WL's Gay Manga and Anime Review - 10. Given by Natsuki Kizu (Gay Romance/Music/Psychological/Emotional)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Given_(manga)

Considered one of the best boys’ love manga and anime series in the last decade, it is only fitting that I end my run of anime and manga reviews with this series. It was one of the first anime series that I started watching after I regained a significant portion of my vision after my cornea transplant in late 2021, so it holds a special place in my heart. The manga series was released in English in 2020, but there were fan translations of it dating back to 2016, while its first volume was published in 2014. The anime was released in 2019. It’s an emotionally resonant story, deeply emotional, there is a light at the end of the journey for the main character, who finds a reason to live again despite gripping with some dark stuff. It is still ongoing, but what it has covered so far is great.

Length: Currently 7 volumes of the manga are published with an 8^th on the way, along with an 11-episode anime series, an hour-long anime film, and a live adaptation TV mini-series. It’s a very manageable series for casual audiences or if you want to invest deeply, you can invest in all the media to know more about the characters. Given is popular in Japan and elsewhere for good reasons, no matter what your choice of approach is to this series, the story resonates.

Plot: Mafuyu Sato is a lonely and depressed high school-aged boy, who carries around a Gibson Electric guitar with broken strings. He spends most of the day just going with the flow, telling himself he’s fine and there’s nothing wrong. Ritsuka Uenoyama notices Mafuyu one day sleeping in a secluded stairwell that he usually goes to for a nap between classes. Mafuyu is quiet and doesn’t respond much to Ritsuka, which irritates Ritsuka to point out that Mafuyu is carrying around a great Gibson guitar, but wasn’t maintaining it well. Mafuyu hearing this quickly begs Ritsuka to repair the strings of the guitar. At first, he refuses, but after pleading with Mafuyu, he relents and quickly repairs it. Upon testing the new strings, Mafuyu next demands that Ritsuka teach him how to play the guitar. This begins their friendship and eventual relationship as the two boys grow closer, Mafuyu, as it would turn out, has a great vocal range and amazing singing voice, so he joins Ritsuka’s rock band. We learn many things about each character, including Ritsuka rediscovering his love for music again after meeting Mafuyu, Ritsuka falling in love with Mafuyu, Mafuyu’s introduction to music and band life, and Mafuyu tragic past. Mafuyu was in a gay relationship with a boy named Yuki, whom he knew since they were kids. However, Yuki committed suicide by hanging himself half a year ago. People spread rumors that Mafuyu was the cause of the suicide and warn Ritsuka. Can Mafuyu get over his grief? Can Ritsuka confront Mafuyu over his feelings for him?

Review: For any gay, bi, or queer boy or man who has ever had a loud argument with their boyfriend over stupid shit, Mafuyu’s scenario would be the most heartbreaking outcome. It’s a very adult theme to talk about suicide and surviving partners, but Given handled it incredibly well. I cannot think of a story that has such an affecting character like Mafuyu, he’s unlike any uke that I’ve encountered because he has to deal with a real-world problem. Beyond just the emotional depth, I was also appreciative of the level of musical detail that Ms. Natsuki Kizu put into this story, she did a lot to explore the idea of a high school band, musical instruments, talent search, and skill differences between musicians. Subject details add to the overall world-building that went into this story and it shows in both the anime and manga how well executed all these things are.

Before we dig deeper, let’s talk about the topic of depression among gay youth, because it’s at the heart of this story. Mafuyu has a lot to be depressed about, even more so in the Manga as we learned he was abused as a child with his first boyfriend Yuki being there supporting him during those dark days. Imagine a lover like that, someone you rely on utterly and completely as your rock for all these years, only to die one day. Worst of all, you blame yourself for what happened, because of some stupid words said during a fight with them, “Would you die for me?” and, it turns out he would think you were breaking up with him in alcohol-fueled distress, he does kill himself for you. Mafuyu’s extreme introversion, fear of human connection, and inability to articulate his emotions are symptoms of someone suffering from depression and the lingering effects of child abuse. It’s a plot device that is explored well and is understated, which adds to the character’s complex nature.

Mafuyu and Ritsuka are an odd couple to start, an introvert, who is afraid to have connections, and an extrovert, who enjoys showing off. They balance each other and emotionally I think Ritsuka and Mafuyu will have a long way to go before they can fully accept each other. While Mafuyu may be the more complex psychologically of the couple, Ritsuka’s need to achieve and demonstrate his mastery over subjects and musical talent is also an interesting angle to explore as a character. What Ritsuka desires most is a passion for any subject he engages in, but he loses it for subjects and activities as there’s no drive behind his passion. What he sees in Mafuyu is repressed passion due to fear. I think that is what brings them together ultimately, there’s an undercurrent, both emotional and sexual between these boys that want to break free. Ritsuka gains his new drive from Mafuyu to want to explore and challenge himself and others, while Mafuyu gains his new drive from Ritsuka to start connecting with people again. Carl Jung, a disciple of Freud, argued that emotional and sexual drives propel human action, I think these two characters and their relationship are clear examples of this in action.

The issue most people say commonly with the plot is the slow start of the manga and anime, we don’t know why Mafuyu acts the way he does for a very long time, nor Yuki’s impact with his suicide on the story. It makes newcomers to the series hesitate as the storyline appeared at first like a slice-of-life story similar to a more reserved version of Sasaki and Miyano, but it became far richer and more diverse. If you don’t mind a slow start, this isn’t an issue.

Rating: 5 out of 5, this manga and anime deserve to be read and watched. It is complex, beautiful, and touches on relevant issues within the LGBT community.