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[The Soapbox]: Given Manga Volumes 1-6 Recap & Review! (Patreon)

Published:
2021-11-28 18:00:05
Imported:
2021-11

Content

An hour is not NEARLY enough time to devote talking about Given, but it's a start, right? I scrape the tip fo the iceberg, here, but I'm excited to talk to you all about the manga volumes 1-6, leading up to Volume 7 being released in Japan and the upcoming OVA in December this year!   

I hope you all enjoy!
Thank you for watching with me and for all the support!

Files

[The Soapbox]: Given Manga Volumes 1-6 Recap & Review!

An hour is not NEARLY enough time to devote talking about Given, but it's a start, right? I scrape the tip fo the iceberg, here, but I'm excited to talk to you all about the manga volumes 1-6, leading up to Volume 7 being released in Japan and the upcoming OVA in December this year! I hope you all enjoy! Thank you for watching with me and for all the support! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RomaniaBlack My Anime: https://myanimelist.net/profile/RomaniaBlack Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/RomaniaBlack You can mail me a letter or anything (except food, please) at this address: Romania Black PO Box 768 Harrisburg, IL 62946 USA

Comments

WuXian Suibian

LOL, I have that same image as the background on one of my computers. Where to begin...there is so much I love about Given -The realistic relationships, the realistic interactions, the realistic settings (this world feel lived in) -The fact that we have characters of at different stages in their lives. It's nice to have a manga/anime where all the characters are either High School or Middle Schoolers. Having the older more mature characters allows for mature themes, experiences and consequences to be explored. -The layer of symbolism -The micro expressions of the characters, especially on Mafuyu -The Themes -The Music -The emotions Given is on a different tier than 95% of the Bl Manga out there. Many just don't have the layers that Given has, especially when we look at the Yaoi verses the Shounen Ai. (Remember that both the categories are Western systems of classification in Japan its all just BL.) We've discussed Given a lot. Given stays with me and to me I think that is one of the things that makes it great. I've read a lot (Like hundreds) of BL manga, there are a few that stick with me beyond that initial read and Given as well as TBNF are two that do.

brianna a

did my comment get deleted or did I delete it?? lol

brianna a

I honestly can't believe that there are people in the fandom that hate on Mafuyu for the way he "treats" Uenoyama... It's like they aren't even understanding one of the main themes of the series which is literally mourning and healing... Like my boy is still in mourning, he is in no way going to be a perfect boyfriend to Uenoyama. I've even seen discussions talking about how their relationship is "toxic" and that they shouldn't be together. Hahah if anything I think we know which relationships were a bit more toxic in this series (which they, of course, are working on and this doesn't mean they shouldn't be together at all). Mafuyu is still a kid and he literally had years and years of love and comfort with yuki, he's not going to get over his pain and grief so quickly. I also absolutely detest when I see comments that say "Mafuyu loved Yuki more. Mafuyu doesn't love Ue as much...." blah blah Goodness, is it that hard to understand that people fall into love and may act differently in different relationships? Especially for Mafuyu, there is no way he will be expressing his love in the same ways to Uenoyama as he did with Yuki, considering how he fell in love and even started that relationship. Mafuyu is not using Ue to get over Yuki, he is literally using music to try to come to terms with what happened and overcome it (of course, not to forget it. that's not the goal, he is not trying to forget Yuki, which other people also seem to misconstrue). Mafuyu and Ue are still so young, and they are working on their relationship in the ways that they personally know best. Obviously, they won't be doing great since it's all new to them... Also, I want to mention the idea of a "fated love" and such. I feel like some people seem to belive in that, but honestly I don't. It seems like this story also falls into the idea that we don't necessarily have a "fated person". I believe that love can happen in so many different ways, and honestly many times it has to do with the effort and work you put into it. Clearly Mafuyu has had two loves, and this clearly doesn't mean that Ue was "fated" for him. He was able to fall in love again because of the people he met and the circumstances he found himself in. Akihiko and Ugetsu obviously had some sort of love for each other, but in the end they decided what would be best for themselves. I don't think we should say any of them are "meant" for each other because truly they will work on their relationships and decide what path to take. Love develops more the more you are willing to work on it, as in spending time together, getting to know each other better, sharing your feelings, etc.... Anyways, I love this series and I think some people are too critical of what is honestly realistic from the characters and how they act. I understand we all have our own opinions and that's okay, I just wanted to share mine haha. Given was the first BL series I ever watched (not read haha), so it holds a place in my heart XD

Kixkay

Ahhhh, I love Given so much. The writing, the characters, the music—it’s so good. Although this isn’t my first BL/Yaoi, it’s definitely up on my list as one of the best. It’s such a shame that not many of the great BLs out there get an anime adaptation, and the ones that do get one don’t really give the BL genre any positive recognition. Some people seem to just think BL/yaoi is just gay smut, but there are some gems that really deserve a chance to shine if given the chance (yes pun intended). Anyways, one of my favorite symbolic scenes that I think a lot of people overlook is the scene in Volume 2 Chapter 14 and the last ep of the anime (I think) where Mafuyu and Uenoyama tell Akihiko that they’re dating and Akihiko gives Mafuyu a box of CDs. And as they’re walking home, Uenoyama is complaining a little that Akihiko should have ordered a service to get it delivered instead of them carrying it and Mafuyu asks if he wants to switch with him at the next telephone pole. But Uenoyama says it okay, he’ll carry the heavy box of CDs. And it’s like the heavy box of CDs is all a symbolism for the burden of Mafuyu’s emotional baggage and Uenoyama is willing to help Mafuyu carry that burden as they begin their romantic relationship. It’s so subtle, and I love it so much because it’s so subtle. Kizu-sensei’s writing is just *chef’s kisses* I’m looking forward to the newest chapter, the last chapter had me screaminggggg. I just want my boys to be happy 😭😭😭 Also, I really hope there’s a season 2. With how much popularity it’s gained since the anime premiered, I think it’s quite possible!

romaniablack
>>72746835

Given is so great, right?! I agree, it's one of the best BL series out there; I really wish more got positive recognition and adaptation -- hopefully, the success of Given will increase that! And alllll the puns with "given," right?! YES! The scene with Ue carrying the box and it representing him wanting to "share" the burden and "lift" it for Mafuyu is sooooo good -- it's such an underrated moment; you're right! SO subtle, but Kizu is a master of putting those tiny little details and moments in, and having them all build to SOMETHING in the story, with all of the characters. Just... *sigh* And yessss! @WuXian and I were talking about the last chapter that just released on Discord last night; I am really hoping that once enough content gets out there, we'll get the greenlight for season 2! :)

romaniablack
>>72672362

Oh, I hear you 100%; Mafuyu (in my mind) won't ever fully "forget" Yuki, and he's not supposed to. Having an aunt around my age that lost her husband before he turned 40, I can see her grief, but also how she's moving forward with other relationships -- it did take her literal YEARS before she could even consider dating again, because of that love. And you can tell that she's never going to totally forget her husband but she doesn't equate him to the man she's currently dating. You just can't do that. I think of Mafuyu and Uenoyama each time I think about it -- yeah, I don't think they're toxic at all. They're just teens that are needing to figure out their relationship and Kizu uses their inexperience as a backdrop to go through all these themes with communication and relationships. It's really smart in my opinion. :) I like that this series doesn't really tie into the "fated love" theme, either -- Hiiragi and others seem to have thought Mafuyu and Yuki were "fated" to be the other half of one another, but can see that maybe(probably) isn't the case. The same with Aikihiko/Ugetsu/Haruki -- there's just a lot of factors with love that can't be predicted and I love that this series takes a very serious, realistic approach to all the different types of relationships out there. I definitely love this series and I'm right there with you -- it was my first BL anime and is always going to have a special place with me, too! <3