Lost in translation (Part 12)
Time flies indeed. I just realized several months have elapsed after I posted Part 11 of Lost in translation. Since then I’ve drawn a couple of new fanarts and uploaded different translations to my fanfics Love Never Fails and A Man in Love. Here I’d like to express my appreciation to you all, especially to those who have commented on my Facebook page lately. Your continued support have encouraged me to keep going. On the other hand, my recent promotion at work makes it harder for me to find spare time, so this change motivated me to wrap up this Lost in translation series.
Before I go on, I was told that the French version of Candy Candy Final Story, in particular the second volume that is called “Candy – Le prince sur la colline“, has encouraged many Albert fans but on the other hand upset some Terry fans. First, the suggestive subtitle, approved by the author Nagita sensei herself, had stirred up commotion in the fandom, and yet that was nothing when compared to reading the book themselves. Some pro-Terry fans have written negative reviews, complaining about the translation being unfair or biased or something like that. Although I did not personally read any of these reviews, two different friends wrote to me in private about this. One of them said that Volume 2 of the French version really suggested Albert as Anohito, which essentially affirms what we have believed all along.
Well, I sincerely wish some Terry fans could finally see the truth. 🙂 The good news is that Louna, a long-term Albert fan, has read the novel and eagerly shared some excerpts with us (mainly from the epilogue), translated to English. It looks like she has used a machine translator, and you can find her book review and her comment here on my blog post or similar comments to this Facebook post:
Candy’s Prince on the Hill <3
Posted by Ms Puddle’s Haven on Saturday, February 2, 2019
Like her, I consider these passages highlights in the epilogue too. Let me share my thoughts based on the original Japanese version.
However, I will skip the details of the first two letters to Albert from Candy in the epilogue, because I’ve already discussed them in length beginning in Lost in translation (part 3). Yet, it’s worth mentioning that Candy in Japanese did not call Albert “Little Prince on the Hill”, simply “Prince on the Hill”. After all, he was supposedly 17. 😉 Some teenagers might have reached their adult heights around that age.
Also, Candy said she had not forgotten about her prince, not that “she will not forget him”. I don’t know French, so this is totally based on the translation provided by Louna. At any rate, regardless of translations, Candy’s honest reactions and readiness to accept Albert as her prince proved that she was already in love with him (albeit in secret). If you disagree with me, imagine Albert as a spoiled brat worse than Neal or a much older man like Mr. McGregor…
See what I mean? Don’t forget that W.A.A. was an attractive young bachelor, coveted by many. He was not only a rich, highly-educated man but also capable of running a huge business enterprise.
Candy and Prince on the Hill
Albert in his reply to Candy (the second letter in the epilogue) asked her to write to him in a casual tone as usual. This means that ever since Candy moved back to Pony’s Home, they had kept in touch either by writing or in some family gatherings. Candy herself in her letter to Georges had indicated that she and Albert had spent some time together. I don’t think he could tell her various things in his past, about Georges and his late father, at Pony’s Home with the sensei and the kids around. 😀
In the third letter, I was glad to read that the French version used the verb “smile” rather than “laugh”. Candy wrote with many details about Albert’s confession and her inner feelings about him leading to that significant moment on the hill and afterwards. According to Louna’s comment, Albert’s response to Candy’s first question was “today you have the right to cry”. This seems odd. I hope it was a mistake of the machine translation, because Albert merely said to Candy that she looked pretty even when she cried now. Besides, about his voice, Candy said she had always found it comforting and/or soothing, not “loved his voice”. You can read more in my post Lost in translation (part 4).
Overall, I like the tone of Candy’s voice in this version; her eagerness to see her prince again was palpable. His next reply, in which he had to decline her magic spell, was also well translated. He knew her hopes would be dashed and already tried to make amends. His remarks about her smile was slightly different than the original however, but it’s not far off. For your interest, you can read Lost in translation (part 6).
About Georges’ tears, Albert said the only other time was Rosemary’s death, which had happened way before his runaway. More importantly, Albert said he had found his way of living on that hill, and he had not forgotten about Candy, but he didn’t mean the reason to live was Candy. You can read my own interpretation (and translation attempts) in Lost in translation (part 6) and Lost in translation (part 8).
Yet, I must say I like Albert’s plea at the end of his letter — he asked Candy not to address him as her Prince on the Hill anymore. This part is funny as expected. 😀 On the other hand, I sighed when I read Candy calling him Mr. Albert in her letters!! I’ve talked about this countless times, and I do hope that the readers will understand by calling him Albert-san does NOT mean they are NOT close. Her following letter proved that she had felt he had become closer to her.
Now let me pick up where I left off in Lost in translation (part 11). Candy surely had a happy day on her birthday but not without regrets. She wanted Albert’s company more than any present he had given her. Again, this part is undeniable in all translations. She was honest with him about her disappointment and teased him as “father”, using an ancient term. As explained in my earlier post, Candy and Prince on the Hill, 父上さま is one form of honorific for fathers, especially used in samurai families. It’s highly likely Candy was joking (bantering), because she appended かも (kamo) to the end of her question to soften the tone. She was basically asking, “Actually, do I have to call you ‘father’ (maybe not)!?”
What’s more, she called herself your beautiful adopted daughter , あなたの美しき養女. Note that she used the ancient version of the adjective, beautiful (the bolded words). You can tell she’s either teasing him again and/or gauging his reactions to her mentioning their legal relationship.
Albert’s response in his brief letter was borderline serious, at least to me. Right at the beginning, he wrote 取り急ぎ before Candy’s name. Note that this phrase is often used as an opening phrase in letters of high priority.
After the opening, he wrote (in a somewhat demanding tone):
一言、不満を述べておく。
In short, let me explain my displeasure.
Next, he reminded her of her promise to him earlier, that she would not make him bear anything again. He then repeated the two ancient terms she had used, with double quotes, as puzzling questions. I figure Candy might be able to sense that he was slightly offended; later he even added that he was a sensitive guy (even urged her not to laugh), so he seemed to be saying he was not to be trifled with, in this regard.
But this mood soon shifted. He admitted that she was 美しい (meaning ‘beautiful’, the modern form of the term Candy had used). If I’m not mistaken this could be the first time he said she was beautiful ever since his confession. Before this, he frequently used かわいい (meaning pretty or cute, about her and/or her smile). Those who are familiar with Japanese culture are aware these two adjectives are quite different. In my humble opinion, I’d say かわいい is more casually used than 美しい.
That’s why Albert comically added たぶん (meaning probably, perhaps, etc.) to immediately lessen the effect of his previous statement. 😛 I see this as his little revenge to her bantering questions, and yet he knew this would put her in a sulky mood. He asked if she was 膨れたか?, the same worry he had when he had informed her that her spell didn’t work. One can almost envision Candy’s facial expressions here. 😀 Besides, this reveals he really knew her and they were close friends.
After that, he admitted he was aware of their legal relationship, and yet he had forgotten that and was surprised to have an adopted daughter as a bachelor. I wonder if Albert (Nagita sensei) alluded to his amnesia and/or the instant he had recovered his memory. Otherwise, how could he have forgotten the adoption? 😆
Despite its uneasy beginning, this short letter was ended in a humorous way. Albert unintentionally referred himself as “the adoptive father”, and right afterwards, he wrote しまった, which is often translated to “Damn it!”. You can click the link for more real-life examples in English. Just imagine his face when he said “Damn it! Did I just call myself adoptive father…” 😂
The following letter was another long letter from Albert to Candy, and he had apparently remembered his previous complaint to her. He addressed her as “Dear probably… beautiful Candy”, re-using the ancient term she had used before. If I were Candy I would have laughed when I opened this letter. 😀 Can’t you see they were teasing each other (if not flirting)? 😉
Later in this letter Albert expressed his regret すまない for keeping his recovery a secret from Candy. The reason he gave her was that
僕もあのぬくもりのある生活から離れたくなかった。
I also did not want to depart from that heartwarming life.
Yes, Albert wrote も, which translates to “I also did not want…”. Hence, he shared Candy’s sentiments — back then he wished to continue their living arrangement. Her presence / friendship / company had brought him warmth (tenderness, etc.). Remember she had written in her previous letter to him that she had enjoyed living with him in that tiny apartment as brother and sister, despite the empty-pocket days? In other words, she had always liked him and treasured his company. Their feelings were mutual.
He further added that he would lose his freedom once he returned to the Ardlays as the president. This part I don’t quite understand because undoubtedly, Albert had resumed working with Georges behind Candy’s back. Even his neighbors had seen him unexpectedly dressed up, accompanied by some gangsters.
Soon Albert mentioned London and their reunion, which I have paraphrased below:
僕はのん気に旅ばかりしていたわけでもないんだよ。イギリスにも進出する事業の準備のために行った。しかし、あんなふうにきみと偶然再会できたのも、いつもっている不思議な糸でつながっていたのだと思う。
It was not exactly a carefree trip (laid-back vacation) for me. I went with the goal to prepare to expand (advance) the business to England as well. However, I think, as you’ve always been telling me, we were connected by a mysterious thread, such that we could also run into each other by chance like that.
I don’t know about you, but I find this passage very interesting. First, Albert wanted to let Candy know he was actually busy working in London. Perhaps he wanted her to believe he was not leading a carefree life back then, like working only part-time in a zoo or something?
Secondly, whose idea was that to expand their family business to England? Was it his own idea or Aunt Elroy’s? Could it be that Albert was seriously afflicted by Anthony’s accident, so much that he wanted everyone, including his nephews, Candy and himself, to go somewhere far away to help alleviate the pain? Of course, just my two cents.
Most importantly, he mentioned the strange thread that connected or tied them together. We know that Candy referred this as “invisible thread”, which Albert interpreted as 不思議な糸 (mysterious or miraculous thread, the same adjective Candy used to describe the security his presence gave her). I figure she must have mentioned that they were connected by an invisible thread so many times that he said いつも (constantly, always, incessantly). I wonder if she wanted to explain her theory or convince him again and again?
When did she draw such a conclusion? Back in the tiny apartment? After she had discovered his true identity? Or after his confession?
Nevertheless, their lives were intertwined to such an extent that he was now in agreement with her (at last? 😛 ). She was not the only one who figured they were connected by some mysterious force. 🙂 Note that in her 30s she brought up this topic again, in present tense, when she recollected why she had wanted to help the amnesiac patient, which means that her theory had remained true — they were still connected — after all these years. Don’t you find this intriguing? 😉
Near the end of this lengthy letter, written some time after 2am in a hotel room somewhere in Brazil, Albert broached the subject of their unexpected encounter in the hospital in Chicago, where nobody had cared about him except Candy. The staff had despised him merely because of his suspicious origin, and yet Candy had chosen to take care of him and to cheer him up till his recovery. Her resolve had not weakened even after being fired by Dr Leonard. With Albert’s own words we know that the memories of her steadfast tenderness had deeply touched his heart even to this day. For your interest I’ve discussed this passage in another post, Her Happiness. In summary, he would do his utmost best to find what would make her happy (to get to the bottom of it), which subtly implies he would make this happen — bring her the happiness that would last.
Back to Louna’s comment, apparently in the French version this implication was spelled out, for which I don’t mind, because Candy clearly understood his intention, see I wish you were here…. No doubt she’d rather talk to him in person (was desperate to see him) than writing another long reply.
For the last two letters in the epilogue I’ve already discussed more than once in several series, including the ones listed below. Based on Louna’s aforementioned comment I’m relieved to see the translation of the famous Candy’s declaration of her happiness (her answer to Albert’s earlier question) is “My happiness ? My happiness is now.” This is already better than the one in the Italian version. Many thanks again for reading this long post. Bye for now and hope to hear from you soon.
Candy and Prince on the Hill
The day her life changed
More than words
Did Candy find her happiness?
Overwhelmed with emotions
Hello! I recently wrote to you through Facebook, and I have a question for you (by this point, I have reached whichever blog it was in which you said that you preferred to have questions be asked in public, as it would be easier to answer questions this way in case someone else had the same doubt…
Now, I read the Spanish version of CCFS, which is a translation of the Italian translation! This translation was the first one I found, and then, recalling that I have read your blog before, I found an English translation. I was a little sad to realise that this was a translation of the Spanish translation…
My problem with it was that I knew about the Italian’s preference for a Terry-Candy ending, and I know that they have history of going so far as to massacre the manga *and* the anime to get the ending that they wanted. I had little hopes for the translation and was genuinely scared for Alberta and Candy’s relationship’s portrayal in the novel, especially since some scenes (like the encouragement Albert gave in the manga and anime to Candy after Anthony’s death) had been removed, B U T, even with my little faith in the integrity in the Italian translation, I found that the relationship between Candy and Albert, although obviously watered down after having gone through this Lost In Translation thread, could still not be eliminated from the book. The hints of romance were there, they were just harder to find.
SORRY I RAMBLED ON FOR SO LONG! I assume from having read your posts that you did not read the direct to Spanish translation. A fun fact is that you mentioned that in the French translation, an author’s note said that the ‘Mr.’ would stop being used with Albert’s name when they started living together, AS TO HONOUR THE AUTHOR’S WISHES. This note is also in the Spanish translation, as are other footnotes correcting certain mistakes (confusing Archie and Stair’s dialogues at times, for example). However, by the time I reached correspondence between Albert and Candy, the annoying ‘Mr.’ title had not been dropped, and the correspondence was informal from Albert’s side to Candy (using a form of speech called ‘tuteo’ or ‘voseo’), while Candy used the standard formal (‘usted’ to refer to *Mr.* Albert). Even in the Spanish dub of the anime, the formal ‘usted’ was not used for Albert, and the voice actors, to this date, are HARDCORE Terry-Candy shippers.
I keep rambling, but I hope you can understand better than anyone how much can be omitted from a single post, and then the god awful feeling of having left something out…geeeeez.
Anyway, after seeing so many of these slips, I am curious about the original Japanese translation, when it comes to talking about the ‘invisible threads that bind’. I’m curious because these reference to said threads (and I know full well about the red thread that connects two people, which is exclusively between soulmates) is used very lightly in the Spanish translate.
Basically, throughout the whole book, Candy has invisible threads that bind her to e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y, even to Mr. Whitman, I think (don’t quote me on that, but I know she used it even on one of the letters that went for one of the Lagan’s servants).
Was this light usage of the red thread not part of the Japanese original version? She used the thread to refer to Albert numerous times, but also used it (most definitely) for Terry and Anthony, even in adulthood.
By this point, I am beyond convinced that Anohito is Albert…regardless of how good a relationship they may have with each other, keeping at least one picture of him and Dr. Martin’s drawing of him in the apartment would be way too creepy if she lived with anyone other than him. I don’t care if he was pivotal to Terry and Candy’s supposed reunion, according to Terry fans, it’s still creepy af.
Thank you in advance for reading all of that. As always, I am a faithful reader.
Hi Ana! Nice to see you here 🤗 Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about CCFS and various translations.
Yes, the Spanish translation was a fan project originated from a few dedicated fans. They wished to provide the entire novel to the vast community of Spanish speaking Candy Candy’s fans; prior to that they could only read spoilers and snippets.
The English translation was Fay’s idea. She didn’t know much Spanish when she began, so with the help of Google translator, she actually finished. Now she is more familiar with Spanish and recognizes some words and phrases. 👍👏
Let’s put the Italian preferences aside, I heard that despite the flaws and some misleading sections, the overall translation was alright. The translator was supposedly neutral, I was told. 😉
For example, in Candy’s recollections, when she mentioned Albert, she no longer used the title “Mr”
I did not read the Spanish version as I don’t know much of this language other than everyday greetings.
If I understand you correctly, you mean in Spanish version Candy used formal tone when writing to Albert or Prince on the Hill?
Then this is absolutely opposite in the Japanese version. That I can assure you.
About the invisible thread, as far as I know, Candy only used that for Albert alone, and he mentioned it later because he was in agreement with her ‘theory’. Neither of them referred it as red, because otherwise Anohito was no longer mysterious. Red string of fate implies romance.
Anyway, I am not sure where you get the idea of Candy’s using the thread for others too?
Thanks again for reading my Lost in Translation series. You will find there are more than one convincing hints which are in Albert’s favour. 😉
I just found your blog and stories recently and have been enjoying reading them. I really appreciate your insights and analysis. Thank you.
Very interesting about the French version. If I remember correctly, in the comics, Albert was the only one who wanted to actively “make” Candy happy, rather than just wishing her to be happy. Miss Pony and Terry told Candy to become happy, Anthony in his thought told her the same, Stear told Terry that he wanted her to be happy. Albert was the only one who had means to do something about her happiness, adopting her which Anthony, Stear and Archie didn’t have the power, giving her protection, education, material support and advice, and giving her warmth of ordinary family life (at least that’s what Candy thought) by living with her (and having ham and eggs together) which Terry couldn’t do because he was too young when he left St. Paul and later he had to break up with her. Albert also was the only one among her three loves who never hit her.
By the way, I don’t have Final Story in Japanese and I only read the English translation on your site once (thank you for posting it and also thank you to the translator!), but does Candy in her thirties mention where the badge currently is? Does she have it in the jewelry box or is she wearing it? Because, if it’s not mentioned, I wonder if it is an heirloom and it has been given to the next William already, who is probably attending a boarding school in England.
I’ve been very much enjoying reading your articles and discussions here. When I read Candy Candy as a kid, I didn’t realize how deep this story was. I’m so glad that I found your site!
Hello CatFoodDispenser, I like your nickname! I have adorable cats myself, who make me smile every day 😊😍
Yes indeed about Albert’s being the only character in the story who could make Candy happy. I have written some posts along this line already, and I’m so glad you’re in agreement too. 🤗
Interestingly, Terry did wish Candy happiness, more than once — his goodbye words to her in New York and his farewell note left in the dormitory. In both cases he was fully aware it was highly unlikely he would see her again. In other words, it would be someone else who could make her happy.
Thanks for reading CCFS translations! Fay would be happy to know this. About the badge, as far as I know, Candy did not mention it in her thirties. Your guess is plausible; Candy might have passed it to the next heir already.
The badge was not the only mystery though. Her diary wasn’t mentioned either. Albert should still be keeping it for her. IMHO that’s another clue that Terry was not with her. If he had married her his burning jealousy would have propelled him to request it back from Albert.
Thanks again for reading my posts and stories. I appreciate your encouraging words and feedback 😊
Hello, fellow cat lover! Thank you for your reply!
I really enjoyed reading your Lost in Translation articles. Japanese is my native language and I also read English version found online and there are many differences and sometimes nuances are lost. I understand translation is not easy task. It’s great that you understand a few languages and you can enjoy nuances in different languages. I wish I could understand French. I’m sure the French version is written beautifully.
For Albert wanting to make Candy happy, in Japanese comic version, Albert actually thinks “I want to make you happy” which makes him only one who actually wanted to “make” her happy himself, but the English version says “I want you to be happy”.
It sounds like exchanging the badge and diary is the main event of Final Story, does it? I think Albert’s character arc is to find, embrace and reclaim his whole identity as William Albert Ardlay, not just Albert or William A Ardlay, with help, encouragement and inspiration from Candy, and Candy’s is to find her own happiness despite her past difficulties, with help, encouragement and inspiration from Granduncle William, Albert and finally William Albert Ardlay. So, he gave the badge back to her not just as her prince but as WAA, and she accepted it gladly, and she entrusted her diary to WAA not just Granduncle William, the diary which he said was precious to her. Here I think their arcs merge, accepting and embracing each other’s past struggles wholly, and this implies their future together. I feel that the use of word 託す instead of 預ける here makes it somewhat more significant. You can 託す one’s feelings and hopes, but not so much with 預ける. Candy compared her giving back her diary to Albert to him giving the badge back to her, so those two actions must have similar meanings. Albert gave her a symbol of his entire identity which was very important to him, and Candy gave him a symbol of her past struggles and hopes for finding her own happiness.
One of the things I noticed missing from English version is what Albert said to Candy when she came back from NY brokenhearted. I think it may be important because this made me think that Albert didn’t send Candy to Rockstown to get back with Terry, but actually to have a closure by comforting him and encouraging him to go back to Susanna. In Final Story in particular, Candy realized she and Terry could not be happy together while Susanna suffered. In manga, when Candy told Albert that she couldn’t tell Susanna not to take Terry away from her, he said he would’ve done the same thing, and Candy “liked Terry precisely because he was the kind of person who could not abandon Susanna (who sacrificed herself out of love)” (this part was interpreted differently in English version). In other words, if Terry abandoned Susanna to be with Candy, Candy would not be able to love him. It also probably implies that Albert loves Candy because she is such a kind person who wouldn’t take Terry away from Susanna. Later when Albert found Candy crying over negative articles about Terry, he thought she must be suffering because she wanted to rush to him to comfort him but she wasn’t allowed to do that, implying that Candy was suffering mostly because Terry wasn’t happy, not because she couldn’t get back with him as a couple. I imagine Albert also thought that Albert and Candy couldn’t be happy together either if Terry was still suffering. So, helping Terry get over their breakup would help not only Candy but Albert himself also.
I think Albert set up the Rockstown reunion to enable Candy to comfort Terry which Albert knew she couldn’t do it by herself specially after Neil’s attempted kidnapping incident, and also he knew that Candy wouldn’t get back with Terry because she wouldn’t be able to do something cruel to Susanna. I also think that Albert may be testing Candy’s feeling towards him when he sent the package to her and her going to a small town she never heard of with just a postmark on the package as the only clue, even though he was capable of taking care of himself at that point, seems to me like a big answer right there, that she was in love with him. That’s why he said it was just right that she looked a little older than be seen as his little sister, practically telling her that he didn’t see themselves as siblings but a couple. He wouldn’t have said that if he suspected Candy might feel awkward about it. But he was confident that she saw him more than her big brother even though Candy probably wasn’t fully aware of it. Albert was hiding his feeling so well, while she was probably like an open book to him, and I think that’s why she thought 憎らしいったらない.
There is a Japanese expression 恋愛の駆け引き(tactics of love) to attract a person one likes, and also 押して引く(push and pull, meaning approach actively and suddenly pull back and see the person’s reaction). Albert was groomed to be the patriarch of a large business empire. I imagine he was trained to be a great negotiator, too. He is a master of poker face, and he doesn’t show all of his hands at once. Also, he is older than Candy with much more life experiences. So I think he was somewhat strategic about approaching Candy and that made her say 憎らしい, because she fell for him so hard. (Although I think Albert also had insecurity and struggles during the time he was away from Candy and still needed intervention from the grand master of poker face Georges to reconnect with Candy…so he wasn’t totally on top of things…)
Albert being a master of deflecting her anger reminds me of an elderly couple I knew. The husband was about 10 years older than the wife, and she told me that she was frustrated because he deflect her nagging by just laughing off (like he thought she was just being cute of something, I imagine). If I remember correctly I think she also said “憎たらしい”.
I’m curious to know what the author added to the French version that are not in Japanese version. Is that the part Albert said it wouldn’t displease me him if Candy looked a little older? or he seems to be using stronger expression when he talked about her happiness in his letter? Are they added by the translator or the author?
Sorry, it’s getting long. Just so excited to talk about Candy and Albert. Such a beautiful story.
Hello CatFoodDispenser 😻
I came home late tonight and felt a bit tired to dig up the passages that you mentioned. Really nice to meet you here, a fellow cat lover too 🤗
I’ll get back to you later and discuss some more. よろしくお願いいたします😊
Hello again, CatFoodDispenser!
こんにちは :-)
I spent some time trying to go through the details in your comment, and if I have missed anything, please excuse me.
So Japanese is your native language? That’s wonderful! If you spot anything wrong about my interpretation and/or translations, please feel free to point them out to me. I’m all ears. My first language is Chinese but I learned English in school since kindergarten. I started picking up Japanese myself as I grew up but stopped for years. Because of Candy Candy and other childhood beloved mangas I decided to resume my self-study at my leisure.
About Albert wanting to make Candy happy, you’re absolutely right! I’ve colored the manga snippet that matched what you mentioned in my earlier post, in which Albert thought to himself that he wanted to make Candy happy:
http://mspuddleshaven.com/2015/03/29/her-happiness/
About exchanging the badge and diary, I wouldn’t say it’s the main event in the Final Story though. However, it’s most definitely the highlights of Albert and Candy’s correspondence in the epilogue. To me, they are two of the more significant clues of Anohito’s identity.
So in this regard I find your conclusion about their arcs merging highly intriguing! This reminds me of Candy’s letter to Vincent Brown in CCFS; in that letter she referred to Albert as Granduncle William Albert. As far as I recall this is the only letter such title is used.
預ける Vs. 託す!! My sentiments exactly, my friend! In English their meanings are very similar but the nuances are different indeed 🤗
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us. In Candy’s own words, she said Albert presented his badge to her like a gift, so she would entrust her diary in the same manner: 贈ってくださったように。
Just like you said, this badge represented himself and his real identity, the sole heir of a prestigious family. Her diary was her past love and struggles.
What’s more, after telling him her decision, she ended her letter with 今が、わたしの幸せです。
It’s a reassurance from her. She is happy with him, her Prince on the Hill 丘の上の王子さま💕💘
About the missing passages in CCFS, I can’t agree with you more. Since everything was from Candy’s perspectives, she could have brought up more about her heartbreaking episodes after the New York trip and how she recovered with Albert’s help and support. Too bad this is lacking in CCFS.
I’ll continue to respond to your comment tomorrow, concerning Rockstown and the rest.
Hi Ms Puddle! Thanks for taking your time to get back to me. Please don’t feel obligated to reply to every thing I blabber, though. 🙂 It’s your blog and I’m an intruder!
I guess saying that the badge and diary exchange was the main event of CCFS was an exaggeration. But yes, as you said, highlight. I think the Section I is roughly about the badge (the prince, Anthony, Ardlay, and meeting Albert right after she thought about the badge) and the Section II is about the diary…maybe…
I wonder the letter to Vincent Brown was written after Candy and Albert became a couple, because she asked him to visit them at Chicago home. I don’t have Japanese version of CCFS, so I don’t know how the original is worded, but just reading the English version, it seems odd that she wrote that way if she was still living at Pony’s Home.
For the missing passage, I wasn’t very clear. I was comparing Japanese version and English version of manga. The English version of manga has a lot of nuances missing. The English version of CCFS you posted on your site is excellent. I really enjoyed reading it, but as I said above I don’t have Japanese version so I can’t compare. But I agree with you about missing detailed story about Albert and Candy in CCFS. I’d love to read it!
Thank you again for taking your time. I’ll write more about Rockstown below.
Hi CatFoodDispenser, I read your fascinating points of views of Rockstown and the love triangle Terry, Candy and Albert at least a couple of times. Instead of responding to you in a comment, I think these are intriguing topics for discussion in a new post. Talk to you soon 😻😉
Yes, please. That’d be wonderful. I’d like to add some more thoughts…I think Terry and Candy deeply and genuinely loved each other and because of that they took their promise to become happy very seriously. So for them to show that their love was real was to become happy. In the Rockstown episode in manga, Candy thought that Terry will go back to Broadway because she loved him. In other words, by moving on and become happy separately is the only way that they can show each other how real their love was. I think this way is much more profound and beautiful for Terry and Candy. And Albert knew that only Candy could help Terry. Albert probably has read her diary by then and he also knew very well from his own experiences Candy’s healing presence. And he genuinely cared about Terry too.
So, if you look at it this way, that fulfilling their promise to be happy separately is the proof of their love, the meaning of the letter from Terry to Candy become clearer. From the context of the letter, it sounds like Terry hasn’t seen Candy since あれ. And when he wrote “nothing has changed on my end”, he hasn’t changed since あれ also. So あれ is the break up, when they promised each other to go separate way and become happy. Terry wanted to check on Candy, because he took the promise seriously and cared about her, so he decided to write to her after a year, but he couldn’t because he wasn’t happy at that time and also he wasn’t even in New York. He was actually at his bottom, not keeping his promise. The negative articles about him probably started appearing right after Candy left New York, and Terry certainly knew about them and thought Candy might have seen them. Then six months passed, he was back in New York by then. So he was telling Candy that he hasn’t changed, working towards fulfilling his promise to Candy, even if Candy may have seen the bad press about him, and his wish that Candy becomes happy hasn’t changed. If あれ was the moment when Susanna died, Candy would have no idea what kind of state of mind and situations Terry would be in, so saying “Nothing has changed on my end” would be like ??? to Candy.
This makes Albert more amazing too…he witnessed the star crossed lovers going through deep love and separation, helped them heal, patiently waiting for Candy to get over and acknowledged and embraced her past as something precious to her. But just like he said in his thought to Candy when she was back from New York “Cry all you want and forget about it”, he wanted to help her to forget about Terry, not unlike Terry wanted Candy to forget about Anthony. Albert is much gentler and patient than Terry, though.
I think Albert left the apartment and didn’t contact her except the package, because he realized that to have closer relationship with Candy, he couldn’t lie to her anymore about his identity but revealing it would inevitably change the nature of their relationship. Candy was ecstatic when she thought Albert was homeless after she met him first time in Lakewood, and Albert wanted to keep it that way at the time. He let Candy go back to Pony’s Home after the reveal, because I think he understood Candy needed some time to process and adjust to the new dynamic between them, and Albert also needed to adjust to his new role. It’s interesting that Albert took her to Lakewood after he wrote to her that he started enjoying his work. Also, in Daddy Long Legs, Judy was worried her being an orphan would turn off Master Jervie, without knowing that he was actually a trustee. I think, helping Candy to secure and renovate Pony’s Home, Albert showed her what he felt about her background (he cherished it) while mentoring her how to expand a nonprofit business (which would be very handy for Mrs. William Ardlay). He continued supporting her to be strong and independent lady, who would be totally capable of choosing her own husband, and when they were both ready he revealed that he was her prince, to offer himself for her consideration. 😀
Thanks again for reading my thoughts. I look forward to your post. 🙂