Reporter Onoe and photographer Kaburagi constantly bicker and argue on their stakeouts, but will their antagonistic behavior paradoxically evolve into something sweeter?
Satoshi Onoe, a reporter for a weekly magazine, has a new stakeout partner, and he’s anything but thrilled about it. Photographer Motoharu Kaburagi’s unconventional reporting methods and overall bad attitude are enough to drive Onoe insane. But the more the two work together, the closer they get.
Both work and love are going well for Onoe and Kaburagi! But one day Kaburagi bumps into Sanjo, an old high school buddy who happens to be the heir to a hotel chain. While Sanjo looks ecstatic to see Kaburagi again, Kaburagi himself seems a little awkward about it. Noticing this, Onoe starts to wonder if maybe the two of them were more than just friends once upon a time…
Isaku Natsume (native name: 夏目イサク) is a Japanese author of Boys' Love manga. Aside from the manga published with publishing companies, she also runs two Dōjin circles: 139 and Chekera. List of all her works (detailed) : http://infbot.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/...
Kaburagi finally opened up about his past a bit, and it was so great. Also I love how Onoe's rubbing off on him, making him a better and more generous person!
Oh how I LOVED this. Candy Colour Paradox continues to be one of my favourite series- it’s the perfect mix of developing cute relationship feat work dramatics!
I further enjoy the fact that even though they’re an established couple since volume 1 both Onoe and Kaburagi still bicker like crazy. It’s hilarious but they’re also very protective of each other and I just love that blend.
I expected this to be jealously filled and no communication but the guys actually talked through their (unneeded) jealousy, which was nice and somehow lead to even more funny moments.
The plot was a little on the slower side but it worked because it gave the chance for more character development. Kaburagi finally opens up to Onoe more about his past and I’m very excited to see what other directions this series takes.
We are now seeing Onoe and Kaburagi being more open about their relationship. Also opening more about their past especially with Kaburagi since he does not open up as much. Which happens when Kaburagi’s childhood friend, Sanjo, comes into town and wants Kaburagi to work with him. I also loved that the jealousy that the two men have when other men get close to their partner is handled better especially when Onoe apologizes for an instance of it. It really showed their growth in themselves, but also their ability to communicate better because they can admit to feeling jealous. And with living together now the two are so much stronger together and there are even more cute moments in this volume. Overall, this was a great volume bringing a conclusion to this series.
Band 5 fühlt sich nun für mich erstaunlich gut an. Zuvor fehlte mir irgendwie die Chemie zwischen den beiden. Jetzt habe ich das Gefühl, dass Onoes und Kabus Beziehung an einem Punkt angelangt ist, der mir besser gefällt als in den vorherigen Bänden. Ich mag, dass die zwei miteinander kommunizieren. Es gibt zwar Missverständnisse bzw. legen andere ihnen Steine in den Weg, aber die zwei reden miteinander, sodass Ärger schnell aus dem Weg geräumt wird und sich kein unnötiges Drama über zig Seiten erstreckt. Außerdem gibt es weiterhin eine übergeordnete Handlung, sodass der Fokus nicht alleine auf ihrer Liebesbeziehung liegt, was ich gerne mag.
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Volume 5 now feels surprisingly good for me. Before, I somehow felt the chemistry between the two was lacking. Now I feel like Onoe and Kabu's relationship has reached a point that I like better than in the previous volumes. I like that the two of them communicate with each other. There are misunderstandings or others putting obstacles in their way, but the two of them talk to each other so that trouble is sorted out quickly and there is no unnecessary drama stretching over countless pages. Also, there is still an overarching plot, so the focus is not solely on their love affair, which I like.
Thank you to Allie for their second copy of Candy Color Paradox volume 5!
The wait is over! Onoe and Kaburagi are back and bringing the romance to the light. Well, until Kubaragi's high school BFF comes.
I actually love seeing more of Kubaragi's teen years in this volume. Sanjo is a pretty crazy dude and I can see why he was attracted to Kubaragi's aloofness. But man, the way Onoe apologizes for not asking Kubaragi directly what his relationship with Sanjo was like is such character development. And I love that the two recognize how they get jealous over their closeness to other same-sex friends.
The work festival scene was even better because I love seeing those two have fun with each other and talk out their feelings. I honestly cannot wait until we get another volume!
Me gustó este tomo por el chiste que hace Kaburagi de que él también tiene a su Masayan; me causa mucha gracia que ante cualquier dificultad Onoe va a su bar a contarle sus penas. Masayan, el mvp de este manga.
Este tomo se enfoca un poco en el pasado de Kaburagi, se sabe que no se llevaba bien con su familia, pero al irse a Tokyo dejó atrás a alguien que verdaderamente lo consideraba un amigo.
I think I only put this as 4 stars because for me it was the "end" of the series and it concluded on a not-so-finished note. The two of them living together is still something I would like to see, but they're still somewhat early into their relationship, and it's not like they aren't making the time for each other. It would be a bigger deal, I think, if one of them did transition careers and they needed to be certain they'd be able to see each other outside of work more often.
Otherwise, I loved this. It's been 4 years since I've read this series, apparently (!), and I'm so happy to discover I love it as much, or more, as I did when I first encountered it. My favorite thing is the characters' maturity. They're funny and snarky and still argue a lot, but they always, always think carefully about each other and work through things.
Kaburagi gets the most character development, because he has the darker backstory and more issues to work through, but I adore Onoe. He's probably one of my all-time favorite manga characters: he's genuine and a little bit gullible but not stupid. He puts so much effort into everything he does and, even when he's jealous or insecure, he always finds a way to lift up the people around him. I never have any worries about their relationship, because Kaburagi struck gold and he knows it.
October 11, 2021:
This volume felt a bit thinner than the others, both on storyline and actual page count. Some of the ground seemed to be rehashed a little, unnecessarily - Onoe had already discovered a lot about Kaburagi's past through his sister, so introducing a best friend from high school to stir up old drama was kind of a stretch.
Initially, I wasn't happy with that moment of distrust from Onoe - he didn't believe Kaburagi's sister when he'd only been dating Kaburagi for a week, and at this point they've been together well over a year, so there was no reason for him to listen to some guy from Kaburagi's past over his own knowledge of his boyfriend. Points for him immediately going over to Kaburagi's to talk about it, though, and for only taking a day to think about it before apologizing. I suppose the difference is that after a year+ together, he should have learned more about Kaburagi's past, so it would be a little unsettling to realize there were still some big gaps in their communication.
It's not intentional, though, and Kaburagi is always open about things when Onoe asks, so their relationship certainly isn't hitting any real obstacles.
It's funny that Sanjo really isn't a romantic rival at all; I like the comparison Kaburagi draws between him and Masa-Yan, because yeah, sometimes you might be jealous of a purely platonic bond. Even if that friend isn't going to "steal" your partner away, there's still precious time and emotional attachment being devoted to them, and Onoe and Kaburagi don't have a whole lot of free time.
It'd be interesting if they did transition careers at some point; it's not like either of them truly love what they're doing, and Sanjo has a good point when it comes to reliable work hours and guaranteed vacation time. They'd spend less time working together, but would have more actual free time on nights and weekends and holidays, so it'd probably end up balancing out, really.
I was disappointed that the moving in together conversation hadn't gained any traction since the last volume, although they still obviously spend all their time together. And Kaburagi gaining a friend and starting to deal with some of his past trauma isn't a bad thing - it just felt a bit rushed. I wonder why there wasn't even a real author's note at the end this time, either, saying whether there's more to come.
The previous volume was a better "conclusion," if you want some solid sense of a satisfyingly wrapped up narrative, but it's still fun to see the two of them together again. Definitely wouldn't mind more...especially if they finally do get to the cohabitation stage that was hinted at so strongly before.
It's been a while since I read the previous volumes so going into this, the details were fuzzy. Even so, I really liked this one. This was as cute and funny as I remember the other volumes being, and the drama worked well. The art was good. I liked learning more about Kaburagi's past. Seeing him, and even Onoe, get a little more development was neat. Gotta say that Kaburagi x Onoe is one of my favorite BL couples that I've read since I started exploring the genre. I find them to be fun and endearing characters to the point that they could be folding laundry, and I probably would still be entertained based on their usual banter and interactions.
Not a whole lot happened in this volume. We got a look at what Kaburagi was like in high school, as well as his childhood best friend coming back into his life, but other than that, this volume lacked steam. I don’t know if it’s the author running out of ideas for Onoe and Kaburagi, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this series ended soon, because their relationship seems really solid and I can’t imagine anything changing that at this point.
Another solid installment of this series; Natsume Isaku never fails on delivering cute and funny and sweet BL. This time, someone from Kaburagi's past appears and it causes Onoe to question just how much he knows about his partner. It's really interesting to get a glimpse of Kaburagi's past and also to see just how much he's changed since then, due to Onoe's influence over the course of the series. The story also manages to avoid creating contrived misunderstandings between the main couple (which is one thing I love about most of this series), and they generally resolve their issues through communication and a lot of trust in each other.
However, being 5 volumes deep at this point, I think the story lines in this series are getting a little repetitive. Aside from the first volume (in which the central plot was the two leads getting together), every single volume has featured the appearance of a brand new character to throw a wrench into Onoe and Kaburagi's situation. While we've thankfully managed to avoid the usual cliches like an old flame or a love rival showing up, it kind feels like each volume has been a bit of a repeat, with every new character introduced seemingly coming between them. Entertaining and enjoyable repeats, but nonetheless, after 4 volumes of this, it's getting a bit old.
Part of the problem, I think, is that the world-building surrounding Onoe and Kaburagi's lives outside of work hasn't really been developed significantly, and recurring background characters seem to only pop in for brief cameos instead of taking an active role in the actual plot. I'd love to see more of them, and see Onoe and Kaburagi's lives open up to include and integrate more people, and it would probably breathe some fresh life into the plot lines.
Still, I am hopeful for the next volume that is coming out next February, because based on the book blurb, it looks like the plot line will involve Onoe and Kaburagi moving in together, and facing issues related to that.
This volume was just okay. Nothing really happened other than Kaburagi's old high school friend, Sanjo, coming into town asking Kaburagi to come work for him... an offer Kaburagi flat out refused. I tried to get into it but it was really hard. Sanjo didn't pose a threat to their relationship nor did he have anything scandalous going on. In the end I found myself trying to hurry through the story as quickly as possible just so I could be done with it.
The only time I re-engaged was during the Sports Festival Secrets mini-story. Kaburagi is always so laid back and nonchalant that it's always interesting to witness him being jealous. Just looking at him you'd never even know he was capable of it, 😆.
This series is most likely coming to an end. It's been a lovely ride but there really isn't anywhere else to go. Onoe and Kaburagi's relationship is strong. They're completely in love with each other and I don't think anything can come along to change it.
Reporter Onoe and photographer Kaburagi are well-ensconced in their steady relationship, bickering away and loving away in equal measure. But suddenly Sanjo, a rich and handsome man from Kabu’s past pops up and is delighted to see Kabu after so many years. Kabu appears to be less than pleased and quite awkward around Sanjo which makes Onoe’s boyfriend-senses tingle and wonder what is the equation between the two estranged friends.
While there was tremendous potential for the green-eyed monster to raise its jealous head in this series, Onoe and Kabu continue to be the realistic and mature couple that I have come to grow and respect over the series. Kabu seems to be finally opening up about his past to Onoe and dear Onoe continues to be the unexpected voice of reason and comfort. I also enjoy the small scope for humour provided by Kasai (who still has his heart set on Onoe but is wary of a looming Kabu).
Kaburagi and Onoe seem to be doing better than ever in this Japanese Manga about working journalist in a romance.
Kaburagi has an old high school friend show up out of no where and jealousy must be dealt with. Kaburagi is closed about his past, but with this old friend showing up, we see him open up about his past. At the end of the volume, this new friend says to Onoe, that he is competing to be the best friend with Kaburagi.
The story seems to be getting a little thing. I'm still enjoying it though. I think it would be interesting if they opened up about their relationship and let people deal with that. I'd be here for that. I think there is one more volume left.
well boyz, i’d hoped this day wouldn’t come so soon but i have read all of candy coloured paradox :,) i’ve also realized i still have no idea why it’s called that… this story has become on of my favourites, i love the way it doesn’t really focus on the progression of their relationship and there’s never too much drama, and when their is,, it’s always dealt with super well. it’s so a big deal that i’m happy w every story line and character decision. i will miss these guys, i hope there will be more volumes to come !!:)
I'm so excited for the next volume whenever it comes out in English. From the few chapters I've seen in the magazine, there's some good stuff that's going to happen and I'm ready for it. This is just such a calming, chill series to read. Sure there's some slight drama here and there, but you know everything's going to be okay in the end and that the couple is going to be happy.
I love it! “Sanjo’s my Masa-yan!” Lol. I love how straightforward this series can be. No crazy manipulative characters trying to break up the main couple. People actually communicate and talk things out.
It’s so hilarious to me that whenever one of the guys has a problem, they all go to Masayan’s, lol. Poor dude, he has to hear all the drama from his buddies but anyways.
In this volume we see a new character who’s supposedly Kaburagi’s high school friend. The guy is quite obnoxious and Kaburagi is not having it but doesn’t call him off either. Actually, this leads to Onoe feeling jealousy for the first time and realizing that’s how Kaburagi must feel with his other friends, especially Masayan.
To me this is was a quick read with our leading couple figuring out their feelings and being mature enough to recognize them for what they are. It was nice to see them talk things through and of course the cherry on top was Onoe running inside a bag of potatoes, lol, and unexpectedly winning.
They are just so sweet when they are jealous of each other friends. I love the storyline of the past friendship/games. I like the other characters friendship with the main ones. I love the bosses as well. I can't wait to read the 6th book .....
Truly another great addition to these series! I love how the plot points are wrapped up per volume! Also the additional characters are allowing for our main couple to see some growth ! Even if it’s masked in their witty banter!!
Continues to be a great manga. I love them together so much. They always end up doing what is best for their partner in such a wonderful and considerate way. Less yelly and little bits of jealousy sprinkled in. I love it.