Given (ギヴン, givun?) is a manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Kizu that began serialization in the magazine Cheri+ in 2013 and has been collected in tankōbon format by Shinshokan since 2014. It currently has 6 volumes.
The manga is licensed and published in North America by SuBLime[1] (a Viz Media-Animate joint publishing initiative), while the anime and movie are streamed outside of Japan by Crunchyroll[2].
The series was adapted into an Audio Drama in 2016, an 11 episodes Anime in 2019 by Lerche[3] and a movie in 2020 produced by Blue Lynx[4].
Plot
Sometimes a song can save your life.
Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hotheaded guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music-and to each other-always brings them back together again.
Ritsuka Uenoyama is bored with it all-with school, with his basketball club, and even with his one true passion: playing guitar. Until the day he finds his favorite hidden napping spot occupied by a strange boy cradling a broken-stringed guitar. At first, Uenoyama is nonplussed by Mafuyu Sato and his slightly odd behavior, but when, on a whim, he asks the other boy to sing, the power of Mafuyu's voice pierces him to the core.
List of Volumes and Chapters
| # | Japanese | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release date | ISBN | Release date | ISBN | |
1 |
November 29, 2014 | ISBN 4403664490 | February 11, 2020 | ISBN 197471182X
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| Summary: Ritsuka Uenoyama is bored with it all—with school, with his basketball club, and even with his one true passion: playing guitar. That is, until the day he finds his favorite hidden napping spot occupied by a strange boy cradling a broken-stringed guitar. At first, Uenoyama is nonplussed by Mafuyu Sato and his slightly odd behavior, but when, on a whim, he asks Mafuyu to sing, the power of that song pierces him to the core.
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2 |
January 30, 2016 | ISBN 4403665039 | May 12, 2020 | ISBN 1974711838
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| Summary: As the band races toward their first live concert, Mafuyu struggles to write lyrics for their new song but can’t find the words to express the emotions burning within him. Meanwhile, Uenoyama hears rumors about Mafuyu’s past and is bewildered by his own feelings. The tension builds until the night of the show, when the band explodes into a raging, life-changing performance.
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3 |
March 1, 2017 | ISBN 4403665616 | August 11, 2020 | ISBN 1974711846
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| Summary: Uenoyama realizes he’s in love with Mafuyu and steals a kiss from him backstage at their first live performance. But now he’s even more confused—he hasn’t shared his feelings with Mafuyu and has no idea how Mafuyu feels about him. In contrast to their naive romance, Haruki has been harboring a secret desire for bandmate Akihiko, who’s already entangled in an intense, conflicted relationship with someone else.
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4 |
December 29, 2017 | ISBN 4403666140 | November 10, 2020 | ISBN 1974711854
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| Summary: As the band focuses on creating new songs and preparing for a music festival tryout, Haruki grows more and more intimidated by the talents of younger members Mafuyu and Uenoyama. Worried that he’s holding them back, he accepts his ex-girlfriend’s request to play in her band. Meanwhile, Akihiko realizes that Haruki has fallen in love with him, setting the stage for a major change in their relationship.
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5 |
April 1, 2019 | ISBN 4403666744 | February 9, 2021 | ISBN 1974711862
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| Summary: The final round of the music festival tryout is about to begin, but that’s not the only source of tension in the band. Mafuyu, who’s been spending a lot of time at Ugetsu and Akihiko’s place, learns about the complicated history between the two and realizes that Haruki’s heartbreak is part of that romantic tangle. Things come to a head during the band’s performance, where the emotions unleashed by Mafuyu’s new song will change the course of their lives forever.
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6 |
August 3, 2020 | ISBN 4403667368 | September 14, 2021 | ISBN 1974723674
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| Summary: Now that Given has an offer to record their debut album, each of the band’s members must decide whether to get serious about trying to go pro. Though Ritsuka doesn’t have a single doubt in his mind, Mafuyu isn’t ready to commit. Frustrated by Mafuyu’s evasion, Ritsuka shifts his focus to playing in former rival Hiragi’s band, but Hiragi is having his own troubles with bandmate Shizusumi.
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Chapters not yet in Tankōbon Format
- 036: code. EX_2
- 037: Hiiragi mix_7
- 038: Hiiragi mix_8
- 039: Hiiragi mix_9
- 040: Hiiragi mix_10
Specials
The following chapters are exclusive content sold as part of the DVD/Blu-ray for the first season and thus are not included in the manga:
- Strawberry Swing 1 & 2
- Strawberry Swing 3 & 4
The following chapter is Given Movie exclusive content as part of the DVD/Blu-ray set, centering around Ugetsu Murata:
- Ugetsu's Emergence
Manga Visuals
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Trivia
- Chapters are referred to by 'code. x' for instance Chapter 1 is called Code. 1 in keeping with what the manga calls them.
- The band names itself – "Given", in tribute to the guitar given to Mafuyu by Yuki.
