Review of given

I'm a straight male who likes this anime, and I also do not support LGBT, so I think this anime can be accessible to anyone and shouldn't be dismissed for its BL. Disregarding this factor, Given is a really good show. I'm no expert on this but I know that Yaoi anime tend to focus on the appeal to the audience more than the actual romance, but Given's romance was very realistic and relatable. I found myself able to be in both couple's shoes. Given really takes a new approach to romance; instead of it being the happy world of two people, it depicts its downsidesand how it can lead to a person's destruction. We see Uenoyama not being at his best while performing due to his love towards Mafuyu. We see Haruki hurting whenever he sees Akihiko so aloof to his surroundings. And this is what happens in reality, love isn't so smooth to occur. These hardships that eventually lead to some development afterwards were very intriguing to observe.

Character-wise, Mafuyu is still very mysterious to everyone. He's a guy who can't describe his emotions well, so he's even mysterious to himself. He doesn't know how to react after tragedy befalls him. Should he live in the past or carry on? Society also seems to have its toll on him and does not allow him to move forward steadily. Uenoyama is also a person discovering himself. He is charmed by Mafuyu and starts to find some unexpected traits in himself. Their relationship build-up was nice and smooth, even weird at moments, but it all adds to the charm. Akihiko is our sage and comedian and my personal favorite. He's very fun to have around, yet is mature and has his own problems too (I think that's more manga territory, though the anime does introduce it). Haruki is also genuinely optimistic and likable.

Art by Lerche was outstanding. They're really an underrated studio and deserve more recognition. And they killed the sound design. The band's first live performance had most people crying and gave me goosebumps (sorry I'm not emotional enough to cry lol). It's a music anime and it nails that genre on its head.

Overall, I really enjoy Given and I even read the manga so I would recommend it too, it's a quick read. It's a realistic, down-to-earth anime and one of the few BL with no over-exaggerated bishounen designs that repel most male audiences. But I believe Given can be enjoyed by anyone.