Many fans call out Shounen or Shoujo Ai as they are usually bland and emphasize eroticism without any characterization. However, Given has managed to strike a rare balance, and it does not indulge in over-the-top fan service.
It is a realistic, down-to-earth romance that just so happens to be between two guys. For all years, the LGBT community has always craved proper representation about their love which is the same as every other hetero romance. And Given was that rare blessing.
The Given anime aired in 2019 with 11 episodes. Its sequel film, which adapted the second arc of the manga, was released in 2020. Another sequel film was announced in March 2023, and the staff are back with more details on it.
The official website states that the second theatrical sequel to the “Given” anime series will officially be released in two parts, revealed today, along with a retrospective trailer on the band’s journey thus far.
This 9-minute video captures the story of Uenoyoma and Mafuyu. The video features the story of Mafuyu and his general disinterest in life and how his life changes with Uenoyoma’s chords.
Uenoyama, on the other hand, is moved by the exceptional vocals of Mafuyu and invites him to the band. However, Mafuyu suffers from the tragic loss of his best friend/boyfriend, Yuki.
In the end, he has a decisive breakthrough and performs a song about the loss of Yuki. As we already know, the manga has three arcs: the first arc based on Mafuyu and Uenoyoma was covered in the anime series.
While the 2020 movie beautifully adapted the second arc based on Akhihiko and Haruki’s relationship. The third installment will probably cover the budding relationship between Hiiragi and Shizusumi.
The anime is everything we wanted from a BL and more. It was a pioneer series that paved the way for other beautiful series like Sasaki and Miyano. This anime broke the hypersexuality stereotype in the BL world and took a soft, grounded approach.
The result? Many loved it: the series and the 2020 sequel movie were a complete success. The news of the upcoming movie having two parts has pleasantly surprised fans.
We get more time to witness the chemistry of our favorite characters, and it is indeed exhilarating.
About Given
The Given anime is an adaptation of the manga of the same name by Natsuki Kizu.
Ritsuka Uenomiya was losing his love for guitar and everything he liked. However, his impromptu meeting with Mafuyu Sato changed it all.
Mafuyu’s song pierced his heart and made him want to find his love all over again. Both of them have unresolved pasts, so how will they help each other overcome it?
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