Given’s Hiiragi Serenades Fans in Sweet Music Video
The short version of “Parade,” performed by syh from the given: Hiiragi mix film is now available to listen to.
May fans’ ears get blessed with Hiiragi’s beautiful voice.
With the first part of the given movie finale series out in Japan, given has bestowed a musical gift in the form of the short version of syh’s song “Parade.” Performed by Fumiya Imai, the voice actor for Hiiragi Kashima, the song will also be heard as an insert song in the film. Shintaro Tanizaki produced the video while Mizuki Hirasawa directed. Interspersed throughout the band’s performance are little snapshots of Hiiragi and Shizusumi growing up together as children.
Written and illustrated by Natsuki Kizu, Given began serialization in the bimonthly magazine Chéri+ in April 2013. The BL manga concluded on March 30, 2023 with eight volumes. Kizu recently announced an extra manga series to Given that began in January 2024 where it followed the characters 10 years later.
The manga follows high schooler Mafuyu Satō, a shy but exceptionally talented singer, who is recruited into fellow classmate Ritsuka Uenoyama’s band along with bassist Haruki Nakayama and drummer Akihiko Kaji. Mafuyu has to navigate his relationship with Ritsuka and his relationship with music while dealing with the grief of losing his boyfriend and best friend Yūki Yoshida.
An anime adaptation, produced by Studio Lerche (Assassination Classroom and Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun), aired for 11 episodes from July to September 2019. Shōgo Yano and Yuma Uchida voiced Mafuyu and Ritsuka, respectively while Masatomo Nakazawa and Takuya Eguchi voiced Haruki and Akihiko. After Season 1, Given released an animated film, focusing on the second arc of the manga, called Given. The film features the turbulent relationship between Akihiko and his ex-boyfriend Ugetsu, a violin prodigy. The film, directed by Hikaru Yamaguchi, released in August 2020. Shintarō Asanuma voiced Ugetsu.
A sequel film called given: Hiiragi mix was announced and focuses on Hiiragi and Shizusumi’s relationship and released in Japan on Jan. 27, 2024. Hiiragi mix also shows Uenoyama joining Hiiragi’s band as they perform on stage. Centimillimental performed the theme song “Super Ultra I LOVE YOU.” A new short premiered every week for four weeks following the ending credits of the film.
Given is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
Source: YouTube
