Sasaki and Miyano

By Shō Harusono

TW: None

Rating: PG, maybe PG-13?

Length: This is ongoing so I will be posting regular updates (this is a to-date post)

Swoon Factor: High

Star rating: 4.3/5

This is pure, wholesome magic! This is a cute story of two high schoolers who fall in love through their exploration of BL. I am very much a fan of people falling over reading (how I met the love of my life). The way that Senpai Harusono can accurately portray how nerve-wracking a first crush is, especially when having to question one's sexuality.

I highly recommend this manga (and the animators REALLY did their thing with the anime) for a cute, feel-good story. I rarely read about high schoolers with BL mainly because the smutty stuff with high schoolers makes me uncomfortable (though probably really validating and helpful for younger readers), but this is this story captured my heart (and isn't smutty at all to date). There are so many important moments from self-discovery and transitioning into a space that requires acceptance and love from multiple aspects of life. Some of my favorite moments are in this series, not to mention there is a cute spin-off (more on that later).

Lastly, this one will always have a special place in my heart because I love Miyano so much - mainly because I'd love to chat all things BL with him. As a self-proclaimed Fundonshi, Miyano taught me a lot of the foundations of BL vocabulary and tropes. I learned so much and was able to make sense of what I was reading while reading the manga and watching the anime.

If you want to know why I didn't give this a 5/5 hop over the image for my full review/rant below (spoilers included!).

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Full thoughts (SPOILERS AHEAD)

I am going to do my BEST to keep this brief but Rome was not built in a day.

ALRIGHTY - honestly, this manga (and EVEN THE ANIME - animators were in THEIR BAG) is stellar. It's almost perfect. ALMOST. The only reason this didn't get a 5/5 is that I started to lose my patience with Miyano. So let's get into it, shall we?

MIYANO (THE ??? - but like does give off major uke energy, though is a proclaimed seme)

Miyano is a certified Fudanshi and BL is his life. Honestly, he totally serves as a reason behind why I started this blog. I learned so much about this genre just from reading/watching this story. I love that Harusono-sensei (goodness, I hope I am ordering this right) gave us a male character who is into BL not because of some acknowledged hidden desire, but because (much like myself) he fell into it. This helps to negate the idea that boys can't read BL without being into boys, something Miyano himself grapples with throughout the series. Still, it could be argued that having the example of romance between men (especially as being compelling and full of depth) allowed Miyano to openly explore his feelings later on for Sasaki.

Look Miyano is a sweetheart, but he is also an example of why it is so annoying that women are often excluded from BL plotlines (post coming about that later). Sure, he goes to an all-boys school, so in this case, FINE, BUT Miyano severely needed some guidance that his surrounding fellas could not give him (Hirano really may have come through for him, but is in NO position to provide love advance, more on that later), nor did he really seek that kind of advice. What he really needed was some girlfriend talk. Why? Because Sasaki waited WAY TOO LONG for that answer. Sure Miyano had lots to work through, but once we got there, it was still months before saying anything. Never have I ever wanted to add someone to my girlfriend group chat so bad (in this case we'd be his Aunties lol). We would have told him that Christmas (aka more like a Valentine's Day) was not auspicious and that in fact that was the time to confess. But also...

SASAKI (THE ???)

Ahhhh Sasaki. Besides a slight possessive streak (that he's able to keep in check), he's a dream. Please, let my children find a Sasaki in the future. What a sweetheart who had the gall to bare it all to Miyano despite all of the taboos surrounding a boy confessing love for another boy. He is patient and kind, and I'll be honest, size aside, gives off major seme energy. I could go on and on about how awesome he is (flirt game on 10)!

Instead, he too is someone I'd love to invite to what I am now calling (given the age gap) the Auntie group chat (frustration so high let it be the same chat as Miyano). In that chat, we would have said, "it has been like four months..."!!! That is all.

HIGHLIGHTED THEMES

I appreciated that Harusono-sensei showed us the impact of Sasaki and Miyano's budding relationship through the lens of other characters. Not because their opinion overwhelmingly matters, but because it highlighted the different situations many couples like these two may face (albeit the Disney version).

The Chairman: Through the chairman, Masato Hanzawa, we see apprehension and hesitation of acceptance humanized. Hanzawa's two brothers are gay, and his dilemma of acceptance comes from a place of fear and wanting to protect his brothers from prejudice. This is the light version (wholesome people!) - as I do believe that SOMETIMES rejection comes from a place of fear or need to protect a loved one from hardship. Sometimes.

The Sister: Sasaki's sister initially freaks out when she learns that her brother is dating Miyano, and then feels ashamed for doing so. There is a precious moment when talking to Miyano about how he is just another person who loves Sasaki and wants to take care of him. All this is sorted in like two hours, so yes, very Disney and cute.

Miyano's Mom: "I know how awesome it is to like someone because I like your dad." MOM OF THE YEAR, that is all.

The Upper-classmen: Jirō Ogasawara is one of my favorite characters (doesn't hurt that in the dubbed version of the anime he's voiced by Jonah Scott - OnePiece and Given fans rejoice). He is a sincere goof who says all of the wrong things - but means well. He's also not afraid to be educated or set right and grows from those moments. I pretty much just want his girlfriend and Miyano to hang out on a podcast and review their favorite titles (I'm open to doing one with the right partner hint hint). She's a Fujoshi and he serves to keep asking the question "Why BL" to which he's always answered.

The Friends: Miyano's best buds Tasuku Kuresawa and Gonsaburō Tashiro represent the friends who just don't care as long as you're happy. Both are incredibly accepting with Kuresawa exhibiting complete comfort in himself by cross-dressing to please his girlfriend. If they were better at "girl-talk" they'd win friends of the year.

The Wrap-up:

Overall, this is a sweet and wholesome manga. Given that, it really only lightly touches on some of the challenges and themes same-sex couples face. No one is bullied, no one is kicked out of the house, etc. While it is nice to read just a cute tale without tragedy, it most definitely does not represent the reality of coming out as a young man in Japan (or elsewhere), but shows more of an ideal. I'm not at all discounting that cute and wholesome stories sans tragedy aren't needed or valid, it is just the fact that the main demographic for this story is female and it takes place in a society that still won't recognize same-sex marriage that makes it feel flat.