Sometimes, we all need solitude. It’s in these moments of being alone that we truly discover who we are. Yet, solitude can also reveal just how lonely we feel, making us long for someone to share those quiet moments with.

Finding that special someone is exactly what the new Japanese BL drama Sugar Dog Life sets out to explore. Adapted from Yoriko’s manga of the same name, the series follows university student Sakuraba Isumi (played by Tanaka Koki) and police officer Tawada Hideya (Amasawa Kyosuke). After a misunderstanding leads Tawada to mistake Isumi for a minor and nearly arrest him, their paths unexpectedly cross again at the convenience store where Isumi works. From there, a unique bond begins to form—centered around shared meals and a growing admiration, as Isumi discovers just how much feeding Tawada brings a sense of ease and comfort into his own life.

Japanese BLs have a way of making simple story plots feel emotionally complex, such as Sugar Dog Life’s using a single awkward encounter and food to expose both characters’ need to fill a void in their lives. The first two episodes do nothing more than introduce our leads before bringing them together over a plate of food and yet it also exposes a need that both men have managed to keep hidden.

By the end of the second episode, both men realize how much fuller life feels when shared with someone else. Even minor misunderstandings help them learn more about each other. I love it when a series can delve deeply into its characters without ever having to say a word. Expressions and gestures are enough to convey precisely what the show needs to convey.

Sugar Dog Life is food for the heart. Isumi and Amasawa’s quick acceptance of each other is enough to squeeze the loneliness out of its viewers’ hearts and replace it with warmth and companionship.

I’m a hundred percent ready to be fed.

For a heartfelt series where food and misunderstandings bring two men closer together, check out Sugar Dog Life.

Rating- 4 out of 5