Given anime is a BL anime by Natsuki Kizu which is about the life of Mafuyu Sato and his quest to find himself through music. The anime and even the manga itself are sad, but it does not really stay sad. If it is to be rated on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the saddest, the saddest part of the whole story is probably at an 8 or 7.5.
The saddest part about Given as an anime is the idea that some things, no matter how beautiful they may be, aren’t always meant for you. This idea is mirrored in the lives of all the characters and the two main love stories featured in the series.
Given follows the romance of two main couples: Uenoyama and Mafuyu, and Akihiko and Haruki. The series’ main couple is Uenoyama and Mafuyu, and therefore the manga and the television anime focus on their story. While the second main, Akihiko and Haruki’s romance was seen in the movie released last 2021.
Uenoyama and Mafuyu’s story represents a turning point in the life of Mafuyu. Let’s just say Mafuyu had a really really bad break-up with his ex-boyfriend, and he was left with nothing but memories of him and an old guitar that was handed down to him by his ex-boyfriend’s mother. The scar of what had happened to him was pretty bad, so he never really had the chance to process anything. When he met Uenoyama, it was like a brand new beginning. He sees glimpses of Yuki (Mafuyu’s ex-boyfriend) sometimes, but his life with Uenoyama provided him with much more love and comfort than he could ever ask for.
Akihiko and Haruki on the other hand, have a story of their own too. Akihiko came from a manipulative and emotionally exhausting relationship. However, he never really had the guts and the willpower to end things with his boyfriend. After hearing a newly-composed song by Mafuyu, Akihiko decided he would finally end things for good with his now ex-boyfriend, Ugetsu. After the heart-shattering break-up, Akihiko picks himself up and fixes his attitude for a couple of months, and then he accidentally confesses to Haruki, another member of their band who’s had the biggest crush on him since they meet.
So, Given is actually not that sad, but it does have details and plot lines that would make you cry. It’s probably not a good series to watch if you need a sit-down film or series to cry to (in times like these, a good movie to cry to would probably be Ride Your Wave, Hotarubi no Mori E, or Banana Fish).
Given the Manga is currently ongoing, and the Television anime has 12 episodes all available on Crunchyroll in both sub and dub.
Read More: Does Given Have a Happy Ending?
