Sasaki and Miyano: A Tiny Episode From Before He Realized His Feelings

These one-episode ova specials are the perfect thing to post during that little downtime between seasons. And I’m really enjoying watching them. I hope I can find more to fill out my posting schedule.

Sasaki and Miyano, also known as shoujo sparkles the anime, was a cute little bl show that I was lucky enough to review with Scott. It was a lot of fun. And although the show might not have been the best the genre has to offer, it was consistently kind and lighthearted which made it enjoyable.

So when I saw that an OVA had been released, I knew I wanted to watch it.

All in all Sasaki and Miyano: A Tiny Episode From Before He Realized His Feelings is pretty much just an episode of Sasaki and Miyano. It takes place somewhere in the last third of the series, after Sasaki has confessed but before Miyano realizes his feelings,  hence the title.

The OVA deals with three interweaving minor plots, as a lot of Sasaki and Miyano episodes do.

First, Hanzawa, the president of the student council is restless. Since he has entrance exams soon, he’s officially renounced his role but it seems more difficult to let go than one would imagine. So instead, he’s leading the whole council on little adventures, the main one being to find a lost keychain with sentimental value for a fellow student. It’s an airy plot line but there’s a bit more going on under the surface. 

Even though nothing is said out loud, you can feel that nervousness about starting a new chapter in your life and diving into the unknown. Hanzawa is a pretty confident fellow and a big fish in a small pound at his school. So all that is changing next year and there’s both excitement and fear bubbling under the frantic need for something to be happening. Maybe I’m reading too much into it but it was very familiar to me.

The second plot line is a brief moment between Sasaki and Kuresawa. Kuresawa has yet another great moment of being an open-minded guy and supportive friend. He even cuts through all the sugar by assuring Sasaki he isn’t just encouraging them (Sasai and Miyano that is) to have more to talk about with his BL-loving girlfriend. It was a short interlude really, but it was rather heartwarming. Kuresawa continues to be one of my favourite characters and I’m very glad he keeps getting chances to shine. It’s also nice to see that Sasaki is developing his own relationships with Miyano’s friends.

Finally, we got our first glimpse at Hirano and Kagiura (his roommate) together. It’s all tongue in cheek, actually scratch that, Kagiura made his feelings pretty obvious. Anyone would know exactly where he stands. Except for Hirano obviously. That’s how these things go!

Hirano and Kagiura have their own spinoff manga so this isn’t just a one-off moment for the fans. I have no clue where the anime is going and whether they have any plans on making more seasons. There certainly is a lot more source material. If they are, this may have been setting the groundwork for Hirano and Kagiura’s story.

All in all, if you liked the series, I’m sure you’ll like the OVA. Sasaki and Miyano: A Tiny Episode From Before He Realized His Feelings is pretty much exactly what the title says it is. It’s not an extraordinary episode, not the best the show has to offer, but it’s a nice little half-hour of anime with a bunch of nice dorks.

Suggested drink: Strawberry Mimosa 

• Every time there are cats – raise your glass
• Every time we see shoujo sparkles – take a small sip
• Every time the prez has way too much energy – stretch
• Every time Akira wants to stay with Hirano – awwww
• Every time they mention the Detective Squad – take a sip