Sasaki and Miyano is the perfect anime for anyone looking for a short but delightfully sweet binge. A refreshingly wholesome BL series, it's a title fit for anyone looking for some light fare, whether they're deep into the BL genre or not.
Following the announcement of a new anime series being greenlit, there's no better time than now for fans to dive into Sasaki and Miyano in preparation for more to come.
The Plot of Sasaki and Miyano
Sasaki and Miyano follows the titular high schoolers as their friendship and burgeoning interest in BL manga steadily grow into a romance. Sasaki is a year Miyano's senior and seemingly a typical bad boy. He originally found himself smitten with Miyano after stepping in to stop a fight to keep Miyano, who he found adorable, from getting hurt. Curiously drawn to him and his passionate enthusiasm for BL manga, Sasaki slowly starts to realize the depth of his feelings for his friend.
Played off throughout the series to various degrees of comical effect, the series shows just how much these hidden feelings affect Sasaki as he grapples with understanding what it means to fall in love with a friend of the same gender. What's more, despite being a BL lover, it's a while before Miyano realizes just how much his favorite genre has quickly become his reality. This slice-of-life anime is lighthearted and humorous but filled with plenty of heartfelt moments of support between Sasaki, Miyano and their friends. Whether it be about their interest in BL or each other, the overarching themes and relationships in the series are consistently positive -- a welcome deviation from some of the genre's more problematic portrayals of romance and affection.
Where to Read the Sasaki and Miyano Manga and Light Novels
Sasaki and Miyano was created by Shou Harusono in 2016, and the manga was originally serialized online on Pixiv. The manga was later released in tankobon editions by Kadokawa and licensed for Western release by Yen Press, and it's currently still ongoing. Volumes are available for purchase at RightStufAnime for$10.39, Amazon for $11.70 and Barnes and Noble for $13. Digital editions are available at Barnes and Noble and Kindle and Comixology for $6.99.
The manga inspired a two-volume novel series by Kotoko Hachijo in 2018 and 2020, although there has yet to be any news on whether these will see an official English release. There is also a spinoff manga series titled Hirano and Kagiura, which is currently serialized in the shojo magazine Monthly Comic Gene. The spinoff has so far been collected in two tankobon, but again, there is no news yet on if it will be licensed for Western audiences.
Where to Watch the Sasaki and Miyano Anime
The anime debuted in Japan in January 2022, with Funimation simulcasting episodes with each release. An English dub began streaming on Funimation the following month. Currently, all 12 episodes of the anime are available to stream on Funimation. On July 27, 2022, with the release of the ninth manga volume in Japan, the manga will be bundled with a special OVA episode.
Although only a short watch, Sasaki and Miyano quickly amassed a dedicated fanbase thanks to its charming story, and it won't easily be forgotten. With the manga ongoing and spinoffs already in existence, it's not unlikely that fans will have more merch to add to their collection in time.
