Sweat And Soap Review: A Dorama On How Love Is True When Someone Falls For Your Flaws

Imagine finding someone who loves you because of the one thing that you hate most about yourself. Hard to imagine? Well, J-dorama “Sweat and Soap” shows you how that true love finds your flaws attractive. It is a love story, adapted from a manga, that shows how love can convert weakness into strength. It is about a girl whose excessive sweating condition makes her conscious of herself until she meets a guy who finds her natural scent addictive which makes him obsessed with her.

By the initial episodes, this show may seem like a regular story with tons of skinship but the more involved you get with the couple the more you see how they both overcome their insecurities and how their bond strengthens every single day. In just 9 episodes with a run time of barely 24 minutes for each episode, this dorama gives you a sweet, sexy, and memorable couple.

Sweat And Soap (2022) (9 Episodes)

Yaeshima Asako (Ohara Yuno) works as an accountant for the toiletry company, Lilia Drop. Asako is shy and timid because she suffers from a condition that causes her to sweat excessively. Afraid of causing inconvenience to people because of her body odor, she obsessively sprays deodorant over herself multiple times a day.

One day, while viewing the latest soap launched by her company Kotaro Natori (Sato Kanta) happens to sniff her and feel intoxicated by her natural scent. Thereon he chases after her saying that her scent inspires him. He then requests her to allow him to sniff her more often because he feels refreshed by her smell.

Knowing that someone actually likes her smell Asako agrees to allow Natori to sniff her in secret at work. Their secret ‘sniff’ meetings eventually make them fall in love.   

I enjoyed watching “Sweat And Soap” because…

…it surprised me with its simple story and honest couple.

Asako suffers from a skin condition that makes her sweat excessively and has been subjected to bullying for it in the past. The trauma impacted her to such an extent that she is always self-conscious and afraid of socializing lest they pass any snide remarks about her sweating.

She loves working for Lilia Drop because the scented soaps that they make are effective in controlling her body odor to some extent. One day, at the launch of a new soap she stands admiring the product when her co-worker Kotaro Natori sniffs her and exclaims how her scent refreshed him.

Natori works in the product development department and is the brain behind many of the soaps that Asako loves using. He has the unique ability to identify things from a distance by just their smell. He can sniff a cookie in a person’s pocket who happens to pass by him. His nose is stronger than that of a sniffer dog.

When he smells Asako’s natural scent it sends him into some sort of a frenzy. The feeling he experiences after sniffing her is unlike anything he has felt before. Hence, he asks her if he can sniff her more often as it helps him come up with better ideas at work.

Asako feels awkward by his immodest request but gives in seeing his insistence. They then start meeting at the fire escape and he tells her how sniffing her has helped him become more productive at work.

Asako, who has always been conscious of her body odor all her life, feels weirdly appreciated for her natural scent. Also, Natori is not some regular guy who may be acting smart with her. He is quite popular at work for his good performance and women adore him for his charming personality. That assures Asako that he isn’t someone who is making a fool of her.

As they meet regularly, they form a bond that slowly develops into love. And like any new couple, they get intimate often and enjoy it too. The director’s interpretation of this couple getting intimate is simply hilarious. The couple is shown to do the deed but not in the way you would expect them to. At first, I didn’t understand what was happening until each time the scene concluded with the couple covered in sweat and panting heavily. 🤭🤭 You’ll have to watch the show to understand what I’m saying.

There is a lot of skinship in the dorama and initially, I almost assumed that this is yet another sexy show meant to excite viewers. But with each episode, Asako and Natori surprised me with their sincere bond and love for each other. Their intense lovemaking was a way to show how truly attracted they are to each other. 

Their journey is like any other couple. They too start with intense attraction, move on to the feeling of care and affection, and experience jealousy and insecurity, before entering the eventual stage of commitment.

I loved how their affair helped them develop as individuals. Asako who lacks self-confidence starts to become a little less awkward around people and learns to interact more confidently. Natori who is usually flirtatious with women tends to become more committed to work and Asako.

They both influence each other in positive ways and look the happiest when together. I liked Asako and Natori both individually and also as a couple. I appreciated the fact that they could both be themselves around each other.

For instance, when everyone else finds Asako’s body odor repulsive, Natori finds it oddly refreshing. Everyone else finds Natori’s habit of sniffing weird, Asako sees nothing wrong with it. Do you see how well-suited they are for each other?

I liked them so much that I couldn’t help but capture some of their best moments together. Here have a look at their sweet chemistry.

 

 

I did NOT LIKE “Sweat And Soap” because…

…the director seemed fixated on the female lead’s bosom. Each time Asako sprayed deodorant in the washroom, she was shown with her blouse unbuttoned while exposing her bosom from the top angle. I understand this was supposed to be a sexy show but I felt this particular angle was unnecessary.   

 

 

“Sweat And Soap” may seem like just another titillating drama but it is not. Only true love for someone can make you fall for their weakness. Natori falling for Asako’s natural scent (read body odor) only shows how perfect they are for each other. And only a Japanese manga could have come up with a storyline like this. 

I give “Sweat And Soap” 3.5 out of 5 rating. This quirky couple is like no other you have seen before. Do give Asako and Natori a chance to show how love means falling for someone with their flaws.  

 

Image Courtesy: MBC

Screengrabs: Viki

 

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