Gravitation - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Gravitation - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Neil Lumbard November 16, 2021

Gravitation is an entertaining music-infused drama which explores the creation of rock music and the inspiring journey of creativity. The anime classic is produced by Masahiro Chiku and Yumiko Masujima. This is a yaoi (boys-love) anime series based on the manga by Maki Murakami.

Shuichi Shindou (Tomokazu Seki) is a daydreaming musician who wishes to become a rock star and live the dream. While strolling through a local park singing his original music loud-and-clear, Shuichi stumbles in to a meeting with novelist Eiri Yuki (Kazuhiko Inoue). Music is in the air.

Eiri is quick to criticize the performance and lyrics. Will Eiri crush the dreams of Shuichi? Or is an unexpected attraction (romantic, perhaps...) beneath the surface? Romance and rock n' roll drama unfolds.

The animation looks a little dated by modern standards – the production has a soft focus which is partly the result of the time-period in which it was produced (when anime series were still transitioning between cell-based/film-based productions and digital). The results are decent (especially as the character designs are effective) but the art direction by Nobuto Sakamoto (Fist of the North Star, Maria Watches Over Us) simply misses the mark a bit. Gravitation is a decent looking series but the art could have used some extra edge.

Chase your dreams. (Remember: dreams really do come true!)

The original music composed by Daisuke Asakura (Dead Leaves, ClassicaLoid) is engaging and makes an impression. The score helps provide the series with a nice backdrop. The characters are given some room to be explored through the score.

The screenplay by Michiko Yokote (Children of the Whales, A Lull in the Sea) is the best thing about the series. Gravitation is a beautifully written series and one that tells a wonderful love story. This is absolutely a great story – one that will pull audiences in for a fun ride. The characters make this an entertaining gem. Yokote is a great screenwriter and the storytelling is thrilling from beginning to end.

Directed by Bob Shirohata (Diamond Daydreams, Hetalia: Axis Powers), Gravitation is well worth watching. Gravitation is one of the best yaoi (boys-love) anime series I have seen. The storytelling manages to make a big impression and Shirohata brings the filmmaking to life in a wonderful way. Fans of romantic anime series will want to experience this classic.

Gravitation - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Nozomi Entertainment, Gravitation is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The presentation is far from being ideal. The release is an upscaled presentation and it comes from a standard definition source.

As a result of the source, the high-definition video quality is only a marginally better upgrade over the standard-definition DVDs. The compression is a little bit more refined – offering fan seeking the absolute best presentation a modest boost. Yet it's not going to do miracle work to a limited source, which still shows some compression woes.

Colors also aren't as robust as on a native high-definition presentation. The presentation still has artifacts and looks low-res. The video-quality isn't anywhere near as good as native HD can look. (One can even see fuzzy lines and many scenes are inherently softer because of the limited source resolution).

Gravitation - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes three lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The 5.1 surround sound mix sounds decent by any standards. Expanding the soundstage with the music score and some occasional sound effects. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand.

Gravitation - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1:

Clean Opening (HD, 1:30)

Disc 2:

Clean Closing (HD, 1:44)

Disc 3:

Gravitation: Lyrics of Love -

Clean Opening (HD, 3:15)

Clean E1 Closing (HD, 1:31)

Sneak Peek 1 (HD, 2:02)

Sneak Peek 2 (HD, 1:35)

Lastly, the release includes a selection of trailers (HD, 3:24) promoting other releases available from distributor RightStuf/Nozomi Entertainment.

Gravitation - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gravitation is a classic yaoi anime about a blossoming romance between two young men. The anime explores the pursuits of the human spirit: the importance of dreams and making them a reality - the saga of becoming a musician and living the life of an artist. The series has a great story by screenwriter Michiko Yokote (A Lull in the Sea). The series is a worthwhile classic – well worth seeing. Recommended.