Ask John: What’s John’s Opinion of Candy Boy?

Question:
What’s your opinion of Candy Boy (the original ONA and the 7 episode series that’s being released)?

Answer:
To be honest, and I’m tipping my hand a bit early here, I’d somewhat anticipated not discussing my opinion of the Candy Boy web anime series until I began to assemble my selections of best anime titles of the year. But since the question has been presented, I’ll gladly address it.

At the time I’m composing this reply, the Candy Boy anime series has five episodes, of which I’ve so far watched four. I’m familiar with the original 2007 ONA (Original Net Animation), the first two episodes of the 2008 series, and the “EX 01” prequel episode. I haven’t yet had a chance to watch the very recently released latest episode.

Stylistically the Candy Boy series is reminiscent of Maria-sama ga Miteru. Both series feature attractive art design, fluid animation, and focus on the daily emotional and psychological relationships between school girls on the cusp of adulthood. But while “MariMite” teases with subtle lesbian innuendo generated by the intense loyalty and affection that exists between the characters, Candy Boy is one of the anime realm’s few straightforward “yuri” anime.

To its great credit, Candy Boy narrowly focuses on the intimate relationship between two sisters without ever being crude or exploitive. Kanade and Yukino clearly have a tender affection for each other; they sleep in the same bed; and the series implies that they may share physical intimacy, although whether their relationship is that of lovers or merely very affectionate siblings is left ambiguous. The ambiguity of Kanade and Yukino’s relationship is one of the show’s greatest strengths. Despite the series filling in much of the sisters’ history, viewers are given insight through naturalistic observation rather than obvious exposition. Candy Boy is the best sort of slice-of-life drama because it liberally allows viewers to peek in on the lives of its characters and get to know their intimate personalities. The show is written and edited brilliantly to present viewers with meaningful, revealing glimpses at the characters’ lives, maximizing the effectiveness of the episodes’ short lengths.

The series also demands recognition for its gentle, warm humor. The periodic appearances of supporting character Sakuya Kamiyama add considerably to the depth of the series by providing a believable degree of absurd comedy, and further enhancing the series’ theme of ambiguous lesbian attraction. It’s never certain if Sakuya’s attraction toward Kanade is a puppydog crush, a sense of unrestrained, affectionate respect, or evidence that Sakuya is literally lesbian. That mystery allows the Candy Boy anime series to focus on its romantic themes in an especially tasteful, touching, amusing, and heartwarming way, without ever feeling sensationalistic or exploitive.

Candy Boy deserves praise for approaching a very unique and unconventional situation with dignity, humor, and an appealing, absorbing narrative insight. The 2004 Koikaze romance anime similarly illustrated an unconventional romance, but even the admirable Koikaze series still feels more artificial and sensationalistic than the very affecting Candy Boy series has, so far. There are few anime that manage to investigate their characters’ personalities as deftly and intimately as the Candy Boy series has, and doing so while at the same time respectfully treating the characters’ unusual romantic aptitudes, in addition to exhibiting impressive art design and animation quality, make the Candy Boy series an unusually exceptional anime production that seems to be a bit overlooked because of its lower profile, extended release schedule, lack of heavy promotion, and lack of a TV broadcast.