If you want a bl anime about a band, start with Given unless you are specifically in the mood for older, louder BL melodrama. Given uses music as emotional release, while Gravitation uses the band world to fuel ambition, comedy, and romantic chaos. The better first watch depends less on "which is famous" and more on whether you want quiet heartbreak or classic high-energy drama.
Which BL band anime should you watch first?
Given is the safer first pick for most modern viewers. It is shorter-feeling in its emotional focus, easier to connect with if you like grounded romance, and the music scenes carry real story weight rather than acting as decoration.
Gravitation is still worth starting with if you already enjoy early-2000s anime energy: big reactions, messy attraction, quick tonal shifts, and a romance that is more theatrical than gentle. It is not trying to be as restrained as Given, so judging it by the same standard can make it seem rougher than it is.
| If you want... | Watch first | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| A serious emotional watch | Given | The band, grief, romance, and performance scenes all build toward the same emotional payoff. |
| Classic BL chaos | Gravitation | The romance is louder, the comedy is broader, and the band career adds constant pressure. |
| A beginner-friendly choice | Given | Its pacing and character writing feel closer to modern romance drama. |
| A nostalgic genre pick | Gravitation | It shows an older BL style that many fans still remember fondly. |
Why Given stands out
Given stands out because the band is not a costume for the romance. The music is where hidden emotions finally become visible, especially for Mafuyu, whose grief cannot be neatly explained through normal conversation.
The series also knows when to stay quiet. Instead of filling every moment with confessions or dramatic confrontations, it lets small pauses, awkward concern, and unfinished sentences do some of the work. That restraint makes the major musical scenes feel like a release rather than a scheduled highlight.
Music carries the emotional story
In Given, music is the emotional language of the show. Rehearsals, lyrics, and live performances are not breaks from the story; they are the places where the story finally says what the characters cannot.
That matters most with Mafuyu. His singing is not impressive only because it sounds good within the anime's world. It changes how the other characters understand him, and it changes how he understands himself.
Grief shapes Mafuyu's growth
Mafuyu's grief is handled as something uneven, not as a single problem that disappears after one emotional scene. He can move forward, but the past still affects how he speaks, freezes, remembers, and reaches for connection.
That makes his growth feel believable. A weaker version of this story would turn romance into an instant cure; Given is more careful than that. Love and music help him express pain, but they do not erase what caused it.
Romance develops through the band
The romance works because the band gives the characters repeated, ordinary reasons to be near each other. Teaching guitar, practicing together, listening closely, and preparing for a performance all create intimacy without forcing a sudden confession every few episodes.
For viewers who dislike rushed romance, this is the practical reason Given lands so well. The relationship grows because the characters share effort first, then feelings become harder to ignore.
Performances deliver the biggest payoff
The performances in Given hit hard because the anime earns them. By the time a song matters, the viewer already understands the silence, guilt, longing, and creative tension behind it.
- Watch closely before the performance: the buildup is part of the payoff.
- Pay attention to Mafuyu's lyrics: they carry emotional information he cannot say plainly.
- Notice Ritsuka's reaction: the music changes his understanding of Mafuyu, not just the audience's.
Why Gravitation is still worth watching
Gravitation is worth watching for a different reason: it captures a classic BL mood that modern anime often avoids. It is louder, messier, funnier, and more impulsive than Given, and that can be either its charm or its biggest hurdle depending on your taste.
The smartest way to approach it is not as a modern slow-burn romance, but as a high-energy older BL story about a singer trying to survive love, insecurity, and career pressure at the same time. If you expect emotional realism, you may struggle; if you want genre chaos, it becomes much easier to enjoy.
Bad Luck drives the main story
Bad Luck gives Gravitation its forward motion. Shuichi is not only reacting to Yuki; he is also trying to become someone through music, and that ambition keeps the story from becoming only a relationship spiral.
This is the part to check first if you care about the "band" side of a BL music anime. If you want the group's career, performances, and public success to create pressure, Gravitation offers more of that classic entertainment-industry feeling than its reputation as pure romantic chaos might suggest.
Romance clashes with career ambition
Shuichi's feelings and his career goals rarely stay in separate lanes. When the romance becomes unstable, his confidence and focus as a performer can suffer; when his music life becomes stressful, the relationship feels even more volatile.
That clash is why Gravitation works best for viewers who enjoy messy stakes. It is not the best choice if you want calm communication or a healthy slow build, but it is a good fit if you like watching romance and ambition collide in dramatic ways.
Comedy balances the melodrama
The comedy is not a small extra in Gravitation; it is what keeps the melodrama from becoming too heavy. Shuichi's exaggerated reactions, sudden emotional swings, and chaotic timing give the show a pace that feels closer to a noisy backstage rush than a quiet romance drama.
Music keeps the plot moving
Even when the romance takes over emotionally, music gives Gravitation somewhere to go next. Performances, recording pressure, and Shuichi's desire to be recognized create practical goals that keep pulling him forward.
That is the main reason the series still belongs in this conversation. The band is not as emotionally integrated as it is in Given, but it does give the anime identity, speed, and stakes beyond "will these two work out?"
Which anime fits your taste?
Your best choice depends on what you want the band element to do. If you want music to unlock grief, trust, and quiet romance, choose Given. If you want music to add ambition, fame pressure, comedy, and romantic instability, choose Gravitation.
Given for realistic drama
Given is the better match if you like drama that comes from recognizable emotional pressure: not knowing how to speak, fearing what honesty will cost, and using creativity to process something painful.
It is also the safer recommendation for viewers who usually avoid exaggerated romance. The conflict is still emotional, but it rarely feels like the anime is shouting at you to care.
Gravitation for classic comedy
Choose Gravitation when you want comedy mixed directly into the angst. The humor is broad and very tied to its era, so it may feel dated if you prefer modern restraint, but it can be refreshing if you miss anime that commits fully to big expressions and sudden tonal flips.
Given for slow-burn romance
Given is the clear pick for slow-burn romance because attraction grows through repeated attention rather than instant certainty. The band gives the characters a believable reason to spend time together before the relationship becomes openly romantic.
- Good for patient viewers: the emotional payoff depends on buildup.
- Good for music-romance fans: the songs matter to the relationship.
- Not ideal for instant drama: the strongest moments take time to arrive.
Gravitation for chaotic romance
Gravitation is better when you want the romance to feel unstable, reactive, and theatrical. Shuichi and Yuki's dynamic is not calm or especially gentle, but the volatility is central to the show's old-school appeal.
If you are sensitive to dated relationship dynamics, go in with that expectation rather than treating it like a modern comfort romance. If you enjoy messy chemistry as entertainment, the chaos is exactly the point.
Conclusion
Given is the best first watch for most people because it makes the band, romance, grief, and performances feel inseparable. Gravitation is the better choice when you specifically want classic BL melodrama with comedy and career ambition pushing the story forward. If you only have time for one, let your mood decide: quiet emotional payoff means Given, while noisy romantic chaos means Gravitation.
