Koharu Sato and Sota Oshio are back for another Tuesday of awkward glances and sweet café moments. Episode 3 of The Cold Sato-san is Only Sweet to Me arrives on October 20, 2026, continuing the slow-burn romance between a girl everyone thinks is cold and the one classmate who knows she is anything but. The episode is titled “The End of Their Mutual Crush” , according to season trackers, hinting that the shy pair may finally face the feelings they have been dancing around. For viewers who need a refresher, here is a complete breakdown of where every character stands after episode 2, plus exactly when and where to watch the new episode around the world.
Episode 3 Release Date and Global Streaming Times
Episode 3 streams on Crunchyroll for audiences outside Japan on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. New episodes arrive weekly on the same day, with the season scheduled for 12 episodes running through December 22, 2026.
The exact release time is 6:30 a.m. Pacific Time, which translates to different hours depending on where you are watching. Here is the full breakdown:
- USA and Canada (Pacific Time): 6:30 a.m. PDT
- USA and Canada (Mountain Time): 7:30 a.m. MDT
- USA and Canada (Central Time): 8:30 a.m. CDT
- USA and Canada (Eastern Time): 9:30 a.m. EDT
- United Kingdom, Portugal, Ghana (GMT): 1:30 p.m.
- Central Europe, Spain, Italy, Poland, France, Germany (CEST): 3:30 p.m.
- India (IST): 7:00 p.m.
- Japan and South Korea (JST/KST): 10:30 p.m.
- Australia (AEST): 11:30 p.m.
Crunchyroll holds streaming rights for viewers worldwide excluding Japan, South Korea, China, Russia, and Belarus. Episodes are released with English subtitles on the same day as the Japanese broadcast, and the series is also receiving an English dub.
Where to Watch and What to Know
International viewers can stream the series on Crunchyroll, which offers Japanese audio with subtitles in several languages. The anime is also listed on Prime Video through its Crunchyroll subscription offering in supported regions. Availability and subscription requirements may vary by country.
In Japan, the anime airs on AT-X at 8:30 p.m. JST on Tuesdays, followed by Tokyo MX, BS-TBS, WOWOW, CBC, and MBS. Japanese streaming platforms d Anime Store and U-NEXT carry the series from 10:30 p.m. JST.
Episode 2 Recap: Koharu and Sota Take Small, Awkward Steps
Episode 2, titled “A Second First Love,” arrived on October 13, 2026, with Miku Ito voicing Koharu Sato and Hiiro Ishibashi playing Sota Oshio. The episode focused on the pair trying to spend time together without actually admitting their feelings.
Koharu Sato: Courage and Disappointment
Koharu is known at school as the beautiful but seemingly cold girl who rarely shows her emotions. In reality, she is simply awkward around people and struggles to make friends. Her crush on Sota gives her the courage to step outside her comfort zone. She invites Sota to a bubble tea shop so he can teach her how to take better photographs for Minstagram, the series’ fictional social media platform. For someone who finds ordinary conversations difficult, asking him to join her is already a big step.
Encouraged by their successful outing, Koharu later asks Sota to go out for sweets with her over the weekend. She wants to spend more time together. Sota turns down the invitation because he has responsibilities at his family’s café. His refusal leaves Koharu disappointed, particularly because asking him out took so much courage. She cannot help feeling uncertain about whether she has misread their relationship.
Koharu still decides to go to a roll ice cream shop on her own, refusing to abandon her plans simply because he cannot join her. That decision leads to the episode’s sweetest moment.
Sota Oshio: A Quiet Effort That Speaks Louder Than Words
Sota is more comfortable with photography because he handles social media for his family’s café. He patiently helps Koharu instead of making her feel embarrassed about her mistakes. Their shared interest in sweets gives them something to talk about, and the photography lesson gradually starts feeling like a date. Koharu gets to learn from someone she likes, while Sota enjoys being the person she turns to for help.
After turning down Koharu’s weekend invitation, Sota finds a way to make it up to her. His father and his muscular friends eventually help at the café, giving Sota some time away from his duties. That assistance allows him to make another attempt to spend time with Koharu.
Sota finds Koharu at the roll ice cream shop and places his jacket over her shoulders, turning an outing she expected to spend alone into an unexpected reunion. His gesture reassures her that his earlier refusal was about his responsibilities, not a lack of interest in her. The moment is meaningful because Sota does not need to make a grand declaration. He has made the effort to find her and spend time together after all.
Sota’s Father and the “Muscle Lord” Backstory
The episode takes a comedic detour into Sota’s family history, revealing the unusual story behind his father Seizaemon’s relationship with his late mother. His father’s college days involved a group of sweet-loving friends and an eccentric figure known as the Muscle Lord, whose influence turned the group towards bodybuilding. The ridiculous backstory explains how Sota’s father developed his obsession with muscles and pancakes. It also adds some welcome absurdity to an otherwise gentle romantic comedy.
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Rinka Sudo: The Concerned Cousin
Rinka Sudo, Koharu’s cousin in junior high school, cares about her very much. She is worried about Koharu and her relationship with Sota due to Koharu previously lacking romantic relationships. Rinka appears in the series as a supporting character who watches over Koharu’s awkward steps toward love.
What the Episode 3 Title Suggests
The title “The End of Their Mutual Crush” points directly at the core dynamic between Koharu and Sota. Episode 2 ended with the pair growing closer without either of them admitting their feelings. The bubble tea outing gave Koharu the confidence to approach him, while the roll ice cream reunion showed that Sota wants to spend time with her too. The title reflects their awkward romance: they are experiencing the excitement of falling in love while struggling with the uncertainty that comes with it. Koharu still has to overcome her social anxiety, and Sota needs to become more open about his feelings. For now, their small gestures are doing the talking.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for weekly episode breakdowns and streaming updates on The Cold Sato-san is Only Sweet to Me and more anime releases.
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