Pink Candy Kiss
When a reunion with an old friend opens up Pandora's box filled with feelings for a forbidden love.
Disclaimer: This copy of Pink Candy Kiss was sent by Viz Media and Bookinfluencers for a promotional TikTok video, all thoughts in this post are completely my own.
A yuri published under Viz Media’s Shojo Beat in the year 2025? Am I dreaming? When it comes to yuri/GL manga, I often think of Seven Seas or Yen Press and even Kodansha. It just seems like other publishers pick up queer series way more often than Viz Media, so when Pink Candy Kiss by Ami Uozumi was announced I was genuinely surprised and I had intentions to buy this way before the opportunity to create a sponsored TikTok came to me. Now how does this measure up to all the other yuri I’ve read? Pink Candy Kiss
Genre: Yuri/GL, slice of life, drama
Age Rating: Teens
Publisher: Viz Media Shojo Beat
Status: Ongoing, one volume out in English
Synopsis:
Takara is a 33 year-old unmarried woman who just got broken up with by her boyfriend of 2 years because she never showed interest in him. She understands the concept of love and enjoys the companionship, but to her partners she seems cold and distant. That’s until one day at work she meets this elegant woman looking at real estate listings that catches her eye and once they strike up a conversation she learns that this woman is her middle school friend, Ema. The same friend that Taka developed feelings for 20 years ago when they were both young teenage girls. Em is just as beautiful as an adult woman which excites Taka, but there is one problem… Em is married to a man.
Reconnecting with Em brings up a slew of emotions for both women and it seems like they can finally let their guard down with each other. Even Em’s husband is surprised by this new side of Em that has her feeling giddy and expressing herself more clearly. Taka can’t help to feel enchanted by this new, yet familiar Em but finds herself in a dilemma as she fights to suppress her feelings for another woman who’s married.
Favorite Things:
Art: The portraits in this series are beautiful! The women not only look beautiful but the way Ami Uozumi portrays emotions is also very beautiful. Whether it’s Em shedding tears of joy after seeing Taka for the first time in 20 years, or Taka getting lost in thought as she stares at Em’s lips that she wants to kiss. I just got lost in how beautiful the portraits were drawn.
The age of the leads: We have another series with leads in their 30’s! I love that we get to see women who are single and still figuring themselves like Taka, a married woman who’s wanting to branch out like Em, and also a happily married woman like Taka’s friend. I really enjoy reading about different women in their 30’s because there’s honestly no one way to adult.
Drama: If you are a fan of yuri series Even Though We’re Adults and Run Away with Me, Girl, then you’ll really enjoy Pink Candy Kiss. All three series follow adult women who are battling the stigma of same sex relationships in Japan. They also follow women who have had to conform to the pressures of Japanese society and have had to marry men in order to fit in. We will have to wait and see if Pink Candy Kiss turns out to be just as dramatic as the other series but judging by this first volume, I’m already preparing myself for lots of drama and maybe some tears too.
Notable Things:
Real life stigmas: Taka’s doubts about her romantic feelings for her friend presented her with many dilemmas that lesbian women in Japan feel. Taka was convinced that her feelings for Em as a teenager were too dirty and sexual- that those thoughts would corrupt her dear friend. Taka has never actually considered accepting that she has strong romantic feelings for a woman, to her she just assumed that it was a phase that would pass with time.
Afterword: This brings us to the afterword by Ami Uozumi where she describes how she wanted to portray the prejudice, alienation, and disgust that LGBT people face in Japan. She also shares her hopes for people to start loving whoever they want without letting the thoughts that they would have been better off being heterosexual hold them back. I really loved her afterword so much.
Rating: ★★★★★ / 5
If you’re a yuri fan, then Pink Candy Kiss is a must-read! I truly hope that people decide to pick this up so we can get more yuri and stories about adult women in Shojo Beat. If you’ve felt a void after reading the last volumes of Even Though We’re Adults and Run Away with Me, Girl then you’ll really enjoy this one.
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