If youve already read the synopsis for this anime then we can get the obvious out of the way first. There is incest and there is lesbian romance. Either one of those themes is enough to drive away large numbers of potential viewers on their own the two of them together form an almost insurmountable barrier to entry. Guilty pleasures can only become pleasures if your suppressed desires arent defeated by the feeling that theres something deeply wrong with watching something like this and I dont blame you at all if you think that its simply too high a hurdle to overcome. That being said Im not afraid to confess that I enjoyed this series thoroughly. Whether that makes me a degenerate in the eyes of society I leave that for society to judge. But if you have the fortitude and curiosity to look past the unquestionably haram elements of this show what you find is an intoxicating nepenthe that is in a twisted and unexpected fashion only enhanced by the stigma of the offending subject matter in question. CandyBoy is at its core an experiment to see whether sensitive topics can have a positive effect on what would otherwise be an idyllic slowpaced sliceoflife romance. From my point of view that experiment has worked and worked very well indeed. Ratings for each aspect of the anime are given in brackets. Premise 3/5: This is to put it bluntly the one facet of CandyBoy that gives most people pause. A pair of sisters attend a high school in the sprawling city of Tokyo far away from their rural hometown holing up together in the same dorm room in order to save money. Their peaceful unchanging lifestyle of coexistence and codependence is upturned when an underclassman appears out of nowhere and confesses her love to one of the sisters beginning a series of events which inevitably lead to that sister attempting to make clear her own love for her counterpart without knowing that her counterpart also harbors the same feelings towards her. All the while the fated duo struggle with their career plans their inconsistent relationship with their younger sister and their myriad ideas for their future together. Incest aside and thats admittedly quite a major thing to brush aside it really doesnt sound all that bad. And again if youre willing to accept the unorthodox aspects of the show what you find is a heartwarming and stirring tale about two people who juggle their problems with love life and everything else in between and end up counting on each other to make up for their respective deficiencies. Its a story about learning to trust one another and not to fear having ones own faults and vulnerabilities come to light. Nobodys perfect and we all need a helping hand once in a while a message that CandyBoy clearly enunciates. What could be better than that? 500https://i.ur.com/YDb9iFG.jpg Small gestures reveal significant emotions. Characters 4/5: Owing to the fact that there are only four characters in this entire series its imperative that each and every character serves a designated purpose and serves it as best as they can. The cast as a whole is admittedly not the most multifaceted of any anime although allowances can be made due to the shows more easygoing nature. Nevertheless each cast member has their own quirks and interesting personality traits and each of them undergoes a surprisingly satisfying degree of change and development. Yukino is the ostensibly perfect longhaired beauty who hides her worries and weaknesses behind her facade of competence which leads her to seek Kanades support in times of need Kanade is the tomboyish and bullish foil to Yukinos delicacy acting simultaneously as the pillar of the siblings relationship and as the manifestation of the struggling artist whose hopes and dreams constantly hang in the balance. As for the supporting act the underclassman Sakuya is the quintessential caricature of the rich girl whos used to getting her way though she carries a softhearted streak of her own meanwhile the younger sister Shizuku balances her devotion to her elder sisters with her anger at their supposed neglect of her whilst they are away. The interactions between the characters become intertwining threads combining expectation with desire disappointment with reassurance indecisiveness with determination. All the while a reluctant yet nonetheless passionate love bubbles out from underneath the platonic veneer of sororal bonds and tightknit friendships. Perhaps one criticism that can be levelled at CandyBoys characterization is the lack of any tangible concern regarding the societal issues and pressure that pursuing an incestuous relationship might bring about particularly in a conservative and deeply judgmental society like Japans. Kanade and Yukino act as though their love is something commonplace and never seem to bother worrying about hiding it or preventing others from learning about it they keep things lowkey but without the sort of urgency or abashedness that occupies the thoughts of incestuous lovers in other anime such as the infamous Yosuga no Sora. Even so given that theres no mention of other family members or friends it could be assumed that they are so ensconced in their own little world that they really do have nothing to worry about. However whether that is actually the case ultimately remains unclear. 500https://i.ur.com/DeVhlZP.jpg An easygoing and likeable roster of maidens. Audiovisuals 3/5: CandyBoy is an anime from the late 00s and while that definitely shows in the somewhat dated style of animation and choice of music it also serves to enhance the strangely nostalgic feeling one gets from watching the series. The background art is a soothing and meticulouslydrawn watercolor blend of shades and tints depicting a world that melts into the Christmas snow. The characters designs are among my favorites in any anime and reflect their personalities to a tee though perhaps thats merely my bias speaking. Kanade in particular is totally my type everything about her from the asymmetric tresses of her dark hair and couple of clipped earrings in her upper ear to the confident and boyish manner of her dress and demeanor just feels so... appealing in some unspoken way. Such things are of course purely a matter of personal taste. The music is also worth a mention the soundtrack is a warm welcoming collection of quiet tunes that hum along in the background and while there is no opening theme the ending sequence comprises a suitably rustic and evocative pop song with cute picture cards filling the screen as the episode draws to a close. The whole point of the audiovisuals and of the series overall is relaxation and the art and music play their parts more than well enough. 500https://i.ur.com/PFZ9Ill.jpg An aesthetic that harkens back to better simpler days. Execution 4/5: This is not a longdrawn and elaborative anime and it was never meant to be even with all the extra OVA material. Each episode is around 15 minutes long and there are only 7 episodes 10 including the extras which emphasizes the fact that the story is meant to be more of a snapshot a brief window into the life of a destined pair who eventually commit their futures to each other. Although there are obstacles thrown up in the main characters faces as is the case in any good story there are no great upheavals or malevolent influences introduced to artificially spruce up or hasten the blossoming of the centerpiece relationship. Love is allowed to bloom at its own pace culminating in a resolution that is both gratifying and uplifting. CandyBoy is a paradox a shallow anime that delves deeply into the well of romance a normal narrative with altogether unusual motifs and a tale that evokes sentimentality for a life that has never been mine and never will be. Its a smallscale and uncomplicated show that will only appeal to a niche segment of the anime community but for those that are fine with this sort of thing there is no greater example of a series that briefly tugs at your heartstrings and makes you think What if? Love may be blind yes. Yet it also has the uncanny ability to open your eyes to worlds that you may previously never have conceived. Therein lies its attraction as well as its power. 500https://i.ur.com/pXCdwio.jpg Alls well that ends well. Overall rating: 4/5 Why is this show called CandyBoy if there are no boys in it? Really makes you think.