Candy

Review: Candy

What I Liked

Strong emotional core

The biggest strength of Candy is its emotional sincerity. The series doesn’t treat its
romance as superficial fan service; instead, it focuses on how relationships can
become a source of safety in an unforgiving environment. The quieter scenes
between characters often feel more powerful than the dramatic confrontations.
Several moments in the show capture vulnerability surprisingly well. Characters who
initially appear distant or cold gradually reveal layers of fear, regret, and longing.
Because of this, the relationships feel more grounded and meaningful.

Two different romance dynamics

Another thing I appreciated was the presence of two GL relationships with very
different tones. One focuses more on warmth and emotional healing, while the other
carries a sharper edge shaped by ambition and past conflicts. This contrast helps
prevent the story from feeling repetitive and adds variety to the emotional landscape.
The second relationship in particular stands out because it explores the tension
between career, power, and unresolved feelings, which feels fitting for a story set in
the entertainment industry.

Industry atmosphere

The drama also does a solid job portraying the darker side of celebrity culture public
scandals, manipulation, and the pressure of maintaining a perfect image. Even
though the series is short, it effectively conveys how fragile fame can be and how
quickly public perception can turn.

What Didn’t Work as Well

Rushed pacing

With only eight episodes, the story sometimes moves too quickly. Major conflicts
appear and resolve rapidly, leaving little room for certain emotional developments to
fully breathe. Some character motivations would have benefited from more screen
time and deeper exploration.

Overly dramatic twists

At times the show leans heavily into melodrama. While emotional intensity is part of
the genre, a few twists feel exaggerated compared to the more grounded character
moments. These moments can slightly disrupt the otherwise intimate tone the series
builds.

Underdeveloped side characters

Some supporting characters play important roles in the narrative but don’t receive
enough development. A bit more depth in these roles could have strengthened the
overall story and made certain conflicts feel more impactful.

Overall Thoughts

Even with its flaws, Candy stands out because it focuses on emotional vulnerability
and complex queer relationships rather than simply using romance as decoration.
The performances carry much of the series, making the characters feel believable
even when the plot moves quickly.
It’s not a perfect drama, but it’s a memorable one especially for viewers interested in
character driven GL stories set against the harsh reality of the entertainment world.

⭐ Rating: 7.5–8/10

If you enjoy shorter dramas that mix romance with emotional character exploration,
Candy is definitely worth watching.

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I know a girl who's soft and sweet / She's so fine, she can't be beat / Got everything that I desire

The web series Candy is a small and curious television production, which fits into the GL (girls love) rom-com genre. With its eight episodes of about half an hour each, it is easy to follow and manages to intrigue the viewer, even if it does not always fully explore its characters.

The story focuses on the reunion between Lin Can, now an established actress, and Nuan Nuan, her school friend from years ago. The two girls had been very close in the past, but a scandal linked to their relationship and hostility from their families had led to a painful separation. When they meet again as young adults, their feelings for each other seem to have not faded at all: Lin Can appears determined and direct, while Nuan Nuan remains shyer and more cautious. Under the pretext of hiring her as a personal assistant, the two begin to live together, slowly reopening a relationship that had been left unresolved.

Alongside the main couple, another romantic dynamic develops between manager Si Han and famous actress Jiang Wan. This quartet of characters gives rise to a narrative made up of skirmishes, subtle jealousies and romantic moments, in which the drama alternates between light-hearted comedy and more melodramatic passages.

One of the most interesting elements is the frequent use of flashbacks, which gradually reveal the characters' pasts and the reasons for their break-up. These flashbacks also paint a rather critical picture of the adult world: autocratic fathers, possessive or violent men, and unscrupulous figures of authority represent the main obstacles to the women's freedom. In this sense, the series introduces, without fully developing it, an almost “social” dimension linked to the difficulties the young women have had to face in their lives.

Not everything, however, always appears perfectly harmonised. Some narrative developments – such as episodes of sudden violence or situations bordering on thriller – introduce stronger tones than the prevailing romantic lightness. Even the psychological construction of the characters sometimes remains barely hinted at: many emotions are suggested rather than fully explored, probably also due to the relatively short length of the series.

The urban setting, on the other hand, is interesting: modern, clean and almost futuristic cities, often shown with surprisingly empty streets. This visual choice creates a particular, almost suspended atmosphere, which contributes to giving the show a fairly recognisable visual identity.

The overall tone remains delicate, however. The scenes between the main characters are constructed with restraint and discreet sensuality, without ever slipping into vulgarity. The title itself, “Candy”, refers to a small recurring gesture between Lin Can and Nuan Nuan: the exchange of sweets to soften difficult moments, a simple but effective metaphor for their bond.

Of course, we are not dealing with works as structured as queer cinema classics such as “Desert Hearts” or “The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love”. However, Candy remains a curious and enjoyable little series, capable of functioning exactly like the gesture of giving sweets: simple, discreet, but able to sweeten the viewer's experience. The ending is beautiful and compensatory.

7/10

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Uncanny valley ruins the potential

The biggest issue for me, is the uncanny valley being so jarring and prevalent that I couldn't get invested in the actual good parts. Maybe some people are less sensitive to that, and if you are, you may be able to enjoy this drama more than me.

BAD CGI & DUBBING
I guess one of the second leads is using an CGI filter on her face? It does not look good, especially when speaking or emoting. Her partner also frequently has an eerie effect on her, it seems like her face is real but her eye movements have some weird smoothing or something, idk.

It actually feels like the "filter" use may even be broader than that, but sometimes it isn't clear whether the uncanny feeling is from a filter making faces look weird, or just the dubbing being bad / the actors lipsyncing poorly because they know it will be dubbed? (I don't know if that is a thing, but it would explain a lot, because it often doesn't even look like they are actually speaking)

GOOD EMOTIONAL BEATS
The primary story for the main couple is actually pretty strong. If you can ignore the other problems, this actually could have made it a pretty good watch.

Even the secondary couple has good ...writing. But saying that their arc is good would be difficult when they look like 1.5 animatronics.

BAD CONFLICT WRITING
Okay, I normally don't like to criticize actors. What do I know, I am sure I would be worse than the worst actor. But in this case, the combination of acting/directing/writing for the 2 main antagonists was actually painful enough to make me dislike the whole show (a second time, even if the uncanny valley hadn't been ruining it enough).

The villains just act incredibly cartoonish. Like way beyond even shows where the genre expects a villain to be cartoonish. These 2 characters act like they are in a vshort and honestly many vshort villains are more believable than this.

Many of these conflicts also have writing that is barely coherent. If you have your brain on even the slightest bit, many of the scenes will not even have internally consistent logic. They really do just throw some tropes at the wall to fill out the plot. :(

DISAPPOINTING TONE
Okay this one may just be my preconceived notions, but I felt like this show was trying to be a combination of Thai GL and Chinese vShort and did both poorly. If you actually combined them well I would probably have enjoyed it. But what I had REALLY hoped this would be, was for it to be a new style distinct to better quality Chinese dramas.

China already has some stuff like this with its own tone that are really great! Very disappointing that this one failed to focus.

Examples of Chinese GL tone already being distinct (and good to me!):

Indie films (Actual GLs)
- https://kisskh.at/749131-fireworks-of-yesteryear
- https://kisskh.at/700737-fragrance-of-the-first-flower

Historicals (Sismance)
- https://kisskh.at/62355-couple-of-mirrors
- https://kisskh.at/788444-be-her-resilience
- https://kisskh.at/777852-shuang-shu-mei-tan

Fantasy vShorts (Sismance+, these have vibes but are often chopped up)
- https://kisskh.at/764425-shuang-tu
- https://kisskh.at/716845-the-fox-spirit-and-the-little-priest
- https://kisskh.at/764425-shuang-tu
- https://kisskh.at/726937-the-vampires
- Pretty much anything with https://kisskh.at/people/35259-yang-fu-yu
- Pretty much anything with https://kisskh.at/people/79893-sheng-wei

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One Episode Too Many

The series starts with strong story building and introduces a side couple that eventually receives significant screen time. The antagonist and their mysterious past with the main character create intrigue, and most of the characters are interesting. However, the story sometimes relies too heavily on clichés and portrays the antagonists as almost excessively evil. Many emotional reactions and decisions feel overly impulsive and unrealistic.

The episode before the finale is actually one of the stronger episodes. Unfortunately, the final episode becomes particularly problematic, relying on several clichés while leaving multiple questions unanswered.

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Une romance douce… rattrapée par un drame trop condensé

Candy est une série qui commence avec une vibe légère, presque sucrée comme son titre le suggère, avant de glisser progressivement vers un drame bien plus sombre et émotionnellement chargé. Ce contraste aurait pu être une vraie force… mais il se retrouve en partie limité par un format trop court qui empêche le récit de pleinement respirer.
Dès les premiers épisodes, la dynamique entre Lin Can et Nuan Nuan fonctionne immédiatement. Lin Can, actrice célèbre, assumée et intense, contraste parfaitement avec Nuan Nuan, plus réservée, presque dépassée par la force des sentiments qui l’entourent. Leur relation repose sur un passé commun brisé, et la série parvient à installer une tension sincère entre retrouvailles, non-dits et désir.
Les moments de proximité sont nombreux, parfois maladroits, mais toujours empreints d’une vraie douceur. Il y a une authenticité dans leur lien qui rend leur évolution naturelle et attachante.

Visuellement, la série surprend également. Malgré un budget modeste, les jeux de lumière apportent une vraie identité esthétique, renforçant l’immersion dans les moments plus intimistes. Cependant, à mesure que l’intrigue avance, Candy bascule vers des thématiques beaucoup plus lourdes : abus, chantage, pression médiatique, manipulation… et surtout l’introduction progressive de Shen Hao comme antagoniste. C’est ici que la série révèle ses limites. Son obsession, pourtant centrale dans le climax final, n’est réellement développée que très tard, ce qui réduit l’impact global de ses actions. Là où il aurait pu être un antagoniste marquant, il apparaît surtout comme une menace soudaine et extrême.

Le principal problème reste le pacing. Avec seulement 8 épisodes de 30 minutes, la série enchaîne les événements sans laisser de véritables moments de respiration. Les enjeux sont intéressants mais trop nombreux et trop souvent survolés. L’acting, globalement correct, ne suffit pas toujours à compenser ce manque de temps, notamment dans les moments clés où une performance plus percutante aurait été nécessaire pour pleinement transmettre la charge émotionnelle. Certaines scènes émotionnelles, qui auraient dû être dévastatrices, manquent alors d’intensité.

Paradoxalement, la relation secondaire entre Si Han et Jiang Wan devient l’un des éléments les plus marquants de la série. Leur dynamique est complexe, douloureuse, marquée par les sacrifices, les mensonges et une séparation particulièrement violente. Leur écriture est plus chaotique, mais aussi plus viscérale, ce qui la rend profondément impactante. Et pourtant, c’est aussi là que la série fait son choix le plus frustrant. Après une reconstruction progressive, après une confession sincère et un bref moment de bonheur enfin retrouvé… tout est brutalement anéanti. L’amnésie partielle de Jiang Wan est un twist d’une grande cruauté. Là où une rupture aurait été émotionnellement cohérente, la série choisit une voie encore plus dure : une relation qui doit recommencer de zéro, avec une seule des deux qui se souvient. Ce choix narratif est fort, mais laisse un sentiment d’injustice profond, d’autant plus que ce bonheur n’a existé que quelques instants et après un redemption arc grandiose pour le personnage de Jiang Wan.

Du côté de Lin Can et Nuan Nuan, la conclusion est plus douce. Après les épreuves, les manipulations et le sacrifice ultime de Lin Can qui va prendre un coup de couteau pour protéger Nuan Nuan, leur relation peut enfin s'épanouir en toute tranquilité. Leur fin est apaisante, méritée, presque réparatrice. Mais là encore, le rythme précipité empêche cette résolution d’avoir tout le poids émotionnel qu’elle aurait pu porter avec plus de temps.

Candy est une série sincère, avec de très belles intentions. Elle excelle dans la création de relations attachantes et dans certaines dynamiques émotionnelles, mais souffre fortement de son format trop court. Le manque de développement de certains éléments clés, combiné à un enchaînement trop rapide des événements, empêche la série d’atteindre tout son potentiel.

En bref, c'est une œuvre imparfaite mais touchante, portée par des personnages qu’on apprend à aimer et détester… même quand la série décide de nous briser le cœur en nous laissant sur une fin douce-amère.

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