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Given Episode 7 Review: Tumbling Dice

by Sofia Evangelidou

4 weeks ago

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The yaoi elements are getting stronger as the series continues. In the seventh episode, which is as slow-paced and relaxed as the previous ones, we witnessed confessions, teen-crush moments, and a little bit of music.

Plot

Nothing major occurred in this episode and everything unfolded smoothly. Yet, no matter the whole… inactivity of this anime, I still get a warm feeling while watching it. Moving on though, this time we got to see more character bonding and some flashbacks about Akihiko’s past love life. His romance was interesting to watch and his narration felt emotional and sincere. Meanwhile, Ritsuka is (finally!) starting to accept his gay feelings and his friends’ advice are surely gonna help him open up.

The band’s practice is ready to fall off a cliff and Mafuyu still hasn’t written his lyrics. Out of all the characters, Mafuyu is my least favorite. His constant misery is tiring me and he’s not evolving at all, neither musically nor as a character. Don’t be harsh on me, I know that ‘He has seen a lot’, ‘He’s dealing with the loss of a loved one’ and bla bla bla… Yet, I can’t stand his lifeless face. Sure, usually deep pain is silent, yet it’s an anime and not real life, so I would like to see more emotions coming out of him!

Episode Highlights

Meme Generator: Akihiko’s expressions are utterly hilarious. Sometimes I’m not sure if he’s got a stroke, if he’s shocked, or if he’s about to laugh. Every week I’m excited to spot his new, meme-like moment! Fun fact: There are already many memes about him. All I’m waiting for is a GIF now.

Themes & Trivia

Episode Title: This episode is called Tumbling Dice. The title is inspired by a song by Rolling Stones, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Comments

As I said before, the series seem to follow a smooth, specific pattern. It’s not exactly my style and it’s not something I’d usually watch, yet it’s easy on the eye and the mind. Plus, the majority of the characters are very cute and likeable. Even Ritsuka’s classmate, who is a minor character, felt the need to apologize and, due to her action, she became more noticeable and respectable. Even though I like Mafuyu and Ritsuka as a couple, I’m kinda sad that the girl is gonna be heartbroken.

Given is following the manga precisely and it might even surpass it, due to its small -yet powerful- comical scenes. Since next week we’re gonna be on the eighth episode though, I can’t see how all the upcoming events will fit into the four remaining ones! I’m curious to see till which point of the manga the adaptation will follow!