Incident of Two Badges (Part 2)
Dear friends, it’s been a long while. How are you all doing? With utmost sincerity, I hope you’re coping well with the new normal routines and pandemic fatigue.
I did not plan to write Part 2 for Incident of Two Badges, but how could I resist when Fay had kindly downloaded those manga images from the Facebook page of Foro Andrew? Ευχαριστώ πολύ Fay! ❤️ As I mentioned before, Japanese manga pages are read from right to left. Please check my previous post for the translations.
In Candy and Prince on the Hill (Part 6) I mentioned an interview of Yumiko Igarashi in a Taiwan manga/anime book fair back in 2007. The host asked the mangaka if she were Candy whether she would choose Anthony or Terry. Soon after that the host added Albert as a choice too. She thought for a moment before she answered “Albert” with a smile. Regrettably the link to this interview in Chinese is now broken. 🙁
Yet, I recently found another article about a similar book fair taken place several years later. In 2012, Yumiko Igarashi was once again invited to Taiwan. Many Candy Candy fans from different generations attended, some of them even old enough to bring their granddaughters! I won’t translate the entire interview but I’ve captured an extract and summarized the questions and answers (in case the page is taken down in the future). The editor asked Igarashi sensei: “Sensei, do you prefer Anthony or Terry?”
Igarashi replied that she would marry Anthony but if she wanted passionate love she would choose Terry. She said Anthony was relatively more mature, and he was seemingly able to protect the girl he loved. On the other hand, Terry was more aggressive. Igarashi then added, “From my experience, the readers who liked Terry as young girls often suffered some kind of pain in their relationships as they grew up. Yet those who liked Anthony were comparatively happier as adults.”
The editor followed up, “Sensei, when you came in 2007, you said you would choose Albert if you were Candy. How about now, five years later?”
Igarashi answered, “Now, I won’t make a choice. Any one of them is good.” (The audience burst out laughing)
Isn’t this interesting? This interview in 2012 at least proved that she had indeed chosen Albert back in 2007. I wonder if Igarashi had been somewhat influenced by Anohito in the Candy Candy Final Story (CCFS) published in 2010. 🤔 Anyway, from the above article, I discovered a link to another interview in Hong Kong during the Christmas season in 2012. Again, I’ll only display an extract of Igarashi’s answer to the question “Why is Candy Candy so popular in Japan as well as around the world?” and my summary of Igarashi’s reply with some omission about the story’s popularity.
“Candy kept a kind heart in spite of hardships and difficulties. The story had a happy ending… Candy and the other characters were like real people. For example, Candy was an ordinary girl — she did not have a perfect appearance, nor was she the most beautiful female character. Readers can hopefully see her optimistic and kind personality…”
Igarashi clearly pointed out that the story of Candy Candy had a happy ending. We all know the manga ended showing Candy happily running toward Albert’s outstretched arms. 🙂 In the Old Candy Candy novel the readers got to read what happened after that reunion. The two main characters began writing letters to each other.
Because of its timing, some readers said that Candy settled for second best (her good friend and companion Albert) on the rebound because she could not have the man she really loved, similar to what DanielleV wrote in her comment:
“In the old novel, one could assume that Candy ran into the arms of Albert because she was trying to get over Terry. However, in the revised (2010) novel, Candy had decisively put her very brief and immature relationship with Terry behind her and was intent on furthering her life with Albert.”
By the end of the manga, Candy’s feelings for Albert were inexplicably strong. As mentioned in my previous post, Incident of Two Badges, the author demanded the mangaka Yumiko Igarashi to redraw or re-arrange some scenes. Nonetheless, the parts where Candy missed Albert so much had remained — she blindly went to Rockstown just because her vagabond friend had sent her a parcel from that town, not because she had to ask him why he had owned the same Ardlay’s badge. In other words, she could not resist the slight possibility of seeing her friend again.
In fact, many of your brilliant contributions to Let’s imagine… have convincingly explained why Candy missed Albert that much or how she remembered the heartwarming life with him in the tiny apartment. Do you know that in the Old CC novel Candy did not mention about her missing friend in her letter to Miss Eleanor Baker? Furthermore, in that same letter Candy seemingly still had remnant feelings for Terry or not fully recovered from the breakup. She even sent the tickets back to Miss Baker and asked her to forgive her rudeness.
Those who have read the CCFS know that Nagita sensei had significantly revised both this letter and Candy’s unsent letter to Terry. In the latter Candy was evidently less emotional when compared to the equivalent one in the old novel. Not only that, Nagita sensei decisively made Albert (actually Candy as well) wait much longer in CCFS before he could confess to be Prince on the Hill. Initially I did not appreciate this change, and who knows how much time had elapsed since Candy’s trip to Rockstown?
It’s unclear whether Candy had brought Dr. Martin’s drawing of Albert to Rockstown, but in CCFS Candy recalled she had used it for searching. However, unlike the manga version, Candy was angry at Albert at their reunion at Lakewood. I’m inclined to think that she might have feigned her anger to conceal her true feelings for him. After all, the friend she had missed terribly turned out to be her mysterious but generous benefactor.
Because many important events had happened since Candy’s discovery of Albert’s true identity, like Stear’s memorial, Archie’s relocation to study in Massachusetts, Annie and Archie’s engagement party, the reconstruction of the orphanage, the grand opening of the resort in Florida, etc., Albert might have waited for two years (or more?). As Candy wrote in her letter to Miss Eleanor Baker, it had been a long time since they had met in Rockstown.
What do you think?
Some fans reasoned the author had added this extra time period because she wanted to eliminate the possibility that Candy was still grieving about the sudden loss of her second love. Time heals all wounds, right? 😉 Anyway, in this new chronology, Candy was older (no longer a minor) when the confession took place after the Great War. Not only that, she had undoubtedly recovered from the breakup years ago, as conveyed in her unsent letter to Terry and her last two letters in the Epilogue.
Remember my post Love happens when least expected, where I discussed two similar interviews of Nagita sensei about Candy’s three loves? The first one may be more well known among the fans, which Nagita sensei used the word “romance” (恋) for Anthony and Terry and the word “love” (愛) for Albert. Some fans argued it was the solid proof that Candy’s love for Albert was fraternal or he was a father figure to her. However, note that in the other interview, published in Candy Candy Encyclopedia, the author described the heroine as optimistic and used the same word “love” (愛) for all three men. 🙂
As you can see, both the author and illustrator had described Candy as optimistic. In fact, Nagita used the term 前向き in the lesser-known interview, which also means positive or forward-looking. Hence, do you think Albert and Terry are equally likely to be Anohito in CCFS, as Christine brought up in her comment? I agree with her that the CCFS “ends abruptly and in a very thick veil of mystery” and “there is a complete absence of of awareness regarding the whereabouts and future of the main characters. Even when it comes to Candy, Nagita never makes it clear whether she’s married, has kids, is working or unemployed“, but Candy and Anohito did not live in North America because in the Prologue Candy said an ocean (Atlantic Ocean) separated her from Pony’s Home.
Compared to Albert, I think Terry’s chance of being Anohito is slim, not because of my personal preferences, but mainly because of the serious lack of evidence. I like what Michelle brought up in her comment: “if the author had provided a story where Candy and Albert become a couple along with a parallel narrative surrounding Terry’s life with another woman, presumably a colleague of his, without having to kill off Susanna. It’s pathetic that some fans depend on Susanna’s death to establish their happiness. Even vultures, crows, rats and other scavengers don’t stoop so low.”
Yes, Nagita sensei could have improved Terry’s character in her new novel by removing the disturbing scenes or writing more about him being an actor in New York, including his inner thoughts about Candy or Susanna. Yet we readers get none of that. On the contrary, the author added multiple new scenes for Albert. The notable changes when compared to the Old CC Novel include the following events:
- Albert paid for the reconstruction of the orphanage in CCFS, not Annie’s adoptive father Mr. Brighton.
- The Ardlay’s patriarch had the authority to make the final call and gave Annie and Archie his blessings, overriding Archie’s parents and Aunt Elroy’s objections.
- Candy’s diary was introduced in the last edition of the old CC novel, but it’s in CCFS that Nagita sensei added the subplot in which Albert returned it to Candy, who knew its contents better than anyone.
- The unforgettable embrace in the forest in Lakewood is not found in the manga or the old novel, which is undeniably the highlight in the Epilogue. Apparently, Terry’s attempt to force Candy to forget Anthony had done nothing to free her from the guilt of feeling responsible for his death.
So by the time Candy could send a mental letter to Anthony, the past no longer held her captive. After writing so much about his young uncle Albert, she briefly mentioned Terry without using his name, as though the detail was not important at all. She explained she had been strongly attracted to a guy that looked like Anthony in London. Note that she used the verb 惹かれる, which means “be attracted, be drawn to, be charmed”. Not only it’s a verb commonly used to describe infatuation, but Candy implied this attraction had occurred unintentionally. For more details please read my post Did Candy find her happiness? (Part 6) 🙂
If an epilogue is supposed to give readers a glimpse of the main characters’ future, and if Terry was supposed to be an equal contender, isn’t it odd his name is mentioned only once in the entire Epilogue? Sarah said it well in her comment: “Terry’s name is mentioned only once in the Epilogue and that’s in the Lakewood scene where Albert takes the initiative and mentions him by returning the diary to Candy. This is a crucial moment because Candy could have responded that she’ll keep the diary as it’s something essential to her. She doesn’t though.”
Also, if you have read my post The day her life changed (Part 4) you know that Candy said to Anthony:
わたしは、あなたがすべてを赦してくれているのを知っています。(I know you will forgive me for everything.)
Now that there are three official translations, I wonder if it’s clear that Candy had used a heavy word to ask Anthony to forgive her (赦し). It’s not a frequently used kanji — more for literature or religious use, like asking God to forgive our sins. For daily use, people would rather use the alternative kanji 許し. They both pronounce as “yurushi”. For example, near the end of Candy’s letter to Madam Elroy to plead for Archie and Annie, she asked the old lady to forgive her (許し). The same word is used in Candy’s letter to Georges, where she directly quoted Albert’s frustrated exclamation “forgive me now”. 🙂
I have a feeling that Candy asked Anthony to forgive her not because she had been attracted to another guy in London, but because she was now in love with her Prince on the Hill. Remember their first conversation about the mysterious Scottish boy? Candy had claimed that she loved Anthony himself, not due to his resemblance to her prince. Young Candy might not realize it, but it’s undeniable she fell in love at first sight because Anthony looked like a replica of her prince.
Speaking of forgiveness, Terry refused to apologize after treating Candy roughly during the May Festival. I’m sure he could have used 許し too if he had apologized, but he was too proud for that, I guess. 🤔
Last but not the least, the recent Spanish translators’ mistake of translating Candy’s birthday as May 5 got me thinking about the significance of the month of May in the CCFS. It seems that throughout the novel, the turning points often occurred to Candy in May: (1) Annie’s adoption and Candy’s first encounter with Prince on the Hill (2) Stewart’s arrival at Pony’s Home to pick up Candy to be a companion for Eliza (3) Candy’s first encounter with Anthony at the rose gate (4) Candy and Terry’s kiss (forced) during the May Festival (5) Candy’s birthday party in Chicago and got many presents from her Prince on the Hill (6) Candy and Albert’s day trip to Lakewood, etc.
For points (3) and (5), I’m not 100% sure. In the manga, Anthony marked a day in May as Candy’s birthday. In CCFS, Anthony’s hybrid rose, Sweet Candy, was ready to bloom when he presented it to her. We know that Candy left Pony’s Home when she just turned thirteen, so it could be May when she first met him at the rose gate.
About the day trip to Lakewood, I wonder if Albert came to pick up Candy in the month of May (perhaps to fulfill her birthday wish one year later). Candy mentioned bluebells in the Lakewood forest, which can be a hint, because bluebells look their best from mid-April to late May (the same in where I live). Nagita sensei wrote that bluebells were everywhere too during the May Festival.
Even if the trip to Lakewood did not occur in May, it might be late April when Sweet Candy roses were blooming (read Candy’s letter to Mr. Whitman), which means that she might meet with Albert again and return her precious diary to him some time in May.
Do you see what I’m getting at? 😉 After all, two common tropes in romance novels have been used in Candy and Albert’s relationship. At St. Paul’s Academy, Candy thought to herself she could not directly use the serious word “love” (愛) even for Anthony (or Terry for that matter), but she did end her letter to Little Bert with love (愛) and gratitude. 💌 By then, she regarded him as a man, a love interest, no less! She had remained optimistic for her future and ready to embark a new adventure with the man she loved. 💑 This story has a happy ending indeed.
Thank you for reading my lengthy post. I hope there aren’t many typos or mistakes. 😛 For your interest, please check Sarah’s comment. She not only shared her knowledge about the history of Scottish people, but she also recommended some books to read. 👍👍
Hello, miss Puddle.First of all, I want to thank you for such an excellent and informative block about candy.And also apologize for my English, since it is not my native language. I have loved it since I was 95, but, alas, in Russia, where I live, I hardly know about it. I couldn’t even find a decent translation of the CCFS novel, and for this reason I am currently translating it myself.I hope you will allow me to use your suggestions from the articles “translation Difficulties”to make it not only more accurate,but also adapted for the Russian language. I also want to say that I support all your conclusions in the articles and I will say more that sometimes reading them I think that we thought the same way even before reading them. From myself I can add that even in the manga, believed that candy is better suited albert. He was originally her Prince on the Hill. From the novel now I have learned that the author to each man leads some analogy in colors. Anthony-roses, beautiful, tender, but able to protect themselves. Terry is a narcissist. And that says it all. A selfish man, unable to admit mistakes. It is easier for him to go on a rampage and give up everything than to admit that without candy he lost interest in the game, especially since she helped him to admit to himself that he loved the theater. And albert…. this is all the colors of the flower world. I also wanted to ask you, how did I understand that even Neil didn’t fall out of love with candy, judging by the scene in Miami?Although I think I was originally just as in love with her as all the Lakewood boys are.Only his snobbery, fueled by Eliza, would not allow him to admit it. The more he felt, the more he mocked her to convince himself that an orphan girl could not take a place in his heart… Although in the end I still could not resist it, but again in my own way… With the same snobbery and selfishness. Well, it’s just my thoughts. I was glad to find such interesting material for the mind and get acquainted with your works. I hope there will be more articles about candy’s novel. And I will read them with pleasure. Good luck with everything. With respect and greetings to you from Russia…. Yulia
Hi @Yulia, thank you for your kind words and encouragement! 🤗 As of today, there are only three official translations, Italian, French and Spanish.
Just wondering, do you know any of the above languages? If so, you may want to purchase a copy. Please feel free to check my posts for translation ideas but bear in mind I’m not a professional translator. 😉 They were just my translation attempts, so I usually add reference links for whomever interested to know more. 🙂
It’s interesting you have used the analogy of flowers, and there’s a reason for Terry fans to associate their favourite hero with daffodils (genus narcissus), highly likely due to the fact that it’s a symbol of rebirth, new beginnings and forgiveness. Yet, the name narcissus came from the Greek god Narcissus. It’s a well known story so I won’t repeat it here. You’re right that Terry was selfish and unable to admit his own mistakes. Honestly, what’s the likelihood he would contact Candy after Susanna’s death? 🤔
One might say that he was terribly selfish and assumed she hadn’t yet found her own happiness after all these years. But what’s the chance he would ask her for forgiveness?
Anyway, I’ve digressed. 😛 You’ve raised some intriguing points about Neal, Yulia. I have never seen him this way though.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading my other posts too and talk to you soon. 🤗
Your analysis about flower imagery is really interesting @Yulia. Thanks for sharing your insight with us.
I agree with you about Neil. Keiko Nagita had also mentioned in her interview in Paris in 2019 that Neil was a far more redeemable character than Eliza. She wanted to write more about him and Susanna but she wasn’t permitted due to word limit restrictions from the company which published her book in 2010.
Thanks again for your comment and take care.
Hello again!
Both parts of this article of yours are intriguing not only from a literary but also legal standpoint. It’s astounding and often disconcerting how legal issues and the lust for profit may bring about such detrimental effects to this story which has inspired so many people all over the globe. I just want to clarify that by “lust for profit” I mean Igarashi and not Nagita. The author had done her utmost to establish a reconciliation with the “inker” but to no avail. At least from my perspective, I perceive this as being Igarashi’s fault and not Nagita’s in moral and legal aspects. Those two were also supposed to be friends and I could only imagine how betrayed Nagita must have felt.
My only question has to do with the underlying reasons for Nagita not collaborating with another manga artist for her CCFS book. Igarashi is an indisputable talent but she’s not the only one out there. Perhaps it’s like the saying goes: “Once bitten, twice shy”.
Hello Lakewood! How are you doing?
Thank you for your encouraging words, and I completely agree with you about Igarashi’s fault. It’s really too bad this had happened between the two highly talented ladies.
Like you, I also wonder if Nagita sensei would one day find an illustrator for her CCFS. If so, readers would certainly compare the new drawings to the originals, which might be unfair to the new illustrator. You might be right about “once bitten, twice shy” or Nagita sensei might have wanted to prove her story does not need visuals? Who knows…
Those are all valid points, Ms Puddle, and I agree with you that Nagita may be concerned about the issue of comparison.
Unless there’s another reason..
Perhaps there’s a clause in the finalized verdict where none of the two creators of Candy Candy (writer and drawer) can infringe upon the rights of the other nor allow anyone else to substitute them. To clarify, as Igarashi is not permitted to use or profit from Nagita’s story, Nagita-in turn-is also not permitted to use or profit from Igarashi’s drawings nor hire anyone else to create subsequent drawings for the Candy Candy story.
Again, this is just a hypothesis but I have noticed that no one from editorial or publishing companies wants to provide drawings for the Candy Candy story. This may be due to the ramifications involved in the legal conflict between Nagita and Igarashi.
I have been looking for further information about this legal battle between Nagita and Igarashi but I have yet to find any credible source. I don’t want fanpages but actual professional and decent journalism covering this legal battle but I haven’t come across anything credible. What about you? Have you found any legit source worth considering?
I think your hypothesis is sound, @Lakewood. Perhaps that’s the reason. Unfortunately I can’t find any professional page covering this legal battle either. 😐
It’s strange, isn’t it? I can’t even find any credible source in Japanese apart from some gossip stuff in tabloids. Seems like no credible journalist is interested in covering the topic-not even in these two ladies’ own home country.
Yes indeed it’s strange, @Lakewood. I wonder why.
Hi, Ms Puddle!
I think you’re right about posting a second part to this topic. It’s a pity that there’s no official online source to contact Nagita and Igarshi as well as retrieve all relevant information involving the CCFS. You must have done a lot of digging to uncover all this material.
Do you know where we could purchase or download the 1978-2003 versions of the CCFS? In reality, there’s not much change to this 2010 novel apart from adding Susanna’s death, a letter from T.G., and snippets of information regarding Candy’s present in the mid-1930s. If you put all the new material together, it doesn’t even amount to a dozen pages.
The novel without the visuals by Igarashi reduces its appeal. This particular story has that characteristic feature which requires both Nagita and Igarashi.
We can only hope that they’ll put their differences aside one day and decide to reunite their creative talents once again. I know it’s highly unlikely but everything is possible.
Hi Gabriella, thanks for your positive feedback. I did try to find something new to make my blog posts interesting 🤗
The Old CC novel may be found online eBay or Japan libraries I heard. You might want to check Fay’s document I mentioned in the previous post as well.
I totally agree that without the drawings or visuals it does seem lacking. I certainly wish the author and illustrator can collaborate again. Sigh… Let’s wait and see. 😉
Thank you, Ms Puddle. I’ll check out those suggestions of yours and perhaps I’ll find some online Japanese libraries or bookstores. I’ve downloaded Fay’s document about the novel and there sure is a wealth of material. Can’t wait to give it a look.😎
Yes @Gabriella I have skimmed through Fay’s document too, and I’ll definitely find time to read the details. 😍
I was planning on skim-reading it at first but it was so gripping that I ended up going through it in one go. It’s definitely worth it and it also proves that the new novel hasn’t changed much from the older novels. If the 2010 novel is being marketed as something new, well then that’s definitely not the case. This newer version is around 95% identical to the older novels.
It’s great that you have enjoyed Fay’s document, @Gabriella, and I’m sure she’ll be delighted!
Though I think the two versions are not 95% identical. The plots are very similar but the details are different.
Plot-wise, it’s almost identical and there are minimal differences between old and new novels in Sections 1-2-3. The only minor additions are Susanna’s death and some references regarding Candy’s present in the mid-1930s but those are only sentences long.
As for omissions, until now I’ve noticed that the lion and sandwich scenes are out in the new novel and Nagita has also removed the reference where Terry is a Broadway actor. In the new novel he just works for a theater group called Stratford which is based in New York.
I’ve noticed that there are also two letters missing in the Epilogue-the one where Candy encloses flower petals in her letter to Albert and her final letter to him where she accepts his invitation to travel all over the world with him.
When you refer to details, do you mean stylist, narrative or both?
On second thought, I could find a few stylistic differences such as Candy’s expression appearing more formal and mature in the new novel.
Apparently, there’s also that brief note allegedly coming from Terry.
There’s also more information about Albert’s background with regards to his academic education and having studied at a university in England.
Anyway, I’m planning to review these sources again when I’m not so busy at work.
Sure @Gabriella there are more differences than that but take your time. No rush 😉
Also, the sandwich scene is still in CCFS, mentioned by Candy at least a couple of times.
It’s described entirely different in the CCFS, however. In the manga and the anime, Candy and Albert are having a picnic at the part and Albert splits his sandwich in two and then suggests those two share everything together. Immediately, she’s deeply moved by his proposal. In the CCFS, it seems like both Candy and Albert had taken the initiative of making such a promise. Whilst there is no mention of a sandwich, the author has intensified this mutual promise by giving Candy the narrative voice to describe how important that vow is to her. The reader is deprived of a setting with regards to this mutual promise, but the reader is compensated by the pronounced emotional aspect of this promise and especially what it meant for Candy. In the anime and the manga we only get to see Candy’s welling up but in the CCFS she provides a detailed account about how valuable and essential that promise was to her.
Hi @Gabriella, I mostly agree with you 👍👏 except that in CCFS the sandwich promise was also Albert’s idea. Candy said so, I recall. Please correct me if I’m wrong 😉
To the best of my knowledge, this “sandwich” promise was mutual in the CCFS because Candy had explained that it was a vow both of them had taken. This is the reason why she was disappointed that Albert had not kept his side of the deal because he had kept so many secrets from her.
Since you have access to and knowledge of the CCFS in its original language, could you please provide an explanation as to how this scene is described?
Thank you.
There’s no sandwich scene in CCFS, as far as I know, @Gabriella. However, I can double check and get back to you in my new post. Ok?
Yes @Gabriella it was mutual agreement but I meant Albert initiated it. It was his idea 😉
Thank you, Ms Puddle. There’s no rush. Whenever convenient for you, please provide the information you’ve got about this topic.
I don’t think it’s made clear in the CCFS whether it was Albert’s idea or not. The clarity of this scene is in the anime and the manga but not the novel.
Was there a “sandwhich scene” in the old novel?
Thanks for sharing another intriguing post with us, Ms Puddle.😊📚💡
Have to admit that I was wondering what Igarashi thought about the new novel and how her perspectives about Candy Candy changed throughout all these years. Igarashi and Nagita were only in their 20s-30s when they began this project and now they’re in their 70s. How times flies!
Exactly, @Aurora. They were actually in their early twenties and the project lasted around four years or so.
Like you, I wonder what Igarashi thought too. 🤔
If I’m not mistaken, the manga was issued first and then the old novel. Am I right? I’ve heard that this story was never based on a book but on random notes and the story progressed with the help of Igarshi too. Did Igarashi and Nagita have any involvement in the anime or was that entirely based on TOEI?
Hi @Aurora, as far as I know, the manga was first serialized in a magazine, and then the old novel was published afterwards. The manga was also published as books bound with hardcovers or paperbacks, etc.
About the anime, I honestly don’t know. Yet I believe the characters are based on Igarashi’s original design in the manga version.
Thank you!
Hello!
I hope you’ve had some time to rest during the summer break.
Got to admit that I was surprised when reading about Igarashi’s reticence in addressing the “anohito” controversy given the fact that she’s so outspoken. It’s ironic that this bitter animosity between the fans over the identity of “anohito” has turned out to be even more toxic and vitriolic than the legal battles between Nagita and Igarashi.
All this fighting has only managed to damage the creativity of this novel. I’m not surprised why the author doesn’t want to expand further on it. Perhaps she’ll change her mind in the future.
Who knows?
Thank you @Irana93! No summer break but my managers did encourage us to use our vacation days even though it’s not safe to travel these days. What I did was to “create” my own long weekends, and that’s why I managed to sit down and write this post lol 😉
Let me clarify that the host did not mention Anohito or CCFS at all. I was just wondering if Igarashi had been influenced by the controversy.
How I wish Nagita would change her mind one day! Hopefully this is not wishful thinking, but as a friend once said to me, if one reads the CCFS like a regular novel, the logical candidate would be Albert, not Terry. 😉
Your managers seem to be conscientious people. If only all people in power were like that and demonstrated concern for their employees.
As for the interview, you’ve clarified about the host. However, Igarashi appears to be apprehensive in discussing the “anohito” topic any further. This controversy is so venomous that even outspoken people such as Igarashi want to keep out of that awful mess.
Tbh, I’ve never come across such a toxic fandom. There are so many other fandoms which are much more popular and globally acclaimed such as those which have to do with Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Saga-you name it-and I’ve never encountered such level of toxicity. Sure, you’ll always find that random keyboard warrior trolling away and talking trash but that’s just an exception. In the CC fandom, however, it’s the norm and it’s just as toxic and insulting from both sides. Of-course, not everyone is like that but the ones who are most pronounced are those loud albeit very few trolls which keep on posting their repetitive trash. It’s become tedious and annoying and that’s why the younger generations have turned their backs to this otherwise awesome story by Keiko Nagita.
This is the reason why I doubt Nagita will ever name “anohito”. I’m not ruling it out but I’m sure that any reasonable person would want to avoid getting into such a cesspool.
Hi @Irana93 about getting vacation it’s the same in my friends’ workplaces too, mainly because the vacation days cannot be all carried over to next year. In some cases, if you don’t take vacation you will lose it. In where I work, I will get some compensation. However, it’s actually healthier to take breaks from work.
About this fandom, all I can say is that I would simply ignore the trolls and their repetitive arguments based on their imagination or wishful thinking. 😉
The problem with some of those trolls is that they’ve recently been turning against their own too by attacking many folks who are distancing themselves from all that idiotic and self-destructive fanaticism. There are many from their own team which support that the novel doesn’t necessarily point to Terry as being Anohito but to Albert. The fact that the Epilogue is all about Candy and Albert is indicative of the fact that the attempt to eliminate Albert from being Anohito is not only futile but asinine. Needless to mention that all those desperate claims about Albert being Candy’s dad makes those trolls look even more foolish than they already are. Albert is only a decade older than Candy. Did he become a dad at the age of ten? Lmao
Yes @Irana93 I’ve heard of similar stories too, even before CCFS. For example, some fans, having been misled by the anime version, finally understood the essence of the CC story after reading the manga version. Yet, whenever any of these fans expressed their ideas about Candy pairing with her prince, these fans would be attacked or insulted.
Those who insist Albert was the father figure to Candy might not be able to explain why the two were so close and intimate in their correspondence in the Epilogue… LOL. Who on earth would address her father or brother as “my prince”? 😅
I agree. Candy uses quite a lot of words and phrases which denote sensuality not directed to a family member or friend but to a love interest. Notable examples are her “quivering with emotion” and feeling that her “body is floating in air” after Albert told her that he’s POTH. Only a moron would believe that those are words someone uses to describe a father or brother. She also becomes so needy and demanding with Albert urging him to visit her more often and that she wants him all to herself when he goes to see her. She doesn’t behave like a daughter or sister but like a jealous lover who wants her beloved by her side all the time.
Good examples, @Irana93! Her first letter was already unusual if it was meant for a casual friend or family member… I totally agree with you. Candy sounded like a girlfriend already, not only possessive but also matter-of-fact. Albert didn’t not find her behavior absurd either and even tried different things to accommodate her. 😊
Albert was just as in love with Candy as she was in love with him. Not only would her tolerate Candy’s antic, but he would unobtrusively encourage them. Even though he told her that he didn’t like being called “her prince”, I’m sure that deep down inside he loved every moment she called him that.
@Irana93 I didn’t know if Albert secretly loved every moment of being called a prince LOL 😉 Yet for sure this evidently shows Candy regarded him as a love interest, not a friend or family member as others have insisted for years. Yes I agree with you that Albert was just as in love with Candy because he had done a lot behind the scenes prior to his confession so that he could present all those on her birthday as her Prince on the Hill. 💖💕
I think Albert was genuinely annoyed when Candy kept on teasing him by calling him “grandfather” then “great father” and so forth.
The stick that broke the camel’s back, however, was when she called him “prince”. That’s the reason why he told her to cut it out and quit the trolling. He seemed to want to dispel all those cheesy notions and wanted Candy to see him as a man and not as an ideal or a fantasy.
Candy got the hint and promised to stop with the trolling because she had obviously overdone it. She also wanted to move onto the next level with Albert and be more intimate and not at loggerheads with him. Her anger had subsided but her yearning to be with him again kept on intensifying.
Yes @Myra in Candy’s letter to Georges she quoted Albert’s frustrated words “Forgive me now!!” If I’m not mistaken this wasn’t translated in Italian as a direct quote? I might be wrong though.
Though to me it’s different when Candy called him her Prince on the Hill. He might not like it but it wasn’t trolling, IMHO. It was her childish (or exaggerating) way of admiring a handsome young fellow. 😉
I agree with you about Albert getting annoyed but he soon got over it just as Candy got over her initial anger and awkwardness. IMO, the time they had spent apart for a while and communicating through letters helped their relationship solidify as they had time to process what was going on between them and especially within their own selves.
Irrespective of their mutual teasing and getting mildly annoyed, what is undeniably pronounced in Candy and Albert’s correspondence is their longing to see each other again. They both express their nostalgia for the beautiful and heartwarming times they had during their long-term coexistence at the Magnolia. Candy keeps on saying how wonderful it was for her living with Albert and sharing the good as well as difficult times with him. In turn, Albert finally admits to Candy that he couldn’t tell her that he had regained his memory because he didn’t want to leave that lovely and fulfilling life he had with her. The two of them towards the end of the Epilogue aren’t even keeping appearances anymore and they are openly stating their profound affection for one another. Let’s not forget that we’re talking about the early twentieth century and love letters in those days were nowhere near as explicit as they are in our contemporary era.
Right on, @Sarah. They longed to see each other for sure, using the standard of those days they were quite explicit already. They must have lived in harmony for two years or more, longer than some marriages of Hollywood celebrities lol 😅
Many of those claims made by narrow-minded fans are desperate as they are pitifully inaccurate. Trying to compare the romantic relationships Candy had with Anthony, Terry and Albert is complete folly because each relationship is different. Needless to mention that Candy was in a different phase in her life during her relationship with those three male characters. She was a teen during her romance with Anthony and then Terry but she was an independent bread-winning adult in her 20s when she developed a romantic relationship with Albert.
As adults, we behave in a much more reserved way because we’re no longer simplistic kids. It’s inane trying to maintain that same erratic and hyperbolic passion one had during his or her hormone-driven adolescence. We should also take into account that the writer no longer provides the narrative technique after the St Paul school debacle but deploys the epistolary form in her novel thereafter. The narrative technique provides the opportunity of offering the reader a “peek” view of what’s going on in the minds of the characters in tandem with adding many details surrounding their actions and dynamics with the other characters. The epistolary form is a difficult technique to deploy and if a writer is not adept at it, it may render the novel rather vague and cliff-hanging. The epistolary form adds more intimacy, directness and often excitement to a novel but it also deprives the reader of retrieving all those essential details one would get from the conventional narrative technique.
What matters though is the writer’s intention and that involves her incorporating the intimate letters between Candy and Albert to establish impact. Those letters are obviously very important to the writer otherwise she wouldn’t have placed them in the Epilogue.
You nailed it, @Aurora. I couldn’t have said it better. In fact, I personally find Candy’s relationship with Terry not very romantic. They bantered a lot and might have feelings for each other, but both were reluctant to show or tell… Don’t you think? At least that was the impression I got. Without Eliza’s trap, perhaps the two would have a better chance. Yet, the relationship ended abruptly and later turned into a long-distance one. ^_^;
Romance is a subjective concept and each person builds a different perception of it.
Yet, I agree with you, Ms Puddle, that the relationship between Candy and Terry never demonstrated any form of romance. Even Candy admitted that Terry had never behaved in a romantic way towards her and his letters to her were full of teasing and thus devoid of any form of romanticism. However, she accepted it and claimed that she knew what was in his heart regardless of his unromantic stance towards her.
Perhaps their embryonic relationship would have developed into something significant if Eliza hadn’t set that trap against them.
I would presume that the reason Albert felt that he could leave everything behind and pursue his own happiness in Africa was because he was content that Candy, Archie and Stear had found their soulmates and would seal their lives with them.
My sentiments exactly, @Aurora, 👏👏 except about the soulmates part. I think Albert couldn’t wait to go to Africa to be free from the Ardlays, and seeing that Candy and his nephews had seemingly found happiness might have sped things up. Did Terry go to the zoo with Candy and her friends, in CCFS? 🤔 I don’t recall this particular detail. 😅
I’ll agree with you on that @Ms Puddle. Apart from the other contributing factors, the main reason why Albert wanted to leave for Africa was to discover his own self and be independent of the Ardlays.
As for that scene you’ve mentioned, I don’t recall Candy and Terry meeting up again at the Blue River Zoo either. I’ll check my book again to verify this.
@Aurora, from what I recall, Candy proposed to go to the zoo with her girlfriends and the Cornwell brothers. I might be wrong though.
There was never such a scene narrated in the novel, however, at least not as it was in the manga. There is only one scene in the novel where Terry and Candy are at the zoo but in the manga there are two scenes and there is far more character development in the manga as Terry and Candy interact more. The novel just provides a brief summary of events but there doesn’t seem to be any additional scene at the zoo.
Thank you for checking, @Aurora 🤗
Pleased to be of your assistance, Ms Puddle.
Well said @Sarah. Times were hard for women back then and Candy had to be extra careful with her wording when writing to Albert. Albert also had to be careful due to his esteemed reputation. Besides, Candy was no longer a naive and impulsive teenager who spluttered out whatever came to her mind but she was an adult who had to behave accordingly and that’s with maturity and responsibility of actions as well as words.
So true, @Lynn. When I first read her last letter to Little Bert in CCFS Epilogue, I was very touched. Candy was so sincere and in love with Albert by then. As she said, she was overwhelmed with emotions on the way to Lakewood, and this applies to her entire letter too.
Apparently, the entire novel is not defined by the Epilogue and the same applies for Section 1, Section 2, and Section 3 of this novel. This story isn’t all about letters of correspondence and it sure isn’t all about that prison-like religiously-fanatic school of St Paul in London. Therefore, it’s essential that we read this story from the beginning until the end and focus on the overall development of the characters and how they had been affected by the events taking place, either directly or indirectly. I agree with many critics who point out that this novel functions as a form of a cycle and the ubiquitous as well as unifying element in this story is the development of the relationship between Candy and Albert. What started off as a mere innocuous and completely innocent childhood crush Candy had for her “Prince” gradually evolved into an imperishable bond comprising those essential components of friendship, reciprocal respect, communication and ultimately, sheer and unconditional love.
Well said, @Lynn!! May I quote your comment in my new post?
Sure you can. Thank you!
Thanks @Lynn. The problem with some fans is that they fail to understand that people change and this is reflected in fictional stories as well where dynamic characters develop and evolve. It’s intellectually impaired to believe that Candy remained a naive teen at that school in London. The same applies for Terry and Albert. Neither Terry remained static as that grumpy bratty teen nor did Albert continue to hold a rucksack and roam the world. All of these characters inevitably changed and grew to become adults with their own issues to struggle with-both inner and external issues. Some of those obsessed fans have to realize that time didn’t stop at St Paul’s private school for white-privileged brats gnawing on their elders’ extra cash.
Right on, @Sarah!! In addition to what you said, even Archie changed. He could finally “let go of Candy” 😉 and married Annie. Even though I don’t like this girl at all but I’m happy that Archie could move on at last.
The problem with some of those hysterical fans is that their little old heads are still glued to that teenage dude hiding behind his dad’s money at St Paul’s.
Let’s be clear here.. Terry was never a rebel. He was a spoiled white rich boy with mommy issues. It was only when he left that stupid religious school (where the nuns were paid to take the crap out of dumbass rich kids) to find his own path in the United States.
In New York and during his acting career, Terry developed to become self-sufficient albeit struggling financially. Yet, what was laudable about him is that he had shed all those stupid attributes his fans keep on lathering themselves to sleep with. Terry’s fans worship the teenage-Terry and are in complete denial that the adult-Terry has become mature, hard-working and an acutely conservative theater actor who focuses on performing traditional plays. There is nothing rebellious or revolutionary about him. On the contrary, Terry developed into a very meek, quiet and inward guy who focused primarily on his job to make ends meet.
Both Terry and Albert have almost nothing to do with their previous younger selves. Both men developed into conservative and traditional men driven by a hard-working ethos. Candy is not their vital source for survival and they can survive and thrive perfectly well with or without her.
The same applies for Candy. She doesn’t need any man to define her or make her happy. She had also grown into an independent woman focusing on her hard work and career as a certified nurse.
It’s such a pity that certain hysterical fans have reduced this otherwise intriguing novel into a cheesy chic-flic about two teenagers bored to death at a stupid religious school in early 20th century Britain. This story isn’t a cheap soap-opera. Instead, this story focuses on dealing with difficulties in life and eventually overcoming them with perseverance and dignity. This story is about moving on and not being fixated and obsessed with the past.
Thank you @Sarah! My sentiments exactly 🤗 May I quote your comment? 😊
Your comment is astute, Sarah. For my part, I also prefer Terry’s character as an adult. He had obviously put in tremendous effort to maintain his resolve and muster self-control. It’s as if he was intent on emulating Albert. The two of them had begun to develop a friendship in London and all that prep talk coming from Albert probably went to some significant and effective use.
Nonetheless, it’s disappointing that the novel never provides a decent character development for Terry when he had become an adult. There was in-depth character development for Terry in the manga and the anime producers had also done a fine job in expanding and deepening Terry’s character even if that was at the expense of Albert’s character.
In the novel, however, the opposite occurs as Terry’s character remains static and immobile after leaving for America whilst Albert’s character is far more refined, developed and sophisticated in the 2010 novel.
Thank you @Aurora. I appreciate your feedback.
No matter how hard some desperate fans try to “dissect” the novel from the manga and anime, the greatest majority of the CC community will always cherish and appreciate both the manga and the anime. It is thanks to the manga and the anime that this novel is actually making any sales. Had it been the other way around, hardly anyone would have bothered with this text. As many have already specified, this novel without the fascinating visuals by Igarashi is nothing but a lame duck. The same would apply if the manga was circulating with only the visuals devoid of the textual material.
Furthermore, the manga and the anime offered insight into the mindset of the main characters of the CC story, especially that of Terry and Albert. I agree with your perspective that the TOEI team had done an awesome job in evolving Terry’s character into a much less toxic and abusive dude who had done his utmost to improve his character and gradually become more mature and civilized. It’s a pity that his toxic and violent disposition became even more pronounced in the novel, however. On a positive note, Albert’s character-as you have well pointed out-became even more well-developed and intricate. The Epilogue does so much justice to Albert’s character and it has inspired so many readers to appreciate him more, especially the younger readers who are more open-minded and have a fresher outlook on life.
Even though it’s unlikely, it would have been most forthcoming if Igarashi and Nagita put their differences aside and decided to collaborate again. Candy didn’t have one mother but two and it’s those two highly talented women.
Exactly! Even Keiko Nagita admitted in the post-face of her revised novel that Candy’s story is incomplete and conceded to the realization that her readers will have to imagine Igarashi’s drawings of the characters since the author herself makes very little effort to provide any narrative description of their appearance, demeanor, expression, etc. If we didn’t have Igarashi’s illustrations etched in our minds, we wouldn’t have a clue what these characters look like except for same vague references here and there. The descriptions of the flowers in the novel, however, more than suffice.
But I’ll be fair though and say that whenever Igarashi tried to take over the narrative, she did a lousy job as @Ms Puddle has comprehensively analyzed in both parts of the “Incident of the Two Badges”.
It’s more than apparent that those two talented ladies complemented one another and their joined forces had created that lovely story back in the late 1970s/early 1980s.
Well said, @Sarah, @Aurora and @Myra 👏👏 I completely agree with you all, especially about the lack of Terry’s character development in his adulthood.
I don’t have anything else to add other than that it’s strange Nagita sensei had deliberately turned him into a supporting character in section 3… As I said in my post, I highly doubt that Terry had a 50-50 chance of being Anohito.
I honestly cannot understand why a handful of fans are so vociferously advocating a separation of the manga and novel. That’s not only sheer folly when it comes to marketing the book but it’s also impossible since the book is not only based but reliant upon the manga. Apart from certain minute exceptions and minuscule details, this novel is a contextualized version of the manga in terms of its structure, story-line and characters. If you take the manga and the novel and juxtapose them, you virtually have the same story. The only notable differences are Susanna’s death, a brief note signed with the initials-T.G., and the Epilogue which delineates the continuation of Candy and Albert’s relationship when the Great War had ended. Apparently, there are also some clues b floating about surrounding Candy’s present during the Interbellum but they’re only several sentences long and inserted within the narrative.
Yes indeed, @Lynn. Without the manga the CCFS is incomplete, unfortunately. 😅
Sure! You don’t have to ask me, Ms Puddle, but thank you so much for doing so. Just for the record, please be at ease to quote me anytime you want and if you would like further evidence from the novel, let me know and I’ll post it asap.
Thank you @Sarah 🤗
Seriously, Ms Puddle, those who came up with the idea of trying to detach the novel from the anime & manga need to get their head examined. Apart from the fact that it puts people off from buying the book, it alienates prospective readership of this novel because most people hold fond memories of this story via the anime & manga and that is not going to change anytime soon.
There are some groundless rumors circulating about Nagita that she had specified her novel was independent of the manga. This is ludicrously inaccurate and misleading information because never had Nagita ever made such a suggestion. Instead, she mentioned in the afterword of her novel that she wanted to develop the narrative of her story to make it suitable to a more mature readership rather than appeal exclusively to an adolescent one as in the case of the Shōjo Manga genre. The story-line is basically the same-if not identical-with the exception of minor details regarding literary style and linguistic nuances.
Anyone who reads this novel can easily confirm that it’s almost identical to the manga, especially with regards to Sections 1 & 2. The structure of Section 3 is obviously different as Nagita uses the epistolary form but the narrative continues to remain virtually the same apart from some sporadic references to Candy’s current state-of-affairs during the Interwar period when she’s in her mid-30s.
Yes, @Lynn. I don’t have anything to add except that those people might have meant the anime version? It’s quite different from the manga version.
The first two sections of CCFS are nearly identical to the manga with minor differences. Section 3 and the Epilogue deviate from the manga version more with new episodes added.
No, they’re talking about the manga-believe it or not. They’re so idiotic to trash the manga to such an extent. Needless to mention that they’re shooting themselves in the foot because it’s the anime and the manga which had made so many teens back in the 70s and 80s become so insanely infatuated with Terry. These are the same people now in their 50s-60s who actually bother to buy this book and that is thanks to the manga and the anime.
beyond any shadow of a doubt, Igarashi made Terry look absolutely gorgeous in the manga. In the anime Terry started to look even better when he had become an adult working in New York. The irony to all this is that both the manga and the anime favored Terry much more than Albert. It’s the novels-both older versions and especially the 2010 novel-where readers can get a better understanding of Albert and appreciate both his sophisticated character and his stunning looks.
To be fair though, both Igarashi and the anime creators had done a great job with Albert’s looks as well. If a real-life Terry would look like Henry Cavill or Luke Evans, a real-life Albert would definitely look like Chris Hemsworth, Joe Alwyn or Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ.
You’re spot on @Lynn! Some people are trying to change and distort this novel into something completely different to what the author had written just to fit their own perverse logic. Fortunately, those fans are very few and hardly anyone ascribes any value or credibility to their nonsensical claims.
The vast majority of the readers of this novel were, are and always will be fans of the manga and the anime-hands down. Both the illustrations and the author’s narrative are equivalently important and trying to separate those two vital features is (as you have astutely pointed out) detrimental to the sales as well as the appeal of this book. What is the most significant factor is that the author herself has never said that her book is different to the manga and those who claim that she has said that are either delusional or disingenuous or both.
As for your “casting” preferences for Terry and Albert, I have to say that you’ve got some fine taste. Luke Evans has that dark roguish appeal which would have made him an intriguing Terry and Chris Hemsworth bears that towering height and athletic Nordic physique which would have made him an awesome Albert.😉
Agree with you @Lynn and @Sarah! Great choices! 😍 Luke Evans is absolutely perfect as Gaston IMHO. I like Chris Hemsworth as Albert too but Joe alwyn matches the manga image more. 😉
Joe Alwyn would be an ideal cast for Anthony or a younger Albert. Those two looked so similar that Candy had confused Anthony as being the Prince of the Hill. In turn, Chris Hemsworth would have been a perfect cast for Albert during his adulthood, especially during his 30s-40s. During the Interbellum when Candy was in her mid-30s, Albert was in his mid-40s.
Yes @Lynn. I agree 👍😍
I wouldn’t disagree with you about that @Ms Puddle. I’m sure Albert felt rather uneasy about being called Candy’s prince all the time but he should have expected it would happen after disclosing to her his identity.😂
There’s a possibility he hadn’t fathomed she would react in such an emotional way when he told her about their first encounter on Pony’s Hill. Based on Candy’s account, Albert looked apprehensive and shy. She also mentioned how youthful he looked even though he was 30 or in his early 30s the most.
Keiko Nagita appears to have a massive crush on tall and slender fresh-faced men with golden hair and blue eyes. The main characters in most of her work look like Anthony and Albert.✨❤️
Imagine how youthful Albert looked even though he was only in his early thirties. He probably looked just as young as his nephews. Some people are fortunate enough to look younger than their age, especially if they refrain from smoking and drinking booze. Being athletic also helps. Based on Nagita and Candy’s descriptions of Albert, he appears to have had the good fortune to muster all those qualities and characteristics.
Well said, @Myra. Or Albert just looked like the adult version of Anthony. 😍 For sure Candy did not doubt for a second that Albert was her prince. He must be still very handsome.
It seems Nagita sensei couldn’t stress enough how young Albert appeared, at least to Candy. 😃
Absolutely! Candy keeps on swooning over Albert’s youthful looks by focusing a lot on his golden hair and sky-blue eyes. In Nagita’s novel called “Rainette, Kin Iro no Ringo”, one of the main characters is a young man from the Republic of Belarus who’s a spitting image of Anthony and Albert. Apparently, that Nordic-looking lad is tall with blonde hair and blue eyes.😉
Yes @Irana93 I agree with you Albert might have expected that Candy would address him as Prince on the Hill, perhaps a couple of times? He might even expect her to tease him too. Yet, he probably never had expected that she would call him “prince” 17 times in a single letter! That was likely why he told her to stop.
In fact, her tearful reaction to his confession implies that she’d been keeping the feelings inside her for a long time. His response with his eyes moist also speaks volumes. 💕
Oh yes, Nagita sensei seems to adore men with blond hair and blue eyes a lot, and this is quite obvious throughout CCFS. I haven’t read her other works though, but I’m not surprised at all if what you said is true. 😉
Thanks @Ms Puddle!
Through Nagita’s narrative style, readers acquire a fine idea about Albert’s appearance and character.
From the beginning of the novel, Candy describes the POTH as a tall and beautiful young man with angelic-like features and a radiant smile. Later on, Albert is described as a noble and elegant man by Candy despite his vagabond attire. She considers his lovely appearance, voice and manners to contradict his old and worn clothes.
Readers get those bits and pieces from Nagita and Candy concerning Albert’s beauty and youthfulness throughout the novel. Besides, he is one of the most stunning-looking in the manga as well. Igarashi did a fine job drawing him.
Resuming to the novel, Candy also admires and is enchanted by Albert’s singing voice as they were heading to Lakewood. A careful reading of the text will help the reader confirm that Candy adored Albert’s eyes, smile and voice. He wasn’t just another pretty face but a man who enthralled her and as she had said herself in the Epilogue, she felt that her “body was floating in the air”.
Well said, @Myra 🤗 May I quote your comment?
Well said @Ms Puddle and @Myra!
Albert did seem a bit apprehensive as to what Candy’s reaction would be when he would reveal to her that he’s been her “Prince” all along. Candy mentioned that Albert was rather quiet and looked as if he had been struggling with his inner thoughts when he paid her a surprise visit at Pony’s Home. He must have been delighted to witness Candy’s emotionally-charged reaction but he was probably annoyed when George came to interrupt them again. LOL
How old would Candy be during the scenes described by Candy and Albert in the Epilogue? How long do you think their correspondence lasted?
Hi @Irana93! Yes I totally agree with you Albert was not at ease just before his confession. He had probably rehearsed on his way to Pony’s Home LOL 😃 This only shows how much he cared about revealing thus last secret to Candy. She wasn’t a sister or casual friend to him.
As I said in the post, it could be two years or more since her discovery of his true identity. What do you think?
Also mentioned in my post, if indeed he came to visit her in late spring (April or May), their correspondence lasted about a year.
Please feel free to consider my comment, Ms Puddle. That’s very kind of you.
Thanks @Myra! Thank you for your continued support 🤗
Since World War I is a key event in this novel, we could use it as a reference point. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the grand hotel opening in Florida took place slightly before the end of the war. The Great War lasted from July 28th, 1914 to November 11th, 1918. So it seems that this grand opening probably took place in the summer of 1918. Would you agree?
If Albert made his confession as POTH on Candy’s birthday, then it would be safe to assume that this took place in early May 1919. Candy would initiate her correspondence with Albert shortly after and perhaps that was in the spring or summer of the same year.
Their correspondence seems to have lasted for about a year because she talks about her birthday and her gifts (Caesar and Cleopatra) in her letter to Albert. If we follow this time-line, then Candy and Albert’s trip to Lakewood would be somewhere during the spring or summer of 1920.
Taking all this into account, Candy and Albert’s correspondence should have been from mid-1919 until mid-1920.
Would you agree with this time-line?
Sorry @Irana93 for my delay. I double checked Candy’s letters and believe the resort grand opening party happened soon after WWI ended. I figured it was the winter of 1918 or early spring 1919 when the weather was the best in Florida.
Since Albert confessed to Candy after that party for sure, I think his confession took place in late spring 1919, likely several weeks before Candy’s birthday some time in May.
As I mentioned in my post, their day trip to Lakewood should happen about a year after the confession, presumably in April or May 1920 when the bluebells were blooming.
What do you think?
It appears that our time-frame estimates coincide with the exception of the grand opening of the hotel resort in Florida.
Is there any specific reference in the text which denotes that this event occurred slightly after WWI?
I’ll also check my officially translated sources in Italian, French and Spanish and see if there’s anything mentioned.
I’ll chime in a bit and add that the memorial at Lakewood took place when the war was over, according to Candy’s letter to Archie in the third section of the novel. However, I can’t find anything about the exact time reference regarding the opening reception at the Miami hotel resort.
Thank you @Irana93 and @DanielleV. I’m not sure about the other translations but in Candy’s letter to Stewart she described “everyone could overcome the rough waves of the war and meet again”. She used the verb 乗り越える, which often means “get over”, “climb over”, “surmount” etc.
Also, Georges caught the flu after the party, so it was highly likely the flu season. Since the best time to visit Florida is from the end of November to spring season, I’m convinced the grand opening party took place in winter soon after the war.
About Candy’s letter to Archie, she wrote it when the war was over. In this letter she mentioned the memorial that had already taken place in Lakewood.
I have a feeling Candy wrote this letter before heading to Miami for the grand opening. I might be wrong though.
Thank you for the clarification, Ms Puddle. I see your point and I’ll agree with you that the grand opening of the hotel resort in Florida probably took place shortly after the end of WWI.
Thank you @Irana93 😊
How are you, Ms Puddle? Hope everything is fine.
After reading your intriguing new entry, I’ve got several questions which have to do with the final novel:
1. Does Nagita specify if Candy and her mystery man live in the UK or is this just based on what fans want to believe?
2. Does Nagita clarify whether Candy is married or not? Does she have children?
3. There’s a scene where Candy remembers when her mystery man hugged her after telling him about the dangers she had faced upon returning to the United States. Is there any reference where this scene is set? Some fans claim that it’s on the ship en route to the UK but I haven’t found any such reference in the novel.
4. How many years did Terry and Susanna live together? Did Terry get engaged with Susanna when she was dying (to restore her honor, for example) or were those two engaged for a long time?
5. Why is that brief letter signed with initials (“T.G.”) and not a name and surname? If this is Terry’s letter, then why would he be so timid and in hiding instead of using his full name? In the novel, he tends to use his name-Terence-and not mere initials. The only ones who used initials for Terry’s name was Candy and Eliza (she signed that note set to trap Candy with the letter “T” but she uses Candy’s full name when sliding the note under Terry’s door).
6. Is there any mention what Albert’s university degree specializes in? He seems to have extensive expertise in the biomedical field because he heals seriously injured animals and he later on works as a medical assistant at a clinic in Africa.
7. Albert mentions in the Epilogue that he’s got successful start-up business in England. Does he ever say what those businesses are about? Are those businesses based in London?
Thanks in advance.
These are interesting questions @Christine. You’ve prompted my curiosity to re-check my sources. I wonder if translation issues will also arise. Hopefully not.
Thanks @Irana93. I don’t want to be pedantic but there are a few unclear points in this novel. To the best of my knowledge, it doesn’t appear to be a translation issue because these same obscure points loom in all three official versions.
You’re not being pedantic at all. I share the viewpoint that textual evidence should always be prioritized and not what certain fans want or try to impose via their biased and distorted opinion.
This is also the reason why I enjoy this intellectually vibrant forum so much because Ms Puddle and her contributors always strive to confirm their perspectives through the use of the CCFS text itself and not wishful thinking or manipulation of data.
Thank you @Irana93 for your kind and encouraging feedback! 🤗
We should thank you for offering all of us a platform on your blog. Your contributions to the CC community are undeniably significant and astute.
Thank you very much for your continued support and encouraging feedback, @Irana93! 🤗
Thank you Christine for asking. How are you? I’m ok, just quite busy lately so it’s taken me a while before I could write a new post. 😉
These are all good questions, and I will double check the novel before I get back to you.
About whether Candy was married or not, nobody mentioned the words like “marriage” or “wedding” etc. Yet, unlike Terry and Susanna, there’s no evidence that Candy was NOT married either (i.e. cohabiting with Anohito without being legally married). You see what I mean?
As I mentioned before, the fact that Anohito had managed to convince Candy to inherit the very expensive jewelry box speaks volumes, considering her initial reaction. If Anohito is Albert, then it makes sense she was (would be) legally married. His sons would be future heirs so he should get married. In fact, why would he not?
Also, as you pointed out in your other comment, Candy was fully aware that nobody wanted her in the Ardlay’s clan — she never felt she belonged to the Ardlays at all. If she was simply cohabiting with Albert, she would have felt even worse, because she was essentially doing exactly what the others had accused her of (the reason why she had been fired by the hospital). Not to mention she would have grieved her foster mothers, who were devoted Catholics.
If Anohito is Terry, what’s the likelihood he would not only reconcile with the Duke and Duchess but also inherit an expensive heirloom or the Duke’s fortune?
Thank you for this information. I would be grateful to have your perspectives on these questions too because they’re rather confusing in the novel. The author avoids clarifying anything and that makes the situation even worse.
Back then in early 1900s, it wasn’t uncommon for couples to live together without being married. Women’s emancipation movements were on the rise all over the Western world and it was a trend for women to live unconventionally, especially those women who were urbane and cultured.
Obviously, Candy is more rustic and religious-as you have correctly pointed out. These traits of hers would presumably thwart her from becoming more progressive and independent as her contemporaries. I remember the editor of the Spanish translation explaining that Candy is a traditional woman who enjoys cooking and taking care of her loved ones. He wouldn’t imagine her as a modern-type secular woman of her time and I agree with him on that.
Taking these factors into consideration, I would agree with you that Candy is probably married and living like a traditional housewife tending to her anohito, whether he’s Terry or Albert.
I’ll add a couple of questions.
Isn’t it odd that the author doesn’t provide any clue as to whether Candy has children or not?
Why didn’t the author make any mention of Candy’s engagement or marriage as she had done with Annie and Archie?
Those are interesting questions.
Tentatively speaking, the author may have omitted any engagement or wedding ceremony so as not to disclose the identity of ‘anohito’.
For instance, if there was no ceremony, the chances are that ‘anohito’ is Terry because he detests Candy’s friends and he wants her all to himself. However, let’s not forget that Terry had also changed massively through time. He was no longer that spoilt brat at the conservative school in London but a man approaching 40 years of age and having endured so many trials and tribulations.
On the other hand, if there was a ceremony albeit not too extravagant but within the company of close friends, then the chances are that ‘anohito’ is Albert. In contrast to Terry, Albert gets along really well with Candy’s friends and he enjoys their company. Yet, he is no longer a lanky 20-year-old roaming the world but a shrewd businessman in his mid-40s. Perhaps he had become more conservative and possessive with age.
Everyone changes and Terry and Albert are no exception to the rule.
Well said, @Myra! Thank you @Christine for your patience. I was going to get back to you re your original questions.
I mostly agree with Myra except Albert’s age. I also think if Terry is Anohito he would have been in his thirties by the time he and Candy got married (because both had to “wait” for Susanna). But for Albert, he should also be in his thirties mainly based on Candy’s letter to Vincent Brown (Candy seemingly lived in the Ardlay’s residence in Chicago and could go to Lakewood villa anytime she liked) and what Candy said in the Prologue about Slim’s painting. In her thirties it seemed she’d been with Anohito in UK for years already.
This could also explain why Nagita hasn’t mentioned anything about Candy being in employment or having kids during the Interbellum. It’s quite obvious that she wanted to keep this story as moot and opaque as possible. Maybe any further info would have been a dead giveaway regarding the identity of Candy’s beloved man.
Yes I think so too @Irana93
When Candy found out she wanted to be a nurse she said something like she wanted to be helpful to others. She was also very hardworking when she returned to Pony’s Home, working with Dr Martin.
In CCFS she might appear unemployed in her thirties but it might be her day off or she might not need to be employed? Say she could be volunteering or whatever. Yet, she did not need to worry about making dinner lol… Other than hiring a gardener she might have hired a cook as well? I hope she did not rely on Anohito to cook for her LOL 😉
Apologies for any unintentional confusion. The aforesaid ages ascibed to Terry and Albert have to do with the mid-1930s. During that time, Terry would be in his late 30s and Albert in his mid 40s. Right?
Yes indeed Myra, but since you mentioned wedding I assumed you meant their age when they got married 😉
typo {{ascribed}}
If anohito is Albert, then Candy would enjoy some delicious meals because Albert is a good cook.😉
You have a point there @Ms Puddle. Maybe Candy wasn’t unemployed but had her day off or hadn’t started her night shift. Being a certified nurse, Candy would have to be accustomed to working irregular times and alternating rotas.
Yes, @DanielleV, I think so too. Perhaps she was too worried about Miss Pony that she needed a break from work or whatever. Who knows? It seems a bit out of character if she spent all day idling around. In my imagination I can easily picture her at least volunteering somewhere.
Thank you all for your feedback.
@Ms Puddle: My apologies again for any confusion.
@DanielleV: You may be right about Candy not being a housewife but continuing her career as a nurse.
It’s alright, @Myra. Don’t worry too much about it 🤗
Actually, I should be the one thanking you for your patience with all my questions. LOL
Thanks for getting back to me and responding to my queries.
Hi @Christine, first and foremost, I do not have all the answers to your questions. That being said, I will try my best and remain open to correction.
(1) Candy and Anohito lived near River Avon for sure, and there are like five in the southern part of England and three in Scotland? There might be another River Avon in Europe but I don’t know. I’ve explained why Candy should live in the south, not Scotland, in http://mspuddleshaven.com/2017/10/27/the-myths-of-candy-candy-final-story-part-2/
(3) I re-read this part and can’t find any reference where this scene took place either.
(4) Please correct me if I’m wrong. In Annie’s letter to Candy she mentioned rumors about their engagement? In Susanna’s obituary it did say people had known about her relationship with Terry, and the writing seems to imply they had been living together, engaged but not married.
(5) I honestly don’t have an answer to this, but I did write something about this in the past. FYI, http://mspuddleshaven.com/2016/04/18/terrys-brief-letter-to-candy-part-2/
(6) In Albert’s letter to Candy he did mention studying Law and Business with private tutors, but as far as I know he did not mention his studies in the university. In his letter from Kenya he said he worked as a helper (assistant) in the clinic, but not necessarily a medical assistant? Yet, he might have some medical knowledge, especially with animals, as you have mentioned.
(7) Albert wrote to Candy that he had gone to London (presumably with his assistant Georges) to prepare to start new business venture in England. The term he used means: advance in the new market or stage of progress, expand into a new market or launch a new venture, etc. It makes sense it was based in London, and though he used “also” when referring to England, he did not give any detail. I’m guessing the Ardlays already had businesses in Scotland?
Thank you for getting back to me with all this useful information. I have checked my sources again thanks to the references you have provided.
Here is the information I have retrieved and your references have helped me a lot. Thanks again!
1. River Avon: Worldwide, there are rivers bearing that name in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Since Keiko Nagita never confirms the country of origin concerning her own reference to the River Avon, any of these areas can be considered.
2. There are no references regarding Candy’s marital or single status during her mid-30s.
3. I’ve double-checked myself and there is no reference about the place and setting where anohito hugs Candy takes place. It turns out that those who claimed it took place on the ship en route to the UK to be a rubbish argument.
4. Annie is talking about rumors of Terry having engaged Susanna. She had also mentioned about rumors surrounding Terry and Susanna already having an affair prior to her accident but she urged Candy not to believe those rumors. Again, all this is mere hearsay and the vagueness prevails. The readers continue to have absolutely no idea how many years Terry and Susanna lived together. There is definitely no textual evidence to support another baseless claim that Terry had engaged Susanna simply to restore her honor shortly before her death. All this is based on fans’ blatant distortion of the novel.
5. I agree with you that those “T.G.” initials are strange. In the novel, Terry signs with his full name “Terence” and never with initials. Perhaps it’s just an inconsistency from the author’s part but that can’t be confirmed either.
6. I checked my sources again on this one and the three translations state that Albert was very studious and he had highly qualified and strict private tutors preparing him for university in the UK. He said that he studied many subjects ranging from law to business. The word “ranging” means an array of and not restricted to law and business. What does the original Japanese novel state about this?
As for his medical knowledge, Albert clarified in his letter to Candy that he was helping out at a medical clinic for humans and not for animals. I found this same reference in all three translations.
7. I agree with you here and in the novel it’s made clear that the Ardlays have property in England and Scotland. In turn, Albert explained to Candy that he wasn’t simply doing his hobby at the Blue River Zoo in London but focusing on expanding his successful start-up business projects in the south of England. London is a huge place and it stretches to the outskirts and suburbs leading to the British countryside of the south of England. It’s a common trend for the wealthy to maintain their businesses in the metropolis but reside in the nearby countryside in affluent establishments. Given the fact that Albert is constantly referenced in the novel as a nature-lover, it would be apparent that he prefers living in the country-side instead of the city. Even nowadays most rich people have their enterprises in the city such as London but live elsewhere at luxury resorts near the River Avon which flows through Warwickshire all the way down to Bristol, Bath and Devon. In reality, Stratford-upon-Avon is only a minor section of the River Avon and Keiko Nagita never specifies in her novel that Candy and anohito live in Stratford. Even if they did, it’s again very common for wealthy business people to reside away from the cities where their workplace and workforce are situated.
These are all excellent points @Ms Puddle and @Christine and many thanks for the clarifications.
It’s become a habit of certain fans to opportunistically take advantage of the situation surrounding the sheer vagueness of Nagita’s novel by desperately trying to twist information found in the text to suit their own narrow-minded narrative.
These so-called “clues” in the novel are so ambiguous that they can be interpreted in so many ways. Some fans strive to deliver their own version by deliberately and often disingenuously avoiding to admit that there are also many other plausible interpretations. They tend to underestimate the intelligence of other people but this has backfired against them thus rendering them dishonest, non-credible and downright delusional. All they’ve got are their sordid little echo chambers to pat each other on the back and seek comfort in their distorted and disturbed mindset.
I can’t agree with you more, @Sarah. I couldn’t have said it better 👏
Thanks Christine for your detailed reply! 👍 I don’t think it’s Canada, Australia or New Zealand though. Canada is too close to US and there’s no vast ocean that separates the two countries. While Australia and New Zealand are even further away, there is more than just an ocean. Just my two cents. 😉
If you haven’t yet, please read my Myth series that I referenced earlier.
Terry likely returned to Susanna soon after he left Rockstown (Candy’s unsent letter to Terry). Susanna had worked as a playwright and narrator for some years. She might be fighting some diseases on and off over time, and Terry took care of her. I’m absolutely sure they didn’t live together for a short period of time, because their relationship was well known and in Japanese the term ずっと was used to describe how long they had lived together, which means “always”, “all along”, “forever”, “for a long time”, “all the time”, etc.
About T.G. I honestly think it was intentional and could be a hint from the author. Again, it’s my gut feeling.
About what Albert had studied under private tutors, in Japanese it did imply “from business to law” as well.
Yes indeed in Kenya he was helping out in a clinic for humans, but a helper may or may not have lots of medical knowledge. At least I don’t think he was the same level as that American nurse he had mentioned.
About River Avon (where Anohito and Candy lived), again please check the myth series for your interest.
Thank you for your reply. Albert seemed to know a lot about medicine and biology because from his very first encounter with Candy, he’s described as a mystery mountain man who’s taking care of animals from minor to very serious wounds and injuries. No one can perform such actions unless they’ve got significant knowledge in the given field. Besides, Nagita doesn’t specify what Albert studied at university. She just mentions that he was studying a wide range of courses rigorously because he was soon heading for university studies in Britain.
Yes it’s true @Christine. I won’t rule out the possibility that some of the medical books in Candy’s home actually belonged to Albert. 😉
In the novel, Candy admits that she wishes she had a more receptive mind when it came to scholarly activities-reading, in particular. On the other hand, Albert explains to Candy via their correspondence how he always focused on intensive studying for his university exam preparation and he enjoyed this hard word in which he excelled and made his Ardlay elders proud. He also excelled in the arts and even his aunt Elroy would admire him when he played the Scottish bagpipes. Such instruments are certainly not easy to learn and they require good physical (respiratory) condition, steadiness, concentration and adeptness in rhythm. If we were to distinguish characters in the novel which always had a proclivity to higher learning, that would be Stear, Patty, George, Archie and Albert. If anyone in that novel would own a library and thrive studying in it, that would be any of the aforementioned characters.
Well said, @Christine. Don’t you think the home library hint doesn’t necessarily point to Terry? 😉
***hard work***
There are quite a few hints in the novel which stray away from Terry being an anohito candidate, the most notable being the jewelry box. There is not a single mention in the novel that Terry reconciled with his father. Until the end of the novel, it is perfectly clear that Terry is no longer a Granchester but a Graham who struggles to pay his bills like every ordinary person. Candy actually admires him for that and I would agree with her. Terry was never an aristocrat because he was born out of wedlock so he had nothing to lose since his father wouldn’t bestow any significant inheritance to him anyway. His father was already married to an aristocratic woman who bore children within wedlock. Those children are entitled to both the aristocratic titles and the exorbitant inheritance. Terry is left out in the cold in all these aspects of aristocracy and legacy by rule of early 20th century UK law.
Regarding your question about the library, I wouldn’t rule him out. He’s nowhere near as educated and cultured as Albert. Terry didn’t even manage to complete school. He’s a drop-out. At least Candy managed to complete a school in nursing. Nevertheless, theater and screen actors need to study for their roles and a library would be a suitable place for them to do that. Libraries are so generic that anyone can study in them-from the most to the least educated. Readers should look into the bigger picture, however, when it comes to Candy and anohito’s library which is certainly not limited to mentioning various subjects of books but also describing photographs of the Ardlays and Lagans. I seriously doubt that Terry would ever want to have pictures of Eliza and Neil lying about in his own study room. That photograph of the Lagans is a dead giveaway that anohito is not Terry. It just doesn’t make sense that he would want a photograph of those snakes who had incurred so much damage in his personal life in his own home.
Another hint which rules out Terry is Stear’s musical box. There’s no way Terry could ever fix anything even if his own life depended on it. The handyman in this novel is Albert for sure. Albert is also ace when it comes to car mechanics and driving various vehicles.
Right on, @Christine, I can’t agree with you more concerning the jewelry box. Not only that, the way Candy described and handled the bundle of Terry’s letters and his newspaper clippings imply he belonged to her past.
Apart from the jewelry box, it’s highly unlikely that Terry would return to the UK during the Great Depression. He already had a stellar career in the USA and his income as a thespian would be much higher than that in the UK. Even well-established thespians working at prestigious theaters in London such as the Old Vic were destitute. There’s no way Terry would be able to afford such a luxury terrace house in posh rural England on the meager income of a UK-based theater actor.
Furthermore, the Shakespeare Memorial Theater (later to become the Royal Shakespeare Theater) at Stratford-upon-Avon had not achieved fully-functional status until 1961 when it was established as a Royal Charter. Until then, this theater simply served as a tourist resort for Shakespeare enthusiasts a couple of months a year offering less than a dozen theatrical production per annum. No actor would be able to make a living by being based at Stratford. It was already extremely difficult for actors to get by financially in London which was the hub of theater productions and various other performance arts.
Therefore, not a single acclaimed actor or performer would ever be dumb enough to return to the UK and leave the much higher quality of life in the USA.
For example, in April 1955, Sir Laurence Olivier had appeared for some limited productions at the Shakespeare Memorial Theater but he returned to his beautiful life in New York (Broadway) and Hollywood soon after within that same year.
Exactly, @Christine. Thanks for giving a real life example! As Alex the contributor said in the myth series, the chance that Terry lived with Candy in UK was not high. 🙄
Very interesting post. Many thanks for setting the record straight.
I’ll only add my perspective as to why Candy may have intended to apologize to Anthony in her self-reflective letter. I’m not particularly convinced it’s because she wishes to apologize for having fallen in love with Terry and later on with Albert. Presumably, it’s due to her guilt for considering herself responsible for Anthony’s death.
Apparently, she’s aware that she’s not a murderer and other horrid insults Eliza kept hurling at her at every given opportunity. However, it’s most evident in the text that Candy mentions several times that she would have preferred being sent to Mexico because the fox-hunting games wouldn’t have taken place which had eventually lead to Anthony’s demise. She probably sees herself as the incentive which brought doom to Anthony and to all those who love him. Even though it’s not her fault (and she knows it), she continues to be conscience-stricken about Anthony’s death and how her return from Mexico inadvertently brought forth such a series of tragic events.
*had eventually led*
I agree with you about that. I also think that Candy was saying sorry because she felt responsible for Anthony’s death regardless of it not being her fault. She’s probably mortified that she had caused so much grief to the the Ardlays. Candy has a tendency of taking everything to heart. She even believed she was responsible for the Ardlay opposition to Archie and Annie’s engagement because of nobody wanted Candy to be in the family.
No doubt Candy was always wearing the cheerful face of a strong young woman but underneath she had loads of insecurities and guilt. It would be natural for her to have such issues because she was always treated like dirt by so many people simply because she was an orphan. She was treated in such an unfair way but she had no parents to turn to in order to provide her guidance and security. She had those two ladies at the orphanage but their role was limited since they had so many other orphans to attend to.
Two of the most heart-wrenching moments involve Candy breaking down into tears and begging Terry to forgive his mother because at least he had someone to care about him and search for his whereabouts. His mother was far from perfect but he had a mother unlike Candy who was so alone and had no one to care for her.
The other poignant moment involves Candy yearning for the guidance and counsel of a mother and father whilst writing in her diary about her controversial relationship with Terry. She knows it was wrong of him to physically abuse her but she also admits that her feelings are so mixed up and sadly she’s got no one to turn to for help and support.
Goes to show how we should never take our family and friends for granted. We are massively lucky to say the least.
Couldn’t agree with you more. It’s remarkable that Candy had so much integrity even though she had no parental guidance. This may lead to a discussion of nature vs nurture.
No matter how much impact others have on us, we still have our own moral standards and independent character.
Yet, as each and every one of us, Candy also had her own inner demons to battle with.
There are times when I think that Candy is a manifestation of Nagita’s own self. I’m not saying that the CCFS is autobiographical but Candy and Nagita seem to have a lot in common.
Those people who always wear a smile on their face and encourage others to be cheerful are usually those who carry the greatest amount of pain and suffering. I think Candy is one of those type of people and, arguably, Nagita is also such a person.
Yes, Christine! I agree with you that Nagita sensei and Candy seem to have a lot in common, and that’s why the author appears to treat her own character with extra love. Some even said Nagita’s husband is like Albert too!
My sentiments exactly, @Lynn! I totally agree with you these moments are quite heart-wrenching. 😥 However, what I like about Candy is that she did not make herself more miserable by denying her origin like Annie or dwelling on these negative thoughts for long. She accepted the reality and braced herself to move on with determination.
Absolutely! Even though Candy had her moments of insecurity and self-doubt, she would always do her utmost to pick up the pieces and start anew. Resilience and perseverance were her signature personality traits.
Well said, @Lynn. Candy was indeed on her own, except the initial stage as the adopted daughter of the Ardlays or when living together with Albert.
Come to think of it, Candy had never really confided in anyone apart from Albert. The only people who knew about the Prince of the Hill (via Candy herself) was Anthony and Albert.
This is the interesting paradox about Candy. Even though she’s trying to be so cheerful and uplifting for everyone, she clams up tightly when it come to externalizing her own feelings. Even her best friend, Annie had never known Candy’s deepest secrets. As for Terry, he was kept in the dark and he never knew about the most important events in Candy’s life such as the Prince of the Hill, the Sweet Candy Rose, her hardships with the Lagans, and so many other crucial details of her life. Terry wanted to know more about her but she wouldn’t respond to his inner wishes.
Instead, Candy would always turn to and confide in Albert. However, she stopped confiding in him when she found out that he’s WAA. She resumed to entrusting him again when he told her he’s POTH. This entire emotional vacillation going on in Candy’s psyche is definitely worthy of note and it speaks volumes about that fact that her character is far more complex than many of her fans want to believe.
She’s not a mere simplistic country-girl spreading positive vibes but she’s a complex character who’s got her dark moments too. I would say that’s what makes her the ever more interesting as a character.
So true, @Lynn. I totally agree with you that Candy is a complex character. She’s not naïve or simplistic at all.
Like you said, she had her dark secrets and seemed unwilling to share the details or pain with Terry or Annie. The typical example is her reluctance to say much about her breakup to her best friends Archie, Annie and Patty. Yet she told Albert everything.
In fact, the first time she met her prince she already felt she could tell him about herself. It happened again when she later met the vagabond, not knowing the two were the same person. It’s probably why she said she had a marvelous sense of security whenever she was with Albert, which explains why she promised to share a sandwich with him too. 🤗
Well said. Albert always inspired Candy to have uttermost trust in him from the very beginning of their encounter on Pony’s Hill when she was 6 and he was 17. Candy never felt any form of uneasiness or apprehension when within the company of Albert. Her trust in and respect for him were so great that she even lost her job so as to be able to live with him. Had it been any other man, I doubt Candy would have ever taken the initiative to live with him. Her decision was a revolutionary move, especially back then in the early 20th century. She knew she would be stigmatized for living with another man but that still didn’t stop her from wanting to live with Albert. Some say that Candy lived with Albert because he was her patient but I seriously doubt she would have done the same for any other patient. Albert was definitely someone very special to her and she actually uses those exact words to describe her feelings for him in Section 3 of the novel.
My sentiments exactly, @Lynn. I can’t agree with you more about how special Albert was to Candy. Other than that she had owed him her life (he had rescued her from the waterfall), she might have felt that she was mysteriously tied to the man by an invisible thread 😉
For some reason he often appeared in her mind, even in London or after he had gone to Africa. When he was sick, she simply could not leave his side until he had recovered. 😊
Well said, @Christine! I’ll refer to what you said here when answering your questions. 😊
Thanks for your response. Please take your time. I wouldn’t want to occupy your time with all my questions.
Thanks @Lynn! Yes you’ve certainly raised valid points, so you might be right too 🤗
I just thought that if it was the case, she would have asked for forgiveness right at the beginning of her letter. However, she said many other things until she recalled his accident and how she thought she would not love anyone else that much again. Only then she brought up the guy in London etc.
Just my two cents, of course 😉 She did mention “everything” so only Nagita sensei knows exactly what Candy referred to.
This novel is so vague that any interpretation is possible. It’s great to use one’s imagination but Nagita has overdone it here by leaving almost all crucial aspects of the novel unclear.
I agree with you, Lynn. Don’t forget that the author had the self-knowledge to admit and include in her afterword (the “post-face” of the CCFS) that her novel is incomplete and problematic in many aspects. She wanted to provide a closure to her Candy Candy story even if that meant failing to providing a resolution to the narrative itself. Perhaps that strenuous and severely bitter legal battle with the manga artists wore her down.
Hi Ms Puddle,
Thank you for including my comment. I appreciate it.
Concerning Igarashi’s insight into the psychological factors surrounding the male character preference in the CC/CCFS, she’s spot on to specify that those who have fallen victims to abusive relationships and fail to get out of them and move on in their lives tend to prefer toxic males like Terry. On the other hand, those people who are more dynamic, independent and respect themselves refuse to linger in abusive and toxic relationships but focus on finding a partner who respects and values them such as Albert, Stear, George and Archie.
More and more people, especially younger generations, have dispensed with toxic male characters such as Terry and admire men who treat women with respect and consideration. Younger women these days mock and ridicule toxic males and I agree with them 100%.
As the song goes by Bob Dylan; “The Times They Are A-Changin’..”😉
You’re welcome, @DanielleV 🤗 In fact I should thank you for your contributions!
When I first read Igarashi’s insight or observation I already decided to share it on my blog. I personally know two ladies who happened to fall into these categories. The one who adored Terry as a girl ended up with a man who later betrayed her love. Sigh…
Yes, so glad women these days have learned to love or respect themselves! 😊
What’s even worse is that such women desperately try to deceive themselves into believing that such toxic relationships are fraught with passion and romance. Yet, the sad reality is that such relationships are infested with derogation and misery which deprive a woman from any element of dignity and self-worth.
Yes, this is sadly true, @DanielleV. This reminds me of a Facebook post I came across recently. It was a Photoshopped image of Susanna with a halo above her head. The content of the post was brief — to thank her for saving Terry and thus Candy. She was free to find her happiness, etc.
I would never support Susanna but, inadvertently, she had saved Candy from an abusive relationship. Had the accident not occurred, it’s more than certain that Candy and Terry would have split up anyway because long-distance relationships hardly ever prove to be successful.
That’s true. Perhaps they would have had a chance if Candy found a job at a hospital in New York. It would be a pity if she abandoned her career to reduce herself to a mere housewife cleaning after Terry.
Yes @DanielleV and @Myra. It almost seems Candy wanted to help Albert-san more than she wanted to reunite with Terry. Or she could have moved to New York soon after Terry left Chicago. 😉
Candy and Terry never really had any meaningful time together apart from a couple of weeks during their summer vacation in Scotland. Their chance of forming a relationship was cut short by Eliza’s trap. They went their own separate ways thereafter.
Totally agree with you, @DanielleV, and that is already better than what’s conveyed in the manga.
What some biased and hysterical fans fail to understand is that Candy wasn’t passively driven by any passion for any man. She may have been impulsive and naive to a certain extent but she mustered the self-knowledge to acknowledge her flaws and improve herself. Contrary to what some fans (want to) believe, Candy’s career was very important to her. I doubt she would quit her job for any man unless she really had no other choice (for example, getting laid off, mass unemployment, financial recession, etc).
Excellent article! Thank you so much for keeping us posted.🙏
It’s safe to assume that both Nagita and Igarashi constitute the most reliable sources when it comes to the CC/CCFS story. Candy appears to have two ‘mothers’ and they are the writer (Nagita) and the illustrator-writer (Igarashi). I’m including Igarashi as a writer too because she was the one who had accumulated all of Nagita’s material and organized it into a specific and coherent narrative. Nagita admits this herself that it’s the manga which had helped her create a story in the first place. It’s such a pity that those two highly talented ladies have soured their relationship to such an irremediable extent.
Imagine the level of success this novel would have had if Igarashi’s subsequent artwork was included. The novel on its own is interesting but it severely lacks the fascinating quality of the aforementioned joint work and collaboration between these two ‘mothers’.
Last but not least, many thanks to @Fay and @DanielleV for their contributions. Goes to show how healthy and constructive collaborations always lead to positive outcomes and awesome results.
Apologies for not mentioning @Sarah’s contributions and book recommendations surrounding Scottish history and culture. I almost forgot..
No need to apologize. LoL I just recommended some scholarly books about medieval and early modern Scotland in case anyone’s interested.
Take care and stay safe!
Btw, here’s another book about medieval Scotland and Scottish heraldry. It’s by Dr Katie Stevenson and she’s one of the most highly acclaimed academics in medieval and Renaissance Scottish history:
“Chivalry and Knighthood in Scotland: 1424-1513”, by
Dr Katie Stevenson
(Woodbridge, Boydell & Brewer, 2006)
Thank you for your understanding and for your book suggestions.🙏
How nice of you! Thank you, Myra.😊
You’re welcome.😄
Thank you @Myra and so glad to hear you like this post 🤗
Yes I also heard Igarashi was responsible to organize the materials based on the manuscripts. In fact, she brought these works to the court to support the notion that she had the copyright too. However, Nagita still had the final say apparently, because the works Igarashi had shown had Nagita’s corrections all over them. The court thus discarded them as proofs.
I totally agree with you that CCFS would have been even more appealing if Igarashi’s fascinating artworks had been included. Sigh…
You’re right-the final say belongs to the author herself who is none other than Nagita. Igarashi’s contribution was more of that of an editor-in-chief.
So pleased to read your new entry, Ms Puddle!
I’m currently on vacation but when I return I’ll provide some of my thoughts about the comparison between the old and new novels written by Keiko Nagita about Candy White.
Talk to you again soon and take care of yourself.
Thank you Sarah 🤗
No rush and enjoy your well-deserved vacation. Take care and stay safe 😊
I appreciate your understanding. After months of intensive work, my partner and I really needed a break. We were thinking about a week but then we agreed that we needed a full fortnight.
You take care of yourself too and stay safe.
I can imagine how much you and your partner needed this break, @Sarah!
Best wishes to you both! Stay safe and take care too 🤗