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REVIEW: Given (Movie)




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25thchestnut



Joined: 14 Sep 2020
Posts: 23
PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:12 pm Reply with quote
Solid review. I haven't seen the film yet, but having read the manga, the limitations of a 60 minute runtime were instantly clear. It's not surprising yet still disappointing that the cuts and compression of the story were evident, since those minor issues about the sense of time passing, Mafuyu and Ritsuka's relationship, etc. could've been easily resolved.

Even with the cuts, I'm glad that the film made sure to show how the consequences of "that scene" are properly addressed. Like with the first arc/first anime series, Natsuki Kizu's writing is sensitive to the emotional subtleties. The topics in this arc surprised me in how it diverged from Mafuyu's story, but the tone and attention to detail still feel like "Given". It's also a testament to Kizu's range in being able to explore both the most beautiful and the most painful parts of relationships.

Though, I do want to comment on what this review said about the slight "voyeurism" of Mafuyu writing a song about another relationship, since I don't think that's really the case. The lyrics to the song he writes and performs in the movie can actually apply equally to his own feelings and past relationship, as well as Akihiko and Ugetsu's relationship. What makes this song so resonant is the fact that he has had similar emotional experiences in his own life: The hardship of letting go of someone's hand while keeping them in your heart as you move into a future without them... Mafuyu is ostensibly performing for/about Ugetsu/Akihiko, but it's simultaneously a song written about himself.

Unfortunately, I wonder if this wasn't as clear in the movie because, again, of the cuts to the Mafuyu and Ritsuka scenes which show the ways in which he's grown, but also how he must always continue to live with some grief in his heart in a way that makes him highly attuned to understanding/connecting with how other people struggle even if they don't have the words to say it. I can see the slight issue if it didn't show those moments of his own subtle struggles in the aftermath of the anime series.

Despite that, I'm still excited to see this movie. Looks like the wait will be some months, but it's great to see it have overall favourable responses in the meantime.
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Jefcat



Joined: 09 Feb 2006
Posts: 103
Location: Palm Desert
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:34 am Reply with quote
I was a bit concerned when the pre-release promotional materials about Eiga Given announced that it could concentrate on the Akihiko-Haruki-Ugetsu triangle. As 25thchestnut notes, there are some significant interactions for Mafuyu and Ritsuka in the chapters covered in the movie. They really underscore how much both Mafuyu and Ritsuka have grown over the course of the first 28 chapters. And indeed Kizu-san is a wonderfully sensitive storyteller about love and loss. I suppose what’s left is to hope for an eventual second season. They’ve got nine chapters to work with counting the upcoming Chapter 37, plus the sidestories and whatever wasn’t covered in the movies. Time will tell!
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Cardcaptor Takato



Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4770
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 1:49 pm Reply with quote
I really enjoyed the Given series but I've been hesitant about the movie given BL's problematic track record of handling these issues. I was also disappointed to hear it doesn't focus as much on Mayufu and Ritsuka and even less so than the source material. It does sound like it's still a good follow up to the series even with the adaptation's short comings so I will still likely watch the movie if it comes out over here in the US. Given it's short length and the current pandemic, I imagine it will probably get streamed directly to Crunchyroll instead of a theater release.
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