Here’s the first-ever review of an anime title I ever did. I put it up on the publisher’s (Right Stuf) website as well as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. I’ll probably come back and add to it as I complete the series.

Absolutely Astounding!
As a brand-new fan of Anime, I count myself particularly lucky for having “Gravitation” as my first real exposure to this art form. I’ve read the Manga and was completely absorbed by the story and the characters. Buying the long-awaited DVD was just the next step…

Imagine my joy at coming home after work yesterday and finding my Gravitation Volume 1 DVD waiting on my doorstep. Before I went to bed, I’d watched the whole disk 3 times–twice in English and once in Japanese (and I don’t even understand Japanese) and was so totally hooked it’s almost scary. I instantly fell in love with the characters all over again now that they moved and had voices; I found myself in a panic that I’m going to have to wait a couple of months before the next volume comes out. I can’t get enough!

The story is incredible: the irrepressible Shuichi Shindou is working toward his dream of being a rock star, but on the way he meets intense, mysterious (and way sexy) anti-hero Eiri Yuki. Gravitation is the force that pulls these opposites together and the love story that emerges is nothing short of brilliant. While there’s a lot of material from the Manga that is left out of the series, the crucial elements of the story are there, shining through for us to experience. The general goofiness of Shuichi and the anime stylistic gags don’t overshadow the deep, yet simple beauty of two people–in this case, two guys–falling in love and seeing where it will lead. Thanks SO MUCH to Right Stuf for bringing this to America!

While I’m not yet an expert, I know something great when I see it, and this is it. RUN out and buy this DVD for the story, the characters, the artwork and especially the music (as an aside, I can’t get the title tune out of my head and am already well on my way to memorizing the Japanese lyrics–the closing end credits music too). It is beautiful, addictive, meaningful and just a lot of fun, if nothing else.