The mega-popular BL train that is “Given” shows no signs of stopping yet; following the manga’s conclusion, a sequel series has just started running in Cheri+ magazine, and fans of the anime adaptation are raving about the latest theatrical release and already looking forward to the next one.
In my 2024 BL anime rundown, I wrote about how excited I was for the latest “Given” movie, “Hiiragi Mix,” which premiered on January 27th. I went to go see it opening weekend, and was blown away by the animation, the feels, and of course, the MUSIC.
More info about the next installment of the two-part movie series, which will presumably cover what’s left of the manga material, has also just been announced, with the title revealed to be “Umi e” (“To the Sea”)(@manga readers: If you know, you know 
), and scheduled to hit theaters in fall of this year. Two “Given” movies in one year?? We are truly blessed.
But the “Given” magic doesn’t stop there. Now, one of my biggest passions in life (besides BL, of course) is music, and I’m thrilled when it intertwines with my other interests, such as anime. Plus, I’m a rocker at heart 
and love to enjoy music live whenever I get the chance (fun fact: Alice and I attended the same punk rock festival last spring to see MCR, having no idea the other was present until after the fact 
). So, when I caught wind of an IRL concert of the tunes of “Given” — more specifically, highlighting the music of the in-universe band headed by Hiiragi called “Syh” — being held, it’s only natural that my interest was piqued.
Music is the heart and soul of “Given” (honestly, I can wholeheartedly recommend the soundtrack even if you’ve never read or watched the series because it just GOES so HARD), so seeing the in-universe music live felt like the next big step in my interaction with the franchise.
Read on for my experience as a BL fan getting to hear the music of one of my favorite series brought to life!
My History with “Given“
So, some backstory about how this series came to mean so much to me: I first got into “Given” back in 2019, shortly after the anime came out. I loved the show and wanted to find out what happened next, of course, so I started reading the manga from the beginning — and it’s had me hooked since then.
I have fond memories of struggling through the volumes with my still-limited Japanese skills; mangaka Natsuki Kizu is clearly an artiste who uses Sophisticated Language, so I was reaching for my dictionary every other page 
It was a great learning experience, but if you Ain’t Got Time for That, no need to worry! Thankfully, volumes 1-8 (with volume 9 coming soon!) are now available in English through SuBLime, so you don’t have to suffer like I did!
I’ve even gifted my colleague Takochan — who doesn’t typically read BL in his own time —a copy of volume 1 (admittedly an older copy because I’d bought a new one 
), and he said he enjoyed it and wants to keep reading. It’s truly a story all kinds of people can appreciate, and I know I’m just one of many people all across the world who have been deeply touched by the series.
Getting Tickets
Here in Japan, tickets for basically everything from concerts and plays to sports matches and Disneyland are sold on L-tike, the ticket vending service operated by Lawson. They’re pretty good about preventing scalping activity, but the lottery system put in place can be frustrating if the event you’re hoping to attend has a large fanbase (*distant sounds of Ames sobbing after failing to score Genshin concert tickets once again*). I don’t have the best luck with these things, so I tend to enter the pre-sale lottery for anything I’m mildly interested in, and if I’m lucky enough to secure a ticket, it’s a happy little surprise for future me.
I came across the lottery for “Syh -Given the Movie: Hiiragi Mix– (also featuring Centimillimental)” back in December. NGL, tickets weren’t exactly cheap — especially for a fictional “band” whose music I hadn’t even had a chance to listen to at that point — but I had faith in Centimilli, and the music that’s come out of the Given franchise hadn’t disappointed me yet. Also, I had lingering FOMO from missing out on the first official “Given” concert a few years ago thanks to anxiety around COVID So, I threw my hat into the ring and forgot all about it until about two weeks ago, when I got an email that my ticket was ready to be printed.
I’d won the lottery! Yippee!! And by then, I’d actually heard the music of “Syh” in the movie (the tracks are also available via streaming now, if you want a sneak peek of the new tunes!), so I was more pumped than ever to see this BL music come to life.
I printed my ticket out at the convenience store and tucked it safely into my Shizusumi Given ticket holder™, which I’d obtained at some “Given” pop-up shop or other in the past — it was finally being put to its intended use!
The Day of the Concert
The morning of March 1st, I flipped the page on my “Given” calendar perched up on my desk, only to be greeted by the face of the star of the show himself, Hiiragi. How appropriate!
Throughout the day I was very waku-waku (excited) thinking about the concert. I was looking forward to getting to relax after work with a huge crowd of people who loved the same thing as me, and enjoy some amazing alternative rock tunes.
As soon as the clock struck 5 pm, I bid my coworkers farewell, booked it out of the office, and jumped on the next train headed for Yokohama (a city in Kanagawa prefecture, about an hour outside of Tokyo).
Once I arrived at the nearest station to where the concert was being held, I speed-walked to the venue proper — KT ZEPP Yokohama. Why the hurry, you ask?
Well, like I mentioned before in my post about doujinshi events in Japan, at basically any fan event here, you can expect to wait in line for a while. This is good in the sense that everything is nice and orderly (and usually nobody gets hurt!), but it can drive you a little cray-cray if you’re the antsy type like me.
It was my first time attending an event at KT Zepp, but luckily the venue wasn’t too hard to find, thanks to the literal hundreds of people already lined up outside the building when I arrived.
It was a little confusing finding where I was supposed to line up, but with a little help from the event staff, I eventually made it to the right area for my entry number printed on my ticket. As everyone inched toward the doors slowly at the direction of staff, I looked around and appreciated the many different types of people who had convened for the concert, and all the ways they were showing their “Given” love — with band towels, keychains, ita bags, and more. I was truly surrounded by my people.
The Anticipation
After my number was called and I was let inside the building, I quickly purchased my drink coin, grabbed my sugar-free Red Bull, and made a beeline for the stage area.
KT Zepp seems to be a mid-sized concert venue (somewhere in the middle between Tokyo Dome and little basement live houses), with a floor and balcony standing area. Despite my entry number being way up in the 800s, it was still pretty easy to secure a spot close to the stage by the time I made it in. I then stood in place, listening to the excited chatter around me and texting Ames about some Genshin fanart or other, and waited patiently (but antsily) for the show to start.
Then, right at 7pm, the lights went down, and a big projector screen set up behind the stage flashed on, showing a clip of the “Given” anime to signal that the show had begun.
The room instantly filled with squeals and cheers.
The Concert
The excited screaming from the crowd only got louder as the band members and the lead singer for the first two songs — Fumiya Imai, who also stars as Hiiragi in the “Given” anime — came out on stage. It was the closest thing possible to attending a real performance of the in-universe band “Syh” headed by Hiiragi.
Seeing him sing his character’s song live really brought home not just how talented a performer he is, but also how perfectly cast he is for the role of Hiiragi. He’s got all the charisma of “Syh”‘s lead singer, and brought all the energy that the music of the fictional band deserves. He’s even dyed his hair blonde recently, and his roots have grown out to almost perfectly match Hiiragi’s hairstyle!
First, they played the two songs from the new movie, “Parade” and “Straight” (tho the characters sure aren’t straight, amirite? 
).
Then Centimillimental (that is, the lead singer Atsushi) swapped in for Imai and led the band in performing some of the Centimilli “Given” classics, such as “Kizuato” and “Bokura dake no Shudaika” — along with the ending theme for the latest film, “Super ultra I love you.” I’d been wanting to see Centimilli live for while now, and I learned it was well worth the wait. Atsushi’s performance was strikingly expressive, and hearing the songs live brought back all the emotions “Given” has stirred in me over the years. It makes sense why the monumental task of writing, composing, and arranging the IRL music of the “Given” universe — including both the theme songs and insert songs for anime TV series and movies — was entrusted to him.
After the first set, we were treated to some special recorded footage of the other main “Given” cast members (hearing the audience reaction to each face as they appeared on screen was also a treat in itself
), cheering on the performers and thanking the audience for all their support.
There was also a sit-down talk session with Imai and Atsushi, where they discussed their feelings performing in front of everyone, answered some audience questions, and expressed their gratitude for being given the opportunity to bring the music of “Given” to life. They also talked about the incredible power of “Given” to bring us all together to the concert venue that night. It reminded me of the unifying power that BL can have, and I think everyone in the audience got a little senti(milli
)mental in that moment… Then, it was right back to rockin’!
The back half of the concert was a collaboration between Centimilli and Imai, with both singers featured in a special live duet version of the two “Syh” songs performed earlier.
The concert ended all too soon, and I left the venue feeling satisfied and invigorated. I can’t wait to listen to whatever music next comes out of the “Given” franchise, and I know that I will treasure everything it’s given me over the years, for the rest of my life.
If you’re feeling some FOMO yourself because you couldn’t attend this concert in person, fret not just yet! An official recording was taking place throughout the show, and the first “Given” concert, “Yoru ga Akeru” was later included on a Blu-Ray bundled with the “Uragawa no Sonzai” CD. I can’t promise anything, but I have hope that the experience of this night will one day be available for fans around the world to enjoy from the comfort of their home!
Links:
Natsuki Kizu (original creator) – Twitter
“Given” anime updates – Twitter
“Given” manga in English – SuBLime
“Given” anime streaming, subbed and dubbed – Crunchyroll
Centimillimental (band) – Twitter
Fumiya Imai (seiyuu) – Twitter
Do you love “Given”? Do you want to see a concert for your favorite anime/game/movie series?? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!!
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