Given (manga)

Plot

Given is roughly divided into two major story arcs. The first arc, which focuses primarily on the relationship between Mafuyu and Ritsuka, follows the formation of the band and the lead-up to their first live performance. The second arc, which focuses primarily on the relationship between Akihiko and Haruki, follows the band as they prepare for their first music festival.

Mafuyu and Ritsuka

High schooler Ritsuka Uenoyama is the guitarist for a band composed of himself, bassist Haruki Nakayama, and drummer Akihiko Kaji. He becomes a reluctant guitar teacher to Mafuyu Satō, a shy classmate, after repairing the broken strings on Mafuyu's Gibson ES-330. Ritsuka quickly realizes that Mafuyu is an exceptionally talented singer, and invites him to join the band.
Ritsuka learns that Mafuyu's guitar was previously owned by Yūki Yoshida, Mafuyu's childhood friend and boyfriend who died from suicide. The band begins composing music in advance of a live performance, but Mafuyu is unable to write lyrics for the song. The day of the performance, Mafuyu has a breakthrough and sings a powerful song about his feelings of loss over Yūki. The song prompts Ritsuka and Mafuyu to act on their growing romantic feelings for each other; they kiss backstage, and begin dating. The band names itself "Given", in tribute to the guitar given to Mafuyu by Yūki.

Akihiko and Haruki

Given begins to develop a following after posting a video of their live performance online. The band decides to enter into a major amateur music festival, and begin preparing new material. Their efforts are complicated by Haruki's secret romantic feelings for Akihiko, and Akihiko's continued involvement with his ex-boyfriend Ugetsu Murata. Tensions mount until Akihiko is kicked out of the apartment he shares with Ugetsu and later assaults Haruki, though Haruki forces Akihiko to end the encounter before they have sex.
Lacking a place to live, Akihiko moves in with Haruki; their cohabitation grows to become pleasant, but rife with lingering romantic and interpersonal tension. The day of their qualifying concert, Akihiko ends his relationship with Ugetsu. Mafuyu leads the band in performing a new song he has written, but Given is not selected for the festival. Time passes, and Akihiko moves out of Haruki's apartment and commits seriously to music study. He pledges to Haruki that he will be a better man; they confess their love for each other, and begin dating.

Anime

An anime television series adaptation produced by Lerche was announced during a Fuji TV press conference on March 14, 2019. The series aired from July 11 to September 19, 2019 on Noitamina, the network's late-night anime programming block, making Given the first boys' love series to air on Noitamina. The series is syndicated by Crunchyroll, which simulcast the series worldwide outside of Asia.
The series' primary production staff includes Hikaru Yamaguchi as director, Yuniko Ayana as scriptwriter, Mina Osawa as character designer, and Michiru as score composer. The series' four original songs — opening theme "Kizuato", closing theme "Marutsuke", and original songs "Session" and "Fuyunohanashi" (lit. "A Winter Story") — are composed and performed by Centimillimental, with additional vocals from Mafuyu voice actor Shōgo Yano on "Marutsuke" and "Fuyunohanashi". The anime features a new voice cast, re-casting the roles from the Crown Works audio drama.

Film

A Given original film was announced on September 19, 2019. It is slated for release in 2020, and will be produced by Blue Lynx. The production staff and voice cast of the anime adaptation will return for the film, including Hikaru Yamaguchi as director and Yuniko Ayana as screenwriter. The film will be a direct continuation of the anime series and will adapt the second arc of the manga, which focuses on the relationship between Haruki and Akihiko.

Manga

The second volume of Given reached #39 on Oricon, selling 17,484 copies in its second week for a total of 30,308 copies as of February 2016. The third volume reached #37 on Oricon, and sold 24,345 copies in its first week. The series ranked #7 in the boys' love category on the digital manga service BookLive! in the first half of 2019.

Anime

The anime adaptation of Given was positively received by critics. In a review of episodes one and two for Anime News Network, Steve Jones called the series "one of the season's most emotionally resonant offerings," praising its soundtrack and Yamaguchi's direction. The series' writing, which Jones noted was "undercooked, but not egregiously so" in his initial review, was noted by Jones as improving in subsequent episodes. Specific praise was given to the relationship between Mafuyu and Ritsuka, with Jones calling it "one of the most compelling anime romances of the year."
In a review for Crunchyroll, Adam Wescott called Given "the best show you aren't watching right now," giving specific praise to its sound and lighting design.