A man worth loving

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29 Responses

  1. Quevivacandy says:

    What can I say that you haven’t said yet, William Albert Albert is a man worth loving, the fiction dream of every woman… *sigh*… lol, but it is true!

    He never pointed out her mistakes or her weaknesses, he always couraged her to keep going. The Magnolia scene comes to my mind when she, after almost burn the food, said she won’t be a good wife. He didn’t say a word, just thought she will be an marvelous wife.

    And why she was calmed after Neil’s trap, as you said, Candy in her recolections says, his only presence always gave her marvelous sense of security… I guess she might thought about this moment when she said that. 🙂

    • Ms Puddle says:

      So true so true. He’s nearly perfect. Too bad he’s only fictional. Indeed Albert never said a harsh word to Candy. As she later realized, he had always been tender to her, and she believed he would never change. Sigh. No wonder she felt so safe around him, and his presence was enough to make her happy. 🙂

  2. Happy Women’s Day!!! 🙂

  3. Agnès says:

    Hello to you all!

    Well I will not repeat what has already been said! I read your various analyzes that are very interesting.

    Reeka: I totally agree about Stear, he was as gentle as Albert, still trying to fix things peacefully or with his inventions. And I also was extremely surprised that Anthony has slapped Candy in a similar situation because even though he was still a teenager, to me it didn’t fit his character!

    About Albert in this scene, just before kissing her he thinks: “But not being able to love people in a different way …” (1) I think it drove him to give her the kiss even chaste; it was like a manifestation of his own love for her. About sharing the coat with her, I understand he refused. Albert was a gentleman. 🙂 I cannot imagine the sweet torture that it could have been for him. Being so close to the woman he loves an entire night, staying marble … He was still a grown man made of flesh and blood … For me it’s worse than being in a pastry shop while you’re on a diet! Lol!

    If you remember, shortly after that in the manga, Candy bought cookbooks to improve and we can see her imagining surprise Albert with a gorgeous meal, and I can’t help but think of another scene (Volume 8) in which she failed cooking a stew saying “I feel that I will never do a good wife.” (1) For me it is significant even if she was still unaware of her true feelings for him, with these books she strived to be a “good wife” by thinking of … Albert! Besides, at that time he thought “It is not true Candy, you probably will do an excellent wife. You are so very kind to the stranger from nowhere that I am. Just with your sweetness and your vitality … ” (1) It is love, isn’t? 😉
    Just after has seeing one of her flaws, he immediately thought of her qualities. In fact he saw her at its worst and your beautiful quote, Ms Puddle, applies perfectly to Albert! This man really deserves to be loved! … Sigh

    Have a Great Sunday!

    (1) my own translation from French version of the manga

    • Agnès says:

      I forgot, Happy Women’s Day! 😀

    • Evelyn says:

      Hello Agnès, I completely agree with you about the scene of her saying that she will never be a good wife!! This is one of my favorite scenes also because you can see a glimpse of Albert’s inner feelings for Candy. In the Spanish version, my direct translation is “I have the impression that I will never be a good wife….”
      As Albert overheard her catching his attention he thought to himself “that is not true, Candy… You will be an excellent wife. One day… You are so gentle, even with a stranger like me… Will it not be that with your sweetness and vitality…”
      This last thought (sentence) of Albert always makes me wonder what he meant?? What does your translation say? do you think the rest of his thought could have been (…you will conquer my heart) ?? 😉

      • Agnès says:

        Hello Evelyn,
        I even think the rest of his thought could have been: “…you have already conquered my heart” but it is just my opinion! 😉

        In the French anime version his thought is “Don’t be afraid Candy, to be loved by the one who will become your husband you won’t need to take him by gluttony. It will sufficient for you to stay always the way you are!” So sweet isn’t it? 🙂

        • Evelyn says:

          Well said about the rest of his thought!! She had already conquered her heart!! 😉

          Oh how sweet the French anime version!!! Thank you for sharing 😉 He definitely thought she would make a great wife and he desired to be the husband to make her happy! Here is the manga scene when Albert found Candy asleep on the floor crying for Terry all over the magazines he had hid. After picking her up and laying her on the bed, he caressed her hair, wiped her tears and though in his mind “I would like so much to make you happy…”, from Volume 8, page 147 Spanish manga. He did not say: I would like to see you happy; he said, “I would like so much to make you happy…”. I always try to look at the background that Igarashi draws during certain emotional scenes to express different moods. When Albert is caressing Candy’s hair, you can tell he is lost in that moment only looking at her… 🙂

    • Reeka says:

      Happy women’s day to you, Agnes!

      Ya, for a glance it’s a shock for us to see Anthony could be violent to Candy. I forget thought whether he ended up telling candy he’s sorry. I tried to recall and I do not think I read it. Anthony seemed sweet and gentle, yes he did, but I could recognise some hints that he was actually a jealous man. Remember that his face changed when he saw Prince’s badge dangling on Candy’s neck when they’re on rose garden? The fact that he mentioned it again right before the accident tells us that he kept thinking about who the prince was and it was bothering him that the prince met Candy long time ago.

      Agnes & Evelyn,
      I agree with you both that although at that time, when her attempt on cooking for Albert failed miserably, Candy was still unaware of her developing feeling to Albert, her whining about how she would never be a good wife meant a huge meaning for readers. At that scene, she’s actually just murmuring to Pouppee. And we saw that Albert was looking at her and with a tender and loving facial expression he was thinking otherwise, as you both mentioned above. I believe here Mizuki trying to show us that Albert was in love with Candy already, regardless her poor skill at cooking. 🙂

      Evelyn, Ms Puddle did have a dedicated post for the scene when Albert carried sleeping Candy and put her on her bad. Yes, in manga, we can grasp unspoken meaning of certain situation by paying attention on how the illustrator colour/draw the scene. Like the scene you mentioned, Albert’s body language; Albert’s eyes; and the swirl of wind and tiny bubbles around them really spoke volume. As you said, he was lost. And for me, it seems he was losing his mask and if only Candy could see him at that time, sure she could feel Albert’s love :). Sigh.

      • Evelyn says:

        Hi Reeka, I love what you said about Albert loosing his mask!! Sigh. Mizuki did not create Albert’s character very boisterous toward his feelings for Candy. The reader has to take into consideration his body language to uncover his true feelings but his actions speak louder than words! 🙂

      • Agnès says:

        Hi Reeka! Thank you! 🙂 Anthony apologized after when he came to pick her for a horse ride. I remember the scene of the POTH’s badge, at first he was very surprised to see it because only the heir of the Ardlay’s family owns it, and after he was indeed jealous when Candy told him the story of her Prince. Nevertheless, to be jealous and to be violent are 2 different things!

        Evelyn and Reeka: about Albert, I completely agree with you, his body language speaks volume. You read in my mind about this scene (Albert carrying Candy to her bed). He had just recovered his memory before have found her, therefore he was completely lost: to be in love with his adoptive daughter, what a shock! Then he saw her crying on Terry, again… Yet, he had so much compassion for her, he would have so much wanted to make her happy! Poor Albert! :'(
        Unfortunately, his education taught him to hide his feelings and I think it was one of the reasons Candy didn’t figure it out! Only readers were witnesses! Sigh…

  4. Evelyn says:

    You are right, Ms Puddle, Candy was foolish for simply following a stranger by the mere mention of the name Terry. This scene made me sad for Albert because Albert had just that day opened up his feelings to Candy about sharing their troubles and happy moments together with the sandwich scene which I thought it was beautiful! Like you said Ms Puddle, in a previous post, this was Albert’s love declaration to Candy in a subtle way, but she did not understand it yet. Until this scene in the manga, Candy started suffering for Terry when she discovered the negative articles about him, almost blaming herself for causing this to him. After she discovered that it was Neil who sent for her, she realized her mistake and I feel that from this moment on she finally moved on for good from missing him or even thinking that she still had any feelings left for him. All she needed to have was a confirmation that he was going to be okay and her attitude at Rockstown proved that.

    Back to your post, Albert loved Candy no matter what she did and respected her feelings. I wish Candy would have realized sooner the depth of her feelings for Albert. She wanted to live with him regardless of what others thought of their relationship. She said when she was getting ready to do spring cleaning in her apartment looking out the window: I want so much to live with Albert…and Albert as well (with me)… what ever people may say, only our wishes count. When Candy talked about living with someone, she always referred to her love interest. She wanted to live with Anthony, she dreamed to live with Terry, and wanted to live with Albert… to It is clear to me where Candy’s heart was when Albert and Candy lived together, even if she did not fully understand with her mind what her heart was telling her.

    • Ms Puddle says:

      Evelyn, you’re absolutely right that this happened the evening right after the beautiful sandwich scene, and some people couldn’t accept Candy for being this naïve and some said she didn’t deserve a good man like Albert. 🙁

      I feel bad for Albert too, but I completely agree with you that he fully respected her feelings. I strongly believe his sandwich proposal didn’t mean to change Candy. He was aware her recent grief was still fresh after reading lots of negative news about Terry, and Albert just wanted her to know she could share her sorrows and troubles with him from now on. Sigh.

      Interesting thoughts about Candy moving on after being stranded that night. I never thought about it that way… Because Stear died soon after that and many things happened as a result. Then Albert vanished. It’s true that Candy had been too preoccupied by other things that she rarely thought of Terry again until running into him in Rockstown.

      Your analysis of Candy not understanding what her heart was telling her is brilliant!! I’ll dig that part up in the manga (spring clean up) to read again. 🙂 I vaguely remember she said she liked Albert and wanted to live with him or something like that. Thank you, Evelyn, for your insight! 😀

      • Evelyn says:

        Ms Puddle, you are right that the sandwich scene was not meant to change Candy. However, she did shed some tears of happiness which made me think she felt something for Albert, but maybe she was just touched at that moment that Albert was willing to become her confidant since she was always by herself. Not even her closest friends, Annie, Archie nor Stear knew her deepest feelings, just Albert! 🙂

        I should have quoted Candy’s thoughts when she thought about wanting to live with Albert after getting fired from the hospital and after returning home from slapping Neil on the face with her bag (he deserved it!). I translated this from the Spanish manga volume 8, page 137 on the printed numbers on bottom of page. My direct translation of her thoughts while looking out the window are, “People’s looks were evil… There are so few people who consider my relations with Albert completely natural… I have so much desire to live with Albert… and Albert as well…(it is implied [with me])… Whatever people may say, only our desires count… “.
        I do not recall Candy saying that “she liked” Albert with those words. However, when Albert was brought to the hospital without identity and she visited him in room zero and she made a remark out loud that he was more handsome as a blond 🙂 and more seductive without his glasses 😉 as per the Spanish translation. Also, a small detail that from this point forward, in the Spanish translation, Candy slowly started switching from addressing him as Mr. Albert to just Albert, and from using the formal way of speaking to someone “Usted” to “tu”. Both mean you but the first is formal and the second is informal on a more equal level of trust. 🙂

  5. Reeka says:

    Oh yes, sure Albert was a man worth loving, Ms Puddle! 🙂

    I second the quote wholeheartedly. To think about it, he was the one to ever see Candy at her ups and lows. He saw her laughing out loud and crying her heart out. He saw her at her best, but many times he saw her at her not-so-best ( her just-waking-up-in-the-morning face, her swollen face after crying hard, her unconscious moment). Nonetheless, he loved her.

    Particular to this scene, imagine how her other love interest would’ve reacted! Anthony might have slapped her again before hugging her. Terry? Most likely he would’ve scolded her, made her feel stupid and guilty. After that he would’ve hugged her, then dragged her back to Neil’s mansion so he could beat the hell out of Neil. 🙂 Frankly, Albert was the only male character who possessed excellent self control. I guess Stear was the closest one to him on this matter.

    Many times in the past, when I read this scene, I felt Albert looked slightly nervous when Candy started leaning her head to his side. The way he’s mumbling to Pouppee made me feel Albert was trying to calm himself. He might be nervous on their close proximity and the fact he just saw his badge dangling on her neck, again. Is it only me or you could feel it as well, Ms Puddle?

    Speaking of Albert was the man worth Candy’s love, … I know I may sound like a caveman, but can’t help myself thinking this way. Apart from him giving her a prominent family name and good education, Albert literally saved her life twice. And … Albert was the only character who knew Candy inside and out, literally, too. A year of living together must make Albert fully know her habits. He also read her diary once. And let’s not forget he changed her when she’s drenched after drowning at waterfall. It made him the only one who ever saw her (almost) naked. I don’t know, but for me, I really can’t imagine someone else being Candy’s husband.

    • Ms Puddle says:

      I can’t agree with you more, dear Reeka! He practically knew her inside out as you said, but he loved her regardless. Yes, he had seen her flaws, weaknesses, and the worst moments of her life (except when she lost him). Sigh… Like you, I can’t imagine any other man who knew Candy more than Albert, and it just makes sense they would end up together. Mizuki made Albert confess being Candy’s prince proved that she meant to give Albert to Candy all along. Candy would always be Candy White Ardlay, but later on she became Mrs. Ardlay. 😉

      I really like your analysis and imagination of how Anthony or Terry would have reacted. I remember someone once said something like this: although Anthony’s temperament was similar to his young uncle’s, his reaction to seeing Candy again after worrying sick about her for a while was starkly different. While his uncle was to hug her, comfort her and kissed her, Anthony slapped her and fled. Well, Anthony was so much younger, but slapping someone was inexcusable to me. 🙁

      About Terry, yeah, what you said fit his character very well, and I’m sure he would beat up Neil… LOL… 😀 BTW, you’re not the first one who told me Stear was the closest one to Albert.

      About Albert being nervous, yes, I felt the same too. 😛 Albert looked startled when Candy first leaned against him. I think he didn’t expect that to happen? Candy didn’t know that he was actually her prince, but she always liked and trusted Albert. Yet he calmed down very soon and bid Candy good night. I have a feeling that he would stay awake, at least he would try. 🙂

      • Reeka says:

        Ohhh … how addicts think alike! I always think similar like you, Ms Puddle, about Candy would always be Candice White Ardley :). Somehow I kept forgetting to share it with you. It’s kind of romantic, isn’t it? That the fact Sir William had adopted her and made her being an Ardley was like a premonition for their future. The truth is she was the only living Ardley beside Albert himself ( mmm was Aunt Elroy counted as one? She should have had her late husband’s name, right?). Sometimes I come to think that Albert was a man who unconsciously had been taking care and nurturing his own future wife. Ahhh it’s so romantic I feel like hugging myself 🙂

        I always wonder why Mizuki made that scene about Anthony slapping Candy. When I was young I was confused on his behaviour. Later on I understand that some people show their worries and reliefs with negative behaviour. Although like you, I can’t accept it, especially from a man to a woman. yes, Anthony was young, but Stear and Archie didn’t act that way. Mizuki might have hidden purpose with this scene. 🙂

        🙂 I like your old drawing where they ended up sleeping and laying down together on grass. I imagined it happened like that :), that Albert unintentionally fell asleep and embraced her. However, Albert as an early riser would wake up and let candy sleep longer as she always be a sleepy-head. He might not want her feeling embarrassed with the situation. That would explain the last picture where Candy sleeping on grass with Albert’s coat covering her neatly :). Another imagination was Albert let her sleep with her head lie on his thighs because it’s hard to imagine Albert let her lie down on grass during her sleep. The grass would be slightly wet and cold in early morning, you know.

  6. Antlay says:

    Dear Ms Puddle
    Très belle citation.
    C’est effectivement étrange la façon dont Albert a retrouvé Candy, même si l’on sait que des enfants lui ont indiqués que Candy était partie avec un inconnu en direction du lac. Il devait effectivement savoir que Neil harcelait Candy et il devait aussi savoir que la famille de Neil avait une demeure près du lac.
    Il semble surpris quand il voit son médaillon autour du cou de Candy. Peu après sa rupture avec Terry, le médaillon se trouvait dans le coffret à bijoux et ensuite elle le porte à nouveau sur elle. Il a dû comprendre à ce moment là qu’elle n’avait toujours pas oublié son prince, il devait être troublé à cet instant.
    Et Candy qui lui propose de partager son manteau ! Cela prouve qu’Albert était déjà amoureux de Candy, si non pourquoi refuse t-il d’être si proche de Candy, aurait-il succombé à la tentation ? Ce qui peut expliquer pourquoi il est si distant par la suite…
    J’aime beaucoup la façon dont vous avez colorier le manga Ms Puddle, félicitations !

    • Ms Puddle says:

      Bonjour chère Antlay, glad you like my coloring! Thank you.

      Possibly the lake area was popular among the rich people? I don’t know. 😉 Yes, I agree Albert seemed surprised to see his badge again dangling around Candy’s neck. Indeed, she had dug it up from her jewelry box some time before her birthday (months after her breakup with Terry). Was Albert happy about it? Hmmm 😛 At least, the badge from Prince on the Hill was still special to Candy.
      Yeah, I also think Albert was in love already, but not sharing half of the coat with Candy could mean he didn’t feel comfortable enough to be ‘too intimate’ with her. 😉 😛 Who knows?

    • Evelyn says:

      Hello Antlay and Ms Puddle. Albert may not have wanted to make Candy feel awkward or uncomfortable by sharing half the coat with her as he knew she had just escaped a forceful encounter with Neil. As Reeka said, Albert is the only male character who possesses excellent self control and it shows here!
      I think it would have been nice if they both cuddled in this scene! After all Candy felt absolutely at ease and safe around Albert always, but I do not think she knew the depth of her feelings toward Albert until he was gone from her life.

      • Ms Puddle says:

        It’s so true, Evelyn, that Candy was completely at ease sharing half the coat with Albert, but she was unaware of his feelings for her. Like you, I wish he could act less gentleman here; it would be very romantic… 😉 Yet, by accepting her offer would make things too intimate between them. Candy would likely regret when she woke up in the morning.

        Yes Evelyn, I can’t agree with you more Candy didn’t know how much Albert meant to her until after she had lost him. The way she yearned for him to come back proved that her feelings for him had significantly changed.

  7. Wow.. I was thinking about that scene Ms. Puddle… The kiss in her forehead was a simple interpretation of love and trust of both. And yes, how magically she could calm, be quiet and spend all night out there in the field with him. And by that time, Albert had recovered memory. Right?
    So.. I am so impress and I admire the strong determination of Albert and intention that nothing was more important than the welfare of Candy.
    I’m in love with Albert too . And all that concerns him as a man. :p

    • Ms Puddle says:

      Yes it’s so true, Olenka dear!! I agree with everything you said about Albert and Candy. Their bond and friendship were undeniable, and she trusted him completely, knowing for sure he would protect her. Yes, Albert had recovered, and he deeply cared about Candy. Awww… He was nearly perfect, and how lucky Candy was, right? 😉

  8. I love this! <3 It is beautifully coloured, and very well written, I agree with everything you said. And it was written on my birthday 😀 so I like it even more. 🙂 All in all, I'm very glad there are still people who appreciate this great story that is Candy Candy, full of so many good teachings and messages. If mankind was composed more of Candys and Alberts than of Neils and Elizas, I'd be in heaven.

  1. March 11, 2015

    […] A man worth loving […]

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