Anohito and "Susanna’s" death (decoding the epilogue of Candy Candy Final Story)

(an update about all this) ​(...follow the white rabbit

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Candy and her doubts ... anohito, anohito, who is anohito?

... hahaha ... I cannot help but to laugh when looking at this comic strip.  But, I am also wondering “who” anohito is?  "Anohito (= That person)." Who is HE, (the ONE who won Candy’s heart in the end)?

Over the last few months I finally had the time to watch Candy Candy the compleate animated series - (bless the Internet (YouTube) and "file sharing"), Candy Candy playlist1 (from chapter 1 to 99) and Candy Candy's playlist2 Chapter 100 to 115 & movie  (these links are in spanish dob)

Anyhow, I always remembered that those illustrations in the manga/comics books were far much nicer, I spend so many summer afternoons at my neighbor’s Marga (the poor thing was recovering from a hip surgery) and while I was visiting her, I would also “devoured” her comics of Candy Candy with my reading... so making a new internet search I came across Candy Candy manga  (shame I cannot find these in colour - and yes, by all means the Manga/Comic (fantastic work by Yumiko Igarashi) has more quality than the TV series, and one can understand the end/outcome far much better ... when I was on my teens I couldn't grasp the concept on why Candy will end-up with the "old-fellow" (it had to be Anthony or Terry – as those two were of our age – I always hoped for Anthony to be "alive" in some way or another !! ...now, after reading the comic 20 years later ... I understand far much better than the" Prince on Pony’s Hill" was always the only option ...

Well, apparently that was not all... no,  Kyoko Mizuki, legal author of Candy Candy, has just edited and added more information on  CANDY CANDY FINAL STORY , to tie-up (if they were any) loose ends. As far as I understand, this new edition is only available in Japan (but in some forums (unofficial) translations of selected pages from the novel are now emerging)

From what I’ve been able to read thanks to these free translations  (LA BITACORA (FORO ROSA)  - is that, Candy now on her 30’s lives happily in England with a man she loves "Anohito (that person/HE)" ... the problem is that she (Candy) throughout the novel, never names "that person" by his first name ... at this time we should also distinguish what is "objective"  from what is “subjective or speculative” (until we get an official translation)... but I can not stop thinking about a naughty Mizuki laughing at the conclusions confused fans all over the world are drawing  ...Daffodils= that means He is Terry. The colour blue= he is Albert. The books of Shakespeare= HE is Terry. CAR= Albert because HE is always driving. BLANK PAGES = Terry. Candy into his arms = Albert ... All this completed with "solid" arguments .. and so it is, that the heat is on.

And who is "HE"?

Why is that Candy never pronounces the real name of Anohito (being him, Terry or Albert)? Why is that she is not clear? After 30 years, does the author want to leave an open ending? I doubt it. I'm not going to analyze Candy’s words; what is she telling us during the novel or try to find clues as if “this” or “that” person comes out of her lips, because in reality I think Mizuki is the key, she is who wrote the novel and she is the one who manipulates Candy to guide us thought out the book, thus then, let’s follow Mizuki steps.

The first thing that we notice is the construction of the novel; the rhythm of the reading that the author forces us to follow, we shouldn’t forget that Mizuki is an experience writer/poetess and everything that appears before our eyes is not by accident but instead, it has been calculated & premeditated beforehand. Thus, she divides the book into the following sections: PROLOGUE, 1st PART, 2nd PART, 3rd PART and EPILOGUE. Point out that I am going to read a linear story, that of a traditional structure (with an introduction, a development and an end).

·         In the prologue  (introduction) - Candy in her present, writes from England to sister Mary and Miss Pony (who is recovering at Pony’s Hill) this allows Candy to recall her memories, introducing the reader in the novel’s nostalgic flow.

·         Sections 1, 2 and 3 - (novel's body), Candy is directing the reader, she thinks/remembers/comments, inviting us into her world. She is the one who guides us combining present & past, (sometimes) aided by a “little box of treasures” where she keeps letters, clippings and other memories  ... she looks back with nostalgia to that “past” or loved ones who are now gone, in summary, this is a resume of her adventures and misadventures, combining it with her current situation. The tempo is romantic but melancholic, sometimes even depressive until our reading is interrupted, we are confronted with a few blank pages -  and a  love note from Terry  (sensitive and melancholic) followed again by other blank pages until starts

·         The epilogue (outcome and final) - here we are presented with a collection of letters (a correspondence between Albert and Candy  - and one letter more from Candy to Anthony  ... the rhythm of the book seems to change, still melancholic and sensitive, but is also cheerful and with hopes.  Finally there is one last paragraph where Candy comes back from her thoughts to the present, collects her memories and once again stores away her little box of treasures, at the moment "Anohito" arrives home, she runs into his arms -  transferring emotion and happiness to the reader (the end).

From now on, I will continue with a subjective analyses (but as I have mentioned before, so far I've only read bits and pieces and loose translations, probably all this, will make more sense once I can read an original copy with an official translation, but for now I'll have to wait (like most of us). 

The first thing that got my attention was "Susanna'death" (this event alone, holds two epilogues at the same time) and is key to the story. Death is an epilogue in itself - is the end of life (Susanna's life) but is also an epilogue to the relationship Terry/Susanna (and so it also doesn't exists an obstacle that prevents Candy/Terry to be together). This information is very important and at first I was surprised that it wasn't included in the epilogue (outcome) of the novel, but finally I didn't give much of a thought as I understood the narrative was linear/following a chronological order... until I read someone's comment in a forum where they verified that the correspondence with Albert is prior to Susanna's death and which Mizuki included in the epilogue.

This new fact made me think... why is that Mizuki needs to create an epilogue/section in the novel but then she avoids to include an information as obvious as "Susanna's death? Does she need "two epilogues"? But what's more, now I also know that Mizuki, first creates the events in a chronological order (that she planed) to later deliberately mixed them up in the narrative (creating, thus two different dimensions in the novel, one is chronological (time) and the other one is narrative (story)). And why is that she needs to re-arrange the order of time (past/present) of the events? Why doesn't she create the events directly in the order she wants to narrate them? What is she communicating in reality?

Let's name those events in order (chronological dimension);

Candy meets the "Prince." She is adopted.  She falls in love with Anthony but he dies. She falls in love with Terry, but he stays with Susanna. She discovers that her friend Albert is also her protector "Uncle William" and the Prince of the hill. Susanna dies. Terry writes a love note. Candy lives happily with Anohito (end)

Now let's see the same events in the order Mizuki "forces us" to read them, (under a narrative dimension);

Candy meets the "Prince." She is adopted. She falls in love with Anthony but he dies. She falls in love with Terry, but he stays with Susanna. Candy reflects over Susanna's death. Love note from Terry ---- Epilogue Correspondence with Albert and letter to Anthony. Candy in Anohito's arms (end)

Why didn't Mizuki include the information about Susana's death in the book's epilogue? (under the chronological dimension and by logic, this is its right place), but in the narrative dimension Mizuki "deliberately" excludes it from the epilogue and instead includes previous events. Is Mizuki pulling off some kind of magic trick?

OK, let’s go step by step.. we need to remember that Mizuki created the character/accident of Susanna to prevent the relationship between Terry-Candy to continue. So, why to "kill" NOW Susanna's character? As one possibility I am thinking; if Susanna is alive, even in the remote event that Terry would abandone her, Candy, still, will never take him back. But if Mizuki eliminates Susanna, Candy can "choose", Mizuki finally gives her "free will" to decide.

Let's understand now the options that Mizuki has (under a narrative dimension) on how to communicate to the reader the relevance of "Susanna's death";

a)    (to modify the time dimension) "on purpose " to include the information, "Susanna dies" in the epilogue (in a narrative dimension would indicate) Terry is probably Anohito.

b)    (without altering the time dimension) the information, "Susanna dies" follows in the epilogue (in a narrative dimension indicates) this fact is relevant -it may be Terry- (this is the right option -but Mizuki decides otherwise).

c)    (without altering the time dimension) "Susanna dies" doesn’t follow in the epilogue (in a narrative dimension would mean) this fact might or might not influence Candy on her choice (for Anohito).

d)    (to modify the time dimension - this is what Mizuki decides to do-) "on purpose" to exclude the information "Susanna dies" from the epilogue (indicates in the narrative) this information is irrelevant to Candy.

Susanna's death (as that of Stear) is sad, but is not decisive to Candy. So what? maybe Susanna's death is irrelevant to Candy, but still, this doesn't exclude Terry as a possibility to be Anohito. True, this fact alone doesn't do much, but it is peculiar that Mizuki swaps the chronological & narrative dimensions of 4 key elements to the novel's development. First, let's analyze the content of these 4 events (following their true chronological order)

(We know beforehand, that Terry (must) stays with Susanna, thus breaking Candy's heart)

1.   Correspondence with Albert in Candy - these letters are written immediately after Albert reveals Candy his other identities, he is "Uncle William" but also "the prince of Pony's hill". In their exchange of letters, we can see how Candy & Albert are getting closer, intimate, we feel sincerity, friendship, complicity, perhaps even something more ... but especially we notice a cheerful Candy, excited, full of energy and optimistic.

2.   Candy (in a self analysis) writes a letter to Anthony (if this doesn't make me cry I don't know what else will do) .. the content  of this mail is very sad and sensitive, Candy reflects over her life - a mixture of laughs and tears- and looks with hope to her future because she knows no matter what the destiny brings she will always go on, and asks Anthony that wherever he is, to keep protecting her.

3.   Susanna dies

4.   (18 months after Susanna's death) Candy received a love note/declaration from Terry, the content is melancholy, Terry reproaches himself something like "sorry it took me so long, I didn't have courage before, but if you want me I'm still here as my feelings for you haven't change"

But, instead, in which order is Mizuki "feeding" the information to the reader? Why does she need to create events in an other to later on "cut them from the past" and paste them into a "future"? what is really transmitting? Let's look once more to the narrative dimension we are "forced" to follow (under Mizuki's design).

1.  Candy reflects on Susanna's death = "I'm sorry for her"

Blank pages (meditation / reflection) = and now what?

2.  love note from Terry (he still loves me, he is awaiting on reply)

Blank pages (meditation / reflection) = and now what?

---- Epilogue ----

3.  Correspondence with Albert, (starting to smile, life is not so bad surrounded by friends)

4.  Letter to Anthony (I'll heal, it's gong to be tough but I'll make it, give me strength and look after me)

Straightaway, under a narrative prespective, Anthony's letter is key to "Terry's good-bye", not so much in its content, but in its context (within the epilogue). Mizuki specifically cuts the letter from the "past" (passing it "over" Susanna's death and Terry's note) and pastes it into a more actual "present", giving new value to the letter, in other words - Mizuki manipulates the letter's time-dimension, so it gains new power in the narrative-dimension - thus creating a sandwich;

(Under a chronological perspective, this is what really happened)

·       Letter Anthony = I am going to heal my heart, I'll put my past behind, I'll be strong ...

·       Susanna dies/Terry's note = .. sorry I'm late ... but I still love you

(But under a narrative perspective, this is what Mizuki "forces" us to read)

·       Susanna dies/Terry's note =  .. sorry I'm late ... but I still love you

·       Response/Candy's reaction to Terry's note = (Letter Anthony) I will continue recovering, I'll be strong

By now we also know that Candy has "free will", Mizuki is telling us that Candy is not with Terry because she can't (Susanna's obstruction), but instead because she "doesn't want to" be with him.

If the letter to Anthony wasn't in the narrative dimension of the Epilogue, the connotation would be that this is nothing else that one of the many letters Candy writes, without major consequences, but once altered of its true chronological order and included in the epilogue, this letter has connotation of "full stop" to the relationship or any chance to go back with Terry "things once lost will never return." Candy had already begun the process Terry's detox before he even writes his love note, probably even before Susanna died, Susanna was already irrelevant to Candy...but Anthony's letter is not only a farewell to Terry ...

Suddenly I had a revelation, "IWE"! (Iwe, is the dog of my in-laws) actually they did not know how to call the dog, so they named it "Iwe"(which in Swahili language means "(he) IS"-that exists). Candy may well not tell us Anohito's real name ... because she doesn't really know how to call him ... and this only occurs ... well ...

Then Albert is Anohito ? -No -no? -NO!

Let's concentrate once again in the epilogue's section, if Mizuki wanted to tell us that Albert is Anohito, she might suggested something like this;

1.   Letter to Anthony (I will heal my heart, life goes on)

2.   Correspondence with Albert (answers and to know him better)

3.   I'm happy with Anohito

And just in case this wasn't enough, Albert also confirms this in his letters to Candy, "do not call me father," "do not call me prince", "do not call me uncle" "I wanted so much to be Albert" "If I could only be Albert" This person wants to be someone else but he can not. Albert is "sacrificed "to make way for William (someone who he doesn't want to be)  and meanwhile Candy keeps calling "him" Albert, in reality, Albert no longer "exists" - because now he must be William. The correspondence between Albert & Candy is "I WANT" (I want to see you, I want to talk to you, I want to ...) but "I CAN NOT" (if I could...) Albert doesn't give any commitment, he doesn't confess his love, his feelings, or anything else relevant, because he knows there is no much point on it now that he the patriarch.

In the correspondence Candy/Albert, Mizuki gets rid of three possibilities at once;

1.   The Prince on the hill = The platonic love, unreal and idealistic, a teenager who "grow up" to make way for

2.   Albert = A wanderer without a past, the friend/brother, that "evolved" to make way for

3.   William = the busy businessman, the patriarch/protector

Well, but then William is .... finally discarded ... in the following paragraph (Anthony's letter) ... "I realized that even when some people are alive, we are doomed to be separated".... and finally I saw it ... Mizuki had just created an "OTHER SUSANNA" another obstacle, this time to prevent any possible romance between William and Candy. This "susanna" had been there from the beginning (probably from birth) but "she" becomes present in the same moment that "Albert" changes into "William "- Was it "her" from whom the Prince was trying to escape? Was it "her" from whom Albert was trying to hide? wanting to be someone else, to dream, to be free for a moment perhaps, even denying it, even so, Albert was aware of his own destiny. Was it "her" that prevented Albert from saying "I Love You Candy"? .. and those silences ... those half words ... those unfinished sentences....

And you Candy? You saw her too .. "she" finally became visible, right? there, in the "hall of portraits" now you too could feel her presence ... You wanted so badly to see Albert, to talk to him close, you seemed so happy in your letters, so exited ... "But unlike Rosemary, he can not marry for love, he can not leave the family name, because" He "is the NAME" and then you realized it, .. "She" was there in the middle, as the abyss,  .. and "she" was the one restraining him (to confess you his love) ... "once again "SUSANNA" SCREWED YOU UP”

And if anyone doubts the "power" that "she" has, as sample it was the opposition to Annie-Archie's  marriage." Yes! "She" is all powerful, there she is always present, constantly reminding you who you really are, pointing at your real status, "He is aristocrat and you an abandon child (maybe even a bastard)"... to be close but never "together" (so powerless). At least Terry had said "I Love You," at least Albert "pretended" to be free, but William, William won't even open his mouth, what for? his words won't have consequences, "Susanna" always omnipresent, is there to stop him. This "susanna" is not just any woman, a woman would have been easier to endure, this "susanna" is even worse, this "susanna" is "He", is his "PERSON" & everything IT stands for ... to be "SIR WILLIAM A. ARDLEY"

... And when you realize how hopeless you were, Candy, what did you do next? ..you sought comfort in a "DEATH ONE", you wrote a letter to Anthony ... this wonderful letter (pure poetry, full of symbolism) I'll forgive myself everything (my background) ... I won't judge myself (social class) ... give me strength, care for me ...., Anthony be my guardian angel ... saying goodbye in this letter to three loves ... the pain of having lost Anthony, the pain of having lost Terry, the pain of having lost Albert ... Burying the past and looking in hope to the future ... until the sweet Candy flourish once more.

Mizuki, did it again! under a narrative prespective, Anthony's letter is key to "William's good-bye" and in the context of the epilogue is "full stop" to him or any chance of having a relationship.

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Years went by ...meditation/reflection ... But then ... Who is Anohito?

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The clue is still in Anthony's letter ... The "other two" had failed ... and your Anthony, in the event you were still alive, would you also have failed? ... "Who knows what kind of man would you have become if you were still alive?" ... a grownup Anthony?... a man in love, stable, with time for Candy, who can offer her a future, strong but also kind personality, physically attractive, well dressed, smart, educated, polite, probably with a liberal profession and a hobby in nature ....

but ... but we know this is a paradox, impossible ... Oh ... Mizuki so much pain ... Anthony is dead and the other "possibility" that could come "closer" to him (in physical appearance and personality) ... doesn't exist!

HE CANNOT EXIST! NO! ..unless Mizuki, "kills" the''susanna" that is left. The man tied to legacy, to honor the name, the responsibilities, the commitments, the social class, constantly under pressure & controlled always traveling, and .. and there is nothing in the novel that tells me this is going to be any different, Sir William A. Ardley spent half of his life between his Chicago's office and Lakewood ..and Lakewood ... Ardley's manor house ...Ardley's manor house, is now sold to other hands? "sold? now? This is relatively recent, is part of the immediate present and is how Candy started to remember ... But why will Sir William do something like that? Why to sell it? Businesses are going wrong? have someone repossessed his property? Poor Sir William, something terrible must have happened, he would never get rid of the house at his own will, the house is part of the legacy ...is like the tradition, ... like the responsibilities  .. like ... is like ... telling me ... "Susanna" has died ...

There is nothing that restrains Candy from starting a new life next to a man she is discovering, a man in love, that I can imagine, a “grownup Anthony” ... probably he has kept Ardley as his surname, but maybe now he is called Bill, or Wills, or Al, or Bert, or perhpas his real name is indeed Anohito ... Maybe he is a lawyer, or a journalist, or perhaps a vet ... Maybe he has shaved his head, or he has gray hair or even a mustache ... But is still him, with those wonderful eyes, that amazing smile and those strong protective arms.

In short, in the present, Candy lives with a man she loves .. (Perhaps Terry? Probably Anohito Ardley? I dismiss Archie? I doubt is George? I can not imagine is Michael? I hope isn’t Tom? I wouldn’t bet on Niel? .. Stear is eliminated? And I refuse to believe that Candy has a ghostly relationship with Anthony ?-)... but whoever THAT PERSON = ANOHITO" is the one who helped Candy to find true happiness" ...

***
Dedicate it  to my children, and specially to my husband "for letting me to waste time"