Lyson
This review may contain spoilers
Fluff Done Right
As someone who has dropped/passed over many JBLs, this year, 2024, I resolved to try them and stick them out. I have been only mildly successful, but there have been a few good ones. Sugar Dog Life is one of them! And in fact, I enjoyed it over all and completely enough that I even added it to my recommended BL list. First JBL ever on there. I still wasn't able to give it a 10 because it really is very basic, there's no depth, but it's a satisfying watch from start to finish!
On to:
THE GOOD:
- Nice casting and acting, everyone looked good and played their roles smoothly, while not being over makeup'd or acting like anime characters, and the shows LUT choice was bright with just the right amount of saturation to make things pop without being too hard on the eyes.
- A nice, smooth portrayal of an older and younger guy getting together.
- Great pacing for a friendship to attraction development.
- The food they ate actually looked edible, all of it.
There wasn't any BAD or UGLY in this, but perhaps-
THE MISSES:
- It did include one silly thing, which was the 'running to each other' trope, common in JBLs, which is always so stupid, but this one was at least short and pointed, as it was they didn't live far from one another and were always walking around to everywhere, so it wasn't overdramatic like in other JBLs where I can't help thinking 'just, take a cab bro'. So it didn't annoy me.
- If it were a deeper show, we might have seen more of Amasawa's narrative on realizing he'd been developing an attraction to Isumi, since it only seemed to hit him after Isumi confessed and then he put the pieces together of his own interest. I am a sucker for a psychological angle on character motivations though, so I would have enjoyed that, but it's not something the show needed per se.
- An episode 10 could have fleshed out their couple moments a bit more, but JBLs have often either gone full fluff or full tilt with the physical stuff, they've hardly really managed a great balance aside from a few exceptions, so I wasn't surprised to just get a few sweet kisses. No expectation, no disappointment.
THE HIGHLIGHTS:
- Amasawa-san telling Isumi to call him Kyosuke! At the end-end, after the short couple montage, when Amasawa said that, I grinned and mentally fist pumped :D I have always disliked the lack of use of names between established in couples in Thai, SK and Japan BLs, so when he said that it soothed a LONG standing irritation I usually feel for that kind of thing.
- Isumi as a character was very likeable. 'Bottom' characters are a miss more than a hit for me usually, but like Taichi from I Hear The Sunspot, Isumi in Sugar Dog Life was just so damn likeable.
Since I enjoyed every episode and have no complaints about anything and it's a VERY pleasant watch, it's 9.5 from me.
This BL doesn't ask for much because it's simple and sweet, it flows well and the MLs acted well. It will suit those who particularly like the 'everything is beautiful and nothing hurts' type of show.
Would recc it.
On to:
THE GOOD:
- Nice casting and acting, everyone looked good and played their roles smoothly, while not being over makeup'd or acting like anime characters, and the shows LUT choice was bright with just the right amount of saturation to make things pop without being too hard on the eyes.
- A nice, smooth portrayal of an older and younger guy getting together.
- Great pacing for a friendship to attraction development.
- The food they ate actually looked edible, all of it.
There wasn't any BAD or UGLY in this, but perhaps-
THE MISSES:
- It did include one silly thing, which was the 'running to each other' trope, common in JBLs, which is always so stupid, but this one was at least short and pointed, as it was they didn't live far from one another and were always walking around to everywhere, so it wasn't overdramatic like in other JBLs where I can't help thinking 'just, take a cab bro'. So it didn't annoy me.
- If it were a deeper show, we might have seen more of Amasawa's narrative on realizing he'd been developing an attraction to Isumi, since it only seemed to hit him after Isumi confessed and then he put the pieces together of his own interest. I am a sucker for a psychological angle on character motivations though, so I would have enjoyed that, but it's not something the show needed per se.
- An episode 10 could have fleshed out their couple moments a bit more, but JBLs have often either gone full fluff or full tilt with the physical stuff, they've hardly really managed a great balance aside from a few exceptions, so I wasn't surprised to just get a few sweet kisses. No expectation, no disappointment.
THE HIGHLIGHTS:
- Amasawa-san telling Isumi to call him Kyosuke! At the end-end, after the short couple montage, when Amasawa said that, I grinned and mentally fist pumped :D I have always disliked the lack of use of names between established in couples in Thai, SK and Japan BLs, so when he said that it soothed a LONG standing irritation I usually feel for that kind of thing.
- Isumi as a character was very likeable. 'Bottom' characters are a miss more than a hit for me usually, but like Taichi from I Hear The Sunspot, Isumi in Sugar Dog Life was just so damn likeable.
Since I enjoyed every episode and have no complaints about anything and it's a VERY pleasant watch, it's 9.5 from me.
This BL doesn't ask for much because it's simple and sweet, it flows well and the MLs acted well. It will suit those who particularly like the 'everything is beautiful and nothing hurts' type of show.
Would recc it.
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