Pink Candy Kiss, Vol. 2

冷たくて 柔らか [Tsumetakute Yawaraka] #2

by Ami Uozumi

After experiencing a whirlwind of emotions, Takara comes to terms with the new and unfamiliar impulses she feels around Ema—Takara wants to kiss her and keep her all to herself. Can Takara hold back for the sake of Ema’s marriage? Does she even want to?

Genres: Manga, Romance, Yuri, LGBT, Lesbian, Josei, Queer

176 pages, Paperback

First published December 25, 2023

Reviews

[Morgan Le Fay ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga is so tender and sweet. I’m loving the past school friends to crushes storyline developing, but the drama of Ema actually being married to an absolute gentleman who cares deeply for her is starting to loom over this sweet new crush. P̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶ I̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶d̶a̶t̶e̶.

I want all 3 of them to have a happy ending, so In both excited and nervous for the next volume!

[Ash(eaux) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A manga with a small cast of characters who are all likeable yippee!!
I'm scared for what's to come though I'm sensing a bittersweet ending 😭. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of Em's POV especially when it comes to how she's going to handle all the changes in her life and her conflicted feelings. (Also i do think her platonic relationship with Hario is sweet and that depending on how the story evolves I hope they can remain friends/on good terms, hopefully he doesn't turn into an asshole out of nowhere, we've seen enough shitty men take the spotlight in the plot)
I lovedd how Takara deals with her feelings in this volume, she respects her friend's other important relationship and faced with a barrier on the romantic side she chooses to focus more on her sense of self and identity in general, going out to meet more queer people. (Her straight friend supporting her is awesome too)
Slice of life Yuri is such a comfort.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Thanks to Viz and Edelweiss for an ARC of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]

With a very good first volume under its belt, I had been hoping that we might have a worthy successor to the brilliant Even Though We’re Adults. I am now more convinced that this is likely to be precisely that, albeit with a different flavour.

The arc of many a romance manga gets elongated through artifice, where characters just don’t talk or are scared to because the plot dictates it. Less so here, where the characters are scared to talk for very good reasons.

This makes all the difference in the world. You have two people who are very much reading the same book, but seem to be on different pages. Was Em ever in love with Takara? Is Takara’s love in the past tense? We know, but they don’t.

And Takara refuses to do anything anyway, since Em is currently married, at least at the moment. Takara’s affection and general lust starts to go through the roof this volume and both of them have their desire written all over their faces. This volume is chock to the brim with stolen glances and longing looks.

As for that marriage, well, it’s… actually really not in a bad place. Em’s husband isn’t doing anything particularly wrong, that we know of, and the two of them seem very loving. But the passion isn’t there and it’s not a situation where that’s okay for the two of them.

(There is no mention of the potential affair from last volume and I would love for this to not give an easy out for our leads.)

Em is a good character, but Takara is the lead of this volume and story right now. Her exploration of a whole new side to her sexuality, one she didn’t quite know existed, is fantastic stuff and what sends this volume soaring.

I love when yuri gets real queer, it’s nice to have something doing a little more overt and real world, and boy this one just goes for it. The last chapters have Takara deciding that she wants more than anything to know her sexual identity, regardless of Em, which is such a smart idea for her.

So she and her straight gal pal head off to a gay bar and all of this segment is a delight. Her married friend putting her hottest outfit on because she wants to stand out even if it’s a same sex establishment is peak ‘straight person goes to a gay bar’ if I’ve ever seen it (and I assure you, I have).

From Takara’s obvious nervousness to the way she has a fabulous meet cute that probably won’t go anywhere but totally could, this is just a really fun bit of exploring yourself amongst people who might be just like you.

There’s a great discussion of love and desire and the way that two very different lesbians get drawn into this whole debate and discussion is absolutely adorable. Takara’s innocence starts drawing them into her story and it’s just a blast.

Basically, this is what I had hoped the second volume would be. I wanted more of Em and Takara exploring one another, I wanted more discussion about sexuality, and I wanted to come to just love what it was doing. Every box? Checked.

5 stars - absolutely killed it and, with most of the more serious adult yuri either finished or winding down, there’s no better time for something this strong to be coming out. Huge recommend.

[givememycheetos · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

OH MY GAAAWWWDDD, amo amo amo amooooo. Amo que de hecho Takara no quiera meterse en el matrimonio, asi que quiero pensar que NO normalizaran la infidelidad. Em me da tanta pena porque siento que necesitamos mas de su POV en la secundaria y universidad. Y bueno ame demasiado este tomo sobre todo el approach de la comunidad, la amistad de Momo y el ultimo cap en el bar 🥹🥹 NECESITABA EL DRAMA Y QUE EM VOLTEE Y VEA A TAKARA CON LA OTRA CHICA LINDAAA

[isbah ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ahhh my favorite ongoing doomed yuri, feels a bit more doomed after this volume and now i just want all 3 of them to have a happy ending somehow :/
loveeee how this volume involved takara exploring her sexuality and so many of her thoughts were super super relatable
anyways, yes to the slowburn and chappell roan discography vibes as always

[vi ☽ .☆ﾟ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am falling in love with Ema-chan just by seeing her through the eyes of Takara-chan. That’s one of the ways to know when someone loves someone too much.

Also, I love Hario-kun. He is so kind-hearted. I hope he doesn’t get hurt and even if he does, I hope for the hurt to go away soon.

Ah comphet really is the enemy to queer relationships.

I LOVE THIS MANGA SO MUCH!!

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still cute. Still can't just kiss and fuck. But that's okay, slowburn lesbian romance is still great.

But for real, so refreshing to read about adults in Manga. We need more of this!

[Sucre · Rating 5 out of 5]

really adored this volume. we go to a gay club! there's a butch there!!!!! the women in this fantasize about sex and have sexual thoughts about each other! things are complicated and there's a lot of opportunity for drama, but the core of this is the relationship between the two women and i'm very interested to see where that goes. it's clear ema is keeping some secrets, and i'm excited to see those explored more and what that means about her sexuality + her relationship with takara. there's some real swoonworthy moments in this and it's definitely my new fave yuri being published right now.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The soft and tender and mature nature of this manga makes it not at all frustrating to read for me, even after a second volume with no visible progress either way.

[Devinne Ch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of the Gl manga's I've read start with one of the leads having a male partner, I don't know if it's actually a common thing in the genre but it happens so much I don't know if I should find it funny.

This time the love interest is not even a boyfriend it's a HUSBAND, and I feel quite conflicted about it. Most of the time I can at least gaslight myself to support the girls' relationship just because I don't like the guy, but this time the husband just so happens to be the biggest green flag, he's such a gentleman and he totally supports and adores his wife, he's even better that most of the male leads from some shoujo manga's. The relationship between the girl and her husband seems to be so sweet too, from an outsider point of view they seem quite happy. The girl still keeps giving mixed signals to our lead though, it really makes me wonder how everything is going to develop.

Our protagonist is aware of the morally implications of her feelings (liking a married woman), she doesn't pretend to act on them but can't help to have them. She suffers a bit from that, but it's nice to see how she addresses those feelings, and while treasuring them she knows she'll have to move on from them.

I really love the artist's style, it's so beautiful, the characters, especially in the covers are completely gorgeous, I really love it.

I also really like how our protagonist wants to explore her sexuality regardless of her feelings for the married girl, she wants to understand herself better and ends up going to a lesbian bar and talking with other lesbians about her feelings, they talk (very subtly) about how LGBT people live in Japan, and I can't help but finding really interesting. It made me really happy see that, even in most of bl/gl manga's those kind of topics are rarely touched, so it's good to have that kind of representation.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will say that I did like the first vol better than the second one but, I still enjoyed reading This. Self discovery can be a big part of someone's life, and Takara really showed it. Her finally starting to accept that she loves Ema, and not only that, she was starting to accept that she likes girls too.(Even if it's something she doesn't fully understand yet.) The way that Taka and Ema bond and rekindle their friendship is super sweet and tender. It is a very slow burn, but I actually like that a lot. I love the way that they were still trying to figure out who they are in the process of falling in love.

The part where Ema told her husband that she wanted a place to herself made me a little sad because of Hario. But, it was nice hearing Ema, Taka, AND Hario's(kinda) point of view on everything that was going on in the story.

Again, sure, I did like the first vol better but this was still such a sweet story. I still LOVE this second volume. Can't wait to read vol 3!!

YURI YURI YURI!!!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Viz Media for the digital ARC of “Pink Candy Kiss” vol. 2! I was a big fan of the first volume, and I was pleased with this next installment. Ema and Takara’s romance is slow burn at this point, both of them dancing around fully confessing their love, so only a bit of progress is made unfortunately. I was happy we got a little bit of Ema’s perspective and could confirm that the feelings are mutual! The art and paneling is beautiful, and the character interactions are so cute. There was a bit of a cliffhanger, was that Ema she spotted? I can’t wait to read the next volume to find out! If you’re looking for a thoughtful yuri manga that isn’t just another high school romance, I recommend giving this manga a try.

[♡ zuly ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pink Candy Kiss picks up where the last volume left off both literally and in my sentiments about it. It was as likable as the first volume, and the tension between the two characters was amped up. Their chemistry versus the reality of their circumstances makes for a very compelling narrative.
It was nice to see our lead Takara with the help of a friend dig a little bit deeper into understanding her sexuality, and I'm really interested to continue this series. I enjoyed the introduction of some new supporting characters, and I'm excited to see where the story takes them as well. Definitely a great read for June!
Thank you to Netgalley and Viz for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Taz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I loved this volume, especially the second part! It was cute and emotional and Im loving Ema and Takara as both individual characters and their dynamic together.

Takara confessing her actions in middle school and the feelings she had for Ema was so adorable. And then the tension between them throughout this volume??? Chef’s kiss!! Like the apartment hunting??!!

In this volume we switched to Ema’s perspective and learn that she has always loved Takara as more than a friend. We also learn that she’s hiding something that she thinks Takara and her husband will hate her for.

I’m curious to see how the plot line of Ema and her husband will go. He’s a really good husband who seems to deeply love Ema, and Ema seems to deeply care about him. And what is it that Ema is hiding? Was that her at the lesbian bar?

My favorite part of the volume was Takara going to the lesbian bar. We got to meet two queer characters who are basically helping Takara figure out her feelings for Ema and sexuality. I really hope this manga will go into queerness and queer community.

[Kait W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this volume and it has me really excited to continue the series. It's a fascinating exploration of figuring out your sexuality as an adult, facing emotions and relationships you struggled with as an adolescent before you were willing to acknowledge those aspects of yourself, and the way your friends and loved ones contribute to your understanding of yourself. I'm definitely feeling like I have a strong sense of each individual character and their relationship ties and I've become invested in seeing how those relationships shake out. The artwork is still very beautiful, and the emotions feel very authentic.

[Noortje · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read the next volume😭 So far I think everything's being handled very tactfully, at least concerning Takara's feelings. I also love how chill and supporting her friend is, even going to a lesbian bar with her!
Idk how to feel about Em yet bc.. is she alreading cheating on her husband? I hope she's just hanging at the club but.. She did say she already did something bad :/ I really like Hario too so I'm a bit scared. I'm lowkey glad he isn't an abuser or anything tho, even if it would make rooting for a relationship between the mc's easier. VERY curious to see where the story's gonna go.

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Takara's feelings deepen as the story progresses. Meanwhile, we are just starting to get into Ema's story and her feelings about Takara.
I'm really enjoying the mystery surrounding Ema and her husband. I reeeeeally wanna know what's actually going on between them. I can't wait for the next volume!

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh, I fear this series can only end in some sort of tragedy.

I loved the reveals we got this volume and the tension of "will they, won't they" was THICK. I'm really curious to learn more about Em and her husband. Their relationship feels a bit peculiar in some ways?

Also, that ending?! oh, the questions I have now.

Thanks to Viz for the DRC!

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the illustration is absolutely stunning I would have liked to see more development one way or the other of the relationship. I also personally don't love plots that involve married people being interested in someone else, so I can only hope that there is a happy ending to be had for all parties here.

[Pandaaaaaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

So in this volume we learn that Takara is 100% firm that she still loves Em.

We learn that Em is in love with Takara too.

Takara doesn't want to have an affair with a married person (man or woman) so she's willing to remain as just friends with Em and not tell Em her feelings for her.

But in the last chapter we learn that Em may not be faithful to her husband, which sucks if it's true cause he's a really nice person.

Honestly I'm not sure if I'm still liking this. I'm not a fan of cheating (regardless of sexuality), it's never okay. So if in the next volume this takes that direction I might drop the series.

[T.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I was just here for the art. Everything is so pretty, and everyone blushes... a lot. But that last chapter was so well done. Big big love. Now I need to know what happens next.

It's possible Ema and her husband Hario have an 'arrangement,' but I'm worried everyone here is playing with fire.

[Zaidee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still really enjoying this series! I appreciate Taka's openness with Ema about her past feelings for her, and I'm hoping this means things will pick up in the next books. Nothing feels rushed and I find the dynamic of the two women to be sweet and intriguing; there is some palpable tension and a potentially very complicated situation, so we'll see how things continue to blossom between these two!

[Paloma · Rating 4 out of 5]

My babies ❤️ the Nichome Saturday night, Taka embracing her true self as a lesbian and finding her own community, accepting wholeheartedly her identity and realizing that she’s experiencing true love towards Em… I WANT MORE

[Giorgia Pascali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ema, la tua avidità sta raggiungendo livelli biblici ma ti supporto, you go, girl

[maddie °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so freaking hyped for the next one to be released

[J A SPONG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous artwork, heartbreaking storytelling and beautifully presented.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characters are interesting, but I don’t like the direction this is going with there being a lack of communication/avoiding major hints. So feel like it could be a really drawn out series.

[Alexis Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

giggling and kicking my feet

[Lynda B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

don't let your husband stop you from finding your wife!

[Nicole Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

im nervous 😭 I think taka going out to really try to understand her feelings was cute. hoping to see more of Em’s POV in volume 3.