Review of Candy Boy: Nonchalant Talk of the Certain Twin Sisters in Daily Life
In many ways this is a subdued yet sweet story of two sisters’ nourishing their budding romance. It never turns explicit, but instead moves slowly through everyday moments. It is easy to sense that the sisters relationship is a true progression built top of many years which allows their interactions to feel natural. Best of all is their banter, which is highly enjoyable, and feels like two siblings reminiscing and having fun together. Like some slice of life shows Candy Boy meanders, but in a good way. The characters are school girls and so the story follows the trials and tribulations of their simple dailylives. There isn’t really much drama to speak of and it’s all about the fluff. The love that the two share is never clearly defined. It is suggested to be romantic in nature but the two rarely do anything of that nature when they are alone. If anything they just seem a little closer than “normal” sisters: they hold hands and flirt with each other. Their relationship is all about living in the present; they wish to stay together for the foreseeable future but they never worry about the small things. It’s light hearted and sweetly innocent.
Being so brief, you can watch it quickly; however the show easily touches the heart. It fleshes out the lives of the sisters, and is about the small moments in a relationship such as sharing an umbrella, shopping for a Christmas presents, etc. which is part of what makes it so charming. The characters don’t make grand overtures, rather they illustrate their love in small and tender ways.
One sister, Kanade, is a bit shy (she’s a little bit of a tsundere) but you can sense her affection for her sister. The other one, Yuki, is the complete opposite. She’s cheerful, spirited and outgoing. The other character is the stalker underclassman, Sakuya, who provides the comic relief of the series. Her amusing fangirl ways add some spice and vary the tone.
The animation looks dated but it has a certain nostalgic air. The colors are muted but cheerful and the characters are well designed. The characters eyes in particular are well detailed and convey more than what the characters say along with the movements of their bodies. Their faces always are exceptionally expressive and the backgrounds can be dazzling with natural scenery. It’s almost as if the whole show is in love like the main characters.
The music is... Not the best. To be blunt it sounds like upbeat elevator music. The ending song is an outdated 90's pop ballad that seems overly saccharine for how restrained the series is.
In closing, all I can say is that I really think everyone should give this series a try. While it may not be to everyone's tastes, with the way the series deftly handles everything, most should find little objection to it. It treats these two like a normal couple who are easily empathetic and lovely. Their love isn’t a flashy love, rather it is quiet, sweet and simple, and all the better for it.