Spoilers for Sasaki and Miyano up to episode 7 (but mostly episode 3)
It’s no secret that I’ve been thoroughly enjoying every wholesome drop of Sasaki and Miyano, the boys’ love series becoming a Sunday staple in my house. Now that the dub has begun airing alongside the sub, I’ve taken to watching the series twice, which lets me experience some pretty fantastic moments all over again.
The third episode is the gift that keeps on giving
The third episode of Sasaki and Miyano is a pretty important one. Miyano gets to see Sasaki tell a classmate that reading boys’ love is not only perfectly fine, but the stories couldn’t work unless if it were two guys together. This statement, quite frankly, rocks Miyano’s world, as he typically hides the reading material while Sasaki truly has no issue openly enjoying it and flat out saying that two boys being together is fine.
It validates what Miyano likes without there needing to be some overly complicated explanation. It also validates the fact that, well, sometimes boys like boys and … that’s it.
Another major moment in the episode is when Sasaki quietly confesses to a sleeping Miyano that he likes him. Admittedly, I thought this would take longer to get to, but it turns out the anime isn’t really about these boys grappling with the fact that they like another boy. There aren’t a lot of “gasp, I can’t like a boy” moments and, instead, it’s more about figuring out what the heck it even means to like someone.
The dub is a couple of episodes behind, so I already know what happens after the confession, but hearing Kellen Goff (Sasaki) and Joshua Waters (Miyano) act out these scenes has made me fall in love with the series even more – if such a thing is even possible.
Especially the scene where Miyano gives Sasaki a gift for White Day, which is my absolute favorite scene from the dub (for now). Not only is it precious, but it really does capture what it feels like to have a crush on someone, it just so happens that Sasaki’s crush is another guy.
Miyano’s gift
Since Sasaki gave Miyano a gift for Valentine’s Day, Miyano decides that it’s only right that he gives Sasaki something for White day, completely oblivious to the fact that Sasaki’s been crushing on him since this entire series started.
Miyano’s oblivious to a lot of things, really, like Sasaki’s internal crisis about the fact that Miyano got candy from his classmates on Valentine’s Day, or that time Miyano got him a band-aid after he got hurt. It’s all been a good way to illustrate the back and forth that goes on in your head when you’re falling for someone, and you can’t quite make sense of everything you’re feeling.
Everything they do feels significant, no matter how small it is. That being said, getting an actual gift on a holiday is grounds for having a total meltdown.
Sasaki’s entirely relatable response
What I absolutely love about Goff’s performance here is that he legitimately just … ceases to function. Sasaki lets out an “oh my god my crush noticed me” sound that I think anyone who’s ever had a crush on someone could relate to.
And Miyano just does NOT understand why this is a big deal, which Waters portrays beautifully. “You good?” he asks when Sasaki mentally deflates like a balloon running out of air. After letting out a shaky thank you, Sasaki asks if Miyano gave gifts to anyone else.
When he finds out he hasn’t, and that the gift is just for him, all he can do is stammer out his words and flee the scene. Granted, he says it’s because he’s going to get Miyano some kind of snack in return, but in reality, it’s to whimper in front of his classroom door and fall to his knees about his crush getting him a present.
I’ve watched this moment on repeat throughout this entire week because it’s such a sweet scene to play on a loop when you need something to brighten your day. I absolutely love that we’re getting this kind of emotion in a rom-com anime that focuses on two boys. These feelings are universal, and the dub really captures every single emotion you feel when your crush not only notices you, but unintentionally does things that make it hard to breathe.
(Insert image of me getting a gift from the girl I liked in college who didn’t realize I liked her, leading to my bisexual awakening and, eventual, marriage to said girl)
10/10 would recommend dedicating a couple of minutes to watching this moment, even if you’ve already seen it, it’ll definitely put a smile on your face. And if, by chance, you haven’t seen any of Sasaki and Miyano yet, you can check it out over on Funimation.
(Image: Shō Harusono/Studio DEEN/Funimation)
