Ancil
‘Given‘ became a massive hit when it was released in 2019 due to its realistic and humble take on gay romance. The shounen-ai (boy’s love) anime is based on a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Kizu. It follows the dual relationship between four bandmates: the electric guitarist Ritsuka Uenoyama and vocalist Mafuyu Satō, bassist Haruki Nakayama and drummer Akihiko Kaji. The manga has roughly two story arcs. The first arc explores the relationship between Ritsuka Uenoyama and Mafuyu Satō, while the second arc explores Haruki Nakayama and Akihiko Kaji’s love story. The first season aired from 12 July 2019 to 20 September 2019, and a movie was released in August 2020. The TV series and the movies have already exhausted the available source material, so the question is: will ‘Given‘ still come back for more? Here is what we know.
Will There Be ‘Given’ Season 2?
‘Given‘ is still not renewed for season 2 as of this writing. However, we are still hopeful that the anime will return for another season, although we know it will not be very soon. The chances of the anime getting renewed for season 2 remain slim right now due to the lack of source material.
The first manga, on which the show is based, currently only has two completed arcs. The first arc was covered in the first season, while the second story was used as the basis of the movie. Fans will likely have to wait until there is enough source material to produce season 2. Don’t worry because the manga series is still ongoing, which means that it’s just a matter of time before we can collect a new arc for the anime. In terms of ratings, there is no doubt that anime fans would love to see their favorite rock band return for season 2. The first season received massive support from fans. It has an 8.32/10 rating from 319,952 users on MyAnimeList, and 8.4/10 stars on IMDB.
What Is The Plot Of ‘Given’ And What Will Likely Happen In Season 2?
The first season of the anime focused mainly on the relationship between electric guitarist Ritsuka Uenoyama and vocalist Mafuyu Satō, as well as the formation of their band, ‘Given.’ Ritsuka was amazed when he first heard Mafuyu’s singing voice. He asks him to join their band as a vocalist. Their first live performance was a huge success. Along the way, Ritsuka realizes that he has fallen for Mafuyu. Meanwhile, their other bandmate, bassist Haruki Nakayama, also has hidden feelings for their drummer Akihiko Kaji. However, at that time, Akihiko was still in a relationship with his roommate, the violinist Ugetsu Murata. Haruki Nakayama and Akihiko Kaji’s story was further explored and focused on in the movie, which served as the sequel to season 1. The new story arc will likely continue to navigate the blossoming dual romantic relationships between the bandmates. It’s hard to predict what exactly will happen, but we know that it’s going to be authentic and deeply moving, just like the previous installments.
What Do Fans Think Of ‘Given’ Anime?
Those who watched the anime series particularly loved its strong characterization. They loved how the anime patiently builds up each character, giving them their personal practical goals, motivations, and backstories. Above all, fans loved how the anime took away eroticism and focused mainly on the pure, unadulterated, gay romance between the four main characters. In a review, one fan described ‘Given‘ as a “vanilla, realistic, down-to-earth romance that can be watched by anyone open-minded to love that exceeds conventional desire.”
