Satomi Sugita

Tooru Katsuragi, the second of three brothers, remembers his cousin, Takara, as kind and warm, especially to Tooru. When Takara suddenly shows up to live with the Katsuragi brothers years later, however, he is cold and abrupt, especially to Tooru, stating that he had never wanted to see him in the first place. What happened to those happy childhood days?

As sweet as its name, Candy does not dwell for too long on deep issues or even just any one dilemma. The two find their comfort around and with each other rather quickly and spend the rest of the volume being all lovey-dovey and dealing with problems all couples face. Well, problems that all BL couples who also happen to be related face anyway: hiding the relationship from the other brothers; different opinions about how much they should keep hidden; sexual frustration; secrets that they should communicate to each other, but don't. Their sexual relationship builds up slowly, but surely, each subsequent chapter going just a bit further; from kissing, to touching, and finally to getting hot and sweaty in bed together.

While the bulk of the graphic novel is about Takara and Tooru's relationship, including the finishing story, there are a couple of chapters unrelated to the Katsuragi family that take place within a school. Or rather, just a few of the rooms of the school. The school counselor, Yago-sensei, seems pretty content with his job; after all, Kureno-sensei comes to visit him often and he has nice, white beds in the infirmary in which to do Kureno-sensei in. Raunchier than the main story, they get much hotter and sweatier in their make-up sex, Yago-sensei going so far as to bind Kureno-sensei's hands with his own necktie.

Candy is all about the romance, the relationships of the characters, and not so much the characters as individuals. Even though a couple of surprising things were revealed about Tooru and Takara, those things remain only in the background, unexplained as if they were just minor details, serving only to get the two of them closer to each other. Mostly predictable, this boys love graphic novel isn't going to blow anyone's mind with its plot, but it will put smiles on people's faces with its saccharine tenderness.

This review originally appeared at J LHLS.… (meer)