GIVEN GN (2025)

"Sometimes a song can save your life. Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hotheaded guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music - and to each other - always brings them back together again. Ritsuka Uenoyama is bored with it all-with school, with his basketball club, and even with his one true passion: playing guitar. Until the day he finds his favorite hidden napping spot occupied by a strange boy cradling a broken-stringed guitar. At first, Uenoyama is nonplussed by Mafuyu Sato and his slightly odd behavior, but when, on a whim, he asks the other boy to sing, the power of Mafuyu's voice pierces him to the core."

"As the band races toward their first live concert, Mafuyu struggles to write lyrics for their new song, unable to find words that express the emotions burning within him. Meanwhile, Uenoyama hears rumors about Mafuyu's past and is bewildered by his own feelings. The tension builds until the night of the show when the band gives a raging, life-changing performance. For older teen audiences. "

"Uenoyama realizes he's in love with Mafuyu and steals a kiss from him backstage at their first live performance. But now he's even more confused-he hasn't shared his feelings with Mafuyu and has no idea how Mafuyu feels about him. Meanwhile, Haruki has been harboring a secret desire for bandmate Akihiko, who's already entangled in an intense, conflicted relationship with someone else. For older teen audiences. "

"Sometimes a song can save your life. Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hotheaded guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music-and to each other-always brings them back together again. As the band focuses on preparing for music festival tryouts and creating new songs, Haruki grows more and more intimidated by the talents of younger members Mafuyu and Uenoyama. Worried that he's holding them back, he accepts his ex-girlfriend's request to play in her band. Meanwhile, Akihiko realizes that Haruki has fallen in love with him, setting the stage for a major blowup between them. For readers ages 16 and up."

Now that Given has an offer to record their debut album, each of the band's members must decide whether to get serious about trying to go pro. Though Ritsuka doesn't have a single doubt in his mind, Mafuyu isn't ready to commit. Frustrated by Mafuyu's evasion, Ritsuka shifts his focus to playing in former rival Hiragi's band, but Hiragi is having his own troubles with bandmate Shizusumi. For older teen audiences.

Mafuyu continues to dig his heels in with Ritsuka and Hiragi about his decision to go pro, causing Hiragi to worry that he may have hurt him by snagging Ritsuka for his own band. But Shizusumi throws Hiragi for a loop, asking out of the blue if he too was in love with Yuki, forcing Hiragi into a confession he isn't ready to make. For older teen audiences.

Hiragi's band is ready to make its big debut with the help of Ritsuka. And Mafuyu, who's been wishy-washy about becoming the singer for Given, is now equally as indecisive about his own singing. Ritsuka invites Mafuyu to the debut concert, but he doesn't accept the invitation, leaving Ritsuka even more confused by his boyfriend's recent behavior.

Mafuyu arrives in Shibuya where syh's concert will be held. Clutching the tickets both Ritsuka and Hiragi have given him, Mafuyu stops dead in his tracks when he runs into someone who shouldn't be in Tokyo-Ugetsu. What does his presence there mean, and could this be the catalyst Mafuyu needs to finally move forward and make a decision?

Sometimes a song can save your life.