Sad news for all those looking forward to the release of given: the official website of the popular boys-love series has announced that the release of the series’ anime film adaptation has been put on hold indefinitely. This is due to the growing concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 disease in Japan. The film was originally slated for a May 16 release.
While the Given TV series focused on high schoolers Ritsuka and Mafuyu, the movie will be focusing on the older members of the band Haruki and Akihiko, along with the latter’s mysterious violin prodigy roommate Ugetsu.
Hikaru Yamaguchi (Escha Chron) will return to direct the film, as well as script writer Yuniko Ayana (both seasons of BanG! Dream) and character designer Mina Osawa. Music will be composed by rock band Centimillimental, who also provided the music for the given series.
Given’s movie adaptation is produced by Fuji TV’s newly-launched boys-love anime label Blue Lynx. The label also produced the now-released yakuza boys-love film Twittering Birds Never Fly, the label’s first movie project which premiered in Japan last Saturday. Another boys-love movie, Umibe no Étranger, will also be released under the Blue Lynx label.
The boys-love series is also set to receive a stage play adaptation. The stage play is set to be performed in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka from August to September of this year. The stage play will be directed by Fumiya Matsuzaki (Children of the Whales stage play). Script will be written by Yuniko Ayana, who also provided the scripts for the TV anime series.
Given started as a manga series written Natsuki Kizu. Studio Lerche adapted the manga into an anime series and aired it on July 11 on Fuji TV’s Noitamina block. Given was the first-ever BL anime to air in the said block.
The series’ story centers on Ritsuka, a once-avid guitarist who has lost interest in the instrument. He then meets Mafuyu, who is holding on to a broken guitar. Perplexed by this, Ritsuka offers to fix his guitar and teaches him to play it as well. When he hears Mafuyu singing, however, Ritsuka starts to feel something different.
Source: Anime News Network