This review may contain spoilers
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
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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