given - on the other hand

📖 SYNOPSIS

Still buzzing from his band's first live show, Mafuyu Satou can't quite believe he's found someone who makes music feel like breathing again. This OVA picks up right where the Given series left things — Mafuyu and Ritsuka Uenoyama are together now, their relationship held together by guitar strings and quiet moments between classes. But being in a new relationship when you're still figuring yourself out isn't exactly smooth. Both of them carry their own weight, and this episode digs into the kind of inner conflict that doesn't have easy answers — the doubt, the fear of messing things up, the way silence between two people can mean everything or nothing. Lerche handles it with the same understated touch they brought to the series, letting the animation breathe instead of overexplaining every emotion. The musical performances still hit, and there's a warmth to the whole thing that feels earned rather than forced. If you liked the gentle pacing and emotional honesty of Doukyuusei, or the way Sekaiichi Hatsukoi handles the messy side of falling for someone, this is in that same lane — just quieter, more grounded. It's one episode, about 25 minutes, and it's really best watched after the TV series and movie. Not a huge time commitment, but it fills in an emotional gap that fans of Mafuyu and Ritsuka's story will appreciate. A small, tender addition to something already pretty special.