Login to add items to your list, keep track of your progress, and rate series!
Description
1-3) Sweet Bitter Candy Kawaguchi spent his entire life in high school as the short chubby kid, "Chidebu". His one secret was his admiration of the rebellious, openly gay Kanaya. Five years have passed and now that Kawaguchi has lost the weight (but is still short), does he have a chance of catching Kanaya's attention?
4-5) Wait a Little Longer Student council president Tone is used to being a slave driver, and he's sure being stuck with overly persistent kouhai Ninomiya is just another cross for him to bear. After all, Ninomiya already confessed to him and he's only joining the student council to be close to Tone. But even though Ninomiya turns out to be a great worker, Tone relax around him...
6) Just as God Said Two long-time lovers face a heart-wrenching breakup when one of them decides to get married.
7) Sasoku A mangaka doesn't want his new assistant to fall for his secret lover.
I find this manga quite refreshing, both in art and storyline, especially the first story-- it's very original. The uke is super adorable, even before his weight loss-- and it's rare for a yaoi character to be fat, so I find him to be quite unique. The seme is cool, also a memorable character.
I don't like the 2nd story as much, it bored me a bit, but I like all the other three so it's all good The last one is super sexy.
There are some very hot, naughty sex scenes. Not boring at all.
Don't let the messy art of the cover fool you. The art in this manga is really very nice. The stories as well. They were very nicely executed and - in my opinion - heartfelt. This was a very good read. Each story had something special and they're all on the same level ratingwise.
The manga was really good ! the stories were all interesting ! i really love sensei's art ! i'm gonna read her other work ! I really recommande this story !!!
This manga really left me awe-struck, I seldom read manga so breathtaking. Well, I may be a bit exaggerating, but it's true it's rare for a manga to touch me so deeply, I was on the verge of tears, which hardly ever happen. I actually cried only once over a manga (which was Sojou no Koi wa Nido Haneru).
First I have to say that it's not a manga you'll read for its beautiful art, original plot or sexiness. Why would you read this manga you're gonna ask me then. Well, for several reasons. The first one is the art, though it's not what you could call a beautiful art, it has this little something that hooked me. I think it lies in the expressiveness of the characters, the angles choosed for the scenes, the way it looks sometimes distant or blurry, making you feel like you're peeking into an intimate situation (specially in the first story). It feels like the author care for her characters with a lot of sweetness, holding them gently in her hand. It's hard to explain since it's very subtle, but before being really into the story I was already into the art.
The second reason is the storytelling. Like I said it's not original plots you have here, but it's not lacking sense, or being dimwitted, on the contrary. The emphasis is put on the feelings and emotions, and it's very well done, they feel real and are really well conveyed. It's not something you read to know what's going to happen, but to feel the ambience and the inner thoughts of the characters.
Even though it's short stories, the psychology of the characters is deep, subtle, and well developped, which is something I'm hardly ever totally pleased with but here it was just perfect. It feels like they're human, with emotions they don't know how to deal with, stupid reactions they wouldn't like to have, clumsiness, and it makes it so sweet and bitter at the same time like in the title. Usually you feel more attracted to one of the characters, but here you end up wanting for each of them to overcome their issues, and feeling close to them.
The first story is my favorite one, it's so heartwarming and sweet, I thought I was gonna melt. How can you not immediatly feel sympathy for this little Chidebu, and want him to be loved. It's rare to see that kind of theme (love beyond appearances) treated in yaoi manga. The two following ones are very sweet and akes your heart flutter as well. And they also have this realistic sense towards homosexuality which is agreable.
The only thing I didn't like was the last story. I found it too rushed, and it makes it hard to understand the way they're acting or their emotions, and doing so you miss half of the story. And it's more rough than the other stories, which breaks with the general tone in this manga. That's the reason why I didn't give it a 10, but it's not really important since it's just a little story at the end.
So, in conclusion, I more than highly recommend this manga !!
I dont usually give 10's but this manga struck me as somehow incredibly beautiful. Despite its semi-cliche story lines, the beautiful art combined with the emotions executed by the charecters made it that much better. Each panel has so much feeling to it and i feel this mangaka did an exceptional job. I read this manga in one reading and i particularly liked the first story and the story about the guy getting married which made me cry so much even though it was about half a chapter long. This manga is great!
Pretty much loved this the whole thing. Loved the first story, Especially when the jerky kid in the beginning was kicked down the stairs. Classic.
The first story was great. I usually like ukes with a little more confidence (or a LOT more), but this one was adorable and so I liked him.
LOVE the art. It's clean and clear, and this author draws body posture magnificently! I especially love it when the boys hunch over to look at something. It's realistic but stylized. So good!
The second story was SO cute. I liked that uke better. And the line about telling the seme to 'act his age' because that's what he likes about him was great! I like this one best, I think.
The third one broke my heart and made me angry. WHY can't people just love and marry whoever they want? I'd be freaking pissed if society told me I had to marry a woman I didn't love and wasn't attracted to (I'm a straight girl, myself). Heck, I'd be pissed if it was a man like that. Anyway, this one's short but good.
And holy crap, the last one was freaking HOT! And cute, too! I love thing with the mangaka giving his boyfriend a ring to ward off girls. And the retaliation is just the best!
A beautiful manga from a new and talented mangaka. The stories are simple, but developed very well. They all deal with a similar theme - being able to accept yourself and your sexuality and each story delves into a different facet of the main theme. It was really nice to read a series that managed to keep its pace and atmosphere without boring the reader. The art is a lot better than it seems on the cover. The mangaka shows a great attention to detail. I had to laugh, actually, because the mangaka writes in the end about how bad she is at drawing manga and asks for forgiveness. In my opinion, she really doesn't need to improve much of anything. I would have given Sweet Bitter Candy a slightly higher rating if I hadn't been frustrated with the protagonist featured in the 'Wait a Little Longer' chapters. However, this is still a really lovely read.
Loved the art. Parts of the story are realistic, and parts of it are not. Definitely NOT typical. It was a little predictable, but not in a bad and boring way, just in a realistic and romantic sort of way. But there was one thing that wouldn't stop bothering me. What about the other guy Kanaya was supposedly dating??
Try it, even if it's only for the art. I love the rough edges, the compositions of the pannels, the shadows and expressions of the faces, how sensible the mangaka made them. As for the stories, I thought chubby uke of the first story was so cute! Why did he have to lose weight! Still, of the 4 stories, I liked the candy-trilogy the best ^_^
wonderful touching manga with the same sensitivity as her other manga Fujunna Renai... a relief from formulaic yaoi mangas... If this is typical, I'd like some more of it.
(+385)
(-370)
The last one is super sexy.
