The 10-years delayed dinner

After about four years of hiatus, I saw Okada Masaki's series again. Love them, still love him. Then I saw Himitsu no Akko-chan last night (Eng-sub), and decided to write this fan-fiction. Hope you like it. The story takes place after the last scene in the movie. 

Akko (Haruka Ayase) and Naoto (Okada Masaki), Himitsu no Akko-chan (2012)

Kagami Atsuko looked absentmindedly at the paperwork in front of her. The approval document for the new organic facial cleanser that she developed with her new team has to be signed by the manager of the R&D team tomorrow. She knew there was nothing wrong with the document or the associated product, trials had indicated that the customers loved the product and it would sell well.

However, there’s one tiny problem for the document. It had to be signed by Hayase Naoto, the R&D Manager. And since her reintroduction to Akatsuka last April, facing Hayase-san, or Naoto as she used to call him, had been difficult. Apparently, things didn’t remain the same forever.

Originally, she was ecstatic that she was accepted in the Research & Development Office, the same department that Naoto had been leading for more than 10 years. The department was bigger now, it had an established cosmetics section and a separate skin care section. Within the cosmetics section, they had developed cosmetics for daily use, for gala dinner, and for anything in between, including a new section for teenagers. Within the skin care section, they had developed the organic line. Akko was assigned in that department, which shared the same wing with Naoto, yet a different section thus she couldn’t always see him.

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 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. 

Candy Candy the Final Story: the Real Happy Ending

Check my new Candy Candy blog here!

Terence G. Granchester and Candy White Ardlay (art by Yumiko Igarashi)

Created by Kyoko Mizuki and drawn by Yumiko Igarashi, Candy Candy was my first anime, if not the second, after Lulu the Flower Princess. That was way back in the mid 1980s when I was about 9-10 years old, when all mangas and animes were innocent and non-exploitative…

I love Candy for her exuberant character, despite all the hardship she had to endure as an orphan in Indiana USA. I thought that Candy would be forever with Anthony Brown, the sweetheart she met during her trying days at the Lagan House. Yet, I never finished her story, for somehow my VHS/Beta rental store stopped supplying her stories. Then when I was already in college, this was already 1992 onwards, I started reading Candy Candy manga from cover-to-cover, all the nine volumes. I remember the days when I went to Gramedia just to buy the next CC instalment. I returned to her early days in Pony Home, her beautiful days with Anthony Brown, Alistair Cornwell and Archibald Cornwell, her broken heart when [SPOILERS] Anthony died… and then my heart beat when she met Terence Granchester. Terry, the naughty yet broken boy who made her laugh again (but not before forcing her to face her nightmares about Anthony).

Then, as I reached for Volume 7, I cried my heart out when she and Terry broke up. Not because they grew out of love… but because Candy chose to leave Terry to Susanna Marlowe, a girl who rescued Terry during an accident. My heart broke when Candy left Susanna’s hospital in a snow blizzard, as Terry tried to stop her from leaving…

Happy New Year 2017 and jianghu updates

Happy New Year 2017! May 2017 brings us more health, happiness, peace and joy...

Recapping what I've uploaded in the River and Lake site, I've posted Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 of Runaway Dragon and Missing Phoenix. I've also posted a self-musing fanfic about me and my charming but at times annoying muses here. Then a deleted chapter of Runaway Dragon here, then old photos of Michael Miu and Barbara Yung here (thanks to Hannah for the photos!).

Last but not least, two MVs of the United We Stand using Leslie Cheung's "A Thousand Dreams of You" and Madonna's "He's a Man".

Thanks, 2016... and blessings for 2017...

Updating my Jianghu site

Geez, I haven't updated my update ^_^ for almost 1.5 months! Anyway, I have a (lame?) joke about what people brought during travelling in the Jianghu era vs what we bring these days here. Then I made the episode summary of United We Stand eps 7-9 and eps 10-12 (many people like them!). Then I updated the Runaway Dragon fan fiction (the Foundation) for Part 3 and Part 4. Last but not least, I have uploaded Barbara Yung's letters that mentioned the Foundation 1984 series here.

Enjoy!

Updating my Jianghu site

Lots of updates this month. I wrote a one shot fanfiction of the Foundation, basically a "deleted scene" after Li Sai Man and Chun Sik Sik had a row. Then I posted Barbara's letters about LOCH 1983, then I translated an interview of Michael Miu about LOCH 2017. Then I wrote two more TF fanfictions, which would be an installment of at least three (or more). The title is "Runaway Dragon and Missing Phoenix" (part 1, part 2). I wrote another Chor Lau Heung fanfiction here ('A Capital Mistake'), then finally today I posted the summary of 'United We Stand' (生繡橋王)from Episode 1 to 7 6.

Again, please visit my Jianghu site for the regular updates, for I try to post an article per week, and I won't post updates that often here. Thanks!

Xuan Zhang 2016

Xuan Zhang 2016 is not your usual “Journey to the West” movie. You won’t find flying monkeys there. Instead, you’ll find a realistic journey of an amazing Tang monk across the treacherous deserts, who spoke fluent Hindi when he was already in India and addressed the Indian monks/gurus as “Acharya” in such a respectful way. Copied to my Jianghu blog because it relates to Li Shimin (Tang Dynasty) and it gave me a thought about LOCH 2017.

I found Xuan Zhang when I was on board Singapore Airlines from Hong Kong to Singapore (part of my lag from Washington DC to Jakarta). The good thing about flying with SIA is that you’d be guaranteed to have a wide array of Asian movies to watch. This journey was not an exception. I was weighing between Xuan Zhang and another Asian movie, and in the end, boy I’m glad that I watched Xuan Zhang.

The Chinese-Indian movie was directed by Huo Jianqi, produced by Wong Kar-wai (that name I know!) and starring Huang Xiaoming as the titular character. Never seen HXM in action before, but I was very impressed with his performance as Xuan Zhang that he’s one of my favourite Mainland actors now. HXM made me thought that he was actually channelling Xuan Zhang in the movie; his serene face and wisdom were so palpable, I wondered if he actually set aside time to meditate every day before filming. Actually, I would be glad to just sit next to him, listening to him chanting the sutras...

Sloppy updating of the Jianghu site

Well, I did say in early August that I'd announce the update of my Rivers and Lakes site here irregularly... and apparently I went overboard! It's 8 weeks already when I realised that I had not announced my updates for a while here. So yes, dear readers, for the Jianghu updates, just head on to my Realm of Rivers and Lakes. I try to post something new every weekend, and usually I can do that. If not, then I usually would post in the midst of the following week...

Anyway, since writing an article about me visiting Barbara Yung's grave (I still miss her...), I've written a post on Yang's Saga, made a Chor Lau Heung 1984 MV with Faye Wong's "Eyes on Me" as the BG music, wrote two impressions of the Legend of Condor Heroes 2008 (first and final), wrote a review on Michael Miu's 2014 Line Walker, review Barbara's letters about Chor Lau Heung (she seemed to like the series), and last but not least, writing another fan-fiction about CLH and Song Siu Ching.

Phew! Can't say I haven't been busy... and that's on top of my real-life work and agenda...sigh...

Baigan and bhindi masala

I forgot to take a photo cos the dish tasted so good, hence the bad photo.
Will change the photo when I make the dish again and I remember to take photo!

This recipe is using my two favourite vegetables: eggplant (brinjal/baigan) and okra (bhindi). Original recipe from Yummy Tummy Aarthi.com, I alter it quite a bit and I also omit water, but since I used her spice suggestions, I still put her link here. I've experimented with several baigan masala recipe before, but it never really got close to the baigan masala that I love from Bayleaf/Mint in Townsville. This one though is good enough for me to be proud as the chef!

Ingredients

1 large brinjal/baigan/eggplant, chop small

A handful of bhindi/okra, sliced

4 tbsp ghee

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 bayleaf

5-6 curry leaves

1 onion chopped

Green chili chopped