could get annoying at times. Sure, it fit his personality, but it could get a bit whiny and screechy, especially when he yelled (which was often). The cries of "YUKI!" still ring in my head, and remind me a bit of a certain yandere from a completely different show.
Also, I couldn't recognize many of voices, as I don't typically watch shows from this period, but one that I did recognize and found a bit funny was that that Ryuuichi Sakuma was voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi. The sweet and childish idol Ryuuichi Sakuma, voiced by the same guy who voiced L from Death Note. And it fit so well.
Character: 6/10
This show has a variety of characters. Childish, easy-going, Shuuichi, accompanied by the taller and larger, quiet and emotionally-detached Yuki. The somewhat mysterious but caring Seguchi. The hot-headed K-san. The even more childish, but also kind, Ryuuichi Sakuma. However, there's not that much character development. As I mentioned before, it is only an OVA for a series, so that's to be expected. Yuki's coldness didn't really get that much of an explanation, and he only showed his fondness for Shuuichi about twice. Shuuichi is just about the same throughout the whole thing. Their relationship did not improve or change that much from this ordeal. Despite the lack of development, the characters were still entertaining and fun to watch, albeit a bit stereotypical.
Enjoyment/Overall: 8 and 7/10
I'm a fan of light-hearted, comedy series, so this appealed to me. It was just a fun, quick watch. I recommend it to others who like the same sort of thing. To those who don't enjoy that sort of thing, and who may like darker, action-filled, or more psychological stuff, it may not be the best choice. And I know there are some of you out there who might not want to watch it because you don't like yaoi. I was in the same boat as you people. It's definitely filled with pretty boys, but it's not teeming with fanservice. The only suggestive scenes are one heavily implied sex scene which brought out a whip before being revealed as a dream, and the last scene where it was somewhat implied that they were about to have sex. As it's only two scenes, you can try to overlook them if they bother you. The comedic factors are still redeeming.
In short, not full of much substance, but short and funny and recommended even for those who don't normally watch shounen-ai.
Feb 8, 2015
Gravitation: Lyrics of Love
(Anime)
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Gravitation: Lyrics of Love, is a 2-episode OVA aired before the actual Gravitation series. It's about the lead singer of the band "Bad Luck," named Shuuichi Shindou, whose been in a slump lately because his novelist boyfriend, Yuki Eiri, has been acting cold and distant lately. It's genres are, obviously, romance (shounen-ai specifically), as well as being a comedy.
Story: 6/10 This is an OVA tied to a 13-episode series, so there's not much to be expected in the plot department. Shuuichi is upset at Yuki for being so cold, and most of the first episode involves him being in a slump and trying, unsuccessfully, to ... |
