Boy’s love watchers, like myself, check the waters before jumping in. So, if you’re thinking about watching “Given,” here’s what you should know. Then it could be one of the best choices you’ve ever made.
And don’t worry about it being empty words; before the end of this review, I’ll make sure that you agree with it, at least theoretically, if I must say so.
Natsuki Kizu wrote and illustrated the manga that inspired the anime adaptation. Given, which debuted in 2019, was the first Bl anime to air during prime time in Japan.
Well, the queer genre is usually underappreciated, but for one of them to even air on national television is a huge accomplishment, making Given the cream of the BL crop. So, in our Given anime review, let’s dig a little deeper.
Given Anime Review!
Plot
Given has one of the most realistic and non-toxic stories. Whereas in the first arc, or the 11-episode series, the focus was on the stories of the main characters, Mafuyu Sato and Ritsuka Uenoyama. While in the second arc of our film, the focus shifts to the relationship of Akihito and Haruki.
The first arc begins with the sudden chaos in our lazy Uenoyama’s simple, boring life when he encounters a student named Mafuyu at his secret sleeping area with a fancy guitar with broken strings. If he hadn’t volunteered to repair the strings after seeing Mafuyu’s depressed face as if the world had collided, and if he hadn’t played that tune, his life might have remained simple and boring.
Uenoyama, as a band member and guitarist, was forced to bring Mafuyu along with him to meet and learn with his band members, resulting in Mafuyu not only learning a bit of guitar playing but also becoming a member of the band. Throughout the process, a few things stood out: Uenoyama regained his enthusiasm for music, and something was going on with Mafuyu. As to how he got such an amazing vocal talent but can’t think of anything to sing except this one song that has been in his head for what seems like an eternity.
All you have to do now to figure out what is going on with Mafuyu is watch and figure it out for yourself. As I absolutely cannot spoil the ending episode, why Mafuyu said that the guitar is a curse on him, the heart-wrenching truth behind the pain in the song he finally sung on the concert night.
If you want, you can listen to Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Driver’s License” to get a sense of our dear Mafuyu’s state of mind. Uenoyama and Mafuyu eventually ended up together at the end of the series.
Given is an absolute masterpiece; each member of the cast is fleshed out and leaves you rooting for them. Let’s find out why Haruki cut his hair short in the film and why Uenoyama didn’t get a song from Mafuyu for him this time.
Characters
As I previously stated, the best thing about this anime is its characters, who are realistic and relatable. Uenoyama is one of the best characters to ever come out of the closet. As long as he didn’t freak out unnecessarily, Akihito was a big help.
Overall, this distinguishes Given from the rest of the BL anime because being gay is not an issue here, and the story and characters have much more to offer than their unnecessary preoccupation with their sexuality and what society will think of them.
Mafuyu Sato, the series’ Cinnamon-roll, is a complicated character who is also very simple and easy to relate to. Nakayama Haruki, the band’s caretaker, arrives to save the day. A really endearing character with a secret crush on Akihiko that isn’t so secret.
Kaji Akihiko is a man of many talents, as you will discover later, but he certainly contributed significantly to the story of Uenoyama and Mafuyu, albeit while his house was on fire.
Ugetsu Murata, my favourite character in the series, deserves all the happiness in the world; he is a truly complex and complicated character in this series, just like Mafuyu, if not more so. As Akihiko once said, he felt Murata could feel all the world’s emotions and play them on the strings of his violin, as if just being alive hurts him.
Music
As an anime series centred on music, it undoubtedly contains amazing music and sound effects. Even the voice actors’ voices and the way they expressed the characters were spot on.
Even the background soundtrack was so well-crafted that it perfectly complements the scenes, giving the impression that the viewer is also a part of the story, albeit as a bystander. And take my word for it: Mafuyu’s songs are absolutely worth crying to.
Final Thoughts
So, if you’re still reading it, it’s a sign that you should give it a shot. We could have skipped over animation and romance, but they are both indescribable and the pinnacle of delight.
What do you think of our analysis? Have you gotten around to watching the anime yet? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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