Review by Ian Keogh

Brielle grew up in Rosebridge, moved away and then returned there for university. She’s academic, but a dreamer specialising in fairy tales. She literally bumps into hunk Atohi Yonas, known as Bear, when working in a bookshop, and can’t see in any terms other than fairytale destiny. Unfortunately for her, immediately afterwards she sees him acting awkwardly when meeting cheerleader Sasha. Throw in annoying frenemy Pavão, and frequently referenced rules of fairytales and that sets up Salomey Doku’s comedy romance very nicely.

It takes some while to ascertain if events are supposed to be set in a real world, as Doku deliberately muddies the details. The university is named Once Upon a Time, and so many of the cast have names more common to Portuguese speaking countries. It’s a clever distortion of expectations.

Doku’s art is cluttered, with constant little pointers introducing people and giving information about them, much of it not greatly necessary for the story, and creating messy looking pages where the eye wanders lost. It’s as if every idea has to be crammed in, no matter how trivial, and large sound effects and coloured word balloons add to the disorganised look. This detail surrounds attractively drawn people expressing themselves well in graded digital colour backgrounds.

Things are easier on the eye during scenes confined to Bear and Brielle, and these are well written with an understanding of the faltering steps and uncertainties characterising young love. Other cast members are more one-note, including Brielle’s friend Rosalie, but particularly the smarmy Pavão. He’s a disruptive presence, but not integrated completely enough, and Brielle and Bear would work equally well with all his scenes cut, especially the last.

Much of Brielle and Bear is the sweet fairytale romance intended, and Doku succeeds in making us feel for the title characters, but focus is lost via too much of what surrounds them.