Friday 2 March 2012

Anohito - Candy Candy Final Story untangled


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

====================== NOTA ======================
Para leer la version al Castellano de esta entrada, seguir este vínculo.
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“The novel is defective in construction. The way in which this novel is told is not perfect; there are loose ends in adapting a story originally written to be read in manga format into a novel format.” Kyoko Mizuki, about her work -Candy Candy Final Story-

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Indeed, the novel is defective by nature; the biggest challenge I’ve found wasn't the plot holes, I can ignore the anachronisms or even the loose ends (and fill-up those with extracts from the manga), the hardest part for me was to follow the two narrators- Candy herself narrating and giving first hand flashbacks and a general narrator - perhaps Mizuki herself, in third person, which has a bird’s eye view over the story and points-out the views of other characters) in some specifics chapters -Section I & and Section II-  they appear simultaneously, we can hear both voices guiding the action one immediately after the other one, - Candy narrating in first person (page 11) “The incident that changed my life. The day Annie was adopted by the Brightons ... Time spins very fast. I closed my eyes ...” (break - page 12 is blank)  To continue in the following (page-14) “...Candy, coming down of the Pony’s Hill at a dizzying speed” - narrated in third person.

Background information

  • Candice White is a fictional character created by Kyoko Mizuki -  in her adolescence, 12 year old,  Keiko Nagita, creates the "imaginary family Ardlay (or Ardrey/Andrew/Adore) " to relieve her loneliness and to help her heal from her father’s death.  She kept the stories on a notebook, in 1975, Nagita - now using the pseudonym “Kyoko Mizuki”, writes the manuscript “Candy Candy” - never published as such - but instead it is used as reference to create a Shojo Manga work under the same title (with illustration & collaboration from the artist Yumiko Igarashi), the work is an instant hit and more projects derived from her original idea followed. Below is a list of the most relevant materials where the heroine, Candice White appeared;
  • (1961?) Notebooks about the Ardlay family (never published - On Nagita’s possession)
  • 1975 “Candy Candy” -  prose manuscript by Nagita  (never published as such, but used for the manga’s storyline)
  • 1975 – 1979 Candy Candy (print Manga/comic) Ed. Nakayoshi  9 Volumes (with Igarashi)
  • 1976- Illus & Poems - Artworks books 1 & 2 - print (with Igarashi)
  • 1976–1979 Candy Candy (TV Series, studio Toei Animation) 115 episodes (with Igarashi)
  • 1978-1979 Candy Candy: The Novel (print publication) ed Kodansha - 3 books (some illustrations from Igarashi)
  • 1978  Candy Candy: The Call of Spring/The May Festival  Anime film (movie) (with Igarashi)
  • 1978 Candy Candy's Summer Vacation  Anime film  (movie) (with Igarashi)

(1980-1997  re-run and re-publishing of the previous works above)
(1998 - 2009 - Years of inactivity - due to the legal dispute between Mizuki & the artist Igarashi, over Candy Candy’s copyright)

  • 2010 Mizuki publishes yet the latest novel in the series; “Candy Candy FINAL STORY” - (print publication) 2 books  ed. Shodensha, the text is based on her notebook (never published) and a revised and extended work from the 1978  “Candy Candy; the novel”. The new paperback doesn’t contain any illustrations/artwork from Igarashi - but more relevant yet, is the fact that Candice White is finally happy, living with “Anohito”, the man she loves.

About the Japanese term “Anohito (HE/ that person)” .- The first public reference we have to this term appeared in the 







  • These three candy's dialogue are from two different scenes in the manga:
  • (the first two) is when she meets Albert injured in the hospital, so she is talking to herself about him, she uses あの人は (Ano hito wa/that person) then その人は (Sono hito wa/that man) and その人は (Sono hito wa/that man) again
  • (the last one) she is referring to Albert meanwhile talking to Terry in her visit to N.Y. This last one is written exactly in the same way as the famous "あの人" (from the Candy Candy Final Story novel) あの人 (ano hito/that person) - (with the hiragana characters ひと besides the kanji 人)


There are other poems where Mizuki writes  あ の ひ と (pronounce ano hito) instead of あ の 人 (ano hito / esa persona), which meaning does this  あ の ひ と (hiragana script) probably also “who”


Original Poem
(written in Japanese Kanji)
Romanji o furigana
(cómo suena el poema en japonés)
あしたがすき ( 歌詞:名木田 恵子)
あしたはどこから うまれてくるの
わたしはあしたが あしたがすき
すてきなことが ありそうで
わたしはあしたが あしたがすき
キラキラひかる かぜのむこうで
あのひとがわたしを わたしをよんでいる
キャンディ キャンディ キャンディ
キャンディ
あしたのことを ゆめにみるの
わたしはあしたが あしたがすき
やさしいひとに あいそうで
わたしはあしたが あしたがすき
みどりがゆれる おかのうえで
あのひとがわたしを わたしをまっている
キャンディ キャンディ キャンディ
キャンディ
みどりがゆれる おかのうえで
あのひとがわたしを わたしをまっている
キャンディ キャンディ キャンディ
キャンディ
ga suki ( kashi : mei kida keiko )
ashita ha doko kara umare te kuru no
watashi ha ashita ga ashita ga suki
suteki na koto ga ari sou de
watashi ha ashita ga ashita ga suki
kirakira hikaru kaze no muko u de
ano hito ga watashi o watashi o yon de iru
kyandi kyandi kyandi
kyandi
ashita no koto o yume ni miru no
watashi ha ashita ga ashita ga suki
yasashii hito ni ai sou de
watashi ha ashita ga ashita ga suki
midori ga yureru o kano ue de
ano hito ga watashi o watashi o matte iru
kyandi kyandi kyandi
kyandi
midori ga yureru o kano ue de
ano hito ga watashi o watashi o matte iru
kyandi kyandi kyandi
kyandi


Original Poem
(written in Japanese Kanji)
Romanji o furigana
(cómo suena el poema en japonés)
森で ふいに だれかに後ろから
だきすくめられたの

・・・だれだ?

ちょっときどった声がして—

あたし すぐに
あのひと(テリィ) だと
わかったけれど

わからないふりをしたの

目の前を からかうように
りすが 走っていったわ

胸の中で 噴水がふきあがる

このまま ずっと わからないふりを
していようかしら・・・・・
Mori de fui ni dare ka ni ushiro kara dakisukumerare ta no

... dare da?

chotto kidotta koe ga shi te ---

atashi sugu ni
ano hito (teryi) da to
wakatta keredo

wakara nai furi o shi ta no

me no mae o karakau yō ni
risu ga hashitte itta wa mune

no naka de funsui ga fukiagaru

kono mama zutto wakara nai furi o shi te iyo u kashira.....


Regarding this a native Japanese have told us the following;  “We Japanese use this word "あのひと" when we describe someone who is our superior (an example). In my opinion "ano hito" include respect meaning. If we call lover who is same age, we usually call his name or nickname or "あいつaitu". Terry is wild boy. "あのひと" is unbecoming for Terry. To add あの人’s meaning is "that person" just little bit distant. But "あのひと" is used in very close relationship.”


Yet in the manga and in the Candy Candy Final Story Mizuki goes into write “あの人”;  - the most formal most respectful form of writing. Why she chooses this option I do not know, but what it is clear is that Mizuki knows when she wants to use  あの人 or あのひと. Conclusion we should leave the Japanese language to the Japanese people



The following work was written in 2011. Many things have changed since them, specially my perspective about the series Candy Candy - it is too long and complex to explain here, right now, but overall I have to say I do not longer think that Candy Candy tells the story of an orphan living in USA or in Europe, but to me it is in reality a metaphor about a Japanese taboo (we're currently working on a very long and detailed article, hopefully it will be released this summer).


Therefore, if you also believe that Candy Candy has more to do with Japan than with USA, then I will recommend you to waiting.
In the other hand if you think that Candy Candy is about Scottish, roses and Shakespeare ... then go ahead, perhaps this old job will help you understand the story a bit better. Good Luck!



========================   WARNING ========================
The following analysis contains SPOILERS, if you wish to read the novel “Candy Candy Final Story” and discover the TWIST plots by yourself, I strongly advise you to refrain from reading this article furthermore.
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"This world is made up of so many twists and tangled wires, that we never know if we have good or bad luck until we unveil all the plots” Candy quoting Miss Pony (CCFS - B1/p 71)

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Perhaps, this is for me the best way to describe how a reader should understand the novel; everything - the timeline & the narrative- have been tangled by Mizuki, luckily for us, she has also written enough clues to resolve this narrative-logic-puzzle. Do you want to know who is anohito? Then you have to play by Mizuki’s rules (and you are better-off if you like puzzles) "It was always like playing with wire puzzles, I had learned a lot from you doctor. Now that I’m back at Pony’s Home, those proved to be very useful." (B2/pp 246-248). Now all we have to do is to read and to follow Mizuki’s instructions to resolve the mystery.

NB. In this guide I will try to keep within the content of the (2010) novel Candy Candy Final Story (in short CCFS), however there might be some reference to the (1975) Manga, the (1976) TV Anime or the (1978) novel Candy Candy. I don’t own a copy of the 2010 new novel CCFS - but a close collaborator of this article  read, checked & reviewed every quote with the original novel, nevertheless some dates, years or seasons should be taken by approximation.

1.    Novel’s structure and reading exercises
 So, first things, first - how do you read the novel?
- The only right possible way is, as Mizuki designed and published it, from page 1 till 349 (book 1) and then from page 1 till page 338 (book 2). This might sound obvious, but with so many loose translations, it is easy for any reader to get lost and complicate the novel’s drama even more. If you are about to read translations (first try to put them in its proper order) not only because this is how Mizuki decides to tell the plot, but furthermore, because she is going to train you in the art of deducting the story’s end. It is something like going to college; you won’t have an introductory course to your major’s in the last year and no one is asked to publish their research paper as a freshman.
In the same way, as a reader you are going to get a lot of information, often in an unorthodox way, this is also going to require memory and concentration by your side (only this way you’ll be able to assimilate & to follow without losing track of the plot). Do not sweat! Mizuki is going to train you; gradually, almost imperceptibly; she will complicate the reading as you move along the pages, meanwhile she also manipulates you, teaching you new tricks in such a subtle way that you’ll barely notice them. Thus, I emphasized, for the novel to make any sense and to give us the only right solution, we must first comply with Mizuki’s instruction; read as she has designed the novel.





The Prologue,

  • Is an introduction to the novel’s rhythm & feel, not only sets the nostalgic mood of the book, but it also introduces two of the three time scenarios the novel has- the present day and the past events.
  • Candy narrates in first person & we also find the first letters of the novel, from Sister Maria & Miss Pony to Candy (B-1/pp. 3-12) plus the reply (heading of the letter) that Candy herself is writing.

Section I & Section II share the same construction between them, but,  they are a bit more complex in comparison to the Prologue;

  • We are going to dive in the action directly with the third time scenario - the flashbacks - as we are going to experience present, future & past actions - as well as retrospectives, by other characters (sister Maria, Terry, Anthony) in this way we can also hear secondary characters direct thoughts and feelings.
  • At least in two occasions, we encounter two different narrators - Candy in first person at present day, talks directly, thinking, remembering or even having some live flashbacks. But the vast majority of these sections are narrated in third person by a second narrator (I tend to think is Mizuki filling in).
  • Except for those exceptional flashbacks, the years in these sections are in chronological order, from past (1904) to present of 1913, moment Candy abandons the School in London.
  • In section I, we also find the next letters of the novel; Annie to Candy (B1/pp. 41-42), Candy's note to Albert (it is a message in a bottle. (B1/p. 159)) a short note from Sir William informing Aunt Elroy about Candy’s adoption (B1/p. 193)  and finally the letter she writes to the Cornwell brothers (B-1/pp. 227-228) after Anthony’s death.
  • In section II we have  the Cornwell brother’s letter to Candy waiting for her to arrive in London (B1/pp/ 238-239). On Sir William's behalf- letter from George to Candy, inviting her to go to Scotland (B2/p 58-59). Letter that Albert sends to Candy from Kenya (B2/pp 96- 97). Note from Terry “to whom it may concern” instructing to give a letter from him to Candy and then the letter itself, where he writes he is leaving London & the school, because there is something he wants to do in America (B2pp134-135).
  • Apart from the letters, section II also have several inserts from Candy’s diary (that eventually will end up in Uncle William hands); January 10 days after she enrolled at St. Paul B1/pp 272-273. The arrival of Annie at St. Paul B1/p. 303. Meeting Albert at the night streets of London B1./pp 311-313. April, the upcoming May Festival, also the first time she writes about Terry on her diary, she gives him the initials T.G. (B1/p339-341).  May, she thinks about Terry a lot and how he reminds him of Anthony B2/p33. September: end of Summer School (in Scotland) she practiced piano with Terry. B2/p95. Last  entry on her diary doesn’t have a dated, but she writes how she wanted to say out loud that she loves Terry. B2/p143

Section III, In this part (at least in 10 occasions) we’ll have the opportunity to see Candy in the actual present time.

  • Therefore, flashbacks in this section are often than before, we are going to be swapping with Candy between her present in real time and the present of past events.
  • Candy is again the sole narrator, helped by a treasure box where she has saved letters, clippings and other memorabilia, she looks with nostalgia at the critical moments of her past, and remembers loved ones who are no longer with her.
  • Also new in this section is that we stop reading narrative format to read an epistolary novel, and although, Candy is the main voice narrating, we are also going to read a few letters written first hand by secondary characters (George, Patty, Annie, Archie, Susanna & Terry).
  • To complicate things further more Mizuki, hides and spread clues over the three time escenarios (present, past and flashback) following the story requires a greater degree of concentration, and now the reader has to stop being passive or a mere spectator to get involved, retaining, analyzing, and remembering (Mizuki is going to force you to have your own flashbacks about things you’ve already read  "I see, that was before, I’ve read this is somewhere else").
  • Also, the letters we read in this section does not follow a chronological order, instead they are organized in theme groups- e.g. St. Joanna’s Hospital, Miami’s hotel party or Hamlet’s play (it could be that this is not so obvious at first, but it will be definitely more clear once we read the last section of the novel).

The Epilogue, might feel somehow similar to Section III, as it is also written in epistolary form, but there are huge differences between these two;

  • We are not going to see Candy in present day until the very last page, so, in this section; there is no “narrator” as such, only letters.
  • At first it might feel that we are yet in another reconstruction, but in reality Candy is stuck in a time-loop, we return again to a present in the past that we had already analyzed in Section III (we know because Mizuki is going to give us “anchors” to cross-reference this part with the section III - and at times the epilogue will fell like a huge Déjà vu).
  • Also these are not loose letters, but a long well chronologically organized correspondence/conversation between Candy and Albert - in contrast with the previous part, and as a matter of fact, the epilogue is going to guide us and help us to put section III in its right chronological order.
  • But perhaps, the biggest difference is that Albert is not a mere secondary character as before, he gains leadership as he writes & narrates, he guide us in first person, bringing his own flashbacks to the novel. This is extremely out of balance against Terry, as Mizuki makes Albert together with Candy the main character of the section, just before Candy comes back to her present day and runs into the warm arms of Anohito.

..and then, something even more amazing is about to happen, just when you read the last word of the last page of the novel - and if you have been paying good attention, done all the exercises and followed Mizuki instructions to detail - something more incredible yet, Mizuki is forcing your head to do a reverse chronology, you will have to go backwards and as magic, you are going to pull out from the thread, strain-out the timeline, uncover the twist plots and unveil Anohito’s true identity. Have you missed something? Do not worry, for the purposes of this guide, we will go over some of the steps - but remember that when reading the novel, all this comes most naturally in your head; as a reader, you won’t even notice what sort of tricks Mizuki is playing with you.

2.           Stear, the timeline & the Époque.
Next, so how do we organize all this info?
Meanwhile I was reading the translations, I came to realize that with so many flashbacks and retrospective 95% of the novel cover past events - even if we read them in present form - they actually happened many years ago (that’s why they are flashbacks)
The only real present of the novel is a spring day - “..the afternoon sunlight of early spring” (B1/pp 230-235) - “It is already dark. The pale blue of the sunset...” (B2/pp 330-331) and account for a mere 5% of the novel, and even during the course of this day and the few minutes we are experiencing the present, we’ll also feel retrospectives. As the day progresses from daylight to sunset, so do Candy’s memories through the first two decades of the XX century. For me the easiest way to control the different time scenes was to create a timeline. Although, there is not one single date in the novel - (also no by chance, but another way for Mizuki to keep the reader alert and active in the novel) - I’ve found three historical events (they might be even more) but so far, all actions can be linked within the historical time frame (either before, during or after) of these three events;

  1. Mention “There was a great war” (B1/pp 230-235) refers to World War I (1914-1918)
  2. Mention “far from suffering losses in that financial crisis...” (B2/p 196) refers to Wall Street Crash of 1929
  3. Mention “The global situation is still unstable”(B1/pp 230-235) refers to the Interbellum (1918–1939)

The second easiest pick is, definitely, Stear’s death (sometimes I think Mizuki needs to kill Stear to give us a historical point of reference). We know he dies before the US involvement in the great war (the date was April 1917). We know his memorial is after the war is over (that was November 1918)

We are also told in the novel, that Annie, Candy & Eliza have all the same age (my guess is that this also applies to Patty); Annie is adopted with 6 years, the same day Candy met the prince (who is 17). Candy was taken in service by the Leagans (or Reagans/Lagans) at 13 and adopted by Uncle William at 14. Archie and Anthony are the same age, Stear was two years older. Anthony died 20 years ago, when he was only 15. Eliza is younger than her brother Neil, and I am guessing Terry & Neil also have Archie’s (or Anthony’s) age.

So, now we have some ages and some historical events, but how can be link these two sets together to form a timeline?

Again, the best way is the reference to the “Great War”; we know the kids leave the school in London before the war starts (this is before June 1914- Summer) we also know that the kids were in Scotland the summer before (thus this has to be the summer of 1913). Therefore, Candy studied in London during 1913. The previous summer, in 1912, Anthony was alive and Candy was just adopted by Great Uncle Williams. The summer before that Candy was working for the Leagan (thus summer 1911) we also know she was taken in by the Leagans in the Spring when she just turned 13 (thus in 1911 Candy was 13 years old) - now we have a match, I can go up and down the timeline, cross-matching Candy’s age with the events and the year they happened. We can establish the past as we know Candy was born 13 years ago this is 1898, 6 years later (1904) she meets the prince (he was 17 - so he was born in 1887) the far back we need to go is into Miss Pony, sister Mary & George’s memories of their past childhood (circa 1860’s)

In the same way, we can also establish the present year; Anthony was 15 years old when he died in 1912, this was more than 20 years ago (1912+20=) 1932 at least, it could be more, we don’t know, but for the purposes of my analysis I’ll keep the present of the novel until 1932 (Candy should be 34). Either way we can never go much further than 1939 (as this will be the beginning of World War II that Candy doesn’t mention, we know about the war because we are in the future, but Candy cannot talk about WWII because it hasn’t happened yet.)


The timeline of the novel will be something approximately, like this;
  • Actual present (5% of the novel)- one spring day in (circa) 1932, during the hours of this day Candy recollects her adventures, she has flashback in this present that will transport us back into her past. (Remember that the spring equinox in the north hemisphere is the 21 of March and equals to 12 hour daylight 12 hours darkness, but also the closer we get to the arctic circle the spring days till beginner of summer are the longest of the year)
  • Past time (95% percent of the novel) we are reviving Candy’s past (that’s why most of the novel is also written in present tense forms even when all the action happen many years ago, apart from present verbs there are also past tense and futures). The main timeline are the years running from 1904 till c.1920 (in general this timeline advances chronologically - except in the epilogue section, like in a time-loop, we are forced to run again over the same period of years).
1.     When Candy writes “Terruce, I love you!” (B2/pp95- 97) is her present of 1913
2.     When Candy writes “P.S. Terry ... I loved you.” (B2/pp 274) she writes a past tense in her present of 1919
3.     When Candy says “I live with the man I love …” (B1/pp230-235) It is  the actual present time of the novel in c.1932
  • In the main-timeline of this PAST- there will be also other retrospectives or flashback (they can also come from secondary characters). The retrospectives keep jumping, moving randomly and covering as far back as 1860’s till 1919.

There are also three pairs of events that at first might sound like the same thing, but there at least a year apart from each other, these 6 events are;
  1. Stear’s Funeral (c.1916 or early 1917) held in Chicago to which Candy is not invited to go & Stear’s Memorial (December 1918) held in Lakewood to which Candy attends.
  2. The invitation from Eleanor Baker to see Hamlet’s representation (Autumn 1918) & End of Hamlet’s play in the USA (letter to Terry, Summer 1919).
  3. Annie/Archie’s engagement party in Lakewood (spring, c.1920) & Annie/Archie’s wedding day (c.1921)

Having a timeline, is not only helping to put the events in a chronological order, but is also helping us to understand them in perspective, within their context. To grasp the Political-Social-Cultural background of the novel, we have to jump to the way of life was 100 years ago, adjusting our time-set is mandatory. When Mizuki first published Candy Candy she did it for the Japanese female audience born between 1957 till 1963, if you are born way after this, changes are you don’t know anything about; segregation, sense of duty, honor, society pressure or discrimination. As a modern audience, we cannot take the events out of their real context, otherwise we are never going to understand what’s really happening, instead we have to erase our current way of thinking, our experiences, the present reality we live in and to move to a total different era. Now that we have a time frame (backwards c.1860’s. Main timeline (1904 till 1920). Actual present time c.1932) We have clear eras to relate to; The Progressive Era, The Roaring Twenties & The Great Depression in the USA and as well as some actions are located in the UK, we also have the Victorian & the Edwardian period as well as the World War I & Interbellum eras.

For example, now we can understand the novel’s setting; Television or internet are years from being invented, even telephone & radio are still tested and are not yet a mass media communication. Advances in technology and inventions would go across several stages and developments (sometimes taking decades and even generations) before becoming an everyday item, popular among the masses. - e.g., light bulb, cinema, car, telephone, radio - helped also by consumer spending and economic growth that specially experience the USA during the roaring twenties.  News travel fast via telegraph and newspapers, even when the war breaks in Europe in 1914, it takes weeks & even months for the news to reach the population. The war is fought in military ground (mainly big empty fields) with hardly any disturbance to the population - (and even when some large cities suffer some shelling by war aircrafts it is not really until the bombing of Guernica in 1937, that civil population is the main target in a war - still nowadays the saddest example are those happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945) -

Europe is the center of the world, (left behind are the spanish and the portuguese empires that didn’t invest in the industrial revolution) but France and Great Britain are still strong and driving, everything they do has an enormous impact, specially in their colonies (that sum up for half of the world’s territory). Germany is going to challenge their supremacy in two occasions (resulting in two world wars) and it won’t be until 1945 that the world power finally shifts from the old Europe to the east (Soviet Union) but specially to the west; USA has been driving the world since the second world war. Look-up for the subtle way of communication between characters in the novel, because it holds keys to history, culture & customs of the era.

In Germany, since 1909, DELAG - first world airline, was transporting passengers using Zeppelins, the Graf Zeppelin will cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, making the first ever intercontinental flight, as for the airplane, which already exists but not yet for civil transportation; this project won’t take off until 1930’s, thanks mainly to the Douglas DC-3. In general long distance traveling will be done by steam-engine train or transoceanic ships - going from New York to Southampton would take more than a week and from Southampton to London 1 day. Local transport will include trams, taxis, but mainly horse and carriage and of course walking, - there are some automobiles (which initially only the wealthy can afford, Ford model T will make a huge impact in private transportation, costing already $440 in 1915 (a workers 4 months salary) but even the first models won’t go much faster than horse & carriage - so forget about 120 km/h) - there are hardly any paved roads (there are no roads or highways as such - and paths are depending on the weather, muddy or dusty) in populated areas there are cobblestones streets.

You will keep in contact with your family and friends via letters (telephone lines (hardly exist) & telegraph are expensive used in rare occasions). We know that the letters were written either with dip pen (feather ink) or with fountain pen (the ballpoint pen is not invented until 1938)- ink has to fully dry before you could fold the paper out, the ink is not permanent and smudges if it gets wet, “I stained your letter with tears” (B.2/p.305)- you wouldn’t write on the back side of the paper. If you make a mistake or the pen leaks ink, you will have to start all over again. We also have a way to measure the letters “Thank you very much for reading this long letter all through.” (B2/p. 255) - as in letter from Terry (B2/p283) is more of a short note or the letter from Albert (B2/p296-304) would be 6 to 8 pages long. All this is part of the “lost art of handwriting letters”. The post is also handled manually, still nowadays, mail letters are delivered on foot - but a letter from Kenya to London would take a 1 month average to arrive- (airmail is not standard until after WWII), a letter from New York to Chicago would take 2 weeks. When Candy writes “Prince of the Hill ... Thank you for your immediate reply!” (B2/pp 291-295) “immediately” doesn't mean an email, but at least 5 days waiting reply. Electricity was becoming more available, yet people will depend on natural daylight as much as possible, as for artificial light we have candles & gas lamps - tungsten bulbs are being tested. There is no running hot water, no central heating & very few homes would have a toilet inside.

Child labor is legal so is the physical punishment of children. Hand-labor is hard, slow, cheap & often dangerous. There is no social security, health insurance or pay retirement for the working class - workers unions exists, but with hardly any rights. Life expectancy is that of mid-fifties. Parents don’t get very attached to their children as infant mortality is very high. In the case of Candy falling off the waterfall, the chances of her dying were quite high; skull fracture or drowning but most likely by either hypothermia or pneumonia (there are hardly any medicines at this time, so forget about rescue teams with helicopter, tin foil blanket, serum or ER unit waiting). Chances of Albert dying are also very real, (no because he had a concussion) but without proper care & help he could die of malnutrition or hypothermia (street homeless) - shelters for the poor hardly exist. In Susanna’s case, she is extremely brave, her leg’s operation is done without modern anaesthesia  - the chance of gangrene is huge. Terry must take care of her; Susanna parents might live another 10-15 years, being now an invalidate they cannot marry her (even if she is still a virgin or with a dowry) in 1915 there wasn’t something like accident insurance allowance, the government won't take care of her either. Without special help & care that she needs she will die.

In entertainment, we have theater, opera, ballet, parties (ball dancing), listening to music (gramophone) or reading books, cinema and radio is slowing starting but it doesn’t become popular until 1920’s. As pastimes we have embroidering and household for women & cigars, liquors, gambling and a lover for the rich men. Society is mainly patriarchal, largely favor males having a dominant role, most families are also patrilineal. Woman suffrage is legal in some states (which at the time was a shocking idea) but in the real daily life it meant peanuts, because women’s role in society (to marry, to take care of the household, to produce offspring) didn’t change that much, the real women liberation doesn’t happen until 1970 and in many countries nowadays, women are still fighting for rights.

Social dress is a code, a way of communication; elders know the age of the kids by the length of their garment; the girls dress (and by the way the boys trousers as well) is increasingly getting longer until fully covering their ankles by the coming of age at 21, also by this age, all women can tie their hair up and married women would never let their hair down in public. An idiot is a gentleman, who doesn’t wear a hat and bastard is not an insult, but a label society puts on the offspring born outside marriage. Going to mass was mandatory (even if you were not a believer) society would force you to be a good Christian citizen, even if you had to fake it.

Honor is high in the scale of values, duty always comes first, you have to do what is right (not what you want). Arranged marriages were no longer in practice, but nobles wouldn’t marry commoners, and upper-class endogamy is a norm,  if someone within the family would bring shame to the estate, relatives can challenge him to leave the lineage, the next legitimate relative could claim & rightfully inherit his wealth. In December 1936 King Edward VIII abdicates to marry the divorcee Wallis Simpson - their affair was the scandal & the commotion of the decade. In the USA, to marry you would need a marriage license with family/parental consent (legal signed document) as marriages were understood an extend contract between two families and no two individuals; In the case of Archie marrying Anne the consent is granted by Uncle William. In the case of Candy “forced-arranged” engagement to Neil, the consent was given by the council of the Aldlay’s elders, Uncle William annuls the consent, most of these norms were still valid way after 1950’s. On the contrary, in the UK the marriage license didn’t change much since the Middle Ages, there is no need for such family consent, as marriage is a direct contract between the two individuals getting married.

Candy’s adoption by Sir Williams will be seen by the society of that time more like a charity work. Candy will get an allowance, but she has no rights to inheritance, the same goes for Terry, (as illegitimate or adopted children could not inherit & this won’t change until late 1970’s -both USA and UK under the legitimacy law). In the anime, Eliza gives Neils the idea to marry Candy so they will get her money when she inherits (after Uncle Williams death) - this an anachronism by Toei-  in the manga & the novels - Mizuki explains this better with Neil holding the family hostage (using Stear’s death as blackmail) if he doesn’t marry Candy - this is more likely. Mizuki took some freedom when writing the novel; Terry would never be allowed to use the name Grandchester, another anachronism is Candy’s behaviour; she is often out of place, specially meanwhile working for the Leagans - in most cases she is just Mizuki’s pure imagination, more than a real representation of an orphan in 1910. To the elites Candy's spirit is a nuisance, but to Candy herself, the American dream encourages her to do as she pleases. Which is still a preposterous idea for their British counterparts and the American elites.

On the other hand Aunt Elroy & Sarah Leagan - are right-full representation of their conservative upper-class & social status. Eliza and Neil were superior to Candy, they are raised to know so, being aware of their status & their privileges (they belong to what today we call the 1% elite) in 1910’s they could get away with murder, high society don’t go to jail (nowadays, in many cases they still don’t). On the contrary, William A. Ardlay (as well as Rosemary) follow clear example of liberal & progressive ideas; favoring changes, improvements and reforms toward better conditions, as opposed to their conservative relatives who wish to maintain things as they are. This is also the basic conflict between aunt Elroy and her nephews (and the main reason why some wellcome Candy in the family so easily and others, including the servants won’t ever really accept her). When reading the novel try to keep an eye for this kind of communication between the two sides, and try to understand where they are all standing.  (B2/p.200) letter from Candy to Ms. (Sarah) Leagan “ I was deeply moved especially when, in front of the whole family, you have denied the rumor that I was a "compulsive thief'. For many years, it has been a long neglected shadow in my heart. I really don't recall doing anything like that. After having expressed my gratitude, you have replied, "I was only given orders by Great Uncle William". Even if that were the case, it took some courage for you Miss Leagan to have made that statement. Once again, I thank you very much.“ It goes without saying that these are not political views, but social structures; conservatives (Elroy) will keep traditions, hierarchy, old values, established customs, opposite to progressive individuals (W.A.) that are tolerant, open to reforms, new ideas and behaviors (like, women going to university, short and more comfortable clothing or being atheist). In general the society is mainly conservative, specially the upper classes, liberal ideas are more popular among middle class (liberal professions or new wealthy fortunes). The poor class has very little choice or voice in any social change.  

There is also a clear reference to Male primogeniture -  “The only successor of William, was me, then only 8 years old. The householder could only be a direct descendant of Ardlay named "William". (B2- pp 296-304) When my sister Rosemary was still alive, I was still relaxed. Rosemary was the only one who really understood me. She felt deeply sorry and worry about my position with false identity more than anyone.”  Meaning; Rosemary, Albert’s older sister is not eligible to inherit the household - this is an ancient rule from feudal England intent to preserve larger properties from being broken up into small holdings, which might weaken the power of nobles “the first legitimate son (MALE) would inherit the entire estate of his parents” -  Yet this rule does not exist in the United States. This might prove that William Albert is part of some European nobility. Also in some mangas Rosemary (Albert’s sister) is addressed as a Countess, making him a Count. In the novel, he is the only character holding the title “Sir” (reserved to lower nobility - either an Earl, a Count, a Baron or even a knight of the Kingdom). Other wealthy, upper-class men are addressed as “Mr.” except for the Great Duke of Grandchester (which is high nobility).

The social scale of the novel is, at its highest; High Upper-Class.- the Duke of Grandchester (high nobility/aristocracy) and Sir William (low nobility? either knight or Count?). Upper-Class.- The Leagan’s or the Cornwell’s. Lower Upper-Class.- The Brighton’s. Middle Liberal-Class.- Cap. Vincent Brown, Eleanor  or Dr. Leonard.
To the lowest; Working-Class.- The servants, Albert or the nurses. Poor-Class.- The abandoned children /living out of charity. (“The Great Gatsby” & “The Color Purple” are perhaps better examples of the American social ladders in 1910’s & 1920’s.)


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There is also a secondary character that might not look like much at first, he wasn’t there in the previous novel, manga or the anime; Slim “He was a mulatto with gray eyes looking sad. By nightfall he was always crying” (Pg. 3, Prologue) - Mizuki needs him to give us a geographic reference of where Candy & Anohito live in the present time. We know Candy lives “across the ocean” - also if she was living in the USA, she will be talking about “a great depression” (economic downturn in the 1930s) but instead she is talking about “there was a big war, dangerous times, the world situation is very unstable,” referring to the Interbellum (this is a period between wars that affected mainly European territory), but where exactly in Europe is she?;
  • “The River Avon flows easily, receiving the sun of this early spring afternoon”(B1/pp 230-235)
  • as well the connection with Slim; “it was anohito, some years ago, he found the painting at a flea market in London.” this is the first indication
  • then comes the second clue “(Slim ... Where are you now? I hope you're still alive.) I had organized a search but found no trace of Slim.”
This gives us a geographic area limited to the UK, somewhere near a river Avon, but from a driving/day distance from London; if Candy is going to search for Slim she needs to do herself, it is 1930’s and there are not many methods available to search for missing people. It wouldn’t be strange they are also near (driving/day distance) from Southampton (this is the direct port/transport/communications with the USA), in case they need to evacuate Europe - if the war starts- or to get/collect parcels from the other side of the ocean or meeting visiting relatives. My personal guess is that they live near Bath in England - at the top of any of the many hills looking down to the valley of the river Avon, this is also a driving distance from London & Southampton. Bath founded by the Romans, flourished again in Georgian times as a place of health & well-being, thanks to the spas and hot spring water along the Avon river, bringing a line of doctors and nurses specializing in new therapeutically treatments to the area.  
So, now that we are set in perspective over 100 -80 years ago, and we are moving between the USA and the UK, lets now understand the plot.

3.     Create your own “Anohito”
The novel Candy Candy Final Story is complex; in its content, in its reading, in its analysis, in its conclusion, the good news is that it also resolves itself, but all at its right time. As readers we cannot rush things, we have to let Mizuki & Candy to tell us the story and avoid preconceptions and choices that will lead us to that specific “Anohito” we had on mind. This reminds me of the Choose Your Own Adventure series guidebooks, “where the reader assuming the role of the protagonist, makes choices that determine the main character's actions and the plot's outcome.” In the same way, under the option “create your own Anohito” any male character presented in the novel can full-fill the role of Candy’s love; the rules are simple; you just have to select and read those pages you are more fascinated with, ignore everything else, tide all up with Candy in Anohito’s arms. THE END. There you go, you’ve got yourself the novel & the ending you always wanted. Can Terry be Anohito? Off course, you just need to ignore about 200 pages specially the epilogue. Can Anthony be Anohito? Of course, you just need to ignore 200 pages or so - specially those sections where he is actually dead- . Can Albert be Anohito? Off course, you just need to ignore about 200 pages or so - especially section II -...The con with this option is that every reader will have a “right-full” Anohito... ok, let’s then forget about developing an Anohito’s factory and let’s continue with understanding the plot.

When reading the pages of the novel in its proper order, you’ll empathize with Candy, even mirror her feelings, most likely you will also experiences ups (getting all excited) and downs (getting melancholic, perhaps even crying). The rhythm of the novel mimics that of a rollercoaster, for every up, most likely, there will be a down (some will hit you harder than others). We start at the prologue, which already has a melancholic tone by nature. Moving to beginning of Section I, with the first deep down (Annie leaving Candy for her new life) to the first high (Candy meeting “a Prince” in Pony’s hill).


At times we’ll also experience feelings from other characters; Annie’s Letter to Candy “Every time I receive one (letter) from you, I get teary eyed out of nostalgia, and I am very sorry for not writing you back.(...) Please Candy, do not write to me anymore.(..) I don't want anyone to know that I came from an orphanage. And an abandoned child at that. I don't even want to think about it! (...) They all believe that I am a true daughter of the Brightons. If they find out that I was an orphan--- just imagining it, it's so dreadful I can barely take it. Candy, I really don't want them to know. (..) This is my last letter. Candy, won't you please do the same? I'm so sorry. I pray that you will find happiness, I really do! I'm very sorry!” (B1/pp 41-42)

This is extremely sad as the rejection is not towards Candy as much as it is to herself; Annie has to sacrifice the people she once loved to keep up the appearances. She is already adopted, so she doesn’t have right to inherit title, estate, land or properties from the Brighton's, but most likely her parents will leave aside some money, goods or even jewelry for her dowry. The prospects of finding a suitable candidate among the upper-class gentlemen can be shattered by the revelation that she comes from an orphanage- and we also have to remember that the main role of women in this society is to marry and produce offspring. Even after becoming a Lady, Annie will always be in the shadow of her past.

We’ll follow Candy thought more ups and downs; she is adopted- in service- to Eliza, meets Anthony and the kids, fights with Anthony, meets Albert, falls in love with Anthony, she is accused of robbery, sent to Mexico to finally being rescued by George and adopted by Sir William A.A.. Happiness starts with Anthony by her side until tragedy strikes again with a new deep-low in the novel - Anthony dies.

More ups & downs follows in the second part, she meets Terry, she studies in London, trying to cure Terry she meets Albert again, she fights Terry, Terry kisses her, she bids farewell to Anthony, she falls in love with Terry and happiness starts once more with Terry by her side until he voluntarily leaves the school to protect Candy. She leaves London shortly after him.

The third part is now different (compared to the manga or the anime, but mimics the novel of 1978) from now on, almost every fact we are going to read comes from letter/correspondence. It is hard to follow the events in a chronological order because most of the letters are not in order but clustered by themes instead. Never the less, the clusters also follow the same patron of ups & downs; cluster letters from the Miami Resort Inn (B2/pp 200-214) the first two letters (to Sarah and to Stewart were shallow) then the one to Mary is complice and happy, we jump down to Mr. Whitman with a quite somber letter, to go up once again, in the last letter, written in an over optimist-chitchatting manner to George.

The Epilogue is not much different, we are already in good spirit (after reading Terry note’s “— I haven't changed at all.” (B2/pp283). Candy has finally an opportunity to be happy, now we read the correspondence between Albert & Candy, she is the happiest she's ever been in the novel, her mood is up, she is joking, she is excited, she is even FLIRTING... oh yes this is going to end good I can feel it, just before meeting Albert in Lakewood - Candy writes “Now, this will be the end of this letter because I want to see you in person. Perhaps stingy, Candy”  (B2/p. 316) When they finally meet, they grieve over Anthony’s death, they talk about the opposition to Rosemary’s  marriage & W. A. returns the diary back to Candy - that’s pretty much it, quite disappointed for a 1 to 1 conversation, not a kiss, not a love confession, nothing. But the worst is still to come in Anthony’s letter - did I just got hit by a train? - What is this all about? This is the most sad letter in the entire book. … And finally she runs into Anohito’s arms giving us hope once more.... What just has happened? ...

You might have to leave things sinking-in for a while, or perhaps you want to read section III again (now that you have read the whole epilogue), but eventually your brain will get hit with “that detail”; perhaps in Anthony’s letter, perhaps Susanna’s letter, perhaps “Hamlet” but either way you will pull-out from this thread and as a chain reaction, all the plot twists will reveal before your eyes...

In the Manga, the anime and the old novel, there were only two plot twists, we all know the story by now, so those plot twists are not even significant any more.
  1. First plot twist - Albert is Sir William A. Ardlay
WHAAAAT???... ALBERT IS UNCLE WILLIAM??? THAT TRAMP IS THE MILLIONAIRE? ... YOU ARE JOKING ME, RIGHT?
  1. Second plot twist - Albert /Uncle William is also the Prince of Pony’s Hill
WHAAAAAT???? - ALBERT WAS THE PRINCE ALL THE TIME???? ...WHO COULD HAVE SEEN THAT ONE!!!

In Candy Candy Final Story, Mizuki presents two new more plot twist
  1. Third plot twist - Terry seems to be Anohito

Terry & Candy’s develop their love relationship in the section II of the novel, in section III we read the outcome - Candy tell us that they were just missing each other, always about to meet, but they never succeeded, until that winter in New York, where Terry (unfortunately) must take care of Susanna & Candy is left with a broken heart. We keep reading the letters in section III and we feel Candy’s despair, but somehow it seems - with the help of her friends - she is getting better & smiling once again, until we read the last cluster of letters and retrospection - related to Terry (B2/pp271-283) - just before the epilogue.

It feels like Candy is unstable, suffers some kind of imbalance or is simply keeping-up appearances and lying to herself. To Eleanor Baker she writes - “I wanted to see Terry’s play… But I also do not want to… If I see him, I would surely want to meet him. When I meet him, I would want to speak to him even just for once. And I also have to keep a promise I made to Suzana Marlowe. I promised her I would never see him again.” (B2/pp271-273) the next letter is to Terry (she doesn't send it out) but she writes - “I'm happy. And you, Terry,  I hope you too will be happier! (...) P.S. Terry...l loved you.” (B2/pp274-277). Then it comes the letter that Susanna wrote to Candy, her obituary and finally a short note from Terry to Candy; “I haven't changed at all.” If Candy was waiting for her chance to be happy with Terry here it is, and after all Terry seems to be Anohito (unless you have already discovered the plot twist or you have read the letters in the epilogue).   

Well, first thing to notice is that the letters are not in chronological order, Mizuki moved them and cluster them to create a different narrative; the most obvious is Susana’s letter to Candy, that was written in 1915 just after Candy’s trip to New York (breaking up with Terry) and its right place is before Annie's Letter to Candy (B2/pp 230-233) and then it should be Candy's Retrospection on the Separation scene (B2/pp234-237). The letters to Eleanor and to Terry are at least a year apart from each other (perhaps even more) - one is about the opening of the play Hamlet and the other one about the end of the performance in the USA.
But more interesting yet, are the two anchors Candy writes in her letter to Terry;
1.   “Terruce's "Hamlet" "is also going to be performed in Britain!” this means the war (WWI) has to be over, -Stratford company would not risk to go into a warzone - thus this letter was written at least in 1919.
2.   “Oh, how Albert didn’t confess when he got back his memory. Even now he is still full of mysteries.” here Candy refers to her letters to Albert in the epilogue.
  • I wonder if you had already regained your memory at that time. (I'll press you with questions next time!) (B2/pp 291-295) and then again “I hoped you regain your memory soon... By the way, when did you regain your memory?” (B2/pp 306-309)
  • Albert doesn’t reply immediately in his next letter but in (B2/pp 311-315) he writes “When I recovered my memory”... I think it was triggered by that traffic accident in which I was brought to Dr. Martin”


What is the meaning of all this? Well, the first time we read Terry’s cluster letters, we think Candy is lying to herself, because she doesn’t know what she really wants - she wants to see Terry but she doesn’t want to see him because the promise she made to Susanna - finally she writes that she is happy in a letter to Terry that she doesn’t send, d'uh? But understanding now that Mizuki anchors the letter Candy writes to Terry in 1919, at the high pick of her correspondence with Albert, makes the meaning of this letter to Terry completely different; When Candy writes to Terry in reality, she does it meanwhile waiting on Albert’s reply, when candy writes in 1919 “I'm happy” she is genuinely happy (with Albert), when she writes “P.S. Terry...l loved you.” she is not confused, she really knows her love feelings for Terry are over (6 years has passed since their relationship in the UK, and 4 since they broke up in New York).
It also makes sense that she writes about this, it’s what cognitive therapy refers to as “writing out your thought records”, she doesn’t need to send the letter out either. In the same way when she writes in her diary “And I wanted to say this at the top of my voice. Terruce, I love you! More than anybody else … “(B2/pp143-146) she didn’t really say it to anyone else- we read about it, Uncle William reads about it, but that’s about it - she doesn’t really ever writes or ever tells Terry “I love you” - in the same way she doesn’t need to tell him or write to him “I don’t love you anymore”, but instead she writes this to herself to close the circle, Terry is over. In fact Mizuki writes four different goodbyes for the relationship Candy-Terry. Not when he leaves the school, (because he disappears, without saying goodbye and Candy has hopes to see him again) “T.G. has gone, leaving many memories … no, I can't say, "memories, "gone" We will meet again someday ….” (B2/pp143-146)
1.   The one and only physical goodbye between them is in New York, this is at the end of 1915 “When I was about to come out of the hospital, Terry suddenly embraced me from behind. Tightly, really tightly―Just a little longer.... as it is....” (B2/pp234-237)
2.   The second one is a psychological goodbye from Candy to Terry in Rocktown “I wanted to storm inside that ramshackle stage and hit Terry in the chest as I cried. I thought, what was that night for, when I… when we broke off!" (B2/pp271-273)
3.   The third one, also psychological from Candy to Terry - in the letter she doesn’t send - “And I wish you to be even happier!” (B2/pp274-277)
4.   The last one is a goodbye with Albert as a witness, “Yes, that diary was mostly about Terry. I too was anxious about that diary. Now, the diary that I have once given back, returned to my hands once more. I never opened it though. I am going to ask you to look after it again. Just as you have sent your badge back to me.” (B2/pp316-322)


There is a last thought Candy gives to her relationship with Terry in (B2/pp324-328, Candy's Letter to Anthony) where she writes “I fell hard for someone who looked like you in London. Yet, I only thought you looked alike for a moment, because he probably was completely your opposite. With him, I found out that there are various ways to love. Also, the fact that there are things once lost will never return.” This is not a goodbye but a reinforcement on her lost feelings for Terry. So it doesn’t really matter, whatever way we put it, Mizuki always makes Terry loose for Albert’s benefit;
  • If we keep the narrative in the novel the way Mizuki writes it, Terry’s note is outcast with the correspondence between Candy & Albert in the epilogue.
  • When we put the letters in its chronological order, it is even worse, because Terry’s letter “I loved you” depends directly on Albert’s reply.

Those letters that Candy writes but she doesn’t send out; to Terry (B2/pp274-277), to Stear (B2/pp264-267), to Anthony (B2/324-328) are letters that in reality she writes to herself -  they are all part of her own therapy, even when she addressed them to different people and they are written a different time and with such different content. They all share the same purpose - to write out her thought records in the given moment. So why does she write them? This bring me to the 4th and last plot twist of the novel.

4.            Fourth plot twist - Albert seems to be Anohito

Initially we might presume that Candy distance herself from Albert (once he becomes Sir William A. Ardlay), we can read it in many of the letter across section III (B2/pp 246) in the way Candy -while writing to others- refers to him; from Granduncle William, to Uncle William, Mr. William A. Ardlay or even Sr. Albert. But as we have learnt by now, nothing in this novel is at it seems, we can already contrast this by the way Candy addresses Albert in the epilogue letters; starting somehow formal, Dear Uncle William or William Albert Ardlay, changing very fast into a more close intimate format; Dear prince of Pony’s Hill, Dear Albert, Dear Prince-Graaandpa, My father, Dear Albert, Little Bert.

Furthermore, we know that Mizuki changed the chronological order of the events to alter the narrative of the novel, but in doing so she also left enough clues for us to anchor these letters within those in the section III - I’ve already explained the link between Candy’s letter to Terry’s and Albert’s memory, but there are more;
  • The most obvious one is the one Candy writes to George (B2/pp 208-214), is impossible for Candy to know so much about George & his relationship with Albert unless she first read the letter William Albert sent to her (B2/pp 296-304)
  • In the same way Candy writes in her letter to Mary “Was I a sorceress and I had not noticed?” (B2/pp 203-204) mirrors the spell Candy cast to Albert in (B2/pp291-295) and Albert’s reply “Dear Candy, Miss sorceress,” (B2/pp296-304)  and consecutive repeating this same subject across the letter.
  • In Candy's Letter to Mr. Whitman (B2/pp205-207) Candy writes “I live now close to Pony’s home - the place where I come from - I am working now as a nurse in "Happy Martin Clinic» anchors  the letters in the epilogue to William Albert (B2/pp306-309) “I worry about your health. Dr. Martin also said you should not strain yourself too much, don’t you remember? your amnesia might come back” and then (B2/pp317-322) “As for me, as usual, I have just come back from the “Happy Martin Clinic” and put the children to bed.”

All this means that when Candy goes to the opening party of Leagan’s Miami Resort Hotel (B2/pp 198-214) (she already knows that William Albert is the prince of Pony hill or she is just about to find out) it is more, Candy & W. A. are acting formal and keeping up their distance in front of the crowd, but behind the scene they are writing romantic letters to each other. These are the kind of letters Candy wanted to get from Terry “I wanted to get more romantic letters but you were always teasing me… yet, I believe I knew what was inside your heart.” (B2/pp274-277). Yes, the correspondence in the epilogue is very romantic - it might not seem so to us, in our giving time - but anyone else reading these same letters 90 years ago, will have a very different idea - Aunt Elroy sure, would have a heart attack - and yes, Candy is very aware of W. A.’s feelings for her, and, so by the way, is he aware of her feelings for him. -

Yes, Candy & W. A. love each other, but this is beside the point, because it doesn’t really matter how they feel about each other - there is nothing they can do about it; He is rich, he is a millionaire. She is working class, living from charity most of her life, even worse, she is an abandoned child. It will be the same if he was black and she was Asian or if he was Muslim and she was a Jew; This has nothing to do with what you think is right or wrong, but what the American society at the beginning of the XX century thought it was acceptable or not; and for these, they were laws - no interracial marriages (imposed by the State) - no interfaith marriage (imposed by the Church) and no inter-class marriages (imposed by family & society).
You wouldn’t just think Mizuki will write a happy ending for Candy, would you? - let’s recap; Candy falls in love with Anthony but unfortunately he dies. Candy falls in love with Terry but unfortunately he stays with Susanna. Candy falls in love with millionaire Sir William Albert & they live happily ever after? yeah right! do you still think so? - NO! unless you need a quick fix or you believe Albert’s feelings for Candy are superior to those from Anthony or from Terry.

Difference in social status among the characters is a constant theme in the novel - there are plenty of examples from the first letter Annie writes to Candy (B1/pp41-42), to the multitude of outbursts from Eliza to Candy (B1), to her isolation at the boarding-school (B1 & B2). At the same way the upper-class endogamy is a strong sub-theme. There are at least 4 love cross-ladder relationship examples or exogamy love stories in the novel. The two more obvious - because we read about them directly in the novel are the Brown marriage (Rosemary & Vincent - Anthony’s parents) and Annie & Archie’s relationship. These two couples succeed in being together despite initial struggle due to their social differences;

1.   Cap. Vincent Brown has more of a middle class background, definitely not at the same economic level as Rosemary Ardlay (in some mangas they gave Rosemary the title of “Countess”, making, her brother, W.A. a “Count”), but at least Vincent Brown had a family root and a name. Rosemary was ready to renounce to her privileges and those of her offspring (Anthony) rights to inherit or to claim estate. “A person’s happiness is not based on one’s pedigree or money. It is living with the ones you love. If I could not have that, then I will forever shed the name of Ardlay” (B2/pp324-328)

2.   In the case of Annie (despite being adopted by the Brighton’s) is rejected by her fiancé’s family, due to her unknown origins “Perhaps the one of the biggest reason for the objection is because like me, Annie was an orphan.” - (B2/pp260-263)- it might seem she holds a good position in society but by law she has no rights to inherit her parents estate, even in the case of marrying Archie or becoming her widow she still has no rights due to her past. She can only hope to have offspring from Archie, preferable male or to die before him. - But different to Candy, Annie was raised as a lady “unlike myself, Annie have been adopted by the Brighton’s since she was a child. They have raised her like a true daughter” (B2/pp260-263), this is probably what saves Annie from total rejection.


3.   The real sad love-story is that of the Duke Grandchester & Eleanor Baker (natural parents of Terry). Terry is a love-child, nothing more pure & beautiful than him and yet, society doesn’t want him, ignores and excludes him. Terry is angry and he has every right to be like this, he is a filius nullius” and nothing else than the marriage of his parents, would clear his stigma - for this to happen the great Duke would have to renounce to his privileges, to his name, to himself - his family/relatives can claim his title if he does something dishonest (as it is marrying outside his social status, to join in matrimony with a commoner; “she wanted to live with Grandchester and me if possible.... rather than succeed as an actress…) B2/pp 83-92- it’s the paradox of the society - the Duke & Eleanor might still love each other - but the rules of society only allow them to be lovers.

4.   By the end of the 1910’s decade, Candice White and William Albert Ardlay are in-love with each other, but the American society of that époque & his family would never allow them to be together as husband & wife -  “If I could have, I would still have liked to live in secret with you” (B2/pp288-290) - It is also about honor, in the same way that Candy didn’t ask Terry to abandon Susanna, Candy is never going to ask W.A. to renounce to himself - to his duties (it is not about the money) but his responsibilities, to deceive those to he owns so much; George & Aunt Elroy. In the same way that a man cannot be both the groom and his witness at his own wedding, he also cannot write his own consent to get married. Society only allows them to be lovers, but W.A. would never take Candy as his lover; she wouldn’t risk getting pregnant and having an illegitimate child herself, and even when condoms (and means for abortion) were available, I doubt they will explore this option, my bet is that they both go into celibacy - nowadays this custom seems out of fashion, but 80 years ago it wouldn’t be such an odd option for young people to stay unmarried all their lives - hiding perhaps from a love paradox, an another sad love story.

Mizuki’s imagination cannot change history, nor the set rules of USA society at the beginning of the XX century. The reader who doesn’t understand this principle, should stop reading anything else related to Candy Candy’s novel and spend his/her time doing something more productive, like growing lettuces in Farmville.

When Candy writes her last letter to aunt Elroy (B2/pp260-263) - she is already in love with W. A., “After a lot of uncertainty, I finally got the courage to pick up the pen.” because in this letter she is not only talking about Annie & Archie, but most of what she says applies also to W. A. & herself, in this way we can also feel her despair. In the other hand the letter is also a way to reassure aunt Elroy, that Candy knows her place in society “Moreover, unlike myself, Annie have been adopted by the Brighton’s since she was a child. They have raised her like a true daughter, I think Great Aunt, you are fully aware of that.”  and if she approves their engagement “Would you also consider giving your blessing to the two lovers Great Aunt?” - Candy will not aim for the same treatment, perhaps is a way of sacrificing herself for Annie & Archie as by now she is starting to understand her own limitations.

In the letter to Stear (B2/pp264-267) - Candy writes about these same thoughts “At first, it seemed that Uncle William wasn’t expecting such strong opposition”...”I think he strongly disagree with his relatives. Because Uncle William, as a principle, does not pay attention to the birth or the family of a person.” “Perhaps I am the reason  … I think Grandma's relatives are still upset with my adoption because Mr. Albert acted so wayward …” and for last time in the letter to Anthony (B2/pp 324-328) “After the long silence, he began to talk about the story of your mother and your father, Miss Rosemary’s and Mr. Vincent Brown’s marriage. Saying that coming from different social status, they faced strong opposition from the family, but his sister did not yield. A person’s happiness is not based on one’s pedigree or money. It is living with the ones you love. If I could not have that, then I will forever shed the name of Ardlay. “Rosemary was kind and gentle but she had strength in her too”, said Albertsan.” but unlike Rosemary, W. A. cannot abandon the Ardlay’s name because he is the “name”, he has to fulfill his destiny - to be head of the clan.

W. A. is also aware of the family’s opposition and understanding that they are never going to be together, in an ultimate love’s sacrifice he gives the diary back to Candy  “This is… important to you.” You said softly as you stared outside the window. You said it very quietly---. (B2/pp 316-322) - the diary is a symbol of Candy’s love for Terry - “Yes, that diary was mostly about Terry.” - Albert, in a symbolic way is not only giving back the diary, but Candy’s freedom “I'm going to find out where your happiness lies.” (B2/pp 311-315) - is his way of saying -I want you to be happy, even if it means to lose you to another man - If you still love him go back to Terry, be happy, don’t wait for me because I cannot offer you anything, our faith is sealed. What Albert doesn’t know is that Candy no longer loves Terry, she already had closure, so she replies to Albert “Now, the diary that I have once given back, returned to my hands once more. I never opened it though. I am going to ask you to look after it again. Just as you have sent your badge back to me. (...) I am truly grateful to my parents who left me in Pony’s Home. It is because of them that I met you! It is I who most utterly thankful. That is right Albert, My happiness is now.” (B2/pp 316-322). Finally, In her sad letter to Anthony (B2/pp 324-328), she tries to give a psychological goodbye to W. A. “But---- now… I learned that there are people, although still alive, are bound by fate never to meet again.” Candy became a single strong independent woman, enjoying life & friends, looking with optimism to the future. “There must be something waiting out there in the bright tomorrow. Whatever it is, I’m looking forward to it. (...) Anthony… watch over me okay.”


Once we put the letters of the epilogue in its right place and straighten the time line we will have a clear overview and understanding of what actually happened - in previous work - the action ended by 1916 or 1917 (before the war was over), but in the new novel Mizuki stretches the action over more years, - (e.g. by the end of the war, Archie is studding in Massachusetts and Candy & Albert start their correspondence) giving us a slightly new chronology.

The content of the first book and half of the second one doesn’t change at all, we can read until the end of section II without any difference in the plot. The letters in the epilogue will only affect the narrative of the section III;  - the confusion starts from page 200 onwards, - the party in Miami (B2/pp200 till 215) happens well after, Candy & Neil’s engagement party, plus Candy & Albert are already writing to each other since the beginning of 1919.   
To understand the chronology we need to go back to the last months of 1915, because Candy first needs to go to New York, to see Terry and to come back with a broken heart (B2/pp230), also Susanna’s letter to Candy that we read in page 278 and Candy's Retrospection on the Separation scene p.237 should be included/read now at this same time. There are also the cluster letters about Stear (of 21) joining the army (end of 1915 )and dying a year shortly after that (B2/pp220 to 229) in 1916. Meanwhile Candy is starting to achieve some happiness living with Albert at their Chicago apartment (2 years after her breakup with Terry).

Albert already regained consciousness and he disappears in early 1917 - leaving a sad Candy behind, meanwhile searching for Albert, Candy (saw Terry) & meets Eleanor in Rocktown (but we’ll read about this encounter in her letter to Eleanor (pp.271-273)) written in the following year, so this is a Candy’s retrospective in 1918 about meeting Eleanor in early 1917) the letter to Eleanor is also written just around Candy & Neil engagement party, where Sir William (just turning 30) present himself to society. By the end of 1918, Candy moves back to Pony’s hill, the war ends, Stear’s Memorial is held in Lakewood (Candy's Letter to aunt Elroy p.255). At Christmas of this same year, Candy also writes to Dr. Martin (pp.246-250) & to Vincent Brown (Anthony's Father) pp.251-252.

In early 1919 the new extension of Pony’s home starts, also we have the party in Miami, and in the early spring, William Albert finally presents himself to Candy as the Prince of Pony’s Hill - here comes the first letter in the epilogue (pp. 286 till 290) and then the next 4 letters between themselves (pp. 291-304) that mirrors those letters from the Miami party or page 200 till 215.
Archie moved to Massachusetts to finish his studies (by the end of 1918, after Stear memorial), but is now in early spring of 1919, when Candy writes to him (letter’s to Archie p.256 - because in this letter she already knows Albert is also the Prince). By May of this same year, we have Candy’s birthday party in Chicago & the letters in the epilogue (pp.296 till 309), plus the letter Candy writes to Terry and never sends out (pp.274-277). Sometime later during this year Albert leaves for a long business trip, that will send him as far as San Paulo, (p.310 and pp. 311-315), from where Albert's replies about recovering his memory, meanwhile, the relationship Annie-Archie is not seeing with good eyes among Ardlay’s elders.
In early 1920- March? Candy writes a letter to Grandmother Elroy (pp.260-263) about Annie & Archie’s relationship (behind William Albert & Archie’s knowledge). A few weeks later she writes to Stear (pp.264-267), probably by May 1920/Spring we have the engagement party (pp.268-270 Retrospection on Annie's Archie's engagement party). Albert is back from his traveling and goes to meet Candy in Pony’s hill to bring her to Lakewood - pp.316-322 - this was going to be their most romantic moment, but instead of being in each other arms loving each other, W.A. returns the diary back to Candy (pp.316-322) - as we read the last romantic somehow sad letter of their correspondence, understanding that their romance cannot flourish. Finally Candy tries to have some closure about her feelings for W.A. in her letter to Anthony pp.324-328.   
In the Spring of 1921- Annie/Archie’s wedding. Susanna dies a few years after this, 1923? or perhaps 1925?. Terry writes to Candy 18 months later, in 1926? (p.283). It seems Terry is waiting on Candy’s reaction, finally he decides to take the initiative himself, his note doesn’t affect Candy because in reality her heart lies with someone else.


----------------------------//-------------------------


ok, but there is something missing, because we know Candy lives in the present with Anohito “I live with the man I love …” , true, there some more dates that we need to add to the new timeline. What happened then? - we know that her feelings for Terry are overdue and in fact William Albert was the last man she was in love with, but their fate was doomed.  Well if you were paying attention to Anthony’s letter, you might have the first clue, “The Prince of the Hill”, who looked like you was also Albertsan. Can you imagine my amazement? Yes, that vague memory you had of that teenager, was actually your uncle’s. It’s only natural that you two looked alike (...) I wonder what kind of man you would turn out to be if you were still alive.” (B2/pp 324-328). Also in a new unexpected turn of events there is an economical crisis “that financial crisis...” (B2/p 196) referring to the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the final clue “the Master House of the Ardlay in Lakewood, is now handed over to others.” (B1/pp. 230-235). It could be that the economical crisis affects Sir W.A. Ardlay’s fortune - he might lose some, part or most of it - perhaps forcing him to leave his property in Lakewood  (the state wasn’t much in use, but this is the land where his parents, sister & nephew are buried). But more decisive yet, the great depression is now starting - there is going to be a severe worldwide economic depression with international trade plunged by more than 50%. - there is no much need for businessmen & William Albert trips are definitely over. Perhaps, now he even got a weak heart attack “Thanks to Great-Uncle William, it became possible to obtain the land from Mr. Cartwright. And Pony’s House is filled with orphans as usual. I wish I could be of more help to the teachers, but at this moment----I don’t want to leave HIM who, above all, wants me by his side all the time.” (B1/pp. 230-235). 


4.        “ALBERT” VS ANOHITO   
So, then “Albert” is Anohito after all?... well.. not really, Anohito is a new person but also the sum of many old characters.
The first thing we need to understand is where the person  “Albert” stands in the present time of the novel. In order to illustrate this point, I am going to make use of the eternal superhero conflict; is “Albert” a “Superman” or is “Albert” more of a “Batman” - NO, I don’t mean this as in “which kind of superhero is he”, but more in terms of is he real or not? Let’s see;
  • Superman (or Kal-El) is an extraterrestrial (from Kryptonian) that has superpowers in earth, for him to camouflage among civilians needs to “create” an ALTER EGO; the clumsy photographer Clark Kent.
  • Bruce Wayne is a millionaire - that using the latest top-secret technology of his labs, fights crime in Gotham city, to do this incognito he creates “Batman” - His ALTER EGO.
  • So, under which category follows “Albert” - ALTER EGO or real person? well... Sir William A. Ardlay (aka Uncle William) is a millionaire who adopts Candy, in order to go undercover, he goes by his second name Albert, pretending to be a tramp, a stowaway or working in a zoo among others. Yes, “Albert” is to all effect Sir William’s ALTER EGO, his life and any of his appearance doesn’t correspond with the real person.

Kal-El, Bruce Wayne or Sir William are the real being. Clark Kent, Batman or Albert are all examples of ALTER EGOS.
(Sir) William A. Ardlay is always aware of his real person - as a “prince”- dress-up in the Male highland costume, as a “pirate” in faded loose jacket, or in London as a worker in worn out safari shirt and slightly stained trouser.. . he is constantly mislead or “soft” lying “ he sneaked into a ship and came to England…. Does that mean he was a stowaway?” “he was chased out from the mountain cottage of the Ardlay Estate” “Since he was chased out, Albert said he has no idea what happened to that forest or the mansion.” “‘a friend recommended me to work at the ‘Blue River Zoo’”  (B2- 305-310) to eventually, apology along the epilogue “Let me renew my apologies” “I can understand you're angry. I've always kept secret about being the "Uncle William", and William A. Ardlay. It was not easy for me to keep it hidden, but I will not make excuses.”

“Albert” is nothing else than the useful creation of William A. Ardlay, with the only purpose of living “incognito”, and even when he also hold “Albert” as his middle name, the “Albert” that he creates has very little to do with reality, if “Albert” was really a young boy of working class, he probably wouldn’t have the chance to run away, neither chances of “driving a car” in 1904 or to meet Candy in Pony’s hill dressed in a Scottish costume, “Albert” wouldn’t be in the Ardlay’s property rescuing Candy from a Cascade or he wouldn’t have the money nor the means to adopt her, even less to meet her in London again. To all effects “Albert” doesn’t exist, he never did. During his amnesia, he is forced to live like “Albert” because he doesn’t know any better, until he remembers his real self  “When I came to — I was my former self again. Albert … William Albert Ardlay. I should have told you at once, but I couldn't. I'm still feeling sorry about it.”  (B2/ pp.311-315)

so, who is Anohito then, or what do we know about him? well, he is still born in 1887 as William A. Ardlay, he is still blond with blue eyes - probably with less money now, perhaps even without using the title “Sir” in the current times. But he still has his skills, educated in the best colleges of the USA and the UK, raised to be a leader, probably speaks French and knows Latin & Greek too, as well as science & mathematics, perhaps now he has a liberal job - he might be a director, a lawyer or even a doctor now - In Africa he worked in a clinic for humans. Either way Anohito still is, the Prince of Pony hill. “Sore wa akarui anohito oka no ue” ("The Cheerful One of the hilltop") . But he is also an upgrade, better than William Albert, definitely far much better than Albert - we could say he is more of an Anthony in adult stage. Candy and him can finally marry - it should be so - as they could be lovers more than one decade ago, so I cannot imagine they waited all these years to be companions just now.  

“What it is like to become happy? I still cannot say I've found the answer. What I still want is just a little thing, to live together with the one I love …”(B1/pp. 216-219)


So, is this really a happy ending after all? Well it depends on what you understand for happiness. This is not an average  “Hollywood- happy-ever-after”, Candy & Anohito might enjoy some years of stability, but WWII is about to break in Europe, by 1939 civilians and large populated areas are also targets and they will be constantly bombed. They might leave Europe before the war starts (but if she is a nurse and he might be a doctor) chances are they will stay put and care about of the wounded, so he might  have died, she might died or both died. either way by the end of the war in 1945 if they are both still alive- he will be 58 and Candy will be 47 (life expectancy in the UK in 1930 was 47 for a man and about 50 for a woman). if still alive, Candy is today 108 years old and W.A. is 119.



5.         Why an “ epilogue” and final Chronology
Why is that Mizuki needs to complicate this plot so much? why is that she is not straightforward and give a direct end to the audience? Personally, I can think of at least three reasons why Mizuki needs to write such a complex structure;
1.     Personal challenge & boredom - We have to remember that this is the 6th time Mizuki tell us about the adventures of Candy Candy; in format Manga, TV series, Letter, Poems, Novel & Movies. This novel couldn’t just be like the other previous novels (otherwise it will feel like a reprint of old works, and she would be cheating the audience (morally & economically). Therefore this novel need to be different, and as the creative person she is, Mizuki, also needed a personal challenge for her, so this time she writes a superb narrative-logic-puzzle; the novel is fantastic in itself, is full of hidden clues and links, the more you read the more fascinated it gets - you have to work as a detective, moving along the pages, reading the information and finding evidence of what really happened to finally deduct Anohito’s true identity.

2.     In the epilogue we are also presented with a kind of Déjà Vu, is like life goes-on and continues throughout the years (Annie’s wedding, Susanna’s death), yet in the epilogue we are set back in a Time Loop, so we can understand what really happened between Candy & W.A. - their relationship is frozen in time because they have unresolved business and they never got closure. We have to go back on time with them because we have to correct the mistake.

3.     The third reason is of course THE BIG SECRET; CCFS is very personal and intimate, most of the time as a spectators we are finding ourselves in a privileged position, it is only this way we can access so much confidential information - this is mostly true when we read personal letters (everybody knows you shouldn’t read other’s people mail, it is often considered of really bad taste). The third section and the epilogue are both sharing the same epistolary structure, and we also know that in order to understand the novel as a whole we have to put the epilogue together with the third section. Yet Mizuki deliberately writes two different sections, just for us to find out the biggest secret of the novel; Candy and W.A. meet in reality in 1904 and no in 1911 - like everybody else think (saving Candy from the waterfall and meeting again in London in 1913). Nobody knows they talk for first time 15 years ago - Candy tells Anthony about “her prince” and the medallion, but Anthony dies. Then she also tells Albert about him “I have showed you my treasured badge and told you many times about the "Prince on the Hill" when we lived in the House of Magnolia!”   but Albert turned out to be the prince himself. So who else know about the Prince? well us as spectators, we read about this encounter in page 24 of the first book… and, well perhaps Georges in his pursuit after Sir William in 1904, might had also seen a little blond girl over that hill, by end of 1912 when picking up Candy from Pony’s Home to send her to London’s boarding school - he might had put two & two together and come to the conclusion that this “Hill” where he found the master 8 years before holds more than one connection. But for the rest of characters, this brief encounter in early spring of 1904, between Candy & W.A. never happened.   

When reading the letters in the epilogue, we need to understand this setting, the big secret; nobody knows Candy & W.A. meet 15 years ago, nobody knows they are writing romantic letters to each other, nobody knows they are in love with each other. They are living a secret relationship and “Albert” is an expert in keeping things undercover, and off course some of the letters in section III, have a new meaning once we understand the real secret that the epilogue hides.
Candy's Letter to Archie (B2 - pp 256-259) is one of those “wonderful” letters that hold a second meaning after reading the epilogue - at first it feels like Candy writes about events that happen a few months, nothing relevant here - “It was that time when you found out that Albert is Uncle William!” referring to Candy and Neil’s engagement party (late spring/summer 1918) and later “I think you must be relieved because you’re able to have Stear’s funeral in Lakewood.”- (referring to December 1918) “Right now, Pony’s home is under renovation.” (early 1919)
Candy hasn’t seeing Archie since “Stear’s Memorial in Lakewood (December 1918) and she is not going to see him until May 1919 at her birthday’s party in Chicago. But the letter itself is written probably in early spring 1919 -  in connexion with the first letter of the epilogue; “I never thought you would be so busy as the head of the Ardlay family” mirrors “As the head of the Ardlay family, Albertsan seems to be very busy recently”.
Meaning, Candy's Letter to Archie is written after she finds out; Albert is also the Prince of Pony’s Hill. So in this letter, she writes about how shock Archie was, a year ago, after Albert reveals himself to society as Great -Uncle William, but in reality she needs to tell someone else, that she is also in-shock because he is the prince as well. “Albert and Uncle William. Even now, I still can’t believe that they are the same person. That time, you looked wide-eyed and pointed your finger at Albert and unable to speak! It was that time when you found out that Albert is Uncle William! You should’ve seen the look on your face! Archi--- do you remember how many times you have repeatedly asked? It was 9 times!!! Including the times you muttered to yourself.”

There is no need for Candy to write to Archie about something he said almost a year ago, but after reading the epilogue we understand her real need is getting this secret out of her chest, telling someone else “HE DID IT AGAIN”, even when she has to write it in code. “I’m amazed how those people could keep their lips sealed with such a secret. If it was us……. I have no confidence. We’ll immediately slip for sure. (what? Did you just say absolutely?!)” Surprisingly enough, from this moment on (spring 1919) till next year (spring 1920) Candy & WA are going to keep-up appearances and behaving formal, even distant in front of others, yet behind the scene they are closer than ever, being very personal, intimate & romantic with each other.



"Please don't portray Candy like a fickle girl!" Mizuki to Igarashi (in 1975) - source; Vic Isono’s notes

(Mizuki was angry because meanwhile she was on a European tour, Igarashi changed the sequence of the events without her consent-  Mizuki's planned that, after the rebirth of Terry as an actor at Rocktown, Candy made up her mind to go back to the starting point for her independence. But in the monthly print-out of Nakayoshi - (1975) Igarashi portrayed Candy fell in love with Albert immediately after she finished her relationship with Terry (giving the wrong impression that Candy was flickering between guys). Fortunately, in CCFS, Mizuki takes again good control over Candy’s love life and she makes sure there is enough space between the different loves to flourish, separating perfectly the three love stories in time & space;
  • Section I (pp. 14 till 228 (book1)) - (she meets, the prince, Albert & the guys) but in general this part is almost exclusively about Candy & Anthony’s relationship.
  • Section II (pp. 229 till 349 (book 1) & pp. 3 til 146 (book2)) the first chapters of this section overlaps the healing process and closure over Anthony  with Terry - until May 1913 (8 months after Anthony’s death)- but from there, we concentrate solo in Candy & Terry’s relationship.
  • Section III (pp. 147 - including epilogue till p. 332 (book2)) tells about the healing and final closure over Terry in 1916, but in general this part is dedicated to William Albert (as Prince, as Albert, as Uncle William or as Anohito) and his romantic relationship with Candy the majority of letters in Section III are, directly or indirectly, related to WA. The key to understand the meaning of all these letters lies in what & when exactly Candy knows about him (eg. When she goes to Rocktown she is only searching for her flatmate “Albert”. When she replies to Eleanor's invitation she knows her flatmate is also her benefactor Uncle William. When she writes to Terry (and the last ones to Elroy, George, Archie), she knows he is also the prince & they are having a romantic relationship behind everyone else backs.)   

Also the three main “love stories” follow almost identical steps;
1.     Candy meets a new guy.
2.     She doesn’t fall in love with him, because Candy is healing or there is a transition time, the new guy might help in the process.
3.     She get “closure” from a previous relationship.
4.     She falls in love with the new guy.
5.     She enjoys a short period of happiness with the new guy.
6.     At some point there will be a physical separation.
7.     Unfortunately the relationship ends tragically.
8.     Leaving Candy devastated once again.

This pattern translates into;


In the early spring of 1904 candy meets a prince in Pony’s hill. (1)

In late spring or summer 1911, she meets Anthony (1) (that looked just like the prince she meet 7 years ago) - she doesn’t fall in love with him immediately (2) but after some time something start flourish between then (4). They cannot be together as Candy is sent to Mexico (6). After Candy’s adoption in the summer of 1912, she starts a new life close to Anthony (5) probably in autumn of 1912 Anthony dies tragically (7), Candy is devastated (8) & she loses weight.

The 1st of January 1913, on her voyage to England, Candy meets Terry (1), they study together in a London boarding school, but she is not interested in Terry because she is still healing from Anthony (2). On May, during a horse riding with Terry; 8 months after his death, Candy finally says goodbye to Anthony (3). With help from Terry, Candy recovers and is finally happy (4) summer in Scotland (5). Unexpected, at their return to the school in London, they are framed and Terry abandons the school to protect Candy’s honor, Candy also leaves London shortly after him (is the end of 1913). In 1914, after long months and a eternal journey Candy is finally back at Pony’s home, where she decides to become a nurse, she learns that Terry is also an actor - a year has passed without seeing each other (6). During 1915 there will be several attempts for them to meet but all their efforts are in vain, until the winter of 1915, almost 2 year later they finally meet in New York where Candy puts an end to their relationship (7) because Terry must take care of Susanna, leaving Candy with a broken heart (8) she loses weight.

The prince/Albert/Sir William/ William A. Ardlay/Anohito is difficult to structure because he is several characters at once and at times he overrides himself; So, Candy meets the Prince in 1904 (1), they chat for a mere few minutes, and even when it will take her more than 15 years to find out his true identity, she doesn’t really forget about him, but she also doesn’t have anything real to grasp to - her memory of him is more of a romantic platonic idealistic one.
In the summer of 1911- she meets a wanderer by name Albert (1), they will meet once again in the spring of 1913 in London - by summer, Albert disappears and goes to Africa (6). Albert appears in Candy’s life once again at early spring of 1915 - he has amnesia - by summer, they start living together as brother & sister or patient & nurse - but there is no other kind of feelings between them at this moment (2). At her return from New York, Candy is in pieces, with the help from Albert she will start her second, long painful healing process that will cover most of 1916, eventually she would start leaving Terry’s memories behind (3) as she starts enjoying some happiness with Albert (5) but typical of him, once again, he disappear middle 1917 (6), Candy is devastated (8) and again she loses weight. Looking for Albert, she meets Terry, but instead of staying with him (3) she continues on her search for Albert (4).
In late spring or summer of 1918, - she finally meets Great-Uncle William (1) asking him to cancel her engagement with Neil, to her surprise, her benefactor was none else than Albert himself. Candy goes in a period of confusion (2) the guy she liked turned out to be her adopted father (letter/invitation from Eleanor). Almost a year later by early spring of 1919 William A. Ardlay tell her, that he is also the young teenager she met 15 years ago at the hilltop of Pony’s home. They start a personal intimate & secret relationship by post, in the meantime Candy who was long ago over her relationship with Terry, writes a closure letter (3), she finally let herself go for Albert/Prince/Grandpa (4) and enjoys some happiness with him (5) birthday party. At the end of 1919, W.A. leaves for a long trip (6) from 3 to 6 months, their communication by letters stop at some point as Candy only wants to “talk to him in person”  so she waits in excitement for his return. When he is back, understanding the strong opposition of his very conservative family (never would allow him to marry her), as he cannot propose marriage, W.A. returns the diary back to her (7). Candy in a last attempt to heal, this is the third time she finds love to immediately lose it again, tries to get some closure writing a letter to Anthony (8).   
10 years later, with the economic crash of 1929, the gap between rich and poor gets smaller, the social ladder collapse momentarily, as well as many of society rules, that finally became obsolete (however they still need their family consent to marry). More important is, that with the severe worldwide economic depression there is no much need for businessmen like William Albert. Candy & Prince/Albert/William A. Ardlay/Bert (aka Anohito (1) move to the U.K. where it is easier for them to get married than in the USA (4), they can finally start a life together (5) as man & wife.

========================   CHRONOLOGY  ========================
The following is most likely the order of events in a chronological order, however, even after lot of thinking & care, some events could slightly vary - in its order, season or year. You should use this timeline with caution, and whenever possible always do your own cross-references with the novel.
========================
  • 1904 - March? Annie, age 6 is adopted. Candy also 6, meets a "prince" of 17 years at the top of Pony’s hill
  • 1911 - 7 years later, Candy now 13, is taken in services by the Leagan - she meets Anthony, 14, Archie 14, Stear 16 and Albert of 24.
  • 1912 - With just 14 years, Candy is adopted by Great-Uncle-William. By Autumn, Anthony of 15, dies, Candy is devastated. She returns to Pony’s home.
  • 1913 - At the New Year’s Party, on her way to a boarding school in London, Candy meets Terry. In May, now with 15 years Candy gets her first kiss, and finally gets closure about Anthony’s death. Albert goes to Africa. The kids spend the summer in Scotland. In winter first Terry, followed shortly after by Candy leave school/London for the USA.
  • 1914 - Candy after a long adventure returns to the United States (Pony’s home). The kids also leave the school in London before WWI starts this summer. Late this year Candy starts her studies in nursing and also learns of Terry becoming an actor.
  • 1915 - Candy & Terry trying to be together but keep missing each other. Albert appears amnesic at the hospital, a few months later Candy and him start sharing an apartment. By the end of the year, Stear (of 21) enlisted himself in the army as a volunteer. Finally Terry & Candy meet, but he has to stay with Susanna, Candy returns to Chicago with a broken heart (she loses weight).
  • 1916 - Candy receives a letter from Susanna. Albert now works but Candy gets fired. Albert has an accident, Candy is hired at the Happy Clinic of Chicago, Terry's acting declines. Albert regains memory. Stear died in the war. Funeral of Stear is held in Chicago.
  • 1917 - Terry leaves Susanna & Broadway. Candy is starting to achieve some happiness living with Albert at their Chicago apartment. Albert disappears (Candy loses weight). Meanwhile searching for Albert, Candy sees Terry and talks to Eleanor in Rocktown. Terry returns to Susanna & to Broadway again.
  • 1918 - Albert is still missing. Neil wants to marry Candy, she locates Uncle William in Lakewood. At some point rehearsals for the play Hamlet begins. May, engagement party Neil & Candy. Albert (now 30) is presented as Sir William. Candy moves back to Pony’s home. In Autumn, Candy receives an invitation from Eleanor to see Hamlet (minimum 1 year playing in U.S.A.) November the war ends. December - Stear’s Memorial Burial in Lakewood. Archie enrolls himself at the graduate school of Massachusetts. By Christmas, Candy writes to Dr. Martin about the new upcoming clinic.
  • 1919 - January - It begins the construction of Pony’s home extension. March? Leagan’s party- opening of the Miami Resort Hotel. Albert presents himself to Candy as the “prince” - they start a secret correspondence. Candy writes to Archie. By April? Candy now works at the Happy Clinic located at Pony's Hill. (May) Annie & Candy’s birthday party in Chicago. Candy & Albert trying to be together but they don’t have time. End of Hamlet’s performance/Candy gets closure with Terry letter "I loved you" October? Albert is in San Paulo - Candy waits on his return to talk to him directly. November? Starts the opposition to the marriage Annie / Archie.
  • 1920 - March? Candy writes to Aunt Elroy and later to Stear. May?/Spring engagement party Annie-Archie. Albert is back from traveling. Last romantic letter in the epilogue. Candy tries to get some closure from Albert writing a letter to Anthony.
  • 1921 - Spring? Annie-Archie wedding.
  • 1925? - Candy reads Susanna’s obituary/Susanna is dead.
  • 1926? -Terry writes to Candy - he won't get a reply.
  • 1929 - October, financial crash and beginning of the 10-year Great Depression that affected all Western industrialized countries.
  • 1930? Candy just turning 30 moved with Anohito/him to the UK to marry - they live somewhere between Wales and the South-East of England during the European Interbellum. Anohito buys in a London flea market, a painting done by Slim about Pony’s home on a spring day, view from top of the hill’s down.
  • 1932?- Novel’s present time; Lakewood is now for sale. Miss Pony is recovering. Today, is a spring day, Candy is writing back to Miss Pony & sister Maria, this triggers her to remember the relevant events in her life of the past 2 decades, meanwhile Anohito (Prince/Albert/William A. Ardlay/Bert) is out with the car for the day.


6.           What is this novel really all about?
I am aware that what it comes now might be a deal-breaker to many, but I cannot write about Candy Candy without addressing what is probably the BIGGEST PUZZLE EVER in the whole Candy world; call me naive or ignorant - but less than a year ago I didn’t know anything about Albertfans, Terryfans or Pro-Anthony fans. I wasn’t aware of any rivalry between groups or taking sides based in male characters preferences always ready to argue, to defend, to battle (and in extreme cases to insult, to offend, to hate) … I am sure somewhere in Japan, Nagita herself is scratching her head wondering where all went wrong; when is that her lovable characters start to “despise” each other forcing fans around the world to take strongholds to protect Candy’s ONE & ONLY TRUE LOVE...

The only thing that comes to my mind is perhaps that scene from episode 112 “Their own love" (from the TV series) when Albert finds Terry very drunk at a bar in Chicago looking for Candy, when Albert approaches him, their argument ends in a fight (which Albert, being sober, wins without effort) but later in the same episode, they converse in a more calm manner, showing how fraternal they are to each other, worry both above all, only of Candy’s well-being. Terry just wanted to check Candy is doing alright (after their rupture in New York). Albert brings him to a hill, from where both men spy, meanwhile Candy works at the Happy Clinic- they witnessed how optimistic she is despite the hard turn of events in her life. Terry leaves Chicago choosing not to meet with her & returning to New York (to Susanna & to Broadway). Albert respects Terry’s wishes and never tells Candy about his encounter with him. However, this scene (together with many more, plus extra pets, characters & plots) are exclusive to the script of the TV series (by Toei Animation). In CCFS, Mizuki takes control over her work, and the new novel is closer to the manga or to the previous novel, than any of the animated works (TV series and movies). So, as a rule of thumb, try to forget as much as possible all you remember from the animation and read the manga or the 1978 novel instead, as in some cases you will have to fill-in plot holes from the new novel with extracts from the manga.

The novel CCFS narrates almost identical events to those in the manga - until the end of section II (when Candy leaves the school in London to go after Terry) roughly middle Vol. 04 or until chapter 32 (depending on the manga’s copy). But because section III is written in epistolary format, when reading the letters we might feel some scenes are now missing from the plot. For example, Susanna’s character is the one that benefits the most from this new format; her worst portrait is definitely in the anime. In CCFS - Susanna still has a very determinate role to play (without her person, there is no reason for Terry & Candy to end their relationship so drastically), but strangely enough her presence within the new novel is almost limited to a few paragraphs; we read about her for first time in (B2/P. 230-233) Annie's Letter to Candy - “It is that Susanna was seriously injured under a fallen light during a rehearsal. She is confined to a wheelchair all her life because of it. She dashed her entire body to Terry...... To protect him―――”, there is more about Susanna on Candy’s retrospective on her separation from Terry (B2/pp. 234-237) then, we have to jump further till (pp.274-277) Candy's Letter to Terry that she never sent, after that comes (pp. 278-280) Susanna's Letter to Candy and finally (P.281) Candy recalls reading Susanna's obituary - and this is all we are going to see about Susanna in the new novel. In the anime there will be whole episodes just about Susanna getting in-between Terry & Candy, but in CCFS this has been reduced to two mere sentences “I didn't want to be disturbed by Susanna anymore just like when I went over to the hotel in Chicago to see Terry during the tour of the United States. Susanna kicked me out, just like when Susanna stole my letters to Terry.” (so if you want to understand or remember what is Candy referring to in here, you’ll have to grab the manga and complete this scene by yourself) and if by any chance you are new to the storyline you might even think that Susanna is not the selfish wicked person (as portrayed in the anime), but a good hearted woman, brave and generous that sacrifice herself for the man she loves.

You should also be very careful how you fill-in the plot-holes in CCFS; some scenes are completely erased from the manga’s narrative - like Neil sexual harassing Candy or Albert saving her from a loose Lion in the Chicago park (thanks for that one - it makes him more close to a common human than to a superhero). Annie’s character also benefits with the new format, we see her at her worst in the anime, but in CCFS she is once again closer to the portrait of her that we have in the manga. In the down side Tom is almost gone from the plot, getting only a few mentions in the new novel and in the same way that Susanna is no so predominant in the novel, we won’t see Candy searching for Terry either - all those scenes get reduced to a few paragraphs “You have visited Pony’s Home right? At that time I was still a stowaway. I was told by the sisters afterwards… and how I regretted it. If only I arrived a little earlier…What if you came a little later… It was the same in Chicago… We always crossed each other’s paths without meeting. Back then I believed that the more we missed each other, fate will pay us back so we could have more time together.” (B2/pp.274-277). One scene that is in the novel from the manga’s storyline (and I never really understood why it was omitted in the amine) is Albert presenting himself to society at Candy & Neil’s engagement party (but you will also have to compose this one out, because its description is spread out across different pages;  In the letter to Mary (B2/pp.203-204) - “you put a laxative in the tea that you served to Neil when he decided to marry me by force!”. In the letter to George (B2/pp. 208/214) “-- You disobeyed Granduncle’s orders for the first time … when I was forced to get engaged to Neil … With a deeply troubled look, you told me where he was. Lakewood … that place”. In the letter to Archie (B2/pp.256-259) “Albert and Uncle William.Even now, I still can’t believe that they are the same person. That time, you looked wide-eyed and pointed your finger at Albert and unable to speak!It was that time when you found out that Albert is Uncle William!You should’ve seen the look on your face! Archi--- do you remember how many times you have repeatedly asked? It was 9 times!!! Including the times you muttered to yourself.”

In general, I think the anime (I also imply the movies) are always easier to see (or to follow) requiring very little effort from us, the audience. The manga is a bit more of work (as you have to read it) but the illustrations from Igarashi makes the reading very entertaining, and she also helps with the expressions and the behavior of the characters - (you know that of, one picture is worth 1000 words). But it is the novel (like with any other kind of writing) where you have to work the most - to read, to concentrate, to imagine, to retain, but I personally think you are highly rewarded, because the conversation is more direct, more personal, more intimate and often you will feel that Candy (or Mizuki) is talking directly only to you and the story is unfolding for your eyes only - and this in itself (bounding with Candy & Mizuki) is a pretty special feeling. However even when Candy Candy might seem only a novel for teenagers, its real message is far much deeper & complex; I am convinced that Nagita (using Mizuki’s pseudonym) wrote it as art therapy (you just need to read her own biography to understand this) and here is when the script gets really intimate, a piece of herself - I am not implying that the novel is autobiographical, but yet, to me the main characters represent her (or anyone of us for that matter); Candy, Anthony, Terry or Albert don’t really exist, and I don’t mean this because they are Nagita’s pure imagination, but more because if we strip them of their physical human appearances (I know this might be a bit difficult at first, Igarashi created very sexy portrayals), but if we concentrate only in their essence, in what they really represent (without a face or a body attached to it), we might come to the conclusion that all the main characters are stereotype or prototype or clichés, in three distinctive phases of the human psyche.  
   
In “My friend Candy”   (bimonthly magazine 'Jidou-bungei', 1980). K Mizuki says: “I thought of Candy experiencing three kinds of love. A faint and fleeting first love for Anthony; passionate love for Terry; and a peaceful fateful love for Albert”.

I will go a bit much further and I would add that the three male characters also complement each other, you only see one at the time as he is presented in a different stage of development than the other two, but together the three male protagonist represent one single journey -  the process of growing up or in other words, we need the three of them to see the full spectrum of candy’s milestones;
Anthony represents a transitional stage half child-half adolescent (and shows qualities from both sides, he is sweet, calm, gentle, lovely, but he is also strong, demanding, determine, detaching from the authority and finding his way in life)

Terry  represents a teenager but in concentrate stage, showing in a extreme way everything that can go on in adolescence; rage, rebellious, courage, stupidity, impulsivity, hate, passionate, discomfort, insecurity, bravery, intelligence, immature, challenging, pushing, fighting... plus he drinks and smokes (I mean what else can you ask for?)

Albert is like a concentrate Zen master; he always knows what to say at the right moment – even when his own life is a mess- but he always presents himself in balance, calm, adult, mature, peaceful, wise, stable, strong, fair, fateful, he is so perfect… that sometimes might come out as boring and less of a challenge because he already evolved.

And then, there is Candy or the female character that would represent “life” (or those events that happens to all of us during our lives especially during those three stages (puberty, adolescence and adulthood); our first kiss, our reactions to death, our first job, friends, to overcome disappointments, grieving, falling in love or even having a broken heart. laughs & tears, the ying & the yang of life.
and here is where I can push the metaphor even further; for me the underlying message of Candy Candy story has very little to do with romance, and if there is any love story at all it should be the love to oneself. I understand that the true meaning of CC is a personal journey from childhood till adulthood across the different physical stages of human development, meaning the three male characters (Anthony= Puberty, Terry = Adolescent, Albert=Adulthood) are stages or station that life (Candy) needs to experience and to go through. But these are not the only stages, following the continuous succession of events the different characters represent key steps in the human development, one after the other one, in life’s continuous motion.

Life begins (or Candy is born) - first stages are neonate or newborn (first 3 months of life). From 1 till 3 years old is toddler stage (both stages are part of infancy) that in the book are explained or shared with the adventures of Annie & Tom. -
In the moment Annie leaves the orphan home, 6 years old - Candy meets the Prince (that I understand represents an imaginary friend). This is like the end of a stage and beginning of new one. Annie (Infancy) leaves and imaginary friends (the prince) comes now into the plot (65% of children would make imaginary friends during childhood, hardly any of them would keep this friend in their life passing adulthood - guess what? Candy would also find out the prince identity before adulthood stage - in other words the imaginary friends disappears once life enter the adulthood stage).
The transition between childhood into adolescence is represented by Candy (life) leaving pony’s home (or the childhood stage) to move (momentarily) into the Leagan home = this is a stage with a lot of stress, anxiety and physical development; developing the genitals, like growing breast, or pubic hair, acne or other hormonal changes might also occur.
But the biggest change is yet to come, the first menarche, and in some cases this might also be a traumatic experience. JM. Tanner wrote in his article “the secular trend” that the first menstrual period (in North America) has decreased by about 3 years over the past 100 years (our great-grandmothers, same as Candy would have the menarche at average age 14, when now the average is set at 11 years) - In many cultures, the menarche is the end of the girl and marks the beginning of the womanhood, many females across the world are forced to leave schools for a marriage life after their first period. Anthony representing the puberty stage (half child/half teenager) dies, but I don’t think his death necessarily needs to be a physical one, but more of a symbolic one, like the death of a stage, the death of the childhood. Yes, you are reading right, I believe Anthony’s death is a metaphor for Menarche.   
As Candy leaves slowly, behind her childhood/puberty (anthony’s death) to enter fully into the rest of her adolescent stage, represented by Terry. At 15, Candy receives her first kiss from Terry, a believe this also a metaphor of life’s sexual awareness, the stage in any adolescent where sexual exploration begins (hormones, libido) - here is represented by a kiss, but it could also include, oral sex, masturbation and so on.
At 17, because of Susanna, Candy has a broken heart; in reality, here, both Candy & Susanna represent the same feelings - they are not contraries and enemies but complementary to each other, one has sorrow the other one is sad, one has hopes the other one is optimistic. I believe they represent the same feeling- the loss of innocence; is that moment when you realize that life is not pink (you’ve already left childhood behind, you’ve already become a woman (physically), but you might still be innocence) -  the loss of innocence it is a huge disappointment that might develop into a severe depression (thought of suicide in extreme cases), or indeed symbolize a broken heart or maybe even the first sexual intercourse (lost of virginity/lost of innocence).
There are 3 direct references to suicide in the works; Susanna attempted to jump off a building (so she wouldn’t interfere between Terry & Candy). Stear going (volunteer) to war & dying (consider as a suicide in the novel). Patty trying to harm herself with a butter-knife (after Stear’s funeral), plus the mention to other characters, which fate was also resolved with suicide (Cleopatra, Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet). Suicide is relatively rare among children, however the rate of suicides and suicide attempts increases tremendously during adolescence;
  • Children ages 10 to 14 — 0.9 per 100,000 children
  • Adolescents ages 15 to 19 — 6.9 per 100,000 adolescent
  • Young adults ages 20 to 24 — 12.7 per 100,000 young adults
Statistics shows that Teen suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among young adults and adolescents. Women think or attempt suicide more often than men, unfortunately, men succeed at it, 73% of all suicide deaths (in the USA) are white males.
When she is roughly 18, (Stear who was 22 dies), but the same as with Anthony’s death I don’t think this is a physical death as such, but to me would come to represent more the end of adolescence stage, because we are finally entering the adult stage (personify by Albert).
At 19, Candy is all alone (Anthony, Terry are left behind & Albert is also missing), is a sad moment (she is scared) but she is finally independent, walking on her own feet; she is working, she is living on her own, she is finally becoming an independent adult. The identity of the Prince is revealed, so she also leave him (the invisible friend that accompany her for so many year) behind at the age of 21.  But as “there are no goodbyes between them” Albert is always present in Candy’s life (or life finally reached adulthood stage).
It is inevitable that Candy (life) ends-up with WA/Anohito (Adulthood), you want her to live long and to the max of her capacity, if Candy would stay with Anthony - she wouldn’t evolve past puberty (meaning life would die in her pre-teens). The same goes if she stayed with Terry, meaning life wouldn’t continue after the adolescent stage. Following this metaphor, you can be sure, you also passed through an Anthony stage, you went through a Terry stage, and most likely you are now in your Anohito stage (mature, balance, wise), because the book is a metaphor about human stages, doesn’t mean that everything affected you the same way, or that you went through the same experiences as her.

But, when remembering Candy Candy, try not to think only about the romantic horse ride with Anthony, the savage kiss from Terry or Albert welcoming arms, if you are going to take something at all from this novel, more than anything else it should be one word (or one attitude) RESILIENCE - the ability you need in life to bounce back... life is going to knock you down - so, cry... grieve... now... stand up and keep on going... your life is not over until the day you die, and just in case you haven’t realize be sure that THE ONLY PERSON WHO IS GOING TO BE WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IS YOURSELF.

So, what is this work really about? This book is about Nagita’s personal journey, this book is about my life, this book is about you... about the first memory you have.. going to pick-up your sister from school.. walking with your mother to the market.. waking in your bed with the first rays of dawn, raindrops in your face, you crushed a snail, you enjoy the sunsets, stealing fruit in the summer, the first time you saw the snow, the smell of your mother’s beef stew invading the whole house, walking barefoot on the grass, you learnt to bike, you slap your sister, you learn to swim, your skirt broke and you almost got naked in public - (this is the worst day of your life) your sister hates you, you’ve got your first period (this is definitely the worst day of your life), Xmas at our grandparents is always the best time of the year, you’ve got your first kiss (this is the best day of your life), you are in love, you are stalking a guy, you don’t know why but your sister isn’t talking to you. A guy is stalking you. First time you travel abroad. You swear, no matter what, you are never going to be like your mother. You’ve lost your virginity- you are in love (again), he dumps you for another woman, you are heartbroken, you lose 10 kilos and your boobs shrink. You graduate from university - you can be proud. Your grandmother dies but you can’t make it to the funeral. You get your first job - how much money are you making? - It feels like being a millionaire- you don’t know how, but your sister is now talking to you. Your cousin's wedding is the best party ever. You found out that your favorite aunt abused your sick-old grandmother and forced her to change her Will just before dying (shock disappointment). You move to another country, you can’t believe the taxes you are paying, you meet a nice guy it might be love (again), you moved-in together. IKEA is the best shop. You have sex in an open-forest area. The tax office gives you money back. You have a miscarriage, you get fired, Your sister asked you to be the godmother of her child. You’ve get a better job. You’ve got married. For over 9 months you cannot sleep (you hate being pregnant) hope is over soon, you plant a tree in the garden, you cannot believe this is the day you deliver a child, you hold in your arms the most pure of all creatures - you wish your grandmother could see your baby. 1 year later you still cannot sleep, you changed your work suit for trainers, your pc job for diapers and the smell of channel n5 for sour milk vomit (and you look like your mother). Your baby walks to you for the first time. you still can’t lose those 10 kilos from the pregnancy. Your baby first word is “mumma”. You have to pay a huge amount of money back to tax office and you are sure this is a government conspiracy and you’ll fight then. Your kid is so much like you when you were young & you are turning into your mother. You re-discover Candy Candy (It’s only for your daughter to see it). Your father dies of a heart attack…  your child is the only thing it keeps you going on in the mornings, you stop believing in God. Your kid goes first day to school, you can be proud, you go back to work. You leave the Candy Candy world - (you couldn’t bother with all the fuss is going on). Your husband gets a promotion and you move to another country, you are busy re-designing the new home. You are diagnostic with cervical cancer, they empty-clean your uterus, you are now officially in menopause. Every Christmas you go to the ballet with your son & at summer to the rock festival with your daughter. Your mother dies, you feel sad you never really understood her. You take the cross country hike to Santiago during 3 weeks, it bounds you with your sister. Your son has a new girlfriend every month and your daughter is gay. Your husband finally retires. You have sex (again) in an open forest. Your husband is sick; the doctors don’t know what is wrong. You travel around the world for 6 months. Your husband is in lots of pain. The man you shared your life with for more than 30 years dies, you lie flat, you don’t eat or sleep for over a month & no one would ever understand how you are feeling. Your last child leaves home, you are all alone, and you were not alone since... you were never alone before. You get a lovely cat. You hold in your arms your first grandchild - a miracle of life,  the next generation - you wish your husband was alive to share this moment with you. You receive a letter from a childhood love - it makes you giggle. You have a fight with your daughter, she doesn’t like your love- relationship with this man, you wish she was more supportive. Your cat dies, you get a lovely dog. Your lovely dog eats the only picture you had with your grandfather. You travel to the Arctic with your son to see the northern lights, it is breathtaking. You go back to do yoga & start your days with a Sun-salutation. You inherit from your mother some farmland and an old barn, you move back to your ancestors place and wonder why you ever left this place. You go skydiving with your best friend. You pretend you don’t know your son is stealing money from you. Your grandchild tells you that your Christmas reunions are the best. You finally understand your mother. You convert the old barn in your studio and you become obsessed trying to paint the sunsets from your childhood. You believe in some God again. Your sisters divorces once more and moves in with you and your dog. You teach your grandchild your grandmother’s secret rice pudding recipe; she is amazing and makes you proud, you give her the pearl necklace that your husband bought many years ago (it looks better on her anyway)… You are cold and tired, you open your eyes briefly your daughter is there and so is your son and your grandchildren, your daughter holds your hand, it is warm and relaxes you, you want to sleep, it is all right, let it go, there is only one way, close your eyes, sleep, rest, this is the way it has to be. .


199 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed reading your interpretation, though I would love to read the book, too. Did you read it in Japanese? As far as I understand, there still is no translation...

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  2. There is one more moment that seems little bit unclear in case Anohito is "new Albert". As u mentioned she said good-bye to Terry 4 different times. She said good-bye even when she learned that Susanna is dead and he is still deeply in love with her, with Candy. If that is so, than could it be that it is the first time when she preffered her personal feelings to the feelings of someone? During all anime story she never did, she was always ready to totally forget herself right at the moment she learned anyone is suffering. Could it be that this time she changed?

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  3. Hello, as most of candy,s fan, i really appreciate your comments.To me, it appears clear that she is now with Albert, so as we say infrench "the buccle is locked" as she returns to "the prince of hill". But i would like to ask you one question: is it the correct translation ?thanks.

    Cat.

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  4. Hello, for myself t should have finsh this way: Candy with Albert !
    As we used to say in french:"the buccle is buccled" as she went back to the "prince of hill" arms.
    I have also a question: is it the correct translation or only one interpretion of your fellings ?

    Thanks
    Cat

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. Hello, i also appreciate your interpretation an then may i ask you if it is a translation of the book or only an intrepration. Because most of people think that anohito is terry. Thanks again for your help. Cat

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  7. All the quotations and the "book extract" in this article are reviewed & translated from the Japaneses novel directly into English - by a wonderful woman living in Japan -

    I, in the other hand only read the novel from translations - sometimes I would have the same section from 4 different sources/with slightly variation in the text - English and Spanish are my main languages, but I also gather Italian, French, Russian, Greek... translations.

    My advice is first gather your material (go to different sources - eg. pro-albert sites and pro-terry sites) because they also tent to have complementary sections of the novel. - there are plenty of forums, groups & sites to choose from.

    Second put these sections in their proper order (as they are in the novel)- you won't get lost and even if you do - this is how Mizuki wanted you to experience the reading, go with the flow, read it all in one go, and then let it sink for a while, go back and read it again or a few times more - it is worth it; Mizuki's poesy is coming-out trough the "broken translations"

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  8. The more letters from section III you read, the more you realize they match, they mirror, they correspond with the letters in the epilogue - this is no my interpretation, but a well known fact- anyone reading the whole novel would tell you this.

    An other fact, Mizuki altered the timeline of the events - so the narrative is not chronological (eg. Susanna's letter to Candy (end of 1915) and Susanna's death (in the 1920's) but we read one after an other one in section III. the are plenty of examples like this.

    But, it is up to you as a reader to decided if you want to find out what happened, when it happened and how it happened or to ignore all the mysteries in the novel and go the easy way. If you are happy believing Terry is the one (or Albert, or Anthony or any other one by that matter) nor Mizuki, nor me want you to change your mind.

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  9. There are plenty of comments about Albert being Anohito, because he knows pony's hill in spring (like in the painting) and Terry only saw it in winter. or the voice of Anohito is sweet like the one of the pirate (AKA Albert), or "arms" are related to Albert & "legs" to Terry but I didn't want to go that way, because all this could be argued, like the books can also be from Terry & the daffodils or being in the UK related to Terry ... so instead of going from those sides, I wanted to do something different & just follow the novel, the structure and to analyzed the path & the choices it forces you do take.

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  10. This is very interesting. I have always thought the One was clearly Albert, because he just is too many things to Candy. He was there at the beginning, in the middle and at the end. Had he not been also the Prince of the Hill, I might have been more in doubt, but, to me, that is the definite clue: se goes back to where she started, in a way (and yet she has grown, she is changed). I think, even by reading the manga, that much is pretty clear.

    Irene

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  11. I think they are in the UK to get marry and for a new beginning, there is probably very little left for them to do in the USA(apart from family & friends) Aunt Elroy is probably dead too. He doesn't need to do his duties/business & perhaps to taste the new freedom, they want a new landscape. It would be easy for them to get marry in the UK, as they don't need the Ardlay's consent to do it (at this time in the USA marriage was a contract between families, so his family would have lots to say about his choice of bride) in the UK the marriage contract is between the two individuals (candy & William A.) alone
    Someone also suggested that as he has Scottish roots (and in the anime and the manga, he still had properties in Scotland) they are actually living in the Scottish highland - this could also be a possibility

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  12. Stratford-upon-avon, so named because it is on the River Avon, is the birth place of Shakespeare. Cannot just be a coincidence.

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  13. Well, it is technically the same river Avon (there are several rivers with the name "Avon" 9 alone in the UK, the more relevant rivers are located in England (but wales and Scotland also have river Avon in their territory).

    The river Avon, gets is water from the River Severn (the longest in the UK) this Avon river was divided since 1719 below Evesham into;
    the Upper Avon, from Stratford-upon-Avon (also know as Shakespeare Avon).
    the Lower Avon, or Bristol Avon (near Bath).

    the upper Avon or Shakespeare's Avon is the longest Avon river in the UK.
    the lover Avon or (Bristol Avon) is the most important Avon in the UK.

    when choosing the location, I put myself in the context of 1930 and 1970's when the novel (notes were written), and the balance shift to the lover Avon as it gives names to the Avon valley between Bradford on Avon and Bath, Avon estuary (important for flora and fauna - and candy WA love nature) Avon park, also in 1970 this geographic area (Bristol,bath ...) would be known politically as Avon county until 1994, giving also the title of "earl of Avon", I am sure Mizuki/Nagita would know this.

    It is also true that Shakespeare works are mentioned several times in the novel (and that is no a mere coincidence). If you prefer to believe that they live in Stratford-upon-avon, you have your right to do so I don't expect to have all the answers. WA had an excellent education, privileged in many cases, now that he is "jobless", who knows what he is doing.. he might be teaching, he might be writing, he might even be learning to become an actor - "It’s a good thing Albert didn’t set his heart on acting. What a great poker face! He might have been your greatest rival!"Candy writes to Terry (B2/274-277).

    It could well be, they might be in the UK, until he also becomes an actor and them they'll move to Hollywood (like many other European actors did, charlie chaplin, marlene dietrich), if this is what you believe you can also be right, Hollywood is booming the biggest the depression, the more people would go to the cinema to unwind from the reality - this is the only business that is huge during the depression. Probably Terry moved there too - his mother was already starting with the movies in 1919, I wouldn't be surprise if he also moved to California and become one of the first movie superstars.

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  14. On second thoughts, I hope you didn't imply that Stratford-upon-avon or Shakespeare (himself) are linked solo to Terry. The novel candy candy has strong links with many of Shakespeare plays;

    Romeo & Juliet = costumes are sent by Uncle William Albert
    Candy dressed as Juliet is kissed by Terry
    Juliet played by Susanna played(injured) herself to save Terry = teenagers love sacrifice
    Hamlet, a fan of the theatre and learning. He's very loyal, but also very indecisive and rather depressive = Terry
    but like in Hamlet he has readily accepted his fate = so does William Albert, when meets candy at the hill also Macbeth Theme of Fate and Free Will = represents William Albert
    Viola is Plucky and quick-witted = candy disguised herself as a man
    Julius Caesar & (Antony &) Cleopatra = stallion Cesar & mare Cleopatra that George (uncle William) gave to candy as present.
    Katherina Mignola = A spirited girl
    Lucentio, Gremio & Hortensio = Three gents that had their hearts set on Bianca (Bianca means white, candice).

    To believe that Terry has some short of monopoly over Shakespeare is just pure ignorance, and you shouldn't be surprise if anyone laugh at your face with this remark; One of the repeating themes in Shakespeare's works is fate and human actions. In Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar, amongst others, the characters all suffer through their actions. Terry might be an actor, but William Albert is the one who has a destiny to fulfill, his person in Candy Candy is taken from many of Shakespeare's characters.

    Also, again, we have to remember we are in 1910's... there is no television, no radio, no cinema... people read, people read books, people read classic books, people read Shakespeare's plays, He is the best and most important writer of English language, you don't need to be an actor to know Shakespeare. William Albert would had studied him (he had a privilege education, English and literature would be part of his education)- I studied A Midsummer Night's Dream &
    Much Ado About Nothing in secondary school (and I am not an actress, I am not English native and I didn't studied languages either)

    To think that terry owns Shakespeare because he is an actor playing Shakespearean characters is like saying I own the Spanish flag because i am from Spain. sorry TERRY DOESN'T OWN SHAKESPEARE (and i don't own the Spanish flag)

    Mizuki wrote 680's pages telling you who anohito is, (I explained in over 20.000 words) Candy doesn't love terry since 1917 - this is in the book-, but don't take my word for it, do your own research (learn about 1910's about marriage law or legitimate rights of bastard offspring).
    Think, get into context, this novel & its content was written more than 30 years ago for a audience of 10-18 girls (that were born between 1957-1960) if you were not born in any of these years, you won't understand the turn of events, so please do research in the epoque.

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  15. I meant to say that it is no coincidence that Mizuki is mentioning the river Avon, because everybody who knows a tiny bit of geography and literature will of course think of Shakespeare. I think you knew this yourself, and for some reasons decided not to mention it in your analysis. I don't have any strong opinion on who anohito is, and no preference whatsoever. I think Mizuki is tricking her readers way more than she should, and she does it on purpose. But sorry, when she mentions Shakespeare, she wants her readers to think of Terence, no matter if you agree with it or not, or who Anohito really is.

    For some reasons, you took my comment way more personally than you should have had.

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  16. Sorry, my apologies, yes you are right at the end I wasn't sure where your comment was standing, and I overreacted on my last reply; It still stands that anyone thinking Terry has a monopoly over Shakespeare is an ignorant, I am glad it is not your case and I was complete wrong about you, I am sorry for my words.

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  17. When I was searching about the Avon river; I also wasn't sure about which one she refers to - indeed you might be right and Mizuki is writing things that has double outcomes to confuse the reader even more.
    To have a neutral perspective, I asked three of my friends living in the British islands(2 studied English literature) "which one is the river Avon?" two told me about the Upper and Lower Avon, one only say the Bristol (Lower) Avon.
    I took these two rivers as the "right Avon" (but I might be wrong, someone else believes it is the river Avon in Scotland, this is also well possible)
    Then I searched about what was happening in these two rivers in circa 1930's, and found out that the lower (or Bristol) Avon was far more influential & important, geographical, political, industrial, development, transportation, nature, wildlife - and still is more important than the Shakespeare Avon, which hardly has changed since Shakespeare times, this is more historical and conservative area-
    I could see someone using a car more in the fist area than in the romantic Shakespeare or Scotland's Avon (where I think anohito would go for a horse ride), also Candy is a nurse (and perhaps WA is a doctor himself), I already knew about Bath's importance in new method of medicine and pioneer in alternative therapies, to my surprise Bath is in the geographic area known as the Avon Valley - and this sold it to me -
    Can I be wrong? Off course I can; this is my personal way of being rational that is why I wrote "My personal guess is that they live near Bath in England"

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  18. Great essay. The best I've read so far. I agree with most of your arguments, except for when you talk about Albert being William's Alter Ego. I think it is the other way around. Albert was a real person, the nature lover, the liberal thinker. William was the person he was forced to be. Still, I find Albert, William, Uncle William, the prince of Pony Hill to be the most complex and exciting character of all. At the end, I believe all were expressions of one very unique person. He is all of them at the same time. That's the reason Candy seems so upset at the beginning of the epilogue. Anybody that has lived and share a life with someone and thought have known him well to later discover that he is someone else, twice, must have been very confusing. Yet, she realizes she is in love with all of them.
    I really love this story. The first time I saw the anime I was 4 years old. I couldn´t get the whole idea then. Now, I can really understand the underlying loving story, that of a man that loves and falls in love several times with a girl in all the possible ways. It is also a story of self-determination, victory over obstacles, resilience and most of all, a story about life itself.
    Thanks for sharing your interpretation. I really enjoyed and and read it twice.

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  19. A lot of work went into this, so I admire the time and the effort placed. However, in my opinion, despite the position placed here, it does not add up to a convincing argument.

    If you honestly believe Candy ended up with Albert as you do affirm that Miizuki did so in the manga, novel and amine, would it not be a tad ridiculous for Mizuki to go through this exercise of writing Final Story only to kill the Suzanne Marlowe (to give some fans a very good reason to celebrate) and leave the revelation of Candy's spouse only as an un-named "That Person?"

    Despite your extensive essay placed here, I do not get a sense that you considered or explored the motivations of the author to publish this Final Story. In my opinion, of the story she wanted to truly tell was the one presented to us, then in my opinion she really had no need to...yet she still did. Why? If in fact she truly always had Albert in mind for Candy then the story was told to her satisfaction, no need to indulge in this sort of Final Story-telling.

    And then, if we are to say the story is about Candy and Albert sexually paring off as man and wife, there is a major factor that anyway it wants to be cut or shown to be made "palatable" or "moral" by fans who overlook this fact for one reason or another, it is still anathema to any society that condemns sexual grooming in any media. In this case, for those who, within their own rights to interpret this story as they wish and that personally fulfills them, the tale then all boils down to a male who has legal parental status over a female met whom said male character as a very small child. If there is a comfort level in this idea, then the those who agree with this then need to understand that it is objectionable to a larger segement of society, no matter how much argument, research and exposition be made to condone this view.

    A more interesting thought would have been to present the very few snippets we have of the novel as translated by fans to a reader with no prior knowledge of this story and no influences from any of the fan bases to see what conclusions they would have drawn as to whom Anohito is - a simple case of probability vs. possibility. This perhaps would be the more compelling analysis to do.

    Secondly, I encourage you to do a word count of the existing translations (all of them, which you will need access to - the Italian ones on Esther's site, the ones privately held in Albertfans Yahoo, the ones on Nila's site which have been freely shared with Foro Rosa by yours truly) to see whose name is the one that appears the most in the fan translated texts. Please make sure you standardize the mentions of Albert, Albert-san, Grandfather William, Great Uncle William and Prince of the Hill as Albert so that he can be properly accounted for. Standardize Terence, Terrus, Terruce and Terrious and other known spellings for Terry. Standardize Candice as Candy. I suggest this approach so that you get the proper word count for how many times each of these names appear in Final Story - of what we know so far. I think you will be intrigued by the results. I have done it myself, I just have not published this finding. But no matter who does it, the results will be the same. I encourage you to do this and share with everybody on this blog.

    Once you find the results, then you need to ask yourself this: If this story was about a Candy and Albert sexual/marriage pairing, why then the results of the word count? I await your thoughts on this to continue the dialogue.

    Sincerely,


    Ana Luisa Aldana
    Lady Gato >^..^<

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  20. I don't believe Candy ended up with Albert; Candy lives in UK with him/Anohito/William Albert Ardlay.

    I've also said that the novel is complex, it is up to you as a reader to decide to understand it or to create your own Anohito, if it gets too complex that you don't get what Mizuki is writing about, you can always go and take the short-cut and believe to your own convenience that Terry, Albert, Anthony, Neil.... anyone or everyone else is Anohito

    But yet, the facts are what they are, the author writes and changes the chronology - she does this herself NOT me. She links the letter and makes anchors from section 3 to the epilogue - and it doesn't matter in which translations you read it - original Japaneses, French, Chinese.. (THE LETTERS MIRROR EACH OTHER) and Mizuki makes sure you will find out about it. If you are lazy enough not to follow Mizuki instructions, far enough, if for you Anohito is Terry, far enough - I am happy for you.

    The novel is what it is, you either take it or leave it. (and thanks for reading it, I am aware that my reference guide is very long)

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  21. By the way you might also be interested to read my other article http://journal.bequi.com/2011/07/anohito-quien-es-anohito_29.html.

    Mizuki doesn't only kill Susanna Marlowe (Susanna is an impediment) Mizuki writes not 1 but 3 impediments for Candy not to be happy;

    1st impediment is Anhony's death
    2nd impediment is Susanna Marlowe
    3rd impediment is Sir William's upper Class.

    Mizuki kills two "Susannas"; Susanna Marlowe and the person of Sir William (after the crash of 1929).

    I didn't write this novel, the only thing I did was to read it (and yes I am very familiar with the story's plot, as many of the fans I started 30 years ago), then I analysed and point it out the twist and turns the book has - so most of the readers can also follow what is happening, and understand the underneath plot.

    But again it is up to each individual reader to do what it pleases with the novel, this is how Mizuki wrote it (and no one can do anything about it) that's why also Terry, Albert, Anthony or anyone else, in the readers mind can also be Anohito as well.

    But the one and only real answer to the puzzle is William Albert Ardlay, also because Mizuki wrote it like this and NOT ME.

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  22. This was an awesome text!! thank you for your time to write such a long essay. I would like to ask if you read the books in Japanese and from where can i buy the books in English, i would love to read them!

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  23. I found some new transations of the letters on an italian forum with a description of the rom where she is reading the letters, waiting for anohito. Then, it is written that there are some photos on the wall of the andrew family, a photo of the regan's hotel with Albert and not Candy as she refused to be on it because of neal. So those information make us think of Albert and not Terry. But, once again i don't have any book to confirm. She said also that when Albert left the appartment because of the rumor, she knew at this moment that he was very special for her.

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  24. Cat, can you check the text/translation from the Italian forum?. In my text Candy GOES to the opening/party Miami Resort Inn X 8,- (she initially thought they wouldn't invite her because Neil or Elisa would opposed to it, but to her surprise she WAS invited). In the picture she is close to George. In the center of the picture is "Uncle William!, Miss Leagan, Neil & Elisa, then Mary & Stewart (and then Candy & George)
    Aunt Elroy & Archie didn't go - so they are not in this picture -
    (B2/p.196)

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  25. Thanks verry much for your long, detailed essay. As a Terry's fan who alway wishes for a happy ending for the couple I love (Candy and Terry), I was first convinced by all your proofs and imagined stories which prove Albert is Anohito (or any other names you like, William Albert Ardlay or Sir William ect), although I've absolutely believed that Terry is the man when reading translated passages myself. But then, when contemplating it thoroughly, I realize that most of your essay is just your own imagined-story, based on some of the facts given by Mizuki's CCFS. I have to admit that this love story (between Candy & Albert) is summarised beautifully and it would have made a great novel if Mizuki had truly writen it in her's books.

    However, all (I have to say 'all', not 'most of') details of this love story are out of CCFS, they are just your way of understanding of Mizuki's words. And I find it's hard to believe this is the true story behind CCFS when she didn't actually put any kind of "romantic relationship" between Candy & Albert IN WORDS (not to mention she did actually remove all romantic hints which are clearly included in previous version of novel). Furthermore, there're some same details, in your story they are aimed to express Candy's love to Albert, but in others' stories they belong to Candy'love to Terry. And others' stories are close to CCFS than yours.

    Anyway, I would really like to read the novel on my own and make my own conclusion, but unfortunately I can't read Japanese, and English translations are limited. At least I wish to read clearly all the letters in the Epilogue (I've tried to read the ones on Nila's site but the translations are hard to understand exactly). Could you please give me (and other readers) the link to your friend's Engish version of translation? Thanks verry much in advance for that.

    shiluo

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  26. Sorry Shiluo, but unfortunate i cannot give to you or to any one else the translations i have in my collection (they were given to me or passed from others to me, and I don’t have authorization to do so)- (you have to understand no one wants to share the translations in an open space because it is illegal, but they do exist, perhaps no so many in English – I use both Spanish & English simultaneously) my advice to you is get into groups (there are plenty) and soon you will meet really nice people, most of them share stuff but only inside these groups/ forums –

    As for my interpretation, of course it is subjective, there are lot of things missing from the novel. but the structure is sacred - what i put here is correct, - any one else can tell you that - the letters in the third section are out of place and there is no chronology, there is lot of talking about this too, and the letters in the epilogue matches most of the letters in section III...

    It is up to you as an individual reader to decide clear the puzzle or to ignore it - but it is really like this, when candy writes "i loved you terry" - she is already writing to Albert - when she writes "i am happy" she is happy with albert , this is in the letters in the book (and it doesn't matter which translation you use (we checked four translations + original japaness) Mizuki wrote it like this herself.

    (the romantic relationship between albert & candy is in the epilogue - 47 pages Mizuki wrote + then most of the section III (130 pages) once you put the epilogue back to where it really belong - because also affect both of them.

    In the other hand, you don't have to do anything with this, if you don't want to, no one is going to force you - Mizuki cannot force anyone to read the book and to fix the chronology and the timeline. so if you are happy with Terry be happy with him.

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  27. For those who want to read some letters from the book, you read the fan fiction "AMOR AETERNUS" chapter 27. Then you can find many translations on internet posted for example by Elaine visible on her web site at elainecandy.com. for my side, I try to catch as many translations as I can because I would like to writ a complete fan fiction based on the book with an Albert/Candy romance. Thans again to all fans and in particular to Bequi who make Candy always living in our hart.

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  28. Thanks Cat36! I forgot about Amor Aeternus http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5401973/27/Amor_Aeternus - indeed in chapter 27 there are some of the letters from section III to the end of the epilogue in the novel covers pgs. 246- till 331 (from book2). The only really bad thing about this translation is that most of the letters are missing text, it is pointed as "(...)" some times these missing paragraphs (...) are relevant, others no so much. But at least chapter 27 of Amor Aeternus would give you an idea of what is happening. Just keep in mind that is not full 100%. elainecandy.com is also a good source, thanks again for your tips.

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  29. I can't express my thanks enough to you (bequi and cat36) for recommending the links on which I found the English version of letters in epilogue. It's the 1st time I read thru the letters and understood them thoroughly. And, despite my disagreement with your above essay, bequi, I must say you've saved my day :-).

    Yes, after reading thru the letters, I'm sure to announce that the above essay is just your own story, it's definitely not Mizuki's story. It's just... your interpretation doesn't make sense with the sentences, the words in the novel. On the contrary, the story of Candy-Terry's happy ending turns out to be suitable amazingly.

    Once again, thank you very much.

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  30. Hello Bequi, i read again the pages in english and it appears that i have misunderstood the story. Yes, Candy did come at the Regan's party,and when Albert asked her to be beside him for the photo she declined, as she thought it was not her place. If you wish to read those translation, please go to the following page: http://candycandy.forumfree.it/?t=42782536&st=525
    But you are a lucky girl as you have the correct translations, me and other fans have to search on internet and catch as many translation as we can to reach to read some part of the book. Thanks again.

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  31. Hello, I read again the the translation on the italian forum and in fact I have had misunderstand it. Yes,Candy did comt to the Regan's party, but when Albert asked her to come beside him for the photo she decline it becaus she thought it was not her place. If you want, you can go to the following italian forum to make your own idea:
    Http://candycandy.fourumfree.it/?t=42782536&st=525

    Bequi, lucky girl you are as you have read the book whereas, we, other fans, we have to catch some translations (not always correct) on internet that i am doing actually because i try to write a fanfiction based on the novel with of course the happy ending with candy and albert romance.

    For those who want to help me, you can send me thanslations on the following address i have specially created for the occasion: candycat36@gmail.com.

    Thanks

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  32. For Shiluo:if want you go and see the manga (in french, sorry) at the website "ISCARIOTE.ORG". And then you that it is very different from the TV animation.

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  33. Congratulations! This is by far, the best- the most scholastic analysis of CCFS I've ever read. It does more than mere interpretation of the novel; you have brilliantly applied method in putting the puzzle together along with amusing remarks that I thoroughly enjoyed! Hats off ot you oh gifted one!

    As far as I can tell you have approached the novel using Reader-Response Criticism. I find it an apt and exciting intellectual exercise, stimulating us readers to delve deeper into the world which the author created. I must say, you have laid for us an impartial visual of the whole novel. The timeline and the content was not biased, you have given both sides a run for it! Not only that, but you have also meticulously backed up your analysis with page references! In my opinion, you really do know what you are talking about. Inevitably, I have my own supposition in the end like everyone else: Therefore, I conclude, based on the empirical evidences you have kindly laid out for us that: since she knew Albert longer, was happier when she was with him and more mature to make a serious a decision when she finally is ready to settle down, guided with excerpts from the novel and Mizuki's comments herself- Candy was in blissful happiness with Albert!


    As for Susanna dying and the author’s reason behind killing her, no one knows for sure. We can all only suppose from what we know and still not have a concrete answer unless proven otherwise. But if I were to guess, I suggest you consider her current affairs when she wrote CCFS. She was in the middle of a court trial against Igarashi san; and I'm guessing that she wrote CCFS to rid of any traces of Igarashi’s influences in it. Although there were plenty of subtle changes, she admitted that the plot was still the same. Moreover, she also said in the Afterword, that she deliberately made Anohito’s identity ambiguous and in order to do that, she had to balance all the clues. Just imagine, if she had gone on with the story without killing Susanna, the scale would tip heavily on Albert’s side. The way I see it, it’s a worthy move to achieve the result that she wanted- A Final Story of Candy by Her and no one else with something new to for us to chew on.

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  34. Shiluo, The epilogue of CCFS is just one section of the book, and on its own could mean many things to many different readers. I also wrote that “AMOR AETERNUS" (chapter 27) has many missing Paragraphs/sentences/sections it shows as (...) in the fanfic, so please don't take these letters as complete.

    Again, FIRST – the reader needs to read all/or most of the novel – in its right proper order – (otherwise, neither the narrative, nor my analysis makes much sense). Then the individual reader can choose between

    1. DECONSTRUCTION – leave the novel as it is (structure and narrative) this leads to many/multiple anohitos – reason why Neil, Archie, Terry, Albert, Anthony, Garcia, George, Stear each and every one can and could be Anohito, there are all correct if the reader wish so!
    2. CONSTRUCTION – to follow Mizuki’s clues unveil the plot twist, put the letters in order and understand the chronology (similar to what I have done in my guide) (for example to put the epilogue’s correspondence where it belongs within section3). Then the only answer to the puzzle is WILLIAM ALBERT.

    It is ultimate to the reader’s individual choice to decide which path to follow. Mizuki doesn’t mind, thus the reason she wrote the novel the way she did it and why she deconstructed the narrative and the chronology, NO ONE CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.

    When we read the novel without a chronology everything is open and readers can speculate, but once the narrative is in order, everything is tied-up and there is only one meaning. The relationship with Terry is defined – it has a beginning and it has an end – No because I tell you so, but because Candy/Mizuki writes it like this;
    1. When Candy writes “Terruce, I love you!” (B2/pp95- 97) is her present of 1913
    2. When Candy writes “P.S. Terry ... I loved you.” (B2/pp 274) she writes a past tense in her present of 1919 –linked to her romantic letters with Albert and awaiting for his return.
    3. When Candy writes --- “I fell hard for someone who looked like you in London. Yet, I only thought you looked alike for a moment, because he probably was completely your opposite. With him, I found out that there are various ways to love. Also, the fact that there are things once lost will never return.” (this is Candy retrospective about her romantic relationship with Terry ,after her meeting with Albert in Lakewood, spring 1920) this is a resume and end to her relationship with Terry (fiscally) in 1915, then in 1917 when she leave him behind in Rocktown, then in the letter she wrote “I loved you” in 1919 and now with the diary in 1920)
    4. When Candy writes “But---- now… I learned that there are people, although still alive, are bound by fate never to meet again. So this is life; how these series of events fall into place, one on top of the other. Even so, as long as we live, we could realize our dreams.” This is Candy reflecting on her relationship/end of romance with Albert in Lakewood (spring 1920)
    5. When Candy says “I live with the man I love …” (B1/pp216-219) It is the actual present time of the novel in c.1932 – Candy is “talking” to Anthony.

    Candy doesn’t love Terry she is over him (no because I am trying to convince you) but it is like this in the novel once you have all the chronology in place, even if Susanna dies or not, this won’t make Candy to fall in love with Terry.
    The last man she is in love with is William Albert, with the crisis of 1929, they have the opportunity to leave the usa and move to the uk where they finally marry.
    I don’t try to spoil anyone’s choice of anohito, everyone individually has the right to decide what to do with the pages of the novel. But I personally found it interesting to explore the “CONSTRUCTION” way of the novel. Thus my article/guide above, thanks for reading.

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  35. Hello Bequi, after reading coments and your replies, don't forget that you havthe most complete traduction in your hands whereas we have to make our own idea with partial translation of the letters of the novel.So pleasd try to be comprehensive with suggestion made by other fans like Terry/Candy fans.

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  36. Hello again, for those who want, you can go the following websit "candyfans.free.fr" where you can the prologue in english of the novel "final story". You can have also a look at you tube where you can fnd the complete manga in english.

    Have a good reading.

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  37. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  38. Yes, you are right cat36, no everyone has read the novel/translations in their proper order - it is normal than the narrative doesn't makes much sense. My analysis is only valid if the reader has a good understanding of the novel - reading loose text/translations or comments in the forums is not going to help, but complicate the novel's narrative even more. So once more, please, anyone interested to read the novel;

    1st Gather as many sections/translations from the novel as possible (the book is almost complete out there).
    2nd find the novel's index (also in forums)
    3rd put all translations in order (you have to do it yourself)
    4th READ THE NOVEL NOW
    5th if need help understanding the plot, read the analysis above.

    THANKS

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  39. Yes you are right and hoping that an english translation will come soon, which will makethe end clear for everybody.

    Catherine

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  40. AnonymousMay 14, 2012

    Thank you so much for this amazing work! I have yet to improve my japanese skills in order to read the novel but I am going to buy it anyways. As an aspiring writer I am always looking for unusual ways of narrative and it looks like Candy Candy writer really made an effort to keep her fans at the edge of tension.

    I also appreciate the manga more than the anime version. I sometimes believe the anime doesnt like to touch controvential topics as a relationship of a young girl and her "protector" ten year her senior. Maybe it was aimed to western cultures? I don't know. While in the manga, there was more freedom and is more into the Japanese culture (where many stories cover subject as relations between siblings and other family members). Besides, the figure of the "protector" is more strong that the one of a "father" "uncle" "brother" or actual family. Whenever I read the manga I care for W.A. and for Candy. In the anime he's just a minor character.

    I was delighted to discover the manga more than 10 years ago. And ever since then I have been in love countless times of that sweet Candy and the story of her prince (who is not a side character but also narrates his story with his own voice). Now that you have let us know that the writer took the liberty of create a new "stage" of W.A. life and finally managed to find a way for them to live a life together against all odds, makes me really want to buy the book and struggle with my japanese knowledge. I thank you for this! Honestly, great job!

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  41. AnonymousJune 03, 2012

    First of all, Tahnk you so very much for taking your time and gave as a completed plot of Candy Candy Final Story as well geographic scale of the story in Candy's life.
    Thank you so very much and really, really thank you from my heart that you took out of your time to share a lovely ending of the story.
    Take care
    Anohitoooo for Ever!!!! MY prince of the Hill too :)
    Love is in the air!!!!!!
    M.R.

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  42. Thank you for your analysis of CCFN. It’s very helpful for me to know the plot. I very appreciate your methodology of analysis CCFN. It’s not easy for me to write done my response in English because I seldom use English after leaving school. May I ask you some questions?
    1. You mentioned that conservative Ardlay family never would allow Albert to marry Candy. It would be an exception for Candy, considering that she took care of Albert and helped Albert to recover his memory?
    2. Why Candy didn’t love Terry anymore since 1919 year? Is there explanation in CCFN?
    Of course, I know that you aren’t author, but an expert who had done the whole historical research to analysis CCFN. It’s glad for me to know your opinion. Thank you in advance.

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  43. biased anaylsis..terry is anohito..just learn how to live with that...

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  44. AnonymousJune 21, 2012

    Albert is anohito..just learn how to live with that...

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  45. Excellent job. I knew she ended up with Albert after watching the anime. When she remembers everything in the last episode: Anthony is in heaven with a smile, Terry is given her his back like walking away from her, and flesh and bones is Albert/William/Prince/Friend/Roommate with her, in Pony's house enjoying a family time. Bequi you did a terrific job. At the end, Candy has his three great loves and she had the opportunity to live three different types of love as the writer put it: "I thought of Candy experiencing three kinds of love. A faint and fleeting first love for Anthony; passionate love for Terry; and a peaceful fateful love for Albert". All of us had the opportunity to live our first love, our passionate love, and our peaceful love. I had those three as well. The writer wrote an excellent novel to let us decide who Anohito is. I choose Albert, but I know others think is Terry. I like the fact that Candy is HAPPY WITH THE MAN SHE LOVES. I read Reencuentro en Vortice and Amor Aeternus and I enjoyed both endings because in both Candy is happy.

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  46. AnonymousJune 24, 2012

    Qué risa, entiendan que terry NUNCA JAMAS DE LOS JAMASES ES NI HA SIDO ANOHITO.

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  47. Thank you for such fantastic, academic analysis. You have helped a lot to understand the Candy story in general. It left me traumatized when I was a kid to be honest: I wanted her to end up with Terry and finally like 25 years later I find closure!! Thanks a lot!

    I think the most interesting bit in the whole book is the death of Susanna. The fact Candy she didn't go back with Terry after this death and even, his inviting letter leads me to realize she is over him for good. I am sad to see this, but this may be better for Candy as it is a unforgivable waste to live your life holding on to an impossible love for 15 years!! She deserves better than that.

    It is reprehensible, on the other hand, to have Albert as her lover/husband, as we know he is her step father! I understand why they would need to flee to other country indeed! I wished the anohito was a new person we never met instead of William Andley.

    I just disagree with you on one thing: that getting to live with Albert Andley is her way into adulthood. He was her hangup as a four year old girl.... Marrying him is getting back in the past of illusions of romantic princes.

    Albert for me is the contrary of an adult. He has lived a bohemian life, fleeing his family responsibilities and not managing at all the Andley estate (they must have lost a lot of money per your analysis, and this may be even before the crisis as he never did real work). Terry is the one making the tough decisions and sacrifices and this made him the adult of the story from the time he decided to leave school and family to make his own way in life... and then thanking Susanna to the point of sacrificing his sanity, not to mention his happiness...

    Also, it is rather very unsual for anyone to develop romantic feelings for someone who has been just a friend for more than ten years which is the case between Candy and Albert. Is there really the attraction element necesary for a romantic love? Just something I was considering that is entirely up to the author of this book to set up adequately so as to make it believable (very difficult IMHO.)

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  48. Thank you for the article, it was realy interesting and profound.
    I loved this anime film so much and I guess I couldn't fully realize why it made such an effect on me. After reading your analysis I think the reason is that there is much more behind the anime (it was just this year (15 years after I've seen the anime) when I found out that there is a novel too, not only the anime). If I had a chance to read the book in English, I would do so (even though I'm not a child or teenager anymore). Actually the ending tortured me at that time, I guess even after reading the final story I would still feel torture :)
    I cannot comment much about Anohito as I haven't read novel myself, your analysis seems very interesting and makes sense. The author's idea to end the novel with "Anohito" as the mysterious husband of Candy is interesting and leaves much space for guesses and imagination. I realise that the author's subtle way of writing does not say anything forthright.
    However, I also find some facts strange: if Anohito is Albert, all this step-father thing is quite complicated for those times. There should be some mentioning about how this issue was or could be solved so that it won't stand in a way of marriage.
    Another thing that I found strange: "1926? - Terry writes to Candy - he won't get a reply." It so strange that there is no reply from Candy. The personality of Candy (at least as shown in anime film) is presented as sensitive, open and human, not hurting anyone, suffering her own pain instead, trying to make everyone happy. Has anything changed over the years? I understand Candy does not need to reply to Terry in order to figure out her own feelings, for example for making sure that she is over him. But how about Terry's feelings? It would be so strange that she did not care about other person's feelings. If she did not reply to this letter than it would mean that Terry's case would still be left open, he still would live in a hope and could come looking for her, and so on. I don't think she would want that. At least some subtle reply, or short notice like "I loved you" could be expected.
    In general following your analysis I would agree that most probably Albert became Candy's husband. Although for me it's quite difficult to imagine Albert as a family person, as he travels all the time, he is like a soul mate, who is far away from Candy for most of the time, but still gives her all the emotional and any other support whenever she needs (on the other hand, Terry is an actor - not easy to settle down and lead calm family life) Or maybe the author let each reader to choose whatever he/she wants to :)

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  49. I've seen this anime many years ago and, like most of us, could never forget it, for it made a profound impact on me. I've never seen a story like that before nor after. I've recently rediscovered this series and read the manga for the first time. If I could read the first novel, I would love to, but I'll just take your word for what it was all about. I confess I've only read pieces of the translations of Final Story, so I might not have full understanding of the story, but I've found your analysis very detailed and informative, thank you very much! I also read some analysis from the "opposite" point of view and must say that they also have some valid arguments about the identity of Anohito. Why did Mizuki do this to her fans? Everybody were praying for a clear closure and yet they didn't get it, which I find disappointing. Like you said, the anime and manga (and I suppose the first novel too) were clearly pointing to Albert being Candy's destiny. I had no doubt in my mind about it when I watched the anime. After all he was her Prince, the one who was always protecting her, taking care of her, helping her in various difficult times of her life. It seemed he was constantly on her mind too, the bond they made from the very beginning was surprisingly very strong. The manga clearly provided much more intimate details of their relationship, especially in the end. But this new novel seems to be overriding and confusing things for the unknown purpose. Was this to appease fans of both sides? It actually caused more pairing wars than ever. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm very much pro-Albert/Candy, but I also see a possibility of Terry being Anohito. If you really put things together chronologically, the last piece of correspondence is Terry's note to Candy. What could have happened after? Was she really over Terry or was she only suppressing her feelings to the level of living comfortably? The correspondence with Albert and the letter to Anthony happened long before that. She did resolve to live her life with a smile, waiting for whatever fate could bring her, using her sad and happy memories as a fuel to go forward. It was all nice and dandy, but to say that Terry's note didn't have any impact on her would be wrong. As I understand, there were some blank pages before and after that note in the novel - they must signify something. The way I see it, she must have went into a shock-induced stupor after reading the note, when all her thoughts disappeared. The outcome of this situation depended on many things, but mostly on what was going on in Candy's life at the time she received the note. You've guessed the time of Susanna's death and Terry's note, but how can you be sure of when it really happened? Where was Candy at that time? Was she still in America? Or maybe she was already in London with her Anohito. Terry himself expressed doubt if his note could reach her, but he just had to let her know about his feelings anyway. Who knows, maybe he knew she was already abroad. On the other hand, if Candy was still in America and not involved with anybody, she might have given him a second chance.

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  50. I know you are very firm in your belief of who Anohito is, but I've noticed you've misinterpreted certain things and stretched the facts unnecessarily. Mainly Candy's letter to Anthony. When she says "I fell hard for someone who looked like you in London. Yet, I only thought you looked alike for a moment, because he probably was completely your opposite. With him, I found out that there are various ways to love. Also, the fact that there are things once lost will never return", she is not referring to Terry in the last sentence, but to Anthony's death. Before she met Terry, she still couldn't let go of Anthony, and it was Terry who forced her to face the fact that dead do not return no matter how much we wish for it. Then you put too much significance to the word "now" in the next sentence, assuming she's talking about her current situation in 1919(?). But she's only trying to say that there's something she didn't know at that time in London - that "there are people, although still alive, are bound by fate never to meet again". Why would she be talking about Albert here? They belonged to the same family, she was his adoptive daughter - of course they would meet again, especially with Archie and Annie's wedding coming up. With them is not about meeting, but about actually being together. The one person Candy really vowed to never meet again was Terry, and she kept her word. The letter to Anthony is not an attempt to find closure with Albert, but first and foremost to show her resolve to go on with her life no matter what. I liked though how she described Albert's likeness to Anthony, all those poetic terms she used, especially for their eye color, it was very sweet. What kind of relationship did Candy really have with Albert? There are many speculations about it. He never explicitly said he loved her, neither did she. There are only indirect clues and hints, which can point to a very close brother-sister relationship or a budding romantic one. The placement of their letters to each other in the epilogue is also significant. It's obvious that Candy treasured their correspondence, for she kept the letters nicely in one place in chronological order and was reading them the last, as if to lift her mood up after remembering sad events and reassure herself that everything is OK. Like she says "I have learnt how to get along with the fate. Light and shadow. The fate not only casts a shadow but sometimes also sheds a blinding ray of light". The ending of the novel gave me a major deja-vu, it brought me straight back to the end of the manga. We know very well whose arms she ran to in the manga version, which made me wonder - did Mizuki intentionally end the novel that way? Was this supposed to be a direct reference? Who knows, maybe. But there's one thing I don't understand... I've never read that part of the novel, but I can assume from this quote that Candy already started an open relationship with Anohito while still living in America: “Thanks to Great-Uncle William, it became possible to obtain the land from Mr. Cartwright. And Pony’s House is filled with orphans as usual. I wish I could be of more help to the teachers, but at this moment----I don’t want to leave HIM who, above all, wants me by his side all the time". Or does she mean she's in London already? Which time period is she referring to? I thought that they bought the land from Cartwright still in 1919. And I find strange that she would be referring to Albert formally as Great Uncle William and then again as HIM in the same sentence. Ah, so many doubts. I wish I could just read the whole thing already, but I'm not going to go scavenging around the Internet for bits and pieces of translations.

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  51. "I don’t want to leave HIM who, above all, wants me by his side ALL THE TIME" - that sentence attracted my attention and provoked doubts. Would Albert be so "possessive" regarding Candy? I imangine Albert was a person who would give quite much space and freedom to the person he loved.

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    Replies
    1. Actually in Japanese Candy means like two soul who wants to be together two bonds enlase to each other a string to connect two soul in one,is more like we are so much in love our soul and hearts likes to be conect enlase to each other,

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  52. The work is excellent, thank you Bequi!! I agree with a big part of it, actually there's something I haven't focalized yet, but I'm sure Anohito is Albert.
    At the moment I don't feel like writing a comment to this big work yet, however I've just read the previous comment about Albert's doubtful possessiveness and I'd like to answer to that post.

    The previous comment says: "Would Albert be so "possessive" regarding Candy? I imangine Albert was a person who would give quite much space and freedom to the person he loved."
    I think we should remember we're talking of the same person who hid the fact he had regained his memory in order to keep on living by Candy's side.
    Albert is a man, not a saint, a man in love who didn't want to leave Candy and their Magnolia apartment. If he did, it was just because there were troubles that could damage Candy. Anyway, at that time it's clear that he longed to stay by Candy's side all the time.
    All people in love have that kind of desire!
    And now that they declared their love each other, I suppose that desire to be even more strong.
    Regards
    Karen

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  53. It is annoying how Candy´s story did not get a clear closure. I find quite interesting Bequi´s essay but I absolutely disagree with her conclusions. Albert was always Candy´s "brother" whereas Terry was always the love of her life and so the "he" at the end of the epilogue can only be him....

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  54. To those who wish, you can read some english translation for the novel "final story" at the following web page:
    http://candycandy.forumfree.it/?t=42782536&st=525

    In this page, you will find an interesting translation of Candy's lettrers and thoughts in wich she truely express her love for Albert.

    ENJOY !

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  55. Just another Candy fan saying thanks. When I found out about the new books I decided to learn Japanese and the culture. A lot of the things that fans are having trouble accepting (those who read your interpretation or others for that matter) I think, is because they don't understand the reference point of the author.
    Will we hold it against the author for not giving it the ending we have hoped for in the past years?
    Over the years I always believed Candy should've ended with Terry, yet as an adult and understanding life a little better I came to the conclusion that Albert would be a better choice for a more mature woman.
    At least we know she is happy. I'll be getting the book this fall. Wish me luck!

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  56. Really good article, but I have some questions about the chronology. You mentioned that
    "Albert presents himself to Candy as the “prince” - they start a secret correspondence." (1919)
    The time should be in Spring. Then Candy's birthday party came soon in Chicago (in May).
    After the birthday party, Albert went for a trip in San Paulo. How about the duration of the trip? I think that it would not be too long. After Albert coming back from the trip, Albert and Candy went to Lakewood and some flowers mentioned in the last one letter Candy wrote to Albert usually bloom in June. So the duration of the trip was just one month? Maybe, I am not sure.

    Another question is that I think the engagement party of Annie-Archie should take place before the last one letter. Because Candy commented that she could not write to Anthony at that time(engagement party).

    Thank you again for your good article.

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  57. Besides, I also got the CCFS books and decided to learn Japanese. It's not easy but I'll try.

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  58. thanks for the article. I read CC manga when I was young. Although the ending is somewhat open ended, I never doubted that she would end up with Albert. I didn't know that many others do not think like me until I grew up and found discussions about CC and how many people wanted her to be with someone. I thought to myself, Isn't it obvious that she will be with Albert?

    Anyways, earlier this year, I found that CC came up with new novels but only in Japanese (I don't speak/read Japanese unfortunately) but my husband is a native Japanese. He knew about CC but never read the manga so I asked him if we could please read the novels for me and to let me know what he thinks. After reading the novels, he told me that Mizuki wanted the new story so that everyone can have the happy ending they wanted. So if you are pro Terry, you will get it by reading all the Terry hints. If you are pro Albert, you will also get the Albert hints. There is no right or wrong here. It's up to how you interepret it.

    But anyways, I was curious so I asked my hubby what he thinks (since he is not pro anyone unlike many girls). He told me that from reading from the beginning till the end, it makes more sense for him if Candy ends up with Albert. But that's just his opinion. I also believe that it makes more sense for Candy to ends up with Albert than with Terry. It will suit the theme of this story more I guess. Isn't this story about moving on and perseverance despite setbacks? How would this be moving on if she got back to Terry? It sounded to me like she never moved on and stuck with her teenage love (with Terry).

    I guess this is very difficult though for many readers who read when they were teens to accept because they might have dreams and ideals (to be with that one person they love in their tender age). But I read the ending when I was really young and had no experience in love and no ideals yet and when i reread them as an adult, i just treated as part of growing up (you don't always end up with that one passionate love you have in your teenage years).

    Anyways, Mizuki i believe wanted unhappy readers to have their happy endings this time, so she purposely rewrote the story so anyone can interpret it whatever their wants. And I stick by my earlier interpretation since I think it suits the image of Candy that I have. She eventually ended up with Albert (no passionate love maybe but an everlasting one).

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  59. Thank you very much, Anonymous (October 25, 2012), for this very interesting comment. I've always been a Terry's fan but you may be right with your analysis. It was also very interesting to have the neutral opinion of your husband (a man + a Japanese speaker/reader).
    I'm still trying to get my own opinion but this is very difficult (or almost impossible) as the books have not been translated into English (or another European language)...
    I fear I will have to spend more hours in front of my computer, trying to find some sites with (incomplete) translations...
    By the way, I want to thank very very much bequi for having given the links to us with the English translation of some letters.
    It would be great if other fans could state the available links with English translations of the books.

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  60. Why couldn't teenage love be everlasting? If to remember Wuthering Heights, love between Cathy Ernshaw and Heatcliff that couldn't be stopped even by death...
    Maybe Mizuki wants every one to imagine their own happy ending and disappoint no one. However she prolongs the agony of fans trying to find hints, making analysis and trying to persuade their rivals that their understanding of story is truly right (how any one couldn't see it????;-)). But there are cases when one of the parts has to be disappointed.
    Without analysing any hints, as for me, if it is Albert, it's just boring like any other fairytale where princess finds her prince and they live happily till the end in peace. Live in peace... to my humble opinion it doesn't correspond to energetic lively character of Candy. To live peaceful life without any adventures she has all through her youth... Could she do so? and as a result we have one unhappy person, Terry, who still loves Candy and will love forever (so he hasn't overcome his teenage love?). No pity!
    If it's Terry, it's never now. To my view, more drama, more unexpected events and jokes (I like people with sense of humour). It's more interesting to me. I prefer when such a beautiful rememberable love survives all miseries. It's interesting to follow development of personalities such a kind of pair of two children and their relationship. I think relationships always need development, to bring into them something new then it would be boring, as for me. When you stop developing you are dead. Don't think Albert will be unhappy in that case. I haven't remembered she ever confessed her love to Albert, naming him by name. I agree we need words not hints, or at the end actions properly saying something.
    Obviously, it's clearly seen whose side I take. :-)

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  61. just to add
    First, sorry for mistake - of course, *"It's never know"... Sorry
    Secondly, I have thought that all that situation with Mizuki's hints reminds me about some shows like America's next top-model. When you listen to judges comments on this or that picture or model, you try to guess who will be eliminated or win. You can be misunderstood by their hints. All is made to mix you up, to shift your attention, to lull your vigilance. It's obviously she or she, but surprise it's really another girl...So I was trying to avoid their hints to make me persuade. It's something like detective story where the killer can be someone less suspected.
    Who knows maybe in the 70s and 80s Mizuki clearly saw the final of her manga. Though with time she could change her mind... and moreover be influenced by fans. It could happen. So we have the competition "Candy's Next Husband" (CNH). We have the two finalists. Who will be the winner?
    Don't think the clear final would stop real fans of the story to be fans and write fan-fiction stories. Maybe even more interesting than Mizuki's.
    George Harrison said The Beatles will exist without us.
    Could it be rephrased for Candy? Could she exist without completely belonging to Mizuki's decisions?
    Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with a wind" was finished by another author whether she wanted or not.

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  62. I am trying to understand why there is no reply from Candy to Terry’s last letter in the box. Apparently she kept all her important correspondence in this box. So WHY is there no reply letter?

    When she received Terry’s letter, she was probably working at Pony’s home for the last 10 years, taking care of the orphans with Ms. Pony and Sister Mary. I am sure that she was happy with her life and would have been able to lead all her life there.

    Terry wrote to her “Nothing has changed with me” (i.e. his feelings for her are the same as 10 years ago). Does somebody think that Candy would only put this letter in her box without at least sending an answer to him? She has always been a very honest person. I cannot imagine that she has not sent any reply to Terry. Either to tell him that she was married or that she did not want to see him again or that she wanted to have a last discussion with him and speak about the past.
    Candy has always been a very spontaneous and courageous girl. The only plausible answer I have is that she took the first train to meet him immediately. And from this moment they have never separated again, Terry has not been able to leave her go, even for a short time (this is the reason why Candy could not go back to America even when Ms. Pony was sick). After what they went through, it is comprehensible that he wants to have her on his side all the time. So, from the moment they met again, Candy has stayed with him. They decided together to go to England in order to forget all bad reminders they had in America and finally start a new life together. They may have chosen England because the only nice remembers they actually have together are in England, nothing positive has ever happened to them in America.

    In my opinion Anohito

    - cannot be Albert because Albert lived many months with Candy without knowing that she was his adoptive daughter and knowing that they came from completely different social classes (as he was amnesic). That means, if he would have loved her (as a man loves a woman), he would have had enough opportunities to tell her and no reason to keep his feelings secret.
    I think they always had and always will have a very nice and special relationship: in the past, he helped her a lot and when she was an adult, she helped him a lot. He will always be there for her and she will always be there for him.

    - cannot be another man because in this case Candy would have sent a reply to Terry and a copy of this letter would be in the box (with all other correspondence).

    I really think that this is the only explanation why there is no further correspondence between Candy and Terry after Terry's short letter ("I haven't changed at all").

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  63. Well, it was very interesting and instructive to trace the main idea in this detective work, and I was very pleased once again to make sure that I understood more after watching anime - the series. Author of the topic, you did a great job, thank you very much. Sorry for the quality of English, because the translation of my commentary carried Google - translator.
    I want to add from myself another thread, which is very clearly seen throughout the story.
    As she wrote Kyoko Mizuki, work on "Candy, Candy", became her cathartic experience in a difficult time, in a very young age, after the loss of his mother. And at 12, she lost her father. As written by Keiko: "When I was working on this story, I felt as if someone drives my hand, and the feeling was very strong, indescribable. And I do not dare to write a sequel, yet again, will not experience the same amazing feeling" short She wrote that the novel is full of hidden meanings and symbols that it does not claim that this story is compared with the deepest history of the Creator, but it is hoped that "the time comes to harvest, and this novel will bring the shoots." Why so Kyoko wrote.
    I'm sure that at the time of writing Mizuki guts felt boundless, comforting love of God, as she spoke, and without embellishment, but somehow missed her message on deaf ears. She wrote the story, and she opened the amazing truth that it is in actual fact not alone - that there is in this world of perfect being, as the author wrote the topic, the superego, which was held together with her, hand in hand, through all its trials and loss, which in times of trouble "carried her in his arms, wiping her tears," and waited ... That's who this Albert actually. Since I am a Christian Orthodox, meaning cartoon Candy, Candy, revealed to me in this, the spiritual aspect. That only is the expression - if you will be hard, throw a bottle with a note in the river, and I'll find you. I think it is no secret that symbolizes the image of the sea for a believer. Remember the only episode in the Gospel as Christ walked on water. Message in the bottle - a prayer of the soul in the vessel of the heart. Who is not clear, go to YouTube, there are a lot of commercials about the meaning of orthodoxy for a man, and why it is the least distorted the religion of our time.
    In short, do not want to embark on second thoughts and annoy the audience, but it does not exclude the fact that Kyoko Mizuki wanted to convey to all of us is this idea - of how God loves us, all-holy Trinity. Strange, but somehow also loved Candy THREE times, there seems to be, different guys, but as it turned out, the one and only.
    There is a saying that each of our love shows in the object preferences ideal features of our Creator.
    So I was not surprised when you finally come to a conclusion. Candy that stayed with Albert, but far away, in another country, away from prying eyes. That meant Mizuki may Heaven, in which sacrifice and noble souls are finally able to be with the God-man, to which we are living now, never be possible to meet. The difference is not in the class, not in the title, as in the situation with Candy and Albert, and in our sinfulness and impurity of heart. Shorter than those born here I have thought about it.

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  64. Hi Bequi first I would like to congratulate you for your essay is the best I read ever. But, I would like to ask you something if uncle William(Albert) had not annulled the elders consent could the Legans really force her to marry Neil against her will?

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  65. When I read the manga and watched the anime long time ago, I already think that Candy ends up with Albert. She was interested with Anthony because Anthony resembled the prince, she was interested with Terry because at first Terry reminded her of Anthony. So all the time, she always remembers her first crush the prince and the prince becomes her source of encouragement to always live happily.

    Also, Terry has chose Suzanna. Now after several years Suzanna is dead it's so lame to return back to Terry and Candy has state she loved Terry in past tense. I think her love with Terry is just not meant to be.

    I'm an adult and if I were to choose for myself, I will choose Albert. I believe that Candy will never totally forget about Terry and might still feel the hurt due to their break up, but time heals and slowly Terry is becoming a precious memory just like Anthony. They both help to shape Candy.

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  66. I'm a die hard fan of Candy Candy ever since I am little and you can just see in the manga that it was always the Prince of the hill...even at the end...and even in the epilogue of the CCFS it is indicated there that Anohito has "That gentle voice which always makes me excited", if you still think that it is Terry who is Anohito...then I'm not sure where on earth you got that idea. It is stated on the manga that the "gentle voice is from Albert and the prince of the hill. Just stating the facts people...after all it is the epilogue(conclusion). I don't even think that Mizuki left an open ending! I admit that I am an Albert fan...but if I think that it was Terry who is Anohito...I'll accept it because Candy is finally happy. It is just not the case...ALBERT is ANOHITO!

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  67. Yes, even in 78 made ​​it clear that this is Albert! This is understandable, if you grew up and appreciated the true love

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  68. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  69. From the manga and anime, Candy was in love with Terry till the end (she still thinks of him). She wasn't with him because of Susannah. It's hard to believe that, in the final story, when Susannah dies and Terry becomes available to her, Candy won't want him back.

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  70. Hearts can change, there's nothing hard to believe about this.

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  71. One must be blind not to see that Candy is falling for Albert.Even in the manga/anime there's a special connection between these two.It may be subtle and not looking like romance but it is so because of the circumstances.She may always think about Terry...he meant a lot to her and they broke up the way they did.But it doesn't mean she wants him back.He is in the past...a memory.Now she is happy and excited thinking about Albert.He is in the present.She never speaks about him like a memory . She sees him in her future...maybe.Anyways things between her and Terry will stay chill.

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  72. I'm not blind, and I can see that what Candy has with Albert (no doubt very special) is a brother-sister kind of affection. What Candy has with Terry is a passionate love that only happens once in a lifetime.

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  73. No doubts Anohito is Albert.
    It would be so lame for Terry to wait for Susana's death before coming back to Candy, and for Candy to wait for Susana's death just to see Terry coming back to her as well.
    Since from the first time they met, Terry was somehow fashinated by Susana, and their perfect pairing on the stage say it all. C'mon, people, why can't you see that Terry can fall in love with someone else too?
    If Susana didn't mean anything for him, Candy shouldn't have been so jealous since the first time she saw her on Terry's side.
    It wasn't just kindness and sense of duty the way Terry acted after Susana got injured. He was used to go to the hospital every day, always carrying flowers. He accepted to be insulted by Susana's mum more than once, he looked at Susana's window asking himself how she was passing the day.
    And most of all, if Candy were really that special to him, he wouldn't have gone to the hospital soon after the first performance of "Romeo and Juliet", he wouldn't have wanted to see Susanna first. Instead, he went to the hospital, got anxious when they couldn't find Susana (who was on the roof with Candy), and as he understood she was making something terrible for her, ran on the roof very worried.
    The moment he met also Candy on that roof really sounded like "Ops! She's here too!?".
    The way that if I were Candy I'd have slapped him.

    And what about Candy & Terry's love story before Susana? Was it all roses?
    As for me, no. They still were immature.
    After he left the college, he never managed to contact Candy. He didn't know she had left the college as well, so why didn't he never send messages to the college?
    And then, after they met in Chicago, they started writing each other but they never met.
    They both agreed on the fact that they were too busy. Too busy????
    How can you state that you're deeply in love with one person, and soon after, say that you can't meet your beloved one for months just because of... life. ?
    Instead, Candy didn't think she was too busy when she upset her life just to help Albert!! She didn't mind to be fired, for him. Instead she begged him to let her help him.
    Their cohabitation was just perfect. Their hearts were in harmony. The only place Candy wanted to stay when she was sad, was with Albert. Not at Pony's Home (with her parents), not at her other friends', but with Albert. The one and not replaceable.
    And we know that there's just one man who can't be replaceable in a woman's life.
    For Candy, that man is Albert, who's her Anohito.

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  74. AnonymousMay 27, 2013

    Becky- Thank you, great job! I was a bit taken that the story of her mother's abandonment did not come to pass in this final story This was her long lost wish and Albert could have help for this to happen.

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  75. AnonymousJune 03, 2013

    This is exactly why I hate the fact that Nagita Keiko deliberately omitted the name of the man which Candy ends up with... Why not stating the name clearly? Don't we, Candy Candy long time fans deserve to know that she's finally happy somewhere with either Terence or Albert???? Why creating even more confusion among the readers... I really think the fact that Nagita keiko left it to the readers imagination is utterly a joke on us, that's how I see it...
    I think she should revise the novel give Anohito a name which I firmly believe it was stated in the original manuscript if you ask me....
    So, Nagita if you're out there reading all these comments, look into your heart and make it right for Candy, if not for us.....

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  76. AnonymousJune 05, 2013

    ANOHITO-Albert or Anthony same person lost memorie,W.A and Albert the costume to hide the true especially cap115 in the tv looks more like Anthony and Candy Albert And Anthony both said the same thing same character pre final manga chapter I never forget your smile I shall forget the smile Albert always remember Candy.he was with her all the stage Of life

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  77. AnonymousJune 07, 2013

    Just because Mizuki did not tell us the name of anohito does not mean she did not tell us who he is.It's Albert.In vain are trying some fans to rule out the love interest between Candy and Albert clinging on the fact that she is his adoptive daughter.She is but as he says in CCFS he had forgotten about it.Some difference must be made here.He did not adopt her because he wanted a child to raise.At the time he adopted her he had already met her,had become friend whit her and now she was in trouble being sent to Mexico to work as a slave.What he did was to help a friend in distress.So he used his authority as William A Adley and took her into the family.He also did it to please his nephews who had wrote him and asked him to adopt her.But for what we know as well as Candy is that she was adopted by William A Adley or Great Uncle William an old man she never met.Mizuki deliberately hides until the end of the story the fact that Albert is also Great Uncle William for us not to see Candy and Albert as father and daughter.If not she had no reason to keep it a secret.And if the story was about Candy being adopted by a rich man,her adventures and meeting and ending up with the man of her life Terry then the prince from the hill would not be in it or Albert as one and the same person.And Candy would meet from the beginning her adoptive father.But Mizuki herself said that she thought of Candy experiencing three kinds of love.One with Anthony,another one with Terry and the last one with Albert.To think that she has changed her mind is unreasonable.Albert is the man Candy loves in the end because the creator of the story said so.
    Some doubt that Albert is anohito because he lived with her as an amnesiac not knowing of the class gap between them and didn't tell her his feelings having no reason then to keep them secret.On the contrary.He had quite some reasons if you think.He was a suspicious man with no memory,no identification...a nobody and he was her patient.He had lost his memory not his common sense.And most important she was very much in love with another man(Terry)the whole time he lived with her.Even after she broke up with Terry she still loved him so she was emotionally unavailable.No,that was not a good time to tell her how he feels.It would have been an act of selfishness and most probably would have ruined the harmony in their cohabitation because at that time all she needed was a friend.It was more wise to wait.
    That Mizuki "killed" Susana is not a strong reason to believe Candy ends up with Terry after all. Not in the way things are told in Terry's note to Candy.Reading it I doubted that he was still the one Candy loved as I noticed he was not sure whether his note would reach her.So...he hasn't heard from her at all , and it's been a year and a half since Susana died.It seems like he has been waiting for a sign from her,received none then decided to get in touch with her after a year but kept wavering for another half of year discouraged by her silence. If Candy was still in love with him at the time Susana died wouldn't she feel the urge to get in touch with him now that Susana was gone?At least to express her sympathy and show him she hasn't forgot him thus reappearing into his life.For him it was understandable to wait longer before getting in touch with her.First he was sad over Susana's death,then he had no idea what has happened in Candy's life over the past years and hadn't received a sign from her.But she would have no reason not to contact him for so long.I can't believe that after she read in the paper that Susana never married Terry ,Candy would doubt that his feeling for her didn't change.She didn't get in touch with him because she was already in love with Albert for a long time so her role in Terry's life was over.No point in reappearing while he was still in love with her and she wasn't. Sadly for Terry.He should get over.After all he had told her to be happy no matter what.

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  78. AnonymousJune 07, 2013

    I jut finish to read the novel,yes Anohito is Anthoy am crying just to thinking he was so much in love with Candy

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  79. Sorry but Anthony is dead, so what do you mean ? Or did you want to write Albert ?

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  80. AnonymousJune 12, 2013

    am so confuse is Anthony,Albert,W.A and Anohito the prince same person

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  81. AnonymousJune 20, 2013

    This Candy novel reminded me of the Memoirs of Geisha same history:)

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  82. AnonymousJuly 20, 2013

    Hi. That is the best review/analysis Ive read so far. Thankyou for looking to real facts and not wanted interpretation like many others.
    I like the interpretation of William Albert too. To me he is the sum of all the loves of Candy, which makes him her perfect half. He has the chivalrous/fantasy/rescuing knight that was Anthony whith the Prince on the Hill that is the love she dreams of, the bad boy/rebel/discriminated "I understand your being amongst nobles but not being one of them" follow your passion, impossible dream kind of love that was Terry with Albert that is the love that surprised her, and finally the mature protector feet on the ground loyal love that is Sir Andrew with William A. that is the love she needs. Candy is such a strong willed independant knowledgable kind-hearted woman to be fully satisfied with just one bit of all three. Im happy that she is happily married.
    I think in the end the author doesnt say the name because it is no longer the man that matters, it is she who finally learned to be happy by herself and on taht note can truly love and be happy with the man she loves.
    As for anohito being Anthony, Terry, W.A. or someone else... I agree with bequi's analysis for the time present it is W.A. who is at her side. As much as I cried with Anthonys death and would love to revive him, as much as I got furious with the author for marrying Terry to Susana, and as little as the anime (at least) shows a romantic involvement between Candy and Albert, I do believe W.A. has the complete profile to make Candy not just happy (which she was with all of her loves) but thoroughly satisfied.
    In the Terry sense the fact he writes he hasnt changed to me says more conclusively that Candy is over him after all she has changed and grown up, she is a woman and he still a boy.

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  83. AnonymousJuly 23, 2013

    Please please dont hate me Terry's Fans but yes Anohito is the Prince of the Pony Hills...The reason the Mizuki write the big secret is becuase is gonna be a manga about Candy and W.A since they where kids and W.A is 8 and Candy 3 or 4 she put all the clues in the old mangas the last page how old Candy looks and W.A ...I think is 5 or more books,other news Sister Mary knws the Albert was W.A.Mizuki will probably use a different name is an author like she did before.....get information in web who critisias the Mangas or ask the web page the Beqqui write the one is in Frace he will send you to differente sources use your cell phone not your computer becuase you get a virus for opening sa many files.....but yes Anohito is The Prince of Hills....but the way it was a manga 1979 about Candy and W.A who the cover was the same when candy and W.A are in the field and she is making a necklace with flowers red Daffoils white Daffoils yellow Daffoils...unfortunate is not available anymore the was publicity was 1982 or 1984..but the ways she puts clues in Shakespeare poetry what happen between Candy and W.A and the love history this means if we hav time read all Shakespeare poetry's and and connected to Candy and W.A..no am not crazy the one i remember mostró is the one Candy tould Albert when both are in the Chicago park ...eres fuerte y apasionado amas la naturaleza..this word are in one of Shakespeare poetry..

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  84. Que entretenido fue leer este foro; Bequi que fans más aserrima de Albert; hasta el punto de creer ficticiamente fragmentos y especulaciones erroneas de toda la obra; incluso de Final Story; Bequi por si no lo sabe orden cronológico no es lo mismo que orden narrativo; nuestras vidas están o se llevan a cabo en orden cronológico; o sea ocurre un acontecimiento y eso genera una consecuencia en nuestras vidas: accion y reaccion; en la histori final: cronológicamente lo último que ocurrió fue muerte de Susana, paginas en blanco y luego carta de amor de Terry a Candy y finalcon Anohito...pobre Bequi trata de hacer una maraña de sucesos; algunos inventados por su imaginación y sentimientos para poder coincidir como pareja a Albert y Candy. Bequi sea realista y no sea testaruda. Todo apunta y todos los signos concretos y reales; tengo un muy amigo japonés que leyó Final Story; y me dice que tus palabras y Tu análisis de los hechos del último libro están muy alejados de la realidad; dice que todos los signos en la historia final apuntan a Terry; y esto a pesar de que no ha sido aun oficial; refiere él, siendo japonés, que Misuki en una entrevista a una revista reveló que Anohito era Terry; y que hizo la obra llena de signos y símbolos: para elevar el nivel de lectura de sus seguidores; para que tuviersn que pensar y analizar cada pista y cada signo: aunque ella misma dice que Anohito solo puese ser una persona, que fue la que Amó a Candy desde que la conoció rn un barco!!!, que quiso decir con eso?: Terry. A Albert no lo conoció en un barco. Disculpa Bequi por echar s bajo todo tu fantastico análisis; pero lamentablemente fueta de la realidad y de lo que Misuki quiso transmitir.
    Felicito a ChrislyGutiet,excelentes argumentos; llenos de veracidad, mi amigo japonés me dijo que Chrisly tenía una visión muy acertiva de lo que trata de decir Misuki. Incluso cree que no es necesario que lea la manga final; que tiene todo muy claro; mi amigo japonés es fanático de Candy y para él que era Albertfans fue desilucionante saber que Terry es Anohito; pero es conciente de que esa es la realidad y encuentra grosero y muy feo tratar de instigar con mentiras y suposiciones, creando falsas esperanzas a las Albertfans...eso lo encuentra terrible; ya que cree que se está jugando con los sentimiento.
    Por eso Bequi te pido al igual que te solicitó ChrislyGutier: lee con análisis crítico; objetividad y realismo nuevamente los escritos y en especial lo que tienes de FinalStory; y deja los sentimientos de lado; yo reconozco que me encantó Candy a pesar de su final antiguo; pero nunca me incliné por Albert o Terry; a mime gustó siempre Archy y Anthony; pensé que luego de la muerte de Anthony, Archy sería el gran amor de Candy; pero bueno fue lo que fue; pero soy una mujer realista y aunque no me guste Terry soy feliz porque Candy se quedó con el que ella quería quedarse. Bequi se realista y si quieres te puedo contactar por interno con mi amigo japonés que está viviendo en Argentina...saludos y por favor dejen de ser hirientes y de engañar a la gente con suposiciones; se necesitan hechos reales ordenados cronológicamente (al leer tu escrito me di cuennta que estás confundida con los términos de orden cronológico y orden narrativo. Felicitamos a Chrisly por su excelente análisis; muy concreto, real y verdadero, nada de subjetividad, solo hechos concretos excelentemente analizados.

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  85. Y continúo por favor no saques del foro algunos comentarios; hay que ser tolerante y aceptar las críticas; tu analisis está bien escrito y larguísimo; pero está fuera de la realidad tratando de crear una nueva historia en un mundo papalelo al de Candy.
    Sorry pero Misuki ya confirmó que Anohito es Terry; averiguen; fue a principios de este año...Sorry por echar a tierra todas las especulaciones de que Anohito es Albert. Anohito es Terry, lo dijo Misuki...y yo siendo una Archyfans...Si tienen algun conocido japonés y amigo: preguntenle; Y se darán cuenta que que Misuki eligió a Terry como Anohito...snif snif

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  86. Mmmm, si esa noticia fuera cierta hace rato que hubiera volado por el candymundo, así que yo le doy el beneficio de la duda.

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  87. Mmmm, si esa noticia fuera cierta hace rato que hubiera volado por el candymundo, así que yo le doy el beneficio de la duda.

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  88. Para exigir tolerancia primero hay que ser tolerante. Y ese comentario además de intolerante me parece Irrespetuoso. Creo que todas las personas que leen este blog son personas inteligentes y razonables, capaces de deducir y sacar sus propias conclusiones respecto a la obra, y si se entiende de diferente manera es porque así lo,decidió la escritora, ella misma lo dice, que no quiere defraudar a nadie. Sobre la entrevista a la autora, no dice nada que no sepamos, es lo mismo que declaró cuando acababa de salir la,obra. Y lo del barco me parece más bien un invento, porque como dicen en el comentario de arriba, si fuera cierto ya hubiera trascendido, por lo,tanto de mi parte ni el,beneficio de la,duda le doy.

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  89. I see spanish everywhere now. No offence but this is where people used to write in english . Anyways, everybody is free to criticize but before you do that at least make sure you have something intelligent to say.You started and went on with an invalid argument. I figured it out from the first lines I read that a fan obsessed with Terry is here and has a psychotic episode. You can't separate the chronology from the narrative. They both are important in building the story. And this story is about Candy first of all,about her actions and only after that about other characters actions and how or if they affect Candy. The last thing that happens before she is living with anohito is Terry's note but that is the action of Terry. There's no reaction from Candy. Whether she answered or not, it's pure speculation. It depends on what happened with her in the meantime. Last time Candy is active before living with "that person" is in the epilogue with Albert. And she has a strong positive reaction to the actions of Albert. She is very happy in consequence. The note from Terry may have come too late. The author did not want to disappoint anyone. She hid the identity of that person on purpose and you're saying that she revealed who that is? And she used the same argument as the fanatics of Terry, how convenient. That's so phony, so made up. And it's not the first time I see this phrase "I have a japonese friend who is an Albert fan and she admitted that Terry is that person and she was so disappointed." So what? Too bad for her. Just because she's japonese does not prove anything. If she even exists I doubt she was ever fan of Albert. This is a cliche that fans of Terry use to impress, who? I don't know. And they live under the impression that they are being realistic while they have nothing in common with reality.

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  90. I'm agree with anonymous sept 25.
    I love Terry and if Mizuki gave us the opportunity to choose our own anohito, I'll choose Terry I can't imagine Candy forgot him. Even I Love Terry so much, I cannot understand how people are saying silly thinks, I'm pretty sure we are going to know one day the name of Anohito, Mizuki will tell us we just have to wait maybe about 20 years or 30, she will tell us maybe before she dies, I Love Terry but if Albert is Anohito I don't care just want candy to be happy, remember there are white pages on CCFS and maybe one day we will know everything about those pages

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  91. Anohito=Albert,W.A,prince of the hills,Anthony....

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  92. Anthony is dead. Gone from this world. God rest his soul! He can't be that person. Unless, who knows... Candy heard that song "Join me in death" by H.I.M. Leaving the joke aside W.A. is a different person and he is that person, anohito.

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  93. Are sure Anthony is dead?what if Anthony is W.A....impossible why.....if is that case why W.A choose Rosemary and not Candy when Candy is everything for him...everything point the Anthony and W.A is Anohito...if you reading CCFH and the end she pull all the string ...so we can go back and be with Anohito...and no Candy is not dead...keiko did a great job...first I didn't understand the story I was so confuse I tough Candy was dead or leaving in a Dream until I read the manga from the end to the begging and I conect all the puzzles...

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  94. Oh my god ! You must be joking, right?

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  95. I'm lost now, how WA could be Anthony if he was so much younger than Albert?

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  96. No I'm not joking"

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  97. Where can I buy the spanish or english book translation that you read? And by the way beautiful writing and very in depth analysis.

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  98. I am so sorry, there isn´t any evidence of Candy´ love feelings for Albert as her future husband in the animae, mangae and letters of final story . There are only memories about his deepest love to the person he loves more:Terry, and viceversa. Albert is her dearest brother, and for Terry he is his dearest best friend. You can´t destroy this parnetship fraternal relationship between this lovely couple and Dear Albert.
    Anneth White

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  99. corrected: "there are only memories about her deepest love to the person she loves more: Terry" (english is not my first language)
    Anneth White

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  100. Anneth, don't be so sorry. There's no fraternal relation between Albert and Candy. They just pretend to be brother and sister. Candy says this herself in CCFS. They were lying to the neighbours that they were brother and sister. But when she wonders if this is what is like to live as a family she reaches the conclusion that she and Albert are not a family because that should feel different. So , she never thought of him like a brother or any kind of kinship. So there is nothing to destroy. You can't destroy something that does not exist. Even more, Candy thinks Albert is a special person and she realises she does not know what he felt. In other words she wants to know what are his feelings towards her. There's no certitude of a fraternal relationship. As for the lovely couple Candy&Terry, they no longer form a couple since they broke up. Mizuki was very specific about this.They no longer meet, they no longer talk. Albert was friend with Terry but he no longer talks with Terry either. So what partnership are you imagining? There may be no evidence of romantic love between Albert and Candy for people who close their eyes not to see. But the letters from epilogue are suggestive. A possible romance between Candy and Albert was always suggested in manga, anime and novel. The fact that the letters between C&A are in the epilogue is suggestive because an epilogue is a conclusion, in the epilogue the author reveals the fate of the main character/s, their future evolution. Candy and Albert are the protagonists of the epilogue, Terry is a memory along Anthony. Not to mention that Mizuki herself said that she broke up Candy and Terry because she had prepared 3 loves for Candy the destined one being Albert. But a sequel is necessary to tell the story of their love. CCFS is not a sequel is the already known story rewritten. Equivoqually rewritten out of respect for fan's feelings (some fans) , that explains the artificial introduction of Susana's death and Terry's note to Candy...

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  101. Dear Anonymus (Decembre 27/2013), show me the words where Candy says she loves Albert as a man, not as a friend-brother and I will believe you. In the animae and mangae is so clear that she loves him as the brother she didn´t have (when she looks for him after he goes from the hospital). There are no dates on Candy´s memories on CCFS, she have thoughs of different moments, mixing the times, so the epilogue is not a real one as the epilogue must be. Susana is dead, Terry sends a letter. There is a huge gap, we know Candy is happy with the person she loves. Indeed I forgot candy for 30 years, and when I read that she was married with Albert (in april this year in some forums) I wanted to read CCFS to find their love declaration, to know how did candy change her feelings. And there is no declaration in CCFS, I only found all the memories I already knew about her deepest love for anthony and terry.... As a fan I would dye for see candy with terry but more than that I want to see the facts, in a cold way, I want to know the real author opinion, and for me she gave the clues, analyzing them in a very logical and parsimoniouse way (the more logical and short explanation), these are for me: Shakespeare books at the library (gave me the certainty, if Albert was her husband I hope to read about a lot of travel books, and veterinary books, and Darwin´s books, the medical books probably are Candy´s, she is a nurse). Candy being married, living in Avon River (the Shakespeare company is in Avon upon river in England), she mentions the daffodils arom and roses in her house (daffodils are associated to terry, roses asociated to anthony her other love)...a very antique box for her letters as a special present of her family´s husband tradition (a duke england family). About the three candy´s love, she talks about that with Albert at the Magnolia Apartment: first love the Prince of the hill (at 6 years), second love: Anthony, third love: Terry, the conversation is when Candy is preparing to go to N.Y. And about CCFS not being a sequel...well Mizuki tells us how is candy married, with susana´s dead, and that terry´s work I have not changed. With the clues I mentioned before for me is a sequel. Well if you believe that candy is with albert with your heart more than with the logical reason, its ok for me, as a fan we can believe what our hearts say with our feelings interpretaions. But I want ligical interpretation that are align with that, and for me there is no Albert-Candy marital relationship with CCFS, manga or animae ending.

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  102. Dear Anonimous (december 27/2013), you say: "CCFS is not a sequel is the already known story rewritten. Equivoqually rewritten out of respect for fan's feelings (some fans) , that explains the artificial introduction of Susana's death and Terry's note to Candy..."
    You can not say that is equivoqually rewritten out of respect.... the writer must write what she has in mind for her characters thinking on them, not in the fan´s respect... and yes she though in her fans when she obscures Candy´s husband, she doesn´t want to hur directly, but Candy and she knows who is the person Candy´s has love more than any one else...

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  103. Wow, we are still trotting out that 3 loves quote as absolute proof that Anohito is Albert-san?? I find that hanging on to that to “prove” Anohito is Albert-san is akin to the dead and buried Suzanna: in life left without a leg to stand on.

    For starters, let’s look at a whole series of quotes that Mizuki-sensei has given over the last 30 years and then perhaps we can see the right context of CCFS. I will not post the exact quotes and contents as these are not for wide re-distribution; however they are found on a couple of worldwide CC websites and on Vic Isono’s Facebook and MySpace page.– ergo, if you actively seek, you will find.

    In Spring 1980, extra issue of bimonthly magazine 'Jidou-bungei' Mizuki mentioned the following:

    -That she had prepared three loves for Candy
    -That Candy and Terry’s parting was a preselected episode. She even characterizes Candy and Terry as having loved each other from their heart and soul and that a quirk of fate parted the lovers.
    -That having written the separation scene pained her as if she had lost her true love.
    -That even though she was satisfied with the story, she asked herself had the story achieved a satisfactory ending, and she asked herself if she had failed in writing the story more skillfully.

    In her “Candy in my Heart” essay posted on her BBS, 2003-09-28:

    -She mentions that what was presented in the manga differed from her manuscripts
    -That a new editor changed the flavor of the story. She clearly states (in reference to the manga) "These final arts differ from my manuscripts!"
    -We understand from Mizuki-sensei’s statements that Igarishi was in on these changes.
    -That the “some scenes” between Albert and Candy were cheap, and she asked them to stop portraying Candy as a fickle girl, who could easily move from one love to another.
    -Once again, she cryptically says that perhaps her writing capacity at the time was perhaps responsible for these differences in the manuscript vs. the manga story.
    -She states that Candy is a tough girl, an honest girl, that she will be distressed, and will be discouraged at failure, and will try to reflect on her actions. Then, someday she will gain true love certainly.
    -Finally she asks herself publicly, was the story as reflected in the manga was the story she wanted to create?

    Then, in the 2010 CCFS Afterword/Postface:

    -That as a result of the trial with Igarishi and Igarishi’s subsequent attempts to cheaply commercialize the CC story (most recently in 2007) she felt emboldened to write CCFS.
    -That Mizuki asked herself that for CCFS, was she satisfied to publish the novel as it was?
    -(As an answer to herself) Mizuki states that that CCFS represents a complete rewrite of CC story.

    to be continued in next post (by Lady Gato)

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  104. (continued)

    What can we make of this? When I take all this information in, see the following:

    -That at that time Mizuki engaged in this CC project in the mid to late 70's with the Manga editors and Mangaka, she had a story in mind that did not fit the editorial view (editorial view being likely a Prince in the Disney vein vs. a Benevolent, Fatherly Prince as I understand him to be based on how Mizuki characterizes him/intended him to be).
    -Mizuki’s innocent youth and perhaps lack of assertiveness led her to go ahead and “agree” to the editorial direction of the story, albeit over time, she realized that intellectually she had short changed the true intent of the story, and this bothered her.
    -Despite this, she honored the “agreed to” story and her statements at the time were in veiled support of the "end product" at the time.

    to be continued in next post (by Lady Gato)

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  105. Continued by Lady Gato

    So back to the three loves, are they really Mizuki’s intent, or just part of the myth she helped perpetuate when she was in begrudging editorial/creative alignment and support with the Manga Editors and Mangaka (Igarishi). A common theme in her few interviews is her unsettled feeling about the story (at least that is what I can observe). In addition, I believe her declarations after the controversial trials provide insight as to what really happened during that “editorial/creative alignment”. Igarishi’s attempts in 2007 to present what was basically a CC story (in Taiwan) motivated Mizuki to write CCFS, to assert her true intentions and ownership of the content and characters of the Candy Candy story. In her own words, however, Mizuki, amiable as always, had consideration for the sensitivities of the “oldest fans” and therefore obscured Anohito in order not to crush a certain fandom’s hopes. People who went straight to the last pages or reliled on out of context fragments found an Anohito suited to them. People who read and reread CCFS from end to end found the real Anohito.

    Yes, I am known in the CC world as a staunch advocate for Candy+Terry ‘ship , and those who are Candy+Albert ‘shippers will try their hardest to discredit what I have shared above, but the question remains….if Mizuki was happy and truly satisfied with presenting the “allusion” that Candy ended up with Albertin the Manga and the previous versions of the novel then WHY would she bother in doing CCFS at all?

    I believe the answer is: because from the very start, she wanted to tell the story of two lovers of heart and soul, separated by the trials and tribulations that fate presented them, and that after much tribulations and time, overcame to realize and gain their one true love. Yes, Albert is a true and gentle love, in the storge/philia Greek sense, and the one Candy calls Adoptive Father (and calls herself Adoptive Daughter) in the last pages of CCFS (not necessarily the most recent chronological events, btw). Anthony is the platonic love in the Greek Sense, in fact is a type of Guardian angel/Celestine in CCFS. Terry, the name with the second most mentions in CCFS, and therefore the deuteragonist, represents Eros/Agape. The Eros quite evident and magnified in CCFS, and the Agape manifested in their self sacrifice of their love for the greater good of a third person, Suzanne Marlowe.

    One needs to read CCFS in its entirely and more than once, and then reference Mizuki’s essays of past and present to understand the Myth, Method and Motivation of CCFS. Unfortunately, Bequi at the time she wrote this in-depth essay, neither had the books in her possession nor had considered or reviewed/viewed the fan translations that have been done in good faith. One can consider her analysis, but one must also be caveat emptor; for a great deal of information as it perstains to CCFS is missing from it and therefore if you are using this as your basis to draw conclusions on CCFS, know that the conclusion you have reached is lacking in actual content that cannot be ignored.

    If you are a fan that is dead set on the Head Canon/Albert+Candy Fannon then of course that is your perogative to believe how you want to ship Candy with Albert, and you will derive great pleasure of this alternate and unlikely pairing (indeed in alternate universes anything is possible), but I can say with great surety that one must not make no mistake that Candy+Albert is not Canon with Mizuki. In her method and motiviation in telling us the true story of Candy Candy, she has dispelled any Candy+Albert myths that she may have uneasily supported in the past.

    Sincerely, Lady Gato

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  106. Oh wow, what an essay! Candy candy is always my most fave manga. Eventho i was disappointed by the open ending of the manga, i could find myself satisified by the conclusion candy ended up with albert. He is however the one who always be there for her.
    I personally haven't read the final story as i just found out that there is a final story a couple days ago.
    However, from what i read in you blog, and some other sources, and re-wind all my memories of the manga story, all i can say that anohito is obviously albert.
    Put a side all the fact that he is her first love, her daddy long legs, her life savior, her companion on those hard times ( life in legan's, anthony's death, broken heart with terry, engagement with neil), ... This final story for me is just an assurance mizuki made that candy finally marry albert.
    Why making it as anohito? Well, it's just too plain and too cliche if she wrote a story only to picture a happy life candy has with albert. That's my very humble opinion.
    And, to kill susanna, to make terry tell candy that he's never changed, ... It's one clever way to say, candy doesnt bother about her past with terry. Terry can love her endlessly, but candy has changed. She's already decided to forget terry on manga. She even told to herself that she finally made a peace with her pas with terry ( remember time when she and albert were in front of the fireplace after they both got away from lakewood on candy-neil's engagement)

    Making her marry terry seems too shallow for. Sorry for terry fans. I myself was crying over their separation when i first read it over 20 years ago.
    But really, if it's all about ending up with terry, so what's the point of all stories in manga version. What's the point mizuki revealed albert is the prince of the hill, her first love that she still holds dear until the very end. She still kept the badge until the end of manga. And what is the point of the prince of the hill's appearance in the very beginning. He just showed up very briefly. If at the end he was none, i think it was such a wasteful character. Don't u think so?

    i agree with some reviews said that if anohito is terry, there's no way, a real no way, candy sweet rose planted on candy's garden in UK. We know exactly how terry was super jelous with the dead anthony. Meanwhile, albert was the one took care of anthony's rose garden in lakewood after his death.
    And about the oil painting. Yes, the memory of pony hill was belong to candy and albert, her prince of the hill. Terry did come to pony hill in winter, but he only saw the hill as candy's fave place, like the one in st paul's. But they didn't have fond memory on that pony hill.

    Well, that's all what i can say. Sorry for some typo here and there. ^^

    Regards,

    Rika

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  107. Something i forgot to write on previous comment ( ahhaha to many ideas running on my head now) :

    You might think i am a die hard fan of candy x albert, but the truth is i dont really care whether anohito is terry or albert, i am equally happy for both options. ( tho my logic cannot accept the idea anohito is anthony. Come on, guys! ^^)

    But, all what i want to say is, for me, like it or not, terry's chapter was obviously closed in candy's heart. We saw it on manga. It's true that terry was the one she as a young adult experienced a deep and passionate love. A love we all mostly have in our early adulthood. A love that we THOUGT was our true love. The first experience we had when we fell in love in different way compared with our puppy love ( in candy's case, it's anthony).

    Perhaps i cannot make this way of thinking when i first read the manga 20 years ago. But now when i am married, had experienced puppy love, some of i-thought-it-was-true-love (s), i can see the whole picture ( i think) mizuki presented.

    We all can have our own ideas about who is this anohito. But again, for me it's a bit not natural if it is terry. How easy mizuki kills suzanna just to let terry come back to candy. How easy candy forget her broken heart and accept terry after all they've been through.

    Candy experienced love with anthony and terry, even a selfish obnoxious love of neil toward her, ... For me it's just a way for her learning what a true love is. True love doesn't need to be passionate afterall. True love makes you feel peace and comfort in life :). Doesn't it?

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  108. Hi Rika I think that part of the confusion about what was the final candy´s destiny in these days is that we didn´t go to the correct source: Mizuki.

    A clarification first English is not my first language so you may find some errors in writing here (few I hope).

    I saw the animae 33 years ago, in Spanish and I was so confused and so angry, why Terry says to Albert he had to go to England? after seeing candy in the happy clinic. Why there were so many episodes of stupid situations (the last ones were so absurd and depressive, with the mine story of the woman doctor and all that stuff) with new characters, that doesn´t follow the story, and suddenly in one episode they close all, and candy runs as the little child as it will start again… so I forgot about it keeping my sadness and trauma because Anthony´s dead and Terry´s separation.

    Well I have been reading since last year mizuki´s interviews, founding out about the legal problems with Igarashi, the problems with Toei´s and the commercialization of the mangae and anime…then I just can understand what happened.

    First: the Spanish translation is a nightmare, they changed the meaning and words in most of the parts (I only see now the translation in English from Japanese). And reading the forums with commentaries of all eurpean countries they had the same problem, in italian version Anthony had a permanent coma situation, but he didn´t die!!!! And changed the end to make candy meet with terry at the train station in N.Y (candy´s dream while is going to meet him for see Romeo and Juliet). So anything can happen with the animae if you do not get the original version from the author.

    Second: Mizuki didn’t have the strong to go against the production of the animae and they introduced chapters and characters that didn´t exist in her original story (candy´s pet isn´t in it, terry plays piano not the harmonic, patty´s grandmother episodes don´t exist, and thousands of examples like these). Toei´s production wanted a Disney fairytale and were fascinated with the success of Heidi in that epoch simultaneously, in this case they wanted the Disney princes end (igarashi´s was accord with it), and the final had to be as heidi´s: a little girl running to the adult´s arms (nor her grandfather, but her adoptive father). But Mizuki adviced not make Candy and easy girl without feelings changing it so suddenly without an story behind…they didn´t listened (you can find Mizuki´s interviews in the english forum).

    Third: if Mizuki is the owner of the original story I wanted to know her real point of view, and I have it : Final story is that. It is almost translated in the English forum of Candy, in an objective way. People want to know the truth, terry´s lovers loves Albert too (I do), he was a very important person to candy, her real friend.

    Final story is an ova to terry and candy love. If Mizuki would have the same Toei´s and Igarashi´s idea would write some sort of romantic encounter or romantic phrases between Albert and Candy, and there aren´t, any…only letters of two people that love so much as friends. So different to the passionate and big love and gesture´s that Candy and Terry shared in so many moments at Saint Paul, in Scotland and then when they have to face the separation because they agreed for the honor and duty in Terry´s case (he is the son of a Duke, and has been taught that) and Candy as the most humanitarian person and nurse, although their hearts are broken. So I recommended to read Final Story, the story of the only author of Candy story!!!.

    continue...

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  109. One of the important question that were asked to Mizuki after knowing the FS is if she changed her mind about Candy´s destiny, and she answer that not, she had it in her mind since the beginning, and didn´t change it!!! So do not follow the mangae or the animae, Mizuki only has a small percentage in that story, a commercial and illogical story that was made for children and didn´t give logical explanation for the absurd situations.

    Remember that Mizuki is a poetess, and loves theater, shakespare (she was in a theater company), and plays the piano, so her most cherished character is Terry, besides the others. And she transform him in Hamlet but didn´t kill him, she made him suffer until Susana died, then he didn´t have a duty to fulfill, but had her big love to find, that is the meaning of his lovely letter: I have not changed…In saint paul school he was madly in love (you have to read Eliza´s trap described by Mizuki in final story, is so heartbreaking).

    I disagree about candy can´t have anthony´s roses if she is married with terry, that is a very weak argument, we are talking about adults, that suffered so much (terry and candy) and find each other as soul mates after at least 10 years of separation, a big and sincere love can´t prohibit to have or not have a beautiful memory of a person you loved so much being a teenager, and of her lovely lakewood, he must respect that and is the way of demonstrate his real and sincere love. Albert´s fans didn´t understand terry, only see him aggressively when he is passionate and a boy in love, that has been rejected for his mother and father.
    About the oil paint not only terry saw pony´s home wishing to be near candy from the hill, but he heard candy´s description of her home many times in saint paul (she invited him to go and see it), so why not recognize it if reflected the place where his big loved lived? Is part of her.

    And I strongly disagree with you about true love, you say “True love doesn't need to be passionate after all. True love makes you feel peace and comfort in life”. After being married and as a mother I can tell you that for me true love is the most passionate one, even if you live with your husband for most than 10 years, that is the beauty of love, for feeling peace and comfort in your life only you have to count with a tender and protective father, brothers and friends.

    And to end with this long post, I can´t imagine Albert talking to all the society in Chicago and her family to say I have decided to marry my adoptive daughter!!! So sorry for this but I always will see Albert as the dearest Candy´s friend and protector, never her lover-husband!!!!. She would never keep Terry´s letter, emories or Shakespeare books with her that would be being unfaithful to Albert, and he won´t´allow that, to have the memories of the biggest love of her wife???neither she or he would do that!!!.

    So I respect if albert fans still believe candy must end with Albert, but with all the evidence we have until now I can affirm in an objective way that Mizuki wrote the story of love between candy and terry and that is the final of Candy´s destiny. Anohito is Terry, words written by Mizuki (it has been probed with real evidence).

    Take care Rika,

    Anneth White

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  110. Dear all, when i see at new the anime and some translation of FINAL STORY, i did think that Candy was finally with Albert. But now, after reading such arguments posted and the other ones found on internet, i begin to think that Terry is anohito .... then Anneth White may i ask when i can read ELIZA's trap from the final story ?
    Thank you all of you and take care

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  111. Hi dear cat36, there has been a full activity of translation of CCFS, specially the two couples of months, by three different multilingual translators girls that are doing that huge work (but so many other translators started it after 2010, specially Japanese girls and men), you can find it in the candy-terry forum, http://candyterry.com/forums/index.php?act=Login&CODE=00, where converge the principal webmistress of candy world from all countries, the official language is English. You must register, present your self, and then will have access to the translations, and can give your ideas or ask for clarification. The most I like is that all agree in be so accurate in that translation, not turning it in any direction with subjective meanings. Vol. 3 is complete, Vol. 1 and 2 are in more or less 70% translated, and all is MARVELOUS, a really dramatic and love story, you have romeo and hamlet mixed in a very deep a passionate world (terry, with his feelings, his thoughts, talking about his life, and relationship with his parents, also about all he feels and do for his freckled tarzan, so heartbreaking). And of course Candy´s world telling us all what he felt as a girl and young adult, and as a happy wife: love, friendship, passion, pain, all the feelings you can imagine.... It is sad that we do not have so much Albert´s feelings or thoughs as Terry´s, only a few letters at the end or candy´s memories about him, but without cronology...the letters that candy has in her jewel box´ present that his husband gave her. About that, always there were a controversial of that jewel box, because Candy said it was inherited from one generation to other in her husband´s family tradition. And we wonder who had more older traditions in that sense (Ardley or Grantchester family). Well in the translation of last Tuesday, Terry relate that his family "had their power for found the Academy... also they built the church"...so that is the oldest and powerful family that could have that jewelbox tradition in a real sense. And as you are started to feel, but as the majority of us know. Anohito is Terry, and we love so much Albert too, he is a very important man in Candy´s life,her most loved friend his real family!!! well we are happy because she has two wonderful man in her life!!!. so READ CCFS TRANSLATION, THIS NOVEL IS MARVELOUS, in my case thanks Mizuki for give it to us, and let us know that candy is happy (sorry for my bad English).

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  112. this afternoon i got an urge to check this blog, and aha, ... some replies for me.
    Thank you, Anneth! I'm always glad to know other's opinion and point of view. Like i said previously, although i've grown to love the idea of candy ended up with albert, the william albert andrew/ardley, the prince of the hill, ... i really never against terry. IF the story gave clues that candy are going to be fine and happy with him. But the thing is, i personally didn't see it.
    Well, to tell you the truth, days ago i just re-read my manga(s) ( i had to read it carefully as they are now so old and fragile). And yes, i still felt my heart shattered, like something squeezed it so tightly, when i reached the infamous hospital stair scene on volume 7.
    When i read candy candy story, i positioned myself in candy's point of view. She's the heroine, the heart of the story. So i let my heart flow as the story went on. Even when i had already known that they would be cruelly separated on volume 7 ( and the fact that i am now more on albert side), i was still very much happy and my heart beat lovely when i read volume 4, especially on the scene of may festival and scotland summer holiday. Why? because i am happy when candy is happy.
    That, what made me cannot conclude candy's happiness on terry's hand. He's disappointed me several times by leaving candy in st paul without talking to her first, by hiding his problem with susana and let candy have high hope when she came to NY, and for not trying to stop her in NY. And now what? After almost 10 years and susana's death, do I want candy go back to terry? No, i don't want my heroine look like a pathetic character who couldn't accept what she herself had decided ( in NY) and was alone closing her heart to anyone and waiting for her past love for almost a decade! As candy in a story sure didn't expect susana would die in years ahead. As candy fan, Would i want her to waste her youth and waiting in vain? No. And got back to terry just because susana died? :( sorry, but i found this idea was horrible. I want candy live the life to the fullest.

    Let's get to be fair, ... for me mizuki's plot about susana's death, was what made me more sure about albert was indeed anohito. Come on, if candy was meant to be back to terry, could Mizuki make a more honourable plot? Why would wait susana die? :(

    Once again, i am happy that we all can share our opinions here, thanks to Begui. But really, no offence, to see these all arguments, i am personally more sure that anohito is william albert andrew/ardley , the prince of the hill.

    You guys might want to listen candy candy's ending song and some of the videos in youtube provide the english subs. Then you will find that it is always the prince of the hill in Mizuki's mind. from the beginning to the end.

    cheers,

    Rika

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  113. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSiecrL7J2g

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  114. Well, Mizuki did not say that she hopes that Anohito's identity will always remain a mystery for nothhing. Even now fans are still divided. There's nothing that would lead to Terry or Albert as Anohito 100%. Just fans speculations. Now, if I say that the only one that Mizuki said it was the destined love for Candy was Albert I will be considered a crazy Albert fan. So what? It's true. Terry fans tells you not to take in consideration the manga or the anime. But, Mizuki said referring to the manga that she decided from the beginning to separate Terry from Candy because she had prepared 3 loves for Candy, the destined one being for Albert. But because Terry written by Igarashi was so fascinating fans preferred him. Does this look to you that she wanted Terry to be the one for Candy? Only if you want it badly. Albert it's in advantage. The CCFS it's still in his advantage. It is weird how some people think CCFS is about the love between Candy and Terry when Mizuki herself said it isn't. She was perplexed to find out that some fans say that CCFS is about rekindling the fire between Candy and Terry.

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  115. Hi dear Rika and Candy Candy Nation, thanks for your posts. As I wrote on my last messages, for me the only true candy story is that of Final Story. I saw the animae in Spanish 34 years ago and now comparing it with the English translations is a disaster. So for me are not valid the Spanish translation or some situations that were added by toei´s and her production team, I found something similar with the manga, with editors of that time that had the power to add what they wanted. So as mizuki is the only author of FS, I only follow that or what she wrote by her own after that without others authors (as some songs for CC animae that were not wrote by her). About Rika post: you are disappointed by terry´s actions, but tell me what would happen to candy if terry had not gone from saint paul? did you want a dishonored candy in front of all the students? aunt elroy, eliza and neil would be the most happiest. If terry would tell candy she would not accept that and would go with him, so the only final for her is be dishonored. Later, Terry sent her the ticket for N.Y, one way ticket, he wrote many letters when found out where did she live (that has big implications for what he wanted with her, he wanted her by her side), but didn´t have the strength to tell her about Susana, he didn´t want to disappointed her, he would do that after the show, but candy was so impulsive (as always) and took the decision without consulting, and destroyed herself and him. If you think that she didn´t love him with all her being you would want to forget him, and viceversa. But he wrote the letter, he didn´t change after so many years, although he lived in hell with Susana (do not doubt about that), for candy the sacrifice was as worst as for him. I think she frozen love feelings and thought could do that until the end, but I believe she got terry´s letter. Mizuki did an honorable plot about Susana's death, candy promised her not to see terry again, terry maintain his word honor to be with her, you have two honorable people keeping their words. If Susana would let free terry would another story but Susana was a selfish and thoughtless woman. continue...

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  116. about authorship songs and translations I am so careful about that because there are the same errors that has the animae from Spanish to English, or different interpretation in a selfish way to confuse. The corrected version of translations, songs and poems are in candyterry.com, forum (I do not know if there is another forum with translation going on in all the aspects, although "las damas de terry" is translating FS from Japanese to Spanish, if you have them please post the links. The translation of FS is almost done in candyterry.com forum, confronting versions from Japanese to Spanish, Italian, English, french translations forums where all the girls are active (in their respective countries) and three different girls, with different origen are confronting every new translation, they understand Japanese or consult with Japanese translators (candy´s retrospection about Anthony's death, terry´s letter to candy, FS epilogue, poems where the word anohito is included, the one that imply terry directly: http://candyterry.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8562, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSiecrL7J2g, and others that made references to albert Albert "in the wind" http://candyterry.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8640, and poem 16: http://candyterry.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8599, with a very strange end: "I will fly my ribbons to the sky, in a flower garden. I'm sure they will be butterflies. And take wing to heaven where Mr. Albert is". But more interesting than that some girls are starting the comparison between letters of the first novel with those of FS. And a big example is the first letter to Anthony: the principal ideas matters are the dead of Stear and Anthony being in heaven, and candy talking about the identity of Uncle William= Albert-sama. In the same letter to Anthony in FS the ideas are: the pain remembering Anthony´s dead, the story about seeing Rose Mary portrait and similarity between Anthony-Albert, because they are relatives, and then an explanation about the other person she knew and confused with Anthony=Terry. Terry is added after 30 years in this letter, because for candy is important to mention him to Anthony. If he was not important for Mizuki would have let the letter as the first one. If terry was not important there is no need for a Terry´s letter to candy in FS. There is no need to tell that Susana died, that dead is only important for candy-terry relationship. And I have a big question, I am soo restless since the first time I read this reflection of candy in her present days (by the way who is living in front of the Avon River, smelling daffodils essence that are everywhere blooming in her garden), is Candy's Retrospection, pgs. 230-235, Volume 1, Chapter 2: http://candyterry.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6098,she says the Ardley Manor in Lakewood is sold, it has a new owner, she wonder what will happen to the boys gates (archie, stear, Anthony), and what will happen to Anthony´s roses, ¿Will the new owner take care of them? so What happened with Albert? he is the head of Ardley Family, this is one of the principal mansion!, the family mausoleum is there!!!!, why isn´t he taking care of it? I love so much albert, and I know that he would not abandon the house with his family history!. I post the links because I want evidence and corrected translation. Please Candy Candy Nation let me see the link where you read that: "Mizuki was perplexed to find out that some fans say that CCFS is about rekindling the fire between Candy and Terry". She has been in silence in the last years...and would be so nice to have her last interview if has been one talking about FS recently and talking about Terry´s fans. I hope we can continue talking about this. Hugs for both (rika and candycandynation) Anneth White

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  117. AnonymousMay 03, 2014

    Anohito it's Albert, cause he always to protector n to be guardian angel candy, she lover him the first time she met him in the pony hill, albert is always almost there if candy sad n that time she needed...I won't terry to be anohito candy cause he left candy for suzanna n make candy sad, I'm glad suzanna died in ccfs...I want candy always smile n hapier beside albert forever to be wife n husband..!! Candy n albert its first love n true love...Mizuki/Nagita please published again candy ccfs in manga comic or anime...I really missed her...:')

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  118. I want to correct an error that I committed in my last post (may 2/2014), assuming that candy candy nation wrote this: "Mizuki was perplexed to find out that some fans say that CCFS is about rekindling the fire between Candy and Terry". I confused that post with the real author: an anonymous person that posted it on April 24/2014, so I ask him/her to post Mizuki´s link or interview where I can read that from her. So my apologize for candy candy nation, who´s post of April 22/2014 is the link for a video with anohito identity in one of the Mizuki´s poem of an old art book. And I want to say to anonymous person that post today that, not only terry´s decision to stay with Susana at the hospital (candy took first the decision of leaving him, demonstrating the immeasurable love she had for him, believing in an innocent view that Susana loved him more...) and before the decision of exchange her place of punishment for him at saint paul, after Eliza´s trap was an action of pure love, of sacrifice for his soulmate. He sacrificed his life (father name, comfort) for his first and only love: Candy. I wish you could read that open declaration of love in FS, the second volume of that book is dedicated to that wonderful, irreplaceable love!!! a love that will last forever, the end of FS tell us that. And about Albert I agree with you anonymous person that posted today, Albert was her protector, her fiend, he adopted her because of that, and all the letters and cards of the volume 3 is a beautiful demonstration of that friendship between them, candy has the most wonderful friend a girl can dream, and he has a sweet beautiful girl that understand his free soul. And do not forget that Albert was one of the best friends Terry had, and also Albert kept Candy´s diary, he read it, he knew what was wrote on it and knew what was in candy and terry´s heart!!!. Anneth White

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  119. Anneth youbseem obsses with Terry-Candy forever love... trying so hard to demostrate that Terry is anhoito, and convince your self and Albert fans that Albert is not him... I really cant seevany sence on your arguments, you are making up your own interpretation by manipulating whatever translations of the book acording your own strong desire, since the begining of your arguments I would see that.... This is Bequi's journal but I seee that the one who rule here is you, and had take control over must of the replies lately... Bequi seems to just avoid stress reading your stuborn replies and I wouldnt blame her if tha's the case.... Please stop replying anyone who says something opposite than your own opinion and obsesion about Terry... this is ridiculose, please allow other people to give their point, and take a break write your own novel with Terry and you... I might read it :P

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  120. Cinthya Brilla, I have been obsessed with CCFS the last year, and I do not deny that, why? Because a year ago I read for the first time this blog where Bequi established that Candy was married with Albert, and thanks to Bequi I wanted to read the FS translation (looking for the evidence reading Mizuki´s words, not an interpretation). You say I manipulate the book´s translation (hard words), I am a biologist scientist in real life, and I have learned after 14 years of research in my area and publication of scientific papers that I only can base an argumentation in objective evidence. The translation I have been referring to are in the English, Italian, French, and Spanish forums (las damas de terry), I am not translating the book because I do not speak or understand Japanese. The end of volumen1 and volume 2 of the novel are dedicated to the love relationship between candy and terry. Volume 3 is totally translated and dedicated to show how is going the life of candy´s friends, and the beautiful relationship between Albert and Candy (there isn´t a declaration of love between a man an a woman in any of the cards or letters between them, but a reference to the love of sister between Albert and Rose Mary and the Bert nickname that candy uses referring to him as Rose Mary did in the past). Mizuki´s after words in the novel are ( it is in Japanese and in English, you can use a translator if you want, http://candyterry.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5695) tell us about a Candy before WWII that take mizuki to in front of Slim painting and "The scent of narcissus flows into the room through the widely-opened window...”. so Mizuki and Candy gave me finally the answer, the narcissus scent only have one meaning in FS and was referred only to one person in FS, page 317-319 vol. 1 http://candyterry.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6014 : when Candy stumbled on Terry’s legs, while he was enjoying daffodils fragrance” (Candy lives in Avon River- Stratford theater company is Avon upon River, daffodils are national flower in England, terry is from England). I do not prevent that other people give their opinion here, I am not Bequi´s, she is the administrator of this blog. I do not have a novel with terry because terry´s life turns around candy: her only love, and I am so happy for that. And if you want the truth if I wanted to have a “novel – story with some CC character” probably will be with an Albert type, because I love so much her free and traveling spirit, before being William Albert Ardley the head of Ardley Family, and will love to have a friend like him. I am really sorry because I have not get a logical answer since I enter to this blog asking for contrasting my question with the new translations of last year, Bequi has not answer any, nor you with your post. I am waiting for that evidence that really talks about MIzuki´s FS, in a respectful way, or keep the sad answer that have given to me so many girls: candy is with albert because she runs to her arms at the end of the animae and the manga. I can not believe that in 2014, the evidence given in this blog parted with that and maintain that!. If Bequi doesn´t want my posts here I will respect that and won´t post anymore (I will wait for her post). Anneth White (a CC lover too)

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  121. AnonymousMay 12, 2014

    To the girls fans of relationship between Candy and Albert: Can you explain at that time Candy confess her love for Albert? And don't admit the manga's escene: Albert is the Candy's husband because she runs to her arms... I will an answer based in the CCSF and not a simple escene that is known that Misuki had not of the power at the time of Candy Candy because the company TOEI and her illustator manipulated this final... :) and I quote this from a declaration of Misuki:
    'I have a notice to all of you...... It's about Anohito...... I had decided to obscure it from the beginning. This novel is not perfect as a story. Originally, this story was written to be made into manga, so it has snag stitches I can't fix.
    (It's because I was young and powerless back then......)
    I need a long story in order to fully write about who Anohito is, but I will never write it anymore. And if I revealed who he was, I thought I might deprive readers of their long-standing dreams. (I know this will have pros and cons.)
    I (a little mischievously) hope it remains a mystery and readers enjoy it in their own worlds of imagination.'
    And I wonder: who believe are the long-standing fans? I think that those are omitted that candy and albert are father - adoptive daughter...

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  122. AnonymousMay 16, 2014

    I read this essay like a year ago I guess it didn't exactly clarified things for me, -since I haven't read the books and not knowing any Japanese at all it'll be very hard for me to read them on my own unless someday they are published on English- because it's just comes as an interpretation of the story (makes me think about the bible, I mean, nowadays everybody thinks they can interpret the Bible and only their interpretation is the correct one). However, I was very much impressed by the amount of work that was put into writing this essay, all the research and data analysis, It has great arguments to defend it's theory and even though I'm a pro Terry girl, I guess I was overwhelmed by the solidity of this essay. Today I was watching random TV channels when I discovered one of the local channels was playing Candy Candy, and coming back to the whole subject I decided to look again in the internet about CCFS, and I found this other essay, which has as many good arguments (and some even better than this one) to support its theory. I've decided to share it here with you, if by any chance any of you would like to know another interpretation of the Final Story. http://candycandyfinalstory.wordpress.com/

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  123. I want to tell you that this is my last post in this blog associated to pro-albert Anohito or other pro-albert posts-forum, after reading the new blog of Bequi´s in Spanish: "Romeo y Julieta...a lo japonés". Bequi sais is a draft and asks not to link or post. The conclusion is clear about who could only be anohito in FS and I only agree on that (and since the first time I read FS translations). I am not able to argument about the analysis she did there, and think won´t be able in the future (I base my arguments in real evidence wrote in FS, not interpretation). Thanks for keeping until now my post in this blog Bequi, and for let me understand alfan world, I wanted that one year ago.

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  124. AnonymousMay 27, 2014

    No Terry is not Anthony Mizuki makes clear its not possible in order the Terry and Anthony can be the same person he has to be Albert too..and she makes clear when W.A is with Candy Terry is in NY with susanna ccfs is really bad contruste like a novel but is not bad at all Mizuki uses slice of life basing in the sociate 1920 ccfs she uses some important events the in real life occur in that area;even mizuki writes the Terry choose for sussana was better option for his actor carer and Candy can be a obstacle in socially and sussana was a better options candy knew when he said be happy before candy come back to the present when Candy said the letters given her pain she is in the pass this part its so important. Candy was in the apartment living with Albert she was reading the letters she puts the Terry ketters back andddiscover the news paper with Terry news here come the important matter why Mizuki write about this..this part its past when albert saw candy over the newspapers Candy pretend to be sleeping Albert swap Candys tears with his thump carried her in his arms albert press Candy body to his chest with a soft voice he says I'm sorry Albert brush candys hair with his finger;Candy is really aware what Albert did because she is pretend to be sleeping

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  125. AnonymousJune 23, 2014

    Anonymous 12 May: The long-standing fans are those fans who can't accept the fact that the relation between Candy and Terry is over and that it has never been rekindled. That Terry writes her after Susana dies doesn't say much because there's no answer from Candy, except in the imagination of some fans. So, for those who say that Albert fans have nothing concrete, well... you don't have either.
    Nobody omitted the fact that Albert is C's adoptive father. But is that how they feel? When did they ever have this kind of relation? Did they live together under the same roof as father and daughter? Was Candy raised and educated by Albert? No she wasn't. It's only on a piece of paper. Not to mention they are not blood related. But you see only what you want to see. That's fine with me but I don't know why do you come here...

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  126. AnonymousJune 24, 2014

    When you read CCFS with an open mind, you'll know that Mizuki didn't change her decision on Candy and Terry's relationship. Some of you knew that Mizuki said that CCFS was not a sequel. So, nothing changed. If you cannot accept that Albert was anohito, it's okay, anohito could be someone new ( though for me it's clearly Albert), but definitely not Terry.

    And i personally thought, that Terry's letter sent 1.5 years after NY event, their break up. Not 1.5 years after Susana died. The way Terry started the letter and said " Hi candy ... how are you? It's been 1.5 years ...", i think he referred to their last meeting in NY. If it's the event of Susana's death, how terry could be so sure Candy knew what he talked about? Remember that letters on the novel was not in order of occurrence. The logical thought was Mizuki put it based on the way Candy reminiscing her young days. And you'll understand why her correspondency with Albert was on epilogue, near the time she finished her nostalgia moments. Of course as we know epilogue is a conclusion. She ended up with Albert, so It made sense for her reading all letters from her friends and other relatives first because she missed them in America, and ending it with Albert's. Just in time for the anohito came back from work.

    See the correlation of the flow of the novel? :)

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  127. AnonymousJuly 31, 2014

    Anohito has to be Albert. He's such a perfect match (man) for Candy. He's Candy's adoptive father but so what, that'a different story. Their romance appeared later in life when both didn't know/realize/had memory of their past relationship at all. Terry didn't do much to Candy. He companionship is fun for teenagers but not for a mature marriage, in my opinion. Candy deserved better treatment, something that Albert kept giving him. In manga, their mutual love interests were clearly drawn. Yes, they never kissed (yet) but their boiling romance was very apparent. Albert is the best for Candy. He's the Prince and he has to be the anohito.

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  128. Sorry but anohito is Terry like it or not..Candy was deeply in love with him, she was waiting so long to see him again, she was dreaming of him..she stepped back only for Susana.. and after she passed away, they got back together. Muzuki revealed/allowed Susana's death exactly for this purpose. All the evidence extensively discussed by my beloved Lady Gato (which iam not going to repeat) prove that anohito is Terry. She married the only man she ever loved as a man/ lover not as a friend/father figure.
    And for those who support anohito has to be Albert..Seriously? You are a woman. Have you ever considered marry your father? ..

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    Replies
    1. He was not her real father!!!!!! Don't you think they could change their mind about adoption? After all, Candy herself was considering to ask Uncle William to give up with the adoption process!!

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  129. Il semble que certaines personne n'est toujours pas compris la relation entre Candy et Albert. Albert ne s' est jamais comporté comme un père et Candy ne l'a jamais considéré en tant que tel. Voir les lettres qu'ils se sont échangés. Albert n'a que 11 ans de plus que Candy, et il n'a pas élevé Candy. La seule fois où ils ont vécu ensemble, Albert était amnésique et ignorait que l'infirmière avec il vivait était sa fille adoptive. Albert est un tuteur pour Candy, rien de plus, il souhaitait la rendre heureuse à l'époque d'où le choix de l'adoption. Si certains d'entre vous ont aimé "Amor Aeternus" je vous conseille aussi de lire les histoires de Ms Puddle ainsi que son forum. Voici les liens : https://www.fiction.net/s/8667837/1/The-Diary
    et son forum : http://mspuddleshaven.com

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  130. Oh please, give it a break will you? SHE NEVER expressed love feelings for Albert. In contrast, her behavior, words and thoughts are all about Terry... Are you blind or something? or you have never been in love ? (I guess). There is no point insisting she married Albert just because you like his personality. She was in love with the "bad" guy and she married him, end of the story..

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  131. Hehe anonymous October 16, you don't have to be so aggressive (unless you can't help it...lol). Albert is and always will be anohito. He is the only one indicated by Mizuki as the destined love for Candy, the one that is meant to be. Regarding her relation to Terry she referred to it as "the great love that CANNOT bear fruit" in other words NOT meant to be. In CCFS is shown she has not changed her mind.The whole structure of the novel favors Albert. She said it's not a sequel.Since she did not want to portray Candy as a fickle girl, when did you expect her to express love for Albert? While she was heart broken after separating from Terry? You are jumping to conclusions without thinking. Mizuki never denied a romance between Albert and Candy she only said not so fast. And she said that she needs to write a longer story in order to depict who anohito is. This only makes sense if she wanted to write about the romance between Albert and Candy. Oh, that Susana dies and Terry writes a short note to Candy...these are just scenes thrown in the novel for some fans to be able to keep dreaming. Mizuki did not even waste too much space for them.But since you insist in staying blind forever, believe what you want. I suggest you give it a break here and go on those forums where your opinion actually matters, keep searching for terry clues in every word, count together with Lady Gato how many times Terry's name appears ( how many, how many? that's a tough one LOL, it's not like you are clinging to anything just to reach the conclusion you want, oh no :)) ) ,keep trying to bring the "bad" guy to the surface in any way cause anyway you only understand what you want to. Nobody insists here, it's just that Terry is not the one, never has been.

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  132. J e suis l'anonyme du 09 octobre et je viens juste de lire les commentaires du 16. Pourquoi autant d 'agressivité à mon égard ? Je ne faisais que donner mon opinion, nous sommes des adultes et je ne suis pas là pour me battre. Gardez votre énergie pour des causes plus importantes et plus graves, ce n'est qu'un roman ! Les fans de Terry seraient-ils à son image, impulsifs et sûrs d'eux à ce point.

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  133. Anonymous Oct 9 & 18 : I'm amused to see your last comment, dear. Yeah, I've heard similar opinions toward T-fans. They mostly represented T's characters :D. Immature, impulsive, aggressive, & self imposed. Not all of course, I've seen many Terry-fans respect Albert-fans. & for anyone's concern, I really love Terry, although I am a genuine Albert-fan. I always hope he got better ending.

    Anonymous 16 :

    Please, ... :) I assume you're the one who haven't read all sources of CC story. Official sources by the author herself : Manga, anime, old CC novel (released not long after end of manga), and CCFS. Un-official sources : many fan discussions/forums ( try to read both sides of discussions).

    Even Mizuki, the author, once had stated in interview that Albert was the predestined love of Candy's. Please search the meaning of predestined, you will understand the story from the meeting of Candy the crybaby & Prince of The Hill, until Candy & Albert's letters on epilogue of CCFS.

    Candy's behaviour, words, & thoughts all about Terry? Can you give us explanation why Candy left Terry alone in Rockstown and insisted on looking for Albert? And back in Chicago, she cried in her apartment thinking of Albert, NOT TERRY? & Can you explain all the letters in CCFS epilogue? The song in anime which Mizuki wrote the lyrics? it's all about her waiting for her Prince of The Hill.

    We've never been in love? Oh I thought it might be you who have yet to experience many kind of loves. Most of us, women, experience what Candy had experienced. Puppy love, Adolescent love ( some might have more than 1 in this category), and True love.

    Respect others! Whether they are Albert's, Terry's, Anthony's, Archie's, or even Neal's.

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  134. I searched on Google tried to find the translation of CCFS, it's been 4 years since the CCFS books launched but with so many petition asking the writer to launch the CCFS in English, why's Keiko Nagita didn't take any action.

    And she didn't even have any Fans Page for us.

    If any of you know the link to english translation of CCFS, would u mind to share it with me?

    Thank u so much.....and thank u bequi for ur amazing analysis.

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  135. The translation is in www.candyterry.com, made by different people that understand Japanese. The Italian translation with MIzuki´s prologue will be launch this November 23 in Ferrara - Italy by Kappalab editorial.

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  136. Italian fans could buy the book in Ferrara and will have in especializad book store and libraries for Christmas/2014. Nagita´s words in he prologue tells that Candy Candy is a story about falling in love and friendship love. And the first letter from Candy to Sister Mary talks about London!!!. Candy felt in love from whom that has him in her mind and wrote his initials in the window in FS? in what city started that romance?...so, so clear why is she so happy at the end of the story, and not worried about separations!!! so clear for any intelligent mind!!!

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  137. Hello, you are right as the novel is supposed to be edited by kappalab, please have a look to this french link (my initial language) to have more information


    http://www.shaolanli.com/2014/11/le-roman-candy-candy-final-story-publie.html


    We have to hope now that it will soon be edtited in english

    See you for further news about our lovely blondie girl

    Take care







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  138. anomynous 26: OFCOURSE I have read/study/watch everything...Iam following the story for 25 years now..What about you? .You can make any assumptions you want....Albert is the dad and yes, Terry is the love of her life and husband... Albert will be able to find someone suitable for him too someday so don't worry. Unfortunately that's not Candy because she belongs to someone else already. Cheers ; )

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  139. Thank u for anonymous November 20 for your information. I have read some letters on www.candyterry.com. That a good news that CCFS will be translated into Italian. But unfortunately, I don't understand Italian and only speak a little french. Hopefully the CCFS will be translated into English real soon.

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  140. Interesting information gave for Kappalab about the Italian translation, Nagita personally corrected the names:

    Family Ardlay (not Andrew, or Ardley or Audrey)
    Neal (not Neil)
    Terence G. Granchester or Terry (not Terrence, not Grandchester, not Grantchester)
    Candice White Ardlay
    Legan (not leagan)
    Hughley (Patty´s turtle)
    Sister Lane Roach (not Mary)
    Eliza (not Iriza)

    so the Italian version is really the version we wanted to have!!!

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  141. Having read the story in Italian, I can only confirm Anohito is Terence Granchester. It is very clear from it.

    Regards

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  142. Both characters, Terry and Albert posess nobility in their thoughts/actions...both of them are worthy Candy's love...the question is whom Candy loves...in her 30s?
    It could be either of them really...my mind is with Albert yet my heart..

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  143. Hi, excellent work, i think that anohito is albert! candy has no Children, this is strange, it did! Do we have some news about anohito from the NEW novel ; iam waiting to learn the true end

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  144. hi Marianna Marg, is not a new novel, is the only novel wrote by mizuki and published in 2010 in Japanese, and now translated to Italian. The first feelings about love toward the prince of the hill, that makes candy accepts to me adopted by the Lagan´s. Strong love feelings between candy and Anthony, love feelings only in one direction (by Archie and Alistair), friendship feelings toward them by candy. A very strong friendship feeling for Mr. Albert (her protector and confident).Rejection but with very strong attraction for the rebel English son of the Duke: Terence Granchester! the first volume ended before the May Festival!! so...the second volume will be the best gift if we think in love feelings!!! the love that candy declared for T.G in her diary!! also the love declaration of T.G for her! there is not change in the plot, only in the language! but easer now and you can buy it in Amazon.it, fast and save delivery!! I got it that way!

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  145. Hi my friend, thanks for your answer but don't forget the love letters between candy and albert! there is love in the air

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  146. Marianna Marg, friendship lovely letters, no declaration of love on them, from Bert to Candice, the only one that can call him as his sister Rose Mary! in the air there is only daffodils odor (Nagita smells it while candy shows her Slim´s paint), and there is only one boy that loves that odor in CCFS!

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  147. But, candy says that she can't sleep, she is waiting for albert to come and she is happy , her parents left her in ponny's home to meet albert, her destiny! Only a woman in grazy love can say something like this

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  148. Marianna Marg, you are talking of a part of a letter without date, while candy is living in Pony´s home. Also candy is reading the letters and cards that "little Bert" sent her from his trips, the last place mentioned is Sao Paulo. Albert character is the same until the end of FS, the man that likes to travel, the man that exchange ideas with the girl he decided to protect. There isn´t a proposal for a love relationship from his part in any of them, also those letters are in Candy´s box, full of memories!! why? there is no need to read them if she sleeps with him as her husband, the story would be totally illogic at the end if that is the case you propose!, her parents left her in ponny´s home to allow her to grow as a lovely, tender and generous girl, that confront sadness, dead and separations but at the end finds happiness, living with the man she most love, surrounded by the scent of daffodils...passion and love...only one in CC story... only T.G.

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  149. I will read the novel in english and then i wiil return for more ansews! my friend have you read the novel;bequi perfect job about candy!

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  150. Marianna Marg, will you read the novel in english? where?

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  151. Imagine what it would be like if there was a love declaration between Candy and Albert. Then anohito would have no longer been a mystery and some fans would be now very upset. But Mizuki wanted to keep that person's identity a mystery not to ruin fans dreams after so many years. Since there has already been a romance between Candy and Terry the only way to do so was not to write explicitly about a Candy & Albert romance. This doesn't mean this cannot be implied , for who is able to see it. Otherwise why speaking of a mystery?That makes no sense.Unless there are reasons to believe that the correspondence between Albert and Candy is more than a friendly/fraternal one...On the other hand, mind the fact that Candy and Terry are still separated and there is no certainty of a reunion in CCFS.What you have it's still suppositions.
    As for the letters. Anonymous feb 25, it's not part of a letter. There are several letters that Albert and Candy exchange. You have to read them all. In this way you would find out that the last location mentioned is not Sao Paulo, it is Lakewood. Albert comes back from Sao Paulo and comes to Candy, takes her to Lakewood where they spend several lovely hours.This is what Candy talks about in her last letter to Albert.
    In her box of memories Candy also has the letters from Terry and clippings.The fact that she reads her correspondence with Albert does not mean she is not with Albert.On the contrary, if those letters mark the beginnings of their love it's even more meaningful for how much she loves him and how she likes to relive after many years how it all began. The letters from Terry make her sad.She puts them away with detachment saying they belong to Terry.Really? Weren't those the letters he wrote for her and sent to her? Shouldn't they be her letters from Terry? Anyways, if she lives together with Terry(finally) becoming sad by looking at those letters it's weird.Those are the letters before they were separated, from their happy and hopeful times. She should read them and be happy that they are together despite everything. Instead she leaves the room wanting to change the air, the same she does when she remembers Anthony's death. She briefly mentions Shakespeare books and then focuses on pictures of her with Albert, Stair but no picture of Terry. All she looks at are those old clippings from magazines. If she was married to him she should have a lot of pics with him, not just looking at some old clippings.
    However, no matter if the novel is in Japanese, Italian or whatever, the plot is the same and who anohito is is now a matter of prefference.

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  152. no i can't find the novel in english right now but i hope to be translated as soon as possible to find out the Real end

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  153. if Mizuki wanted Albert and Candy end together nobody would interfer with that, she is the author. The italian version has showed us easily (more than the japanese version complicate to translate) in a so open way the exchange of love words between Candy and Anthony (and their thouhgs), and then showed how that love changed toward Terry (at the end of the firs volume), where candy can´t stop thinking in him (or write his initials in her diary, also she wants to dance with Terry or Alistair...not with Albert for the may festival). Also Terry repeats and whispers words of confidence to her... he believes in what she sings asking forgiveness at Saint Paul´s wood after descovering he was Eleonor Baker´s son, and we know both were madly in love in Saint Paul, Scotland and N.Y. The letters of the end of Volume 2 don´t have dates, and the last letter is for a dead person: Anthony, so we can´t think in a logic scenary in time with them, only are her memories. A question for those who believe in albert-candy relationship...why candy has Albert´s letters?...why he didn´t keep them?, why there aren´t terry´s letters and comunication between them? mizuki answered the last one: she would have to write an aditional story (her draft has thousands pages...), but the white pages are between memories and important letters, special that Terry´s note. There is no need for kills susana, shows terry´s letter, and talks about daffodils scence in candy´s room if he doesn´t come to her life. If terry would remain appart mizuki would not write more about him...and the note say soo much...he has not changed and he is writing to her freckles! so "Welcome Back" Terry to Candy´s life! a real love never ends!!

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  154. Anonymous March 2, I am glad that you understood exactly what you wanted to understand from this story.

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  155. Anonymous March 2 : you answered your own question. Why Candy had Albert's letters? -- They're married and lived together!

    You're welcome, Thank you!

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  156. Anonymous Feb 26 : Thank you for your smart explanation. You spoke what's on my mind. True, why should she feel sad about memory of Terry when they're now happily married? Candy was terribly treated by the Leagans and we bet she had been deeply sad and humiliated back then, but Candy was not sad when she remembered the Leagans, instead she said : those tears now become wonderful memory ( I don't remember the exact line), it's her recollection moment when she remembered the moment she met Mary and Stewart at the opening of Miami X Hotel.

    and thank you to question : where Terry's letters sent to her before he invited her to NY for Romeo and Juliet perfomance? :)

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  157. A man that loves his wife´s letters keeps them with him, and do not return them to her...

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  158. A wife and a husband usually live together under the same roof. So, there is no returning. In CCFS it is not specified whether those letters are in the jewel box or not, what is important is that Candy's letters to Albert are together with his letters to her. Albert as a friend wouldn't have returned her the letters. The only way Candy can have them is by living close to Albert as his wife. They keep their belongings together. After all it is known how much they like to share.

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  159. The other way to have Albert´s letters in candy´s box of memories is that he left them as his last wish...lakewood is abandoned (the three gates of the boys and all the memories of the Ardlay´s family abandoned) and has a new owner.... a drastic end for the ardlay´s...mizuki didn´t hesitate killing people in CC (Anthony, Stair, Rose Mary being so young, Albert´s father being young, Susana....and maybe the last one was Albert?... an interesting question for Nagita...

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  160. The first Anonymous March 07 : Thank you :)

    The latter Anonymous March 07 : Seriously, you are a fan of CC? Seeing the way you explained your understanding about CCFS and the whole CC story, I'd better left you alone with your fascinating imagination. You've just made me speechless. Clearly we come from a very different way of thinking and I begin to believe that you could write more interesting plot of Candy Candy than Mizuki herself. Listen, I am a very open minded person and I honestly do not mind if you wanted to believe that Anohito is another person and not Albert. But please .. DO NOT INSULT MIZUKI'S INTELLIGENCE.

    Anon March 05

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  161. Latter Anonymous March 07, what you wrote is based on wishful thinking. The property from Lakewood is uninhabited ever since Anthony died. It is said in CCFS that is rarely visited, used occasionally for an engagement party or commemoration. Albert does not live there. The fact it has a new owner does not mean the end of the Ardlays. It doesn't say anywhere that the mansion from Chicago has a new owner. And that is where the Ardlay's headquarters are, in Chicago not in Lakewood. Since it was barely used they decided not to keep it anymore and with Albert gone to live across the ocean it makes even more sense. There is nothing indicating that Albert died. Candy is never sad when she speaks about him. But she is sad speaking about Anthony, Terry and Stair. Terry is mingled among the dead ones.Candy has such a negative emotional reaction by looking at Terry's letters and clippings that she has to leave the room. So, Terry died and that explains the complete works of Shakespeare in Candy's library. He wanted her to have them as his last wish or his mother thought he would have wanted Candy to have them. After all Candy supported Terry a lot in becoming a great actor.

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  162. Anon March 11,

    I believe you're an Albertfan, just like me. I agree with your comment, except the last part. I truly doesn't think Terry was dead at the present time in CCFS. He's a tragic character, just like most characters in Shakespeare's were. He had unhappy childhood and he lost the only love he knew. But he successfully made his dream of becoming actor come true. I may let myself imagine that Terry was living his fame very well. Just imagine how glamour and colourful it was in 1930s era. Cheers!


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  163. oh please just stop..Another proof is the following..Mizuki wrote a poem mentioning anohito and next in a parenthesis SHE WROTE TERRY! What other proof do you guys need??.. Just stop, you can dream she is with Albert but the truth is totally different, she is and always belonged to Terry <3

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  164. Terry died? WTF are you talking about? Oh you wish! He is very much alive and happily married with Candy!

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  165. and here is the proof.. anohito is Terry...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSiecrL7J2g

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    Replies
    1. Well with all respected just to assume Terry is Anohito only becuase the word is there don't forget Candy Call Stear Anohito Too and Albert call Rosemary Anohito and George call Anthony Anohito..and Archi call Albert Anohito

      Delete
  166. AnonymousMay 03, 2015

    He he, I don't believe Terry is dead. I just wanted to make a point for those terryfans who prefer to believe Albert is dead that there are better reasons to believe Terry died.It makes no difference to me if Terry lives or dies. But for these terry fanatics if Albert dies makes all the difference. They can't convince that he is Candy's father or older brother and they think about him being dead as a last resort.

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  167. CCFS what is about the true is about Alberts sorrow and all his nostalgic child hood Candy Alberts sanctuary or both for each other the connection between Albert and Candy is Stronger more than Love even if Albert is not in love with Candy Candy will be happy just to have Albert next to Her Sonohito..Kono Hito Candy used Koto this mean Albety and her had the same Pain sorrow(Stear And Anthonys dead) this sorrow make it like both aré Two lunes walnking the same circunstancias.We agree or don't one thing is true Mizuki writtes I would nothing ealse besides you nothing ealse matter even if our life's will be repeated I will not change that becuase I meet you and this words Candy with a 100%she said to Willian face to face..Mizuki was so smarted we accepted or not these two are in love the she just put the only thing no one can destroy is the Enlace Between Candy and Albert..

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  168. Thanks to Lady Gato, Anneth White (and Anonymous LadyGato and Anneth White again) for spamming the comments with your "video". I have to say it is very bad quality and almost impossible to see/understand anything... But I did look up... so Terry is ano hito in the 1977 poem:

    Now, do you understand what Japanese Kanji is? - the Japanese Kanji is an evolution from the Chinese - but they are base on the same principal - a logographic, similar to glyphs (figures/signs) – if you are not Japanese native it is extremely difficult to understand (therefore Japanese can also be written in hiragana and katakana), yet Mizuki chooses to write with “glyphs” to keep her messages for the Japanese.

    ano hito – the famous ano hito in CCFS in kanji is as this あの人(ano hito/that person)
    person/human in japanese kanji only corresponds to this han character/graphic 人 (kind of a matchstick man). From this person symbol/kanji/han caracter (chinesse) derivates other as the following
    人 a person
    小 represents a person with lowered arms implying small in size.
    尢 a man with bent legs with the meaning of weak.
    大 a person with arms stretched out as far as possible, implying the meaning of big/great/large.
    文 a man with arms outstretched and a crest or tattoo on his chest denoting culture or language
    夭 a man with arms outstretched and leaning to side (running), denoting youth.
    天 a man with a large head, an anthropomorphic representation of heaven.
    you could say then that the character 人 person works as a root to form other symbols

    now in the poem (which you actually underline is written)
    あたし すぐに
    あのひと(テリィ) だと
    わかったけれど
    I quickly found
    He is anohito (Terry),


    this is suppose to be the ano hito あのひと part
    in Japanese kanji here it does not say “this person” no even person, the kanji used is ひ- meaning face. the real translation is “ who (face) is? (terry)

    Now to clarify your confusion; it is true that ひと in japanese hiragana this means person. for real. But what you are doing is mixing different Japanese types of writing to your own convenients.. Like this

    T-3 rry (did I write Terry or T-three rry?) or if a write An @ hito (does it say ano hito or An at hito?)
    Mizuki is an expert, she is extraordinary with kanji... don’t even try!!!, she does not make mistakes, she does not mix her own language or script (that would be a vulgarity or a spelling mistake) , please leave Japanese to the Japanese people otherwise you would look like a fool.

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  169. educate yourself, it is free !!!

    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/人
    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hito#Japanese
    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ひと

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  170. Hello Hee Kim,

    I am so sorry I cannot share (with you or anyone, public or privately) CCFS translations - those works are not mine to share.

    The options you have are as follow:
    buy the original Japaneses books - http://www.s-book.net/plsql/slib_series?tid=439646030 -
    buy the official translated (Italian) version - http://www.kappalab.it/cerca?orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=Keiko%20Nagita

    or make your own collection/reads (translated sections in many of the Candy Candy forums)
    https://www.google.nl/search?q=candy+candy+forum&oq=candy+candy+forum&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i65j0l4.2200j0j9&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

    - be nice and get to know the members there first (it might take you awhile before the community let you read any good translated section)
    - make sure is FINAL STORY, because there is also the translations of (candy candy the novel) - the first novel published in the 80's
    - and if possible use several sources, it tends to happen that some translations (if they are not official) might be bias to one or other side.


    Sorry I cannot be of more assistance at the moment, we are currently working in an other extensive work regarding the candy candy series. Comeback in a month or so - I might be able to change the way you think about Candy Candy....

    In the meantime you could also

    Download the original Candy Candy Manga in Japanese Kanji characters- this is my own share/recompilation (and you will not find it anywhere else on the net) http://journal.bequi.com/2014/02/blog-post.html

    Download the MANGA Candy Candy in English from - http://animerulezzz.org/?ttl=&t=Download/view&p=AnimeManga/Candy%20Candy/Manga/EN&lang=en

    or Read the MANGA English version online from http://mangafox.me/manga/candy_candy/v00/c000/1.html

    Happy Reading!

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  171. Hi Bequi, I will answer to you, with the same answer as in the other blog page you posted talking about the poem and anohito. My English answer is: I only take your recommendation of the beginning of this blog By summer 2015 there would be an update in this article, in the meantime you shouldn't be wasting your time here, it’s not worth it". I won´t loose my time here. But I advise you to read the Italian translation of CCFS in detail to see how can you adjust your hypothesis with Mizuki´s words in that language. And about the poem of the video and "anohito´s issue", it was translated by a NATIVE JAPANESE AND BILINGUAL PERSON, so it is difficult to say to a japanese that she didn´t understand correctly the kanji, if you or me are not japanese!!. And also the poem has TERRY´S NAME, in the page there is a painting of Terry holding candy made by Igarashi, and you want to talk about TERRY´S FACE?? well at the end all is about TERRY AS CCFS! you can´t deny that!!! also you can see how Albert-san is called Mr. Albert=Signore Albert in the Italian version. That are the most important things for me. Ciao!

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  172. Attention! there is no trolls feeding here;

    But due to the highly demand, we had no choice but to dedicate a post especially for this, please go ahead with your trolling on
    http://journal.bequi.com/2015/07/terry-is-anohito-lady-gatos-theory.html

    thanks for your cooperation!

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  173. My TROYAN ANSWER DEAR BEQUI, I PREFER THAT TO BE A TROLL,

    http://journal.bequi.com/2015/07/terry-es-anohito-teoria-de-lady-gato.html?showComment=1436145833394#c9171793840444879164

    And what is my preferred food?? that food that Candy and Terry share being husband and wife in their lovely house living in Avon upon England my dear.

    Anneth

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  174. Oh my, my, what a lengthy and passionate argument is going on here! Interesting ideas. I'm just a newbie here, trying to digest all this information. I still do not get the whole thing quite well as most posters seem to, though. Anyway, I'll keep on reading bits here and there, but I would like to say to the blogger that her passion for the topic is amazing.

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  175. AnonymousJuly 06, 2015

    Annie Wilkes AKA Anneth White just showed her cooperation. She is madly cooperative to say.

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  176. AnonymousJuly 19, 2015

    Ay no que horror, aquí también está esta mujer, la tal anni , anneth , lady gato o como se llame. Solo ridiculeses escribe.

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  177. Dear Becqui,

    You are absolutely right, let’s leave Japanese to the Japanese:

    http://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/25768/ひ-meaning-face

    http://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/25647/translation-of-anohito-あのひと


    With Love and Gratitude,

    Lady Gato >^..^< (the only one, unfortunately for some)

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  178. Bequi sorry to but i nedd to post somethin here,we the Albert fans Anneth Whitte is the most dirty person,she attacs us,I mean she was serious issues She think she is MIZUKI according to her CCFS was for Terry only she copys every information and trasformed into was her idea i meant really,she insulted you And Mizukis person and other person but i dint like what she said about Mizuki.She was and her clan had a serious issue just go agaisted ,becuase dont agree with her just for a anime she is everywhere.WHAt DESPICABLE Human SHE IS her ideas are just copies no knologed at all.she said she dont agreed. With you but she used your idea for her own benefits she only trasform everything for Terry.even the Terry fans cant tolerated.but dont worry I set a big tramp for her She said Mizuki personal tould her TERRY her ideas sound to cheese.

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  179. oh Anonymous August 2/ I am so sorry for not knowing your nickname to clarify some things, not for you, but for other fans that read this. 1) you say I am a dirty person but I think that we haven't met personally or have we?. I am not and I don´t think I am Mizuki. I copy the information to show how manipulative alfans can be, so it is better to post the evidence to say that we (terryfans) manipulate the text, the translations, and Mizuki´s interviews. About Terry, I remind you that he is in Candy Candy story (in all her formats, because you deny it). And finally I would like to see "my post" saying that mizuki told me personally something. The only one that set traps and didn´t work was Eliza!! Terryhugs dear!

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  180. i already read this article ( very good ), and based on the manga and anime too, i think (and really hope) that Candy will be end up with William Albert.
    Albert is always take care of Candy from the beginning until the end ( in her sadness and happiness), and i think candy finally realize that she loves Albert too.
    when i was a child and read the manga, i like Terry and hope he will be with Candy . But now, when i read again the manga and watch the anime ( read and watch very detail ), i know that Albert is Candy's true love :)
    If Mizuki make Suzana died, i think it's because Terry cannot life longer with woman he's not love, and maybe Terry will be found another love except Candy because i agree that Candy not loves Terry anymore.

    ( Sorry my english not so good )

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  181. I'm not taking part of the conversation about who this 'anohito' is. Instead,I want to bring some points about Anthony's death.
    Let's get back in time...Anthony was a part of a rich family,madame Elroy's favorite. He had behaved in a very good manner, but then he met Candy. Elroy hated Candy and would never have excepted het as Anthony's wife. She was an orphan and, in Elroy's point of view, not suitable for Anthony. But Anthony fell for her and everybody noticed that. Leagans hated Candy and certainly didn't like Anthony to be with Candy. Right after the balldance (she danced mostly with Anthony), her bed was carried to the stables. Eliza (who also liked Anthony) took roses from Anthony's garden and blamed Candy. She wanted that Anthony would no longer like Candy. The plan failed. Then Eliza and Niel set Candy up and blamed her for stealing things. Because of that,she was sent to Mexico. Elroy wasn't against it at all. Anthony ( for the first time) stood up against Elroy and defended Candy. In Elroy's point of view, Anthony behaved in a manner not suitable for a boy of his position.
    Just as Elroy and Leagans thought they had got rid of Candy, she returns. Because Anthony, Stear and and Archie had written letters to uncle William, he adopted her. Now,they couldn't get rid of her anymore. She lives in the same manor as Anthony and they spend time together, Anthony starts to behave differently;like getting into a fight with Tom. The first time he ever fought with anyone, and Elroy doesn't like it, he attends rodeo...he started to behave badly( from Elroy's point of view)...so, Elroy and Leagans hated Candy, she had thought Anthony (from their point of view) bad habits, he was mad about her (thinking of one day marrying her) etc. They had a very strong motive to separate the two.
    So,let's get to the accident:Anthony fell off a horse and lied on the ground, Candy saw the whole thing and was shocked. She fainted. After that she knew nothing of the things that happened around her...she was in a very bad state for a long time and she didn't attend to the funrals.
    It's possible that Anthony wasn't, in fact,dead. There is (now I'm talking about the real world, not imaginary one) this state of suspended animation(asphyxia), which means that a person is deeply unconscious, his breathing is weak and his pulse is very weak and that's why the person seems dead,but in fact,isn't. There has been cases of asphyxia in the 19 th and 20 th century.
    Now,let's get back to Anthony:he was taken to a hospital (while Candy was still unconscious), and there he was declared dead (even doctors make mistakes, or Elroy paid them off).
    The accident gave a marvelous opportunity for Elroy (maybe even the Leagans/Legans) to separate Candy and Anthony for good. They did it, because they could not get rid of Candy anymore(because Albert had adopted her), so they lied to everyone thag Anthony was dead. Elroy arranged his funerals, the lid of the coffin was closed(Elroy could have easily said that it was too painful for her to see Anthony's face, nobody would have object to that). Besides, there was some sort of weight in the coffin (sandback,male big etc.) ,so that the coffin didn't feel empty and that no one would suspect anything.
    Then why Anthony never came back? There could be lots of reasons, for example, maybe his recoring took years and years, maybe he suffered from amnesia and couldn't remember Candy or maybe he did go after her (after being a long tkme in a hospital), but saw her with Terry and thinking that she was happy, he decided to step aside. After all, all he ever wanted was that Candy wuld be happy. There could also be other explanations that why he didn't come back.
    I now that the writer created Anthony only for his death (I'm not commenting on that one,because I have nothing nice to say about that), but the story itself gives that opportunity. I'm not saying it happened,but that is possibility.

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  182. Albert is Candy's adopted father and legally would never be allowed a romantic relationship with her. They care about each other very much but it was always Terence who made Candy's heart beat fast and made her breathless. Does one forget love like that? Are 10 years really that long? I think Candy would have been there for Terence at the drop of a hat if Susanne Marlow was out of the picture. Candy never forgets, even Anthony after all these years and she loves Terence more.

    Also have some faith in true love...

    "Let me not to the marriage of true minds
    Admit impediments. Love is not love
    Which alter when it alteration finds,
    Or bends with the remover to remove:-
    Oh no! it is an ever fixed mark
    That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;
    It is the star to every wandering bark,
    Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
    Love's not Time's fool, those rosy lips and cheeks
    Within his bending sickle's compass come;
    Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
    But bears it out ev'n to the edge of doom:-
    If this be error, and upon me proved,
    I never writ, nor no man ever loved."
    William Shakespeare

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  183. Alber is Candy adopted father yes,but Those the hearth has social Prejudice,Why is a Soul Love can love cross the imposible.

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  184. Hello guys ... just remember this : who gets amnesia in the story? If a character is not important, do you really think the author would bother so much to make him getting through amnesiac period? There must be a reason for that. In this case, to make Albert be only Albert. Without his knowledge of who Candy is to him. To forget his persona as William Albert Ardley. Mizuki simply wanted him to be a man who helplessly falls in love with beautiful nurse with a golden heart.

    Take a look of those stories which happened to have amnesia plot, who suffers the loss of the memory? Mostly, if not all, are the protagonist. :)

    Good day, all. Some people could keep convincing others about Terry being anohito. Go on ... so far, you're not convincing enough to me. You turn a blind eye to obvious facts and hints and clues, yet you imagine things and create a hallucination.

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  185. Hi Bequi! This was a very long long looong article about CCFS but after three weeks I finally could finish reading and analyzing your manuscript. Considering the limitation I have of not speaking Japanese, I haven't been able to read the original novel neither the Italian version, and I only could read translated fragments from here and there. However, the analysis and methodology you followed to do it seems to be quite strong and let me think that you provide evidence that suggests that final Candy's love is W.A.! And I do agree with you and your interpretation, this story more than a love story is a message of overcoming all the obstacles we face in our life! I really liked both, CCFS so far (with the limitations I have explained before) and your analysis!!

    Greetings from México!!!

    Best,

    Mónica F.

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  186. Albert is Anohito, I'm Sure. Thanks for the information bequi, I really enjoyed it.
    And for those who keep on coming back with Terry is Anohito: Everybody has their own opinion, many of us are sure that Albert is Anohito, if Terry is Anohito for some people, their opinion is respected. But stop trashing blog, forums or websites that do not agree with you!

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  187. ¡Resiliencia! Candy al fin feliz con William Albert... Gracias y felicidades excelente, puedo quedar en paz con este final.

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  188. ¡Resiliencia! Candy al fin feliz con William Albert... Gracias y felicidades excelente, puedo quedar en paz con este final.

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  189. From the begining, Albert is the true love for Candy. Why Mizuki did not write the name for candy's husband clearly till the end? Because the man could become her friend Albert, could be her uncle William, and the prince of the hill whom candy couldn't forget. But he is the one, "that petson" anohito (Albert/uncle william/ prince of the hill).

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  190. "That person" (typo)

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  191. Wow! Bequi estuvo fabulosa tu explicacion ❤️ Solo que a mi en lo particular me baso en la esencia de cada personaje...y Albert siempre fue un espiritu libre, viajando con aventuras y animales...no me convece de que de repente se casaron se fueron a inglaterra (lugar donde se enamoro perdidamente de Terry y que Albert perfectamente sabia...) y vivieron entre narcisos y rosas y obras de shakspear... Ese no es Albert. Mitsuko solo esta jugando con nuestros sentieminto jajaja y haciendonos bolas

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  192. Albert jamas viviria con Candy en Inglaterra(tierra de Terry) Albert amaba Africa. Candy viviria con Albert solo como hermanos, Terry es Anohito ahora un hombre soltero, fuerte, seguro de si mismo, calmado, famoso que por fin esta en la capacidad de tener una relacion seria con Candy por eso la busco su amor es tan fuerte.

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  193. http://freckledtarzan.blogspot.com/2017/08/candy-candy-final-story-real-happy.html there is agood arguement why Terry is anohito. go check it out. In opinon I always liked Terry to be with Candy. And here is the proof.

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  194. AnonymousJune 03, 2021

    There's no proof because if it was you would not be here talking about proof that Terry is Anohito a decade later since Candy Candy Final Story came out. It would have been a fact a long time ago...don't you think?

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  195. buy youtube views Video Game controllers have advanced tremendously over the years to keep up with spectacular abilities of new games on the market. Serious and novice gamers alike know that to fully enjoy all the capabilities of newer games, it takes a controller that can handle all the functions available in a game.

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  196. How many fights are going on here. Just to identify who's this "anohito". This for real made my day. XD

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