Music isnt just something to fill the quiet void. You should feel the emotions carried with the melody with the lyrics and for the passion of the people behind them to be felt. Ive also forgotten what it was like to truly love music for what it is a medium that carries the memories and feelings of those present and those who are no longer in our lives. In the context of Given is was their way of dealing with trauma in both solace and expression. Which is why across all three movies I love how they portrayed music as a whole. It brought people together whether it be Yuki starting a band to create a song for Mafuyu or Mafuyu and Ritsukas relationship beginning with that guitar. But it also teared people apart like Mafuyu and Yuki arguing because of it or Akihito and Ugetsus toxic relationship stemming from jealously and pride over music. Even Hiiragi and Shizu all of them experienced what it was like to love and suffer because of it. 220https://leosigh.com/wpcontent/uploads/2024/10/UmihetheGiventhemesong.jpg At the end of the day it took them a change in perspective and to be moved by that very medium to remember and realise what music is supposed to be I think it was a beautiful full circle moment for Mafuyu someone who had been the one helping others with his music to be the one moved and inspired this time around. Every song they performed held so much significance to different characters Umi e in particular Purposely Ive been avoiding that song ever since it came out. I wanted to listen to it when I watched the movie and for a few days before its showing in theatres I felt both excited and slightly anxious... I knew the song held a lot of significance and I had really high expectations because of it. And yknow what... it was great because oh my god finally hearing it with Mafuyu was actually heart breaking on par with Fuyu no Hanashi. And when Hiiragi screamed like how Mafuyu did in the series it sent shivers down my spine 220https://i.yt.com/vi/yXr4cAGslwI/maxresdefault.jpg The song had such beautiful lyrics and the instrumental is so addicting to listen to. The beginning starts off slow and even when the chorus hits the lyrics were sung in a steady manner letting you feel the impact of each word. And the way they incorporated the humming that both Yuki and Mafuyu loved? Oh my gosh I teared up immediately. And this time Mafuyu wasnt standing alone either A reference to what Kurihara said when she watched Mafuyu perform for the first time. This song meant so much to Hiiragi and Shizu as well and it was not only a resting place for Yuki and what he meant to all three of them but a gift from Ritsuka to Mafuyu both grief and love transformed into a piece that gave Mafuyu a much needed resolution and push to pursue his future. 220https://cdn.oneesports.gg/cdndata/2024/07/GivenMovie3UmieUenoyamaRitsukaEmotionalSolo450x253.jpg On a side note Yuki had me on a chokehold Even till the very end whenever Yuki would be mentioned or flashbacks of him would show I felt my heart tighten. This is for a different reason to Mafuyu obviously but the way he left such an impact on me as well it felt similar to the way he lingered in Mafuyus life. We only ever got snippets of their past together yet those moments especially in this movie built such a poignant image of their past and you cant help but understand why Mafuyu felt so worried lonely and tied down this whole time Because unlike previously the memories in this movie were all bittersweet their interactions were melancholy but it was clearer than ever how much they loved each other... ITS GENUINELY SO SAD EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT THEM... Everyone says their relationship was toxic and it really was the codependency was so strong that Mafuyu genuinely was part of why Yuki died. But they were too young to navigate all of that thats why Im so happy with his relationship with Ritsuka because from the parallels between his past relationship and the present its clear how much better Ritsuka is for Mafuyu without even realising it. Most notably Ritsuka is more emotionally stable and a wayyy better communicator than Yuki and really tried to involve Mafuyu in things instead of pushing him away. He doesnt realise it because thats just part of who he is. 220https://cdn.oneesports.gg/cdndata/2024/07/GivenMovie3UmieSatouMafuyuKajiAkihikoHappyMemory1024x576.jpg On the topic of Yuki the only time I remember Mafuyu mentioning Yuki by name was during Umi e. I only realised that when I finally heard him say it and that just hit me like a wave. Theres a reason why as much as I enjoyed given the series it always felt a bit incomplete right? The feelings were conveyed yet it feels as though theres still more to be told from Mafuyu. So to hear him finally say his name when he didnt even do so at the end of the series only calling him his dead boyfriend it felt like such a significant moment that he is finally facing him head on this time. So I think this song and this movie as a whole was finally able to put an end to that part of Mafuyus character. 220https://scontent.fhkg42.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.308086/50471750541662527635981664320138049873643266n.jpg?nccat=106ccb=17ncsid=aa7b47ncohc=uCpZjJ32uCkQ7kNvwFkBuAncoc=AdlKLLBYbieV88mTsjkoAlIaLDq7TwndYtWtKgqvXZ67j6eHROK5kvrzytPBq3f7cnczt=23ncht=scontent.fhkg42.fnancgid=SgrxZrY4TscwLyNxhQebgoh=00AfQnRV6HOgW5T1O6GYg1etO4C5dxirO7CTjgmu7HXxnF2Qoe=687FAC02 Before memories of Yuki seemed haunting like an invisible rope that tied Mafuyu and held him back but without changing the past they are now memories that mean a lot to him and of a person that he once loved dearly smiling to it as he hopes for a better future. Yukis guitar isnt a burden anymore but a gift left for Mafuyu to use in his own way. Thats why the scene of him dreaming about Yuki at the park and him finally leaving the park paired with Yukis line... it was such a beautiful depiction of him finally looking ahead and into the future while carrying the happy moments of that past. Its honestly insane how he handled all of that at his age especially with the neglect of his mother as well. Thats why Im always willing to cut him slack when he has a hard time communicating with Ritsuka. But with all that is said about Yuki the important thing to note is that Mafuyu is no longer tied down by him. Past feelings or trauma aside he is finally able to look forward to a future with Ritsuka exactly because he finally found a place for Yuki to rest in his life which is through music of his own and with Ritsuka. I think with a little bit of personal interpretation and guessing which shouldve been a little clearer IMO for the sake of canonicity the way I see it is that music to Mafuyu goes both ways like this. Which is also why the movie focused a lot more on Mafuyus worries for the future instead of his feelings for Yuki it goes hand in hand with his inability to properly express his feelings for the past. It isnt that he doesnt acknowledge them but he just didnt know how to deal with it and that in itself was a huge reason for his other worries about pursuing music and such. It is a bit of a shame though because with this conclusion it really opened the door to a future between Mafuyu and Ritsuka that no longer involved his past. So to end the anime here... I feel like they couldve went on for a little longer... Im not usually a fan of drawn out stories and Ill always try my best to accept and interpret what IS given but in this case theres just so much potential for a bit more yknow? Especially between when Umi e was performed and their graduation it left some time for Ritsuka and Mafuyu to really sit down and talk. I suppose its due to the movie format it cant give us the little moments like the series did. So even though that IS a shame I also wouldnt have wanted to miss out on watching them perform in theatres so Im really taking what I can get genuinely such a good experience I wish I couldve been to one of their live shows. Side notes: The scenes between Mafuyu and Ugetsu I think they showed the significance of their relationship really well. They feel like parallels both experiencing something similar but just through different colored lenses. Ugetsus past felt like thorns to him and Akihito while Mafuyus felt as if he was drowning slowly thats why it was so beautiful seeing them talk about their experiences like an older brother giving his younger brother advice. PLUS Im glad to see Ugetsu doing well too : I think its fun to see how the original author and writers were able to mix in cookie cutter anime romance that is to say humour and fluff with the darker aspects of the story. Its even more fun finally realising those sides in the series once I watched the movies. But I also feel like Ritsukas character never FULLY went all out on the latter part. He does seem more like a typical guy who happened to fall in love with someone with such a past but I also saw potential when he mentioned how he was always the one waiting for Mafuyu. I feel like he couldve agonised over it a little longer yknow especially with not knowing much about Mafuyus past despite all that has happened. Then again I see how that couldve been Ritsukas way of respecting Mafuyus boundaries and especially with how tough it was for Mafuyu to even find the words to express himself in the first place perhaps Ritsuka felt this was enough for him. And things were well in the end anyways... so I guess there wasnt a NEED for it part of me just wished it was touched on more. In conclusion my review is very biased LMAO Ive always been the type to judge a piece of media depending on the message and emotions I personally felt and I feel like with some of the missing pieces from Given parts of it were really my own interpretation and understanding of the characters. In the end I really enjoyed this movie and thats all that matters 220https://pbs.tw.com/media/GuaODC2XMAAFkw2.jpg Given is very special to me in many ways. With its flaws and its beauty I know Ill remember Given and all that it represented close with me for a while. Maybe even 10 years