Plot/Story
Mii Ichikawa admires her classmate Hinako Kashiwagi on the bus on the way from school. She cannot decide on her feelings for her in any way, but she cannot stop staring at this pretty blonde girl with beautiful short hair. Mii is not an introvert, she has friends at school, but her cousin Bun-chan, being a lesbian, is worried that Miy still does not have a romantic connection with the "cute boy", and instead spends all her free time knitting ... At some point, a curious incident on the bus, when Hinako unexpectedly collapses on Mia and suddenly falls into a short sleep in her lap, makes Mia and Hinako acquaintances, and the next day also friends. The girls begin to ride the bus together, but already holding hands. However, Nagai, Hinako's ex-boyfriend, with whom she broke up shortly before, being a homophobic heterosexual, one day, by the will of an accident, meets Mia and Hinako in the same bus. He says with disgust that Mii and Hinako are holding hands, there is a slight squabble between Hinako and Nagai. Nagai soon falls behind them, Hinako is angry, and Mii feels ashamed and humiliated. The next day, Mii stops riding with Hinako, not wanting their handshake to continue to be called vile. But on the second day, Hinako catches up with Mia, who runs headlong out of the classroom, and the girls quarrel, and in parting they express their unwillingness to be with each other. Mia, in tears, comes to Boon-chan. The cousin calms her down and gives some wise advice on how Mia should be with Hinako next. And Hinako turned out to be a very sensitive and observant person: a cream belonging to Mia that accidentally fell on the floor, she passes it to her through her friend. Miy suddenly realizes what a good person she has had a falling out with, she becomes ashamed and goes on a bus ride with Hinako again to try to reconnect their love affair. But as soon as she got off the bus near Hinako's house with her, Mia catches up with her and confesses her lesbian love. Hinako reciprocates her, they promise to be together - after which they go to Bun-chan already together to ... yes, yes: taste cotton candy!
Characters
Mii Ichikawa is a pretty brunette, with two long black loosened braids of hair curled behind her ears. In general, she is good-natured and friendly, but, due to her mental disorders, she causes misfortune to herself and those close to her. She is observant, has a penchant for voyeurism, as she loves to spy on people of interest to her. She also has some kind of mental developmental delays that prevent her from communicating normally with people and talking to them directly. The strange work of her nervous system makes her constantly run from all misfortunes. They are pouring on her, and she does not try to stand against them. Perhaps it is shyness, or perhaps modesty or shyness. The weak psyche of this character also causes a storm of emotions if she suddenly comes across a thing that somehow reminds her of her beloved creature. Has creativity in the production of clothing from yarn by knitting. She hates when she is given much more by age than in reality, and when unnecessary creatures and objects are imposed on her. Depressive enough: does not like the simple joys of life, like the same cotton candy. She is smart and merciful: in case of misfortune, she is ready to help her neighbor.
Hinako Kashivagi is a boy-girl, her own boy-girl on the board. She does not like it terribly when they are rude and rude to people close to her. He can throw strong, poisonous words in response - and even show his tongue to the offender. Judging by the curiosity with Mia, he has some problems with the brain or nervous system, as he can suddenly fall asleep, falling off his feet. (which, by the way, can become the theme for the plot of some sequel based on this manga, where poor Mia will have to constantly wake up and keep her beloved Hinako in a cheerful state of mind, fleeing with her from hordes of homophobes, huh). But she herself is rude and boorish in communication, both with strangers and with loved ones. (which clearly betrays his proletarian origin, heh). He appreciates very much any thing made for real, with these human hands, and not bought anywhere, in a store or in the market. She loves to paint and decorate herself, like many girls at her young age, but, nevertheless, considers manicure a despicable occupation, unworthy of her dorky nature. And at the same time, she also dares to complain that the guys are disappointed in her. A bright and spontaneous person, direct in communication, especially when she has to be the decision maker in some issue. Her ability to drive up to an unfamiliar girl is simply amazing: she does it easily and naturally, fraternizing with Mia as if they were old friends. But, if she feels that she has made a mistake, she is ready to repent before the person offended by her sincerely and sincerely.
Bun-chan is Mia's cousin and just a reasonable, and adequate, civilized woman. Not as attractive as her cousin, but this woman is one of those that the Soviet rock group Chaif would have boldly ranked in the category of women full of bright ideas, one line from one of their old songs. Bun-chan either opened and maintains her own cafe, or works for hire in someone else's catering outlet. She dresses cute, old-fashioned, her hair always curled in a bun on her head (apparently, so that individual hairs do not get into the drinks sold). A true friend: he will teach wisdom and reason, if he sees a flaw in a loved one, and will reassure, comfort, and shelter and give warmth if there is nowhere to go. A very maternal and caring female character, while, as it turns out towards the end of the manga, she is lesbian and with her own secret story of unhappy love. He loves children, so he tries to please them (at their expense, of course) - for this purpose he prepares cotton candy in his window all year round. She is not too lazy to smile, but her age is difficult to establish: she seems to be still young, but at the same time she is already dressing and behaving like an old lady.
Drawing Style
Background Graphics Quality:
The background is below average. No, guys: seriously, the background in terms of quality and level of performance is somehow unfinished. Everything is somehow rough, intermittent, and even with "tails" from an ink pen at the corners. Interior items, exterior items, things in the hands of characters or under the hands of characters, even natural objects - everything, everything, everything is somehow sloppy, lurid, as if drawn by a child's, carelessly trembling hand of a "young surgeon". But everything would be fine, and such a sketch-background could be tolerated if not for ...
Character graphics quality:
Even worse than the quality of the background graphics. All characters, despite their human and civilized behavior, are disgusting and look like different animals, mainly different representatives of the monkey family. The similarity of the characters' faces with monkey faces is generally a big problem with this graphic style, in which Ringo Hamano managed to draw this manga (in the same style, the manga "Octave" by the mangaka Akiyama Haru was performed, in connection with which I now have a suspicion, that both the one and this author are one person under two pseudonyms, heh). No, guys, I, of course, more and more agree that a person is a descendant of a monkey when I observe the behavior of people in this world, but you can't disfigure the graphics like that, and even in such a pretty, almost childish, stories, ugh ...
Enjoyment
Ringo Hamano's works are clearly not very popular with Russian translators. And, perhaps, you can understand why ... First: graphics. She's not too ugly, but unpleasant. Secondly: the plot of the Cotton Candy manga generally shows that lesbian pornography from this mangaka should not be expected. Thirdly: plots in the spirit of Soviet cartoons and instructive parables about children from school literature textbooks, most likely, not only cause irritation, but even rejection among post-Soviet and Novorossiysk people who are translating manga into Russian. In this connection, I think, the translation of this manga was made not even by some group of translators (which, as a rule, has its own website or blog), but ... some modest lonely translator who made the translation alone ... And that says it all ... , does not like the Russian soul when her life is taught. She does not tolerate an unpleasant picture. And only she appreciates the epic character of Santa Barbara. To short manga stories, that is, to one-shots, in Russia, in general, the attitude is not trusting and not loving ... In the 80s and 90s (and still) television fed us, Russians, with all kinds of serials, some of them reached +2000 episodes. So, really, why read a story that lasts only 1-3 chapters when there is some beautiful and exciting Japanese, South Korean (and even Thai) epic about the life and love of two lesbian Asian women in the jungle of a western-style city ? I know from myself this bitter feeling of abrupt parting with the characters I love, when you just get used to them - and the story is already over. But in the case of cotton candy, the feeling was not bitter, but really sweet, and parting with the characters, albeit sharp, but extremely appropriate. And the social drama, sewn with a poisonous green thread on this short canvas of the modern life of Japanese teenage girls, only only made this manga even more attractive, if not with its graphics, then certainly the dialogues of the characters with each other and with themselves. Because there is everything that makes a normal manga good: friendship, which grows before our eyes into love, and disgust, which grows before our eyes into hatred - and even homophobia, which (believe me) is a rare villainous guest in Japanese manga. Maybe this manga won't please your eyes with a pretty picture ... so it will. But on the other hand, she is able to please you with the good news that sympathy is stronger than disgust, love is stronger than hatred, and the personal opinions of fellow travelers who can break hearts and break the plexus of hands should not be given so much attention.
Overall
The Cotton Candy manga left a double impression ... The plot and dialogues in it are obviously stronger than the graphics (or everything that ugly and disgusting that you can call it). Perhaps the most attractive character outwardly here is Mia - with her participation in this manga, the largest number of pleasant shots. Hinako is slightly less attractive, although she looks curious. Well, and Bun-chan looks like a man in some places ... Nevertheless, this literary and graphic work, in essence, demonstrates to us, men, that if you see two girls holding hands, then you don't need to make the face of a super villain and emit phrases full of fetid homophobic fumes into the air. After all, it may seem to you that everything is purely for fun and fun, but they may have love to the grave and for life ... This also applies to homophobic heterosexual women, by the way. (there have been too many of them lately). This is a good and even instructive "children's" manga, it should be perfect for children aged 12-16 years. A very adolescent work (apparently, that's why the graphics are also "kindergarten" here, or what?), With an increased degree of kindness, humanity. But it is not moralizing. The author does not read you any notation here. And life does not teach you - this is just one of the everyday sad stories, though, unlike many of them, with a joyful ending.