Hi everyone! Scott and I are back for your weekly dose of BL diabetes. If you guys don’t know Scott yet then you should definitely follow Mechanical Anime. Because it’s a super fun blog and I honestly think you’ll like it. I know I do.
By the way, how is your weekend going, Scott?
People should also follow a certain blog by the name of I Drink and Watch Anime run by a very cool person named Irina. Slightly obscure blog, but definitely worth reading every single day :).
But this weekend has been pretty good. I’m now in that blog relaxation period because all the work for Mecha March has been completed which means I can just hang back a bit and enjoy a month of more relaxation before hitting that blogging grind hard again. Then again, I started a little anime tournament thing that people will hear more about on Tuesday, so what do I know about breaks?
This week I mentioned Sasaki and Miyano in my My Dress-Up Darling review and now I’m about to do the opposite. After watching My Dress-Up Darling, I mentioned that I really liked how the two main characters were still able to carry on and have normal interactions even after realizing they had feelings for each other.
I am not a big fan of characters suddenly not being able to get a single sentence out or freaking out every time they see the object of their affection, as soon as they realize they have a crush. It’s fine to be freaking out in your head a bit and overthinking things. That’s pretty normal. Most of us have probably had that feeling when we start to like someone and then all of a sudden it’s all we think about 24/7. But you should still be able to share a joke together or talk about your interests. It would be a pretty boring relationship if you couldn’t.
So just like Marin and Gojo, I’m happy to see that Sasaki and Miyano can still just hang out and chat about a show they saw on TV last night or how their exams are going. I think that really makes their relationship feel more natural. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah, I think I know exactly what you mean Irina. I’m going to add another anime to this list of anime we are talking about, Waiting in the Summer. That is a romance series where all characterization is thrown out the window for it to just be romance drama. They were good characters at the start, but suddenly they are just drama vehicles and not people anymore and it’s really frustrating when that happens because it was good at the start and now the show is what it is.
So I do like how Marin and Gojo along with how Sasaki and Miyano are treated like people and share loves and interests with each other. Casually seeing how characters do their craft and love doing it so much or just sharing interests in hobbies. It really does create some good chemistry between the couples to be while also just making them real people. Real people that fall in love with each other because of how their interests connect with their own. Some pretty normal and cool transitions with all of that going on.
Do not watch Waiting in the Summer – check!
I was really digging Miyano’s friends this week. I always liked that Tasuku is completely obsessed with his girlfriend in a super-serious and straight-faced way. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that exact characterization before and I find it both amusing and endearing. Ladies, get you a guy that annoys all his friends by constantly gushing about you. You know what, guys, also get you a guy like that. We can all use a cheerleader in our lives!
And Tashiro is pretty fun too. He’s decent in his comedic relief role, not that this show needs to have any levity added to it. But I like his random insane contributions. Like the idea of crowdsourcing your personal candy fund. For some reason, that concept just tickled me!
Then there’s the running mention of Miyano having a cute “feminine” face. And you see, the problem I have is that with this art style, all their faces look a lot alike to me. I mean, I don’t really see how Miyano’s features are any more feminine than any of the other guys, or even Sasaki for that matter of fact. It’s the sort of thing where you just have to roll with it but I always find it funny when a show does that. Is it just me?
I’m in full agreement with you one the side characters. They are just fun characters for Miyano to hang around and talk with to cause some chaos. I like how there is some connection with how Kuresawa and Osagawara’s girlfriends are interested in BL too. The main difference is that Kuresawa is supportive towards his girlfriend’s hobbies. He really does like her a lot and they must be a good couple. Support all good couples that make the entire pair happy. I love Tashiro’s little schemes too. That is such a thing that highschooler thing to do.
It’s not just you, the art style really does give them the all the same face. Same face syndrome is a thing in anime. I had a similar problem while watching love live recently when Honoka, the lead, supposedly gained weight. Or just how anime does the weight gain in general unless it’s over exaggerated. You honestly can’t tell at all that anime characters have gained a small amount of weight at all and its hard to just go with the character’s words and its hard to do that in a visual medium where every detail matters.
It took me a while to figure out how I felt about the third act this week. Which was really where all the substance of the episode was so really it would be my takeaway for the week. On the one hand, I actually do like how seriously Miyano is considering the situation. It’s something that’s bound to be very confusing for him, especially at his age. And the fact that the show didn’t just have him brush off any doubts and suddenly forget his misgivings is something I would consider good.
On the other hand, it does feel a bit like it’s grinding the story to a standstill. After all, at the end of the episode, we’re pretty much exactly where we were last week. It feels a little padded, you know?
Yeah. I didn’t mind it this time as much. Asking for more time to consider Sasaki’s feeling felt like something Miyano would do in that situation considering how he has been acting and thinking recently. Then again, it also was how he considered his feelings in last episode by himself so it’s just a reaffirmation of that. Padded does sound right even if its padding I don’t mind as much. I guess we wait until next episode to see if the waiting hangs around for longer or not.
While I was thinking about all this, for some reason, I was reminded of The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window. I’m not sure whether you watched that show Scott.
Unfortunately, I have not. I did see a lot of your reviews on it though.
So I was thinking to myself, why isn’t Sasaki and Miyano getting the same amount of attention? Is it because it’s a lot tamer and of course sweeter? I mean this show is sweeter than most, let’s be honest. And when I thought of that, I realized that for me, I prefer a little bit of drawn-out sentimentality to artifice and toxic relationships.
I like that Miyano is taking his time and giving both his feelings and decisions the importance they deserve. I like that Sasaki is being chill and not pressuring him in any way but still trying to win some brownie points here and there. If we’re going to get one BL show a season, I would rather have the one that leans into the fluffy romance and comfy vibes.
So I ended up deciding that I liked it.
But that was quite a trip to get there. And not one all the viewers will be able to take. How about your takeaway Scott?
I don’t know if its really unpopular, because I have seen other blogs cover this show and like it. More than I thought I would and I like that fact. So it is getting some attention even if it’s not as much as those larger shonen series that lots of people seem to be enjoying or My Dress-Up Darling. I guess its hard to fight against the obviously most popular shows this season.
But I also gree with you. If anything, people should always go for the more genuine sorts of series instead of the most cynical stuff. I feel like Sasaki and Miyano should earn a lot of respect because it knows what its about and never hides away from it. It really is a show that display how much touching another person incorrectly can ruin a relationship.
So with that, I can’t help but like it the show and just the last third of this episode as well. Man, this show is just some complete sugar in probably the best way possible I think.
It actually makes me really happy to hear that people are enjoying Sasaki and Miyano!
