Memories of Famous Scenes

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210 Responses

  1. DreamCatcher says:

    Thank you for keeping us posted, Ms Puddle!

    I wasn’t aware of all this wealth of material surrounding Candy Candy. It’s such a pity that accessing these sources is virtually impossible as most of them are out of print.

    If only Nagita and Igarashi had official webpages where they would share their work with us.

    Talk to you again soon!

  2. Myra says:

    Hi! Did this Nakayoshi magazine have a widespread distribution or was it based on a limited release? How many volumes is it?

    Hope you feel better and get back into the mood of drawing your amazing fanart!

    • Ms Puddle says:

      Yes, @Myra. Nakayoshi magazines are still popular, and you can easily do a Google search to learn more about the history and its target readers. The magazine name itself means “Close friends” or “Buddies”. FYI, the noun “naka” means “relationship”, and Candy in her letter to Captain Vincent Brown mentioned Albert and Rosemary had been very close, remember? She used “naka” as well. 😉

      Thanks for your encouraging words, Myra. 🤗

  3. DanielleV says:

    Hi there!

    Have you got any further links regarding these drawings by Yumiko Igarashi? This was a very interesting article. I wish this info was available in English too. Thank you so much for translating all this work for us.

    Sorry to bother you with another question but have you got any idea what Candy’s exact age is? Has the Japanese magazines and/or novels of Candy Candy provided any info or clue? In the translated manga that’s been circulating online, there’s a brief reference at the beginning of the story that Candy was born on the turn of the century, presumably, meaning late 1899 or early 1900. Wouldn’t that make her far too young to be studying to become a nurse in circa 1914-1915?

    Take care and stay safe!

    • Ms Puddle says:

      Thank you @DanielleV. As I mentioned in another comment, I don’t own any of these materials, but I do come across interesting ones from time to time, or some CC fans have shared them on their page (s) or directly with me.

      About Candy’s age, the page from the same appendix (please check the last section in this post) which I didn’t translate actually mentioned Candy’s exact birthdate being May 7, 1898.

      • DanielleV says:

        That’s interesting.. Thanks for letting me know. Is it true that these sources also have the ages and other information (i.e. height, hair and eye colour) for all the other characters as well?

        • Ms Puddle says:

          Yes @DanielleV. This is true for many characters except Albert. Other than that he has athletic build and is the tallest character, he remains a mystery until the end of the manga. His age and birthday were made up by fans for decades until the author revealed his age in CCFS. Yet his birthday is unknown.

          • DanielleV says:

            I don’t know if the sources I’ve read online are valid (for example, endorsed by Nagita, Igarashi and/or TOEI) but Anthony, Terry and Archie are listed as around 5ft7-5ft9 (1.70-1.75m), Stear is listed as 5ft10-5ft11 (1.78-1.80m) and Albert is listed at around 6ft2-6ft3 (1.88-1.90m). The female characters apart from Eliza who is listed as being taller (around 5ft5-5ft6 / 1.65-1.67m) are all around 5 feet tall (1.50-1.55m). Candy is listed as the smallest of the female characters.

            • DanielleV says:

              I’ll try to find that online source again and post the link here, if that’s alright with you.

              • Ms Puddle says:

                Sure of course, @DanielleV. Please feel free. Yet sometimes comments with links will be queued, waiting for my approval. So please be patient. 🤗

            • Ms Puddle says:

              Very interesting, @DanielleV. I read something slightly different before but like you, I don’t know if they were official either.

              Yet it makes sense Candy could be the smallest. She grew up in an orphanage after all.

              • DanielleV says:

                Why would being raised in an orphanage affect her height? Are you referring to the issue of lack of financial resources for healthy meals and diets? It seems in the novel that Candy and the other orphan children did not face such hunger problems.

                • DanielleV says:

                  Annie is also an orphan but she looks much taller than Candy..

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Annie left the orphanage around 6 years old, right, @DanielleV?

                  But then again, I also read some online pages that Candy and her buddies, Annie and Patty, were about the same heights. 🙄🤔

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Hi @DanielleV, I was just guessing. 😉

                  In the novel, for young kids the orphanage might have enough but remember Candy around 13 were worried about the financial situation? If I remember correctly she said most orphans had been adopted at younger ages.

                • DanielleV says:

                  Perhaps.. However, I don’t think Candy’s small frame was due to any form of hardship or malnutrition. On the contrary, she would always fondly remember the wholesome homemade meals and cherish her childhood memories at Ms Pony’s Home. Candy was quite a ‘glutton’ because she would constantly talk about food and enjoyed eating a lot. The financial hardships were a result of living in a rural area where access to healthcare was a challenge. Candy didn’t live an extravagant life, apparently, at the orphanage but she didn’t starve either. It seems that her small stature was a result of genetics and not lifestyle or nutrition.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Yes you’re probably right, @DanielleV, about Candy’s petite stature. 🙂

                • Hope says:

                  Hello!From what I have read Anne is a little taller(5”2-1.57) and so is Patty and to be honest this can be seen in the anime too(Candy is 1.55).They are all petite girls. So I agree with Ms Puddle. Only Albert is really tall. About Candy’s date of birth what I know is how she celebrated her birthday the day Anthony gave her the rose.

                • DanielleV says:

                  Hi @Ms Puddle and @Hope,
                  I’m just expressing a theory and nothing else. It’s interesting though that Keiko Nagita has retained the image of a petite Candy in her novel too. We as readers get to find out that Candy is rather small via Terry and Cookie. In Terry’s case, it’s when he implies that Candy won’t ever be able to fit in his mother’s robe (Section II) because his mother is probably taller whereas Candy is very small. In Cookie’s case, it’s more clear-cut in their correspondence where Cookie brags about having got taller but Candy has remained petite (Section III). Either way, Candy is a very pretty female character whose small stature makes her even more appealing to quite a few male characters, especially Anthony, Terry, and Albert.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Well said, @DanielleV. I agree with you Candy being small didn’t seem to matter too much to the male characters. In fact her optimistic personality had given them the strength, especially when Albert was suffering from amnesia. Even in his last letter to Candy, as the powerful WAA, he still expressed his deep gratitude to her.

                • Hope says:

                  🙂 I confess that I did not pay attention to what you mention. It may be even more petite than it is said.

                  I think Nagita tried to give us the image of a very cute, sweet girl, who is at the same time fragile but very dynamic and attracts the attention of others and becomes lovable and desirable.

                  The appropriate image to be presented in this way is a sweet petite Candy.And I find that he fits perfectly next to the tall, serious, handsome and lovable Albert. They complement each other.She is sweet, slender, petite with huge emerald eyes and a bright smile and he is tall, majestic, with a fit body, beautiful torso, impressive features.(I can not miss how Ms Puddle gave me through her story, to imagine them in better detail).
                  However, I have the feeling that Terry’s charming mother is quite tall.

                  I also find it reasonable for boys to continue to gain height, women’s stature stops abruptly.

                • Hope says:

                  She fits perfectly* Apologize.Error due to acquired speed

                • Hope says:

                  @She* may be ever more petite*another error.I know I’m unacceptable. I’m in a hurry and I make ridiculous errors in English.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  No worries @Hope. As the other nice ladies have already pointed out, we all make mistakes at some point. Take it easy, my friend 🤗

                • Anita says:

                  You’re right about that @Hope!

                • Anita says:

                  And no need to worry about typos.. It happens to all of us!

                • Hope says:

                  I’m glad you agree @Αnita and thank you for your kindness 🙂 – basically all of you 🙂 . I get annoyed that I am careless and make grammatical errors in things that I can write correctly. :/

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  You’re already pretty good, @Hope. Is Greek your mother tongue? I hardly know this complex language.

                  Thank you for kind words about my fanfics by the way 💓

                • Sarah says:

                  You writing is fine @Hope. No need to worry. Besides, we’re human and we can make mistakes.

                • Sarah says:

                  Your..

                  (There goes my typo too.)

                • Hope says:

                  @Ηi Ms Puddle.Yes i ‘m Greek.Now I read the story “love never fails” with absolute enthusiasm. I also like your choices in the passages of the New Testament. I ‘ m a believer as well.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Thanks @Hope for reading my first, also the longest, fanfic 🤗 Glad to hear that you’re a believer too 🙏

                • Hope says:

                  @girls it’s wonderful to find you here to share our common love for Candy, I have already made one much more detailed comment for you but I do not see it, maybe why it needs approval first? (half was in Greek- I expressed my sorrow about some Terry fans, my admiration for the blog but also the realization of the fact that finally there are many who understood the meaning of the novel.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Hi @Hope I can’t find your comment in the pending queue. Don’t know why? 🙄

                • Hope says:

                  @Fay I see your profile photo- It is Hedy Lamarr! I love the golden era of Hollywood -if i count and remember well i have seen about 700 classic movies! I’ m a hugeeee fan 😀

                • Fay says:

                  Yes, Hope, it is Hedy Lamarr. I’m a fan of Hollywood’s golden age. Glad to see you love it too. These movies and their actors are still appealing to many people even in our days. Hedy Lamarr was not only a very beautiful woman and actress, but she also had a brain. During World War II she helped invent an early version of frequency-hopping spread spectrum communication for torpedo guidance, and also helped to improve aircraft aerodynamics. She was a rare combination in old Hollywood, beauty and brains too.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Thank you @Fay for sharing very interesting facts about Hedy Lamarr! Indeed she was a rare combination even in today’s standards 👏👍

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Hi @Hope and @Fay, I’m not as familiar with the golden era of Hollywood as you both, but I’m happy you two share the same hobbies and interests 👍☺️

                • Hope says:

                  @Fay Hedy Lamarr was a brighte personality, wifi etc are due to her, but she was never rewarded (financially). Beautiful and favorite times I wish I lived then. Today does not suit me at all. Glad to learn you know so many things,Fay .
                  In case you want to vote and support Little Bert <3 😀 here you go.

                  https://www.fanpop.com/clubs/candy-candy/picks

                  You can also make your own questions there because for some reason many of the fans make questions ''who is the best boyfriend for Candy:Anthony or Terry?''

                • Hope says:

                  @Myra you made me laugh, but it’s true that Terry would be horrified by such unexplained hysteria and I add the same for the other characters ..well said.

              • Myra says:

                Welcome to the chat, Hope! I’m also Greek and so is another friend of ours here and her name is Fay.

                • Hope says:

                  @Myra Καλώς σε βρήκα φιλενάδα! Επιτέλους ,διαβάζω αξιοπρεπή σχόλια και αντικειμενική εκτίμηση της νουβέλας.Έχω και κανάλι σχετικό.Βρέθηκα εδώ -στο καλύτερο blog ever αλλά οφείλω να πω πως γέμισα λύπη με κάποιες Τερρυκές που με βγάζουν τρελή για τα αυτονόητα.Ευτυχώς όχι όλες.However, after the discovery of the Italian channel, I realized that many people understood the meaning of the novel and who Anohito is(quite important for Italy who once changed the end of the anime and continued the manga at their will).There are more than TERRY FANS.Isn’t it that amazing ? :0 😀 I do not write in Greek again, I just wanted to express my disappointment briefly in a Greek way.I read that Fay did an incredible job, I understood it from the words of our talented friend Ms Puddle. My congratulations. I’ll send ms Puddle some polls I found, to vote for Little Bert.

                  I apologize if I interfere with the terms speaking in Greek, however I was very happy that in so many remarkable comments I found Greeks, always in my favorite blog.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  I found this in the spam queue, @Hope. 🤗

                • Fay says:

                  Thank you for mentioning my name, Myra. So kind of you. It’s nice to find other people from your own country here.
                  Welcome to Ms. Puddle’s wonderful blog, Hope. I’m sure you’ll find many interesting things to discuss here.

                • Myra says:

                  Pleased to read your comment @Hope! I’m glad you enjoy this discussion and I completely agree with you that @Ms Puddle’s blog is amazing. As for some dreary little Terry-fans, I wouldn’t waste my time with them. The hysterical ones among them are very few but they’re too loud and annoying. Fortunately, we don’t have anything to do with them but I feel utmost pity for those who have to put up with them (such as family members, kids, neighbours, etc). If Terry was a real person and knew that he had such circus-freak fans, he would have jumped off a bridge.

                • Myra says:

                  Hello again @Fay! I remember you mentioning that you’re Greek. Thank you for providing all those translations of the CCFS in English. This is most appreciated.

                • Anita says:

                  I’ll agree with Myra and also thank Fay for being so kind as to share her translations of the new novel. I’ve heard that Fay has also translated some excerpts from the old novel as well. Is this true?

                • Fay says:

                  Thank you for your kind words, @ Anita. I have been translating the official French edition of CCFS which will be gradually published on Ms. Puddle’s blog. That much is true. However, I won’t take any credits for the excerpts of the old novel which are published here. A friend of mine in CC fandom, QuevivaCandy, has sent the files to me already translated to English by another fan, and I have just proofread them to correct any small grammatical errors in the text. Moreover, the beautiful illustrations accompanying the text were also sent to me by another CC fan through Facebook. I only put them all together and created a single file to host them. I wish there could be some way of having the entire old novel in English so that we could compare it to CCFS. It’s a shame that the first illustrated edition can’t be found now because of the conflict between Nagita and Igarashi. Yet I remember I saw a copy of it selling on e-bay some time ago at an extremely high price. Just for die-hard collectors, I guess.

                • Fay says:

                  Hello, @ Myra. Thank you for your kind words too. It’s been a pleasure doing that translating project, and I’m glad I can share it with other fans,

                • Anita says:

                  Thank you for the updates @Fay. It appears that you and other members of the CC community have put significant time and effort into producing the translations and thus accessible to all of us. This is very kind of you and we’re all grateful.

                • Lakewood says:

                  I would also like to express my thanks to you, Fay, for your contributions.

                • Fay says:

                  Very kind of you, Lakewood. It’s really a pleasure for me doing that, and sharing my work with all of you.

  4. Lynn says:

    Hello Ms Puddle,

    Pleased to read your new post. This information regarding the Candy Candy vintage material is intriguing to say the least. It’s such a shame that it’s extremely difficult-if not impossible-to access to this material in full via purchase. It would have been forthcoming to have some sort of limited release or republishing of the aforementioned material but with the legal conflicts between Nagita and Igarashi, I sincerely doubt it.

    Have you got any of this vintage material in Japanese?

    • Lynn says:

      On a completely different note, I had been watching some episodes of SNL where the actor, Adam Driver, was in and I noticed how much he looks like George in the manga (height, facial features, demeanour). It’s quite uncanny really..

      • Lynn says:

        Here a re few links to some SNL skits where Adam Driver is participating (they’re hilarious-no wonder John Oliver swoons over Driver, lol):

        • Ms Puddle says:

          Hi @Lynn I’ve approved this one in the pending queue. Is it alright with you that I remove the duplicate comments?

        • Ms Puddle says:

          Hi @Lynn, it never crossed my mind that Adam Driver looks like Georges in the manga but now that you mentioned it he does bear a resemblance lol 😆😂… I’ve always assumed Igarashi based this intriguing character on Clark Gable. 😉

          • Lynn says:

            Probably back then, she did. Who knows? Besides, Adam Driver wasn’t even born when Candy Candy was published and afterwards aired on TV as an anime. Clark Gable was stunning-looking and so is George, irrespective of his sombre appearance. I like the way Nagita has added a bit of a subtle dead-pan humour for George in the novel. This is similar to Adam Driver’s acting style and humour.

            • Ms Puddle says:

              Yes, we got to read a bit about Georges’ sense of humor in the novel, @Lynn. His remark about Candy’s childish drawing of Albert speaks volumes. 😁

              • Lynn says:

                Much akin to Adam Driver, George seems to have that “dead-pan” style when it comes to humour. He’s a “poker-face” type guy but then again, so is Albert as described by Candy herself in the novel.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Yes I agree, @Lynn. Guess Albert had learned from Georges 😉

                • Lynn says:

                  It would make sense for Albert to wish to emulate George as he constituted such an exemplary father-figure. From all the characters of this story, I consider George to be one of the best albeit underrated.

        • DanielleV says:

          LMAO! My favourite skit is the 3rd one (“Game of Thrones” parody). It’s amazing how Driver manages to keep a straight face throughout that skit. You’re right @Lynn. If Driver were an anime or manga character, he would look a lot like George.

        • Sarah says:

          I had one hell of a chuckle with the last vid.. Great choice @Lynn! Thanks for sharing!

        • Myra says:

          I’m aware of Adam Driver and he’s quite a talent. You’re spot on about his resemblance to George. Based on Igarashi’s drawings and Nagita’s narrative, George appears to be tall, dark and handsome-just like Adam Driver.😉

        • DreamCatcher says:

          I agree with the comments about Adam Driver. You’re spot on @Lynn when it comes to him looking like George.

      • Lynn says:

        Here a re few links to some SNL skits where Adam Driver is participating (they’re hilarious-no wonder John Oliver swoons over Driver, lol):

        youtube.com/watch?v=FaOSCASqLsE

        youtube.com/watch?v=Brbrdnh74yA

        youtube.com/watch?v=2KKRiXcivAQ

      • Lynn says:

        Here are a few links to some SNL skits where Adam Driver is participating (they’re hilarious-no wonder John Oliver swoons over Driver, lol):

        youtube.com/watch?v=FaOSCASqLsE

        youtube.com/watch?v=Brbrdnh74yA

        youtube.com/watch?v=2KKRiXcivAQ

    • Ms Puddle says:

      No unfortunately I don’t own any of these vintage materials, @Lynn, but I have friends in the fandom who do or know where to find them. I also follow some Japanese CC fans on Twitter. They often share some goodies from either the manga editions or Nakayoshi magazines 👍👏

      • Lynn says:

        Does this vintage material have monetary value in Japan? You mentioned something about auctions, if I’m not mistaken.

        • Ms Puddle says:

          Yes, @Lynn. There are different kinds of auctions for people to sell these vintage items, including the Japanese CCFS published in 2010 because they are now out of stock everywhere. Someone just started a petition for the original CCFS to be printed again.

          • Lynn says:

            It would have been awesome to have a reprint of the original novel along with Igarashi’s illustrations. No matter how much certain fans (fortunately, only few) desperately try to dissect the novel from the manga and the story from the illustrations, the vast majority of people will always remember and cherish this narrative based on Nagita as well as Igarashi. In other words, this story became famous for its illustrations as well as its narrative. This is the reason why the novel hasn’t received even a fraction of the acclaim and acknowledgement that the anime and manga had received. The novel without the visuals is lame.

            • Ms Puddle says:

              I also would love to see Igarashi’s illustrations for CCFS, @Lynn, especially for the majority of section 3 and the epilogue. 💞

              • Lynn says:

                This new novel has failed any widespread recognition as it’s been restricted within the nostalgia (aka memory) lane for the previous generations. The fact that it lacks Igarashi’s extraordinary illustrations makes this novel even more mediocre and tedious than it already is. Undoubtedly so, Igarashi has proven her greed with regards to her legal and financial conflicts with Nagita. Yet, she has also proven that the crux of the success of this story comfortably rests upon her talent as a manga artist. Nagita is a mediocre and forgettable writer but Igarashi is one-of-a-kind in her genre and artistic field.

  5. Irana93 says:

    I agree with you, Ms Puddle, that the sequential order of the characters denotes which ones are significant to Candy. It’s beyond any shadow of a doubt that Albert is the most enigmatic and intricate character; he’s the ‘Prince of the Hill’, the mysterious wold traveller, and the ‘Grand Ardlay Patriarch’. Candy is charmed by Albert’s versatile character and she even goes as far as to mention in her unsent letter to Terry that Albert would have made a strong rival to him in the theatre.

    • Ms Puddle says:

      Well said, @Irana93! I can’t agree with you more, and Albert undoubtedly became more and more important to Candy as she grew older. I have a feeling that if Prince on the Hill had been a guy out of nowhere, Candy would not have reacted with such emotions. What do you think? 😉

      • Irana93 says:

        Apart from a mere handful of insignificant albeit hysterically shouty fans, the vast majority within the CC community are well aware that Candy and Albert had developed a very intimate relationship which evolved from a friendship to a romance. Whilst the identity of the otherwise controversial mystery man (aka “ano hito”) remains open to interpretation, the readers of this novel (at least the logical and intelligent ones) know that the bond between Candy and Albert is neither paternal nor fraternal but romantic as it involves the intimacy between two consensual adults.

        • Ms Puddle says:

          Well said, @Irana93. 👏👍 While it’s clear in the novel Candy and Albert’s friendship has evolved, her relationship with Terry started deteriorating ever since the young man left London in a rush. The decline is not as obvious in the manga but as many of you have already pointed out, Terry was no longer as important a character in Section 3 as in Section 2. If anyone thinks this is the author’s mistake, I see it as a deliberate decision. 😉

          • Irana93 says:

            Does anyone believe it’s the author’s mistake? Seriously? Is that ludicrous claim circulating? LOL

            • Ms Puddle says:

              Just saying, @Irana93. 😉 Though I’m sure many pro-Terry fans were disappointed how their favorite character had become much less significant beginning in Section 3 of the novel.

      • Irana93 says:

        Furthermore, Candy’s feeling for the Prince of the Hill don’t cease to exist when she becomes an adult. On the contrary, her feelings for POTH intensify and become bolder when she discovers that her “Prince” had been Albert all along. When a woman uses phrases such as “I feel my body as if floating in the air..” and when a woman keeps on swooning over a man’s beautiful face, voice, blonde hair, blue eyes, etc (as read in Section 3 and the Epilogue), this woman definitely does not perceive that man as a mere friend. Candy was clearly attracted to Albert when becoming an adult woman.

        • Ms Puddle says:

          Yes, exactly, @Irana93! If Candy had used similar expressions for Terry, his fans would have jumped for joy 😆, as some of you have already mentioned.

          • Irana93 says:

            Talk about hypocrisy and double standards! Terry’s fans are screaming as if in a Beatles’ concert just because Nagita tossed a mere scrap note which has no date or any clear meaning. But they frantically try to downplay the significance of the entire Section III and the Epilogue, both of which rest so heavily on the growing bond between Candy and Albert. Needless to mention that they make links which don’t exist. For example, never does Candy identify Terry with daffodils. Instead, Candy identifies Anthony with roses and Terry with cut grass. As for Albert, Candy often links him to water imagery and the colour blue which is also the colour of his eyes Candy adores.

            • Ms Puddle says:

              Well said, @Irana93! Candy liked to associate Terry with grass for some reason, but never daffodils. Speaking of wishful thinking… Just because Candy in her present mentioned these flowers they think it’s a hint that favours Terry lol.

              • Irana93 says:

                Candy mentions a whole bunch of flowers-not just daffodils. Apart from roses (and their link to Anthony), Candy never singles outs any other flower. Daffodils are mere mentions just like all the other floral varieties.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Well said, @Irana93! Roses are always associated with Anthony (or the Ardlays). ☺️

                • Irana93 says:

                  That’s right. Apparently, Anthony and roses are closely linked in the narrative but the actual “source” is Anthony’s mother-Rosemary. She was the one who “instilled” the love for roses and gardening to Anthony. Even that phrase about roses withering but blooming again in the hearts of those living derives from Rosemary (who is an Ardlay and Albert’s sister, by the way..).

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  My sentiments exactly, @Irana93! The roses are not associated with Anthony alone, but also his late mother and the rose gate at the Ardlay’s villa in Lakewood. Though Candy had never met her, she grew very fond of Albert’s beloved sister (needless to explain why), as indicated in her last two letters in the epilogue and her letter to Vincent Brown.

  6. Christine says:

    Hello, I have also been wondering about the whereabouts of Pony’s Home. Nagita is reported to have expressed her complaint about TOEI situating the orphanage in Indiana. However, I’m not sure which state she intended to be the setting for this orphanage. Based on the map (Nakayoshi) you have displayed, Pony’s Home seems to be within the state of Illinois but this drawing belongs to Igarashi-right?

    • Ms Puddle says:

      Hi @Christine, I can’t really tell whether it was located in the state of Illinois or Indiana. 🙄 Interestingly, it doesn’t look like it’s in Michigan, where Lakewood possibly is. 🤔 Yes this illustration should be done by Igarashi, but back then she was still on good terms with the author, wasn’t she?

      • Christine says:

        I had thought that Lakewood was somewhere within the vicinity of Illinois but in the rural albeit posh area. As for Igarashi, you’re probably right that during those times Igarashi and Nagita were in favourable terms. Do you know when their legal conflicts had begun?

        • Ms Puddle says:

          Hi @Christine, I actually did not do a serious investigation into their legal battle, but I was told that it started near the end of the anime series. I did not verify that though.

          • Christine says:

            I’ve heard about that too but as you’ve precisely pointed out, it’s based more on hearsay and less on actual and undeniable evidence.

  7. Sarah says:

    Hi Ms Puddle!

    Thanks for the clarifications regarding the questioned posted in your previous entries. I’ve got a question of my own surrounding the “Mauretania”. Is it actually mentioned in the novel? I’ll search my sources again but for now I can’t seem to find that this particular name is mentioned anywhere in this novel. If not mentioned, should the reader assume that it’s the “Mauretania” simply due to its popularity in the early 20th century?

    Thanks again, in advance.

    • Fay says:

      Hello, Sarah. To answer your question regarding the name of the ship, there is no mention of the “Mauretania” or any other name in the novel, at least in the French translation that I have read. There is no mention of it in the Italian edition either. I’m not sure about the recent Spanish edition since I’ve not checked on it yet. Your assumption that the reason it’s mentioned is probably the popularity of the said ocean liner has to be correct.

      • Sarah says:

        Thank you @Fay. I haven’t seen the name “Mauretania” mentioned in any of the official translations of the CCFS either. I was just wondering whether it simply escaped my notice.

        • Ms Puddle says:

          Thank you @Sarah and @Fay! I forgot to mention in my post that the name “Mauretania” appeared in this particular illustration right under the drawing of the ocean liner. I’ve updated my post to avoid any more confusion. Thank you for pointing it out, @Sarah!

  8. Myra says:

    Thank you so much for addressing your readers’ queries, Ms Puddle. This is most appreciated.

  9. Gabriella says:

    Hello again! How are you doing? Those pictures from the Nakayoshi magazine are awesome. Igarashi is a unique talent.

    • Ms Puddle says:

      Yes @Gabriella! I agree Igarashi is really talented, and her illustrations are of top-notch quality 👍👏

      • Gabriella says:

        Agreed. I’m glad I’ve kept all the manga volumes ever since I was a kid. They’re in pretty good condition given the years that have gone by. I also have a few extra volumes from the Italian continuation but I lost interest in it because the plot was nonsensical and the images were a cheap copy.

        • Ms Puddle says:

          Good for you, @Gabriella! What manga version do you have, may I ask?

          • Gabriella says:

            Apart from some random copies here and there, I’ve got the full and intact versions in Japanese, French and Italian. However, my interest ceased for the Italian one ever since the Italian publishers continued with their own very low quality story. The visuals were horrific to say the least.

            • Ms Puddle says:

              Lucky you, @Gabriella! You have a great collection ❣️ I heard that the French one was well translated 👍

              • Gabriella says:

                The French one is actually my favourite. The Italian one is the worst, IMO. There are so many scenes missing and, in particular, the scenes with Candy and Albert. Do you remember that scene where Candy and Albert are embracing each other on the tree after Stear’s death? That scene had been removed from the Italian manga. And there’s a scene where Candy is watching over Albert when he’s unconscious at the hospital. The actual lines read that Candy was admiring Albert’s beauty but the Italian manga placed some irrelevant lines where Candy is saying that Albert looks so old and grey. You can tell that those lines are ludicrously out of place because Candy is smiling to Albert. She wouldn’t be smiling at him and uttering such negative stuff. LOL

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Yes I heard about that too, @Gabriella. You raised a valid point, that Candy was smiling when admiring the patient’s handsome features lol 😆😂 She had always liked Albert, and it’s terribly out of character that she would despise his looks when he was unconscious.

  10. Anita says:

    Interesting post and thank you for sharing!

    It appears that Nagita’s “light” novel (as published in 2010) doesn’t stray away from the manga albeit very different from the anime. The irony is that the anime is what made this story popular mainstream-wise. I think it would be safe to assume that the anime is a genre in itself and has a “character” of its own. I doubt the 2010 text would have had a fraction of the anime’s popularity had it been the other way around.

    I hope you get back into the mood of drawing more of your awesome fanart.

    Stay safe!

    • Gabriella says:

      I agree with you-the anime had a coherent structure and so did the manga. The novel reads more like a summary than a story-in-itself. Without the anime and manga, this novel is flat and incomplete.

      • Anita says:

        Exactly! Unless the reader had watched the anime and read the manga beforehand, there’s no way to understand what’s going on in the novel because it’s too vague and generic.

        • Sarah says:

          Some critics have pointed out that this book is purported only for the fans who already know the story. They’re probably right because there is no way a new reader of this story would understand what’s going on without using the manga as a guide.

        • Ms Puddle says:

          That’s true but mainly in Section 3 of the novel, @Anita. Many details are unfortunately missing when the epistolary style is used.

          • Anita says:

            Albeit not her best literary device deployed, the epistolary style is Nagita’s favourite based on what she had claimed herself during her latest interview. She has often expressed how much she enjoys letters and she wanted to incorporate the correspondence between Candy and Albert in the Epilogue for impact. Apparently, this style of writing means a lot to Nagita even though she’s not particularly adept at it. To be fair, this style is a difficult one and not too many professional writers dare to dabble in it.

            • Ms Puddle says:

              I totally agree with you, @Anita. With the epistolary style, we didn’t get to know the other characters as much as Candy unless we read their letters too, like the ones from Archie, Annie and Patty. The only letter from Terry was almost meaningless and didn’t contribute much to the story.

              • Anita says:

                It’s not even a letter. That guy didn’t even have the decent courage to write his name in full but hide behind mere initials like a coward. There’s no date or any form of time reference to navigate the reader within the story. The bottom line is that the Terrfans have no leg to stand on with that piece of scrap.

                • Michelle says:

                  Spot on! It’s truly mind-boggling how low the standards are when it comes to some of those desperate fans. They have belittled Candy to such a degree that they’re trying to reduce her to some form of submissive victim who would run after the chicken feed tossed at her by a self-destructive actor who cannot control his anger and hysteria.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Can’t agree with you more, @Anita and @Michelle! They have belittled Candy so much that she would wait for the man forever, even though he had chosen another woman already and made Candy promise him that she would find her own happiness. 🙄🤔

                • Anita says:

                  It’s beyond any shadow of a doubt that Candy was never Terry’s top priority. He cared about her to a certain degree but never whole-heartedly. He had other issues far more important to him to deal with. That said, Terry had dumped Candy several times (i.e. London, New York) and when he had the chance to reunite with her years later, he simply decided to return to Susanna instead.

                  Both Terry and Albert are stubborn characters and they would never take any action unless they wanted to do it. No one can manipulate these two men. When Terry decided to stay with Susanna, it was because he wanted to be with her and not because she manipulated him. Accordingly, when Albert decided to reveal his identity and clear Candy’s name in front of all the prominent Ardalys, it was because he wanted to do it and not because Candy or anyone else prompted or manipulated him to act as such.

                  Therefore, all these key characters have been designed in such a way by Keiko Nagita in which they are 100% responsible for their actions. They are not mere puppets to be played upon by anyone. Instead, they take initiative and act upon their own decisions irrespective of the repercussions.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  @Anita, I completely agree with you 💯%! Neither Terry nor Albert could be manipulated by anyone, not even Candy. Many fans blamed Susanna, but Terry had made up his mind before Candy decided to let him go. You said it right, Terry chose to return to Susanna when he left Rockstown.

                  As I said before and don’t mind repeating myself, Terry didn’t love Candy as much as she loved him. Some people just can’t see this and even claimed he was her soulmate or so-called grand love. 🤦‍♀️

                • Anita says:

                  **Ardlays

                • Michelle says:

                  It all boils down to the fact that certain fans are in denial and miserably fail to acknowledge that caring for someone and unconditionally loving that person aren’t always the same.
                  Such a situation applies to Terry who always put his own initiative first. He never consulted with anyone about his decisions and was severely prescriptive when it came on instructing others.
                  On the other hand, Albert placed personal freedom and independence in the highest esteem but he valued the personal freedom and independence of others equivalently. Whilst Terry would force and impose himself on Candy, Albert respected his own self as well as Candy’s personal space and free will, hence, never abusing or forcing himself onto her nor onto anyone else.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Well said, @Michelle!

                  On the other hand, certain fans have also conveniently ignored the fact that Terry had been (most likely) the only one taking care of Susanna in the last few months of her life. It seems as though this means absolutely nothing to these fans, and Susanna’s subsequent death had no effect on Terry either.

                • MIchelle says:

                  Thank you, Ms Puddle.
                  Those who believe that Terry had no feelings for Susanna are simply delusional and slow on the uptake.
                  It’s a complete waste of time to try to compare or “juggle” Terry’s feelings for Candy and Susanna-both of which are equivalently intense albeit different in nature. It’s like comparing apples with oranges. There’s no point..
                  Some of those fans fail to comprehend that human-beings are complex and even more so are their thoughts, feelings and emotions.
                  Apparently, no one is contending that Terry “loved” Candy more than Susanna or the other way around; that would be such a futile and infantile attempt suitable for naïve gossip columns and not serious discussions. Instead, Terry’s feelings and most importantly, attraction, is of a different nature when having to do with Candy or Susanna. It’s beyond any shadow of a doubt that Terry is attracted to both women and this had been clearly stated in the manga and anime. In the novel, however, we simply don’t know because Terry stops being a significant character with his own “narrative voice” (as in Section 2) from Section 3 onward and thus the reader can only know about Terry from outside sources which are not particularly reliable and objective.
                  Nonetheless, actions speak louder than words and Terry’s decision to throw Candy under the bus and spend his life with Susanna reveals-no matter how unpalatable this is to the Terryfans-that Terry had very strong feelings for Susanna. Perhaps the two of them had begun to develop some form of relationship or even affair but all that was put to a standstill when Terry discovered that Candy returned to the US.
                  The bottom line is that Terry was stuck in between two women he cared about and was attracted to. This is not outlandish at all since it constitutes a most common and familiar phenomenon within and amongst individuals.
                  We are only human and humans are known to be inherently fallible and prone to flaws and weaknesses. Terry is no exception to this indisputable fact and neither is anyone else.

                • Ms Puddle says:

                  Bravo, @Michelle!! May I quote you in a new post? 🤗💞

                • Michelle says:

                  Sure! Thanks again, Ms Puddle.

    • Ms Puddle says:

      Glad you found this post interesting, @Anita. 🤗 Yes I agree with you the novel is quite similar to the manga, and after all, both were supposedly based on the author’s original manuscripts. The anime however did take some liberty and changed the story to target even younger audience. That’s one reason why Albert and Candy did not share the bunk bed in the anime. 😉

      Thank you @Anita for your encouragement ❣️ I’ll draw again for sure, but as you and the others have suggested, I will also need to investigate how to create a harder to erase watermark.

      • Anita says:

        Sensible decision, Ms Puddle. Please take your time in doing your research and we’re looking forward to your next fanart!

        • Ms Puddle says:

          Thank you @Anita! ☺️ I kept my watermark small before because I didn’t want my fanarts to look somewhat “distorted”. Yet, I’ve learned a lesson this time 😅

          • Anita says:

            No need to be so hard on yourself, Ms Puddle. It’s difficult to fathom how low someone is willing to go in order to plagiarize your work. It’s not your fault that Instagram user has no dignity. Yet, I agree with you that strictly watermarking your work is the most rational solution.

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