Let’s imagine…
How are you doing? It’s hard to believe I’ve been working from home since mid-March, and today I was told in a meeting that there was no plan to bring us back to office yet. How about you ladies?
As far as I know, unlike other Candy Candy characters, Albert does not have his birthday officially published. He was supposed to remain mysterious till the very end, but some CC fans came up with the date June 28. Please correct me if I am wrong. 😉 Nonetheless, let me present my new fanart for this special day. Hope you like it! ❤️
I was inspired by a letter in Candy Candy Final Story. Can you guess which letter it is? 🙂
Imagine yourself as Candy. What would you have written in your diary on that day? I’d love to hear from you, and I will select the entry that is closest to what I have in mind and update this post. The deadline is Sunday, July 5, 12 PM Pacific Time. You can submit more than one entry, if you desire. 😊 It does not have to be long, and you can write in a language of your choice. ✍️
My friends, as I mentioned before, I did not have high expectation, which explained why my original deadline was only a few days after publishing this post. Thank you very much for your participation, and I am humbled and impressed by the amazing quality of the 20+ submissions! The selection process has been quite challenging, and I have shortlisted and re-read half of the fanfics more than twice. Nevertheless, I must say I have enjoyed reading every diary entry, including the one I’ve rejected (after all, I let out a hearty chuckle 😛 ). Seriously, you all should consider writing English fanfics for Candy Candy. Also, to the newcomers, nice to meet you and hope to see you around more! I appreciate your patience and persistence for waiting for your comments (entries) approved and/or re-submitting. Due to unknown glitches I sometimes don’t get notified of new comments pending for approval. 🙁
Before I make the announcement, I’d like to point out that some of you probably have misunderstood my criteria. Therefore, I will not pick any story if it is not based on any letter in CCFS. Rest assured it does not mean your story is not good.
So, which letter? 😉 My fanart is originally based on the first letter in Candy Candy Final Story Epilogue. I wanted Albert to appear particularly young, and that he was serious and nervous at the same time. You might not have noticed this in my fanart — Candy was holding Albert’s badge in her hand. 🙂 Yet, after I finished drawing, I realized it may not be as obvious as I had expected. Therefore, I will accept any entry that is based on Candy’s letter to Little Bert as well.
Some of you have guessed this right and provided great summaries, like Avon and Fay. However, I was looking for some elements and found them in my final shortlist, which consists of the entries from Michelle (Albert’s confession and Candy’s shock), DanielleV (Albert’s reactions when listening to Candy’s story with her POTH), Lynn (Albert’s face when returning the diary and Candy’s feelings afterwards) and Anita (the embrace in the forest). After careful contemplation, I have decided to select Anita’s entry, even though it’s considerably shorter than most other entries. Yet, I like the intensity of the descriptions of that unforgettable embrace that transformed Candy as well as her realization and acceptance of Anthony’s death being nobody’s fault. Congratulations, Anita! ✨Here let me post your diary entry verbatim.
Without even realizing it, I was swept into Albert’s arms when I felt that my legs could no longer support me as I was overcome with grief standing there at that field where Anthony had lost his life at such a young age. Albert’s initiative came as a surprise to me even during that sorrowful moment because he had never acted that way before. It was me who always ran into his arms and sought comfort in him. This time, however, it was him who took me into his strong arms but in such a gentle and tender way. He did not do this only because he wanted to comfort me but because he also sought comfort from me which I gave to him wholeheartedly. This is really the first time this has ever happened between us and, above all, it’s the first time I felt something different when enveloped in his warm embrace which kept me nestled like a bird seeking shelter from the torrential rain. I had wrapped my arms so tightly around his torso and weeping so profusely that I must have ruined his fine shirt. He didn’t seem to mind as he not only accepted my tight embrace but reciprocated it with equivalent intensity. Without saying much, we shared our grief, guilt and inner turmoil which we had both kept inside our souls for far too long. We didn’t need to seek forgiveness from others or from each other but from our own selves as we were not to blame for this tragic accident which had claimed Anthony’s life. For the first time, I had bid my true farewell to Anthony without being forced into it but because I wanted to liberate myself from years of accumulated guilt burdening my psyche. I wanted Albert to be liberated from his guilt too because it wasn’t his fault. How could anyone have predicted that such a horrific event would have unfolded within a fraction of a second? I wanted to comfort Albert that moment as he had always comforted me throughout these years but I was lost for words. All I did was cry incessantly locking my arms around Albert’s firm body. My head was pressing against his chest to the point where I could hear his heart beating rapidly. I could hear my heart beating just as fast. I’ll never forget the fragrance emanating from him. I don’t know whether he was wearing cologne or if it was the wind carrying the scent of the roses encircling us but I felt that our bodies had become one just like our inner pain and suffering. I wanted the pain to end but not our embrace. As usual, however, Albert was the one who tried to assume the role of the sensible being and pulled back albeit gently. He wiped the tears from my eyes with his long pearl-white fingers and looked at me with those sky-blue eyes of his. He then proposed we go back into the study room as it was getting dark. He was worried that I would catch a cold because the temperature had fallen. But for me, all I could feel was infinite warmth and tenderness in the arms of the man who means the world to me and I want him by my side all the time for the rest of my life.
Hello Ms Puddle,
Thank you for your feedback and I’m pleased to read about Anita’s entry nailing it. I agree with many of the comments in this section encouraging you to arrange another such writing marathon in the near future.
Have a beautiful summer!
Thank you Lakewood for writing your first fanfic for us! Once again, it’s my honor indeed. 🤗 As I said, it’s a great summary of the Epilogue and how Candy had matured over time. She had learned her lessons and moved on to devote her love to the man who was committed to make her happy.
Writing marathon will be arranged in the future but I’d better find an interesting topic first. 😉
Best wishes to you too and stay safe! 😊
Thank you for short-listing my entry, Ms Puddle. I’ve finished reading Anita’s story and she’s managed to capture the intensity of that intimate moment between Candy and Albert in Lakewood in few but well-chosen words.
That’s what I call technique..
It’s as the saying goes: “Less is more.”😉
Hi @Michelle, I’m the one who should thank you for your contribution! It’s amazing you can write so fast and well on your way to work 👍👏
It’s a “skill” coming from necessity rather than aptitude or natural talent, tbh. I guess we’re all forced into becoming multi-taskers in order to get the tons of work done in time.🏃♀️💼
Hi all, thank you so much for sharing your fanfics with us! I’m honestly impressed. 👏👍 I appreciate your time and efforts, and just so you know, I have decided not to rush myself into updating this post. I’m shortlisting the diary entries and re-reading them in order to make up my mind. 😊 Please be patient with me. 😉
Please, take your time @Ms Puddle. Besides, we should all thank you for being kind enough for providing an extension and most of all, the opportunity for us to contribute to your blog.
Thank you @Lynn! I’ve updated my post 😊
Thank you for inviting us to submit our diary entries. It’s been fun.✍️😊
Thank you @Myra! Glad to hear that and you should write more 👍
It’s been a pleasure taking part in this competition. Thank you very much for devoting your time in reading all those submitted entries. 🙏
Thank you @Irana93 and I hope you’ve enjoyed the process! 🤗
You’re right. This experience was awesome and all the stories are so compelling. It’s obvious that your contributors have studied the CCFS text as well as the manga thoroughly. I’d suggest you organize such a fanfic-writing competition again.💡🖋️📚
I’ve enjoyed the stories myself too @DanielleV. Yes, no doubt the contributors are familiar with both the CCFS and the manga. Thank you for your suggestion! I will definitely consider organizing another one ✍️📝, but I won’t do it too soon.
Take your time @Ms Puddle. It’ll be great to write for your blog again whenever you decide to set up another fanfic competition.👍📓
I’d love to read another fanfic from you @DanielleV. 🤗 However, I’ll surely consider doing it again once I find an interesting topic.
It was a great idea and so was the response. Thanks for the opportunity, Ms Puddle!
You’re very welcome, Anita! Congratulations once again 🎉👏
Thank you for this little competition, Ms. Puddle. It was indeed fun, and it was nice to use our imagination and create little stories of our own. Also, congratulations to Anita for her entry. It was beautiful and very romantic, just as Nagita should have described that moment between Candy and Albert in the forest.
That’s very kind of you, Fay. Thank you so much! Ms Puddle’s idea to create this fan-fiction marathon was brilliant.
Thank you Anita and Fay for your participation! Without the brilliant contributions, this little fanfic writing ‘contest’ would have been dull or meaningless.
Glad to hear that, Fay! You have done a great job combining Candy’s letters to Albert and Anthony ✍️📝
I’ve always thought the embrace in the forest scene in the CCFS romantic, and I’m one of the readers who like this part in CCFS a lot more when compared to the original embrace in the manga (vagabond Albert comforting Candy re Anthony’s accident). Some readers don’t like the change but I do see why Nagita sensei wanted Candy and Albert to share the same anguish. The embrace brought healing to both, and as @Anita had written, it was the first time Albert took Candy in his arms. 💕
I would also like to thank you for this sharing your artwork and fascinating stories with us. Your blog has got some really cool material.👍
Thank you @DreamCatcher for your kind words 🤗
Many thanks for welcoming me and including my story in your forum. Having read all the entries, I would have also selected Anita’s story because it appears to fit best regarding the requirements. Everyone did a great job and I’m looking forward to reading more of your work.
Thank you Halcyon Days for submitting your story. I like how you described Candy and Albert’s relationship when they were living together. It’s an interesting idea that Candy might want to find a job in Chicago 😊
There were moments when Candy genuinely wanted to become autonomous without being saved by others. Even though she is known for her resilience and perseverance, Candy is not much of a feminist as many of her readers-including myself-would have wanted her to be. She tends to lean towards the traditional type of woman who wants her man to claim her and tell her what to do. The fact that she’s a housewife waiting for her breadwinner to come home in the 1930s reveals a lot about her conventional character. If the author wanted Candy to be financially independent and career-oriented, she would have dropped a few hints here and there that Candy is working at a hospital or clinic in the UK. Instead, the reader gets a clear enough image that Candy is unemployed and solely dependent on her husband to provide for her.
Hi Halcyon Days, yes Candy in her thirties stayed home, reminiscing. She didn’t seem to worry about meals either… 😀 They hired a gardener so she might have hired a cook too?
Some people said Candy was moody because she might be experiencing homesickness (worried about Miss Pony) or actually pregnant with the n-th child. 😉
That’s true. I don’t recall reading anything about Candy having to prepare a meal or doing any housework apart from a bit of rose gardening. I may have jumped the gun though when assuming that Candy is married because the author makes no mention of that at all. In fact, we don’t have any information about Candy being married or pregnant or already having a family of her own. Maybe Candy is married because she’s a devout Christian (I think she’s Catholic) but that’s just a theory. Based on what is in the novel itself, no one knows whether Candy is married with kids or not. There aren’t any clues of her having any mood swings due to pregnancy and there’s no reference to any children wandering about in the house. If we focus on the text itself undeterred by our own preferences, all there is for us to read about is that Candy is waiting for her husband or partner to come back home from work while she’s walking around in a dark house alone with her memories. There is a possibility that the author wanted to keep the story as unclear as possible in order to keep the identity of Candy’s beloved man unknown to her readers.
I agree with you, Halcyon Days, although I have a feeling that Candy was married to Anohito. As you said, she was just a conventional woman. 😉
It’s disappointing that the author didn’t make any effort to remove that conventional stigma from Candy’s character. By republishing and re-distributing her novel, it would be sensible to assume that she would grasp the vibes of our modern world and form a main female character who is independent, resourceful and autonomous. Yet, what we get is an all-time-classic traditional housewife or home-carer who is financially dependent on her male provider. It’s not surprising that this novel doesn’t appeal much to younger women and men. The writer probably placed too much emphasis on the nostalgia factor at the expense of quality leading to a melodramatic story with anachronistic characters. Fortunately, not all the characters are outdated and thanks to them, this story continues to be appealing albeit nowhere near as popular as it was circa 45 years ago.
All the diary entries I have read so far in this section are very well written and I agree with you that @Anita’s was the best as it captured such a powerful moment between Candy and Albert. This moment was already emotionally intense in the novel but @Anita added certain details which fit the original concept perfectly. 👏👏😄
Thank you Gabriella! Yes, all stories are well written. I’m honestly impressed 👏 Btw, it seems your entry is based on the old CC novel, am I right? In CCFS Nagita sensei changed it such that there was no elopement. However, the idea is the same. Albert had a reason why he told Candy how Rosemary had fought for her true love despite the opposition from her own family. Good job!
Yes I love that forest scene in the Epilogue, and as you said, it was emotionally intense but poignant and romantic at the same time.
Yes, I have read some sections of the older versions of the novel from online sources and I’ve noticed that the author hasn’t made significant changes to her 2010 published novel apart from adding Susanna’s death and that brief note attributed to “T.G.”.🤔
The CCFS seems to be more of a revised novel instead of a new story. Actually, the revisions didn’t begin in 2010 but they had been ongoing from the late 1970s (1978-1979) until early 2000 (2003-2004). The major change was when Yumiko Igarashi’s lawyers prohibited Keiko Nagita from using her illustrations after the 1990s.
If only there was a way to convince publishers to translate the older versions of the novel into English or a European language. Those older versions are collectors’ items and those who had managed to get a hold of them are so lucky.📖😊
Hi Gabriella, actually there are more changes than that and I’ve written a series comparing the two. I honestly prefer CCFS 😉
Of-course, you’re tight about that. I was just referring to significant changes which, in my opinion, aren’t too many. As for the CCFS, I’ve got mixed feelings about it. I’ll get into more detail later on.😊
No problem, Gabriella. Feel free to elaborate later, but please don’t get me wrong. I did not mean to convince you that CCFS is better. It was just my personal opinion. 😊
To avoid any misunderstanding, I meant to say that you’re right about that.😊
Everyone’s got a right to their opinion. As for the CCFS, I had been expecting a developed and complete story with well-rounded characters. However, it was just a very vague tale which didn’t do any justice to any of the “anohito” candidates. The reader continues to remain in the dark about Terry and Albert. I’m sure that the translators did their best but there’s not much they can do when the original material has such a weak story-line and two-dimensional characters. We’re lucky enough to have access to the magnificent manga and those very few who have full access to the original novels which were published and re-edited from 1978 until 2004.
Hi Ms Puddle,
We should thank you for taking the time to read our stories and carefully select which one fits best. Congrats to Anita. Her story was congruent and to-the-point.
Take are and be safe.
Sorry, I meant to say to take care.. I have no idea why the letter c was left out. 😂
Thank you Aurora for your wonderful story too. I particularly like the part where you described Candy’s feelings (awakening) when Albert carried her in his arms. I colored this manga scene before and a fanfic writer actually asked me for my permission to use it for her fanfic. She also has a somewhat similar idea. 🙂
Awesome. I’d like to read that fanfic. Have you got the link?
Unfortunately no, Aurora. She only told me she would post it in Wattpad.
That’s alright. I sometimes check that site to see if there’s any fanfic worth reading but I usually head on over to FanFiction.net which is a much larger database.
I appreciate all the effort you put into reading each and every diary entry, including mine. Thank you and congratulations to Anita for her lovely story.
Thank you Christine! I like your story about Candy’s trip to Florida with Albert and the reason behind Mrs. Lagan’s apology. It’s well written, and thanks again for resubmitting 🤗
I’m glad you like my story. I was inspired by Candy’s letter to Mrs Lagan where she implies that Mrs Lagan’s public apology wasn’t based on her own initiative but on Albert’s strategic tactics. It’s quite obvious that Albert would accept to support the Lagans in their new business venture provided that they clear Candy’s name. Candy also describes Albert as a shrewd businessman despite his young age and that he’s respected within the business circles for his acumen.
Once again, thank you so much for your creative contributions in the CC community. You never cease to amaze with your drawings and fanfics. As the peak of summer is approaching,🏖️ I wish you and everyone here supporting your forum a wonderful summer! 🍦😎
Thank you @Leda for your contribution! Best wishes to you too 🤗 It’s interesting how your Candy compared her childhood to Albert’s and she was actually happier despite being a poor girl growing up in an orphanage.
Well, she was extremely lucky to be raised in such a loving environment with such good people as Ms Pony and Sister Lane.
But in real life, growing up in an orphanage in the previous centuries was in most cases horrible.
It’s even awful in many cases, nowadays.
You’re absolutely right, Leda. Candy was surely lucky, unlike Judy in Daddy long legs.
Exactly, and Candy was also very lucky to have such a large supporting group of friends. Sadly, Terry and Albert were loners-Terry being even more isolated in his own dark self while Albert would make a distinct effort to get to know other people. Anthony, on the other hand, was very sociable and friendly per se just like Candy. Archie and Stear were also very sociable and helped their girlfriends to become more gregarious too. I sometimes wonder what sort of couple Stear and Candy would have made. Those two always seemed so compatible and Stear is such a lovely man. It’s a pity Nagita killed him off and let those vipers-Eliza and Neil-live on and prosper. It’s so unfair but that’s life..
Hi Ms Puddle,
Having read all the stories submitted, there’s no doubt you had a hard time picking the best one. Everyone did such a good job and each story was unique in its own way unveiling interesting aspects of the novels-old and new.👍
I wonder if this novel will ever be translated into English given the fact that it’s not in high demand in the States or the the UK. Maybe the French-Canadians would be interested but that’s probably wishful thinking.
Oh well.. At least we’ve got the other translations and they all confirm the same outcome that Candy let go of her painful past and decided to move on with her life.
Thank you for all your support.🤗
Hi Sarah, thanks again for submitting your entry. If you remember, I said I was so glad to have extended the deadline, because I gotta read your fanfic too. It was well written, Candy’s yearning so palpable and her descriptions of Albert reminds me of Prince on the Hill and Anohito (when he came home to Candy). 💕
It’s true that Candy in CCFS had apparently moved on. Some people just choose to ignore the concrete evidence.
Agreed. Some people simply choose to ignore reality and live in denial dwelling in their delusions.¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So glad you liked my fanfic. I was a bit concerned that it was getting too long. I omitted a couple of paragraphs because I didn’t want it to drag.
Well… It’s their loss and seriously, it’s none of our business ^_^
Dear Ms Puddle,
It has been an enjoyable experience contributing to your blog and thank you for always welcoming my comments with such thoughtful and intelligent feedback. I admire the ways in which you focus on being as objective and fair to all the CC characters as much as possible. After all, we are human-beings and thus prone to having our own mentalities and perspectives. The focal point is to respect each others’ viewpoints whether they align with our own or not.
Thanks again and stay safe from COVID-19.
Thank you Avon for your kind and encouraging words. 🤗 I enjoyed reading your fanfic very much, which begins with Candy’s insecurities. Yours is one of those that I’ve read at least three times. I like how you described Candy’s three loves in detail, especially her sexual awakening with Terry and how her feelings for Albert gradually transformed. Your fanfic reminds me of a topic we have discussed long time ago. Would Candy have married Anthony if he hadn’t died so young? 🤔
That’s an interesting question, Ms Puddle. Candy and Anthony seemed to be most compatible but they still had an entire lifetime ahead of them to evolve as individuals and see whether they can fulfill one another. If they never had to be apart by living, for example, in different states or countries, then they would have probably become even closer and eventually tie the knot. Unfortunately, Anthony’s lifeline was cut prematurely and no one will ever know how he would have developed.
Regarding my short story, my intention was to present those 3 crucial phases Candy had endured via the 3 most important men of her life: Anthony, Terry and Albert. I am most pleased that you found my story interesting and worthy of your time.
My focus wasn’t so much on those 3 men but on the ways in which Candy was affected and how she gradually became more mature through her life-learning experiences, hence, becoming emerging stronger and more confident as a fully grown woman.
Well… We will never find out, as Nagita sensei planned to kill Anthony right from the start, just like she had to separate Terry and Candy. They were not meant to be with Candy, not in her story (at least not in her original story 😛 ).
Apparently, Keiko Nagita has decided to remain tight-lipped about the ending of her story and this has frustrated many of her fans from all sides of the fandom (Terry fans and Albert fans alike). Imagine how Agatha Christie’s readers or J.R.R. Tolkien’s readers would have reacted if they had followed Nagita’s mentality and kept the ending of their stories ambiguous… I’m sure their fans wouldn’t be too pleased. Tolkien does have a few unfinished tales (including the Silmarillion) but that’s only because the man died before getting to complete his stories.