Given Manga Editions: Every Version Explained

Given (ギヴン) by Kizu Natsuki is one of those BL (Boys’ Love — a romance genre featuring male couples) manga that earns its reputation. A story about music, grief, and falling in love — told through four band members whose personal lives get tangled together in messy, beautiful ways. If you’re sorting through the different Given manga editions available, you’re in the right place. Between Japanese volumes, English paperbacks, digital releases, and a sequel series with a name that sounds like it could be Volume 10 (but isn’t), there’s enough to sort through that a quick breakdown is genuinely helpful. Let’s get into it.

Every Given Manga Edition at a Glance

The core facts are simple. Given is a completed 9-volume BL romance manga. In English, it’s published by SuBLime (an English-language manga publisher specializing in BL titles) in both paperback and digital formats. In Japanese, it’s published by Shinshokan under the Dear+ label — a manga imprint focused on BL — also available in paperback and digital.

The sequel, Given: 10th Mix (ギヴン 10th mix), is a separate continuation that picks up after the original manga ends — not a repackaged or expanded edition of the original. Think of it as a follow-up series, not a replacement.

Here’s a quick reference:

Edition	Language	Format	Volumes	Status
Dear+ Comics (standard Japanese volumes)	Japanese	Paperback	9	Complete
Shinshokan digital	Japanese	Digital	9	Complete
SuBLime paperback	English	Paperback	9	Complete
SuBLime digital	English	Digital	9	Complete
Given: 10th Mix	Japanese (English due Nov 10, 2026)	Paperback	1	Sequel

That’s the landscape. No omnibus editions, no deluxe hardcovers, no special English collector’s versions to agonize over. Given keeps things straightforward, which is refreshing when you just want to read a great manga without worrying about which format you’re “supposed” to buy.

Japanese Editions of Given

The original Japanese release is the Dear+ Comics (ディアプラスコミックス) paperback edition, published by Shinshokan (新書館). The series was originally published chapter by chapter in Chéri+ (シェリプラス) magazine — a common practice in manga publishing where individual chapters appear in a magazine first and are later collected into standalone book volumes.

Volume 1 was released on 2014-11-29, and the final volume — Volume 9 — came out on 2023-09-01. That’s roughly nine years from start to finish, a pace that reflects the care Kizu Natsuki put into the story.

All 9 volumes are also available as official digital editions from Shinshokan, matching the paperback release one-to-one. Same content, same volume divisions — just a different format.

For collectors interested in the Japanese paperback editions, these feature Kizu Natsuki’s original cover art. They’re findable through Japanese booksellers and import shops. If you’re tracking down specific volumes, the ISBN-13 numbers are available through Shinshokan’s catalog listings, which can help when searching across different retailers.

One thing to keep in mind: the Japanese editions are entirely in Japanese with no reading aids, so they’re best suited for readers already comfortable with the language.

English Given Manga Editions from SuBLime

The English-language edition is published by SuBLime, available in both paperback and digital formats. All 9 volumes have been released, making the English edition complete.

The final volume — Volume 9 — was released on 2024-08-13 (ISBN: 9781974747023). The age rating is Teen Plus, which in SuBLime’s system means it’s aimed at older teens and up, reflecting the manga’s romantic and emotional content. The series features drama and romance between its male leads but isn’t sexually explicit.

The English paperbacks are standard manga trim size. Like most manga published in English, they read right-to-left — meaning you open the book from what would be the “back” cover of a Western book and read panels from right to left across the page. This preserves the original Japanese reading direction. Sound effects are either replaced with English text or have small English translations printed nearby, depending on the page. The translation preserves the emotional tone of the original well — the quiet moments stay quiet, and the intense moments land.

Volume 9 is a great pickup whether you’re completing your collection or grabbing it for a friend who’s been reading digitally and wants the final physical volume on their shelf.

Digital editions are available through SuBLime’s own platform and major digital manga storefronts. For physical paperbacks, you can find them through SuBLime’s website, major online booksellers, and brick-and-mortar bookstores that carry manga. The digital versions are identical in story content to the paperbacks.

One practical note on format choice: digital editions typically cost less per volume than paperbacks. Over the course of 9 volumes, that difference adds up, so budget-conscious readers may want to factor that in when deciding between physical and digital.

For new readers, the entry point is simple: start with Volume 1 in whichever format appeals to you. There’s no alternate starting point, no requirement to experience the story in any other form first, nothing complicated. Volume 1, page 1, go.

Given: 10th Mix — The Sequel Series

This is the one that causes confusion, so let’s be clear: Given: 10th Mix is not Volume 10 of Given. It’s a separate sequel series — a continuation that follows the characters’ lives after the events of the original 9-volume manga.

The Japanese Volume 1 of Given: 10th Mix was released on October 1, 2025, published by Shinshokan. It’s already been licensed by SuBLime for English release, which is great news for English-speaking fans who won’t have to wait and wonder if it’ll ever get picked up.

The reading order is non-negotiable: finish Given volumes 1 through 9 before starting 10th Mix. The sequel builds on completed storylines and resolved (and unresolved) emotional threads from the original series. Jumping into 10th Mix without that foundation would spoil major developments and rob the sequel of its emotional weight.

The English edition (Vol. 1) is scheduled for November 10, 2026 from SuBLime.

How to Choose the Right Given Manga Edition

With a manageable number of editions and no complicated special releases to navigate, choosing the right version of Given comes down to a few personal preferences.

Language

If you read Japanese comfortably, the Dear+ Comics paperback or Shinshokan digital editions give you the original text as published. If you read in English — which, since you’re reading this article, is a safe bet — the SuBLime paperback or digital editions are your path.

Format: Paperback vs. Digital

Paperback is the way to go if you like having manga on a shelf, lending volumes to friends, or just enjoy the tactile experience of flipping pages. Given’s cover art looks lovely lined up on a bookshelf, and nine volumes is a very manageable collection that won’t take over an entire shelf.

Digital wins on convenience and cost. Instant access, no storage concerns, and you can read on your phone during a commute or in bed at midnight. The story content is identical either way.

The Full Collection Is Very Approachable

At only 9 volumes, Given is one of the more accessible complete manga collections you can buy. You’re not looking at a 30-volume commitment or an ongoing series that might run for another decade. Nine volumes, beginning to end, full story. That makes it an easy series to collect in full, whether you’re building a BL manga library or just want one complete series on your shelf.

For Brand-New Readers

Grab Volume 1 in your preferred format. That’s it. You don’t need to watch the anime first, you don’t need a reading guide, you don’t need to research character names ahead of time. The manga opens with an immediately compelling scene, and from there, the story pulls you in naturally.

Coming from the Anime?

If you’ve already watched the Given anime and are wondering whether the manga will feel repetitive in the early volumes — it won’t. Even in the sections that cover the same story events, the manga offers internal thoughts, pacing, and emotional detail that the anime necessarily compresses. The early volumes will feel familiar but deeper, and the later volumes take you well beyond where the TV anime left off.

Given Anime Adaptations and the Manga Editions

Given has a notable anime presence that’s worth knowing about, especially since it might be what brought you to the manga in the first place.

The TV anime ran for 11 episodes, airing from 2019-07-11. It covers the early portions of the manga’s story and does a beautiful job with the musical performance scenes — something static manga pages obviously can’t replicate with actual audio. Beyond the TV series, there are multiple anime films and specials, including a 2020 movie, Given: Hiiragi Mix (centered on the band “syh”, airing 2024-01-27), Given: Umi e (airing 2024-09-20), and an OAD — a bonus anime episode bundled with a physical release rather than broadcast on TV.

The anime adaptations are excellent companions to the manga, but they don’t replace it. The manga editions contain the full original story as Kizu Natsuki told it, with internal thoughts, pacing, and emotional nuance that the anime necessarily condenses or reinterprets. If you’ve only watched the anime, the manga has plenty of additional depth and detail waiting for you — particularly in the later volumes that the TV series didn’t cover.

There’s no wrong order between anime and manga, but reading the manga gives you the complete picture.

Frequently Asked Questions About Given Manga Editions

Is Given: 10th Mix the same as Given Volume 10?

No. Given: 10th Mix is a separate sequel series, not a tenth volume of the original manga. The original Given is complete at 9 volumes. 10th Mix is a new continuation that follows the characters’ lives after the original series concludes.

Are the English and Japanese editions the same story content?

Yes. The SuBLime English edition and the Shinshokan Japanese edition both contain the same 9 volumes with the same story content. The English edition is a translation of the Japanese original — no chapters added, removed, or rearranged.

Is Given complete?

Yes. The original 9-volume series is complete in both Japanese and English. The Japanese final volume released 2023-09-01, and the English final volume released 2024-08-13. You can read the entire story from beginning to end right now.

What age rating does the English edition have?

The SuBLime English edition carries a Teen Plus rating. This reflects the series’ romantic content and emotional themes. Given is a BL romance — meaning it centers on a love story between male characters — with drama and emotional intensity, but it’s not sexually explicit. The Teen Plus rating signals it’s aimed at a mature teen and adult audience.

Do I need to watch the anime before reading the manga?

Not at all. The manga stands completely on its own. Many fans started with the anime and then moved to the manga for the full story, but starting with Volume 1 of the manga works perfectly. The anime covers early portions of the story, so if you’ve already watched it, you’ll recognize those events in the early volumes — and then get to experience everything the anime didn’t adapt.

Will Given: 10th Mix be available in English?

Yes — it’s been licensed by SuBLime for English release. The English edition (Vol. 1) is scheduled for November 10, 2026 from SuBLime.