Given (manga)

Did You Know?

• The anime features a new voice cast, recasting the roles from the Crown Works audio drama.
• The majority of the episode titles in Given are references to British alternative rock songs.
• An eight-track extended play titled Gift was released by Sony Music Japan on August 26, 2020.

Plot

The manga unfolds across four main storylines. The first follows the band's creation and the developing bond between guitarist Ritsuka Uenoyama and his quiet classmate Mafuyu Sato. The second arc focuses on drummer Akihiko Kaji and bassist Haruki Nakayama as the group gears up for their first music competition. The third turns to Mafuyu's childhood friends, Hiiragi Kashima and Shizusumi Yagi, as they face their past and hidden emotions. The final arc centers on Mafuyu searching for purpose while Ritsuka tries to finish a song based on a demo left by Mafuyu's late boyfriend, Yuki Yoshida, hoping to give Mafuyu closure and a path back to music. Ritsuka, a high school guitarist, plays with college students Haruki and Akihiko. He fixes the broken strings on Mafuyu's Gibson ES-330 and reluctantly teaches him guitar. After hearing Mafuyu's remarkable singing voice, Ritsuka asks him to join the band. He later learns the guitar belonged to Yuki, Mafuyu's childhood friend and former boyfriend who died by suicide. Before their first live show, Mafuyu struggles with lyrics but eventually pours his grief into a powerful performance. This leads to a backstage kiss and the start of his romance with Ritsuka. The band names itself Given, representing the gift of Mafuyu's voice. Later, Haruki hides his love for Akihiko, who is still caught up with his ex, Ugetsu Murata. Akihiko eventually moves out and confronts Haruki, resulting in an intimate but unclear change in their relationship.

Characters

Mafuyu Sato is a 16-year-old high school student and the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Given. He has no formal training but possesses a strikingly expressive voice. After the death of his boyfriend Yuki, Mafuyu becomes emotionally withdrawn. On stage, he pours his grief into every note. Offstage, he lives quietly and cares for his nine-month-old Pomeranian, Kedama. Ritsuka Uenoyama, also 16, is the lead guitarist. He has played guitar since sixth grade and is technically skilled, but had lost passion for music after former bandmates quit. Ritsuka is kind-hearted but often blunt. Haruki Nakayama is a 22-year-old graduate student and the bassist, serving as the band's de facto leader. Easygoing and sociable, he keeps the group grounded. He has had quiet feelings for Akihiko for years, which eventually grow into a romantic relationship. Haruki sometimes struggles with insecurity about his playing. He also handles the band's social media. Akihiko Kaji is the drummer.

Media

Given was serialized in the bimonthly magazine Chéri+ from April 2013 and collected into nine bound volumes by Shinshokan. An English translation is published by Viz Media under the SuBLime imprint, with the first volume released in February 2020. The series ended serialization on March 30, 2023. A one-shot sequel, Given 10th Mix, premiered in the March 2024 issue of Chéri+, set ten years after the original manga's conclusion. An 11-episode anime television adaptation produced by Lerche aired from July 11 to September 19, 2019, on Fuji TV's Noitamina block, making Given the first BL series to air on that slot. The series is syndicated by Crunchyroll worldwide outside Asia. The production staff includes Hikaru Yamaguchi as director, Yuniko Ayana as scriptwriter, and Mina Osawa as character designer. The series' four original songs are composed and performed by Centimillimental. An original animation DVD, Given: Existence on the Other Hand, was released on December 1, 2021, bundled with the manga's seventh volume. Aniplex released the series across four DVD and Blu-ray volumes.

Reception

The manga's second volume charted at number 39 on Oricon, moving 17,484 copies in its second week and reaching 30,308 total sales by February 2016. Its third volume debuted at number 37, selling 24,345 copies in its first week. In the first half of 2019, the series placed seventh in the boys' love category on the digital service BookLive!. Critics welcomed the anime adaptation warmly. Anime News Network's Steve Jones described it as one of the season's most emotionally powerful shows, highlighting the soundtrack and Yamaguchi's direction. He felt the writing started undercooked but improved, and called the romance between Mafuyu and Ritsuka one of the year's most compelling. Crunchyroll's Adam Wescott called it the best show you aren't watching, commending its sound and lighting design. The film adaptation topped mini-theater ticket sales for five consecutive weeks starting with its opening weekend. Despite opening in only 30 theaters—about a tenth of its competitors' count—it ranked ninth overall at the box office that weekend. By September 14, 2020, the film had sold 100,000 tickets.