Sugar Dog Life

Sugar Dog Life (Japanese: シュガードッグライフ, Hepburn: Shugā Doggu Raifu) is a Japanese manga series by Yoriko. It was serialized in the monthly boys' love manga magazine Gateau from January 30, 2019, to December 28, 2019. A live-action television drama adaptation was broadcast on TV Asahi from August 3, 2024, to September 29, 2024.

Sugar Dog Life
Cover of the Japanese version, released on February 14, 2020 (2020-02-14)
シュガードッグライフ (Shugā Doggu Raifu)
Genre	Cooking,[1] romance,[2] boys' love[2]
Manga
Written by	Yoriko
Published by	Ichijinsha
English publisher	NA: Manga Planet
Imprint	Gateau Comics
Magazine	Gateau
Demographic	Josei
Original run	January 30, 2019 (2019-01-30) – December 28, 2019 (2019-12-28)
Volumes	1
Television drama
Directed by	Ryūichi Honda [ja] Takahiro Ōuchi [ja] Kozue Sasaki
Written by	Motoko Takahashi [ja] Ayumi Shimo [ja] Shiori Ueno [ja] Fumino Kimoto
Music by	Erina Koyama [ja]
Original network	TV Asahi ABC
Original run	August 3, 2024 (2024-08-03) – September 29, 2024 (2024-09-29)
Episodes	9

Plot

While returning home from a drinking party late at night, university student Isumi Sakuraba is mistaken for a minor due to his short, youthful appearance by police officer Kyōsuke Amasawa and is almost taken into custody. When Amasawa shows up at Isumi's part-time job at the convenience store, Isumi answers his recommendations on food. Since then, Amasawa often shows up asking for more recommendations. Despite Isumi getting annoyed at Amasawa talking to him, he becomes concerned about his diet. One day, out of the blue, Isumi suggests going to Amasawa's home to cook for him. As the two grow closer to each other, Isumi finds himself falling in love with Amasawa, but Amasawa remains oblivious to his feelings. Eventually, Amasawa realizes he reciprocates Isumi's feelings, and the two become a couple.^[3]

Characters

Isumi Sakuraba (桜庭 唯純, Sakuraba Isumi)

Portrayed by: Kōki Tanaka [ja]^[4]

Isumi is a college student, but he is often mistaken for a minor due to his short stature and his appearance.^[4] He works part-time at a convenience store.^[3] He is part of his university's cooking club and has a tsundere personality.^[4] He is described as a slightly "cunning" and "mischievous" boy with a "pure-hearted" personality.^[3]

Kyōsuke Amasawa (天沢 恭丞, Amasawa Kyōsuke)

Portrayed by: Hideya Tawada^[4]

Amasawa is a police officer with an easy-going, naturally flirtatious personality.^[3][4] He works at the police box close to the convenience store where Isumi works.^[3]

Yōhei Nakagawa (中川 陽平, Nakagawa Yōhei)

Portrayed by: Souta Uemura [ja]^[5]

Yōhei is one of Isumi's friends at university who is also in the same cooking club.^[5] Yoriko stated that Yōhei and Shōji were important in the story so that they could show a different side to Isumi compared to when he is with Amasawa.^[3]

Rihito Shōji (東海林 璃仁, Shōji Rihito)

Portrayed by: Raiku [ja]^[5]

Shōji is one of Isumi's friends at university who is also in the same cooking club.^[5]

Media

Manga

Sugar Dog Life is written and illustrated by Yoriko. It is serialized in the monthly boys' love manga magazine Gateau from the February 2019 issue released on January 30, 2019,^[6] to the January 2020 issue released on December 28, 2019.^[7] The chapters were later released in one bound volume by Ichijinsha under the Gateau Comics imprint. In July 2023, during Anime Expo, Manga Planet announced that they would distribute the manga in English on their website.^[8]

In 2020, Yoriko stated through an interview with Chil Chil [ja] that she had wanted to draw an age gap romance, and that she made one of the characters a police officer because she had also wanted to draw a height difference.^[3] While drawing cacti in Sugar Dog Life, she ended up buying and raising one herself.^[3]

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	February 14, 2020 (2020-02-14)[9]	978-4758020909	July 1, 2023 (2023-07-01)[8]	—

Television drama

Hideya Tawada (pictured in 2018) portrayed Amasawa in the television drama.

A live-action television drama adaptation of Sugar Dog Life was announced on June 14, 2024.^[2][4][10] It was broadcast on TV Asahi on August 3, 2024, and ABC on August 4, 2024, for their late-night Sunday programming block Drama L [ja].^[4]

The series stars Super Dragon [ja] member Kōki Tanaka [ja] as Isumi and Hideya Tawada as Amasawa.^[4] The supporting cast includes Souta Uemura [ja] as Yōhei and Raiku [ja] as Shōji.^[5] Additional cast members include Toshiki Kashu as Keiichirō Sakuraba, Noa Kita [ja] as Nanao Toyoshima, and Liyuu as Shiorin, original characters created for the drama.^[11][12]

The television drama adaptation is directed by Ryūichi Honda [ja], Takahiro Ōuchi [ja], and Kozue Sasaki.^[10] Motoko Takahashi [ja], Ayumi Shimo [ja], Shiori Ueno [ja], and Fumino Kimoto are in charge of the script.^[10] The soundtrack is composed by Erina Koyama [ja].^[10] The opening theme song is "Sweets" by Super Dragon, and the ending theme is "Futari Yōbi" by YaYuYo.^[12]

Episodes

No.	Title [13]	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"The Food I Made Just For You" Transliteration: "Kimi no Tame ni Tsukuru Gohan" (Japanese: 君のために作るごはん)	Ryūichi Honda [ja]	Motoko Takahashi [ja]	August 3, 2024 (2024-08-03)
2	"Today, We'll Have a Meal for Two" Transliteration: "Kyō wa Futari Meshi" (Japanese: 今日は二人メシ)	Ryūichi Honda	Motoko Takahashi	August 12, 2024 (2024-08-12)
3	"A Rewarding Meal For the Two Who Worked Hard" Transliteration: "Ganbatta Futari no Gohōbi Gohan" (Japanese: 頑張った二人のごほうびごはん)	Ryūichi Honda	Shiori Ueno [ja]	August 19, 2024 (2024-08-19)
4	"I Want to Keep Your Deliciousness to Myself" Transliteration: "Kimi no Oishii o Hitorijime" (Japanese: 君のおいしいをひとりじめ)	Kozue Sasaki	Shiori Ueno	August 26, 2024 (2024-08-26)
5	"A Lunch Box That Produces Love" Transliteration: "Koi ga Minoru Obentǒ" (Japanese: 恋が実るお弁当)	Kozue Sasaki	Fumino Kimoto	September 1, 2024 (2024-09-01)
6	"Since My Breakfast is Good" Transliteration: "Ore no Asa Meshi, Umai Kara" (Japanese: 俺の朝メシ、うまいから)	Kozue Sasaki	Fumino Kimoto	September 8, 2024 (2024-09-08)
7	"A Sweet, Delicious Surprise" Transliteration: "Amakute Oishii Sapuraizu" (Japanese: 甘くておいしいサプライズ)	Takahiro Ōuchi [ja]	Ayumi Shimo [ja]	September 15, 2024 (2024-09-15)
8	"Your Rice Porridge is a Miracle Drug" Transliteration: "Kimi no Okayu wa Tokkōyaku" (Japanese: 君のおかゆは特効薬)	Takahiro Ōuchi	Ayumi Shimo	September 22, 2024 (2024-09-22)
9	"The Meal I'll Eat with You From Now On" Transliteration: "Kore Kara mo Kimi to Taberu Gohan" (Japanese: これからも君と食べるごはん)	Takahiro Ōuchi	Motoko Takahashi	September 29, 2024 (2024-09-29)

References

1. "漫画から出てきたような2人――田中洸希＆多和田任益「シュガードッグライフ」インタビュー" [As if the two of them had popped out of a manga: interview with Kōki Tanaka and Hideya Tawada from Sugar Dog Life]. TV Guide [ja] (in Japanese). July 27, 2024. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
2. "スパドラ田中洸希×多和田任益がBLドラマでW主演、大学生と警察官の癒し系ラブストーリー" [Kōki Tanaka from Super Dragon and Hideya Tawada co-star in BL drama Sugar Dog Life, a healing love story between a university student and a police officer]. Natalie (in Japanese). June 14, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
3. "依子先生インタビュー 誤補導から始まる恋♥ 高身長天然タラシ警官×やんちゃ系童顔大学生 コミックス『シュガードッグライフ』" [Interview with Yoriko: A love story that begins with from mistakenly being taken into custody! A tall, naturally flirtatious police officer with a mischievous, baby-faced college student in the comic Sugar Dog Life]. Chil Chil [ja] (in Japanese). February 12, 2020. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
4. "スパドラ田中洸希、多和田任益とBLドラマ 身長差&年の差&おうちごばん…『シュガードッグライフ』" [Kōki Tanaka from Super Dragon and Hideya Tawada co-star in BL drama Sugar Dog Life, a story about height difference, age difference, and homemade food...]. Oricon (in Japanese). June 14, 2024. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
5. "「シュガードッグライフ」に植村颯太と楽駆が出演、天沢と唯純の出会い収めた映像解禁" [Sugar Dog Life adds Souta Uemura and Raiku to the cast, footage of Amasawa and Isumi's meeting released]. Natalie (in Japanese). July 24, 2024. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
6. Ichijinsha's Gateau editorial department [@gateau_info] (January 30, 2019). "【単話配信】1月30日(水)配信解禁 『シュガードッグライフ 1話』著：依子 おまわりさん×大学生のあまあま年の差BL❤ 大学3年生の桜庭唯純は、飲み会帰りに警察官の天沢に補導されかかって以来、会うたびに馴れ馴れしく話しかけられるようになり――？" [(Single chapter distribution) Releasing on Wednesday, January 30: Sugar Dog Life chapter 1 by Yoriko. A sweet age gap BL story between a police officer and a university student! Since Isumi Sakuraba, a third-year university student, was almost taken into custody by police officer Amasawa on his way home a drinking party, Amasawa has been talking to him in a friendly manner whenever they meet?!] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved August 4, 2024 – via Twitter.
7. Ichijinsha's Gateau editorial department [@gateau_info] (December 28, 2019). "【単話配信】🐶12月28日(土)配信解禁🐶 『シュガードッグライフ 6話』著：依子 おまわりさん×大学生のあまあま年の差BL💕大学3年生の桜庭唯純は、飲み会帰りに警察官の天沢に補導されかかって以来、会うたびに馴れ馴れしく話しかけられるようになり――❓最終話🥳" [(Single chapter distribution) Releasing on Saturday, December 28: Sugar Dog Life chapter 6 by Yoriko. A sweet age gap BL story between a police officer and a university student! Since Isumi Sakuraba, a third-year university student, was almost taken into custody by police officer Amasawa on his way home a drinking party, Amasawa has been talking to him in a friendly manner whenever they meet?! Final episode!] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved August 4, 2024 – via Twitter.
8. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 1, 2023). "Manga Planet Adds Loveless, 7 More Titles". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
9. "【2月14日付】本日発売の単行本リスト" [(February 14) List of tankōbon released today]. Natalie (in Japanese). February 14, 2020. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
10. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 13, 2024). "Yoriko's Boys-Love Manga Sugar Dog Life Gets Live-Action Series on August 3". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
11. "「シュガードッグライフ」Liyuuがドラマ初出演、人気声優役 2分のティザー映像も" [Liyuu makes first drama appearance in Sugar Dog Life as popular voice actor, 2-minute teaser preview released]. Natalie (in Japanese). July 31, 2024. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
12. Cayanan, Joanna (July 31, 2024). "Live-Action Sugar Dog Life Series Reveals 3 New Cast Members, Ending Song". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 1, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
13. "シュガードッグライフ" [Sugar Dog Life]. TVer (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.

External links

• Official website of the TV drama (in Japanese)