'Given' and grief
The first time we see Mafuyu think about Yuki consciously in given is in code 4.
And what we see him thinking is that he doesn't feel lonely.
Mafuyu thinks here, even when he knows he'll never see Yuki again, he still doesn't feel lonely because he still carries something within himself that Yuki loved.
And this was Mafuyu being in denial about Yuki actually really being gone. He was still trying to rationalise it.
“I am not lonely!” he protests, “The person that I loved so much, couldn't just become nothing! As long as I'm here, he is here somehow!”
And he keeps carrying Yuki's guitar everywhere, symbolising that burden. That thing that Yuki loved, yes, but Mafuyu wasn't a part of.
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Then the story progresses. Mafuyu learns to play guitar. Mafuyu makes new friends, he learns to smile again and be excited, he starts to fall in love again. He starts to heal.
THEN Fuyunohanashi happens.
And we see him starting the song with, “I'm not lonely”, again.
He is back there. He is protesting, “you are not gone! You can not be gone! You are still in my head! Everywhere you once were you still are!!”
He has healed meanwhile, yes, from when given manga started to when FnH happened, he has. But he still hasn't come to terms with it.
And then, while performing this song, while on stage, this sudden realisation strikes,
“I am so lonely” he thinks. He has started to realise that Yuki is fading, Yuki's memory, his presence that Mafuyu imagined, they're fading slowly, and that is sad! That's why he is lonely!
After the performance of FnH, Mafuyu thinks again, “I am not lonely”, and this time it's not regarding Yuki. This is the general feel of it, Mafuyu isn't lonely anymore. He has friends, he has someone new he loves, he has started to heal, and with that comes the feeling of guilt.
“I wish I could tell you this!” I wish I could find closure from you!
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And then we get the extra chapter 'Umi E'. Expanding on the on stage "I am so lonely" panel!
Mafuyu realised on that 'blindingly bright stage' what 'loneliness' means. It's the healing part of the trauma. It's the guilt of letting go of the person who isn't here anymore.
If Mafuyu forgets Yuki bit by bit, which will certainly happen, because people can't keep living with someone's vivid memories forever, then who'll remember the Yuki that only Mafuyu knew? He will really be gone forever! And thinking about that is sad! And THAT is loneliness.
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Mafuyu is still there during CAC. Even though he has moved on, even though he is totally in love with Ritsuka and committed to him, it still feels like betraying Yuki somehow. The more he grows, the more he changes, the more the distance with Yuki grows.
Remember, that line in yorugaakeru that literally says, “even though you're not here, I can still continue to live on, in the end, that's what makes me sad.”
This part of grieving isn't talked about as much as it should be. It's the guilt you feel when you heal.
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This brings us to the last arc of 'given'.
There were many things going on with RitsuMafu the last arc, but part of why playing 'Umi E' for Mafuyu without telling Mafuyu was bad idea was because it meant forcing Mafuyu to confront something that he had no intention of confronting just yet.
But turned out it was for the best. At least for Mafuyu to realise that he has actually really moved on. He doesn't feel guilt for letting go of Yuki anymore. From the time they performed YgA to the SYH concert, Mafuyu has healed more.
See, compared to the first 'to the sea' memories, the last 'to the sea' memories are so blurry! He really forgot the details!
It's just a vague feeling of nostalgia to Mafuyu now! And it's still anxiety inducing, yes, especially seeing that he was already dreading everything.
But there's no guilt to be found of letting go of Yuki. His only concerns are not being able to connect to Ritsuka now.
Yuki is not somewhere inside Mafuyu anymore, or he doesn't feel pressured to keep him close to heart anymore. He has accepted the truth. He has found closure. Yuki is a memory now. A fond memory, preserved in a song, the memories are blurrier still. And Mafuyu is happy with that. Forgetting the details doesn't make him lonely or guilty anymore.
Which is why the last chapter we got, where just after being confronted by 'Yuki's song', Mafuyu still isn't sad or guilt ridden at all, he is sparkling and eager to perform alongside Ritsuka, he is so happy that he almost proposed to him, is so special!
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'Given' Volume 9 Promotional Character Descriptions
"Everything will be all right. Come on"
(Violin) Ugetsu Murata
Birthday: June 6
Zodiac: Gemini
Blood type: O
Height: 175cm
- Loved by music Genius violinist
- A person whose smile confuses people (?)
- Unexpectedly appears in places all over the world
"Im glad I got to see Mafuyu's face"
(Guitar) Ritsuka Uenoyama
Birthday: August 1
Zodiac: Leo
Blood type: B
Height: 175cm
- Has guitar skills far from high school students
- Although strong, is gentle at heart
- Tends to be handled around by Mafuyu
"I want to play music with you, I want to sing for the rest of my life"
(Guitar & Vocals) Mafuyu Sato
Birthday: February 28
Zodiac: Pisces
Blood type: AB
Height: 173cm
- Unique vocalist with a singing voice that sticks and never falters
- Does things in own pace
- Never not seizing
"Keep making good music, enough to take it back from me"
(Bassist & Vocalist) Hiiragi Kashima
Birthday: May 8
Zodiac: Taurus
Blood type: A
Height: 175cm
- Flower-like person which fascinates people
- Different type of vocalist compared to Mafuyu
- Cheerful character x2
"Let me stay by your side until I die"
(Drummer) Shizusumi Yagi
Birthday: November 22
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Blood type: B
Height: 180cm
- Hiiragi's band member
- Has intense feelings for Hiiragi
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