(an update about all this) (...follow the white rabbit
Preface
About three years ago I made the promise to my husband that I would not spend any more time on analyzing Candy Candy story - what he calls a complete “waste of my time”- we came to the agreement that he will let me finish and publish my work on Anohito - Candy Candy Final Story untangled and once I was done with it, I will move-on into some more productive “hobby”.
Yet, here I am again, three years later (not only breaking a promise to my husband, hehehe) but also about to acknowledge that I was wrong about my set thinking: it took me (the woopy amount of) 30 years to come to the chilly conclusion that ALL I ever thought I knew about Candy Candy was wrong!
This is not going to be your average Candy Candy argument about daffodils, Scottish tartans, roses, Avon river, Ano hito, Chicago or New York. I am not even going to talk about Shakespeare - (Romeo and Juliet without Shakespeare?) however the following work is one of the hardest essays I have ever try to put together, the more I get into this subject the more things I keep on finding, but I know I have to stop at some point: I have been working on this project (in and out) for over two years and more than an analysis I should call it “my attempt to explain Candy Candy in its natural Japanese context, under a Shintoism/Buddhism background” or ”westerners guide to understand Candy Candy”.
The following content shouldn't be taken as a spoiler either, but more of a killer - in the same way that once you read about Spirited Away’s secret meaning kills the movie for you, or my neighbor totoro’s conspiracy theory and you will never want to see these “beautiful movies” with your children again.
I can summarize (in a very long detailed text) most of my finding, I can explain to you Candy Candy as no one has ever explained it to you, but in order to do that, (you have to understand) that I am going to “kill” every single (sweet) memory you hold dear (in the manga or in the anime). I am going to trash everything you think you know about Candy Candy (I am even going to trash everything you think you know about Romeo and Juliet). At the end of the reading you can still decide if you believe it or not, but I assure you, that you will never see Candy Candy (or Romeo and Juliet) in the same way. You will start seeing things that you are not supposed to see - which by the way some are not really nice -(there are creepy Japanese ghost, spooks, racism, mummies or sex among other strong content, but in return you would also learn about the most beautiful love story written on the stars which is also well known to every girl in Asia… - I hope you are above 18 or at least 16 years old).
- So, if you are happy with the way you understand Candy Candy (with tartan, roses and Scotland) then I suggest you not to read any further.
- If you strongly believe that your country, culture, flag, language or faith/religion are really superior to any other one, then, I politely ask you to leave (this reading is not for you).
- If you are a hardcore pro-Terry fan (sent here by an Albert fan) I also suggest you not to read any more, it is not worth it for your side.
- If you are highly sensitive, easily startle, or under age (less than 16 years), please let another adult to check the content before to decide whether the following reading is (or not) suitable for you.
On the other hand, if you have:
- read the manga,
- or tons of essays about Candy Candy
- or translated sections of CC Final Story,
- or watched the anime...
and yet, things do not match up and you still have more questions than answers - then, this is the place for you to start - I expect you to be an adult with an open mind, willing to learn about other culture (Japan) and able to respect other holy faiths (Buddhism, Shinto, Shugendo) and the people who practice them:
- Do you want to know why Eliza’s hair is pink in the anime? Or about Archie’s hair, and why doesn't he look like his “brother” Stear?
- Why is Candy wearing a specific hairstyle? why is she often wearing red? why is she surrounded by water... or by flowers?
- Why is that George has a strange “French” nose and which meaning does it hold for a Japanese?
- Do you want to see the flesh and body that inspired Albert’s character? or any other one? do you want to know why they all look “divine”? or do you want to know the real reason why Susana gives you the creeps? Have you ever been disgusted by Annie and yet, you don’t know exactly why?
- Do you want to know what the “Ardlay” medallion really means to a Japanese?
- Would you like to walk in “Lakewood”? or perhaps visit the “cottage in the forest”? or it is your dream to see the castle that inspired the Grandchester residence in Scotland?
- Would you like to study some international course in the grounds of “St. Paul’s school”?
- Why is that the anime seems so “different” from the manga, yet in principle are the same, or why do we dare to label the Korean and the Indonesian movies version as “crazy” - when in fact in Asia, Candy Candy is an open secret?
If you have any (or all) or even more questions you should start here, my work might not be able to answer everything you always wanted to know, but it will give you the tools and tips on how to find out by yourself.
So, what is it going to be? you should take some minutes to think about your choice (or watch the Morpheus test - (from the matrix) this is your last chance because after this there is not turning back...
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"You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe.
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Remember… all I am offering you is the true. Nothing else."
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