Last year, the Florida U.S. Senate passed House Bill 1069, which gives public school boards the authority to evaluate and potentially remove “educational” reading materials related to gender and sexuality. On August 27, 2024, the Brevard County School District voted to add three new titles to its “banned books” list, including Volume 1 of Sho Harusono’s popular boys’ love manga, Sasaki and Miyano.
After a meeting with the Florida Book Review Board, which recommended keeping Sasaki and Miyano In school libraries, the Brevard County School Board voted 3-2 to remove the manga, as well as People kill people by Ellen Hopkins and Bridesmaid by Elana K. Arnold. In the proposed ban, members objected to the fact that Sasaki and Miyano depicts a relationship between two teenage boys. Jennifer Jenkins, a member of the Brevard County School Board, who voted against the ban, also stated on X (formerly Twitter) that their chair “couldn't understand why a Japanese translation was read from right to left,” showing the arguments presented by the hearing via their X (formerly Twitter) page.
BL Sasaki and Miyano Manga Banned from Florida School District Library
While instances of manga bans in the United States are becoming more common, past restrictions have typically been related to graphic depictions of violence or sex. Initially published in 2016, Sasaki and Miyano tells a story of blossoming romance between high school classmates Sasaki Shumei and Yoshikazu Miyano. While many BL titles contain sexual depictions, Sasaki and Miyano does not contain explicit material. However, one board member still raised objections, arguing that the material could potentially be “offensive” to students. “…Children are harmed by being exposed to graphic, obscene, and age-inappropriate content. These experiences can lead to struggles with pornography…sexual identity, shame, self-esteem, and maintaining healthy relationships,” they wrote. Specifically, BridesmaidThe removal of is based on similar motivations. However, that book contains graphic depictions of rape that have also caused the book to be banned or challenged in several other county school districts across the United States.
Furthermore, the same member of the council accuses Sasaki and Miyano of “encouraging” readers to embrace a certain sexual orientation through its depictions. “Sexual orientation should not be encouraged, suggested, or implanted in our youth,” they wrote. They also said that “the topic of homosexuality” should not be offered in school, arguing that sexual orientation is best expressed “in the safety of a teenager’s home.” Despite the board’s arguments, Jenkins has openly criticized the book bans on social media. “This is not a slippery slope. It’s an avalanche,” she warned.
Sailor Moon and Chainsaw Man Offered as Alternatives to Sasaki and Miyano's 'Offensive' and 'Obscene' Content
While Sasaki and Miyano is now officially banned, the council has cited several additional manga works as possible alternatives. This lineup includes Young Miss Holmes, To your eternity, The Phantom Thief Jeanne, The Seven Deadly Sins, Sailor Moon AND A silent voiceThe inclusion of Sailor Moon It's a bit surprising, considering that the original manga openly depicts a lesbian romance between Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. Additionally, the board also suggests Weekly Shonen Jumpthe iconic dark fantasy, The man with the chainsawwhich features numerous bloody battle sequences throughout its narrative. The English version is also published by VIZ Media, which usually offers physical manga in its original right-to-left format.
The original Sasaki and Miyano manga is available in English from Yen Press. Studio DEEN's 13-episode anime adaptation is available for streaming on Prime Video and Crunchyroll. The series' sequel film, Sasaki and Miyano: Graduationis available exclusively on Crunchyroll.
Source: X (ex Twitter)