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magicpotatoobsession · 3 years

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GIVEN | What the new Yuki-Ueno song could mean

I've been wanting to write a blogpost for a while now on the whole Yuki-Ueno song, what it could imply, and how it could affect Mafuyu and the story from here onwards. The latest chapter I've read up to is Chapter 42 so yes there will be spoilers but as a musician, I want to do a deep dive into the potential meaning and symbolism of the song behind this arc.

[manga spoilers ahead]

This is the Chapter 34 Cover.

@morievna does a fantastic breakdown of the lighting and symbolism in this cover, I highly recommend you check her post out.

I think this cover is very important to describe Uenoyama coming to terms with understanding that Yuki might not be disappearing anytime soon. Mafuyu might need to process his Yuki trauma head on rather than being "paralysed" by memories of Yuki. Hiiragi imposed this task on Uenoyama who up to this point in his life has never written lyrics before and actually really didn't want to do it.

But he did it anyway.

He quickly completed the song in the style of Yuki or what Yuki intended it to be. It is just like his sister said, "painting restoration" but also like finishing "a love letter written by his ex". Ue wrote something that wasn't like his own style of music at all but rather in the voice of Yuki.

Why did Uenoyama agree to do it?

Well, at first glance, it may look like it's pride because Hiiragi kind of provoke him a little. But on a deeper level, I think it's because Ue is inherently so desperate to reach Mafuyu through his songs to try and understand Mafuyu. Ue mentions several times that he's not very good at communicating with words so with his composed songs, he wants to reach Mafuyu. He also knows that there is currently an emotional barrier in the Mafuyama relationship, constantly saying that he doesn't know what Mafuyu is thinking. But at the same time, he wants to do something about it, he's taking this opportunity to try and understand Mafuyu.

Even though I believe it was painful for him, he really wants to prove to Mafuyu that he is worthy to be let into Mafuyu's trauma, he can enter the inner world and he perhaps, is even saying, according to the cover of Chapter 34, doesn't mind if Yuki is always there. He just hopes that Mafuyu will heal even a little if he could change his strings or sing the songs that Ue composed for him.

Uenoyama and Yuki can talk through music

In Chapter 39, it is really interesting that Hiiragi at first says "Uenoyama" and then corrects to "Yuki" when talking about how they looked at Mafuyu.

This is such an interesting little detail that I think could have been easily missed! What this means is that Uenoyama might be able to understand Yuki on a level on par with Mafuyu. Through the music, and through the demo, Uenoyama and Yuki had a conversation, and

Uenoyama has the ability to understand and fully convey what Yuki wanted say but never had the chance to.

What could the contents of the song be about?

This song is 100% a love song. Not only is it a love song, but I think it's a song about the ordinality but the specialness of being in love with someone. In Chapter 34, Uenoyama listens to it, didn't expect it to sound the way it did, still didn't want to finish it, BUT he finishes surprisingly fast. I think even though he knows that it's a love letter from Mafuyu's ex, he can relate to Yuki on the intensity of love that they both feel for Mafuyu.

Also continuing on from Chapter 39 when Hiiragi slips up "Uenoyama" and "Yuki", this flashback after listening to the reworked demo from Uenoyama gave Hiiragi the push he needed to confront his feelings for Shizu. It was right after this, that Hiiragi realised that he had what Yuki and Mafuyu had all along, someone that he simply loves. It was as clear cut as that.

I think it makes more sense as to why it is Uenoyama who can finish this song so fast. Uenoyama is perhaps the character most honest with himself in Given. He simply just loves Mafuyu, and that's really all there is to it. Yes he is still trying to figure things out in their relationship but I think that because the intensity yet simplicity of his emotions are so strong, he is hoping that the straightforwardness of his love will directly resonate with Mafuyu's heart.

Will Uenoyama be able to reach Mafuyu?

But another key thing we must understand is Ue is so desperate to reach Mafuyu that at first, he wasn't realising that Mafuyu doesn't want to go to the debut concert. Mafuyu is trying to shout into the void that he's feeling scared about being serious with Ue and hates seeing the striking similarity of the current trio with the old SYH trio, worried that the past might repeat. So there is a small chance that Mafuyu might not get to hear the song at all.

Ue is trying to reach Mafuyu using music blind-sighted to Mafuyu's abandonment anxieties. Mafuyu is feeling abandoned and in emotional shutdown, blind-sighted by the fact that Ue is so desperately trying to reach him emotionally.

It's a bit like the classic anxious-avoidant dance, Ue is reaching and reaching and Mafuyu is shutting down to avoid the repetition of past traumas. The more you reach, the more it tries to escape.

However Ue does pick on that fact in Chapter 37. I think this is something that is so amazing about Ue, when he comes to terms with something that he's done wrong, he immediately recognises and admits it rather than live in denial. So I think Ue will do something about this. I have faith.

Hiiragi is holding on to the old Yuki-centric squad

I do just want to say as a personal opinion, I feel like it was really intrusive of Hiiragi to impose this songwriting task onto Ue. He knows that Ue is Mafuyu's current boyfriend, why is Hiiragi asking him out of all people to finish this song? Yes Ue is an amazing composer but he barely knows Ue, it was a huge risk to take and it could have really backfired. Also, I am sure, it was actual agony for Ue to finish Yuki's song. I think Hiiragi was blindsighted by hurtful his actions are because of his strong desire to hold onto the past, but I think he is later starting to realise it. In Chapter 39, we see this.

What this shows to me is that Hiiragi is still holding onto this illusion of the old Yuki-centric squad. Having Yuki revived through a song, having Mafuyu listen to it, playing Yuki's song together with Shizumi, Hiiragi wants to relive in a time before everything went downhill, before everything changed. They were his family. He's dealing with the loss and the brokenness of this family.

What does this song symbolise?

For Ue

an all out attempt to reach out to Mafuyu emotionally

to tell him that he loves him and he is someone safe that Mafuyu can open up to.

an attempt to have Mafuyu deal with his past head on.

For Hiiragi

at first, a way of immortalising, reviving the Yuki-centric squad.

with Ue's input - a way of realising the specialness and ordinality of being in love. The simplicity of love.

Song Themes

I have a feeling since the first two songs that are featured are about Winter and Dawn, it could be themed around:

1. The beach/ocean, since we know that it's something special both in Mafuyama and MafuYuki's relationships

2. The blazing sunset, Chapter 39 was a striking moment. I have a feeling that Yuki and Hiiragi is similar but while Hiiragi had Shizu to ground him Yuki unfortunately crossed over.

3. Time/clock, time was important to both Yuki and Mafu and referenced constantly throughout the manga.

Possible Genre of the Song

Uenoyama's style of writing so far is J-rock/alternative rock with sick solos scattered throughout, modulations, metric changes (I'm basing this off of The Session and all the other tracks on The Gift Album). I think the original demo could be a very simple acoustic heartfelt track. However since SYH will be performing it as their debut concert, I think it might still retain the original melody, but more Jpop but still heartfelt. Uenoyama did comment that SYH has a sound that is incredibly appealing to the masses so maybe he'll blend Yuki's and SYH's styles together.

(fuck now I really want to hear this song, where Season 2 and Centimillimental at bruhhhhh)

What might happen from here?

This is a very interesting arc. This song might be giving Mafuyu the push he needs to face the past the chance to "talk to Yuki again".

This song could also show Mafuyu that Uenoyama might be able to understand him on a deeper level than Mafuyu gave him credit for. Remember that so far most things that Uenoyama knows about Yuki is through rumors, second-hand recounting from Hiiragi. Mafuyu really haven't shared all that much with Ue about Yuki. Ue had to put the missing pieces together himself all this time.

This is perhaps a good thing, to prove to Mafuyu that Uenoyama can be let into the hole in his heart, that he can share the things about Yuki with Ue and that Ue will understand. Mafuyu might finally be able to really see Ue and the strong simplicity of his love and realise how much he's been projecting Yuki onto Ue.

Or it might be a bad thing, Mafuyu and Hiiragi might realise that Ue is so good at "painting restoration" that they try to continue to project Yuki onto Uenoyama and Ue gets blindsighted and pushed aside in the process. But I don't think so, I think Hiiragi at least is coming to terms with his idealisations and sense of abandonment. I am unsure about Mafuyu though.

Fuck this manga is tearing me to pieces.

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