“Given” has many fans as a supreme BL work, and in 2024, the final story of the main story will be released as a two-part movie, making it a year of endless topics. To commemorate the release of the final chapter, “Given: To the Sea,” which will be released on September 20th, we will introduce the profiles and personalities of the main characters, as well as notable scenes.
*This article contains spoilers.
Bassist of the band “Given”
(Fujigen Neo Classic Series Jazz Bass)
Birthday: July 13th (22 years old, graduate student)
Star sign: Cancer
Blood type: O
Height: 178cm
His family consists of his father, mother, and two older sisters. He’s like an older brother to everyone in the band, but surprisingly, he’s the youngest at home.
Since he started working with “Given,” he’s a good-natured guy who takes on all the small tasks, like managing social media and registering for live shows. That said, he’s also the oldest and the leader. When Mafuyu and Ritsuka got into an argument right before a live show, he calmly and coolly settled the situation, giving them the push they needed to move forward. He’s someone you can rely on at any time.
When the band’s original vocalist disappeared and the band’s activities were in jeopardy, Haruki met Ritsuka, who was having a dispute with her band members. “I’d let the band run a little more comfortably,” he thought, feeling that it was a waste for Ritsuka, who was not blessed with many members. Just
when he was thinking that if only there was a drummer in addition to himself on bass, he could invite her to join the band, Akihiko, who happened to be sitting next to him in the same lecture, happened to have a snare drum. Haruki mustered up his courage and called out to him. From there, the three of them – Ritsuka, Akihiko, and Haruki – formed a band called “the Seasons,” which would become “Given.” For Haruki, it was truly a miracle.
Then Mafuyu joined the group and they formed “Given”. Mafuyu has an overwhelmingly good voice, and Ritsuka is a genius who can compete with original songs. Akihiko is a genius who can do anything, but he’s a jack of all trades and master of none. Among them, Haruki says he’s just an ordinary person. However, Akihiko says he’s a “mediator” that everyone needs.
When Haruki saw Akihiko at university about two years ago, his body trembled the moment their eyes met. It was love at first sight. And ever since he fell in love with Akihiko, he has continued to grow his hair. Haruki says it was like a prayer, but perhaps he didn’t want to lose the interactions he had with Akihiko, who loved to touch his hair and complimented him on how
cute it was when he had a unique hairstyle. Haruki thought it was enough to just love Akihiko one-sidedly, but after hearing Mafuyu’s song at a live concert and perhaps resonating with the feeling of loneliness, Haruki began to feel lonely about his unrequited love. Playing in a band with Akihiko is fun. But it’s more painful than that.
Just as Haruki is feeling guilty after being invited to support his ex-girlfriend’s band, Akihiko, who has had an argument with his roommate Ugetsu and has nowhere to stay, comes to visit him, relying on Haruki. Akihiko, who realizes he is hiding something, confronts him and Haruki confesses his intention to support him, and in his irritation, he tries to get physical
with him. Even though Haruki doesn’t want to be intimate like this, his body remains motionless and he goes along with it. Meanwhile, Akihiko looks distressed, even though he was the one who initiated it. Seeing this, Haruki says to Akihiko, “I’ll do anything for you,” but he replies, “There’s nothing you can do.” At the time, Akihiko is tormented by his feelings for Ugetsu.
Haruki lets Akihiko stay at his house, and then says he’s going to a friend’s house and leaves. He then asks Take-chan to cut off the hair he’s been growing for so long. By cutting her hair, she tries to break away from her long-held feelings for Akihiko.
Haruki is in a bad mood after being dumped by Akihiko. He is the only one who is struggling with music and other things, and he becomes self-deprecating when he feels miserable. When Haruki blurts out that he isn’t needed in the band, Akihiko responds, “Someone has to support a genius, and I’ve been telling you for a while that we need you, haven’t I?!” Akihiko’s words hit Haruki right in the heart, and the suffocating feeling and sense of alienation that had been rising inside him disappears.
Although Akihiko had pushed Haruki to the depths of despair, he pulled him back up and they ended up living together. As they lived together, Haruki saw a side of Akihiko he had never known before, and in the end, he was unable to bring himself to hate him.
カウントダウンフェスのオーディションを終えたあと春樹の家を出た秋彦は、バンド練習には誰よりも早く参加したり、大学で姿を見ることが多くなったり。彼の中で何かが変わったのは明らかでした。秋彦を変えたのは「誰」なのか……。
春樹は気づいていました。ライブ審査の日に雨月が来ていたこと、ライブ後に秋彦が雨月を追いかけていったこと、そして秋彦が「誰」を好きだったかを――。ある日真冬に秋彦が出場するコンクールに連れられヴァイオリンに打ち込む姿を見た春樹は、「誰」かと秋彦の“今”を想像し演奏を聞いていられなくなってしまい……。会場から逃げ出すように出てきてしまいます。
コンクールを終え春樹を探しにやってきた秋彦は、突然雨月とは別れたと告げます。動揺する春樹……。秋彦が生き方を変えたのは、まぎれもなく「春樹」だったのです。
好きな人と一緒にいられるのは嬉しくもありますが、その分辛く苦しい。春樹の恋からはそんな片思いの切なさが痛いほど伝わってきます。
春樹は優しくて愛情深い人。自分がしんどい時でも好きな人が辛そうにしていると何かしてあげたいと思ってしまったり、突き放すことができずに傍に置いてしまったり。そして春樹の愛情は、真冬たちに対してもちゃんと向けられています。
「ギヴン」にデビューの話しが舞い込みレコード会社の人と話すシーンでは、決断できずにいる真冬のことを「ちゃんと待ちたい」という春樹。真冬のことを理解していて、信頼していて、そしてこの先も一緒に活動したいと思っていることが、とても心に刺さりました。春樹のような人が身近にいたら、秋彦でなくても甘えてしまいますね。
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