The second and final film of the two-part Given anime series based on Kizu Natsuki's popular BL manga, Given: To the Sea (directed by Hashimoto Noriko) was released on September 20th. The Given series depicts the youth of the rock band Given, and the songs performed in the series are one of its charms. Centimillimental, the solo project of artist Atsushi, who has worked on many songs for the series, talked about the behind-the-scenes stories of the songs' creation.
◇ "Winter Story" A song created by searching for Mafuyu's feelings
"Winter Story" was performed in the Given live performance scene in episode 9, which became a famous scene in the TV series that aired on Fuji TV's late-night anime slot Noitamina from July to September 2019. In the movie "Given: To the Sea," the song "Fuyu no Hanashi -with Ritsuka ver.-" was performed, with Uenoyama Ritsuka participating as a chorus, and it has become a hot topic. The song weaves together the feelings that Sato Mafuyu has had up until now, and the production team has said that the live scene of "Fuyu no Hanashi" is the highest point of the TV anime. Atsushi also said, "We started production a year before the broadcast started, and we completed it after many rounds of negotiations with the original author Kizu Natsuki and director Yamaguchi Hikaru."
Before Mafuyu takes to the stage to sing, she says, "I can't cry or laugh as well as other people. I'm probably worse at expressing myself than other people," and "But, but the truth is. I always really..." Regarding the monologue, Atsushi said, "I thought that the monologue would overlap with the music, so I deliberately avoided using expressions that appear there (in the monologue) or similar phrases in the lyrics."
Regarding Yano Shogo, who actually sang the song for Mafuyu, he said, "We did a lot of fine-tuning and even set up practice days outside of the actual recording day. The two of us kept searching for 'Fuyu no Hanashi' and, above all, 'the feelings Mafuyu has had up until now,' and I think it's music that we put all our hearts into, as we seriously confronted each other about our pain and lives."
◇"Yo ga Dakeru" Haruki, Akihiko, Ugetsu A song that also influences the lives of the "adult group"
"Yo ga Dakeru" was performed in the movie "Given," which was released in August 2020 and depicts the love life of the "adult group" of Nakayama Haruki, Kaji Akihiko, and Murata Ugetsu. In addition to Mafuyu's musical growth, it became a song that drives the lives of Haruki, Akihiko, and Ugetsu. Atsushi said, "Based on the image of speaking to a wide range of people from a broad perspective, we placed more importance on a bird's-eye view and objectivity than in 'Fuyu no Hanashi.'" Regarding the production, he revealed, "When I read the original work, I was very impressed by the way 'dawn' was perceived. While it is generally used in the sense of expectation or hope, I first encountered an angle that viewed it as a negative one, saying, 'I felt like I would never be able to go back, and I was afraid of dawn coming,' and it made me realize something." He said, "I thought, 'When I couldn't sleep well and morning came, I felt like I was the only one left behind, even though the world had already moved on to the next day,' and I wrote it in one go from there."
◇"Straight" - An "overwhelming live feeling" and "explosive power"
"Straight" is a song by the band "syh", formed by Kashima Shu and Yagi Gensumi, childhood friends of Mafuyu. It was performed in the first part of the two-part movie version, "Given the Movie: Shu Mix," which was released in January this year. The song features an up-tempo melody that makes full use of vocalist Hiiragi's bright personality. Atsushi said, "Given's music is detailed, technical, and sentimental, so I kept in mind that syh was the band that won the audition. I valued the overwhelming live feeling, the power of outward emotional explosion, and easy-to-understand coolness." He said that the song was produced with a contrasting stance that captured the characteristics of the two bands.
Regarding the lyrics, he said, "Hiiragi said that the lyrics are about the sound, but I tried to express his competitive spirit, sharpness, and kindness. I wrote the lyrics so that they contain messages that you might not realize if you read them carefully, such as the appeal of live performances and the sadness of modern society."
◇"Parade" More catchy and refined music
"Parade" was unveiled as syh's major debut song. The memorable lyrics, especially in the chorus, invite you into the world of syh, and Atsushi reflects, "In the future, syh will be one step further into the future as they compete on the major stage, so we needed a more catchy approach while still maintaining their natural charm. I produced the song with the idea in mind of how I would put together a song and debut it if I were their producer."
Citing the good feel of the lyrics and the impact of the sound as characteristics of the song, he says, "Rather than music that you throw at others, we value a sense of leadership that jumps in and takes everyone there by the hand and leads them into a new world." Regarding working with Imai Fumiya, who sang the song and played the role of Hiiragi, he said, "Imai-kun has a very positive aura about him, which is what makes him Hiiragi. So rather than fine-tuning things, we recorded the song mainly based on rough direction that would fit the song, and searched together for Hiiragi's singing voice. We felt like we found the answer quicker than we expected, so overall it was very smooth, and I think that's very Hiiragi-like," revealing that the similarity between Imai and Hiiragi's image had a big impact on the song's creation.
