Easy or cheap?

I’d like to express my appreciation to CatFoodDispenser! She left another brilliant comment to Why Rockstown? I’ve already replied to parts of her comment, but the rest of her analysis has inspired me to write a new post.

First and foremost, she mentioned a snippet of the well known interview of Nagita sensei, published in a bimonthly magazine, “Jidou-bungei”, 1980. The interview was also published in the book “Interviews with manga authors” by Osamu Takeuchi / Tomohiko Murakami, in 1989.

In this interview the author recalled the time when she was reading the relationship between Candy and Albert near the end of the manga. For a while I have wanted to bring this up but kept forgetting. CatFoodDispenser was right. The adjective that Nagita sensei used meant “easy” (安易), not “cheap”, as shown below in the translations provided by some Candy Candy fan(s):

アルバートさんとキャンディのシーンも・・（安易・・）と思わずつぶやいた
シーンがいくつかありました。
When I saw Albert and Candy in some scenes, “— cheap”, the words just escaped my lips.

テリィと別れたキャンディの心がそう簡単に、ほかの誰かに移るはずがありません。
（また、簡単にアンソニーの面影を忘れ去ることなどもできません）
「キャンディを軽々しい女の子にだけはしないで」といったことを覚えています。
Candy who parted from Terry could not turn her heart to other one so easily.
(Sure, she will never forget the image of Anthony easily.)
I remember that I told them “Please don’t portray Candy as a fickle girl!”.

An extract of Nagita’s interview

I would have translated the above differently. This is my humble attempt (I have tried not to paraphrase):

アルバートさんとキャンディのシーンも・・（ 安易 ・・）と思わずつぶやいた
シーンがいくつかありました。
Also in some scenes of Albert and Candy… “Easy…” I murmured unconsciously.

テリィと別れたキャンディの心がそう簡単に、ほかの誰かに移るはずがありません。
（また、簡単にアンソニーの面影を忘れ去ることなどもできません）
「キャンディを軽々しい女の子にだけはしないで」といったことを覚えています。
After breaking up with Terry, Candy is not expected (supposed) to shift her heart to someone else this easily.
(Likewise, she could not easily forget Anthony’s image completely)
“Don’t make Candy only a frivolous girl,” I said this, I remember.

Other than “easy”, 安易 can also mean “facile” — superficial or something achieved without much effort. I think this matches the other adjective 軽々しい — the author said Candy was not this kind of girls.

Please feel free to correct me if you think I’m wrong. I’m open to feedback and suggestions. For sure Nagita sensei didn’t use the adjective that means anywhere close to “fickle”, but more like imprudent, silly, thoughtless, not serious, etc. Come to think of it, why on earth would the author criticize her own story plot as “cheap”? In this interview she indicated she had prepared three loves for Candy (namely Anthony, Terry, and Albert), and Albert was meant to be Candy’s destined love. Apparently, since the beginning the author had already decided Candy would break up with Terry.

«けれど、テリイと別れることは初めから決っていたのだ。キャンディには三つの愛を考えていた。アンソニーとの淡いはかない初恋、テリイとの激しい恋、そしてアルバートさんとの運命的な穏やかな愛。»

That is, Candy would ultimately leave Terry in the past and devote her love to Albert; it’s only a matter of time. In other words, Nagita wanted this to happen over a longer period of time than the timeline deployed in the manga. No wonder Albert’s relationship with Candy was a lot different in Candy Candy Final Story (CCFS) than in the manga, whereas Candy’s stories with Terry and Anthony’s were more or less the same.

When I first read the spoilers of CCFS, Candy’s outburst at her discovery of Albert’s true identity and his subsequent response by explicitly telling her it was just right to him that she looked older were two of the things that caused my eyebrows to raise, because they were pleasant surprises. This conversation is not in the old novel editions, only in CCFS, if I’m not mistaken. For those who are interested to read the Japanese text and my translation of this particular passage, please click my old post, Candy and Prince on the Hill (Part 7).

I agree with CatFoodDispenser. Albert’s words were subtle but sexy. It might not be sexy to some, but his comment was suggestive nonetheless. No doubt he was conveying a hint which stimulated other thoughts. Don’t forget Albert was not a saint. He was a man with real desires and emotions. Remember, he and Candy had pretended to be siblings for two years or more. Judging from Albert’s witty comeback to Candy’s angry words, it was crystal clear that he didn’t want people to mistake her for his little sister any longer, which implies he might have regarded her as a woman for a while already.

I was told the French translation of this passage is closer to the Japanese text, which has made some Terry fans unhappy. They said it was inappropriate for him to say that. Why inappropriate? I guess some fans had always assumed Albert had no special (romantic) feelings for Candy, or that she would always remain like a sister or a family member to him.

Perhaps they think Albert should remember his role as the family patriarch or his legal relationship with Candy, that he ought to keep a stern face like his relative Aunt Elroy? In other words, Albert should have been dignified and reserved rather than bantering with a young lady?

If they indeed think like that, then they have utterly misunderstood the nature of Candy and Albert’s relationship.

CatFoodDispenser mentioned that the fact that the manga target readers were preteen girls must have imposed some restrictions on the author, and Nagita later said there were lots in her manuscripts that didn’t make to the manga or the old novels. CatFoodDispenser also brought up a valid point — back then Albert’s age might be mid- to late- 20s, which could be close to the readers’ fathers’ ages. Therefore, the juvenile readers might be incapable to imagine Candy’s feelings for Albert were more than fraternal. Hence, the sense of impropriety might not even pop up in the young manga readers’ minds when Candy spent a whole day and the following night alone with Albert in Lakewood. LOL… 😀

In CCFS, we don’t know what took place after the discovery of Albert’s true identity at Lakewood villa, but for sure Candy and Albert did not stroll around the premises until some years later, when Albert made a surprise visit to Pony’s home to take Candy to Lakewood for a day trip. In Candy’s letter in the epilogue she mentioned that was her first time walking in Lakewood with Albert himself.

Another major difference in CCFS is that Albert’s confession did not occur on the day Candy returned to the orphanage as seen in the manga. When I first read the CCFS spoilers, I was confused about the timing of Albert’s confession on the hill. I didn’t realize that Candy had moved back to Pony’s Home for some time already. In my imagination at least two years had elapsed before he made a sudden visit to reveal his last secret, his “princehood”, to her.

Was Albert worried about their age difference? I don’t see that though, CatFoodDispenser. In the old novels, he had indeed written to Candy something like he had wanted to look Anthony’s age so as not to ruin the image of Prince on the Hill.

The Prince living in your memory is as young as Anthony for all time, isn’t he? I was worried I would ruin your dream.

from the old novel spoilers

However, in CCFS this seems to be toned down a bit. He only said he had intentionally come in the same season of their first encounter, and perhaps he could be back to his old self, a young boy at that time.

Also, in the old novel, Albert wrote to Candy:

You don’t have to give me back the badge. No, I’ll once let you give it back to me. Then I’ll present it anew to you. You have kept that badge as an amulet all these years. With the hope that it keeps protecting you also in the future.

from the old novel spoilers

Those who are familiar with CCFS know that Albert did ask Candy to return the badge, and some time later, he had indeed presented it back to her as his gift. She mentioned this in her last letter to Albert (aka Little Bert).

I honestly don’t think age gap was the obstacle between Candy and Albert. In fact, Nagita sensei had made their age gap wider in CCFS (because POTH in the manga was Anthony’s age, 15). Yet I agree with CatFoodDispenser that Candy was fully aware of her social status when compared to Albert’s. She was but a poor orphan girl with unknown origin. The man was the sole heir of one of the wealthiest families in America, the president of a successful business enterprise. That might be one reason why she refused to stand next to him for photo shooting during the Miami’s hotel opening.

However, I can also interpret her action as an indicator that she did not want to be seen (recorded) as the adopted daughter of Granduncle William. Have you ever wondered why Candy accepted the invitation? In the old novels the grand opening was in Chicago, but in CCFS it was so far away that neither Aunt Elroy nor Archie attended (albeit with different reasons).

In other words, Candy really did not have to go to Miami. Maybe she would like to meet with the Lagan’s servants again? Or perhaps she missed Albert a lot but unwilling to admit it?

Yet, as I mentioned before, something must have happened between them before, during or after this trip to Miami. Aren’t you curious why this particular “family” picture taken at the Miami’s hotel was displayed at the study in Candy’s London’s home? For your interest, you might want to read my post Granduncle William(!)

Another interesting point in CCFS was the story of Rosemary and Vincent. In the old novels, they had eloped, but in CCFS the elopement was never mentioned. Albert also chose to talk about this love story when he was alone with Candy in Lakewood, the very first time she stepped into the Ardlay’s memorial hall.

CatFoodDispenser said Albert was seemingly declaring his determination to overcome obstacles at any cost to be with Candy. I have similar sentiments too, especially because he had not only revealed his secret nickname to Candy the same day but also given her the permission to use this nickname. This is such a privilege that made Candy very happy, or as one might put it, she was floating on cloud nine.

About the daffodil hint, truth be told, I don’t know what all the fuss is about. 😛

CatFoodDispenser did bring up interesting points though. The flowers at St Paul was 水仙 (narcissus), and the ones at Candy’s home in England was ラッパ水仙 (daffodil). I have double checked these terms with my copy, and she’s right. She added, “If I understand correctly, daffodil is a genus of narcissus but narcissus isn’t necessarily daffodil.” What do you think?

Nevertheless, if the author had decided to break up Candy and Terry in the beginning, and she later mentioned CCFS was not a sequel, then I personally think this flower’s hint is really infinitesimal when compared to Candy’s letter to Captain Vincent.

To end this post, I’d like to quote CatFoodDispenser’s words about Anohito あのひと (thank you, my friend): ❤️

For Anohito wanting her to be his side, it also sounds like Albert…who didn’t want to leave Candy and wanted to keep living with her in Chicago? Who couldn’t leave her alone and frequent Pony’s Home after she left Chicago, to the point that he had to invent projects and reasons to visit her? Who wanted her to stand next to him in the photo? Who renovated a room in Chicago mansion so that Candy would want to come to Chicago more often? Who actually searched for her frequently and show up unexpectedly in different places (to take her out to countryside, rescue her after Neil’s incident, console her on the tree)? Also the person who hugged her after listening her story as a stowaway, sounds like Albert. In manga, Stear and Archie told Candy Georges told them that Granduncle William was worried about her. For Georges to tell that to the brothers, Albert must have been very worried. In CCFS Georges told Candy about it in his letter. Shakespeare? Yeah, Albert sent Candy Romeo and Juliet’s costumes, right?

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