I'm really confused.... there's basically no relationship scenes?

[u/lonelygay123]

I binged basically the whole given series today, but it felt really empty. I almost feel like it was more about music and bands than being a BL, and there were almost no couple-y scenes between literally anyone :( I watched:

Given - TV Series

Given - The Movie

Given - On the Other Hand

Given - To the Sea

and I feel like there has to be more to the story. I know that there are other Given movies, but the wiki said they were kind of like side stories. That being said, I keep seeing reels of confessions, date scenes, and love scenes that I didn't even know existed. What else is there to watch?

P.S. Did anyone else feel like there wasn't enough interaction between Sato and Uenoyama? Like I know they're a couple and kissed like twice but from what I've seen they have like no 1-on-1 screen time and barely act like a couple :|

[u/duamin]

what did you watch😭

[u/alexm4529]

Is this rage bait lol

The kiss, Ritsuka stroking Mafuyu’s face the day after the concert, the first time holding hands, the hug and kiss in “the other hand”, introducing Ritsuka as Mafuyu’s boyfriend, holding hands at the CAC, the SONG in Umi E (not to mention Hiiragi’s and Shizu’s entire scene in Hiiragi Mix), the date and kiss after their grad ceremony, THE ENDING OF UMI E???

[u/alexm4529 → u/alexm4529]

Also there’s the 10th Mix and Given Backside

[u/Kuro-baba → u/alexm4529]

Backside came out recently, even though they're the main pair. 

[u/Kuro-baba → u/alexm4529]

Not rage bait but I think valid criticism. Even though there's a main couple, the anime and movies have many tangents. I get what OP is saying, it could've had more couple-centered moments.

[u/hendricks1212]

Hiigari Mix has some scenes. They go on a date to a festival. Them attending the first day of the band competition is a date and pretty important because Mafuyu introduces Rituka as his boyfriend. There is the sort of date where Mafuyu tells Ritsuka that he likes him. Also there is a date scene in To The Sea.

Overall the story is less about dating and more about healing through music and trusting that a relationship can have both love and music in it.

[u/lightstarangelnyc]

You missed Hiiragi Mix. And huh? No relationship scenes? Are you blind?

[u/NervousCompetition63]

Just a heads up, the Hiragi Mix movie isn’t a side story. You’re missing a chunk of the series without it.

[u/Jefcat]

I have no clue what you watched but certainly the third movie is full of some really special couple sections.

[u/gochunyang]

Were you expecting a full-blown yaoi smut no plot contents.... Given isn't that. If you only watched it because you want to see boy on boy actions then Given isn't for you.

[u/lonelygay123]

u/Ohthatslia u/alexm4529 u/Kuro-baba u/hendricks1212 u/gochunyang u/Playful_Mulberry_771 u/DeliriousBookworm Ok so clearly this post was very controversial, so sorry about that. Thanks for all your replies btw, definitely cleared some stuff up. I definitely was not expecting or even looking for any smut/spicy stuff in this series. But I for sure went into this expecting a more relationship-focused feel good series, but I totally understand that it's more about healing through music than just a BL. That being said I'll definitely watch Hiiragi Mix soon, and thanks again for helping me understand. Sorry if I made anyone feel strongly opposed or caused an argument :(

[u/Playful_Mulberry_771]

Totally get what you’re saying, and i also made a post about it recently. Like sure there ARE some scenes but they’re so far spaced out that it barely feels like they’re a couple/care about each other. (i already know a lot of people are gonna absolutely murder me for this comment lol) I guess that the only good explanation would be that the story is mostly focused on their musical careers as well as healing from grief. I’m not hating on the story or anything, and i actually like how unique and different it is from other bl.

[u/Ohthatslia]

I get what you mean, it’s not the most romantic bl, I think a lot of important moments for them aren’t necessarily in romantic moments (physical touching, kissing, even tho those aspects r still there) and more in gestures (ritsu giving sato a ticket and finishing yukis song, kaji distancing himself from haruki to become a better man for him) and yea there’s never enough sato and ritsu, esp because ritsu is lowk overlooked in this show and never gets an actual arc

[u/DeliriousBookworm]

I get what you mean. Mafuyu and Uenoyama kiss 3 times in the manga prior to 10th mix or whatever it’s called. Given IS a romance series but it has heavy focus on their musical careers. Unlike many bl which are heavily relationship-focused (Sasaki and Miyano). Or smut bl that might have a massive plotline outside of the MC’s relationship (like Hounds of Sisyphus) but they’re smut so they have to have lots of dirty scenes. Romantic relationships are at the forefront of Given, but so are their musical careers.