So I'm cleaning up my bookmark list - removing bookmarks on everything I've watched - and, lo and behold...now here's something I completely forgot about. Hey, why not give it a watch. If it's not something you're liking you could just stop at any old time and just move on. And that's how I stepped into the world of Uenoyama and Mafuyu. Now, lemme add, all I knew about "Given" was what the synopsis said on MyDramaList, and nothing more. Well ...I was not expecting what I got.

First off - it is beautiful. Not in a cosmetic, picturesque way, but in an honest true-to-life manner. As with a lot of recent Japanese dramas (and sometimes comedies too) there is an ever present thread of "alone-ness" that runs throughout - whether it's Hira and Kioyi in "Utsukushii Kare" or Aioki in "Kieta Hatsukoi" or even Adachi in "Cherry Magic!", there's always the sense of watching life pass by from the POV of the outsider, always unwilling or unable to just let go and join in. This time, though, we go to some really dark places. Don't let the High School setting that the series opens with fool you (Oh no! Not that again!), "Given" opens up and reaches into your soul. And, I must say, I really liked the journey. From Mafuyu falling asleep in the studio to Kashima (Mafuyu's friend) reacting to him singing at the concert to the first time Mafuyu sings "lalalala" for Uenoyama - nothing is what I expected. Warning: There will be lumps in throats and there will be wet eyes.

"Given" is awesome, the music is perfect and the actors are sooo real that you knida get lost in their world for a moment. The writing is brilliant and the direction is superb. If there is any criticism to be made is that it could've done with either longer (or maybe a couple more) episodes. I really wanted to spend a little more time with these people. Oh, and by the way, even down to Mafuyu's last line is sheer perfection. Highly recommended.