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The Best Episodes of given Season 1

Every episode of given Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of given Season 1!

Binge this in 4h 13m•Peaking at 9.4/10

Ritsuka’s lost his spark for music—until he hears Mafuyu sing. One voice pulls him back in, and suddenly, everything starts to change between them.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    given Season 1 Episode 1 - Boys in the Band
    7.5/10(270 votes)

    #1 - Boys in the Band

    S1:E1

    Ritsuka Uenoyama a high school student and guitarist wants to skip gym class to nap but to his surprise fellow and unknown to him student Mafuyu Satō is in his already sleeping in his usual hiding place. During this unexpected meeting Mafuyu asks Ritsuka to repair and to teach to play his Gibson ES-330 guitar. Ritsuka declines and sets off the story of this unlikely duo. We are also introduced to Yayoi Uenoyama (Ritsuka’s older sister), and band mates Haruki Nakayama (bassist), and Akihiko Kaji (drummer).

    Director:Hikaru Yamaguchi
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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  2. given Season 1 Episode 2 - Like Someone In Love
    7.3/10(226 votes)

    #2 - Like Someone In Love

    S1:E2

    Ritsuka introduces Mafuyu to his other bandmates, Haruki and Akihiko. After some convincing from the other two, Ritsuka finally agrees to teach Mafuyu how to play guitar. Mafuyu is so excited about playing guitar for the first time that he can’t hide his excitement. One day, Haruki and Akihiko tell Mafuyu the most important thing about playing music...

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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  3. given Season 1 Episode 3 - Somebody Else
    7.7/10(221 votes)

    #3 - Somebody Else

    S1:E3

    Ritsuka is floored after hearing Mafuyu’s singing voice and invites him into the band, but Mafuyu declines. Ritsuka just can’t take no for an answer and keeps trying to invite Mafuyu into the band, but now, Mafuyu is avoiding him. Then during band practice, Haruki asks Ritsuka to actually think about if he ever thought about how Mafuyu felt...

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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  4. given Season 1 Episode 4 - Fluorescent Adolescent
    7.4/10(204 votes)

    #4 - Fluorescent Adolescent

    S1:E4

    Mafuyu finally decides to join the band. In order to compose a song to go along with the little tidbit that Mafuyu sang for him, Ritsuka dives back into playing guitar nonstop. Haruki is at his part-time job one day when his friend Koji Yatake comes by and asks him if he and his band would like to appear in a live show he’s putting on. Ritsuka is teaching Mafuyu guitar at school as usual and then invites Mafuyu to go look at effect pedals with him.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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  5. given Season 1 Episode 5 - The Reason
    8.0/10(224 votes)

    #5 - The Reason

    S1:E5

    It is decided that Ritsuka and the rest of his band are doing a live show. Haruki and Akihiko go out drinking and talk about Ritsuka and Mafuyu. Since Akihiko had ridden his motorcycle into town, he asks to spend the night at Haruki’s place and Haruki thinks back on the first time they met. That was right around the time Haruki’s old band had disbanded and he had first encountered Ritsuka, who had just entered his third year of middle school...

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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  6. given Season 1 Episode 6 - Creep
    7.5/10(202 votes)

    #6 - Creep

    S1:E6

    Ritsuka hears a rumor that the person that Mafuyu used to date had died and is a bit shaken. Ritsuka couldn’t build up the courage to ask Mafuyu about it, but then, Akihiko visits his place. Akihiko then suggests that Mafuyu write the lyrics for the song Ritsuka had made. Ritsuka was thinking the same thing, and at the next band practice, asks Mafuyu if he’d do it.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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  7. given Season 1 Episode 7 - Tumbling Dice
    7.7/10(204 votes)

    #7 - Tumbling Dice

    S1:E7

    Ritsuka realizes how he truly feels and ends up taking out his frustrations and confusion on Mafuyu. Ritsuka ends up talking to Akihiko, who tells him that what he’s feeling is completely normal, but Ritsuka still wonders if it’s okay to admit these feelings. As Akihiko watches over Ritsuka and Mafuyu, he remembers his past with Ugetsu.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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  8. given Season 1 Episode 8 - Time Is Running Out
    7.8/10(205 votes)

    #8 - Time Is Running Out

    S1:E8

    As the day of the live show approaches, the season heads into the rainy season and the high school boys have finals. While Mafuyu has trouble coming up with lyrics, he gets visited by his childhood friend, Hiiragi Kashima, who was also Yuki’s childhood friend.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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  9. given Season 1 Episode 9 - A Winter Story
    9.4/10(394 votes)

    #9 - A Winter Story

    S1:E9

    On the day of the concert Ritsuka and Mafuyu get into a little spat and one of the strings on Mafuyu’s guitar breaks. Haruki tells Ritsuka to run and buy new strings, and Ritsuka then realizes that Mafuyu’s been trying to do everything he had been asking him to do this whole time. As he replaces Mafuyu’s strings, he tells Mafuyu how he feels. Even though there are still no lyrics done, their time to perform finally arrives, and...

    Director:Hikaru Yamaguchi
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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  10. given Season 1 Episode 10 - Wonderwall
    7.9/10(198 votes)

    #10 - Wonderwall

    S1:E10

    Ritsuka comes to the realization that he was so worked up at the concert that he kissed Mafuyu. Ritsuka hears that Mafuyu didn’t come to school because he had a fever, so he decides to go visit him. The next day, Mafuyu is feeling better and the band gets together to celebrate his recovery and to try to figure out their future as a band and figure out a name for their band.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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  11. given Season 1 Episode 11 - Song2
    7.9/10(208 votes)

    #11 - Song2

    S1:E11

    Mafuyu tells Ritsuka that he likes him and Ritsuka is ecstatic to find out that they both like each other but at the same time, he remembers himself saying that band members should never bring relationships into the band. However, they both decide to talk to Haruki and Akihiko about it. Haruki gives them a lecture and Akihiko congratulates them. Meanwhile, Haruki, who likes Akihiko...

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Yuniko Ayana

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Boys in the Band" is the best rated episode of "given" season 1. It scored 7.5/10 based on 270 votes. Directed by Hikaru Yamaguchi and written by Yuniko Ayana, it aired on 7/12/2019. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Like Someone In Love".