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 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 (平野と鍵浦) has been serialized in Media Factory's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Comic Gene since March 2019 and has been collected in two tankōbon volumes. Sasaki and Miyano follows the story of two male high school students as their friendship gradually becomes romantic.

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.

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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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)

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" (Blink) by Miracle Chimpanzee, while the ending theme song is "Ichigo Sunset" (Strawberry Sunset) by Yusuke Shirai and Soma Saito as their respective characters. Funimation licensed 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.