Given, Vol. 1 (1)
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 one another—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. 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.
Reviews (87)
Gorgeous artwork...beautiful beginning to a story about forgiveness and finding love...
Absolutely fell in love with the anime (hosted on Crunchyroll) and have been anxiously waiting for the English release of this manga. I adore the artwork and am delighted to see the anime closely follows the manga (it looks as though the first season of Given covers the first two (?) volumes of the manga), but then takes it to a whole other level with beautiful animation, amazing voice actors and stunning music--episode 9 is epic). What I love about the manga is all of the little nuances of each individual character and between the characters, some of them delightfully funny. The blossoming relationship between Mafuyu and Ritsuka (Uenoyama) is only just beginning in this volume. Haruki's (so far?) unrequited crush on Akihiko (Kaji) is too adorable for words, especially being the oldest member in the band. The mangaka's character pages describing their hairstyles and general style, etc., are super cute and I'm glad for the extras at the end that gave a little more backstory to the other characters. The release of volume 2 can't come fast enough! (FYI: I read that a movie following on from the anime series will be released this year...!!)
amazing
I love this manga so much ITS SO GOOD!!
quicker pace than the anime, nice bonus content
Picked this up because I enjoyed the anime a lot. I think the anime may be the better way to experience the story (you can actually hear the music being talked about, plus the pace is a lot more relaxed with more room for the emotional beats to resonate.) However, the manga still has a lot to offer. The artwork is really expressive with vibrant paneling. The artist is skilled at drawing both comedic and dramatic moments. If you found the anime too slow for your tastes, you may prefer the manga's quicker pace. I especially enjoyed the bonus content (extra comic strips in the back, character profiles between chapters.) The translation is smooth, very readable. I look forward to the next volumes, especially those beyond what the anime adapted.
BL manga about love, loss, and lyrics.
Fantastic BL manga. I could re-read and re-watch this series dozens of times (and I have...) and still find it as enjoyable as when I first discovered it. It’s a great manga about a shared passion for music, coping with unimaginable loss and heartbreak, embracing new love and learning how to express yourself. The camaraderie between musicians—seriously, I loved the different dynamics and interactions between the characters! You truly believed in their friendship and respect for each other. The way Akihiko and Haruki looked after and mentored the younger members of the band (Ritsuka and Mafuyu) really felt authentic to me. The art style is lovely. Characters are great. This manga makes me sad, but not in a hopeless way. I like that the characters all grow in their own ways. It’s just...great. It’s definitely one of the better BL mangas of the genre, and I am SO happy and grateful that it’s being officially translated and distributed. Highly recommended. Amazon shipped it nice and neatly.
Amazing.
If you already saw the given anime and you liked it, you will definitely love the manga. From the beginning to the end of the story, it surrounds you and leaves you wanting more, they give you details that you did not know were there or that they are not in the anime. You should definitely give Given a chance and let people into your heart.
Excellent story and drawing
The books were all delivered in perfect condition, although no bubble or plastic wrappings on them. I prefer reading the printed version of manga in general so it’s no surprise I finished all the four volumes of the series in English, in one sitting. I only got this because it was on the top of the recommended series. And that is no wonder. I haven’t watched the anime yet but I bet it’s gonna be awesome. What I like about the series is the story and the pace where everything about the members of the band is told perfectly. Despite the cover showing all the four boys together, I was still under the impression that the series will heavily focus more on Uenoyama and Mafuyu only, but I was wrong - the transition to telling the story of Akihiko and Haruki was really excellent. This is complemented by the beautiful drawings of the boys. What I dislike about the series is the wide gap between the original Japan release date and the date when the English translation of the manga becomes available. I think they need to work more on shortening or closing this gap. Plus, I heard that the Japan version has amazing jacket covers. Can they also make one for the English version?
Gods, I love this manga.
It's beautiful. Beautifully written, beautifully drawn, and heart-wrenchingly beautiful storytelling. I'm so glad they licensed this for English readers. I can't wait for volume two.
Amazing BL manga
This manga is so so good I bought it a while back and have read it several times. (I’m just now actually realizing I should write a review lol) It follows a boy(Mafuyu) who has to deal with the death of his boyfriend (Yuki) and how he can find a way to move on. He joins a band of fellow student Uenoyama and makes some new friends. The art style is so pretty and all the characters are great. If you like BL and BL manga I 100% recommend this manga and the following 4 of this series.
An amazing story
Product was good. No tears or stains. I watched the anime and was not ready for how hard it hit me. Absolutely wonderful story, especially for those who have had to deal with losing a loved one. Decided to read the manga and I'm happy to see that the anime did a great job. The anime covers the first volume but I I can see with more volumes out there is material for a second season.
AMAZING
For the shipping aspect, it came in perfect quality! I bought all four of them separately and they were all consistently great. No rips, bends, or any bad smells. Would recommend :)
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