“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.
Guitarist for the band “Given”
(the guitar is a customized black Telecaster)
Birthday: August 1st (16 years old, 2nd year of high school)
Star sign: Leo
Blood type: B
Height: 175cm
He is the type of person who cannot be satisfied unless things go his way, and when he is engrossed in something, he becomes so absorbed that he does not care about anything else around him.
His family consists of his father, mother, and older sister. He is the younger brother of two who is disciplined by his older sister Yayoi, who is a university student. Ritsuka, who looks like his older sister who is a fashion model, and is kind to everyone, is one of the popular boys. However, he is a little inexperienced when it comes to romance, and does not seem to notice that a girl in his class has feelings for him.
Ritsuka started playing guitar in the sixth grade after receiving a guitar that her father no longer used, and by the time she entered high school, she was able to produce the sounds she imagined. She was a cut above the university students around her, and was a bit of a celebrity, as any self-produced album she released would sell out.
Invited by Haruki, she formed a band called “the Seasons,” the precursor to “Given.” Until then, Ritsuka was a strong-willed guitarist who often argued with the other band members, but Haruki, who had seen this, reached out to her and introduced her to Akihiko, and the three of them formed a band.
Ritsuka’s love of guitar began to fade as she became more and more capable of playing, but then she met Mafuyu and heard Mafuyu’s singing voice, and Ritsuka’s world began to move again.
The moment Ritsuka heard Mafuyu singing on the landing of the stairs, her heart trembled, and in the heat of the moment, she invited Mafuyu to join her band. Ritsuka had been feeling emotionally turbulent ever since she met Mafuyu, but when she heard from her classmates and Mafuyu herself that they had a crush on someone, she realized that the emotion she had been unable to put into words was “jealousy.”
Ritsuka was unsure whether she should accept her own sexuality. Her doubts were expressed in music.
The thrill of falling in love with the guitar and music and going on stage for the first time. When Mafuyu starts singing at a live concert, Rikka’s emotions are brought back to him and he realizes once again that he is in love. And Rikka can no longer contain his feelings…!
Then one day after band practice, Mafuyu invites him to go to Minato Mirai with her. Mafuyu smiles at Rikka, and Rikka’s heart leaps with excitement. At that moment, Mafuyu confesses his feelings.
After a whirlwind concert, the next day Mafuyu falls ill with a fever and misses school. Worried about him, Rikka goes to visit him and is heartbroken when she sees how hot and flushed Mafuyu is.
As she lies in bed, Rikka touches his cheek and asks him if the song he sang at the concert yesterday was about heartbreak. Mafuyu nods and snuggles up to Rikka’s hand as if he’s begging for her. “I want to write a different song next time,” she says.
Mafuyu sings a love song at the live performance. If the next song Mafuyu writes is also a love song, Ritsuka hopes that she will be the one to sing it. It was the moment that Ritsuka’s desire to steal Mafuyu’s heart began to grow.
During the summer vacation, Mafuyu was so absorbed in music that he was constantly with Akihiko and neglected to contact Rika. When they met for extra classes, Rika was not happy that she was always with Akihiko, and Mafuyu, who did not understand why Rika was angry, got into an argument.
Mafuyu’s childhood friends, Kashima Shu and Yagi Genjun, are set to make their major debut, and Ritsuka, who will be participating in their live performance as a guitar support, is told by Shu, “There’s something I want to do with you.” That is to perform a song written by Mafuyu’s ex-girlfriend, Yoshida Yuki. Shu says he wants to complete the song, which is still in the middle of writing both the lyrics and the music, and Ritsuka is entrusted with the rest.
Writing the continuation of the song – that means understanding Yuki more than anyone else. Ritsuka touches on the feelings Yuki wanted to convey and completes the song as “Yuki’s music.”
一方で「ギヴン」にもデビューの話しが舞い込み、先の未来、音楽と立夏と生きていく覚悟が決まらない真冬は音楽を遠ざけるようになってしまいます。立夏がライブに来てほしいと誘っても真冬はチケットを受け取らず……。
真冬に聴いてほしくて完成させた曲。自分が曲名を考えたいと言って付けたタイトル――「海へ」。立夏がこの曲を通して伝えたかったこととは……。
優しくて彼氏力の強い立夏。真冬が秋彦から段ボールいっぱいのCDを借りた時もできるだけ持ってあげたり、真冬が「会いたい」と連絡すれば終電間際でも会いに来てくれたり。
短期な立夏ですが、真冬が立ち止まるとちゃんと待ってくれて、引っ張ってくれる人。一途に真冬を想い、そして真冬の中の由紀という存在を認め、さらには真冬の中にちゃんと残そうとしてくれるところが本当に“いい男”だなと思います。
少々奥手ではありますが、時折強い衝動に駆られて大胆な行動をとる時も。音楽とともに一緒に生きていくことにした2人に幸あれ！
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