Sasaki and Miyano

Episode 12

Honestly, y'all are lucky to be getting an actual review here. A sizable portion of my brain was tempted to forego writing anything coherent and just post confetti gifs and this video before calling it a day. But editorial probably wouldn't be cool with that, so now I'm left to figure out how to package this bundle of squees and d'awws into something resembling a formal review.

Because really, this entire episode is a singleminded lead-up to the confession scene we've been waiting weeks to see. Like sure, there are some nice moments in the build-up. It's nice to get Hanzawa giving a concerned warning about the possible microaggressions that come with being a gay couple in a heteronormative society, and it's funny watching Hirano playing intermediary because these two idiots still haven't exchanged cell phone numbers. There's an especially nice moment showing Sasaki's internalized his lesson about boundaries from the previous arc, and he gives a direct apology about it later. Considering this particular moment was a misunderstanding I was worried the show would brush it off with Miyano insisting it wasn't a big deal, but they offer a lot more nuance to it, and emphasize that the key is for both our boys to honestly, earnestly communicate with one another.

And boy do they communicate once Miyano catches up with Sasaki. Like several unbroken minutes of him gushing out every feeling he's ever had about the guy, finally saying all the things left frustratingly unsaid across the show. It's a seriously charming moment that's only eclipsed by the ridiculously tender kiss scene that follows. It's already rare for romance anime to actually get to the kissing portion of their central relationship, but even when they do it's almost never with this level of intimacy in its staging and character animation. Just the way they animate the characters' fingers overlapping, interlocking, and separating communicates so much of their emotions without a word.

And that's basically all she wrote for SasaMiya. After three months of slow burn build up we climax (no, not like that) with a beautiful kiss, a little bit of humor as falling action, and then wave goodbye with the promise of some new anime project in the future. It's about as fitting a conclusion as you can ask for from this kind of show, but it's also not a ton to analyze. It's just really, really nice to see these two finally get together and share such a wonderful moment.

That's also more or less where I stand with SasaMiya. It's infectiously cute, mellow, and altogether pleasant. It's brought to life through some impeccable direction and a laser-focus on delivering low-stakes humor and romance. If you're looking for something to watch that goes down like warm porridge, this about as close to that ideal as you can get. And as a side-note, if you're in the mood for more and are up for a girls-centric story, maybe check out the Kase-san and... Cherry Blossoms OVA. So long as you've got patience, you're sure to be rewarded by both.

Rating:

Sasaki and Miyano is currently streaming on Funimation.