ギヴン 1 [Given 1]

ギヴン [Given] #1

by Natsuki Kizu, キヅナツキ

ギターは弾けるが冷めてる高校生・上ノ山(うえのやま)が、
壊れたギターを抱えた真冬(まふゆ)に出会う。
嫌々ギターを教え始めるが、偶然聞いた真冬の歌声に撃ち抜かれ……!

Genres: Manga, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Contemporary, Graphic Novels, Music

179 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2014

About the author

Natsuki KIZU (キヅナツキ) is a Japanese manga artist.

She draws dōjinshi under the name Gusari ぐさり and circle Sashikizu.

Reviews

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading + watching the live adaptation + the anime just to feel live.

This is my second time reading this and I picked on things I missed while reading it for first time.

Okay so like Sato is Pisces ♓, I mean if nobody had told me I would have never guessed 😂



But when I came to know that Uenoyama is Leo ♌. *clears throat* Kekkon shite kudasai? says an Aries.

Haruki is still my fav character though. I love that guy so much. Kaji is so damn good. In all this manga is everything.

💜 Akihiko touching haruki's hair out of nowhere had me screaming like that's sooo freaking gay.



💜 Uenoyana literally called Sato "it speaks" during their first conversation. It isn't that funny but when I read it for second time I had a good laugh. In short I never realised this manga is so damn funny.



---------------------------
ATTENTION FAM :-

a live adaptation is on its way

~~~~~~~~



I am in love !

[Sarah ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was ?????? so gay ? and so cute?
Honestly all the characters were amazing and there is a cute storyline with a mystery to it so I kinda love this and am planning on reading all of it eventually

[jut · Rating 4 out of 5]

this one is for my sad gay people who just lost someone.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love them so much!
Thank you, Natsuki!!!

I am so obsessed with this series now.
And yes, I will watch all the available anime episodes and I cannot wait for September for the new issue 💆💆💆 been freaking out for the past few weeks for it 🤦


I can relate to both Ritsuka and Mafuyu.

Ritsuka for his short-temperedness and willingness to do everything for someone he loves. And Mafuyu for being someone who is serious but living for something he truly believes in.

The other two characters are in-depth as well. I love the character of Akihiko. I actually have a crush on him 💜 I love how he thinks ☺️

Haruki is just fluffy to me ☺️

I love these amazing talented, hardworking mangabaes so much ✨

The chemistry is sizzling.

It's sad at times. Funny. But yes, I am here for the music and the romance/bromance ✨

I am impressed with the character development.

Damn. Give me wifi.

I need to watch the adaptation now 💆

[Café de Tinta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compra totalmente impulsiva y ha resultado muy bien! Una historia que empieza a hilarse, unos personajes muy adorables... Con ganas de ver cómo avanza!

[Lois Bujold · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, I tracked this manga back from its anime version, found on Crunchyroll. I was pleased to discover the anime followed the manga closely, in one season plus the so-called "movie" that was actually a somewhat compressed version of the last parts, so, the story is complete in both versions. Have read all 5 volumes/watched all the anime.

Slice-of-life m/m romance in an aspiring band of a mixed group of highly talented high school and college kids. While the story mainly focused on the tangled emotions of our four protagonists, the necessary misunderstandings and snags weren't at all stupid, touching on some very real problems. I liked the exploration of what it means to make art, in this case through music though I think the tale has wider applications, especially the inarticulate (actually, silenced) kid Mafuyu who found that what he could not speak, he could sing.

I found the treatment of the fifth party, Ugetsu the classical-violinist antagonist (but not villain) to be especially interesting, a nicely nuanced study of two people just not right for each other. Poor fellow really deserves his own sequel with a new and happier ending, if he's capable of one. Being married to his music, I guess he needs a partner who can deal with the peculiar polyamory, and not be devastated by the competition with his formidable talent like poor Akihiko. Possibly not another musician, but rather, someone skilled in their own art/thing. (Good character work, if it has me speculating on their lives after the book is closed.)

Ta, L.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice steady building of characters. Mission accomplished in making me want the next volume immediately. Nice sub-stories developing. I like how Mafuyu has that desire to learn how to play music. Practice does not necessarily make Perfect if there is no Passion. This book shows the passion that starts and keeps real bands going.

Online all 8 book volumes:
ギヴン 1 Given 1 at https://mangamirror.com/manga/9813-gi...
ギヴン 2 Given 2 ch 7-11+
ギヴン 3 Given 3 ch 12-16+
ギヴン 4 Given 4 ch 17-21+
ギヴン 5 Given 5 ch 22-28+
ギヴン 6 Given 6 ch 29-35
ギヴン 7 Given 7 ch 36-42
ギヴン 8 ch 43-49

[Sylvs (NOVELty Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

RE-READ 2: I'm so hyped for the movie right now. I love this series and I love the anime too. Can't wait for Volume 4!

RE-READ: STILL LOVED IT! So happy I got the sequel now!

____
ORIGINAL REVIEW

*Trigger warning for suicide*

No words...

THIS WAS PERFECTION

There are not enough stars in this universe to account for the amazingness of this manga. That's probably the highest praise I can ever give.

My heart is still racing and I'm so excited for volume two where one of the most iconic scenes occurs. I can't believe it's coming out next week!! I'm going to definitely raid the bookstore on May 12th because OH MY GOSH.

I've watched the anime before and through my rewatch, I started to rekindle my love for Given to the point where I picked up my manga and read with no breaks in between. This book really explores specifically Akihiko's and Haruki's relationship a whole lot more than the 11 episode long season 1 does. My heart beat rapidly when reading both Ritsuka and Mafuyu developing feelings for one another and also Haruki and Akihiko. It was just simply amazing and I reckon nothing could ever top Given as my favourite anime and manga series.

...And now I have to wait till the end of the year for volumes 2, 3 and 4 to come out *sobs*

ACTUAL RATING: 5 STARS (∞)

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
"It's a story about a certain morning of certain winter".

No sé que me ha pasado. Hace años cuando la gente hablaba de este manga-anime no le daba la más mínima importancia, sobretodo por el hecho que no es uno de los géneros que solía leer de manga. Siempre lo digo, tiraba más hacia los shonen-seinen fantásticos/ gore salvo los de Inio Asano por muchísimas recomendaciones de mis amigos. Sin embargo, poco a poco he empezado a leer otros géneros como este que vengo a reseñar ahora.

"I'm not lonely. Although I can never meet you again. Although I still...haven't found the words to say it yet. I'll keep...holding onto....this thing...you treasured."

He devorado el primer tomo en menos de una hora. Ha sido llegar al 3-4 capítulo y todo me pareció tan tierno y tan bonito que no quería que se acabase. He sido una imbécil por no haberle dado una oportunidad antes. Además tiene frases muy bonitas a lo largo de los capítulos ( al menos para mí). Creo que cuando termine este manga voy a acabar con un agujero en mi corazón. Mi único problema es que los nombres no se me quedan del todo, qué mal.

"The world which is turning ever faster...all of a sudden...stopped that's what I felt."

[Adri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm gay and so soft reading this ;-;

[Nocturnalux]

There comes a time when stigmatized genres- and for the purposes of this review, I will be addressing BL as a genre- gains a kind of wider recognition, when a particular work of fiction manages to break through constraints and thus bring to light a whole subculture that has been assiduously dismissed as 'lesser'. Given is very much such a turning point for BL.

While the genre has been producing considerably good entries for decades on end, with flourishes of nothing short of brilliancy, it still tends to be disregarded. There are several reasons for this but I will focus on one alone: a lack of visibility resultant from a limited interaction with the very worst the genre has to offer.

When it comes to 2D culture, a term I use loosely to refer to anime, manga, games and as of late light novels, what becomes truly well known is still anime. Genres that have greater traction within the fandom can bypass this and be widely popular but BL, by its very nature, remains deeply niche despite garnering many fans. These fans will be the only ones to even approach it and everyone else will not get out their way to pick up, say, BL manga, regardless of how well received it may be.

BL rarely makes it into anime and when it does, there is a tendency for these adaptations to either pick up titles that represent the absolute worst entries in the genre or to be so underfunded that they are utterly ineffectual as a cultural product.

Given appeared at just the right time, with just the right cast, studio, music score- vital in this franchise- and actual budget to create an anime that is difficult to wave away as just fujioshi subpar wish fulfilment (and it is well worth mentioning that a lot- and I mean a hell lot- of current anime is just that but to the enjoyment of males; these get hailed as the best thing ever more often than not and are hardly slammed as virtually all things BL still do): suddenly, an amazing BL was presented to a wider audience.

Given was not the first good BL anime but it is one of the first genuinely modern animated entries of the genre. By this I mean that it displays changes within BL that have been going on for quite a long time now but had remained mostly hidden. Even diehard 2D culture fans still insist that BL- or 'yaoi' as they are likely to still call it- is nothing but super tall guys raping super thin and short ones. And this is indeed still a feature but there is a plethora of titles that fall entirely outside this rigid cliché-ness.

In Given we meet characters that resonate, they seem very true to life. Mafuyu's dazed, vagueness is mostly a coping device that once explained is absolutely heartrending; Ritsuka is afloat in all kinds of conflict but desperately trying his best to remain true to his music; Akihiko is cool, looks quite scary as everyone points out but is in fact very capable of providing guidance; Haruki is the laid back kind but his inability to express his emotions, while not even remotely as crippling as Mafuyu's, is not doing him any favors.

These are all experiences real, actual people have. They speak in a very modern way, often using slang and abbreviations that make musicians would use. While Akihito is considerably tall, he is not twice as tall as everyone else; in fact, the reasonable heights alone go a long way into breaking away from sheer lala land. This commitment to realism is far and wide, the mangaka did research into indie bands, guitar playing and everything related to music in urban Japan.

At the heart of Given is self-expression. Or, more specifically, the difficulties in actualizing oneself through it. Mafuyu becomes the most representative character precisely because his is the most devastating example of the harm inner silence can be.

It is also queer themed romance, by definition, but this first volume only sets the basis for it to blossom later. This was a perfect choice as it keeps resolutions from crystallizing too suddenly. One of the reasons why BL has not evolved as much as it might have, is the pressure for mangaka to produce several standalone one volume stories so that the couple in question is meant to get together, after whatever conflicts come their way, within a mere 6 chapters or so. It is possible and has been done very well but overall, it is a limitation more often than not. Instead of developing a few characters, mangaka end up producing iterations of the same ones over and over, across several titles, all of which start from scratch and so cannot truly gain any depth. It is a bad deal all around that also leads to a sense of sameness infecting a bunch of entries that should have been bundled into one title.

But I digress: at 6 volumes and counting, Given has given itself enough potential to become of the best BL manga ever conceived.

Is homophobia addressed? Yes, obliquely and perhaps all the more strongly for that. It is subtle but Hiiragi finally confronts Mafuyu and finds out that the guitar was given to him by none other than Yuki's mother, he comments that the parents accepted their relationship. There would be precious little need to add this if it were just business as usual, two boys dating is still very likely to be frowned upon by parents. More, Kasai's telling Ritsuka about the rumors surrounding Mafuyu, would not be as hard hitting if Mafuyu had been dating a girl. Yes, a romantic partner committing suicide would have cast a negative aura on the surviving one- and that is already terrible as it is- but this notion of danger hovering around Mafuyu is connected to homophobia. In fact, the way she immediately feels deeply embarrassed by spreading rumors like this shows that she is uncomfortable with herself because she knows it is just a nice thing to do.

Not to mention, Haruki's being so awkward around Akihito probably has something to do with it as well.

I also wonder about Mafuyu himself. He is not eager to at all talk about Yuki but in this volume he refers to it twice without actually mentioning him. Mafuyu asks Haruki how he would feel if the person he loves the most were to disappear from the world and how that was what happened to him; and he tells Ritsuka- who thinks may be sleeping at the time- how he had someone whom he 'really, really loved'. In both cases, Mafuyu is ambiguous: 'a person'. The Japanese languages lends itself to this kind of ambiguity, 'hito', non-gendered 'person', is used all over without any particular meaning attached to it.

But in this particular case, I cannot help but think that Mafuyu would rather not add up to mess he is already in by compounding it. It need to be internalized homophobia either, Mafuyu shows no sign of that, but a consciousness that his environment is simply not always understanding of homosexuality.

Is Given perfect? Thus far, I would say it comes close. I would rather all characters were in college as it would iron out some minor issues. Ritsuka being so jaded in his pursuit of music at the ripe age of 16 is just a bit too difficult to buy. He keeps harking back to when he first started playing, back in 6th grade. Regarding Mafuyu, this would make even more sense, major spoiler for the second volume (feel free to untoggle if you have seen the anime:) Yuki has been dead a year...it feels way too soon for Mafuyu to be confessing his love to Ritsuka. Mafuyu's singing is one of those moments that still has me shaken but it shows he is deeply, deeply impacted by Yuki's suicide as is to be expected. I do not buy his being so ready to date Ritsuka, or anyone else, for that matter. If they were both college freshmen, there would be enough time for some healing to have taken place.

If you were ever on the fence about BL and were curious about an entry title, Given is the manga for you. If you have been consuming BL for years on end and absolutely all about it, or are very critical of a lot of it, Given is the manga for you. If you are looking for a serious manga about love and grief, with just enough light moments to keep it all the more brilliantly poignant, Given is the manga for you.

[L Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mafuyu currently owns my heart. 🥹❤️

[Camii Herondale · Rating 4 out of 5]

No fue suficiente verme el anime dos veces seguidas también necesitaba leerme el manga (cosas de intensas)

[Starlah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this but I definitely feel like this was a setup for the rest of the story. Not much happened and we were very lightly introduced to all of the characters. It's cute and I'm very excited to pick up the sequel. Also, I don't know how I feel about how much Uenoyama yelled - and was lowkey kinda aggressive - with Mafuyuu. It was maybe kinda funny the first couple of times but it got kinda side-eye-y pretty quickly.

[Ulises Estrada · Rating 4 out of 5]

La historia me encanta y de hecho estoy algo sorprendido por lo rapido que avanza a comparasion del anime, y creo que por eso prefiero el anime ya que es mas detallado en ciertas cosas, bueno ademas de poder escuchar la musica y no solo imaginarla.

[Coco · Rating 5 out of 5]

ESTO PROMETE!

[Floripiquita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buen comienzo

[mishu · Rating 5 out of 5]

UUUU, se va a leer el segundo aunque sabe perfectamente que va a pasar 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[Lucy Tonks (the invisible life of a reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

since the anime is one of my favourites, i decided to give the manga a try too and ofc it's just as good. now honestly i'm simply remembering why i love this story sm as the manga is really not that different from the anime so far.
the only downside tho is that i cannot hear the music. music is such a big part of it and it kinda feels weird just reading about it and not hearing it.

[Nea Poulain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This shit is precious and all the boys must be protected.

[Brigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watched the anime first, so I know the story already. :) But I think the manga will make me like Haruki even more - he's very sweet and cute.

[Sparkling Lemonade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chinese title: Given被贈與的未來 1

This one has 神率 of 58.5% on Chil-Chil.
5⭐️

I’ve read Kizu Natsuki sensei’s early works before and had difficulty telling the characters apart because they looked alike. Her drawing and storytelling skills improved significantly over the last 10 years! She has an obsession with ex-boyfriends/love triangles so not everyone will get a happy ending. You may also notice that many of the characters are gay, the % is a lot higher than statistical sampling.

The main characters are in different stages of life, high school, university, and graduate school. They come from a variety of family backgrounds, music brings them together so they can be equals. I’m impressed by the comprehensive world setting and depth in character building and their emotional development. It’s kind of a blend between BL and shonen so the audience base is a lot more diverse, oh my hot blooded youth reading Nana and listening to J-Rock.

It all started with the anime for me (vol 1-3) but I found the pace was a bit slow, then I skimmed thru the movie (vol 3-5) because it’s too heartbreaking to watch, there’s a second movie in production (vol 6-?) now that whole manga is finished. I’m happy with a glimpse of the finale, the boys continue on to university while playing the band, it’s the best outcome in the real world.

Overall manga is my preferred medium over animation because it allows me to proceed at my own pace and gives more room for imagination, but the music performances are really good and the songs give me the chills. They complement each other because some story details are missing or added in each.


First couple:
Seme 上山立夏 (summer) ♌️ guitarist, super talented since he was a kid then got bored, rediscovered passion in music from teaching the uke.

Uke 佐藤真冬 (winter) ♓️ vocalist and guitarist, newbie but learns quickly, got the guitar from ex-bf’s mom, blames himself for the death and needs closure.

The uke’s childhood friend/ex-bf 吉田由紀 (snow) vocal and guitarist, formed a band with two other childhood friends but didn’t let uke join, committed suicide by hanging himself after getting drunk.
*Damn this reminded me of hide 松本秀人 from X-Japan, super sad incident…

Winter and snow are too cold for each other, their misunderstanding and argument caused the tragedy, summer provides the sunshine and warmth to heal the wounds and bring back life.


Second couple:
Seme 梶秋彥 (autumn) ♎️ drummer, used to play violin when he was younger, parents divorced in 3rd year of high school so he’s living with the ex-bf while still emotionally attached.

Uke 中山春樹 (spring) ♋️ bassist and leader of the band, he is the glue that brings everyone together but often lacks confidence in himself.

The seme’s high school classmate/ex-bf 村田雨月 (rain) ♊️ professional violinist, he loves music more than the seme, his talent is causing pain for the seme so he’s waiting for the seme to leave.

Autumn and rain have a love/hate relationship and are not suitable for each other because of the competition, spring is gentle and caring to bring out the best from inside.


Third couple:
Seme 八木玄純 ♏️ drummer, quiet and reserved but unexpectedly determined about the uke and willing to do anything for him.

Uke 鹿島柊 ♉️ volcalist and bassist, has a spiky personality and likes to pick arguments, he’s also liked the seme since they were kids.

They are moving on from the tragic death of their childhood friend and continue to make music together. These two’s story will be the main focus of the second movie.

[Ray Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uenoyama is a young man whose life changes suddenly after meeting the mysterious Mafuyu, a guy around his same age that always carries a guitar with him. Uenoyama is a guitar player in a band, so he’s actually quite good. But Mafuyu cannot even play a note, so he asks Uenoyama to teach him.

Mafuyu learns fast and despite his naiveté looks, he has a nice voice and he gets invited to play along with Uenoyama and his other two band members: Haruki and Akihiko, college students that play the bass and the drums respectively.

This is a music-themed manga with a bit of M/M romance, which means it has the potential to become a favorite right from the beginning. I’ve known the artist for her previous works on Kuroko no Basket doujinshis, so I’m really glad she got her own original series too.

Now, as someone who has watched the anime first, I must admit that the manga is way better. Yes, the anime has the voices, quality animation, the songs and the OST, but is so slow-paced it gets boring at times. The manga has the original art style and it really gets to the point, which is something I truly appreciate. Both formats complement each other, but I really liked the manga way better.

I think I’m really gonna read the next volumes as soon as they get published in my country.

Read it for the #Queerious and #Prideathon readathons.

[Tres Trece · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this, Def gonna continue

[Andreea (booksstopia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5✨

A cute first volume! We’ve got a lot of introductions so I’m excited to continue this series

[Bibliotecaria recomienda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uenoyama parece haber perdido el interés por sus dos grandes pasiones: el baloncesto y la música, hasta que conoce a Mafuyu. El chico se encuentra en su lugar favorito para echar la siesta abrazado a una guitarra con las cuerdas rotas. Uenoyama se ofende por el estado de la guitarra y se la repara a lo que Mafuyu emocionado le suplicará que le enseñe a tocarla.

Así comienza una historia que, después de ver el anime me ha parecido una de las más bonitas y conmovedoras de los últimos años, tanto que no pude evitar comprarme los manga de inmediato.

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

When my friends continued to recommend this particular title, it just kept moving down the list. Now that I have read it, I think I was mistaken in not picking it up sooner. (TW: grief, loss of a classmate, loss of a loved one.) Mafuyu seems to be floating through life, swallowed by grief after the loss of a loved one. He carries around a guitar, but doesn't know how to play.
When he starts hanging out at Uenoyama's favorite napping spot at school, Uenoyama starts to show him how to use this guitar, and to start to find a purpose in his life. Uenoyama continues to be drawn in by the adorable Mafuyu, and even introduces him to his other band members.
This is a series with a lot to say, packaged in a beautiful, musical package. I am looking forward to more of this one.

[michelle (travelingbooknerds) · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite queer romance mangas of all time. the friendship and emotional connections between the characters in this series are bar none, next level precious and i am so attached. in this volume we see our leads all meeting for the first time, collaborating, and sparks beginning to fly !!!!! highly recommend for anyone looking to believe in love again. the anime adaptation is also *chef’s kiss* iconic ✨

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the art and the story is good so far. I'm looking forward to learn how Mafuyu starts forgiving himself and live. He is too young to be carrying all that guilt and I hope Uenoyama and the rest helps him to let it go.

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is lovely!
I love the art style waaay more than in anime adaptation.

We love four (4) disaster gays in this house