Happy Sugar Life reviewed
Happy Sugar Life (ハッピーシュガーライフ) is a Japanese manga and anime series written and illustrated by Tomiyaki Kagisora, the author of classics such as Renai Jikai Ningyou Koisuru Sartain and Tari Tari. The series initially ran from 2015 to 2019, being serialized in the shōnen manga magazine Gangan Joker.
The series spans eleven volumes following the story of Satō Matsuzaka, a high school girl with a mysterious girlfriend and roommate, Shio Kōbe. Their seemingly idyllic relationship is, however, built on sinister foundations, as both girls agree that they would go to utmost lengths to protect the bond they share — even so far as to kill.
Who is the author of Happy Sugar Life?
The mind behind the psychological horror that is Happy Sugar Life is Tomiyaki Kagisora (鍵空とみやき), an accomplished manga illustrator and writer. However, despite all the fame, not much is known about Kagisora. Most of what we know regarding their biography (for example, their birthday, which is on March 3) comes from morsels of information that can be gathered on their Twitter (@tomiyaki_k) and official website.
Genre of Happy Sugar Life
Happy Sugar Life is usually classified as belonging to the psychological horror and psychological thriller genres, but there are also yuri (i.e., girl-on-girl love) elements to be found.
The horror and thriller elements are obvious in that the main focus is on the emotional states of dread and suspense the characters are experiencing whenever some kind of uncertainty presents itself, threatening to destroy the balance they’ve kept.
The yuri elements are mostly seen in the relationship between Satō and Shio. Upon meeting Shio for the first time, Satō is immediately convinced she’s found true love, someone with whom she can share a happy sugar life, and their relationship blossoms from there.
Plot of Happy Sugar Life
Satou Matsuzaka is a high school girl with extreme yandere tendencies. When she meets Shio Koube, a little girl she falls for, she yields to her violent tendencies and does all it takes to stay with Shio and maintain their sugar life.
Shio’s backstory is tragic itself. She grew up with an older brother, Asahi Kōbe, in a family threatened by an abusive father. Their mother, Yuno, helped them run away, staying behind herself to ensure their father would not find them.
When Satou first meets Shio, she is about to be strangled, and Satou’s first instinct is to kill the perp. Having saved her life, Satou invites Shio to live with her, a proposal she gladly accepts. One night, she leaves the apartment and runs into a girl named Taiyou Mitsuboshi, a meeting that results in hallucinations and paranoia, which lead Satou to lock Shio in their apartment.
As their relationship becomes increasingly more bizarre, bodies keep piling up, and Satou becomes ever more suspect of shady doings as a police officer starts getting dangerously close to uncovering her secret.
Eventually, Satou’s sugary life turns into a life of obsession, blackmail, jealousy, and secrecy, and her grip on reality starts to weaken, and everything she tried so hard to keep close starts falling out of her hands.
TV Series
In 2018, Happy Sugar Life got an anime adaptation. The show was directed by Keizō Kusakawa and Nouyoshi Nagayama and animated by studio Ezo’la, with Shōko Yasuda being responsible for the character design.
The show started airing on July 14 and ended on September 28, and all twelve episodes are available exclusively on Amazon Video.
The opening theme, One Room Sugar Life, performed by Akari Nanawo, and the ending theme, Sweet Hurt, performed by ReoNa, have already become classics.
Kana Hanazawa voices Satō, Misaki Kuno voices Shiō, Aya Suzaki voices Shōko, and Natsuki Hanae voices Taiyo.
Available languages
Happy Sugar Life is available in two languages: English and Japanese, not counting possible fan translations done by amateur translators on the internet. The anime has a dubbed, and a subbed version, and they’re both available on Amazon.
How can I read/watch Happy Sugar Life?
Happy Sugar Life is available as a manga and an anime. The manga is licensed by Yen Press and is available online; the show is an Amazon exclusive.
Physical copy
Yen Press has published all eleven volumes of Happy Sugar Life. Physical copies are widely available on Amazon and other book retail sites, and they’ve all been translated into English.
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Amazon Prime Video
The Happy Sugar Life anime is available on Amazon Prime Video exclusively. It is available worldwide, and there are two versions of the show available: one with an English dub and one with English subtitles.
FAQ
How disturbing is Happy Sugar Life?
Happy Sugar Life can be pretty disturbing for a lot of reasons. The series tackles subjects such as child abuse, rape, murder, and psychological manipulation.
Is Happy Sugar Life a Yuri?
The yuri elements in Happy Sugar Life are present but subtle. The main character’s female love interest is platonic, and there are no explicit sexual scenes.
Is Happy Sugar Life worth watching?
The series has a cult following of loyal fans. If you’re a fan of the genre, you should definitely join their ranks.
How old is the little girl from Happy Sugar Life?
The main character is a high schooler, but her love interest is a rather young girl, only eight years old.
Do people die in Happy Sugar Life?
Yes. The series features plenty of violent scenes, some of them resulting in murder.
What is the age difference between the little girl and the protagonist?
The protagonist is seven years older than the little girl.
What is the ending of Happy Sugar Life?
If you don’t mind spoilers: in the end, Satou meets her end trying to protect Shio, Satou’s aunt is arrested for arson and the killing of Shouko, Satou’s coworker, and Satou’s teacher, Daichi Kitaumekawa, is arrested for abusing his student.
What does the title Happy Sugar Life refer to?
The title refers to the emotions Satō feels when she is spending time with Shio.