Given Movie 3: Umi e

Ending the entire series and the movies made me feel like a part of me changed. To be honest, it took me a while to come back to "Given." I started watching the series during the pandemic and I enjoyed the sorrow and happiness it gave. It intrigued me so I was interested to watch the next upcoming movie, but never got to check it out because I was a bit scared to see what happened to Aki and Haruki.

Time passed and I thought about watching the entire thing. I saw a bunch of TikToks about in and I decided to give it another ... shot. I must say that I do not regret it.

We get to see different kinds of love dynamics and relationships, may they be romantic or platonic. We get to see inevitable
sorrow that may happen in life and the happiness that perseveres no matter what. We get to see pain that memories may bring and the strength that people have to live through them. We get to experience loss from people and choices, and how despite it, we are reminded that we will gain life back again.

I would have to say that me watching all of these back in High School may have been different and that me watching it as a 20 year old now is perfect timing; I understand it better now. My perspective on everything has changed. I recommend you watch all of this after experiencing a huge difficulty in your life, as it makes you see things in a different light.

One thing that has not changed though is my love for Uenoyama. I really do love his character, especially his patience and passion.

"I am sure I am going to forget this moment. I hope at least the music will remain."

Cried when they incorporated Yuki's original melody from Fuyunohanashi into Umi e.

I think these film adaptations really suffered after Hikaru Yamaguchi was replaced as director. The anime and the first film felt entirely different in both pacing and tone compared to the final two. I truly wanted to love this, but the adaptation ultimately diminished the experience for me. Yamaguchi had an exceptional ability to capture the emotional cadence of the story, and I actually preferred her interpretation over the original manga. There was a distinct rhythm to ... the storytelling that gave it coherence and emotional depth, and that quality feels entirely lost here. It is disappointing that such an important part of the narrative received such a lacklustre adaptation. I still love the story itself, but in hindsight, I probably should have just read the manga instead.

As disappointing as the previous movie was, this movie is that much more impressive.

With this movie, Given returns to its roots by exploring themes like healing, trauma, and connection through music — the very things it does best. At its core, Given has always been about Mafuyu’s journey toward healing.

This movie begins with our main character at one of his lowest points. Haunted by the loss of his late boyfriend, Mafuyu is afraid to pursue music, uncertain about his future, and terrified of being abandoned. He feels as if everyone’s moving forward and he’s being left behind — a feeling that’s painfully relatable, especially if ... you’ve ever been a teenager. However, with the support of his friends and through his own inner growth, he finds the courage to take a leap of faith.

The emotional payoff in this movie hits especially hard. Uenoyama’s desire to help Mafuyu find his voice again gives their relationship so much weight. It’s not about rescuing someone from their pain, it’s about walking alongside them through it. And the new song feels like a turning point. Not just a performance, but a release of everything Mafuyu has carried. And the sea imagery throughout adds so much melancholy. It captures that feeling of floating between who you were and who you’re becoming.

The moral of the story is that despite the hardships, it will be okay. You may not feel ready to move on, but you still have to. It will be different, but it will be okay. Mafuyu’s journey is quite a realistic one and this final installment of the series feels very satisfying. Each character seems to have arrived at a place of emotional peace.

This has always been a comfort series for me and I'm very satisfied with the conclusion of it.