Sasaki and Miyano
Sasaki and Miyano is a Japanese manga series by Shō Harusono, serialized online via pixiv Comic website since 2016. It has been collected in ten tankōbon volumes by Media Factory. A two-volume novel adaptation by Kotoko Hachijō was published by Media Factory from October 2018 to March 2020. A spin-off manga by Harusono titled Hirano and Kagiura has been serialized in Media Factory'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 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 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;Shūmei Sasaki
;Taiga Hirano
;Jirō Ogasawara
;Masato Hanzawa
;Tasuku Kuresawa
;Gonsaburō Tashiro
Media
Manga
The series is written and illustrated by Shō Harusono. It has been serialized online via pixiv Comic website since 2016. It has been collected in ten tankōbon volumes by Media Factory. The manga is licensed in North America by Yen Press. The spin-off manga Hirano and Kagiura is also licensed in North America by Yen Press.Anime
An anime adaptation was announced on November 20, 2020. The adaptation, later revealed to be a television series, is animated by Studio Deen and directed by Shinji Ishihira, with Yoshiko Nakamura handling series' composition, Maki Fujii designing the characters, and Kana Shibue composing the music. The series aired from January 10 to March 28, 2022, on Tokyo MX and other networks. The opening theme song is "Mabataki" by Miracle Chimpanzee, while the ending theme song is "Ichigo Sunset" by Yusuke Shirai and Soma Saito as their respective characters. Funimation streamed the series outside of Asia, which was later moved to Crunchyroll following Sony's acquisition of the company. Medialink licensed the series in Southeast Asia and South Asia; and is available for fans to catch on the Ani-One Asia YouTube channel, iQiyi, bilibili, etc. An anime OVA episode was released with the ninth volume of the manga on July 27, 2022.The series was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan across 4 volumes, each volume containing 3 episodes. In North America, Crunchyroll released the complete season on Blu-ray on January 3, 2023.
After the final episode, it was announced that the series would be receiving a new anime project. It was later revealed to be an anime film, titled Sasaki and Miyano: Graduation, with the main cast and staff returning from the anime series. It premiered in Japan on February 17, 2023, along with an anime short adaptation of the Hirano and Kagiura spin-off manga. Crunchyroll licensed the film, and screenings will be held at Sakura-Con and Anime Central before premiering online.
Reception
The manga won Pixiv Comic's 10th Anniversary Special Edition Web Manga Election in May 2023.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.