Given (manga)

Ritsuka and Mafuyu

High school student 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 he invites him to join the band.

Ritsuka learns that Mafuyu's guitar was previously owned by Yūki Yoshida, Mafuyu's childhood best friend and former boyfriend, who died of suicide. The band begins composing music in preparation for a live performance, but Mafuyu struggles to write lyrics for the song. On the day of the performance, Mafuyu has a breakthrough and sings an emotionally powerful song expressing his grief over Yūki. The performance 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's mother after his passing.

Akihiko and Haruki

Given begins to gain traction after posting a video of their live performance online. They apply for the lineup of a major amateur music festival and begin composing new music, but their progress is complicated by Haruki's secret romantic feelings for Akihiko, as well as Akihiko's continued involvement with his ex-boyfriend Ugetsu Murata. Tensions mount until Akihiko is kicked out of the apartment he shares with Ugetsu. He reveals to Haruki that he is aware of his feelings for him, resulting in a tense sexual encounter.

Without a place to stay, Akihiko moves in with Haruki. Although their cohabitation grows to be pleasant, unresolved romantic tensions persist. On the day of Given's qualifying concert, Akihiko ends his relationship with Ugetsu. The band performs a new song Mafuyu wrote but is ultimately not chosen for the festival lineup. After some time, Akihiko moves out of Haruki's apartment and decides to seriously commit to his music studies. In the spring, following a violin competition, Akihiko confesses his feelings to Haruki, admitting the changes he made in his life were to become a person worthy of Haruki's love. The two begin dating.

Main characters

Mafuyu Satō (佐藤 真冬, Satō Mafuyu)

Voiced by: Sōma Saitō (audio drama),^[2] Shōgo Yano (anime)^[3] (Japanese); Brandon McInnis^[4] (English)

A 16-year-old high school student and Given's lead vocalist and guitarist. Though he lacks experience and professional training, Mafuyu is a naturally gifted singer and quickly picks up guitar and songwriting skills. He suppresses his emotions following the suicide of his former boyfriend Yuki, resulting in an outwardly shy and aloof personality, but becomes ferociously expressive when he performs. Outside of music, he cares for a nine-month-old Pomeranian named Kedama.

Ritsuka Uenoyama (上ノ山 立夏, Uenoyama Ritsuka)

Voiced by: Makoto Furukawa (audio drama),^[2] Yuma Uchida (anime)^[3] (Japanese); Jessie James Grelle^[4] (English)

A 16-year-old high school student and Given's lead guitarist. Having played guitar since a young age, Ritsuka is highly practiced and talented with the instrument. He has a kind personality, though he often comes off to others as stoic and bullish and is inexperienced in romantic affairs. At the start of the series, he has lost his enthusiasm for playing the guitar, though his love for music returns as he develops a closer bond with Mafuyu.

Haruki Nakayama (中山 春樹, Nakayama Haruki)

Voiced by: Yasuaki Takumi (audio drama),^[2] Masatomo Nakazawa (anime)^[3] (Japanese); Y. Chang^[4] (English)

A 22-year-old graduate student and Given's bassist and bandleader. Haruki is friendly and sociable, and as the oldest member of the band, he often functions as its mediator. He has a longstanding crush on Akihiko and eventually begins dating him.

Akihiko Kaji (梶 秋彦, Kaji Akihiko)

Voiced by: Satoshi Hino (audio drama)^[2] Takuya Eguchi (anime)^[3] (Japanese); Jonah Scott^[4] (English)

A 20-year-old college music student and Given's drummer. Akihiko majors in violin performance and is skilled in several other instruments. Having been in numerous relationships with both men and women, he is also knowledgeable about romantic affairs, often giving advice to others in this regard. He lives with his ex-boyfriend, Ugetsu, with whom he maintains an on-and-off relationship. However, Akihiko realizes his growing feelings for Haruki and permanently ends his relationship with Ugetsu, eventually becoming Haruki's boyfriend and vowing to improve himself for him.

Supporting characters

Yuki Yoshida (吉田 由紀, Yoshida Yuki)

Voiced by: Yoshiki Nakajima (audio drama), Yuuki Shin (anime) (Japanese); Brendan Blaber^[5] (English)

Mafuyu's childhood friend and former boyfriend, who died from suicide prior to the series' events, appears only through flashbacks. Yuki's outgoing and impulsive personality starkly contrasted with Mafuyu's shyness; however, the two bonded over their common backgrounds as latchkey kids raised in single-parent homes and later became lovers. Their eventual falling out led Yuki to drink heavily and hang himself. Prior to his death, Yuki was a guitarist in a band alongside his friends Hiiragi and Shizusumi.

Ugetsu Murata (村田 雨月, Murata Ugetsu)

Voiced by: Atsushi Tamaru (audio drama), Shintarō Asanuma (anime)^[6] (Japanese); J. Michael Tatum^[7] (English)

A world-renowned violinist, and Akihiko's roommate and ex-boyfriend.

Yayoi Uenoyama (上ノ山 弥生, Uenoyama Yayoi)

Voiced by: Sayuri Yahagi (audio drama), Yū Shimamura (anime) (Japanese); Hayden Daviau^[8] (English)

Ritsuka's older sister, who once harbored an unrequited crush on Akihiko, is rejected, and Yayoi enters a romantic relationship with Koji Yatake. She is a talented painter and a member of the art club. Eventually, she finds out about Ritsuka and Mafuyu's relationship, as well as Akihiko and Haruki's.

Shōgo Itaya (板谷 翔吾, Itaya Shōgo)

Voiced by: Junya Enoki (audio drama), Kengo Takanashi (anime)

Ritsuka's friend and classmate, Shōgo, who is a soccer striker recognized as a rising athlete in the Kanto region, has excellent motor skills and is thus skilled at other ball games, including basketball.

Ryū Ueki (植木 涼, Ueki Ryū)

Voiced by: Taku Yashiro (audio drama), Hiroto Amano (anime)

Ritsuka's friend and classmate, who plays center for the school basketball team.

Hiiragi Kashima (鹿島 柊, Kashima Hiiragi)

Voiced by: Toshiki Masuda (audio drama), Fumiya Imai (anime)^[6]

Mafuyu's childhood friend and former classmate, Hiiragi, who was previously a bassist in a band alongside Yuki and Shizusumi, cares deeply for Mafuyu, having been aware of his relationship with Yuki.

Shizusumi Yagi (八木 玄純, Yagi Shizusumi)

Voiced by: Daiki Hamano (audio drama), Taito Ban (anime)

Mafuyu's childhood friend and former classmate, who was previously a drummer in a band alongside Yuki and Hiiragi.

Kōji Yatake (矢岳 光司, Yatake Kōji)

Voiced by: Daiki Hamano (audio drama), Ryōta Takeuchi (anime)

Haruki's fellow classmate from college, who is a bassist and vocalist, as well as a video editor who helps promote bands. He later dates Yayoi.

Tsubaki (つばき)

Voiced by: Mitsuhiro Nakae (anime)

Mafuyu's co-worker at the concert venue where he works. Tsubaki appears only in the anime adaptation.

Manga

Given has been serialized in the bimonthly magazine Chéri+ since April 2013.^[9] In Japan, the series has been collected into nine bound volumes published by Shinshokan.^[10] An English-language translation is published by Viz Media under their SuBLime imprint, with the first volume released in February 2020.^[11][12] The series ended serialization on March 30, 2023.^[13]

On January 30, 2024, Given's spin-off epilogue series, Given 10th Mix, premiered in the March 2024 issue of Chéri+.^[14] Its events take place 10 years after the conclusion of the original manga.

Given is the first multi-volume work produced by manga artist Natsuki Kizu, following her two previous single-volume series Yukimura-sensei to Kei-kun (Yukimura and Kei, 2013)^[15] and Links (2014).^[16]

Anime

An anime television series adaptation produced by Lerche was announced during a Fuji TV press conference on March 14, 2019.^[3] The series aired from July 11 to September 19, 2019 on Noitamina, the network's late-night anime programming block, making Given the first BL series to air on Noitamina.^[3][34] The series is syndicated by Crunchyroll, which simulcasts the series worldwide outside of Asia.^[35] In Southeast Asia, the series was released on WeTV on May 18, 2021.^[36]

The series' primary production staff includes Hikaru Yamaguchi as director, Yuniko Ayana as scriptwriter, Mina Osawa as character designer, and Michiru [ja] as score composer.^[3][37] The series' four original songs — the opening theme "Kizuato", the closing theme "Marutsuke", and the original songs "Session" and "Fuyu no hanashi" (literal translation"}]],"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"lit.","href":"./Template:Lit."},"params":{},"i":0}}]}">lit. "A Winter Story") — are composed and performed by Centimillimental, with additional vocals from Mafuyu voice actor Shōgo Yano on "Marutsuke" and "Fuyu no hanashi".^[6][38] The anime features a new voice cast, recasting the roles from the Crown Works audio drama.^[3]

Given : Existence on the Other Hand (ギヴン うらがわの存在, Given: Uragawa no Sonzai), an original animation DVD (OAD), was released on December 1, 2021, bundled with the manga's seventh volume.^[39]

Film

A film sequel to the Given anime series was announced on September 19, 2019. The film is a direct continuation of the anime series and adapts the second arc of the manga, which focuses on the relationship between Haruki and Akihiko.^[53] Development of the film was transferred from Noitamina to Blue Lynx, Fuji TV's yaoi anime label launched in 2019.^[54] The production staff and voice cast of the anime adaptation returned for the film, including Hikaru Yamaguchi as director and Yuniko Ayana as screenwriter. The film was originally scheduled for release on May 16, 2020,^[55][56] but was delayed to August 22, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[57][58] Select screenings of the film from August 22 to 28 included an interview with the film's main cast and footage of Mafuyu voice actor Shōgo Yano performing "Marutsuke".^[59] Streaming service Crunchyroll announced in October 2020 that it had acquired international distribution rights outside of Asia for the film,^[60] which it released on February 2, 2021.^[61] In Southeast Asia, WeTV released the film on May 25, 2021.^[62]

A sequel anime film was announced in March 2023,^[63] and later revealed as a two-part film project in August of that year.^[64] with the first part, Hiiragi Mix (映画 ギヴン 柊mix, Eiga Givun: Hiiragi mix) was released in Japan on January 27, 2024,^[65] and the second part, To the Sea (映画 ギヴン 海へ, Eiga Given: Umi e) on September 20, 2024.^[66]

Stage play

A stage play adaptation of Given was announced on April 3, 2020, with Fumiya Matsuzaki as director and Given anime screenplay writer Yuniko Ayana returning as scriptwriter.^[67] Originally slated to be staged at theaters in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka from August 15 to September 6, 2020,^[67] it was initially cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic^[68] before being rescheduled to November 2021.^[69]

A 2nd stage play adaptation Butai Given: Umi e was set to run in May 2025, but it was cancelled due to the bankruptcy and closure of theater company Trifle Entertainment in January 2025.^[70]

Live-action drama

A six-episode live-action drama adaptation of Given was announced on May 26, 2021, and was released on Fuji TV's FOD streaming service on July 17, 2021.^[39] The series is directed by Kōichirō Miki [ja] and stars Jin Suzuki as Ritsuka Uenoyama, Sanari as Mafuyu Satō, Kai Inowaki as Akihiko Kaji, and Shuntarō Yanagi as Haruki Nakayama.^[71] Crunchyroll licensed the series for distribution in English in non-Asian regions.^[72]

Audio drama albums

An audio drama CD adapting scenes from the first volume of Given was included with the February 2016 issue of Chéri+.^[2] That same month, Crown Works began to release a series of audiobook drama CDs that adapt each volume of the manga.^[73]

Extended plays

An eight-track extended play titled Gift (stylized in all lowercase) was released by Sony Music Japan on August 26, 2020. The album, credited to "Given" and marketed as an album by the band, collects the original songs from the television anime series and film. The album's cover artwork features an original illustration by Natsuki Kizu.^[78][79]

Singles

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.^[88] The third volume reached #37 on Oricon and sold 24,345 copies in its first week.^[89] The series ranked #7 in the boys' love category on the digital book service BookLive! in the first half of 2019.^[90]

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.^[91] 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.^[92][93] 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."^[94]

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.^[95]

Film

In its opening weekend, the film adaptation of Given ranked first in Kogyotsushinsha's tracking of mini-theater ticket sales^[96] and remained in first for five consecutive weeks.^[97] In the overall box office, the film ranked 9th in its opening weekend despite opening in only 30 theaters – roughly one-tenth the number of theaters of its closest competitors.^[98] By September 14, 2020, the film had sold 100,000 tickets.^[99]