Shuichi Shindou

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Shuichi Shindou
Gravitation character

Voice Actor:	Seki Tomokazu
Similar Works:	"Vision of Escaflowne" - Van Fanel, "Weiß Kreuz" - Ken, "Neon Genesis Evangelion" - Toji Suzuhara, "Fruits Basket" - Kyo Sohma
Birthdate:	April 16
Age:	19
Blood Type:	A
Height:	5'5"
Weight:	112 lbs
Hair Color:	Pink (anime)
Eye Color:	Violet (anime)
Shoe Size:	Mens 7
Eyesight:	20/20

Shuichi Shindou (新堂愁一 Shindō Shūichi) is the main character of the hit anime and manga series, Gravitation.

1 Basic information
2 Profile
3 Relationship with Eiri Yuki
4 External links

[edit] Basic information

Shuichi's beginning ambition in the series is to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Ryuichi Sakuma by creating his own successful music band named Bad Luck. However, one day when he is walking through a park reading his lyrics, a wind blows them away, where they are picked up by a mysterious man who labels them as elementary-level. Stung by the man's criticism, Shuichi becomes determined to find out more about him and learns that he is actually the famous romance novelist, Eiri Yuki.

Initially, Eiri Yuki treats Shuichi coldly, but Shuichi, growing attracted to him, keeps on meeting him, and a romance eventually develops between them. Shuichi's band also begins to rise in fame, and a major portion of the series focuses on his attempts to balance the demands of his job with his pursuit of Eiri's affections.

[edit] Profile

Shuichi has an innocent and energetic personality that often ruins serious scenes; a running gag throughout the series is his penchant for dressing up in strange costumes, including those of a dog, a battery, and a banana. He also is overly emotional, tending to cry or get excited easily.

Ever since he was a kid, Shuichi was a fan of Nittle Grasper and wanted to become just like its leader Ryuichi Sakuma, wearing his hair in the same style as Ryuichi's and even using the same shampoo. He later becomes the leader and vocalist of Bad Luck, which steadily gains prominence in the music world as the series progresses.

He is also a big fan of YMO, TM Revolution, B'z, Electric Groove, and B-2 Dept, and his favorite food is strawberry Pocky.

Shuichi's best friend is Hiroshi Nakano, the guitarist on his band who acts as a calming influence upon him. He also has a sister named Maiko, who is a huge fan of Eiri Yuki. Maiko is not shown in the main series, but is shown in the manga and partly in the OVA episodes.

[edit] Relationship with Eiri Yuki

Shuichi first meets Eiri when his song lyrics are blown away by the wind. From then on, he becomes infatuated with him, and Eiri becomes Shuichi's main priority, so much so that the quality of their relationship affects his performance at work; when it goes badly, his vocals suffer.

In the beginning stages, Eiri treated Shuichi with a mixture of indifference and hostility, especially when Shuichi's childish antics irritated him. Despite this, and many other obstacles, including the arrival of Eiri's fiancee Ayaka Usami, Shuichi kept on pursuing Eiri, in the hope that his feelings would be reciprocated someday.

A major plot point in the series was when Taki Aizawa found about Shuichi and Eiri's relationship and threatened to expose it if Shuichi did not submit to being gang-raped by his comrades. Because Shuichi valued Eiri's reputation so highly, he complied. When Eiri found out, he exacted revenge upon Taki (ironically by beating up his band mate, Ma-kun.) It was then when he told Eiri that he wouldn't let go of him because he loved him; Eiri then told him about his past. After that event, Shuichi's love for Eiri begins to exact a noticeable change in Eiri's personality; Eiri gradually becomes more open and caring towards him in his own way. Although Eiri agrees to go on a date with Shuichi, if he sells one-million records (because Shuichi's manager was shooting at Eiri in the anime,) Eiri's lingering "love" for his former mentor, Yuki Kitazawa ruins the date.

Shuichi's relationship with Eiri continues to be a battle of many things, such as a hassle of emotions versus Shuichi's music career, or Eiri's undying guilt and devotion towards his former mentor. There is strain on both Shuichi and Eiri, even causing Eiri's brother-in-law and friend, Tohma Seguchi to threaten Shuichi more than once to stay away from Eiri. Despite these difficulties, Eiri and Shuichi always seem to find their way back to one another.