Comic Strip Review: Devil’s Candy Volume 1 Art by Rem, Story by Bikkuri
When Kazu Decker creates a ninth-grade science project for his biology class, he fully commits. With the aid of his best buddy Nemo (who’s more of a technology buff), Kazu puts together an artificial lifeform he names Pandora. She may look like a teenage girl, but she’s new to the world, and Kazu is ready to share his life with her–like the sister he never had!
Kazu and his friends live in a world of “devils”, basically monsters, with a creation myth (or is it?) of a “Giver” who presented them with their various physical traits. As is often the case in these kinds of stories, their world is a twisted reflection of our own. (In other words, don’t think too deeply about how biology works.) Despite the horror trappings, most of the plotlines are comedy-action.
At Hemlock Heart Academy, Kazu discovers that many of his male classmates have also made “girls”, though the workmanship is much shoddier. Nemo put together a mini-Cerberus with wings, small but useful, while cyclops girl Hitomi, who has a crush on Kazu that he’s oblivious to, made a teddy bear. The many “girl” projects turn out to be a result of a plot by lizardish classmate Gyro to steal everyone else’s creation and absorb them into his own “Ultimate Woman” (read: kaiju.) Time for Pandora and her new friends to kick some butt!
This mangaesque series is a webcomic going back to 2014, but only now gettting a physical release.
After getting a passing grade in biology, our main characters must next survive dealing with the Science Club and the Fashion Club.
Good: Kazu is a much more ethical creator than Victor Frankenstein, treating Pandora as a person from the moment she awakens. He’s not always good at understanding her, but he respects her autonomy most of the time, and genuinely wants the best for her. Pandora herself is a bit of a blank slate, but learns quickly.
The art is expressive, with many fun details. I also like the little bits of world-building, like Kazu’s favorite TV show “Devilizer”, which is a cross between Kamen Rider and Devilman. The hero explains in one episode that he doesn’t hate the villain because they’re non-binary, but because they are evil.
The characters have some depth, and especially Hitomi is multi-layered. Yes, she’s introduced as sensitive about her single eye and thinking it makes her ugly, but we soon learn there’s much more to her.
Less good: Some running gags outstay their welcome.
Content note: fantasy violence, body function humor, and fantastic racism. There are many different types of devils, and some think they’re better than others based on their special attributes, or have stereotypes about other types that they don’t like disturbed. Both Nemo and Hitomi are mixed-race, though Hitomi seems more affected by this.
While the rating on the back is “older teens”, I think that junior high students on up will enjoy this–it’s their parents who might object to the ghoulish shenanigans.
Recommended to comedy-horror fans.
