Candy Life

So I just wrapped up this compact manga, and wow, the ending felt rushed. There's so much potential here, and I had a good time with it, so don't let the choppy pacing put you off. I won't include any spoilers in my review. I recommend finding an English scanlation online to enjoy since Candy Life isn't available in print.

Candy Life is a single-volume collection (6 chapters) about a twenty-something woman seeking a sweet life. She isn't clear on what that means exactly. Nice things? Hot romance? Financial security? Personal freedom? The manga explores these themes within just 6 chapters, which limits its fluidity and depth.

The beginning starts strong, albeit with clichés, when depicting Makoto's dissatisfaction with her less-than-desirable life. If you can look past the cringey clichés and simply embrace the premise that this girl was hurt by life and longs for more, you'll be fine.

She then gets "saved" and becomes involved in a too-good-to-be-true romance, which, as expected, comes with grappling with love and personal identity. Makoto explores what it means to be in love and decides for herself what ideals add sweetness to her life.

I genuinely enjoyed chapters 2 and 3, and even chapter 4 was good. However, by chapters 5 and the final chapter, I felt like I was reading a birthday card cut short due to lack of space. Ogawa rushes the ending. I would have preferred more ambiguity regarding secondary characters' futures for more depth in our main characters' relationship growth. Makoto and her love interest were enough reason to read this manga. An expanded storyline around them would be lovely.

Overall, this is worth a read, but realize it leaves as much to be desired as it excites and entertains the reader. Overall rating: 6.

Kimi wa Petto is actually a sequel to Candy Life!

It seems that not many people are aware of this fact. Honestly, I wasn't either until recently. I only found out while binge-reading Ogawa sensei's works after finishing Kimi wa Pet.

The romantic journey of Shinobu and Akane is explored in Candy Life. I was particularly intrigued by their relationship, especially curious about Shinobu’s, given her stern and serious demeanor in KwP.

I rated it a perfect 10 because I genuinely enjoyed it so much!! I absolutely adore Shinobu! Hahaha

To begin, this manga is somewhat dated. It was created in 1999, so there are references that feel out of place now (Y2K, the excitement over a PlayStation or PlayStation 2), but these elements do contribute to the story's setting. Many of the plot points could be easily resolved with a simple phone call, but given the time period, it wouldn't make sense.

The artwork is decent but often inconsistent. When it works, it’s stunningly beautiful and sets the perfect tone. However, when it doesn’t, it looks awkward and just plain bad. Sometimes it appears unfinished and downright ugly, which can be very distracting.

As for the plot, it tries its best. Being only one volume long with a few chapters, pacing issues are inevitable. There’s even a section that’s confusing.

In the beginning, Makoto, while drunk, falls into the ocean and is rescued by a wealthy and handsome CEO. Before falling, she mentions being dumped and losing her job, making her indifferent to dying. After being saved, he gives her his number, and she goes on her way.

Later, she finds a job at a video store and reflects on her encounter with the rich man. Due to plot convenience, she gets swindled out of her savings and loses her job. That’s when she ends up with the CEO, who takes her in, proposes, and tries to teach her how to be a proper lady.

Eventually, she starts questioning if all of this is worth it and wanders off to a club where she has sex with a guy three times. As it turns out, this guy is her future runaway son!

There’s already an age gap: the CEO is 39, Makoto is 24, and the son is 19. Mix in infidelity when she sleeps with the son, along with family drama including suicide, and you have this manga. Oh, let’s also add some rape for good measure.

The manga isn’t great at handling twists; they’re pretty predictable. The best character is probably the grandmother who never leaves her cottage on the property.

The fact that it’s a single volume hurts the plot most as it doesn’t give readers enough time to process the revelations. This would have been better serialized, especially for the family secrets to unfold.

There’s a strange part where the son and Makoto decide to run away. Makoto gets kidnapped and handcuffed to a bed. It’s revealed the CEO wanted a child of his own (the son isn’t actually his) so he tries to keep her captive.

The CEO and the son fight, then suddenly everything is okay because the son calls the CEO “dad.” It cuts to their wedding day.

I have many questions about the manga:

Why is Makoto suddenly okay around the CEO after being kidnapped and handcuffed? Why did the son’s friend poke holes in the condoms? Was it supposed to be funny? It felt pointless and dangerous, especially since they were poor.

Did the son and CEO resolve their issues? Probably not. The son always complained about feeling ignored, yet called him dad even during the fight. Why was this instance important? No reason. The author didn’t care to resolve it.

Why did the two sisters follow these men? They never explained it beyond "family duty." Clearly, it’s dangerous as both fell in love with their guys, one marrying and having a kid. What’s the point? To add tension with Makoto? There wasn’t any.

All in all, this manga isn’t good. The tension builds quickly but fades just as fast, and the characters aren’t likable except for the grandmother. You don’t root for the main character or her relationships due to the manga’s short length. Makoto seems to live a sweet life, but it would have been better had this series gotten a serialization it deserved, not the one it got.

A 'will they or won't they?' for the older ladies, Candy Life is as sweet as a barrel of tabasco and honey. Don't get me wrong; within its genre, it wasn't terrible – but there was something lacking as the climax approached and the plot unfolded.

Story: As mentioned earlier, the story seemed too slow initially, then BAM! climax, and then BAM! it's over. It's unfortunate because the story had so much potential. Nevertheless, it remained enjoyable.

Art: I picked this one up purely for the art by Manga-ka Ogawa Yayoi, which is to die for. Josei fans will recognize her from titles like Kimi wa Pet, and this story boasts the same beautiful artwork. Love it.

Character: As stated before, I wished it were a bit longer. Just as we began to see some character growth, the novel ended! It felt rushed towards the end, which was somewhat jarring.

Overall: This is worth reading if you're a fan of the manga-ka and need to read every Josei title out there. Otherwise, you can probably skip this one.