Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
As a non-Japanese viewer, the title Sugar Dog Life AKA Shugaa Doggu Raifu is a little lost on me, and I am assuming it could maybe (emphasis on ‘maybe’) be a euphemism for ‘Sugar Daddy Life’ because it’s a romance between a 30-year-old cop and a 20-year-old college student. But the cop is a friendly, neighborhood angel, always helping old ladies cross roads and cheering up people, like a therapy dog – not the ‘sexy daddy cop’ hero from steamy romance novels.
Based on the manga by Yoriko, the nine-episode Japanese romantic drama Sugar Dog Life (シュガードッグライフ) is directed by Honda Ryuichi and Ouchi Takahiro. The plot for ‘Sugar Dog Life’ follows Sakuraba Isumi (Tanaka Koki), a cute university student who loves to cook and is an active participant in a food club that he frequents with his best friends Nakagawa Yohei (Uemura Souta) and Shoji Rihito (Raiku). One day, he is almost taken into custody by a cop named Amasawa Kyosuke (Tawada Hideya), who mistakes Isumi for an underage kid while loitering late at night with a drink in hand. The two begin running into each other in the neighborhood, and Isumi starts making home-cooked meals for Amasawa, leading to an unexpected friendship between them.
‘Sugar Dog Life‘ is a cutesy, food-based romance, where most episodes feature an eager Isumi cooking meals for his new cop friend Amasawa because Amasawa usually buys frozen meals from the store where Isumi works part-time. So just like Kohei and Taichi bond over delicious plates in Hidamari ga Kikoeru AKA I Hear The Sunspot, another popular manga turned live-action series, Isumi and Amasawa also grow close while eating together. But Amasawa is completely clueless about Isumi’s growing romantic feelings for him, so there’s mild comedy over their “situationship.”
Despite all the delectable dishes viewers get to see throughout the nine episodes, the plot for ‘Sugar Dog Life‘ is very generic, so the chemistry between Tanaka Koki and Tawada Hideya barely stands out. They feel like bros hanging out, having a chat, sharing a meal, so their interactions aren’t exciting. Instead, the most fun bit in this series was Isumi’s overprotective friend Yohei fussing over Isumi. He is aptly referred to as Isumi’s ‘monster parent’ by their other BFF Rihito, who spends all his time on the phone.
Honestly, nothing really stands out in ‘Sugar Dog Life‘. It’s a light, cozy-looking show; the romance elements aren’t strong, and the characters are forgettable. At the same time, it’s the kind of show you can watch when you’re in the mood for a straightforward, regular, old-school-style romance about two clueless people falling in love with each other. I enjoyed the Japanese series Our Dining Table a lot more, which, like its title suggests, is centered on food.
Rating for Sugar Dog Life: 6 out of 10.
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