Epilogue (Anohito’s voice, smile and his open arms)

Is Terry's gentle smile also Anohito's smile? (manga from Chapter 4,
art by Igarashi Yumiko, story by Mizuki Kyoko)

In this post, we will look at the three aspects on that passage: Anohito’s voice, his smile, and his open arms to which Candy run into. I have explained them sporadically in the summary of Nee-chan’s blog, but I think a more dedicated post on this passage is needed.

After a laborious day (I kid you not), using Jisho, Romajidesu, and Nihongo-pro, I finally deciphered the whole Epilogue in Japanese script. Before I resume, though, I’d like to reiterate the importance of Candy’s monologues (including Prologue and Epilogue). These monologues show what happened in Candy’s current life with Anohito. We can decipher Anohito’s identity from the hints in Candy Candy Final Story flashbacks and manga. I agree with Scottie that the anime isn’t as faithful as manga, so I don’t use the anime as a source. 

It has to be said: even though Candy still had emotions to Terry by the time she wrote her unsent letter, she could have changed by the time Terry sent her his letter post-Susanna’s death. Also, although I couldn’t detect any romance between Candy and Albert in her last letter to Albert, her feelings to him could also have changed by the time Terry sent her his letter post-Susanna’s death. I have to take those possibilities into account. Having said that, Albert’s habits and Terry’s habits found in the manga and CCFS flashbacks are still very useful when analyzing Candy’s monologues. Those are historical records of Terry’s and Albert’s personalities, and we should not discount them in analyzing Candy’s monologues.

Go to my new Candy Candy blog to read the rest of the article! 

Update 29 August 2017: I have uploaded an article discussing the notorious scene where Candy and Terry were having slapping-contest here.  I do not agree with Terry slapping Candy back, but I see it more in a larger context of him as a teenager who had been emotionally neglected and abused since childhood. 

Candy Candy Final Story Proposed Chronology and Timeline

In which the blog authoress postulates her theory about the chronology and timeline of Candy Candy the Final Story. Scroll down to the end of the letter – I mean, post – to read the proposed timeline. Also, check my new Candy Candy blog here!

Candy's wish to be with Terry has be granted! (panel from Chapter 8,
story by Mizuki Kyoto, art by Igarashi Yumiko)

Thanks to Nila from the CandyTerry.com, I’ve gained access to the precious unofficial English translations of the Candy Candy the Final Story. The translations were done by many fans, and because I do not have their permissions to disclose their screen names, I will not attribute the translators one by one. Suffice to say I’m forever grateful for their service. If you’d like to read those translations, contact Nila at the CT Forum for access.

I was rather worried before reading the novel, worried that it would be too difficult to understand. However, the novel turns out to be not so difficult to follow. Nagita Keiko wrote CCFS in flashback styles, here represented by a third person reminiscence of the events in Candy’s life from her childhood at Pony’s Home until she left St. Paul’s. Those events are divided into two volumes, Volume 1 (up to Candy knowing Terry’s lineage secret at St. Paul’s) and Volume 2 (until Candy left St. Paul’s to pursue Terry in America). Volume 1 contains Chapter 1 (Anthony’s story) and Chapter 2 (Terry’s story), while the first part of Volume 2 contains Candy’s life with Terry in St. Paul’s London.  Candy only returned to her present time twice until this moment: the first one was after reminiscing on Anthony’s death and the second one was when she started to reminisce on her journey to and in the UK.  I think these recollections or monologues serve the novel well, for it bridges us back to the “present moment” where Candy was at her new home by the Avon River.

Anohito analyses recap and Candy Candy end theme

Check my new Candy Candy blog here!

Candy imagining herself and Terry, Chapter 4

I’ve recapped the summary of a Japanese blog about Anohito last weekend (I nicknamed the author as "Nee-chan"). It’s a rather long post, so I better make a more simplified recap of Anohito facts and analyses. I will also present an interesting epiphany I obtained from listening to Candy Candy end theme (“Ashita ga suki”), the lyrics of which were written by Mizuki Kyoko (a.k.a Nagita Keiko) herself.

In recapping the analyses of Anohito, I use Nee-chan’s blog posts and also Scottie’s post. To be fair(er) to pro-Albert fans, I’ll refrain from talking about two main events in the Candy Candy the Final Story, i.e. Susanna Marlowe’s death and Terry’s letter to Candy afterwards. I will not analyse Candy’s unsent email to Terry, because, assuming that Candy later fell in love with Albert, that letter, and Terry’s letter to Candy post-Susanna’s death, became a moot point. However, if Candy later fell in love with Albert, I don’t think that Candy would not reply to Terry’s letter, as Bequi claimed. I think Candy would still write to Terry, but she would inform the poor man that her heart now belonged to someone else…

I will also exclude the last few letters between Albert and Candy in the Epilogue of CCFS, because as I said in my previous post, the nature of those letters is such that those letters had to be exchanged immediately after Candy learned that Albert also the Prince of the Hill. Thus, those letters cannot be the chronological epilogue, as Scottie rightly argued. Those letters should be placed way earlier in the chronology. Regarding a letter from Candy to Albert where she was thinking of returning her own diary back to Albert for safe keep, I still think that the letter is also not part of the chronological epilogue. The tone of her letter (p. 322 Japanese ver.) makes me think that her heartbreak (because of the separation with Terry) wasn't truly healed yet, hence she wanted Albert to keep her diary once more. She did say that she was happy, but the tone denies that ("At this time, the diary that you have returned to me is with me. But I have not opened it."). You can read the translation at CT Forum, but you need to register first (contact Nila for registration).

Candy Candy the Final Story: summary of a Japanese blog on Anohito

This post contains my summary of some blog posts of a Japanese Candy-Terry fan. Notable findings (to me) are the original Japanese scripts for the complete collections of Shakespeare leather-bound books, the two references to daffodils, the "Uncle William" reference in Candy's very important monologue, and my realising that the letters between Candy and Albert should indeed be placed way earlier in the chronology, instead of placed in the Epilogue. Also check my new Candy Candy blog here!

Candy saw Terry in Scotland, Chapter 3
(story by Mizuki Kyoko, art by Igarashi Yumiko)

I've finished re-reading the Candy Candy manga. I’m glad to report that I still think Candy should end up with Terry, although Albert is truly a magnificent person. Truly, Albert was indeed an admirable person, and had CCFS not been published, I’d still consider him as Candy’s eventual husband, although not by choice (because Candy would still be with Terry had the New York incident not happened).

During my re-reading, I also cried several times, particularly when Anthony, Archie and Mr McGregor died. Unexpectedly, I didn't cry when Terry and Candy broke up, but it's mostly I think because I know Nagita Keiko has mercifully killed Susannah Marlowe hence freeing Terry to pursue Candy again. I was still gutted, though, seeing Terry chasing Candy down the stairs and hugging her, sobbing helplessly, didn’t want to let her go. Then, arriving at Chapter 9, I burst into tears as I read the Rockstown section, where Candy saw the despair Terry had post break up... and I cried again when he rose from his drunken stupor and embraced his true acting talent once more. I was once again sad when Candy, sitting by the fire with William Albert Ardlay next to her, reminiscing of another hearth in Scotland, in front of which she sat with Terry.