Candy’s letter to Prince on the Hill (Part 3)
I must say it’s a relief to hear from you, knowing that you are safe and sound. Hang in there, my friends! As Queen Elizabeth II said, “… better days will return”!
Before I start, I just want to mention why I think Anohito あの人（ひと） in CCFS, meaning that person, should be a character we readers are familiar with, as explained in my old post, Kono, Sono and Ano. Typically, “hito” is gender neutral and we don’t capitalize the first letters of prefixes like “ano” or “sono”, but in the case of Anohito, it’s different and you know why. 😉 In short, Candy was happily living with someone she loved, but it’s highly unlikely he was a random guy never mentioned in the story.
For example, in the manga, Susanna liked using anohito (please check Susanna and Candy) when she talked to Terry about Candy without mentioning her name. She was certain he understood whom she meant because they both knew Candy.
Another example is in Candy’s mental letter to Anthony. She brought up her past about a certain guy from London who had taught her a different kind of love. Since Anthony had never met him, Candy used sonohito to refer to him without mentioning his name at all.
Therefore, Anohito was more plausible to be either Albert or Terry. Albert had always been gentle throughout the story, and yet Terry was no longer the rebellious teenager, who had slapped Candy’s face after forcing a kiss on her. Near the end of CCFS we readers learned that Terry had been Susanna’s caregiver (possibly the only one) for years until she passed away. Can you imagine that!? How many men can exhibit such patience and care?
That’s why I always have doubts his ambiguous letter to Candy was written some time after Susanna’s death. 🤔 On the other hand, I figure more clues in CCFS are pointing to Albert, especially Candy’s letter to Vincent Brown. For your interest, please read my post Did Candy find her happiness? in which I compared the equivalent letter in the old novel to the one in CCFS. 🙂
Without further ado, here come the marvelous montages from my friend Antlay! I think it’s best to put two together because they are too beautiful to be separated. 💕💟 Since the French passage is already long, for those who want to read my translations to the equivalent passage in Candy Candy Final Story (CCFS, Japanese), please read Lost in translation (Part 4) and Lost in translation (Part 5). Merci beaucoup, Antlay! ❤️
“puis vous m’avez regardée droit dans les yeux, comme si vous aviez pris une grande résolution, et vous m’avez dit avec un sourire
emprunté :
– Candy…Le moment est peut-être venu que tu me rendes ma broche…
D’un seul coup, le temps s’est comme rembobiné.
Je me voyais, petite encore, au sommet de la colline…
J’ai éclaté en sanglots. Alors entre deux hoquets, j’ai dit :
-Je… Je sais… Je suis plus mignonne quand je souris, n’est-ce pas ?
Le prince de la colline aussi avait les yeux humides.
– Aujourd’hui, tu as le droit de pleurer, tu es mignonne aussi comme ça, petite fille…
Votre voix aussi avait comme un léger voile…
C’était bien celle du prince de la colline ! Oui, c’était bien son intonation !
Dire que je ne m’en étais pas aperçue ! Toujours à vos côtés, toujours vous écoutant, et je ne m’en suis pas rendu compte…
Maintenant, au moins, je sais pourquoi j’avais toujours aimé votre voix.
Et je comprends pourquoi grand-oncle William m’était apparu légèrement différent de d’habitude… Ce n’était pas grand-oncle William qui était apparu soudain à la Maison Pony, c’était le prince de la colline.
Mes larmes ont coulé longtemps, mais c’étaient des larmes de joie.
Tout de même… vous êtes méchant, mon prince !
Combien de fois avons-nous parlé du prince de la colline quand nous vivions à la résidence des Magnolias ! Combien de fois vous ai-je montré la broche ! Et M. Albert qui m’écoutait sans rien dire… Il n’avait toujours pas recouvré la mémoire, à ce moment-là ? Comptez sur moi pour le cuisiner à ce sujet, la prochaine fois !
Oui… le prince de la colline a gentiment daigné attendre que les larmes cessent de couler.
I’ll continue on Part 4 next week. Please stay tuned. Bye now, my friends. Take good care of yourself and stay home as much as possible! 🏠
Thank you very much everyone, glad you like the montages.
Thank you for sharing, @antlay31.
Bonjour Antlay, merci beaucoup de partager tus montages 😍
You and Ms Puddle are very kind for sharing your collaborative work with the CC community.
Regards,
Interstellar
My pleasure, Interstellar 😘
Greetings-Ms Puddle and Antlay! I like the way Antlay has put together the original manga drawings in a way to continue the story. I usually don’t like montages but these are well formed together.
Ms Puddle, there’s a rumour circulating that new sections have been added to the Spanish translation of the CC Final Story. Have you heard anything about that or is it just a rumour and nothing else?
Hello Irana93, glad to hear you like Antlay’s montages as well! 😍
No I wasn’t aware of the rumour. If you do find out anything please share with us too 😉
All that’s circulating are some rumours on Facebook. There’s nothing official from what I’ve read so far. It’s probably just small talk.
I’ve been reading some of your fan fiction during the quarantine. I like that short story about Candy and Albert via George’s point-of-view. I like how you give so much value to all the characters of the CC story and not just singling out one character as done in many fan pages. 👍 👍
Thank you for posting all this material during the quarantine. 🙏
Hi Irana93, thank you very much for your encouraging feedback to my fanfic “A Man in Love”. So glad to hear you like it because it holds a special place in my heart 🤗
Perhaps some people believe that the Spanish translation will have some minor additions endorsed by Nagita as the French translation. Some of the Terry supporters weren’t pleased with the obvious flirting between Candy and Albert in the Epilogue but Nagita had endorsed that translation to the point that she even appeared at the Paris Book Festival.
Thanks Lynn for the clarification. In Japanese text I think they are flirting with each other as well, and they both wrote in a colloquial style. If Albert had been a real adoptive father figure to Candy she would have always written her letters with formality or distant politeness, like the beginning of her first letter in the epilogue.
Some of those Terry supporters have to quit regurgitating that same old story about Albert, the father-figure. If the manga, Albert is never perceived as a father-figure and the whole adoption scam is never taken seriously by anyone. Sarah Lagan even tells Aunt Elroy that they can easily go against the Grand-uncle’s wishes but Aunt Elroy didn’t want to do that because she was afraid that Albert would call her out for her own scam. The same goes with the anime. Candy even makes it clear that this adoption means nothing to her. The situation doesn’t change in the novel either. The readers are constantly reminded that the only one who is properly adopted is Annie and not Candy for various reasons. First of all, no single man can adopt a teenage girl. It couldn’t happen then and it still can’t happen nowadays. Annie was legitimately adopted because her foster parents were a married couple much older than her. Secondly, a proper adoption requires witnesses and loads of paperwork. No one can simply write down that he or she wishes to adopt someone. The only reason why the Ardlays accepted Candy into the family was because they feared the Ardlay Patriarch. Had they known that Albert was William A Ardlay, they would have kicked Candy out of their establishment. In conclusion, the novel frequently provides indications that there was no legit adoption involved concerning Candy. The author reminds us, Candy reminds us, the rest of the Ardlay clan reminds us, and Albert himself reminds us that there’s no adoption involved. All that Candy and Albert do is joke about this adoptiontand it’s such a pity that the Terry supporters are in such denial and fail to see this glaring jest. Albert never wanted to adopt Candy. He got pressured by his nephews to save her from harm when en route to Mexico. He took her under his wing knowing that Aunt Elroy wouldn’t dare defy him in fear that he would get back at her and reveal his identity to the rest of the Ardlays. Much is at stake and Albert’s move against Aunt Elroy was brilliant. Check-mate.
I agree with you @Lynn. That so called adoption was a farce but no one dared to go against such a powerful and wealthy magnate. There was no other alternative but to abide by his instructions in including Candy in this affluent family.
Needless to say that Albert was too young to be a father and he didn’t even know how to behave as one. He was more concerned in leaving for a new life in Africa and liberating himself from confines of his elders than being anyone’s father.
But Keiko Nagita has already explained this so many times. The Terry fandom is just wasting its time with nonsense and wishful thinking. That would explain why the craftier ones are trying to prove that Albert can’t be anohito cause he’s dead. It’s so funny that their desperation has led them into trying to kill him off. Too bad for them that Nagita didn’t fulfill their hysterical desires and Albert is just as alive and well as Terry is.
I enjoyed a hearty chuckle when I read those claims made by the Terry-trolls. They sure want him dead. lmao
They can screech all they want. What matters is what Nagita wants and not them. Since she has confirmed that both Terry and Albert are happy in her new novel, the Terry-trolls’ wishes are irrelevant and worthless.
Agree with both of you, Anita and Lynn. I really don’t understand how they could come up with that claim when Candy in her 30s actually mentioned Albert using present tense, more than once… 😅
Adopting a child means that it becomes your legal offspring and inherits you. But… isn’t there in the USA the term “foster parent”, someone who just takes care of a minor until he/she become of age? They are guardians, not parents. I think that Albert became just the guardian of Candy, giving her a home and another last name untill she was old enough to be independent. What is the age of adulthood in the US, 18? The moment Candy turned 18, her “adoption” would expire… And she’d be free to marry Albert, Anohito, Alberthito, Anohilbert, that guy, you know. 😉
There was nothing legal nor official about the above-mentioned guardianship and it wasn’t even an adoption to begin with. No one can simply become a foster parent, especially not a single male for a teenage girl. That being said, Candy could leave the Ardlays whenever she wanted and at any age. In the case of either foster parents or adoptive parents, the couple has to be legally married and in good social standing (i.e. no criminal record, offences, etc), as in the case of Annie’s adoptive parents. That’s the reason why her adoption was completely legit whereas Albert precariously relied on his powerful name and influence to protect Candy. He played his cards well (don’t forget that he had studied law and business at university) and he was confident about his power but he was also aware of the limitations to his influence. Let’s face it. Albert risked it. He played and he won. He knew that his aunt wouldn’t dare defy him because he would retaliate by exposing her bluff. Aunt Elroy benefited from keeping Albert as head of the household and if she tried to harm Candy in any way, he would make her pay severely. Albert may be a kind man but he also knows how to be tough when deemed necessary.
Well said, Lynn. 🙂 Albert did risk it but he won. As much as his aunt hated the adoption she had no other choice. That’s why I never buy the ten-year-waiting theory once circulated in the CC fandom concerning Candy and Albert’s relationship.
OH MY GOD ,GIRLS! I really enjoy your conversation about Albert and Terry fans .I cannot see where is Terry anyway in Candy’s present .Terry fans tell me every time ”can’t you see ?have not you read? he tells he is her father!He tells Candy that he’s her brother! Some of them claim that it begun as a story for children so if Candy marry Albert is immoral,,and Nagita is immoral and both of the characters .You see, it is extremely hard for me why they do this , why they react that way .Nagita is the one who said that Anohito is either Terry or Albert and i feel that she let us understood (not only from CCFS)that Albert is Anohito since she mentioned that she found him charming and her heart was beating hard.Ιn addition Albert is the one who doesn’t desire to be called father or dad and he makes it very clear .I want to say something .Albert decided about the adoption to give the young girl a better life .He did not want a child .And he was never a father figure .He was not a father figure or a brother figure not even in the anime series.I feel he was in love with her and in the anime that’s why he chose to stay a little longer and he didn’t tell her truth about his recovery from amnesia.That was not a friendly action .He also told Candy in CCFS that she was not like a sister for him.
I read an interview recently ,the question was Terry fans understood that you wrote the story from the beginning to give a happy end for Terry and Candy and Nagita answered that they misunderstood her words.She didn’t change her mind.
Albert is Candy’s path .He is her life .
It is by far more romantic to share her life with him.It is clear from the painting , the gift which Anohito gave her and Anohito’s voice that Albert is Anohito.It is clear that Albert is Candy’s husband because she says that her happiness is with him.He sold his Villa!Why he sold something so important for both of them?They have a garden with roses in their home -an honor to Anthony and Rosemary!How can they think that Terry is Anohito?well they have to make many gusses , Terry moved to Stratford and he has a good relationship with his father again that’s why he gave her the heirloom box…-EPISODE 9 Anntony opens an old heiloom box to Candy and he let her to choose one of his mother jewels.She chose a black pearl neclase to wear for the gala dance .I have to find much of imagination to say Anohito is Terry who by thew way not only renounced his father but he changed his surname too in the later years.
Sorry of any error in English.
I really love your beautiful blog, your drawings and your stories!
I wish you a nice day to all of you!
Hello @Hope!
Pleased to read your analysis. I agree with you that Candy appears to have put the past behind her and turn over a new leaf in her life. Based on the textual evidence of the novel, Terry belongs to Candy’s adolescent past. However, Albert gains in momentum and Candy develops intimate feelings for him as she becomes an adult.
Best Regards!
Hello and welcome to the forum, @Hope! I think that @Lynn (please see her comment above) has astutely explained the controversial adoption issue. It’s legally impossible for a young and unmarried man in his early 20s to adopt a woman who is only a decade younger than him. It’s clearly specified in the novel that Albert was not a father to anyone but simply a mentor until Candy became an adult. Even Candy explains that she never had adoptive parents like Annie’s case. Candy also makes it clear that she never perceives Albert as a father or brother but as a man most special to her.
Hi there!
You’re absolutely right-Hope. Keiko Nagita had refuted all those ludicrous pro-Terry pseudo-arguments. Even the editor of Arechi Manga humiliated those silly claims by contacting Nagita’s agent regarding those bogus theories surrounding the “blank pages” and her reply (via her agent) was that those infamous “blank pages” are completely meaningless. LOL
Looking forward to hearing from you again!
Hello Myra,Anita and Sarah!Thank you for your answers! @Anita yes, Albert was the one who decided for Ardlays to adopt her.He only made the decision as Great uncle William. Great Uncle is a reference to his capacity.
For example when Candy says about the reconstruction of Pony’s Home , she refers to Albert’s capacity as the head of his family, he did that being the Great Uncle.
@Sarah Sure! The most important part is the epilogue.
@Myra Yes he belongs in the past.In the Italian translation Candy says ”p.s i was in love with you” she doesn’t even say ”p.s i love you”.
Hi @Hope, my blog is not the same without intelligent commenters like @Myra, @Anita and @Sarah! Sounds like they have answered your questions already 🤗
Concerning Candy’s unsent letter to Terry, in all translations it’s undeniable Candy’s love for Terry belonged to the past. Of course the pro-Terry fans can insist all they want by saying that Candy’s feelings for him may revive later in her life, but as long as the novel did not show that, this remains their imagination (wishful thinking). On one hand they think Candy would not change and still loved Terry passionately upon reading his brief letter, which indicates that he hadn’t changed either. On the other hand, when Candy clearly said she no longer loved the guy, they believe she would change just because he contacted her after their only “obstacle” had been removed.
The point is, they have belittled Candy’s character. She would sacrifice her own happiness and keep on waiting indefinitely just in case Terry might summon her in the future… 🙄
Ms Puddle Of course you’re right! I apologize for writing too hasty , i forgot the ”d” (p.s i loveD you) instead i’ve written p.s i love you.
Haha yeah you are correct.Agreed! Besides she had erotic feelings for Albert before she learned that he is her Prince.After she learned who was her prince she touched the 7th sky .I firmly believe that Nagita didn’t write the name because of the many id’s Albert owns.He is so many things at the same time but he has always been a mysterious man.In Candy’s present the name of her love is self-evident it does not need to be written.
I have read many different reviews on CCFS yet it is difficult to agree with most of them although they say the obvious that Albert is Anohito,they claim he renounced his name and his position.
I must say i agree with your thoughts and your point of view.
Thank you for your amazing stories.
I feel like we understood Candy’s and Albert’s characters in the same way.
YOUR TALENT IS UNIQUE!
I will send you some videos that i have made, i actually used your translation and i put the name of your blog in the description.
Sorry of any English error.I hope you understand what i am trying to say,
Hi @Hope, thank you very much for your encouraging feedback on my fanfics and my blog.
About CCFS, there were too many ungrounded rumours. If there’s no evidence in the novel then I’ll usually just ignore it.
Glad to know you’ve made some videos. Please feel free to share them on my Facebook page 🤗☺️
No worries about your English at all. I have no problem understanding your comments so far. 👍👏💪
Hello everyone and welcome to the discussion @Hope!
You have all made perfectly valid points and, fortunately, the author and editors + translators of the Arechi Manga publications provided the relevant confirmation regarding Albert’s character being purported as that of a suitor and not a father or father-figure. Presumably, this is the reason why Nagita had decided to specify the age difference between Candy and Albert which is circa a decade.
I’ll briefly add that Keiko Nagita had also fully endorsed the title of the second volume of the French (Pika Edition) CCFS (“The Prince of the Hill”) even though some desperate and pathetic fans kept on wailing for the removal of that title. Nonetheless, both author and editorial team kept their ground and did not remove that title nor give in to the tantrums of those clownish fans. Instead, the editorial team of Pika issued an official statement online specifying and reiterating Keiko Nagita’s full endorsement and approval of the aforementioned title.
Excellent point, @Lynn! The fact that the author endorsed the special title that refers to none but Albert speaks volumes indeed 👍👏
I leave you to watch this video and explore the channel of the dear Italian who has about the same views as we do. I often comment on her channel with my Candy channel. In her last video I disagree that she says that Albert will not he had fallen in love with Candy if he had not lost his memory, but I find her comments very good and as usual she faces explosive situations from Terry fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEX9XAW-bhQ
Have a good day !
Thanks for sharing! I’ll catch up as soon as possible ☺️
@Hello Lynn!I agree. I did learn what you are saying about Apechi Manga, it’s good to write it down and some people will finally understand.
Obviously if Nagita wanted to create a father figure and not a protector – a guardian angel,
she would choose a respectable age for the supposed foster father. And he clearly wouldn’t make him deny it outright and look bad (that goes for Terry fans).
You know, regardless of everyone’s taste and what they finally realize in the story, the most absurd thing is that they want to sacrifice Albert as HER father while ignoring the fact that if it were not for Candy, while Candy wanted to have parents as a child, how awful it would be on the part of Albert. They do not even think about what personality they create with the irrationality that distinguishes them.
Thanks for the link @Hope!
I wouldn’t be concerned about a mere handful of ageing and miserable Terryfans which have made it their lifelong “mission” to shitpost incessantly on any social medial upload which debunks their nonsensical claims. Those pathetic fans have been doing the same against numerous YouTube channels and vids to the point that no one gives a damn about those desperate little fans. The only thing “explosive” about their rants is that they are akin to their bowel combustion and other forms of age-related flatulence (aka “brainfarts”). They’re simply sidekick court-jesters begging for scraps of attention.😉
***social media uploads..
@Lynn it’s really as you say and unfortunately they do the same on Foroums and own some of the most famous blogs. Even worse if a reader realizes the obvious: that Anohioto is Albert,they call him/her immoral and they go even further with the label ‘ ‘woody fans”.
@msPuddles Dear, I will send you a message on the facebook page with my videos, thank you again for your talent and the warm hug you give to all of us.
Thank you @Hope I got your message and will get back to you soon.
If they labeled those who support Candy and Albert’s relationship “Woody fans” or “immoral”, then they also mocked the author and illustrator. They were the ones who started the Candy Candy project and knew how story was going to end, right from the beginning. 😉
Even though most of those Terry-fans are middle-aged and elderly, their arguments are childish infested with empty rhetoric. Their “woody” claims are just as “valid” as their pitifully imbecilic “blank pages” claims which have been officially debunked and ridiculed by Keiko Nagita and the editorial team of Arechi Manga. Obviously, the Terry-fans are not in the best of state and esteem, especially after having been publicly exposed and humiliated as apologists of male characters who hit, demean and impose themselves on female characters just as Terry had beaten, demeaned and imposed himself on Candy. Those two had never shared a kiss. Instead, Terry forced himself on Candy without her consent. Fortunately, the modern, educated and younger women of our times have zero respect and zero tolerance for such toxic masculinity attitudes. Nowadays, male characters such as Albert, Stear and George are appreciated because these male characters know how to respect and value independent women.
Well said, @Lynn!! Though as a person spending my childhood in Asia, I must add that this is still happening in younger generation (sadly). They were taught to accept abusive behaviour as passionate or manly, and bad boys are to be conquered, etc. IMHO it doesn’t really depend on someone’s age but whether the girls were raised to respect themselves and be independent.
Excellent comment! Well said, Lynn!
@Lynn I understand your point.
To say my opinion I think is a matter of purely repressed unfulfilled love that all these Terry fans may have experienced in their adolescence.
Surely Terry has more” passions ”to solve and is a more complex personality, however his story with Candy it ends before it even begins and not before it evolves.
Terry then seems to mature, he treated Suzanna well he really did not have what he wanted. But it is strange that his fans think that he did not have sex with Suzanna.
He’s going to have a normal relationship with her, is that worth it to Candy? And beyond that it’s clear that Candy was able to move on emotionally after the loss of Anthony,that she may not have been able to do so after her final breakup with Terry and even with a man who loved her so deeply and treated her with the utmost respect and better than anyone else?
For me the issue is very deep in how readers perceive it and rather reflect their personal experiences on what they ultimately ask of a person and what self-esteem they have. I do not know if you agree girls.
Hi!
All points expressed are astute. I agree with @Lynn that modern-day women who respect themselves categorically reject toxic male characters such as Terry and good for them about that!
With regards to @Hope’s comment, she is absolutely right about certain fans and their repressed personal lives which makes them fall easy prey to toxic males. They stoop as low as to even support such abusive men and try to lash out against those women who respect themselves and thus refuse to accept or endorse such toxic masculinity. Fortunately, the younger generation of women demonstrate complete disregard and contempt for such toxic males and focus on their female empowerment and personal freedom. @Lynn has made an awesome point about this.
Thanks for your discussion and pleased to read your comments @Hope!
I agree with you all, @Hope, @Lynn, and @Anita! I don’t have much to add except that it’s interesting how Nagita sensei could create fascinating male characters back in the 70s when men with abusive behaviour against women were considered “normal” in Asian countries, including Japan. -_-
Above all, thanks to @Ms Puddle for being so considerate and generous in welcoming our perspectives in her awesome blog!
You’re welcome, @Anita. My pleasure indeed. 😘 I enjoyed reading different perspectives from you all 🤗
You keep spoiling us, Ms Puddle, with all these updates. Just kidding-you know that I always enjoy reading your articles. @Antlay31 has also done some pretty impressive work with the aforementioned montage. I remember most of those sections from the manga except for Albert’s “smirk” in the final montage ( the upper pic/number 5). Where’s that from?
Gotta get back to work but I’mm resume with those long-promised comments of mine.
Take Care,
Interstellar
Typo alert: I meant “I’ll resume..”
That’s what I get for typing in haste..
Thanks, Interstellar! No rush in getting back to commenting, but glad you like these montages so far!
You take care too 🙂
Interstellar, concerning your question about Albert’s “smirk”, I guess Antlay got it from the scene where Albert was waiting for Candy by the lamppost near the marketplace. She was upset being addressed as “madam” or something like that 😄
You’re right. I just found it thanks to your reference. I’ve got the books, manga volumes and anime episodes stored in my laptop and desktop hard drive as back-up along with my other manga anime collections.
Btw, a friend of mine had sent me the vintage 1978-1979 novels along with English translation in pdf. I haven’t had the time to read the entire lot but so far, it’s not any different to the CCFS. There are several omissions such as the lion scene and I think that 2-3 letters exchanged between Candy and Albert are missing in the CCFS. Everything else is almost the same. What did Nagita do which is new? Add several paragraphs in the CCFS? Seriously?
What a rip off. Glad I didn’t buy the CCFS books. Nagita just pasted some paragraphs in between the sections purported to be volumes. Now, that’s what I call lazy writing. The vintage 1978-1979 volumes look awesome so far. There’s also plenty of information about George and his past life. He was infatuated with Albert’s sister, right? He was a few years younger than Rosemary. I don’t know why Nagita decided to add years to him. In the manga and anime he looks relatively youthful. I thought he was in his 30s or early 40s when he saved Candy from child trafficking. What do you think?
Hi Interstellar, to be fair Nagita sensei did make changes to the old novel to make CCFS different and better. The only thing I don’t like is the new addition “Anohito”.
I have written a series comparing the two, but to name a few changes that I like:
1. Candy’s unsent letter to Terry is much less emotional
2. Candy’s mental letter to Anthony is more beautifully written
3. Albert and Candy’s day trip to Lakewood is not in the old novel
4. Nothing about Georges’ love history
I’ve always thought Georges is around Vincent Brown’s age? I have a feeling if Rosemary had not passed away she would be similar to Miss Eleanor Baker
Hello Ms Puddle,
I would have expected Nagita to have put more effort in her new novel, considering her claim that she wanted to “break free” from the Japanese manga tradition and produce work based on what her intentions really were without the possible manga or anime “restrictions”. Tbh, there really is no indication what her intentions were since the new novel is more or less similar to the original. The author seems to be contradicting herself and back-peddling a lot.
Having read Nagita’s preface in the Italian translation of the CCFS, she mentioned that she wanted her readers to enjoy her new novel by ignoring the manga and anime references. She only wanted her readers to maintain a pictorial representation of the CCFS characters exactly as they were in the manga. I find this rather lame because Nagita is clearly contradicting herself, yet again. On the one hand, she wants her readers to treat the CCFS as an entirely separate text and, on the other hand, she lazily resorts to deploying Igarashi’s manga images as a reference. Why didn’t she provide a description of the CCFS characters herself starting anew and afresh? For most of the CCFS characters, all we get are some shallow descriptions which are vague and pointless. For example, Stear looked like a “philosopher”. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Did he look like Socrates or Plato? Did he look like Descartes? Come on..
Another example are Terry’s eyes. What are earth does Nagita mean when she described his “dark gaze”. I’m not expecting Nagita to be Jean-Paul Sartre, but even an elementary-school kid has better writing skills. Unfortunately, Nagita’s lazy writing is amplified via the omission of the marvelous manga artwork. Not having Igarashi’s images to impress (and possibly divert our attention from the poor writing), the flaws in Nagita’s writing and descriptive analysis are amplified.
It’s rumored that Nagita had written the CCFS as a response to Igarashi and to prove that her work can stand on its own. If this is the case, then Nagita has failed miserably.
Needless to mention that the Terry fans have been severely short-changed cause all they get is a piece of paper from some T.G… Imagine paying around 20-30 bucks for that novel to read about how Candy and Terry probably got back together only to receive that mere scrap. The Albert fans though got far more than they had bargained for because he sure seems to be the main character after Candy and Nagita has elevated his character even more in her new novel.
Ignore my typo-I meant “What on earth..”.
I almost forgot to ask you about the age difference between Rosemary and Albert. Is there any reference as to how old he was when his sister died?
Regards,
Interstellar
I don’t recall any clear reference except Albert told Candy Rosemary was a lot older and had been a mother figure to him.
But we can guess? Since Anthony barely remembered the young boy (his uncle), Anthony couldn’t be too young. Let’s say Anthony was at least 5 or 6 (if not older).
Since Anthony clearly remembered his late mother’s words about roses it might be another few years later?
Hi Interstellar, sadly I agree with you that one can’t read CCFS without the background knowledge of the manga, especially after Candy left London. The epistolary exchanges do not give us readers the full picture, and I often need to fill in the missing pieces based on the manga version. For example, the trip to Rockstown. Why did Candy go and what happened when she arrived etc. 🙁
But indeed Nagita sensei did elaborate a bit more in Albert’s character, especially in the epilogue, letting him express more feelings for Candy. 😊
It’s interesting how Yumiko Igarashi’s illustrations bore far greater meaning than Keiko Nagita’s narrative. One of my favorite illustrations is Terry’s expression when holding Susanna in his arms after her suicide attempt and looking at Candy. His anguish is depicted incredibly by Igarashi. Such intensity in a single frame. Another favorite of mine is Albert’s angry expression when confronting his aunt Elroy after breaking off that farcical engagement planned for Neil and Candy. He’s never appeared so angry as in that scene. Igarashi managed to shed light on otherwise unseen and unpredictable aspects surrounding Terry and Albert’s character.
Yes Lakewood I admire Igarashi’s drawings very much too, and the scenes you mentioned are amongst my favourites. Another one worths bringing up is the solarium scene when Candy finally met Granduncle William in Lakewood. The equivalent episode in the anime version can’t measure up 😅
Hello Ms Puddle,
Thank you for your reply. You’re right about Albert considering Rosemary a certain form of mother-figure for him. I don’t thinker she was more than a decade older than him though. He was already a teenager when Anthony some faint recollection of him when he was a child. In this mental exercise, we’ll probably have to figure out how old Albert’s mother was when she gave birth to him. I don’t think she would have been older than 40-45.
As for the CCFS, I agree with you that Nagita devoted quite a lot of time for Albert’s character development whilst Terry’s character remained stagnant ever since he abandoned Candy in the UK. He’s referenced occasionally but that’s it.
From the 3 volumes of the original CC story, it seems that Anthony occupies most of volume 1, Terry-volume 2 and Albert-volume 3. The structure of the original CC story is far better than the quasi-epistolary section of the CCFS. It’s odd that Nagita claims that we don’t nee the manga or anime to understand the CCFS but without the the manga, we wouldn’t know what she’s talking about as she gives zero background information on various significant events in the story such as the Rockstown incident. We also don’t get any of the dynamics between the characters (i.e Terry-Susanna) as we do in the manga.
What I do like about the CCFS is that Archie is presented as a better and more well-rounded character. We get very little about Stear though..
Regards,
Interstellar
Typo (again..): “I don’t think..” and not “I don’t thinker..”.
If you find any other typos, please ignore them.
You make fewer typos than I do, Interstellar. Lol
About the anime..
The anime was more focused on children as their primary target group, therefore, most of the “bolder” or sexually implicit scenes of the manga were removed or altered to suit a younger audience. I would say that the main changes were made involving Terry’s character. He appears to be far more sensitive and caring in the anime. He’s more similar to the “manga” Albert, whereas the “anime” Albert has become more of a father or brotherly figure. That would explain, in a way, the reason why the Terry fans are so confused as most of them haven’t even ever read the manga where Terry is far more aggressive, emotionally unstable and sexually driven. Another notable example is the May Fest where the anime creators completely removed the scene where Terry forces himself on Candy and physically abuses her. Stear and Archie are also reduced to mere caricatures and that’s so annoying.. The Magnolia episodes are awesome, however.
Beautiful scene-both Candy and Albert were portrayed amazingly by Igarashi. The anime, however, is another story and your comment about it being more like a fan-fiction is spot on.
Thanks Lakewood. I forgot who said that but I heartily agreed and quoted it. 😉 In fact, since the grand revelation Albert became the hero in the story. Candy hadn’t been so happy for months and appeared content just to be with him. Then he later barged in the forced engagement party and showed everyone who had the real authority in the family. Besides Albert’s angry face, his aunt had never looked so “submissive” in the story. To me this entire episode is one of Igarashi’s best works.
Too bad none of these are in CCFS. 🙁
Most of the awesome scenes in the manga have been removed from the CCFS. @Interstellar has made a strong point by mentioning how lazy and “epidermic” Nagita’s writing is in the CCFS. I also remember the Italian preface of the CCFS where Nagita is poised as providing a comprehensive narrative which stands independently as a story-in-itself. Rubbish. It’s so wobbly and weak that it can’t even balance itself with the help of a crane. @Interstellar is right about calling the CCFS a “lame duck” because there’s no way the reader will be able to know what’s going on in the novel unless they have already read the manga. The letters between Candy and Albert are intriguing but they can’t compensate for the rest of that lousy narrative. The CCFS lacks in coherency and all that back-and-forth gets ridiculous after a certain point.
Hi Ms Puddle!
Very nice montages by Antlay. Yumiko Igarashi’s manga drawings never cease to amaze me. In my opinion, she’s one of the best manga artists along with Riyoko Ikeda.
Thank you so much for sharing your time with us and providing so much useful information. I don’t know Japanese and it’s good to be informed about these linguistic nuances because so much gets lost in translation.
My only question has to do with what you’ve explained about ano and hito. You mention that it’s unlikely that it refers to a random man but maybe Candy is referring to someone she knows irrespective of us as readers knowing about him or not. To clarify, she could be implying that ano hito is someone close and dear to her. It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s one of the already mentioned characters such as Terry or Albert.
I also find it interesting that Keiko Nagita makes no mention of Candy’s wedding. Maybe she’s not even married. If we focus on the textual evidence alone, we’ll notice that there isn’t a single mention of a wedding, marriage or family with children. All we get as information is that Candy is in her mid-30s, she’s not in any form of employment, she lives somewhere in the British countryside, and there’s no indication that she’s married or pregnant. Some readers claim that this information is omitted by the author to avoid revealing who ano hito is but I’m not buying that. The author could have added those details and still retain the veil of mystery surrounding the identity of ano hito.
Thank you again, Ms Puddle, for your time.
Michelle, hi! I’ve noticed you left the same comment twice? I’ll remove the duplicate later 😉
I think you have misunderstood. The fact that Candy used anohito instead of sonohito implies the readers shoud know who he was. Thus, he should be one of the characters in the story.
A famous example is the ending song of Candy Candy anime series. The lyrics, written by Nagita sensei, used anohito to refer to the guy Candy expected to see again one day on Pony’s Hill, and that he would be waiting for her there and call her name, etc. We readers can easily see that this refers to Prince on the Hill.
http://mspuddleshaven.com/2014/04/08/candy-candy-ending-song/
That’s exactly what happened at the end of the manga. Her prince returned to Pony’s Hill, waiting for Candy. 🙂
Also, when one uses anohito it does not necessarily mean the person is close or dear to the speaker. Yet, the listener (reader) is expected to know who that is. Otherwise, the speaker should have used sonohito.
For example, Susanna liked using anohito when she talked to Terry about Candy without using her name.
About Candy’s being married or not, I used to think inheriting an expensive family heirloom spoke volumes of her status, but I’m surprised that readers don’t think so.
Yet I remember I posted the link to an interview that also took place in Paris. The interviewer said Candy the heroine was a woman in her thirties, happily married (I forgot the exact wordings), and Nagita sensei did not correct the interviewer.
Besides, Candy’s foster mothers were religious and devoted Catholics, so I suppose the chance that Candy did not marry anohito was slim.
Thanks again, Michelle 😊 I also like the drawings of Riyoko Ikeda but only that of her famous “The Rose of Versailles”. 😍
Hi Ms Puddle,
That’s exactly what I said. I didn’t misunderstand. I said that it’s *unlikely* that Candy would use the phrase ano hito unless we as readers were aware of the character. I just suggested that *maybe* Candy used this phrase because it sufficed for her that she knew who this man was whether we as readers did or not. This is just an assumption.
If ano hito is Terry or Albert, I’m more convinced that it’s Albert based on the textual evidence. I had read a few Terryfan blogs (before they became defunct) but none of the arguments presented were plausible. Most of their claims are rather outlandish and seem to rely more on wishful thinking and confirmation bias. One of the silliest claims made by them was that Terry was a Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) actor in the 1930s but that’s impossible because the RSC was founded in 1961. Until the 1960s, the theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon functioned only as an occasional touristy-like facility once a year to commemorate Shakespeare’s birthday. I’ve read your “Myths of Candy Candy Final Story” series and one of your contributors adeptly dismantled all those silly claims one after the other.
Another biased Terryfan claim is that each and every reference to Shakespeare is connected to Terry and no one else. That’s the reason why the Terryfans kept on insisting that Terry is ano hito because of the references to Stratford-upon-Avon and Candy’s library including some Shakespearean plays along with other books irrelevant to Shakespeare. The problem with their argument is that many of the characters in Candy Candy Final Story have some sort of Shakespearean reference ascribed to them. I’ll resume to your “Myths of Candy Candy Final Story” series where your contributor provides detailed information about the names of the characters and how Keiko Nagita attached some sort of Shakespearean reference to them, apart from Terry:
Susanna Marlowe (from Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare’s contemporary), Hathaway (from Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife), Candy (her cross-dressing resembling Viola-Cesario from Twelfth Night), Albert (his first name is William and he has a tendency to pull a few strings to bring people together) and his idea to help Candy escape confinement by slipping into the Romeo&Juliet costumes. There are so many other references but you and your contributor have already provided useful information so I won’t ramble on.
One of the weakest Teryfan claims is that Terry managed to fix Stear’s music box not with his hands but with his soul or whatever else he musters. Perhaps Terry had magical powers too.. Runner-up to weak claims is associating the jewelry-box to Terry because he’s an aristocrat of some sort. First off, Terry was never a legit aristocrat since he was born out of wedlock; secondly, he hated his dad and they never spoke to each other again after he left for America. Some fans also believe that he was living in his rich dad’s house in England but that’s wrong too because old Granchester’s estate was in Windermere which is in the North of England and nowhere near London or Stratford-upon-Avon, both of which are in the South of England.
Yet, I remain skeptical to the claims that Candy is married. You mention that Keiko Nagita remains silent to questions about Candy’s status. Her silence doesn’t mean she agrees or disagrees. Many Terryfans point out that ano hito could be Terry because he and Candy remain unmarried as he lived with Susanna but hadn’t married her either. There’s also the possessive streak that ano hito has and this may also give Terry some leverage. Other than that, he doesn’t stand much of a chance of being ano hito. Besides, Albert is also very unconventional as Terry albeit nowhere near as possessive.
I find it odd that Keiko Nagita makes no mention or even subtle hint that Candy is married. Just because her directors at the orphanage are devout Catholics, doesn’t mean that she’s following suit.
I’m glad you also like Riyoko Ikeda. She’s such an elegant and intelligent woman. Her manga drawings are like Pre-Raphealite paintings.
My apologies for my long response, in advance.
P.S. Please don’t take my skepticism on Candy’s marital status in the 1930s as a means to argue with you. Because I don’t want to be like certain fans who jump the gun and make outlandish claims without textual evidence, I will continue to consider Candy’s status a moot point since there’s no credible reference to indicate otherwise.
No worries. I’m not trying to convince or argue with you anyway 😉
Hello Michelle,
Like you, I also have my doubts as to whether Candy is married or not. This omission is strange.
As for “anohito” being “possessive”, Albert was also becoming more demanding and you can easily notice this in his correspondence with Candy in the Epilogue. He’s actually responding to Candy’s neediness as she’s the one who took the initiative to contact him during her stay at Pony’s Home. She’s encouraging Albert to open up and prioritize her. Tbh, she’s urging him rather than encouraging him. Lol
The Epilogue serves as a way to help the readers understand the nature of the relationship between Candy and Albert as it also serves as a way for those two main characters to calm their mutual tension and feel more comfortable in expressing their feelings to and for each other.
When Candy confesses to Albert that she misses him terribly and that she longed for those years when she lived with him at the Magnolia, Albert “returned the favour” and also expressed his yearning for her. It’s evident that they’re getting bolder in expressing their feelings as the initial insecurities and inhibitions are waning significantly.
It’s interesting but also telling that there’s no such communication or “further on” concerning the relationship between Candy and Terry. Their brief affair remains stillborn back there at St Paul’s college, whereas her relationship with Albert is in a constant state of flux.
Hi Avon,
Thank you for your comment. You’re right about the Epilogue. I should have thought about it myself.. Albert was becoming more demanding in his job as head of the Ardlay family as well. His freelance globe-trotting nature was replaced by a more mature and responsible business entrepreneur.
Your alias is cool. Are you a Terryfan or Albertfan?
Thanks, Michelle.
Responding to your question, I’ll say that I’m neither. I find strengths and weaknesses in both characters, yet, I find them to be equivalently fascinating. Nonetheless, I’m against the misogynistic and abusive nature of Terry. He’s a complex character who’s definitely intriguing due to his artistic flair but he’s a profoundly damaged and psychologically disturbed man. His violent streak and his ease to physically and psychologically abuse women are unnerving. On the other hand, Albert is also a complex character but he’s not damaged even though he’s suffered many trials and tribulations in his life. In stark contrast to the hysterical and narcissistic Terry, Albert knows how to control his anger and he demonstrates utmost respect for women. Whilst Albert knows how to deal with challenging situations using cool-headed logical reasoning, Terry needs a lesson or two in anger management and keeping his hands to himself.
Thank you for your reply, Avon. I’m also neutral about both characters but your comment about Terry’s misogyny and violence are 100% accurate. I have zero tolerance for such aggressiveness myself.
Well said, @Avon.
Characters like Terry are outdated as younger women focus on the importance of Feminism and thus blatantly disregard such douche-bags. That said, Terry’s fanbase is deteriorating as it consists predominantly of middle-aged and elderly women who were taught (aka brain-washed) into accepting such disgusting behavior from toxic white males like Terry and Neil.
On the other hand, characters such as Albert, George, Vincent, Stear and Archie represent those men who respect women and acknowledge them as equal members of society.
Excellent points as usual, Avon! In the epilogue it’s clear Albert gradually became more open to Candy, especially as WAA. Candy knew Albert well but not so much about him being the heir or the patriarch.
Their relationship was growing in intensity for sure whereas Terry had remained a memory from the dim and distant past.
Thanks for your kind words, Ms Puddle and Interstellar. I would also like to thank Ms Puddle for her new post and Antlay31 for her montage.
Sorry Michelle I have misunderstood your original comment regarding the use of the term “anohito”.
Well said, Michelle. These are all valid arguments. You know I’ve always assumed Anohito is Albert. I’ve explained why in the majority of my posts, so I won’t repeat myself here in a comment. 😉
Thanks for mentioning the myth series, which Alex was the main contributor. She gave me her ideas or thoughts based on historical evidence or her background knowledge. I was mainly organizing the resources into different posts.
As I said, I used to assume having inherited the valuable family heirloom as the hint (perhaps too subtle?) to her marital status. Also, the main reason why I brought up Candy’s foster mothers being devoted Catholics was that it’s unlikely Candy would do something to constantly upset these ladies.
But never mind. LOL 😀
About Riyoko Ikeda, I love “The Rose of Versailles” but was quite disappointed with “The Window of Orpheus”.
No worries, Ms Puddle. I just wanted to clarify my stance to avoid any confusion.
You and Alex have done a great job with the “Myths of Candy Candy Final Story” series. I love reading about history and Alex’s knowledge about the WWI, WWII and the Interbellum is impressive. She’s also to-the-point without resorting to vacuous rants.
I’m not saying that Candy isn’t married but since it’s not confirmed textually, I’ll leave it as a huge question mark.
About “The Window of Orpheus”, it was an ambitious project from Ikeda’s part but it started to become convoluted and recycling tropes-if not cliches. “The Rose of Versailles” was much better.
Doesn’t Klaus from “The Window of Orpheus” look a bit like Archie from “Candy Candy”?
Thanks again, Michelle! The credits go to Alex 👏💪
I suppose Nagita sensei wants to keep Candy’s marital status a mystery because Albert’s position in his family demanded a legitimate heir so he would have to marry. Just my two cents, of course. 😅
About Ikeda’s stories, I can’t agree with you more. I remember feeling quite frustrated about halfway through the story, not to mention way too many (unnecessary) characters.
Yes, Klaus does bear some resemblance to Archie in CC 😊 although I actually like Isaac more.