Sasaki and Miyano

Sasaki and Miyano (佐々木と宮野) is a Japanese manga series by Shō Harusono, serialized online via pixiv Comic website since 2016. It has been collected in eleven tankōbon volumes by Yen Press. A three-volume novel adaptation by Kotoko Hachijō was published by Yen Press from October 2018 to January 2022. A spin-off manga by Harusono titled Hirano and Kagiura (平野と鍵浦) has been serialized in Yen Press's shōjo manga magazine Monthly Comic Gene since March 2019 and has been collected in six tankōbon volumes. Sasaki and Miyano follows the story of two male high school students as their friendship gradually becomes romantic.

It centers on Miyano Yoshikazu, a timid high school student who secretly enjoys reading boys' love (BL) manga. One day, he crosses paths with an older student, Sasaki Shumei, after a brief incident at school. Curious and intrigued by Miyano's interests, Sasaki begins borrowing BL manga from him, leading to frequent conversations and a growing friendship. As they spend more time together, Sasaki develops romantic feelings for Miyano, while Miyano begins to question his own emotions and understandings of love. The story unfolds as a gentle, character-driven exploration of self-discovery, friendship, and the slow realization of mutual affection between the two boys.

An anime television series adaptation by Studio Deen aired from January to March 2022. An anime film, Sasaki and Miyano: Graduation, premiered in Japan in February 2023.

Plot

Sasaki and Miyano is a slow-burn romance that centers on the evolving relationship between two high school boys, Miyano Yoshikazu and Sasaki Shumei.

Miyano Yoshikazu is a first-year student at an all-boys high school who spends most of his time reading boys' love (BL) manga. He is self-conscious about his feminine-looking face and keeps his interest in BL a secret from most of his classmates. One day, he witnesses an upperclassman intervening in a schoolyard scuffle. That student is Sasaki Shumei, a second-year known for his laid-back, somewhat rebellious attitude.

After their chance meeting, Sasaki becomes curious about Miyano and strikes up casual conversations with him. When Miyano shyly reveals his hobby of reading BL manga, Sasaki expresses genuine interest and asks to borrow some titles. Their shared conversations over manga become a regular occurrence, gradually deepening their friendship. While Miyano is initially surprised by Sasaki's openness and charm, he begins to feel comfortable around him, even as he remains unaware of Sasaki's growing romantic feelings.

As Sasaki spends more time with Miyano, he starts to fall in love with him, though he initially chooses to keep his feelings to himself out of respect for their friendship. Meanwhile, Miyano begins to question his own emotions and identity, unsure whether his admiration for Sasaki is purely platonic or something more. The story follows Miyano's internal journey as he explores his feelings, influenced both by his experiences with BL fiction and his real-life connection with Sasaki.

The narrative unfolds through everyday school life, conversations between friends, and moments of quiet emotional introspection. While their romance develops slowly, the story places strong emphasis on mutual respect, communication, and consent. Supporting characters, including their classmates and friends, provide additional perspectives on relationships and help flesh out the school's social environment.

Characters

• Yoshikazu Miyano (宮野由美)
• A short, bishōnen first-year student. Despite being attracted to girls, he is a self-identified fudanshi, a male fan of yaoi manga, and is watchful for tropes of the genre when they appear in his real life. He hides his hobby from most people out of embarrassment, though he happily shares it with Sasaki. In middle school he often felt self-conscious about his androgynous appearance, an insecurity he gradually grows out of after reaching high school. Sasaki affectionately addresses him as "Miya-chan" (宮ちゃん), or simply "Miya" in the anime's English dub.
• Shūmei Sasaki (佐々木秀鳴)
• A tall second-year boy who befriends Miyano at the start of the story. Though he is generally friendly and open to others, his appearance and demeanor have earned him a reputation as a delinquent. He is more expressive than Miyano in his emotions and is the first to recognize his attraction towards him. He eventually becomes Miyano's boyfriend.
• Taiga Hirano (平野大河)
• A classmate of Sasaki and mutual friend of both him and Miyano. Being a year older than Miyano, he shows a strong protective instinct towards him.
• Jirō Ogasawara (小笠原次郎)
• Masato Hanzawa (半澤雅人)
• (Japanese); Brendan Blaber (English)
• Tasuku Kuresawa (暮沢丞)
• Gonsaburō Tashiro (田代権三郎)

Media

Reception

The manga won Pixiv Comic's 10th Anniversary Special Edition Web Manga Election in May 2023.[71]

On August 27, 2024, Sasaki and Miyano was banned in schools under the district Brevard Public Schools in Florida due to depicting a romantic relationship between boys, as well as the book being read from right-to-left.[72]

External links

• Anime official website