Candy☆Boy: Side Story For Archive

Imperturbable★ 7

Have you ever read manga where there's this extremely tragic f/f love story that either ends up with one or both girls dead, or one girl decides she isn't going to stay in the relationship? Well, Candy☆Boy is the complete opposite. It's a short ONA that doesn't even last eight minutes long, but it's really sweet and the ending leaves you with a heartwarming feeling. As a bonus, if you haven't noticed yet, Nabatame Hitomi voices one of the main characters. And if you don't know she's practically seen as the queen bee of yuri* seiyuu... well. *My usage of "yuri" does not connote anythingsexual or pornographic in nature, hence my preference to use "f/f" to mean "shoujo ai" or "yuri". The ratings to the left are as objective as I can put them; your perception and take of the premise will, of course, greatly influence your actual enjoyment or lack thereof. -- Major warning (and fundamentally slightly SPOILERish): For those who don't like watching anime with sisterly incest-- then this is not for you. The bottom line is, if you like f/f and don't mind twincest, then this is a must-see. In any case, you only have to commit seven minutes and thirty-nine seconds of your life to see if it's a suitable assessment, should it have piqued your interest. -- EDIT: The DVD version's now out, and it's got an additional scene. The cuteness-- well, heck, it's off the scale. The total length should be around ten minutes for the DVD version. Most of the additional length is actually the ED, though. The scene in question lasts less than a minute but it's definitely worth the trouble looking for, as long as you heed the warning from above regarding the nature of the relationship. For those who are a bit more touchy about this and could just barely stand the ONA, don't watch the additional scene. It gives the relationship a bit more "definiteness" while still remaining tame.

sasameiv★ 6

This brief OVA breaks the traditional shoujo-ai mold of tragedy. Instead it is all about fluff, happiness and two people realizing that they are meant to be together. Basically it's a perfect short romance! This is a good introduction to yuri series. It’s not explicit at all and it's very sweet. Normally with incest especially, a topic popularly portrayed in anime, relationships often seem unnatural and forced, but here the interactions are smooth and natural. The sisters banter back and forth like really siblings but there is always that hint of underlying affection in their words and actions that clues you into their real feelingsfor each other. For the short ten minute run time much is accomplished: the sisters stop being affectionate for a brief time, are conflicted over their feelings and then resolve their problems. It even adds in some comic relief which is quite well done with a stalker underclassmen. Speaking of characters this is one of the ONA’s highlights. Their design is well done and the characters are very expressive. Even though there is little dialogue, it is always easy to get a sense of the characters varying feelings from their expressions. Similarly, the acting is more expressive and is very entertaining. The actors convey a wide variety of different emotions and the sound effects are stand outs. The ending song is a bit dated, but the lyrics help frame the sisters feelings for each other and serve as a nice coda. The art is very natural looking, the colors are muted but the backgrounds are bright and cheery mimicking how the characters feel. It is almost photo-realistic. Due to the low budget, the camera angles are slightly unconventional. Sometimes there will be a few interspersed shots of perspiration or a glass of water which adds to the tone of the scene. Yes, it's nothing memorable but it doesn't try to be. It's about cute fluff and sisters growing together. It’s short, it’s pretty and it’s adorable. Why wouldn't you watch it?