Contents:

• Mafuyu's Stages of Grief
• Yuki's Haunting the Narrative
• Mafuyu's Struggle with Words
• How Mafuyu's Trauma Affects His Relationship with Uenoyama

Some Given fans just can't get over Yuki.

I mean, who wouldn't be? He's the beautiful, broken heartthrob of our dreams. But, and this is a big but, we're seeing him through Mafuyu's eyes. And let's be real, our boy is still reeling from Yuki's death.

It's pretty understandable why Mafuyu has been keeping Uenoyama at a safe distance. But personally, I think there's more to the orange-haired boy that we could understand better.

So get ready to ride the feels train because we're about to unravel the mystery that is Mafuyu Sato's heart!

Mafuyu's Stages of Grief

At first, I was surprised by how fast he seemed to get over Yuki and start dating Uenoyama. It felt a little weird, especially since Yuki was his first love. But after reading the manga, I realized something: the first time he performed again was when he really started to grieve for Yuki.

Before that, Mafuyu was kind of frozen. He couldn't sleep, he had bad dreams, and he basically shut down. It wasn't until he sang that song and let all his feelings out that he started to deal with losing Yuki. It was like a dam breaking inside of him.

Before that performance, Mafuyu was in complete denial. Nightmares haunted him, he couldn't sleep, and he just... shut down. But then, through music (and some serious support from Uenoyama), he finally started to break through that denial and move into anger.

He realized he was holding onto a lot of resentment towards Yuki and himself, and he hadn't forgiven either for what happened. And that's when we saw Mafuyu cry for the first time.

After finally acknowledging his grief, Mafuyu seems to be caught between a bit of bargaining (making deals with yourself to feel better) and some depression. But it's not the usual kind of bargaining where he wishes he could change the past to bring Yuki back. Instead, it's like he's reliving those painful memories leading up to Yuki's death.

Mafuyu's doing everything he can to avoid a repeat of the past. He's constantly thinking, "What if I lose Uenoyama like I lost Yuki?" This fear is paralyzing him.

Yuki's Haunting the Narrative

What we see in flashbacks is Mafuyu's version of Yuki: the love of his life, someone he calls "irreplaceable," and a source of deep heartbreak.

But there are hints that their relationship wasn't perfect. Like that one beach scene where our boy caught Yuki lying.

When Mafuyu calls Yuki "irreplaceable" and describes his heartbreak, we have to remember that he's still in the thick of grief. Of course, he feels that way about his first love and childhood best friend!

I think, without even realizing it, Mafuyu is constantly comparing Uenoyama to Yuki. It's like he's trying to recreate what he had with Yuki, but that's not fair to either Uenoyama or himself.

Mafuyu became more open through Yuki. But in one brief moment of anger, he said something to Yuki that he totally didn't mean:

"Would you die for me then?"

These were his last words to Yuki.

You can tell that his experiences with words have scarred him, and he doesn't want to repeat the same mistakes. He's so careful and deliberate, which makes those moments when he does speak his mind even more powerful.

When Mafuyu confesses to Uenoyama, he is pretty straightforward and passionate, repeating "I like you" several times.

But the thing is, the orange-haired boy doesn't always have that kind of clarity. When he's unsure or uncertain, he literally stops mid-sentence, like he's afraid of saying the wrong thing.

How Mafuyu's Trauma Affects His Relationship with Uenoyama

Mafuyu can read people like a book. But with Uenoyama, it's like he's closed his eyes shut. More like he refuses to see him for who he could be.

On the flip side, Uenoyama is so head over heels for Mafuyu that he's basically got tunnel vision. All he sees is Mafuyu, Mafuyu, Mafuyu! He's so focused on him that he totally misses other important stuff, like Haruki and Aki's feelings for each other or even meeting Hiiragi! It's like Mafuyu has become his whole world.

Now, some might say Uenoyama is just naturally a bit clueless, but come on! For someone so popular and kind, this level of obliviousness seems a little extreme. I'm starting to think that this tunnel vision wasn't always this bad until Mafuyu walked into his life.

Remember when Uenoyama started calling him Mafuyu and not Sato? That was a huge step for Uenoyama. But here's the kicker: Mafuyu still called him "Uenoyama-kun" with those pesky honorifics.

He's putting up a wall, keeping Uenoyama at arm's length, even though Uenoyama has made it clear that he's close to him.

What he went through with Yuki was traumatic, and Saeko-san, Yuki's mother, totally crossed a line by just dumping that guitar on him. He was sixteen years old, for crying out loud! That's a lot for a teenager to handle, and it's not fair to expect him to process it all on his own.

There's a real authenticity to Uenoyama's efforts in helping Mafuyu. He's not trying to fix Mafuyu or complete him – he just wants to be there for him, and that's what makes their relationship so special.

When Mafuyu finally sings, Uenoyama is genuinely surprised and proud, not like he expected it or anything. Then, when Mafuyu asks him out, Uenoyama is caught off guard. He's not expecting anything from Mafuyu; he just genuinely cares about him.

Even though Uenoyama's sincere efforts are getting through to him, it might take a while for Mafuyu to be able to give back in the same way. It's clear he values acts of service, like when Uenoyama changes his guitar strings, teaches him music, or even takes care of him when he's sick.

But I think the trauma from losing Yuki is still overshadowing his ability to fully reciprocate. He's just too scared to fully commit to Uenoyama right now.

I've already caught up to Given (manga and anime!), so I do think it's pretty interesting how Mafuyu turned out in the end. The ten-year time skip has done him wonders!

Would honestly love to know what you think about Mafuyu. Let's talk at the Otaku Community!