GIVEN | 7 Mafuyu moments that made me choke on my tea
YO, CINNAMON ROLL MAFUYU looks innocent but I SWEAR TO GOD the things he does and says sometimes LITERALLY SENDDSSS MEEEE-
[manga spoilers ahead!]
1. Mafuyu is not so innocent x 1
Chapter 6, BAHAHAHAHH omg Akihiko also spat out his water, he did not see that coming. It's a pretty big clue that Mafuyu isn't that well....innocent! But wow, it was also a huge clue for Akihiko that Mafuyu likes Ue! OOOHH SO THAT'S WHYYYY Akihiko took a calculated gamble to play cupid for them in Chapter 7 and 8! 🤯 But yeah Akihiko sensed that Mafuyu liked Ue but had something in his past that he couldn't get over in order to actually pursue Ue properly! That's why he had that whole chat with Mafuyu in Chapter 8.
Liking someone and deciding to actively pursue them are actually really different things.
One moment of silence for cute virgin boi Ue, to this very day, his cherry still hasn't been popped. With the current arc at an all-high-tension, his virgin farewell party might have to wait. T_T
2. Mafuyu the Self-contradictory Type Neko
Chapter 21.5, in the comedy panels when the Given characters are looking through their metadatas about their characters. KIZU I AM SPEECHLESS HAHAHHA. Akihiko I think you really hit a sore spot there.....
Self Contradictory Type Neko? 🧐
What part of Mafuyu is "self-contradictory"? OH BOIIIIII well,
In Chapter 11.5/Ep9 on the beach at the end of the flashback, Yuki asks Mafuyu if they wanted to have sex in the bathtub,
Mafuyu goes "yeahh......no" to which
Yuki asks again, "yes or no, which one is it" and
Mafuyu ultimately answers "no."
THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING, because if you payed attention to the conversation right before, Yuki lies to Mafuyu about how much he loves the ocean. Mafuyu, sensing that Yuki is being dishonest, feels a sense of disconnection. Mafuyu, who normally follows along with Yuki, feels too disconnected to Yuki to make love that day. Hence the self-contradiction. This was, in Mafuyu's eyes, not the best date (and this flashback is actually Mafuyu's outlook on the imperfections of their relationship without the idolised POV of Hiiragi). And this date is a huge clue that dishonesty was what ultimately lead to the last fight between MafuYuki because remember, Yuki in a fit of anger said,
"Why don't you trust me?"
Which actually now with everything in context, makes Mafuyu's blow-up very valid. Mafuyu doesn't trust Yuki because of the FACADE and EMOTIONAL DISTANCE Yuki has put between them, and I bet leading up to that last fight, it has just been brewing and piling up inside of Mafuyu until he couldn't take it anymore.
But in hindsight, the memory of this beach date NOW that Yuki's gone, makes Mafuyu FEEL REALLY LONELY -> trauma and guilt.
Mafuyu actually sets the emotional pacing in the Mafuyama relationship and his self-contradiction, manifests in the form of his attitude towards music and how close he allows himself to be towards his Ue. Sometimes, he's super keen about music and affectionate towards Ue, sometimes he's running away.
Mafuyu is placing that emotional distance between himself and Uenoyama because of trauma and guilt, making Ue feel disconnected. While in MafuYuki, it was mostly Yuki that placed the emotional distance between them, presumably because of depression, making Mafuyu feel disconnected.
Mafuyu essentially is self-contradiction on top of self-contradiction, making him
😹 one complicated self-contradictory type neko 😿
3. Mafuyu the uke who wears the pants in the Mafuyama relationship
Chapter 15, BAHAHAHHA I love it how Ue's "Ou-sama".exe completely stops working and ✨gay panic✨ takes over with just a simple ~let's hold hands~ from Mafuyu.
Also, in the Given anime, Mafuyu instead says, "The streets are getting dark, let's hold hands", but it doesn't have the same impact IMO. I don't get why they couldn't have followed the manga. That would have been absolute gold to witness in animation because it'll be so much more showing not telling.
But as you see, Mafuyu is the uke who wears the pants in the Mafuyama relationship!
4. Mafuyu is Savage AF x 1
Also in the Chapter 21.5 character metadata panels, HOLY SHIT even though Mafuyu is kind of Akihiko's only friend at this point the story, instead of comforting him, Mafuyu's straight up being SAVAGEEEEE AFFFFF!! Remember in Chapter 21 Akihiko just got permission from Haruki to stay over where he literally had no where else to go. So yeah, Mafuyu's savage but right, Akihiko has no external support systems other than the Given band.
But it seems like when Mafuyu gets more comfortable with his friends, he naturally becomes more savage LMAO because he knows they can handle the truth.
ALSO PROBABLY BECAUSE A FEW PANELS BEFORE, AKIHIKO DID READ MAFUYU'S SEXUAL DISPOSITION CHARACTER TRAITS OUT LOUD TO THE WORLD SO MAFUYU'S STILL FREAKING SALTY FROM THAT LOLLLLL #SALTYMAFUYU
5. #Salty Mafuyu
Chapter 22, It's so fucking funny when Uenoyama is being a bit of an "Ou-sama" during rehearsals and super strict, Mafuyu acts pretty salty and has a bit of an attitude HAHA. You sort of don't expect it from a ~softboi~ character but I HONESTLY LOVE IT. Thanks Kizu for subverting conventional BL tropes! <3
6. Mafuyu's Savage AF x 2
Chapter 22, oh yeahhhhh, definitely when Mafuyu's comfortable with someone such as Hiiragi who he's known since childhood, Mafuyu can be really savage because he knows they can take it.
Here, Hiiragi is asking Mafuyu what's so good about Ue and Mafuyu straight up 🔥BURNNNS🔥Hiiragi!
I think the word "conspicuous" used by Mafuyu means that even though both Hiiragi and Ue are "Ore-samas" (when it comes to music at least), Ue isn't as "desperate to stand out in a crowd" as Hiiragi. Ue's more grounded in his musical critiques and choices because he just genuinely loves music while Hiiragi really wants the spotlight. And in my eyes, this definitely does hold some truth! Wow perceptive but savage Mafuyu strikes again! (Or maybe Mafuyu is just saying that Hiiragi is an eyesore LOL)
-> But ok ok ok, now after quite a few panels of Mafuyu moments, can we talk about how although Mafuyu is savage AF to his friends, look at how different Mafuyu is with Ue tho! The MOST attitude he gives Ue is ~tch~ and ~sulking~ and if he wants Ue to shush, he'll just do something ~cute and fluffy~ like ~holding hands~ or ~head rubs~ and Ue.exe just malfunctions being the gay disaster that he is. <-
BUT AS WE KEEP DISCOVERING......
7. Mafuyu is not so innocent x 2
Chapter 22 literally the panel straight after, BAHAHAHAHAHAH Perceptive Mafuyu never fails to impress. He knows that Shizu has been enduring and holding back for some reason in which later he finds out in Chapter 33 when he goes to Shizu for music advice.
Ok pay attention to Mafuyu's fist tho, it looks like he is doing the "do your best" hand gesture. But I legit spat out my tea when I found out:
Bruh. MAFUYU, THE LACK OF SUBTLETY I CANNO-
No wonder Hiiragi got so shaken about Shizu in Chapter 31-32.
But do you see how sexually overt Mafuyu actually is tho? He's only ~cute and fluffy~ in front of Ue FOR NOW because he's scared to get close to Ue emotionally.
Mafuyama are both actually horny teenage bois @a-voice-of-my-own and @cherilyn-rose post has all the proof, but in my opinion it's Mafuyu that needs to take charge emotionally and physically.
This is because it's Ue's first relationship and Ue's inherently kind so he's actually been holding space for Mafuyu as he realises that Mafuyu is the one placing the distance between them. In Chapter 23 when Mafuyu sleeps over, Ue actually monologues about this in his head. Mafuyu not making a move is why Mafuyama physical intimacy hasn't gone further than 2 kisses (3 if you count the CAC performance flashback). Both official kisses, Ue initiates so it's truly Mafuyu that sometimes shows affection and sometimes, holds back.
Referring back to Point 2 "self-contradictory type neko", Mafuyu being inconsistent with his emotional disposition therefore is absolutely, godforsakenly
~IncOnSisTeNt wItH hIs seXuAL disPoSItiOn~
Ok, I have a theory
Since in the first live, Mafuyu sang his heart out and Ue made the move, Ue is going to sing/play his heart out in the new Yuki-Ueno song, and Mafuyu is going to make the move. I HAVE A FEELING MARK MY WORDS.
The moment Mafuyu and Uenoyama "debut" 😉, Mafuyu is going to finally agree for Given to debut. TRUST ME.
But all in all,
Mafuyu is definitely someone his friends can count on when they need him.
He is there to tell them what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear which makes him actually an exceptional friend.
Ok, I have another theory.
Baby Mafuyu was physically abused by his father whenever he talked is probably because his father had a very fragile ego. Mafuyu being the perceptive bean that he is, most likely dropped a few truth bombs on his dad which could have really hurt his toxic masculinity.
Booooooiiiiii is Mafuyu a fascinating character! He's quiet but not shy, when he really means to say something, he says it without a hint of hesitation. What this shows is that there's nothing wrong with being quiet! Fewer words just means your conversation input are just pure
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