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EP. REVIEW: Given


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Merida



Joined: 21 Feb 2012
Posts: 1945
PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:00 am Reply with quote
I continue being amazed at how mature and wholesome this show is. While it acknowledges the messiness of emotions and people's flawed nature, it doesn't fel the need to judge or vilify anyone. I also love how the blend of seriousness and humour works so well here.

And yes, that talk between Ritsuka and Akihiko was awesome, you rarely see that kind of supportive relationship in any kind of romance, much less in same-sex ones.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 11:52 am Reply with quote
While I was trying to figure out what to say about this episode, Steve and Merida went ahead and said it all for me. I'm just posting to give this thread some traffic so people won't think there's no interest. Smile This is hands down the best anime of this season for me.
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NeedMoreCats
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Joined: 06 Oct 2018
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Location: Westchester, NY
PostPosted: Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:07 am Reply with quote
^ What Gina said! Very Happy
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rahzel rose
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Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 823
PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 3:46 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
It isn't made clear whether or not this is the incident where Yuki actually died

This actually mirrors the very first scene of the anime where Mafuyu finds Yuki’s hanging body. You can see the stool tipped over and the way the shot is angled makes it seem like it’s from Yuki’s perspective looking down.

And it’s finally the backstory episode!! I’ve been looking forward to this one and once I saw the preview of Hiiragi standing in the rain I knew it was time. The anime did not disappoint for me and I spent the whole time on the verge of tears, although I didn’t actually cry. It definitely hurt about as much as I expected it too. There is so much raw emotion in this series and the anime is portraying it so well. I am curious as to why they left out Mafuyu’s parting words to Yuki after the fight, but I guess it also didn’t really take too much away from it IMO.

I love love Hiiragi and I feel so bad for him. For everyone really because what an awful thing to have happened. I think my favorite part was when Mafuyu told him to come to the show. His “I can come?” and “Shizu too?” really just hit me. His parting bit about wanting to be forgiven by Mafuyu specifically was also a punch to the heart.

My one (and really only) gripe with the anime so far is during the flashback when Yuki and Mafuyu first meet. I can’t for the life of me understand why Yuki’s line was translated to “Y’know, real dads don’t do that” as opposed to “Y’know, I’m not your dad.” I mean guessssss I can kind of see where the end result is mostly the same, but I feel it loses a bit of the personal-ness that sparks off their relationship in that Yuki was saying Mafuyu could talk to him BECAUSE he wasn’t his dad and therefore he could speak freely. IDK, minor, but it bothered me.

Also I’m still loving Asanuma as Ugetsu. But man, I guess I missed the part about Akihiko knowing Ugestu was “dating” the viola guy. I had to go back and reread since my kanji isn’t as good as I would like it to be, but that puts an interesting spin on things, though! Their relationship is definitely not healthy, but I still like them in their own way.
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poisondusk



Joined: 08 Aug 2006
Posts: 60
Location: Brighton, UK
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:03 am Reply with quote
rahzel rose wrote:
My one (and really only) gripe with the anime so far is during the flashback when Yuki and Mafuyu first meet. I can’t for the life of me understand why Yuki’s line was translated to “Y’know, real dads don’t do that” as opposed to “Y’know, I’m not your dad.”


I noticed that too, and assumed it was a mistranslation. It wouldn’t be the first time for Crunchyroll subtitles, and if the translator was working directly from the video and in a hurry, the ‘ore wa’ at the start of the line was muffled enough that it could have been misheard. It’s too far from the original meaning to be reasonable artistic license.

As for Mafuyu’s final line to Yuki, I’m guessing they’re saving it for the next episode, for maximum emotional impact. There’s no reason not to include it, and they’ve already slightly changed the ordering of when the flashbacks occur.
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Merida



Joined: 21 Feb 2012
Posts: 1945
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:19 am Reply with quote
There aren't many anime that deal with the aftermath of a loved one committing suicide in a relatable way. The only other one which comes to mind at the top of my head is probably Orange. Mafuyu's and Hiiragi's conversation hit very close to home and i actually had to pause the episode and go away for a while afterwards...

Anyway, next week looks to become some kind of cathartic climax for a lot of the characters and i'm very much looking forward to it.
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rahzel rose
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Joined: 19 Apr 2011
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 10:19 am Reply with quote
poisondusk wrote:
As for Mafuyu’s final line to Yuki, I’m guessing they’re saving it for the next episode, for maximum emotional impact. There’s no reason not to include it, and they’ve already slightly changed the ordering of when the flashbacks occur.


This is true! I’m already bracing myself because I just know the last few episodes will have me in tears.
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SailorTralfamadore



Joined: 25 Feb 2014
Posts: 499
Location: Keep Austin Weeb
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 7:06 pm Reply with quote
As a bassist myself it's kind of weird to see a broken string treated as a big emotional climax. Guitarists usually carry around spare strings because of how easy they are to break. If he doesn't have one, I'm sure Ritsuka or one of the guitarists in one of the other groups there does, and it doesn't take very long at all to replace.

But that's neither here nor there. I continue to be wowed about the emotional realism and maturity of this show, how it wants to flesh out and make you sympathize with every character, no matter where they stand with respect to the main Ritsuka/Mafuyu relationship. And I love how even "stagnant" episodes like this work because, as Steve says, they reflect Mafuyu's mental state. It really reminds me of Bloom Into You in both those respects: the desire to make every character relatable and sympathetic, and the portrayal of depression and moving on after grief. It might be different losing a boyfriend vs. an older sibling but both series are great at showing the toll those have taken on those respective characters, and how they struggle to reconcile their guilt and build a new life.
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tbrown3514



Joined: 15 Apr 2015
Posts: 18
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 8:11 pm Reply with quote
Given is one of the best anime this seasons. The nuanced character development and thoughtful pacing is definitely a series I can’t wait for every Thursday.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 10:33 pm Reply with quote
SailorTralfamadore wrote:
it's kind of weird to see a broken string treated as a big emotional climax.

Well, of course it's not the broken string so much as that the normally self-contained to the point of collapsing into his own black hole Mafuyu* was openly, almost explosively angry. Strings aren't so fragile that they break from merely holding the guitar by the neck, unless you're trying to choke it to death. Smile

*That's why I really liked the flashback that showed him when he was more outgoing and assertive, a side of him that band hasn't (yet) seen.
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tbrown3514



Joined: 15 Apr 2015
Posts: 18
PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:09 pm Reply with quote
What an amazing episode!
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SonicFanA



Joined: 12 Jul 2017
Posts: 159
PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2019 5:14 pm Reply with quote
Episode 9 was great! I think this is the first time I have ever cried watching an anime.
Again thank you Steve for reviewing this beautiful anime.
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rahzel rose
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Joined: 19 Apr 2011
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:31 pm Reply with quote
Well, that was amazing. Episode 9 was everything I had hoped for and wanted and then some. Yano was fantastic with both his acting and singing as Mafuyu. Everyone else was great too. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get through that episode without crying, or at least tearing up, but it's been worth it to watch it multiple times so far. I also bought the song off itunes so I've been listening to it pretty much non-stop.

I can't wait for the next episode (with its fitting title, but damn do I personally hate that song) and I'm so sad that the anime will be ending soon.
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Samiamiam



Joined: 31 Jan 2017
Posts: 227
PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:34 pm Reply with quote
I'm pretty sure Given was choosen for adaptation based on episode 9, or chapter 11 (which I highly reccomend people to check out the art is beautiful) with the entire series built around finishing Uenoyama/Ritsukas arc which is why it moved so slowly at points with episodes sometimes not even covering an entire chapter. Honestly though, after watching this ep, worth it. There are still some scenes I'm looking very much looking forward to, a kiss does not a relationship make and seeing Uenoyama/Mafuyus arc finished in animation will be a treat, but this ep was the big one in my eyes.
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Merida



Joined: 21 Feb 2012
Posts: 1945
PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 2019 1:47 am Reply with quote
rahzel rose wrote:

I can't wait for the next episode (with its fitting title, but damn do I personally hate that song) and I'm so sad that the anime will be ending soon.


"Anyway, here's Wonderwall!" Laughing

As for this episode: wow. That's really all i have to say.
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