Last Episode of the manga
Hello my friends in the Candy Candy fandom. If you’re waiting for an update to my Lost in translation series, you will be disappointed. I’m quite stressed from work lately and can’t find time to write another post. However, many thanks to my friend Candy Albert for sharing some pictures from the very last issue of the serialized Candy Candy manga in the Nakayoshi Magazine. She kindly let me post them on my blog too. ❤️
Although it looks like a young Candy entering the Rose Gate, this particular page actually serves as the first part of the final installment. The title at the top (in red words) is “Goodbye Candy”. The blue words are literally “Immortal One Very Sweet Romance Finally Ends”. The text in the bottom is a summary of what happened in the previous episode (the title of this part is something like “the story till here”).
I won’t translate word for word, but to give you an idea I will paraphrase the paragraphs (each denoted by a blue dot in a heart shape). The first paragraph mentioned Stear’s death in the war and Albert’s disappearance that followed. These saddening events occurred one after another, and even Candy had barely any energy left.
The second paragraph started with Candy’s attempt to find Albert one way or another, which led to her trip to a small town, where she found Terry, who was completely different from his time with Stratford Theatre. Candy was dumbfounded but her wish for him to regain his footing might have somehow reached him. Once his acting talent returned, Candy was relieved, saying a prayer for his happiness while leaving that place.
The third paragraph summarized the ending of the previous episode. As Candy could not find Albert, she returned to Chicago, but something surprising awaited her. Neal’s forced engagement was claimed to be Granduncle William’s order.
The final paragraph indicated that Candy could not agree to this arrangement no matter what, so she hurried to Lakewood to pay a visit to Granduncle William…
Note that in Japanese the term たのもう is used, which is a phrase used when visiting somebody’s house to ask to be shown inside. We all know that Candy ‘trespassed’ on the villa, walking straight into the solarium without invitation, interrupting Albert’s quiet time that morning.
Interestingly, the term 立ち去る (たちきる, Romanji TACHIKIRU) is used to describe Candy’s action of leaving the roadside theatre (Terry). However, if you are curious enough to do a google search for the aforementioned Romanji you will find that more likely the other phrase is returned — 断ち切る. Guess what, this more widely used phrase means to sever, break off, cut off ties, etc. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes when I first read this synopsis. 😅
Honestly, this is one reason why I decided to share the translation. I suspect whoever wrote this summary had carefully chosen the words for Candy’s departure. Those who have read the manga can easily understand this was essentially a real goodbye to Terry. Candy decided not to look back, and she continued her search for Albert despite running into Terry in his miserable form. Unlike before, she didn’t rush to his side to rescue him this time.
Moreover, this part is already near the end of the story, and though Albert didn’t show up, he remained present in the story. Candy lost her liveliness after he was gone, she made a trip to Rockstown because of him, she returned to Chicago because she couldn’t find him, she went to Lakewood to find Granduncle William, not knowing who he really was. So you see, it was all about Albert, and of course, we know what comes next — Albert would make a grand appearance, revealing his true identity as the mysterious William A. Ardlay, first to Candy then to the Lagans and the relatives in the engagement party.
I think you get the idea by now. My friend Candy Albert also shared this picture, which served as the introduction for this last episode (clearly, other than Candy, the biggest pictures are Albert and Prince on the Hill):
Below is the cover photo of this same Nakayoshi’s magazine, nº of March 1979, showing Candy dressed in kilt:
Last but not the least, please visit Candy Albert’s Facebook page for the extraordinary artworks of Igarashi. Her artbook was in a leaflet format — the first picture was Candy and the last one showed the adult Albert with short hair dressed in kilt. You can see Candy’s love interests in this order: Prince on the Hill, Anthony, Terry and then back to Albert. ❤️❤️
When I saw all this, I just sighed. Need I say more?
Thank you, Ms Puddle, for another fascinating post on the original CC manga. It’s most generous of you to take the time and effort to provide your translations to key aspects of this story.
Based on your translations, it seems that the original Japanese CC clearly explains that the relationship between Candy and Terry is over. But that’s not how it appears on various translated manga, most notably the infamous Italian one. I’ve read the Italian manga and the changes to the original are massive. I won’t get into all the details because my post will easily turn into an essay. Some glaring deviations are missing pages of Candy and Albert where they’re sharing some intense moments of looking into each others’ eyes, the tree scene where Candy is crying into Albert’s arms after Stear died, and the dialogues during Albert’s amnesia at the Chicago hospital. The Italian version suggests that Candy is commenting on how awful, old and grey Albert looks when in repose when, in fact, Candy is commenting on how beautiful, youthful and elegant Albert looks in his naturally blonde hair even though he’s so sick. Another notorious example is Candy mentioning to Albert that her first love was Anthony and not POTH during their chat at the Magnolia.
The Italian CCFS is just as deceiving in certain aspects too. Having read the Italian translation, I was convinced that the author simply wanted to keep “Anohito’s” identity a mystery. But the original Japanese CCFS is clearer about Candy leaving Terry for good and moving on with her life. There’s a key phrase in the novel where Albert returns Candy’s diary to her and she specifies that her happiness is “here and now”; the Italian translation reads: “I am happy now”. This is a very steep deviation from the original meaning in Japanese.
I guess we’ll see in autumn or winter this year what sort of translation the French version will be. I wouldn’t count too much on it, TBH. I wish I knew Japanese..
Cheers,
Avon
Hello Avon, so glad to hear you like the new post. Yes, at least back then the editor(s) of the magazine didn’t make any attempt of using euphemism for Candy’s actions of leaving Terry behind. I was told that some Terry fans were shocked when reading this episode in the manga and found it almost unbelievable that Candy could just walk away without any signs of struggling.
In fact, me too. When I first read this, I was already convinced that Candy had changed significantly. Gone was the girl who could do anything just to see Terry or get near him.
It’s frustrating every time I read about the blatant alterations done by the Italian publisher of the manga version. How could they shamelessly trample on someone’s works like that? 😤
However, things are not as bad for the Italian version of CCFS, I heard. Though you might be disappointed, Avon, my friend who lives in Italy told me some of her friends don’t like CCFS simply because they realized that it wasn’t likely that Terry was Anohito. A couple of them were even ‘surprised’ about Candy talking about Albert a lot.
Anyway, regarding the key phrase you mentioned, the translation is incorrect indeed. However, I must point out that Candy’s reply stressed “now” but implied “here”. The way it was phrased apparently indicated it was her answer to Albert’s question in his previous letter about where her happiness was. He was serious and stated that he would get to the bottom of it. Candy’s answer was “Now is my happiness” as though his question was “when”, not “where”.
Yet, because she just mentioned about giving the diary back to him, we understand what she meant. She essentially said, “No, my happiness is not with Terry.”
Also, the word happiness in Japanese is 幸せ (Romanji SHIAWASE). It refers to the state of being happy, which is supposed to last for a long time. If Candy wanted to say “I’m happy now.” she would have used other adjectives like 嬉しい (URESHII). FYI,
http://yesjapan.com/YJ6/question/869/what-is-the-difference-between-ureshii-and-shiawase
She sure does talk about Albert so many times. Too many times, indeed, for even the biased Italian translation to overlook or conceal it.
It’s interesting to hear that many Italian readers are convinced, albeit reluctantly so, that Albert is “Anohito”. If the first section of the CCFS was packed with Anthony-mentions, the second section with Terry-mentions, the third and final section is packed with Albert-mentions, whether as POTH or as WAA. These three males represent Candy’s love interests during her passage from early adolescence to adulthood. It’s high time the Terry-fans finally accept this and move on.
Needless to say that Candy’s decision to return her diary (with all those acutely personal references to Terry) to Albert clearly confirms her decision to move on. It would be nonsensical-if not utterly ludicrous-if Candy returned her diary mentioning another man to a different man unless she wanted to prove something to him. Albert already knew in his heart that Candy was over Terry but, apparently and understandably, he would retain some minute forms of insecurity within him. Who wouldn’t? This diary constitutes that last “test” for Candy to prove her love for him. Each person who read the CCFS (at least those amongst the intelligent and sensible community), should have clearly realised that Candy’s decision to return that diary to Albert signified her firm decision to be with him. She had the chance to be with Terry many times but she refused. She had moved on and her gradual love interest for Albert had become stronger and stronger to the point it solidified as granite.
Since you’re referring to the original Japanese diction used in that crucial moment where Candy says that her happiness lies “here and now” or “here in now” (depending on how it’s translated), perhaps you could elaborate a bit further on it in and what exactly you mean with the word you used “implied”. I’m simply saying this not because I disagree with you; on the contrary, I agree with you, and your knowledge of Japanese would help us understand what Nagita meant and not what some translators want or wish for.
Thanks again,
Avon
Hello Avon, I won’t say many Italian readers, but the few whom my friend in Italy has personally talked to. One of them even read the novel three times to make sure she didn’t miss any important clue but at the end, she wasn’t convinced that Terry was the one.
I can’t agree with you more about Candy’s love interests in CCFS and the meaning behind her action of returning the diary to Albert. In Japanese she said she would entrust her diary to him, like his presentation of his badge to her.
The literal translation of what you’re asking is:
Yes, Albert-san,
Now is, my happiness.
Grammatically, she identified “now” as her answer to his where question (when he actually meant who would make her happy).
Candy’s reply was a very odd sentence if taken out of context, mainly because she associated time with happiness. Yet we know why she did that (i.e. the diary — her love for Terry — belonged to the past).
So to me, Candy implied her happiness was with Albert. I’m not sure if this is clear enough to you?
Clear enough, thanks again, Ms Puddle.
That word Candy used “now”, has been interpreted as a separate word by many Terry fans, and out of context. Of-course, one can interpret anything one wants to one’s own convenience and biases. However, what matters are the true intentions of the author and not personal biased conjecture.
As a pedantic philologist (literature major; linguistics minor), I’ll just provide a simple example of how this word “now” could be misconstrued if not read within the relevant contextual framework. It’s not vocabulary alone which matters at this point but grammar and syntactical structure (I know, I’m fastidious but bear with me a bit here..).
Example 1: If Candy had said: “I am happy, now..” or “I am happy now..” or “Now, I am happy..”, then the Terry fans would have a leg to stand on because Candy could simply be reassuring Albert that she’s fine from this moment onward (presumably because she’s with Terry). However, the other leg would still go to the Albert fans for them to stand on because they could also and equivalently assume that Candy means that she’s happy from this moment onward (presumably because she’s with Albert). That said, we’ve clearly got a stalemate here when it comes to “Anohito’s” identity. The score for Terry-Albert as “Anohito” is 0-0.
Example 2: However, the sentence you’ve provided reads: “Now is, my happiness.” This is interesting and I’ll explain the reasons for that. By placing a comma after “Now is,..” Candy means “Here-and-now” or “Here-in-now” (similar to words such as hereinafter or thereafter, for instance). Therefore, Candy is telling Albert that “Here and now/Here-in-now is my happiness..”. As you’ve already specified, Candy is placing a location as well as a time-frame to her happiness, hence, making her answer clear-cut to Albert. The score in this case would most likely be 0-1 for Albert.
I’ll ask you again for reasons of transparency if that aforementioned comma exists in the original text. If it doesn’t, the meaning changes, yet again.
Example 3: If there’s no comma, after all, and the sentence reads ” Now is my happiness.”, Candy is telling Albert that she lives for the (present) moment and she’s carrying no excess baggage from the past. Candy is not some shallow person (don’t forget that Nagita never wanted Candy to appear as fickle and she often quarrelled with Igarashi about that) who simply lives for the day without a care in the world. On the contrary, Candy is a highly conscientious and considerate human-being who, nonetheless, is firm in her decisions and when she puts the past behind her, she means it and she adheres to it. By telling Albert that she’s put the past behind her, she means that she’s sprung anew and afresh enjoying her present and anticipating for a beautiful life in the future. This sentence could have also ended in a stalemate but her wanting to return her diary to Albert as well as eliminate past burdens both show that candy has clearly moved on. Again, the score would most likely be 0-1 for Albert.
Thanks for your patience with my literary and linguistic “pedantries”.
Avon
Avon, I must say your comment is very interesting. Since I read the Japanese text directly, I don’t quite grasp what the fuss was about. But now I understand more about the possible conclusions that can be drawn from various translations / misinterpretation.
Yes, in Japanese there’s a comma, like this:
今が、わたしの幸せです。
However, in English, the grammar is different, so literally this is
Now, my happiness is.
Note that the following sentence produces the same translation in English.
今は、わたしの幸せです。
The major difference is the particle used. In CCFS, it’s が not は. Google translator translated both to
Now I am happy.
Needless to say, the nuance is totally lost. 😭
As I said before, 幸せ refers to one’s happiness or the state of being happy. It’s that long-lasting feeling of being blessed.
Back to this post, Candy prayed for Terry’s happiness before leaving the theatre. The same term is used.
When he left London in a rush, he also wrote the same thing down that he would wish her happiness wherever he was.
I think it’s easier to explain in a post rather than in a comment. What do you think, Avon? If so, may I quote your comment (s)?
Of-course, you may quote my comments. Thank you for considering my (pedantic) literary and linguistic interpretations.
Following your further analysis on the original Japanese structure of the aforementioned phrase, I’ll provide some further musings:
So the verbatim translation is as you specify and the comma exists:
“Now my happiness, is.”
Right. Let’s return to grammar and syntax basics. The rudimentary syntactical structure of any meaningful sentence in the English language (as well as most European/Indo-European languages) is: Subject + Verb + Object. The all-time-classic example taught during pre-school and kindergarten so as to teach children this basic structure is as follows:
“This (Subject) is (Verb) a cat (Object).”
“Her house (Subject) is (Verb) is big (Object).”
“My sister (Subject) is (Verb) a doctor (Object).”
Even though I’m using these ludicrously simplistic examples, bear with me here because I’m making a point. All translators, without exception, face the multiple and often intricate hurdles of having to maintain the verbatim translation from one language to another but at the same time maintaining the meaning at all costs. That said, in cases where the verbatim translation reads perfectly well grammatically and syntactically in the language translated, then there’s no issue at all. However, the problems arise when the verbatim translation makes little or no sense grammatically and syntactically in the language translated. Do you see where I’m getting at?
Based on your thought-inspiring analysis, the aforementioned sentence “Now my happiness, is.” has ignited tremendous controversy amongst the CC fandom simply because this sentence cannot be translated verbatim from Japanese and make perfect grammatical and syntactical sense in English, simultaneously, because there’s no proper/standard English Subject-Verb-Object order. Even as an emphatic sentence (where the grammatical/syntactical rules may be bent in order to stress specific words and/or meaning), this sentence still lacks meaning in English to a considerable degree. Whilst tentatively speaking, I presume that the Italian translators decided not to really bother with translating this sentence verbatim but simply (and perhaps even lazily) forming a different sentence accurate in syntactical structure, albeit deviating from the original meaning considerably-if not blatantly. As mentioned above, most European languages follow this Subject-Verb-Object order, and the Italian language is one of them.
The irony, however, in this case is that the aforementioned controversial sentence can be translated verbatim and adhere to the English syntactical structure. I’ll demonstrate how this can be achieved:
The verbatim translation is: “Now my happiness, is.”
The Subject-Verb-Object order would be as follows:
1. “My happiness (Subject) is (Verb) now (Object).”
Meaning: My happiness lies in the present/here-in-now. The word “now” as mentioned by Ms Puddle comprised a location as well as time-frame and I agree with this statement because this word “now” clearly means “now=present day/time” as well as “now=right here and right now at this present moment”.
We could assume that the author wanted to provide emphasis, hence, “bend” the rules a bit grammatically and syntactically. Let’s do the same, translation-wise:
2. “Now (Subject) is (Verb) my happiness (Object).”
Meaning: What makes me happy is the present. In this case, the word “now” becomes the Subject and not the words “My happiness”. This is significant because the meaning here implies that what makes Candy happy is the present moment. Again, location and time-frame co-exist and coincide via the specific usage(s) of the word “now”.
Bottom line, whichever way we read this specific sentence and whichever possible (but always relevant and accurate to the original sentence) permutations within the syntactical structure we wish to take, the crux of the meaning is that Candy is happy “here and now” or “here within the present”. What is absolutely certain is that the Italian translation “I am happy now.” is wrong. Case closed.
Yet, even if we were to passionately defend the Terry-fan pseudo-translation and keep the sentence as “I am happy now.”, there’s still no clear-cut evidence that Candy is referring to Terry or Albert. What constitutes an indisputable event in the CCFS is Candy’s decision to return her diary to Albert as he has returned his Ardlay badge to her. As I specified in my previous post, Candy would have been insane, idiotic and downright frivolous to simply give her acutely personal diary (with many sexually intense references about Terry) to Albert unless she wanted to be with him and prove to him that she’s over Terry. Had she preferred Terry. Candy would have kept her diary. This is plain and simple for everyone to clearly understand.
Therefore, Nagita has already spelled out the name of “Anohito” by adding that immensely significant event following Candy’s statement “Now my happiness, is.” This significant event is Candy’s firm decision to return her diary with sexual references about Terry to Albert. There’s clearly no other reason for her to do that unless she wanted to prove to him that she’s over Terry and head-over-heels in love with Albert.
Thanks again,
Avon
I just want to add in case some of you haven’t read my previous posts that I’m a Terry-fan although I’m fond of Albert to a great degree. In fact, I find Terry’s mercurial and intricate dark character fascinating in literary and psychological terms. He’s an interesting case-study, to say the least. However, being a Terry-fan doesn’t mean that I’m blind to reason. logic and sheer common sense. That said, whenever O read a text, my focus is on the textual evidence provided and never on my own personal preferences or ideologies.
That’s why you have my utter respect, Avon, because you don’t let your favorites or preferences blind yourself to common sense and reasons. 👍
Thank you Avon for your eagerness to prove your point. Yes, the case is closed no matter how some people twist the translation or interpret things out of context. It just doesn’t make sense with the rest of Candy’s letter. 😤
However, I want you to know that in this particular sentence “Now” is the so-called subject (in Japanese, context plays a very significant role and often times subjects are omitted), not “my happiness”.
Anyway, I’ll try to explain in a post with more examples. Thanks again, Avon. I have enjoyed reading your analysis indeed. 🤗
Ms Puddle and Avon-Your discussion about the CCFS linguistic dynamics is immensely interesting. Avon, you appear to think more like a mathematician than a literature major when it comes to delineating each and every grammatical point. It’s a pity that the Italian translators weren’t anywhere near as accurate, unless they had deliberately altered the translation to satisfy the Terry-fans for commercial purposes since Terry “sells” more in Italy.
I agree with both of you that words and context matter, especially when it comes to such controversial translations. But even if the translation was as the Terry-fans want it to be, it still makes no difference since Candy decided to return that diary to Albert. She didn’t even bother reading it again which is most telling from her part. At this point I’ll say that I really enjoyed reading Ms Puddle’s short story “The Diary” which adds so much light to this incident.
Bottom line, the chapter “Terry” has been closed for Candy ever since she left Broadway. If she continued to be hurt by him, it was because she was concerned about his ruined career knowing how self-destructive and reckless Terry can be. Candy continued to weep for Terry not because she wanted him back but because she was worried about his state-of-mind and self-destructive mindset. She actually specifies this in the manga where ironically Albert is thinking that she’s crying because she’s not over Terry but she specifies (in her own thoughts) it’s because she’s worried about his failed career and leaving Broadway. Moreover, when Candy is duped into Neal’s trap, it’s not because she wants to get back together with Terry but she wants to talk some sense into his deranged mind. She makes this perfectly clear every single time. There’s no use for the Terry-fans to try to spin-doctor this.
The climax arises when Candy goes to Rockstown and prefers to continue her search for Albert than speak to Terry. Think about it.. If you cared so deeply about a man and saw him again, would you simply take flight? Wouldn’t you make the most of that golden opportunity and try to reunite with that person you care about so much? Had Albert been in Terry’s position and Terry in Albert’s, would Candy have left the scene as she had done with Terry or would she have stayed?
Another question which pops into my mind is whether Candy would have left Broadway had Albert been in Terry’s shoes. Would Albert have chosen Susanna over Candy? Would he have kept silent about his relationship with Candy to Susanna and Mrs Marlowe as Terry had done? It’s telling that Albert specifies to Candy that he would have done exactly what ***she*** had done. He makes no mention of doing exactly what Terry had done though. It’s a pity Nagita doesn’t give us a glimpse of what’s going on in Albert’s mind at that moment and what he thought about Terry and his decision to choose Susanna over Candy, needless to mention what he thought about Terry hiding Susanna’s accident from Candy.
I’ll end this post with another question which has to do with Terry’s terse letter to Candy or that one signed as “T.G.” The Terry-fans are rigid that this letter was written after Susanna’s death. I’m alright about that and I wouldn’t argue with them. I would warn them though that if this is the case, then the situation is even worse for them. First and foremost, Terry makes no mention of any form of affection to Candy nor does he even imply that he wants to reunite with her. Instead, this letter seems to suggest that Terry is reassuring Candy that he’s alright now and that he;s the man she always knew him to be (or whatever he may think of himself to be, anyway). Presumably, Terry would know that Candy had found out about Susanna’s death from the tabloids and perhaps this letter was a way for him to appease Candy’s concern for his health and well-being. Alternatively, Terry could have written that letter after the Rockstown incident. Maybe his mother informed him about Candy’s presence (I’m quite sure she did as she wanted those two to be back together again). But even in this case, Terry does not seem to want to reunite with Candy and his letter leaves no room for a response from her. In all probability, the purpose of that letter is for Terry to alleviate Candy’s angst for him and not to resume their teenage romance. By telling her that “I have not changed”, he’s telling her that he’s the same man she knew and he’s not broken. The Italian translation though is “My feelings for you haven’t changed” which is a downright deviation from the original text. Terry mentions nothing about feelings. Instead, he talks about his well-being, he’s remained intact and that he’s moved on. The Terry-fans could follow his example and do the same.
Cheers,
Interstellar
Bravo, Interstellar! I couldn’t have said it better. May I quote your comment too in my next post? ☺️
Interstellar, I forgot to thank you for your kind words about my fanfic. I had written it long ago, way before I received the CCFS novel as a gift from my friend. I actually thought of revising the story but later decided not to. ☺️
Did you really write your story “The Diary” before reading the CCFS? That’s remarkable because your insight into the Lakewood event was so akin to the CCFS, hence, adding more depth and character development. Without intending to be unfair to Nagita, the CCFS severely lacks in character development. She even removed aspects of her old novel having to do with character development from the CCFS. I don’t understand why she would do that. Some people say that the CCFS was simply written as a response to Igarashi following their long-term embittered legal battle and I’m inclined to accept this theory.
Thank you Interstellar for your encouraging words, and yes, back then, a friend of mine had read CCFS, and she offered to review my drafts. She did give me some valuable feedback and later even bought me CCFS. 😍
Before I go, I’ll just ask a few more questions (again..):
1. Have you read the old CC novel?
2. Do you know there’s a letter in the old CC novel where Candy’s talking about walking around the pond near Pony’s Home and she’s picking some water lilies and then enclosing some petals from those water lilies in her letter for Albert? She’s complaining in her letter (again..) to Albert that he is not with her to enjoy the spring walk in the forest and the pond. She’s whining about him being busy all the time. Her tone is playful and she’s even flirting with Albert. She ends her letter as “Today I’m a water nymph”. I think this is one of her most enigmatic and intriguing letters because we as readers get to see a very different aspect of Candy-I would say a more sexual and sensual one. Why would Nagita want to leave this letter out?
3. Did you know that in the old CC novel there’s actually an argument between Candy and Albert regarding her aforementioned complaint that he’s always away on business. He appears to be more upset about her complaining in the old CC novel than in the CCFS. Why has Nagita subdued their tension and passion so much in the CCFS?
I’m looking forward to your next post and artwork!
Bye for now,
Interstellar
Interstellar, I’ve heard a lot about the old CC novel and most people I know say it’s much better than the CCFS, especially when it comes to character development as you specify. Has Nagita removed entire letters in the CCFS? If she had done this in order to give more leverage to Terry, then why didn’t she simply spell out him name as “Anohito” in the first place? Perhaps she removed significant correspondence exchanged between Candy and Albert because those letters from the old CC novel make it all too obvious that those two were in love. That pond scene you mentioned is very sensual and Candy is definitely flirting with Albert.
Hello Interstellar and Avon, I don’t necessarily agree that the old novel is much better, although I have only read the spoilers and some snippets in Japanese. From what I recall, the only letter I miss is exactly this one Interstellar pointed out.
For example, Nagita did improve Candy’s letter to Anthony in CCFS, at least that’s what I think. 😉 The one in CCFS is more emotional, and judging from Candy’s writing we could sense that she was already in love with Albert. The same applies to her last letter to Albert, precisely because of their excursion to Lakewood together. If I’m not mistaken, there wasn’t a daytrip like that in the old novel. 😊
Hello Ms Puddle,
It’s neither a matter of eagerness nor effort; it’s simply rudimentary grammar/syntax and sheer common sense.
Based on what you’ve said, if the word “now” is regarded as the Subject, the comma still makes no sense in the English language-at least not in grammatical/syntactical terms.
Nevertheless, the omission of the comma doesn’t change what we’ve been discussing surrounding the meaning of the aforementioned sentence.
Therefore, if the verbatim translation from the original Japanese text is as you say: “Now my happiness, is.”, all the Italian translators had to do was form the sentence as such in order to maintain both the accurate translation as well as fidelity to grammar/syntax proper: “Now is my happiness.”
Candy is simply saying at this point that the name of her happiness is called “Now”. Albert was determined to know where her happiness lies so he (albeit indirectly) asks her: “Where is your happiness?” or, alternatively: “Where does your happiness lie?”
Candy’s response to Albert’s query is in one word and in a nutshell: “Now”.
That said, if some Terry fans are hopping about believing that a terse letter allegedly coming from Terry has ruined any chance of a Candy-Albert romance, then they should take note that Candy’s response to Albert’s query has ruined any hope for the Terry fans to resume the adolescent Candy-Terry brief romance.
Bottom line, Nagita gives the exclusive opportunity to Candy to decide with whom she’s happy with and with whom she wants to further her romance. Candy’s “Now” answer clearly points to Albert as he represents the present and here-in-now, whereas Terry represents past memories there-and-then.
Needless to mention, yet again, that Candy’s decision to return her diary about Terry to Albert is indisputably indicative of her firm decision to put the past behind her once and for all and develop her relationship further with Albert.
Thanks again,
Avon
Ms Puddle, I’d be more than pleased if you quote any of my comments. By all means, feel free to do so.
I’ll just wait for your next post to provide the info I’ve gathered surrounding the quasi-adoption issue. I’ll explain later why I’m using the term “quasi-“. One could even use the word “pseudo-” adoption. I have to thank my colleagues from Japan on this info.
Yes please, Interstellar 😊 I’m truly looking forward to hearing your thoughts and analysis, but please wait. I’m gathering information for the new post and hopefully I’ll get it done by the end of the week. 🙂
Sure, I’ll wait for your cue.😎
Looking forward to your next post.
Interstellar
Thanks, Ms Puddle, for providing those informative translations of that vintage manga cover. I’ve kept some vintage material myself but some of the volumes are misplaced, I’m afraid. No worries about not having the time to redact a new post. Please, take your time and focus on yourself and your well-being. We all understand what it means to work extremely hard and we all support you on this. Deadlines are for our jobs and not for what we enjoy, including this fascinating blog of yours.
Irrespective of some stubborn Terry-fan convictions, in both the anime and the manga, it’s beyond any shadow of a doubt that Candy had decided to move on. Her short-term and ill-fated relationship with Terry was clearly over. In the anime, Terry actually makes it clear that he believes there’s no point in talking to Candy when he sees her from afar in Chicago. He simply takes flight.. At this specific point, I could tentatively say that Terry acted like this because he sensed that something was going on between Candy and Albert. On the one hand, he witnessed how enraged Albert was against him to the point where Albert exerted violence against him (and rightfully so, I would contend). On the other hand, he saw a different Candy to the one he was accustomed to; he saw that Candy was cheerful and content in her new job and her new life. The anime version appears to suggest that Terry left the scene because he saw that a new interest was blooming in Candy’s life. He saw this from both Candy and Albert. Again, this is my interpretation and nothing more than that.
Furthermore, in the anime, even if intended for a younger audience, we do get a subtle idea that Candy and Albert may move on to a different level in their relationship. It’s definitely not as pronounced as in the manga, however, she has that same delight when she discovers that Albert was her childhood crush. She wanted to say more to him but they were both interrupted by the children of the orphanage and by Candy’s friends (not by George as in the manga). It’s also interesting to see that Albert sits amongst the children at the table at a prominent position near Ms Pony. In that final scene, the camera zooms in on Albert, then shows Terry and then slowly shows Anthony; as if it’s some “reverse” time-frame displaying those “three faces of Adam” in Candy’s personal life: Albert represent the present and future, Terry and Anthony the distant past. This “zooming in and out” is much akin to the vintage manga where Albert appears to be the one closest to Candy (and the largest image in the frame after Candy), then behind we see Terry and further afar we we Anthony.
I have to admit that my favourite image of Albert is that pastel image belonging to the vintage manga where Candy is holding those violet flowers. His profile is so swan-like and serene. Your Albert drawings are similar to that specific image, Ms Puddle. Your artwork appears to adeptly capture that calm yet strong elegant beauty that Albert musters.
I won’t go further into the manga because you have extensively covered so many significant issues of this story. I just wanted to point out that the anime may also suggest hints of a Candy-Albert romantic relationship, at least in its embryonic form.
That’s all from me for now.
Take Care and Thanks Again,
Myra
Thanks Myra for your kind words and support. Yes, it’s so true that deadlines are for our jobs, not our hobbies. 🤗
Nice to know that you have your own copies of vintage materials yourself. Those are really precious, aren’t they?
I confess to be biased against the anime version mainly because both Candy and Albert appeared too calm at his ‘confession’, unlike the manga version, the old novel or CCFS. Not to mention the kilt Albert wore was like a miniskirt… LOL 😂
About the fight in the Chicago bar, I know some people really like it, but some Terry fans blamed Albert for being selfish, don’t know why. I personally preferred the Rockstown incident, because it was Candy who walked away, not the other way around.
Thank you Myra for your compliments of my drawings 😍😘. I also like this Albert in this poster, and the other one I like a lot is a smiling Candy standing right beside him, looking somewhat sad. I’m not sure if you know which one I refer to.
You take care too. 😊
Just noticed how many typos I made in my previous message. I haven’t got used to my new tablet yet..
My vintage CC manga volumes are somewhere stored at my parents’ home. My sister and I will have to find some free time to “excavate” for those volumes because our mother doesn’t remember where she stacked them (they had taken “too much space” according to her, apparently). My sister and I had been collecting tons of Japanese manga apart from CC so our mother’s frustration may be a bit justified, LOL.
My sister and I have got the Greek, Italian, French and original Japanese CC manga volumes but not all the volumes for each language. The only CC manga series intact though is the Japanese one as if was given as a gift was I was in my late teens. But I kept all those volumes at my parents’ home when moving into my new apartment and I still can’t find some free time to retrieve some of my old “stash”.
In terms of the CC manga, I agree with you about it being better than than the anime. To be a bit fair though the anime did have a charm of its own. I enjoyed the “Magnolia” episodes, especially the pranks and jokes Candy and Albert would poke at one another. By far, the Rockstown incident is superior to the anime “bar fighting” one. The anime was too pro-Terry though and the Rockstown incident simply didn’t fit this pro-Terry narrative. Presumably, the TOEI folk had to find a way to keep Terry in the front-row even though he had been reduced to way back-stage in the manga. It’s clear in the manga and in the novel that Candy’s initiative was what put an end to her relationship with Terry. In the anime, it’s the other way around.
May I ask which image you’re referring to about Candy being next to Albert? Who’s looking sad? Is it that one where she keeps reminiscing him when he left the Magnolia? Have you got a link for that image?
Cheers,
Myra
I made too many typos again.. Apologies, folks, but this new tablet is a bit of a pain in getting used to.
Towards the end of my post, I meant to say “back-bench” and not “back-stage”. As for some other typos, simply ignore them.
Hi Myra, I wanted to find this Igarashi’s drawing when it was first used in the Nakayoshi magazine but couldn’t… 😦 I hope you won’t be too disappointed because I’m sure you’ve seen this image before. Anyway, the original poster recapped Candy’s breakup with Terry, indicating that she only had Albert beside her, something like that. Albert looked a bit sad because he was still amnesiac, I guess? But Candy looked ladylike, even somewhat content… don’t you think?
http://mspuddleshaven.com/2015/09/24/manga-ending/
I actually like tablets because they’re so handy. Give it some time and it’ll grow on you.
No worries about typos, Myra. Guess no one is a grammar police here either, I hope. 🙂
Lucky you to have owned quite a few sets of manga volumes in different languages. Whoever gave you the Japanese manga as a gift was generous too.
Yes, the anime version does have its charm, and thanks to that the story of Candy Candy could be broadcasted in countries around the world.
However, I still prefer the manga version precisely because the anime’s plot was pro-Terry and diverged quite significantly from the original one.
Many fans like the bar fighting scene, but because Terry was the one who gave up, some fans were dissatisfied, wondering what if Candy saw Terry — would they reunite? It was almost like a cliffhanger to them.
I won’t add much to that, because, Myra, I suppose you already know about it. To some Terry fans, it wasn’t the first time Terry decided to leave Candy for good (for example, his rushed departure from London). However, Candy was in pursuit of him, even risking her life as a stowaway.
In any case, I can’t shake off the feeling that the TOEI folks had misunderstood Mizuki’s story all along by putting too much emphasis on Terry.
About that Igarashi’s drawing, I’ll try to send you the link. Please stay tuned. 😘
I’ve got to admit that I enjoy watching that bar scene where Albert beats the hell out of Terry. Even in the anime which is favourably predisposed towards Terry, he’s still a douche-bag and indifferent to Candy’s individuality. All he cares about is himself. I agree with you that Terry always puts himself and his needs above Candy. The Rockstown incident though shows that Candy was the one who, for the first time, decided to out her needs above Terry.
I don’t thing the TOEI folk misunderstood the Candy-Albert relationship. My interpretation is that this relationship was too complex for a young childhood audience. The Terry romance though was more simplistic and easier to comprehend for kids and young teens.
You’ve got me intrigued with that image of Candy and Albert. I don’t recall having seen it anywhere.
BTW, I was watching the Thor films the other day and Chris Hemsworth would have made a superb Albert whether in long or shorter hair. He’s also such a great person and family man in real life just as Albert would have been.
I meant “put her needs above Terry”. And I also meant “I don’t think..” I can’t stand this new tablet.. My hands are too big for it. I’m not what you would call a “petite” person, LOL.
LOL… Maybe you should consider getting a real keyboard?
Yes, Myra, I agree with you that Terry did put his needs above others, including Candy and his mother. Interestingly, he did learn to care about Susanna and put her needs above his own… I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I don’t mind repeating myself — Terry was an entirely different man when he was with Susanna after the accident… even tender and caring…
You’re probably right about Candy and Albert’s relationship. As a girl I didn’t understand the ending at all… Guess I was way too young 😅
I like Chris Hemsworth too. I think he looks very charming, like his eyes can talk❣️ Yet, the Albert in my imagination had an athletic build but not necessarily that muscular (hunky). Of course, everyone has a different ideal looking Albert 😍
I could get an attachable keyboard if this tablet continues to be a pain.. Tablets though have loads of advantages, namely being portable. light and fast.
Responding to your comment about Chris Hemsworth as Albert, Hemsworth has toned down and become leaner these days. He was huge in Thor though. I think Hemsworth would have been ideal for the anime version of Albert, who appears immensely broad shouldered and towering over everyone else.
The manga version of Albert though is as your drawings are of him: tall, lean and toned. I can’t think of any other actor. Only a model would do for this case, LOL.
My sister thinks that Liam Neeson (in his youth, of-course) would have made a cool Albert but I disagree. Perhaps he would be more suitable for George’s role.
Have you ever seen the British actor, Rupert Penry-Jones? In Jane Austen’s “Persuasion”, he stars as Captain Wentworth. There are some pics of his where I could imagine him as Albert (the manga version). What do you think? https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FmMNDfB3SKc/TnuPg2zi6RI/AAAAAAAAFhU/o0SxW-SFJR4/s1600/rupert+penry+jones.jpg
What height do you think Albert had? He seems to be towering over everyone in either anime or manga. He seems more like a legit 6ft3 perhaps even 6ft5 guy. It’s annoying that Nagita doesn’t describe him at all in the CCFS but just his eyes. Isn’t it odd that she had provided a clear description of Anthony, a less clear but still specific description of Terry (mainly his physique rather than facial features), and absolutely no description of Albert’s stature.
Since Nagita had decided to re-visit her CC story she could have least provided a completed story. Talk about one cliff-hanger after another..
Hello Myra, I can easily imagine Chris Hemsworth as the real-life version of Albert, especially in his thirties or the one in CCFS as the president of a business enterprise.
Thanks again for your encouraging words about my drawing of Albert. I take that as a compliment 😊 Yes, in my mind any tall handsome male model will do. 😍
I agree with you about Liam Neeson being more suitable to play Georges. The British actor Rupert Penry-Jones is also a great choice.
I read somewhere that Albert’s height was 185 cm, and the other male characters were around 170 cm (plus or minus). I saw these stats and pictures in one of those CC art books (illustrated Igarashi’s drawings). Not sure if this was official though.
Yes, Nagita didn’t write the details we wanted to read in CCFS, but Candy did describe Albert’s blond hair and blue eyes in her mental letter to Anthony. In fact, I stumbled across a Japanese blog that the blogger found that a bit disturbing (she was a big fan of Terry). 😉
Hello Ms Puddle, many thanks for sharing this with us! 😍
The meaning of the Romanji term you mentioned is crystal clear!
The biggest pictures showing POTH and Albert speak volumes, moreover the former is more colored than the others. No need to say more, indeed! 😉
I hope work won’t take a toll on yourself.
Take care 💖
Bonjour Candy Bert! Nice to hear from you again 😘
Oh yes, the romanji term is intriguing, isn’t it? 😉
You’re absolutely right about the coloring. Not only POTH and Albert are the biggest apart from Candy, they are the clearest. 💕
Thanks for your concerns. I’ll take care of myself 🤗
Hello Miss P 🖐🖐
I am very glad to read your story again after a while.Yes…Albert Prince on the Hill picture is the biggest one….because He is the main star of Candy’s love life…
😊😊
Thanks for sharing again 😚
Thank you for your encouraging words, and glad to know you like the new post. But you are?
Another excellent post of yours, Ms Puddle!
I’ve decided to continue our discussion under your new post in order to avoid confusion.
Regarding your response about the aforementioned Miami business trip, I think you have a strong point as you’ve mentioned significant aspects which had escaped my notice.
Before I elaborate further, I would appreciate it if you could help me with some questions, if possible and convenient for you, of-course.
Here they are:
1. When did the Miami business trip occur? Is there any specific or approximate date? Is there any reference albeit obscure? It must have been before the financial recession (circa 1929-1930), right?
2. Did Candy know that Albert was the POTH by then?
3. Do you think Candy and Albert were already courting by then?
I added that final question requesting for your opinion because, TBH, I had never considered their joint trip to Miami anything important but a dull business trip no one really wanted to go to anyway (due to the toxic Lagans). However, your points about Candy not having to go but did eventually is interesting, given the fact that Archie avoided it like hell. Nonetheless, the two of them wouldn’t be alone together because of George “supervising” them, presumably. Doesn’t George always appear as if he’s trying to contain those two? At some point Candy mentions in her letters to Albert that she was frustrated when George interrupted them at Pony’s Hill when Albert revealed himself as POTH. George is a smart person and perhaps he had noticed the sexual tension between Candy and Albert.
As for that whole “adoption” brouhaha the Terry-fans keep ranting about, I’ve gathered some intriguing evidence which shatters that argument, but I’ll explain later on. I’ll need to provide links though and I’m not sure if they’ll go through in case their mistaken as spam.
Talk to you again soon,
Interstellar
Hello Interstellar,
I’m in a hurry to go out but I can quickly answer your questions:
1. Should be soon after the great war was over – check Candy’s letter to Stewart
2. Nope. This is the opposite in the old novel.
3. Nope. Check Candy’s letter to Georges and my first two posts in Lost in translation series.
Also in that letter to Georges you can tell Candy did apparently spend some time alone with Albert. More likely than not it was the first time together after her return to Pony’s Home.
I think you can send links but you will need to wait for my approval. Looking forward to reading your analysis. 😊😉
See you around. 🤗
Interstellar, I must add that in Japanese it’s clear in Candy’s letter to Stewart about the event being soon after the war was over, but in Italian it wasn’t as obvious, I was told. 🙄
Thanks for letting me know, Ms Puddle. Indeed, the Italian translation is muddled in many occasions. It would be forthcoming if the French one is more loyal to the original Japanese text. There needs to be an authoritative English one, nonetheless.
The issue that Candy didn’t know about Albert being POTH during the Miami business trip is interesting. Her defence mechanism prior to that POTH revelation was borderline hostile, but she seemed to have dropped her entire defence mechanism once Albert told her that he’s POTH. Arguably, her attitude at the Miami resort would have also been different if she had prior knowledge about POTH’s identity. We could discuss this sometime later.
As for the aforementioned links, I’ll see if they can be accessible as tinyURL. Usually, it works well. I’ll give it a go.
I may delay in providing the details for the adoption issue this week as I’m terribly busy. I’ll see if I can squeeze in some time and post them though.
See you around,
Interstellar
No rush at all, Interstellar. I know what it means by being busy 😄
Yes, Candy’s defence mechanism may be a “manifestation” of her fighting against her own feelings 🙄 when she saw Albert face-to-face.
MS Puddle I really love your story, I liked this last analysis you did, the story of Candy and Albert is clear from the start to the end. Greetings.
Thank you Silvia 🤗 So happy to hear that you like this analysis, and yes, it’s clear who has captured Candy’s heart near the end of the story. I should thank my friend Candy Albert for sharing too 😍