Review of given - on the other hand

First off, let me start by saying that I enjoy Given. I like it enough to read the manga every time there's a new release. I liked the first season and the movie, but this OVA, I felt was lacking in a lot of aspects. I knew what to expect of the story from the OVA and it is indeed a faithful adaptation of the manga. My criticisms are mostly technical. Some scenes felt very awkward. They could've been executed better with background music where and when required. I wish they'd use proper angled shots when the characters are conversing. Even a trivial scene canfeel impactful if it's properly paired with music, dialogue delivery, and cutscenes or the character's movements and expressions. Here, many significant moments, due to the lack of these factors failed to deliver the impact that they should have. Also, I am upset that they didn't show us even a glimpse of Hiiragi and Shizu's performance.

The art is consistent and decent. There's not much to the characters and their relationships in this OVA. But this isn't a problem of the OVA, it's the story itself. Mafuyu and Ritsuka's relationship develops in the shadows so I can't empathize with them. You know, how in a fictional show, when you can just feel the love between the characters, understand their circumstances and empathize with them? This doesn't happen in their case. Even Haruki and Akihiko got better relationship development than the supposed main pair.

Summing up, I was quite disappointed with the OVA. I hope the plot is executed in a much better way in the upcoming season(s).