#natsuki kizu

[the-chikyuu-times]

[dropintomanga]

Given - There's No Going Back and It's Going to be Okay

I finished the last arc of Natsuki Kizu's given and it's a testament on trying to move forward despite the anxieties you may face.

With Given potentially becoming a professional band, Ritsuka Uenoyama decides to help out a rival band called syh, led by Hiragi Kashima, as the latter wanted to perform a song that Mafuyu Sato's ex-boyfriend, Yuki Yoshida, wanted to do. Tension arises between Mafuyu and Uenoyama as both appear to be going in totally different directions, music-wise. Mafuyu appears to lose his voice, but Uenoyama invites him to a concert that syh is peforming at. Uenoyama is determined to channel what Yuki wanted to play before he died. Mafuyu is hesitant in attending the concert because he feels that things will change so much and relationships could be shattered.

He tells a now-rejuvenated Ugetsu Murata, who has become a better person after finally breaking up with Akihiko Kaji,

"I'm afraid we'll never be able to go back. When he talked to me about actually debuting, I was actually really, really happy. But if I choose music, I know I won't be able to turn my back on it again. Even if that means sacrificing love. And if I don't choose music, I know, no matter what, that I won't be able to face him exposed without it. I can see us breaking up either way. If I go to the concert now and listen to the music, I'll decide to either abandon music or our relationship. I know it'll drive me to a permanent decision.

Just like you had to choose between music and Kaji."

Ugetsu replies.

"If that's the issue, then you can't go back either way. Regardless of what you choose or don't choose, everything is going to change. Even this moment right now. There's no going back the way you came. Besides, choosing to stand in the same place is draining too.

So anyway, what I recommend is to go as far as you can!"

While Mafuyu continues to hesitate, Ugetsu goes on to say.

"Also Mafuyu, haven't you forgotten about his feelings? Before you go deciding everything on our own, maybe you should hear what he has to say.

But...you've given this a lot of thought on your own, Mafuyu. And that's pretty damn amazing."

Once at the concert, Mafuyu becomes scared, but once he sees that Uenoyama perform the song that Yuki helped wrote, he finally admits that he wants to sing and still be in love. Mafuyu didn't care anymore. With music, Mafuyu can always find a way to ease his grief and anxiety.

I know people talk about the point of no return when it comes to starting a relationship, but relationships often change drastically. I love the display of anxiety portrayed by Mafuyu. The person dealing with it often believes they're the only one who has to deal with it themselves. They don't try to talk to a supportive partner/friend about it because they're afraid of being criticized. They're not sure that they understand their concerns.

You never know until you ask. But the asking is always the hardest part. And the future is always scary.

But recently, I wonder how scary will the future actually be. Sometimes, people do say some outlandish things about how bad things can get. Yeah, it will be bad. And I believe that people are more resilient with the help of those around them. Just like Uenoyama being there for Mafuyu. Reading the final arc of given makes me realize how much people can be inspired to take on anything when people come together to do activities like create music.

We need those types of communal activities in a world that wants to devalue art and portray people as entirely cruel. Communal activities heal so much pain. Let the love for music remain, right?

What should be given is how loosely tied together we are all. We're all living with fears and anxieties. And we deserve to be given chances to hear compassionate words that recognize our innermost vulnerability and propel us to move forward with joy and no regret.

Change is inevitable, but suffering shouldn't be a given.

Also, what an incredible manga. given is such a wonderful series. I highly recommend reading all 9 volumes.

[kayscarsetta]

[chelseajackarmy]

given

[givenblogmanga]

Ugetsu Murata

Art by Natsuki Kizu

[murasaki-cha]

So I just read the last chapter of Given and

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITHOUT MY ONCE EVERY 2 MONTH MENTAL BREAKDOWNS NOW!!?? I've been following Given since my second year of highschool I can't move on it's literally a part of my soul!

I'm gonna be spending the next 5 days listening to Fuyu No Hanashi and Yoru Ga Akeru on loop and cry

Ok ok but that ending

FUCK YEAH!!! UENOYAMA MY BOY YOUR TIME HAS COME!!!

God I hope there's an epilogue with a time skip just to see them again please it's crucial to my mental health and stability

[beautifulsummersunsets]

syh『パレイド』- Music Video-（Short ver.）

Rise and shine given fandom!! We have a brand new MV!! 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻😍😍😍😍😍😍🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

[mem-cho]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

given manga icons !

all credits to the kizu-sensei!

♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

🎤★🎸、

side note~♪

made this to commemorate the release of the last chapter of the given manga! this work will always be one of my favorites (´；ω；`) i tried to make these icons in the highest possible quality, please enjoy! you can find the original artwork on kizu-sensei’s twt: @kizu_ntk

have a great rest of your day or night everyone!

no credit needed, but feel free to like or reblog if used! ♡

[beautifulbutdoomed]

btw. I just realized how much I'm in love with Given and I need to go back to posting Given related stuff. there was 9th (the last) volume release announced in my country and I can't wait until I will re-read the first few volumes and then will be continuing with last three. On the other hand I can't believe the story came to an end, but still Given related social media are active and some new animation shall be broadcasted soon as well.

Soon I'm also visiting Japan and there is gonna be Given exhibition in Kyoto. I will go there for sure 🥹

Also, after vol. 5 of drama CD they never released more... That's such pity, especially when I recenetly realised Toshiki Masuda is voicing Hiiragi. Aah, I would like to hear syh songs sang by Masuda-san...

Still, I am so in love with all of them and forever be in love with Mafuyu.

Are there any fellow Given fans who would like to talk about it? Feel free to message me 💕

[the-chikyuu-times]

[hatsumishinogu]

Given Vol.9 (end)

[fleur-dans-la-nuit]

My favorite quote from Uenoyama (Given manga), and my favorite quote ever (also followed by an analysis/rant that no one will ever read). ⭐️ Near the very end theres another quote from uenoyama that has the same ideas as the one below here

“Hearts are like guitar strings. They won’t play sound if they’re too loose. You have to wind them up until they’re about to break, and that’s when they become a wave the hit your eardrums."

As a musician, this hit HARD. To me I see it as how confidence or passion or love is. Your heart won’t have courage/passion/love unlesss you have the will for it to. The winding is the will to let these things happen, you forcing these things to happen so you can feel them.

Loose strings could be a metaphor for holding back, as when tuning a guitar, it holds back from the sound. It could also represent the fear of not holding back, as when you wind up strings really tight, they can break.

Breaking strings on a guitar hurts, especially if your quite close to them and the catch on to you (unfortunately I know this from experience). Knowing they Uenoyama plays electric guitar, this only makes the pain of that worse, and makes this a stronger point (again, experience, -1000/10 would not recommend, really hurts). Breaking your heart/having it broken hurts, and the strings getting caught only make it worse as the scrape and puncture you and make you feel more hurt. This goes into the loose strings, if you play it safe you won’t get hurt, but the sound won’t be the same. The feeling won’t be the same. The emotion won’t be the same.

When a guitar string feels like it’s about to break, you unwind it, or distance from it if it’s too late to unwind as you’re scared you will get hurt. This is especially true if you’ve been through the pain of a broken string before. When your heart is about to reach its breaking point, people often unwind the progress of how it got there, or they distance themselves from their heart to try and keep it from reaching that point.

To me, this quote can also demonstrate the line between intense emotion and a crash from them, as it says ‘wind them up until they’re about to break’. It shows that when you push yourself too much you will break, so you have to be aware of where before the break will be so you can stop yourself from doing too much.

The wave hitting your eardrums can be a metaphor for the feeling of being whole as you didn’t hold back and didn’t over do it. The perfect amount of risk and holding back is what creates the wave, creates a feeling that makes you feel whole and fulfilled.

“I think the heart is similar to these strings. When the pain is too much to bear and you can’t breathe, it hurts, like the strings laid across your chest are about to snap. It’s just like when you keep strumming and picking at the strings at their very limit, and sometimes they snap. Sometimes you feel like they can’t ever be replaced. But if there were someone to replace your strings for you, like this… I feel like your wounds may heal just a little.”

This quote is also from Uenoyama, and compares the strings to intense emotion, love, heartbreak, grief.

I found that It goes with the other quote and my explanation of the first one in general, so I added it.

Sorry about the lengthiness, I just wanted to let at least someone take away a deeper meaning from these quotes, and to rant because I love these quotes so much.

Thank you for reading! <3

[chelseajackarmy]

given

[coffee-loving-introvert]

Enough about right person wrong time wrong person right time what about the right person right time but just a really bad hand played by fate

[givenblogmanga]

Akihiko x Haruki by Natsuki Kizu

[glosschi]

You really don’t understand. It’s like you’re offering a sip of water to somebody dying of thirst in the desert.

Given