Review of given

I'm a BL regular. From manga to anime, I watch and read a fair share of it. I tend to be attracted to that fragile, vulnerable bond between two guys that are supposed to be feeling suppressors and tough according to society. With females, they tend to always be touchy and closer than men, and that's why I like to read and watch BL stories. Anyhow, I really enjoyed Given and it is a lot different from other BL i watch and read. All the other BL normally revolves just a childhood friend plot, high school plot, or some fantasy creature plot. This is thefirst BL I have watched with instruments and bands, and it was so interesting! It reminds me of all the female centered anime that involves instruments like K-On! or So Ra No Wo To (Neither of which are categorized as Shoujo-Ai however).

Story (10/10):
Ritsuka Uenoyama is a high school student who meets Mafuyu Satou when he arrives to his usual napping spot. Uenoyama is a locally popular guitarist with a band originally called the seasons. The band consists of college students Haruki Nakayama, Akihiko Kaji, and Uenoyama himself. Uenoyama finds Satou carries a guitar around with him even tough he can't play, this starts the friendship between the two with Satou persistently asking Uenoyama to teach him how to play. From here on out, it follows the emotions and hardships of all the characters and how each one forms stronger and stronger bonds with one another. Most of the BL doesn't seem to fully take place until towards the last half of the series, which I personally prefer in order for those bonds to form in the first half of the series. The story doesn't have any holes or anything like that from what I remember. There does seem to be a needed sequel since the series ends on a note that hints at the future, and myanimelist does have the movie marked as the sequel. I'm really hoping the movie will be a good length and just as good as the first season. I had no problem with the story though, and I'm looking forward to the movie!

Art (8/10):
The art isn't anything special, but it isn't bad. It's pretty good, but if anyone who knows what BL is or has read/seen a thing or two, you could definitely tell it is a BL show. I'm not very fond of the typical BL style even though it is pretty. It's just a very common style and I'd like to see a new style within the BL shows.

Sound (10/10):
No complaints here. I loved the opening and ending as well as the music the band within the show made. Satou's voice is really pretty. Satou singing the "la la las" made me cringe really bad because it sounded off to me, but him singing normally is great.

Character (10/10):
I love the common silent x hotheaded scenario regarding any sex. Another thing I really loved was when Nakayama gets all blushy and embarassed then covers his face. It is super cute! Nakayama feels like he plays the parent type role within the band and Kaji feels like he plays the brother role to Uenoyama and Satou. I love how they all interact with each other.

Enjoyment (10/10):
Anything involving love between anyone makes me squeal a whole lot. Friendly reactions, the music, almost everything made me squeal. Just thinking about the whole show is just wonderful. Not a single episode went by that I didn't enjoy! It was just an amazing experience to see them all grow.

Overall (10/10):
The anime is totally worth watching for any BL fan out there! Even if you aren't into BL, it has a very nice story with interesting characters and hilarious interactions. I'll definitely be watching the movie when it comes out!