Given The Movie
a review by AnimeDweeb
a review by AnimeDweeb
The TV anime was a breath of fresh air, coupling passion for music with a nuanced take on masculinity and love. It felt like an artist's breakout single, and one that I happily bumped to in my hypothetical car. Given Movie then, was like the follow-up hit. It retains a lot of what I enjoyed in the original, and I loved my time with this new song. But while it hits mostly all the right notes, it never seems to top the charts the same way its predecessor did. There's that little thought at the back of my head, yearning to go back to that first tune again. Here's a quick rundown of the stuff I've noticed. I will be making references to the TV anime, which I highly recommend you check out. There'll also be super mild spoilers for the movie, so skip ahead to my Tl;Dr if you'd prefer to go in blind.
and one could make a strong case that the anime achieved just that after its 11-episode run in 2019. However, a few pretty big threads were left up in the air. On one corner we have Haruki, torn over his attraction towards Akihiko and his commitment to the band. On the other end of Akihiko's ring stands the mysterious Ugetsu, who is drawn towards Mafuyu's raw talent. I did have some reservations going into the movie, given (I know I like to make puns a lot but this is genuinely how I write DON'T LEAVE) that the main arc closed off on a conclusive note. Plus, I got the impression that Ugetsu was being played up as this ostensibly-bad person who would have a negative impact on our budding soyboy songwriter. It seemed like rather tropey territory for the show to dip its feet into, and I was worried that making Ugetsu out to be a villain goes against what was an otherwise earnest expression of love and liberation.
In order to bring closure once more, Given Movie gives Akihiko, Ugetsu, and Haruki their due time in the spotlight. Akihiko gets space to confront his messy past and waning connection with music. He'd always seemed like a rather capable character with skeletons in the closet, and that dark side rears its ugly head in the movie. His nasty habits involving excessive booze and sex spring as a result of his connection with music, which is explored in tandem with Ugetsu's growth. Both their lives are defined by their passions for music and each other. I'm glad the show decided to make Ugetsu a human character, and not the Machiavellian psychopath who outright manipulates those around him. The two share an indecisive, toxic relationship, resorting to unglamorized acts of attrition. This admittedly melodramatic lovers' detente doesn't feel too contrived, and fits well with the series' grounded tone. Haruki also gets a good amount of development, exploring his insecurities surrounding band life and bond with Akihiko. These threads are all done according to the series' MO, with our main characters working through their emotions before finding the courage to let it all out in an earnest J-Rock aria. However, lining Given Movie up against the TV anime isn't a favorable comparison, as the few new additions don't work as well with what has come prior.
A lot of Given (TV) revolves around the idea that music represents the emotions and words that elude us in day-to-day life. Given Movie is a less-graceful rehash, doing a fair amount of thematic gymnastics so that the script can bring Mafuyu back for an encore of the brilliant ninth episode. While I'm OK with the reemergence of this motif and Mafuyu's somewhat forced involvement, recreating this beat-for-beat (and concert-for-concert) does stretch the believability of this message and leads to diminishing returns. Much like the movie for Bunny Girl Senpai, story structure too is relatively unchanged from its TV counterpart. However, with just under an hour of runtime, this means the script resorts to cramming a great number of flashbacks within the first 30 minutes. This short duration does necessitate a fittingly downplayed conclusion, at the expense of some darker subject matter. Akihiko's behavior, while compelling thanks to a massive performance by Takuya Eguchi, seems solely tied to the fact that he can't be with Ugetsu. While I can accept Ugetsu as the impetus for all his bad habits, Akihiko ditching these problems off-screen seems a tad convenient to me. His adulterous streak comically comes off as merely "revenge sex," and all that excessive drinking recedes thanks to the Power of Love. I just feel that in a show deeply rooted in grounded relationships (and band culture,) these issues shouldn't be treated as a means to push plot but as legitimate problems on their own right. Speaking of plot drivers, it's time to address the elephant in the studio. You might be wondering why I've barely brought up Mafuyu and Uenoyama, the main protagonists of the TV season. Mafuyu himself does serve as the link between the audience and Ugetsu, while being a large part of why the plot works in the first place. However, the star couple barely get a showing this movie. This isn't really a proper issue, but I do wish we could have seen their development in areas outside of music.
OST is solid, but doesn't carry the same distinct range of the TV soundtrack, which blew me away with its versatility. I have similar takes on the visuals, which didn't impress as much with shot composition compared to the anime. The dreaded CGI makes cameos in certain scenes, but its usage is sparse and subtle. Those janky animations can't detract from Lerche's gorgeous lighting and good backgrounds, which are enhanced with a few moments of strong direction towards the very end.
In terms of theatrical sequels, this film passes the Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu test. Both movies are capable installments, but don't quite live up to or challenge their respective predecessors. Given Movie returns to its formula, pursuing story teased back in the TV series. This time we get to know the other half of the band, at the expense of reuniting with the main pair. This song rarely misses a beat, but only because we've heard this tune before. But there's no harm in returning to what made the series special, and the film most certainly did that for me, despite a few concessions in runtime and depth. Not a must-see sequel, but certainly rewarding in its own way. Seasons change, but Given seems here to stay. 6/10~
he eat banan.Monke. And that's the set! Thanks for giving this a read. Be sure to put on some Centimillimental sometime, the real life Given slaps. If you happen to like my verbose rants, feel free to check out my other reviews for seasons past and present, peace~
65 out of 78 users liked this review