Neighbors Sudoku by clover!
(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
It’s a beautiful day in this Neighbors Sudoku. Please help these friendly pairs of digits meet up in their respective columns and rows.

or solve online (using SudokuPad)
Theme: Won’t You Be…
Author/Opus: This is the 171st puzzle from clover!, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.
Rules: Standard Sudoku rules (insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region). Outside clues indicate pairs of numbers which must appear immediately adjacent to each other (in either order) within that row or column. For instance, in the first column, 2 and 3 must be immediately adjacent.
GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 6:30; One party hat (🥳): 12:00. All other solvers earn an 🦕: adjacent Alaskacephale.
Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:32, with SudokuPad replay file shared as a download for now (requires loading via settings menu with improvements expected before people should use this regularly).
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for other less common variations of Sudoku.
Note 2: Comments on the blog are great! For a more interactive discussion, please also consider using our Daily GAS discussion post on the GMPuzzles Discord. Not a member of the Discord? Click this link for basic access.

I got this one in 5:12. I love the way the clues chase each other around the board in circles.
I feel like it is a shame when the gimmick of a puzzle resolves itself in the first half of the puzzle and leaves only regular sudoku. I’d much rather enjoy a puzzle that depends on the constraints the whole way through.