This is why I have been MIA; and I feel like you all deserve an explanation, you all supported my blog so generouly. I will return, but since the beginning of the year; I have been suffering depression over the state of human rights, health issues, and financial set backs. I lost my computer, which makes it extremely difficult to blog.
Share my belated birthday gift with me (that’s what I’m calling this->)
Unboxing Given Live Stage Production Items while discussing women’s rights:
We can’t change things if we don’t speak out loud and ask questions. (Im not great with political terminology so please anyone correct me if I use an incorrect term) We have a majority bipartisan Government of Democrat or Republican. On a scale of far left, to far right; our Democratic party rn falls significantly right from center. Our Republican party falls almost full far right; flirting with fascist ideals. Left = non capitalistic/ Right = Capitalism. Its so much more than capitalism though, because of seperation of Church and State. Because Capitalist values have been so over shot to the far right of the scale, and we are unbalanced by authorities with biased and conservative religious views, our highest court; The US Supreme Court is now biased and unbalanced. We are supposed to first and foremost have separation of Church and state. This goes directly back to the foundation of our separation from England. Certain human rights laws are supposed to be “settled” law, essentially meaning, they have been “tested” over and over and found to be laws in good standing, wether or not they independently appear in our Constitution. Laws like the right to an abortion, the right to decline to participate in religious ceremonies or adhere to regions views, in state sponsored environments, the right to equal medical care regardless of race sex gender class or creed.
Common sense things like an intersex or male bodied person has equal right to an abortion, as would a female bodied person. The right to birth control or personally initiated sterilization. An unwed or poor mother has an equal right to reproductive health care (pre or post). Queerness but particularly homosexuality (due to the wording of the legal definition) is infact a legal human right to the pursuit of happiness, regardless of gender expression or biological/ physiology or marriage rights. POC have equal access to reproductive health care and autonomy, without coeersion or state sponsored interference (ie disproportionate encouraging of sterilization) Yes this was a problem up until the 60s, and in some states into the 70s. Stimulus were given to wed white mothers, while ethnic mothers were disproportionately encouraged to undergo sterilization in order to receive benefits like Healthcare, childcare, educational support, and food stability from the government. Or the one that ties it all together; you cannot use or express religious views as a means to exert authority over another person, in a state sponsored environment. Ie you can’t make little Johnny say a prayer with the coach, or fear getting kicked off the football team.
Our Supreme Court had a draft, called an “opinion” leaked, a few days ago showing that they are set to overturn abortion rights, next month. The thing about “opinion drafts” is that they are informally written; almost like reading a transcript of the whole conversation between the judges. The draft clearly shows not only religious bias, but that the judges are now just creating and stripping laws; based on simply how they personally feel concerning a law. You can imagine; basically the highest court in the land is making decisions off whatever the hell they personally think. On top of that; many of these judges were recommended by Trump during his stay, and these people share eugenic ideological views that are racist and misogynistic; going back to AIFR propaganda. Ie the standards ingrained so deeply in our country, through colonial mindsets that ‘only “fit” persons should procreate, and that this is how American ECONOMIC values thrive.’ Which of course is insane and affects every citizen, yet is how this is so prevalent in far right capitalistic values. Even our Democratic party is now right leaning. This is also why age of consent laws are so important and are now at risk, and their undoing disproproportionaly benefitting heterosexual men concerning women’s rights/marriage. Which hypocritically undermines Seperation of Church and State through far right Christian majority, family planning fundamentals.
It’s not a matter of if one personally or religiously supports making abortions illegal; it’s that it’s directly tied to religious doctrine, meaning they’re supporting it as falling under the scope of Constitutional rights, but its blatantly coming from personal religious views. This is a gross abuse of twisting the Constitution. The judges in the opinion draft are recorded as stating that the Constitution itself never addressed abortion, so one can’t create laws concerning supporting abortion. (Then in the same breath, duscussing taking steps to create restrictions, AGAINST this right, which is obvious hypocracy)That’s why the laws are settled laws! The Constitution was written in a completely different American society than modern day. The judges know this, but they are twisting the purposeful function of our Constitution and Bill of Rights, to learn and grow with the people, to suit their personal opinions. The majority of US citizens do not support what they are planning on doing; I think at last count it was almost 70% but they are moving forward anyways, which is an outright breech of the Judges’ function as servants in a democracy.
Its so intertwined with women’s rights; it’s not just abortion legalities that would almost instantly unravel. Upfront; women would no longer be able to aquire reproductive health care unless it favored pregnancy potential. This then affects even persons who could potentially have future pregnancies, who say want to have hysterectomies, or be on birth control. And further brings into play, if the State has the right to deem if it is medically necessary, which circles back to religious and personal views, and seperating Church and State. Yet our Healthcare system is privatized…..so again the hypocracy. Theres an abundance of conflict of interest as many of these law markers have stock in pharmaceutical and medical companies. Controlling women’s rights, particularly the institutions of marriage and pregnancy, creates revenues for them. This obviously affects restrictions on what does or does not constitute legal birth control. Which affects male bodied and intersex person’s autonomy; if they do or do not wish to retain the ability to become pregnant. It expressly affects what constitutes rape. Specifically between a married man and woman. Whatever they now declare IS a man or woman. People forget, it was legal in the states, up until a little over a generation ago; for a man to commit non consensual acts against his legal wife. This immediately not only affects female bodied citizens, but the laws tied to these settled laws, are also tied to laws that make homosexuality legal. Specifically addressing by legal term; the act of sodomy, same sex marriage, and even cohabitation. It by default impacts queer people in general, mostly intersex non binary and trans persons. If the court strips these settled laws; it throws us into legal regression immediately concerning what determines sex and gender.
So just being outside of a binary legal definition of sex or gender, technically would make it illegal to express yourself or even live in your own home as a person outside of that legal definition. Even teaching your children sex, gender, and body positivity, has already been stripped in several states since the beginning of the year. One woman on state level was already charged with murder, for obtaining an abortion, but fortunately on the federal level; it was over ruled. What is happening right now, means it would not have been over ruled and she would be sitting in prison on a felony. Several parents across the country have already had their children removed from their care, and are facing felony charges for seeking gender affirming medical care for their children. If these settled laws are over turned next month; their charges would be valid. They are currently in court and the State in at least one case; appears to be stalling, as if hoping to see these human rights regress, so they can move forward with the charges. Other cases have been dismissed; as the laws still currently protect the defendants.
Right now, people are focused on oh my god; they can’t just overturn abortion rights. They’re only just beginning to get a glimpse of everything else it over turns or places such tight restrictions on, it might aswell be over turned. These laws aswell are also connected to separation of church and state. It has already begun to strip transgender health care, our freedom of speech to use words that are indicative of sexuality and gender out side of a designated binary, within a state sponsored environment such as a government institution or a school. The human right to just exist as a trans (umbrella) person in such an environment. Infact last week a Republican Representative openly questioned on the floor, wether or not a fellow representative who is known to be transgender, even had the right to use the bathroom at all within the government building, because that is indirectly expression of gendered terminology. Ie it says male or female on the bathroom doors. They were alluding to questioning the technical legality of wether or not this person could exist as transgender within the building. Ie can transgender persons legally function as government officials. It’s overgeneralization is focused on the hot take of bathroom laws, which is blatant misogyny, affecting almost always feminine males and trans women; but it immediately affects so much more. Right now another case is in the court, concerning a football coach and his right to lead students in prayer, at school (ie state) sponsored games. The laws that are being returned and likely to be overturned, include wording allowing for coercion. Meaning an authority figure such as a teacher in a State sponsored school could soon have the legal right to require or at least coerce their students to participate in religious acts, and be subjected to their own religious personal views. This then affects views on gender, genderoles, sexuality, and marriage.
Recognizing how dangerous a turning point this is, is not an attack on religion. It’s not an attack on one’s personal beliefs. It’s that these laws are in place, or are “settled” through “test” to create inclusion and equality through seperating Church from State/capitalism from personal views against the acutal majority vote. The bias comes from people in positions of authority clearly using their collective religious or personal views (obviously monetarily driven through far right capitalism) to hypocritically NOT do their jobs. If the law was functioning correctly, these authorities would be evaluated as to wether or not they are even fit to perform their duties, due to what is now absolutely (per the leak) clear conflict of interest and abuse of power. Yet because they are judges in the Supreme Court; no one really has the power to stop them. Stripping women’s rights, then strips everyones human rights by default, and restricts/regresses LGBTQIA+ rights, and again by default unhinges the Seperation of Church and State. It would very quickly make marital rape potentially legal, gay panic defense indisputable, intersex existence LEGALLY unacknowledged, same sex or gender non conforming marriage up for debate based on a legal definition of gender, male homosexual sex illegal, forced pregnancy legal, denial of equal rights to reproductive health care, and all of that is a round about way of making cis women and AFABs second class citizens. It’s not even a wonder why these people are so concerned about transgender women being able to use public women’s restrooms but not transgender men, or keeping legal authority over female bodied persons being able to become pregnant.
This is 100% Given related. If you consume BL or enjoy stories like Given that are not tropes but realistically depict our narratives as men outside of the made up cis/het binary; *looking right at Haruki* you must remember the irl population it involves. Protecting women’s autonomy is all human rights, and violations of those rights, entirely impact the irl people these stories portray. What’s happening in the US is that our highest officials are knowingly PURPOSELY committing unconstitutional crimes against women and female bodied persons and everyone inbetween to push their views on family planning, to exalt their status as cis het men and control the economy for their own personal gain. It’s not even a woke thot after this leak. The biggest test of proof is property value and ownership rn in the US. They are absolutely trying to put us all back into the 50s and white/straight wash the Cival Rights movement. These men were highschool and college students in the 50s; they’re seeking to force the future they were promised by the racist and sexist government of their youths. Another point that hasn’t really hit most people yet; is that these settled laws being in place, are not only to protect against sexism and classism, but indirectly ALSO affect xenophobia, racism, red redlining, the right for all religious expression, discrimination and hate crimes. Soooo the guys in Given could irl be criminals, institutionalized and lobodimized, in the near American future these judges seek. Ristuka’s sister, Haruki’s sister would immediately be questioned for their association, as “fit women”. This is not at all far fetched. This is why abortion laws have been soooo precious to us all; they affect EVERYTHING if they come undone. It’s not actually about abortion; that’s just the main law they’re using to restrict all of the above, as LGBTQIA+ and marriage equality *for cis het women too* is directly tied together through seperation of Church and State, and Healthcare.
I’m an extremely genderfluid and usually more feminine presenting gay male. What the hell am I supposed to do? By this summer; I could quite possibly be told I can’t legally exist or marry or have a family. I should not get a privilege pass just because I can’t make a baby. That’s why my pov is women are the true authority and should be fought for by everyone, including gay men. Gay men should be the first to have their backs on this, and not for selfish reasons; but because their autonomy defines our rights as human beings, regardless of sexuality or gender.
IRL Ritsuka took a candid pic of IRL Haruki asleep on IRL Akihiko’s shoulder. Just the look on that man’s face! Just suspend reality for a second; Akihiko at the moment he opens his eyes, and realizes someone’s taking pics of him and Haruki…but then realizes it’s Ritsuka
Kawakami is suuuuch an Aries! But if you’ve ever seen the guy speak for more than 3mins, you know he has a soft, gentle charm about him, and charisma for days!
Sunaga is just a beaming, giggling ray of sunshine, poppin from one snarky prompt to the next; the boy knows how to sell you! While his not so subtle, almost cringeworthy but it’s too sincere, crushing over Miyauchi Iori has been a thing of wonder, throughout pre and post production; his IRL admiration and friendship with Kawakami has been a source of sheer joy for Given fans.
While Funaki and Miyauchi hammed it up pretty damn good, during production; Kawakami and Sunaga have continued to feed the gvntwt moe in really sweet spoonfuls. Often posting twinning pics or call and response banter. Stuff like this; just kinda in the know for the fans. Sunaga plugs the live production and its merch like a personal mission He’s all in! And I love that so much, as a Given fan, and as an Arts Science major. The IDEA of falling asleep on Akihiko’s shoulder, and it was Ritsuka who caught the pic. But idt it was staged, like usual. It’s just magic!
Also. Just read the thread back and forth between Shibuki and Sunaga ah hahahaha!! But what I love the most about their off stage comeraderie, is not the allusions to the characters they played, so much as just the comeraderie itself. Guys being accommodating and sweet to eachother, because that should be an aspiration damn it, and esspecially when they’re two very different and very dominant personalities. They still make space for one another.
The incredible voice of Mafuyu in Kizu Natsuki’s Given anime and films; including the vocalist and rhythm guitar for Centimillimental’s Given soundtrack but you already knew that !!
Given anime/film cast pictured below:
Yano Shogo (voice of Satou Mafuyu)
Uchida Yuma (voice of Uenoyama Ritsuka)
Nakazawa Masatomo
(voice of Nakayama Haruki)
Eguchi Takuya (voice of Kaji Akihiko)
Asanuma Shintaro (voice of Murata Ugetsu)
*note these are not the same seiyu, as in the ongoing Given audio dramas, but they are the best known outside of Japan’s audience*
Taito Ban threw him an on-air birthday bash
(Taito Ban/Yano Shogo/and I believe that’s an unrelated seiyu; Ichikawa Aoi, on the right??)
Taito Ban is none other than Shizusumi’s seiyu in the Given anime/film ->
A Given Birthday for Given’s best boy hosted by Given’s ultimate tsundere
Birthday boy who fell asleep on the bus….
Erbody say awww ❤ That’s some Mafuyu vibes!
Right now; Yano is performing in the live stage for iDOLMASTER Side M and voicing characters in the upcoming animes; VAZZROCK and Fanfare For Adolescence
