Living together… how long?
In Candy Candy, the young nurse Candy wanted to pay back Albert’s kindness to her, and she was the one who pleaded him to stay with her so that she could take care of him until his recovery. Hence, they pretended to be brother and sister and found an apartment on the outskirts of Chicago.
From Korean Manga Version
In the manga, they started living together in the Fall of 1914 (soon after World War I began). Then Albert recovered around Candy’s birthday in May 1915 (shortly after she received the flying machine from Stear in France). One snowy night that following winter, he vanished in her life. Therefore, they had lived together a little more than a year.
In the anime version, Albert left Candy earlier, but still close to a year’s time.
However, in Candy Candy Final Story (CCFS), it’s unclear how long they had resided in the House of Magnolia. The clues we know are based on Patty’s letter to Candy and Albert’s letter to Candy.
Patty wrote a letter to Candy after Stear’s funeral, and after thanking Candy for different things, Patty wrote (from spoilers):
— You are strong. I’ll be also strong like you.
You seem to have very busy days with your new job at Happy Clinic. Is Dr. Martin really a good doctor?
I wonder if Albert-san will get well by such an alcoholic-like doctor who is playing with wire puzzles all the time.— It seems the United States will finally take part in the war.
We all know that the United States didn’t join until April 1917. For your interest, here is the timeline. My friends and I were a little shocked that Albert and Candy were still together around that time. In that case, does it mean Mizuki changed the plot in CCFS?
However, my friend double checked Albert’s letter to Candy about when he left Africa. He said the following (from spoilers):
I tackled my own troubles in the days of Africa.
It was because I had decided to try to live without relying on anyone, that I broke off contacts with Georges and left Africa. There was restlessness in the air before the war also in Africa. That atmosphere might have incited me.
So Albert seemingly left Africa before the great war (August 1914, as in the manga), and then he ended up in that train in Italy and lost his memory. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean he had to leave Africa that time. Mizuki might have wanted to correct the mistake of the train being blown up in Italy before the country joined the allies in April, 1915. If that’s true, then Albert stayed in Africa much longer and traveled to Italy around summer of 1915?
At any rate, does it mean that Albert and Candy had lived together for around two years or even longer? How long did he stay with her after regaining his memory?
I don’t think Mizuki had made a mistake, and how about you? Any ideas?
It’s interesting. I had always believe they’re living together for about 1-1.5 years. Months before NY event ( we could see Candy wore a coat when he looked for Albert when he left hospital, I guess it was on spring because after that we could see scenes that seemingly happened on summer – when she and Terry exchanged letters). Then time elapsed until we saw it’s around summer again – example : scenes when Neil chased after Candy, she wore summer dress.
When Albert left Magnolia, we know it was on cold days, so yeah I assume it’s winter, around December-January. Rockstown event of course happened right just before spring bloomed, may be between end of Feb to mid March.
So yes, it makes sense to say they lived together for almost 2 years. What I’m not sure is when it happened. You explained it well here in this post that it’s around 1915-1917. I myself, always thought Candy was 15-17 when they lived in Magnolia, based on Manga.
Like you Ms Puddle, I don’t think Mizuki made mistakes on CCFS. I can guess she deliberately changed the years because she wanted Candy was more mature when these scenes occured. We know that Mizuki once said she didnt like to make Candy looked like a fickle girl.
I hope I don’t make any mistakes in recalling scenes in manga. Hahaha I am typing this comment on a train to go to the Alps. ^^
Dear Reeka, enjoying the Alps? It must be beautiful! 🙂
In the manga when Candy tracked Albert down in the nature park, we could see falling leaves and bare branches, so I think they began living together in autumn. Then Albert left Candy the following year on a snowy night after Stear’s funeral in the Fall, which could be any day in the winter. So yes, a little more than a year’s time. 😉
The Rockstown event happened in late winter because it was snowing down there but Albert had sent Candy a Spring coat as a gift.
So the timeline of the events in CCFS have shifted? Could be. I’m not 100% sure, but if Mizuki knew what she was doing, then Albert and Candy had lived together for a looooong time indeed. 😛
Hi there my friend!
While we were discussing this, several things came up to my mind.
1. In manga we dont know for sure how long time has elapsed between each event. For example, when Candy met POTH and the time she left Pony’s home, to go with the Leagans, we don’t know. I have checked the manga and all I can see is a page with all seasons drawings, those that means years? I have no idea. All we know based in the novel is that she met POTH when she was 6 and left Pony’s Home close to being 13 years old. It’s just my guessing but the same could happened with Albert living in the Magnolia.
2. What is interesting is when Italy took part in WWI. Albert was wound in Italy or close to the Italian front so Italy must had gotten part in WWI by that time.
3. It’s just my guessing but now I believed they lived together at least for 2 years and even longer based on Patty’s letters. Even if CCFS doesn’t tell us when Albert left Magnolia, I’m still inclined to believe it happened in winter. Mizuki doesn’t tell us about years and some times she changed years but not the seasons when certains events happened, I don’t if I’m explaining myself. What is clear, is both the manga and the anime, Albert didn’t want to leave the apartment to keep living with Candy.
If he left a year after her break up with Terry, She could start to have romantic feelings for Albert even she didn’t realize until he left, but what if that happened after they lived together for a longer time? I mean, if he left after 2 years later or even 3??? There you can tell her desperation to find him and they way she traveled to RT just following a clue and her reaction leaving Terry behind, because she already had deeper feelings toward Albert.
Anyway, CCFS is a complete mistery…
Good morning, dear QuevivaCandy!!
I think in the manga it did mention Candy was six and six years had elapsed. I need to double check that though… 😉
About Albert being in that train in Italy… Some people said it was a mistake, but I’m not so sure. I’m far from an expert about events in WWI… 😛 Yet, though Italy was neutral back then, it didn’t stop the countries from ‘harassing’ her. For example, US had been trying to stay neutral since the beginning, but the Germans had not stopped provoking US people, and in the end US had been pushed to make a stand in 1917.
I totally agree with you that CCFS is a mystery, and some parts are quite different from the manga. However, like you, I’m also inclined to believe Albert left Candy in a winter night… The bleak weather seemed to go well with the story, and if so, how could Candy have no feelings for Albert after living together with him for so long? Then, her eagerness (or desperation) to find him in Rockstown makes sense!!