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.

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. 

But what can you do? The manga ended with Candy running towards Albert on top of Pony’s Hill. The manga had no more word from Terry. Terry’s last word in Chapter 9 manga, pages prior to Candy discovering that Albert was – after all – Uncle William, was literally “It was just an illusion…”, referring to his resurrection experience in Rockstown, which he attributed to his mind seeing an illusion of Candy. Afterwards, Terry returned to Broadway and was never directly seen again in the manga...

Terry's last appearance in the manga, Chapter 9

I think the separator of Candy and Terry is truly the cruelest thing in the CC manga, surpassing Stear's and Anthony's deaths. Don’t get me wrong: Stear’s and Anthony’s deaths were very painful. Particularly that of Stear to me, for I truly love this character. But because Stear and Anthony died, Candy et al could no longer see them. They still lived in Candy’s heart, but she couldn’t see them anymore. However, Terry was still alive. Candy just could not be with him due to Susanna's conditions and Terry's commitment to the former actress. It is cruel beyond words.

Then came Candy Candy the Final Story, and I suddenly believe in miracles once more. Of course, I was 7 years late joining the Candy-Terry resurrection wagon, but hey, better late than never. Then of course, as I read and read many analyses of CCFS, I found the big frictions between pro-Albert and pro-Terry fans. In a way, it’s sad because we all just want Candy to be happy. Yet, it also surprised me that, after more than 30 years, pro-Terry fans still didn’t give up their dreams of having Terry with Candy. Except for me. As a pro-Terry fan, I succumbed to accepting that Candy would end up with Albert, and hey as long as she’s happy, I’m happy.

But the more I read the pro-Albert arguments vs the pro-Terry arguments, I can see how pro-Terry arguments are more based on sound analyses of the facts rather than the apparent “chronological” events as appeared in the 2010 novel.  Bequi’s pro-Albert analysis does not win me; Scottie’s pro-Terry analysis did win me. Of course, you can say that Icha because you’re a Terry fan.

Well, not necessarily. I’m a trained scientist, I look at symptoms before reaching to my own conclusions. I have had research with a certain hypothesis I had to eventually reject because I didn’t have enough evidence for the hypothesis. No matter how much I want to prove something, if the evidence is against it, I have to rest my case. I am trained as such.

Thus, with those academic experiences, I looked at the English translated passages of CCFS. My analyses of the fragmented translations of the CCFS lead me to believing that Anohito is indeed Terry. There are of course very ambiguous passages in CCFS that could lead to either Albert or Terry, and I will just accept that those passages cannot be 100% attributed to Terry. But there are winning sentences which eliminated Albert as the Anohito, and even I, a non-Japanese speaker, can see them as diagnostic of Terry.

However, as Scottie warned, her (and Bequi’s, and others) interpretation is based on her rudimentary Japanese and the fragmented translations of the novel. Scottie’s and Bequi’s (or mine) interpretations won’t be as solid as that of Japanese fans who read the novel with some good background knowledge of the manga.

Thus, it is with immense relief that I found a blog, written by a Japanese fan, who extensively explained why she supported the notion that Anohito is Terry. The first article of the blog is here, and you can read her other parts by following the link at the right end of the post. I know not of the blogger’s identity, but I suspect her to be a female. For convenience, I’ll just call her “Nee-chan” from the blog address (blog.goo.ne.jp). I will amend this post once I understand her blog name. By the way, Nee-chan is also the way one addresses a big sister, so I think it’s pretty appropriate.

(Edit 15 August 2017: Nila, the administrator of the CandyTerry Forum, informed me that "Nee-chan" is actually a member of the CT Forum! However, to keep her Anon, I will still keep referring to her as "Nee-chan" here. Thanks a lot, Nila!)

Of course, there are Japanese blogs out there that argue that Albert is Anohito, and pro-Albert fans are welcome to seek solace there. One neutral fan actually said in Bequi's comment section that her (the commentator's) husband was Japanese, and when she asked him to read CCFS, he was more inclined to think that Anohito was Albert.

However, said husband of the fan was NOT a long term Candy fan. He was/is indeed a Japanese, but he did not have the background knowledge of the characters.

Yet, when I read Nee-chan's posts, I can see that she thoroughly analysed the CCFS with a loyalty of a manga reader. Nee-chan often put Candy manga panels in her posts to validate her arguments. Nee-chan also holds a vast knowledge of Japanese and Western cultures, hence I can rest assure that she did command some degree of excellence in her analyses. For the benefit of non-Japanese readers, I present here my summary of Nee-chan's analysis in her blog posts. I used Google Translator and some degree of understanding of Japanese syntax in understanding her posts. Whenever appropriate, I directly quote her writings in Japanese hiragana, katakana and Kanji.

Part 1: Preface

The first post is basically Nee-chan explaining that she believed Anohito to be Terence Graham Granchester, and she would explain her justifications in the following posts.  

Part 2: The real need of a Candy Candy the Final Story

そしてブログ主は、もしキャンディのお相手がアルバートさんであるのなら、作者はわざわざ「愛の物語」を書き下ろす必要はなかったと断言させていただきます。

Nee-chan echoed my sentiment (or rather, I echoed her sentiment), that if the CCFS still ends with Candy marrying Albert, there was no need for Nagita Keiko to rewrite/revise the novel. Nagita-sensei would just have to leave Candy at that. Nee-chan also quoted Candy’s last words in Chapter 3 where Candy tearfully saw Terry’s ship leaving Southampton:

「生きていればきっと会える！　いつかきっと…」

“We will meet again someday! As long as we are alive…”

Part 3: Rendezvous after many difficulties

Nee-chan quoted Candy’s words in Vol 1 Chapter 2 (p. 232, Japanese version):

今までつらいわかれはいくつもあった。

けれど、生きてさえいればまた巡り会うことができるのだ。

だから、わたしはもう、別れを怖れない。

Ima made tsurai wakare wa ikutsu mo atta. Keredo, ikite sae ireba mata meguriau koto ga dekiru noda. Dakara, watashi wa mō, wakare o osorenai. 

Translated by a Japanese fan over the CT Forum (I know her login name, but I prefer to obscure it here):

I had experienced many painful separations.
However, as long as we are alive, we can see each other again.
That is why I no longer fear separations.

Again, the words that echoed Candy’s words as she saw Terry’s ship sailing away to America. Plus, as many fans noted, there was hardly any separations in a relationship between Candy and Albert. At the most, his amnesia, and also that he had to leave Magnolia Apartment because of his obscure identity. That was hardly attributable to a romance separation between them, if such feelings exist.

On the other hand, Candy and Terry suffered the separation in St. Paul's, the almost-meetings at Pony's Home and in the Chicago Theatre, the unbearable break up in New York, and the Rockstown semi-encounter (for Candy saw Terry but Terry thought she was just an illusion). Plus, add the decade of living with someone you don't love (Susanna Marlowe), we cannot be blamed for thinking that "separation" here refer to Candy and Terry.

Plus, as Scottie said, there were no goodbyes between Candy and Albert. Albert himself said so in his letter to Candy sent from Africa:

Albert's letter to Candy, Chapter 3

In CCFS, Albert also said "Candy, between us there isn’t the word goodbye. I am very confident that we can meet again." in his letter to Candy sent from Africa. I will try to get the Japanese scripts later. The letter is in Candy's diary September entry. 

Nee-chan also quoted Mrs Pony’s words:

曲がり角を曲がったところには何が待っているかはわからない。

“I do not know what is waiting around the corner.”

Nee-chan said that the words were also mentioned in the adult Candy’s monologue in the Epilogue final page after Candy’s letter to Anthony.

Part 4: Three loves in Candy’s life

Nee-chan discussed about the three loves in Candy’s life.

アンソニーとの淡いはかない初恋

 テリィとの激しい恋

 アルバートさんとの運命的で穏やかな愛

A pale ephemeral first love with Anthony

Fierce love with Teri

A fateful and calm love with Albert

Nee-chan then quoted passages from the 2010 novel that fit the descriptions of Candy’s feelings to Anthony, Terry and Albert. Nee-chan concluded that Candy’s feeling to Terry was indeed passionate (eros), whereas her feeling to Albert was calmer and more in the philia category than eros. Nee-chan also considers that Albert would have the same philial feelings to Candy.


Edit 19 August 2017:
I'm kicking myself in the butt! Thanks to Nila and a fan over the CT Forum, I just realised that Nagita Keiko actually indeed used THREE love characters in the quote above. Nee-chan apparently took the quote directly from Nagita-san, which indeed mentioned three different Kanji for love.

There is 初恋 (hatsukoi, first love) for Anthony, 恋 (koi, eros or passionate love) for Terry, and 愛 (ai, general platonic love for Albert). This language website (thanks to the CT fan again) explains the difference between 恋 koi and 愛 ai.

It's now very clear to me that Terry has always been, since his inception, the representative of eros love for Candy. Nothing wrong with Albert's 愛 ai though, for it indeed can be interpreted as a higher form of love where it's all about giving. It's very spiritual, actually. Yet, at the same time, it does not necessarily hint at any romance, as explained by this language website.

To be fair to Albert-fans, I agree that 愛 ai can be also interpreted as the grown-up love where it's more about giving rather than the passionate love (as shared between Terry and Candy). But it does not automatically mean that there is also romance in Albert's 愛 post-manga. Also,  it cannot be inferred that the 恋 (koi) between Candy and Terry cannot expand to 愛 (ai). To me, with their sacrifices, Terry and Candy grew up to include 愛 (ai) in addition to their 恋 (koi).

Below is the copy of Nagita Keiko's essay on the three loves of Candy. Nila has allowed me to use them here, but if you want to read the whole essay, you need to request permission from Nila. The essay shows how much Nagita Keiko/Kyoko Mizuki loves Terry, and it breaks her heart too to break Candy-Terry relationship. Yet, it must be done for it's an editorial mandate since CC's inception...

けれど、テリイと別れることは初めから決っていたのだ。キャンディには三つの愛を考えていた。アンソニーとの淡いはかない初恋、テリイとの激しい恋、そしてアルバートさんとの運命的な穏やかな愛。

しかし、いがらし氏の描いたテリイがあまりにも素晴らしい少年だったため、人気が集中してしまったようだ。

私でさえ、テリイの動きにほれぼれし、胸をときめかせた。キャンディとテリイの別れのシーンを書いている時、やけに息苦しく、目の前がくもるのでどうしたのだろう、とペンを置き、ハタと気づくと、呼吸するのを忘れ、目は涙でいっぱいだった。

Keredo, terii to wakareru koto wa hajime kara kimatte ita noda. Kyandi ni wa mittsu no ai o kangaete ita. Ansonī to no awai hakanai hatsukoi, terii to no hageshī koi, soshite arubāto-san to no unmei-tekina odayakana ai. Shikashi, igarashi-shi no kaita terii ga amarini mo subarashī shōnendatta tame, ninki ga shūchū shite shimatta yōda. Watashide sae, terii no ugoki ni horebore shi, mune o tokimeka seta. Kyandi to terii no wakare no shīn o kaite iru toki, yakeni ikigurushiku,-me no mae ga kumorunode dō shita nodarou, to pen o oki, Hata to kidzuku to, kokyū suru no o wasure,-me wa namida de ippaidatta.

Their [Candy-Terry] parting was the preselected episode. I prepared three loves for Candy. Ephemeral faint first love for Anthony. ardent love for Terry. And destined gently love for Arbert.

But because Terry written by Igarashi was so fascinating, he was favored by readers expressly.
Even I was enchanted by his demeanor, and my heart leapt.　When I wrote the scene in which was the separation of Terry and Candy, I put down my pen because I had difficulty breathing and something blurred my eyes.　It wasn't long before I realized that I held my breath and my eyes were wet with tears.

End of edit 19 August 2017

Part 5: Candy does not want to leave Anohito (and vice versa)

This is getting more interesting! Nee-chan quoted the famous line about Candy wanting to be more of a help to Pony’s Home, yet Candy also didn’t want to leave Anohito, who in turn always wanted her by his side. From Candy’s monologue (Vol 1, p. 230-235):

もっとポニー先生たちの役に立ちたいのだが、今は---なによりいつもわたしが近くにいることを望んでいるあのひとのそばをわたしも離れたくない。

Motto ponī sensei-tachi no yakunitachitai nodaga, ima wa -- - nani yori itsumo watashi ga chikaku ni iru koto o nozonde iru ano hito no soba o watashi mo hanaretakunai.

I would like to be more useful to the teachers at Pony’s Home, but now --- I do not wish to leave him who wants me to always be by his side.

Nee-chan further explained why this Anohito cannot be Albert; he had to be Terry. Nee-chan posted some manga panels of Terry’s jealousy to Anthony. Nee-chan also explained why Albert would have reacted differently if he was Anohito. I of course agree with her.

But let's look at that sentence again in a larger context to explain pro-Albert fans reactions. I looked back again at Scottie's post on this passage and noted that there were other sentences prior to the sentence above that might encourage Albert-fans to think that Anohito is Albert.

“Thanks to Uncle William it was possible to obtain the land of Mr. Cartwright. And Pony’s Home is full of orphans, as usual. I wish I could be of more help to the teachers, but right now —- I do not want to leave him, who, above all, wants me by his side all the time. ” 

I don't have the Japanese script for the first two sentences quoted above. I hope I can get the full chapter soon so that I can judge how the tone is. However, even when including: 

"Thanks to Uncle William it was possible to obtain the land of Mr. Cartwright. And Pony’s Home is full of orphans, as usual."


I still don't see that the next sentence: 

"I wish I could be of more help to the teachers, but right now —- I do not want to leave him, who, above all, wants me by his side all the time."

as referring back to the "Uncle William" sentence.

IF Candy says:

"Thanks to (AL)BERT, it was possible to obtain the land of Mr. Cartwright. And Pony’s Home is full of orphans, as usual. I wish I could be of more help to the teachers, but right now —- I do not want to leave him, who, above all, wants me by his side all the time."

... then I can definitely see why "him" (or Anohito) in this case refers to Albert.


If this is a letter from Candy to - say - Sister Lane/Mrs Pony, then I can see that she might still refer to Albert as "Uncle William" from time to time. However, this is Candy's monologue. Inside her head, or when talking to herself, she doesn't need to refer to Albert as Uncle William. If by this time she was married to Albert, she would not have addressed her as UNCLE William. She might - by a long stretch - address him as "William", but she would more likely to say to herself:

"Thanks to (AL)BERT, it was possible to obtain the land of Mr. Cartwright."

Thus, continuing with the latter sentences, we can be forgiven to conclude that HIM/Anohito refers to Albert.

However, given by this time, in England, married to Anohito, Candy still referred to Albert as "Uncle William" in her own monologue, I don't see how the Anohito in the next sentence could be referring to Uncle William/Albert.

Next: let's return to the last sentence on this passage:

もっとポニー先生たちの役に立ちたいのだが、今は---なによりいつもわたしが近くにいることを望んでいるあのひとのそばをわたしも離れたくない。

Motto ponī sensei-tachi no yakunitachitai nodaga, ima wa -- - nani yori itsumo watashi ga chikaku ni iru koto o nozonde iru ano hito no soba o watashi mo hanaretakunai.

I would like to be more useful to the teachers at Pony’s Home, but now --- I do not wish to leave him who wants me to always be by his side.

As Nee-chan and Scottie have noted, the sentence showed that both Candy and Anohito were reluctant to leave each other. Having analysed the "Uncle William" part of the previous sentence, the sentence above immediately disqualified Albert from the Anohito reference. Albert is never a possessive person. He would encourage Candy to go back to America to visit Mrs Pony, similar to what he did in the last pages of Ch 9:

Candy Candy manga, Chapter 9 

Yet, Terry loved Candy possessively. As many fans have noted, Terry was utterly jealous with Anthony. Terry also bought Candy a one-way ticket from Chicago to New York so that she had more encouragement to stay with him in NYC. Under normal circumstances, I would find Terry’s possessiveness unsettling and I would definitely choose Albert’s healthier attitude. However, given that Terry and Candy had been involuntarily separated for at least a decade, I can understand that both Terry and Candy are reluctant to leave each other. Heck, Terry also said that to himself in New York after they were separated for “only” a year post St. Paul’s fiasco (and after Susannah’s accident).

 

Candy Candy manga, Chapter 7

Even with Susannah in the hospital, and even with “only” one year of separation, Terry was afraid to embrace Candy because he knew he would never let her go again. Even as he knew Candy was leaving for "their collective good", he still didn't want to let her go.

Terry didn't want to let Candy go during the painful separation, Chapter 7

Imagine Terry's reluctance to let Candy go after they were able to be together after more than a decade of separation...

Terry the Anohito would just wake up every morning feeling grateful that Candy was sleeping next to him. He would return home immediately after work just to see her smile again.

In Terry’s defence though, if Mrs Pony was terminally ill, I’m sure he’d let Candy go or accompany her back to America to visit Mrs Pony. Terry knew how important Mrs Pony, Sister Lane and the whole Pony’s Home gang to Candy. With the same premise that he was Anohito, Terry would be the one who found Slim’s painting in London. Terry knew too well how important Pony’s Home to Candy, such that if the condition was severe, he’d accompany her back to USA to visit her surrogate mother. However, it seems it was not the case, hence Candy and Terry could still afford to not visit the Pony’s Home.

Part 6: Anohito’s reaction to Candy being a stowaway

Again, a very interesting post where Nee-chan commented on Anohito’s reaction to Candy’s stowaway experience (Candy returned to America in Chapter 4 as a stowaway).  The words were that of the adult Candy’s as she reminisced on her past (Vol 2, Chapter 3, p. 148)

アメリカに戻るまでの旅で起こった出来事を話したとき、はじめは大笑いしてわたしの話を聞いていたあのひとは、ふいに真剣な表情になるとわたしをきつく抱きしめた。

よく無事だった、と----。

-下巻第三章P148-

Amerika ni modoru made no tabi de okotta dekigoto o hanashita toki, hajime wa ōwarai shite watashi no hanashi o kiite ita ano hito wa, fui ni shinken'na hyōjō ni naru to watashi o kitsuku dakishimeta. Yoku bujidatta, to ----.

When we talked about what happened to my trip back to the United States, Anohito laughed out loud when he first listened to my story. Then, he suddenly hugged me tightly with a serious expression.

“Good thing you’re okay.”

Nee-chan posted some panels that showed that such swinging reactions as described above could not be attributed to Albert. It would have been Terry with his fluctuating emotions who could laugh out loud at Candy’s antics, then he would suddenly switch to utter concern about her well-being.

Terry's fluctuating reactions to Candy, Chapter 3

Nee-chan didn't post the panel above; she posted a panel where Terry suddenly became jealous of Anthony in the middle of dancing with Candy (for she kept mentioning Anthony's name even during the dance). I don't find that panel the most effective one to display Terry's easy-changing emotions. Instead, when I saw the panel above (in the zoo), I thought it was the perfect example for a parallel to the stowaway story. Here in the zoo, Terry laughed heartily listening to Candy retelling her story about Sister Gray. However, when Terry found out that Candy was banned from the May Festival, he became subdued, for he had been hoping that she would attend the Festival. Next he became jovial again (or tried to) to uplift Candy's emotion by telling the story of a very big cake.

Terry's swinging emotions whenever Candy is concerned, Chapter 6

The panel above - partially uploaded by Nee-chan - is from Chapter 6 where Terry tried to see Candy in her dorm, but Frannie et al. just refused him access. Terry was touched that Candy actually skipped duty just to see him. A second later he fumed when he remembered Frannie et al. being so cold about Candy. Then, as he sat waiting for Candy, he relaxed and became rather pensive when he imagined how Candy would look lovely in a white nurse uniform...

I agree with Nee-chan's assertion: such ability to swing from being merry, to being annoyed, to being concerned can very well be attributed to Terry. 

Plus, to me, if this Anohito is Albert, Candy would have told him the stowaway experience while living together in the Magnolia Apartment in Chicago. Albert would laugh, but he might be worried as well. Yet, he wouldn’t hug Candy tightly as described in that sentence. Even if Albert’s and Candy’s philial love turned to romance post-manga, Albert would not have hugged Candy like that in the Magnolia Apartment. At best, he would gently caressed Candy’s ponytail with brotherly love.

Only Terry could laugh at Candy’s antics before immediately hugging her tightly and whispering his relief that she was all right. Terry...who also hugged Candy really tightly during the separation in New York (CCFS Vol 1, p. 237 also has that passage).

Terry hugging Candy tightly during the painful separation, Chapter 7 

Of course Albert hugged Candy as well (here Candy found the amnesic Albert in the park). 

Chapter 7

However, only Terry hugged Candy tightly, possessively. Terry with all his worries, possessiveness, and his fluctuating emotions, as Nee-chan astutely observed. 

Part 7: Reconstructed events in CCFS

This is a very important post where Nee-chan proposed a reconstruction of events written in the 2010 CCFS. Her proposed reconstructed events are as follows:

Albert reveals his identity

↓

Candy and Albert's correspondence start (around May)

↓

Happy Martin clinic opened in the village of Pony's Home in early spring of the following year

↓

Candy and Albert visited Lakewood in the same spring

↓

Letter of appreciation from Candy to Albert / a letter of heart to Anthony

↓

A few years later, an invitation from Eleanor Baker for Candy to attend Hamlet in England

↓

Candy, letter to decline invitation to Eleanor Baker

↓

Candy, write a letter to Terry (not posted)

↓

Susanna’s death

↓

One and a half passed

A letter arrives from Terry

Nee-chan also logically analysed the Hamlet invitation by Eleanor Baker. Even with Terry’s talent, a drop-out former drunkard of an actor like him would take at least three years to regain his stardom once more post-Rockstown resurrection. Also, the Hamlet play would not have been played just after the end of the manga, because the Hamlet play (in England) could only logistically be conducted after World War I ended in November 1918. Because Hamlet was an autumn play, it would only be conducted in Autumn 1919 at the soonest.  Thus, Eleanor Baker’s letter would have been sent around summer 1919.

Also, to me, it makes sense for Candy to write an unsent letter to Terry after she received Eleanor Baker’s invitation. Candy might try to bury her memories of Terry beforehand, but Eleanor’s letter would have resurrected those memories. Thus, it's unlikely for Candy to write the letter only a year after she saw Terry in Rockstown, or just around the time she learned that Albert was Uncle William. Candy’s unsent letter to Terry would have to be written a good few years afterwards, after she read Eleanor Baker's invitation.

This date reconstruction also got me thinking: in one of Albert’s letters in the Epilogue, he explained how he met Candy when she was 6 years old. That letter, along with other letters such as this one from Candy (also in the Epilogue), could not have been sent years after Candy found out about his true identity. Because Letters 1-4 in the Epilogue explained past events, particularly those concerning Albert's Uncle William identity (which Candy was very curious about), those letters should be one of the first letters he sent to Candy after she resettled at Pony’s Home. If Nagita Keiko placed such a letter in the Epilogue, whereas logically that letter should be placed early in the chronology, wouldn’t it truly make sense that we should question the order of all letters and chapters in the CCFS 2010?

Part 8: Stear’s box and Anohito’s smile

Nee-chan covers a more difficult topic here, i.e. Stear’s Happiness Box. Alistair Cornwell (Stear) gave Candy a music box before she left for New York (and before he himself went to France to fight in World War I). The Happiness Box broke when Stear died (in the novel, not in the manga), but later in her reverie Candy noted that the very same music box was working again after Anohito fixed it. 

壊れてしまったステアの”幸せになり器”を---

いとも簡単にあのひとは修理してくれた。

Kowarete shimatta sutea no” shiawase ni nari-ki” o -- - itomokantan'ni ano hito wa shūri shite kureta.

Stear’s broken Happiness Box – that person fixed it easily.

It’s very easy for readers (even myself) to associate Albert with Anohito here, for Albert, an adventurer himself, was definitely skilful at fixing things. Albert fixed Stear’s swan boat after all at the end of Chapter 9.

Albert fixed Stear's swan boat, Chapter 9

It takes Scottie and Nee-chan to remind me that Stear actually commented that Terry had dexterous fingers, thus Terry could have fixed the Happiness Box as well. Not an immediate connection if one does not re-read the manga.

Note Alastair's comments on Terry's hand, Chapter 4

However, if the box was fixed by Albert, whereas so many other clues hinted at Terry, I have to concede that Nagita-sensei purposely dropped this line to make our analysing more difficult.

Nee-chan also quoted Candy’s famous line as she realised Anohito had returned home:

わたしをいつもときめかすやさしいその声

わたしの大好きな微笑

Watashi o itsumo tokimekasu yasashī sono-koe watashi no daisukina bishō

The voice that always calms me, the smile that I love the most.

Here I have to say that it’s not clear cut whether the first sentence/phrase refer to Terry or Albert. Albert definitely had the calming effect on Candy. Terry’s voice can also calm her, as seen in the manga panel when Terry and Candy were exploring Scotland (Chapter 3 manga, Candy noted how happy she was whenever she was with Terry). However, for the sake of  objectivity, I have to concede that わたしをいつもときめかすやさしいその声 can apply both to Terry and Albert. (Edit 19 August 2017: check my latest update below, I have confirmed that this sentence only applies to Terry).

Next, Nee-chan also examined the word 微笑 (bishō) in the わたしの大好きな微笑. Apparently, the Japanese use many words for “smile”. There’s bishō and egao (笑顔, directly translated by Google Translator as “smiling face”), at least. Nagita-sensei chose 微笑 (bishō) instead of 笑顔 (egao) in depicting Anohito’s smile. Nee-chan said that bishō (or hohoemi 微笑み) is more attributed to Terry, while egao is more for Albert.

I’m not a Japanese, so what do I know…So I asked my Japanese friend here of the difference between 微笑 (bishō) and 笑顔 (egao). She said that 笑顔 (egao) is a normal smile, while 微笑 (bishō) is a small gentle smile.

Terry smiling softly, Chapter 4 

I have to get the hold of that panel above in Japanese, see if 微笑 is used there.

Terry's smile, CC manga, Chapter 7

I would indeed associate Terry's smile with a 微笑 (bishō)... when he's not pranking Candy, that is!

Edit 19 August 2017

Nila sent me the scan of the last page of CCFS that contains the sentences below. It definitely says:

わたしをいつもときめかすやさしいその声
わたしの大好きな微笑

Watashi o itsumo tokimekasu yasashī sono-koe
watashi no daisukina bishō


やさしいその声 = that gentle voice
ときめかす = (google translator) easy to calm

I got suspicious, so I checked other translators (this one and this one) for tokimekasu ときめかす.

I found out that:

ときめかす = to beat fast (e.g. the heart)

Hence,

わたしをいつもときめかすやさしいその声
Watashi o itsumo tokimekasu yasashī sono-koe

means:

The gentle voice that always makes my heart beating fast.


It also means that that voice is definitely attributed to Terry, because Albert does not give that sensation to Candy.


End of Edit 19 August 2017

Part 9: The River Avon

Here Nee-chan discussed an easy clue to deduce that Terry is Anohito: the place where Candy was living in her 30s. Avon River, England. Nee-chan immediately made a connection with the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, basically the headquarter of Shakespearean actors. For Terry, being a Shakespearean actor, it makes a lot of sense for him to settle there, bringing Candy with him.

And thus Nee-chan returned to Candy’s monologue at the beginning of Volume 2:

もっとポニー先生たちの役に立ちたいのだが、今は---なによりいつもわたしが近くにいることを望んでいるあのひとのそばをわたしも離れたくない。

Motto ponī sensei-tachi no yakunitachitai nodaga, ima wa -- - nani yori itsumo watashi ga chikaku ni iru koto o nozonde iru ano hito no soba o watashi mo hanaretakunai.

I would like to be more useful to the teachers at Pony’s Home, but now --- I do not wish to leave him who wants me to always be by his side.

Nee-chan astutely pointed out that Terry would have less freedom of movement with his profession as an actor. Oh, he would be traveling, alright, but in his troupe, with strict schedules. Albert, on the other hand, despite being busy, time was more in his hands. He could pack and return to America (assuming Anohito was Albert) if Candy wanted to visit Mrs Pony et al. But then, it would beg the question why Albert staying permanently in England. Despite the 1929 crash, Albert still had his financial kingdom more or less intact. It makes more sense for him to stay in USA to maintain his empire than going to UK, in the brink of World War II no less.

Also, Bequi proposed that, being a businessman, Albert can choose to stay wherever he wishes, including in England. Bath was proposed by Bequi. The argument is flawed at two fronts at least: if Albert was still a businessman (despite the possible downsizing), he’d better stay in London or nearby London (e.g., Surrey) to be near to business centres. Albert stayed in Lakewood in America, which is close to Chicago. He might not want to stay in London, but he’d stay near London, which would eliminate Bath. Plus, if we want to associate Albert with a body of water, I’d choose a lake for him instead of a river.

Part 10: The items in Candy’s and Anohito’s study

Another very interesting post! Nee-chan discussed the heirloom mother-of-pearl box and the Shakespeare’s complete leather-covered books inside Candy’s (and Anohito’s) study room. Nee-chan also discussed the third prop:  a picture of the Ardley family and Lagan family placed at the corner of the study. The followings are Nee-chan’s words, not sure if they were taken verbatim from the novel.

あのひとの家に代々伝わる小ぶりの宝石とマザーオブパールで装飾された大きな象嵌細工の宝石箱

Anohito no ie ni daidai tsutawaru koburi no hōseki to mazāobupāru de sōshoku sa reta ōkina zōgan-zaiku no hōseki-bako.

あのひととキャンディの家の書斎を埋める革表紙のシェークスピア全集、イギリス、フランスの文学書、そして医学に関する書籍

Anohito to kyandi no ie no shosai o umeru kawabyōshi no shēkusupia zenshū, Igirisu, Furansu no bungaku-sho, soshite igaku ni kansuru shoseki.

書斎の一隅に飾られたアードレー家とラガン家の写真

Shosai no ichigū ni kazara reta ādorē-ka to ragan-ka no shashin

Nee-chan pointed out that, for the heirloom box to be “passed through generations”, the heirloom box needed to be very old. Although the Ardlays were very rich, they were – as Scottie pointed out as well – noveau riche, for the success started with Albert’s grandfather (hence, only three generations by the time Candy Candy story started). Nee-chan also stated that, had it been Albert’s, Nagita-sensei could have written “passed from grandfather” instead of “passed through generations”.

On my part, I have to admit that this point is debatable. I’m not certain that the heirloom box was Terry’s.

However, I am certain that the next part, the books, proved that Anohito was Terry. In addition to the medicine books (which were definitely Candy’s) and the English and French literature books, we have 革表紙のシェークスピア全集.

Kawabyōshi no shēkusupia zenshū

Complete collection of leather-covered Shakespeare books

As Bequi stated on this matter, no one should be under an illusion that Albert was not well-informed of Shakespeare.

HOWEVER, having a complete collection of leather-covered Shakespeare books seems to be too serious for Albert’s taste. I would expect to see travel books or natural history books for Albert, along with some veterinarian books and (as Nee-chan pointed out) some business books. Albert was an amazing businessman; he would have a good collection of business books in his library. If he changed occupation to be a vet, he’d have displayed veterinary books in the study.

Also, MOST IMPORTANTLY, Nee-chan quoted two sentences from the novel, during the summer vacation in Scotland:

---テリィは焦茶色の革の装丁も重々しい本をキャンディにわたした。

---わぁテリィ、演劇の本ばかりね！シェークスピア全集もあるわ

-- - Terry wa kogecha-iro no kawa no sōtei mo omoomoshī hon o kyandi ni watashita.

-- - Wa~a Terry, engeki no hon bakari ne! Shēkusupia zenshū mo aru wa

--- Terry gave Candy a heavy book with dark brown leather bindings.

--- Wow Terry, those books are about plays! You also have a complete Shakespeare collection.

Let’s see them again:

焦茶色の革の装丁も重々しい本

kogecha-iro no kawa no sōtei mo omoomoshī hon
A heavy book with dark brown leather bindings

シェークスピア全集
Shēkusupia zenshū
A complete collection of Shakespeare

Those are the words from the novel, enacted by Candy and Terry. Those words definitely scream “Terry”.

For that, I agree with Nee-chan: it’s very likely that Terry would move his old Shakespeare collections from his Scotland home to his (and Candy’s) new home by the River Avon.

And what about the photo of the Ardlays and the Lagans? Well, the photograph was there because Candy needed some links to her other parts (and also her past) in America. I have no complain about it. It does not prove that Albert was Anohito. It only says that Candy respects her past, even the Lagans, who were always mean to her.

Part 11: Caesar and Cleopatra

This time, Nee-chan examined Caesar and Cleopatra, two horses that used to belong to the Lagans before Neil and Eliza got bored and sold the two horses separately. Albert later purchased the horses and donated them to Pony’s Home.

Vol 2, p. 307, Candy’s letter to Albert

ありがとうアルバートさん！

シーザーとクレオパトラを買い戻してくださるなんて！

（中略）

シーザーとクレオパトラはとっても仲がよかったの。お互いをとても思いやっているのがわかりました。それを引き裂くなんて----。ラガン家が、イライザとニールが許せなかった。

arigatō arubāto-san! Shīzā to Kureopatora o kaimodoshite kudasaru nante! (Chūryaku) shīzā to Kureopatora wa tottemo naka ga yokatta no. Otagai o totemo omoiyatte iru no ga wakarimashita. Sore o hikisaku nante ----. Ragan-ka ga, iraiza to nīru ga yurusenakatta. 

Vol 2, p. 311, Albert’s letter to Candy

シーザーとクレオパトラはポニーの家でくつろいでいる頃かな。

うるわしいほど仲のいいカップルだね。シーザーとクレオパトラが再開したときの喜びようをきみに見せたかった。人間も動物も変わらない。

Shīzā to Kureopatora wa ponī no ie de kutsuroide iru koro ka na. Uruwashī hodo naka no ī kappuruda ne. Shīzā to Kureopatora ga saikai shita toki no yorokobi-yō o kimi ni misetakatta. Ningen mo dōbutsu mo kawaranai.

Nee-chan pointed out that Candy found the separation between Caesar and Cleopatra cruel, and she was very happy when the two horses were reunited, thanks to Albert. Nee-chan also postulated that, just as Albert was instrumental in Candy meeting Terry again at Rockstown, the act of Albert reuniting Caesar and Cleopatra could be alluding to Candy-Terry reunion once more (although Albert had nothing to do with Terry writing again to Candy post Susannah’s death).

Part 12: Daffodils

Here Nee-chan discussed about daffodils, the flowers that were found at Candy’s and Anohito’s garden in England. From Candy’s monologue, Vol 1, Chapter 2 (between p.230 and p.235)

キャンディとあのひとの家の庭ではラッパ水仙が満開に咲いています。

春といってもテラスに佇んでいると、まだ冷たい風が頬に痛い。

Kyandi to ano hito no ie no niwade wa rappazuisen ga mankai ni saite imasu. Haru to itte mo terasu ni tatazunde iru to, mada tsumetai kaze ga hoho ni itai.

Daffodils grow in Candy’s and Anohito’s garden. Although it is spring, cold wind still hurts her cheeks as she stood on the terrace.

Then, still on the same monologue:

庭のラッパ水仙（ダッフォディル）の香りが漂ってくる。わたしは胸いっぱいにその甘い香りを吸い込む。庭の木々の間が黄金の光を放っているように見えるのは、たくさんのラッパ水仙が満開になっているからだ。

Niwa no rappazuisen (daffodiru) no kaori ga tadayotte kuru. Watashi wa mune-ippai ni sono amai kaori o suikomu. Niwa no kigi no ma ga kogane no hikari o hanatte iru yō ni mieru no wa, takusan no rappazuisen ga mankai ni natte irukarada.

I fully inhale the sweet daffodil scent that fills the garden. The many blossoming daffodils give the impressions that the trees in the garden are emitting golden light.

Then, Nee-chan pointed out about another chapter, back at St. Paul’s where Candy found Terry laying on the grass, amongst the daffodils. The scene was a while after Candy attended to Terry’s bar-fighting injuries (the night she accidentally met Albert in London). Volume 1, Chapter 2, p. 317-318:

あちこちに水仙のつぼみがふくらんだ草原を走りながら、キャンディはアニーのことを考えていた。

Achikochi ni suisen no tsubomi ga fukuranda sōgen o hashirinagara, Candy wa Anī no koto o kangaete ita.

Thinking of Annie, Candy ran through the meadows where the daffodils grew.

とたん、キャンディは何かにつまずいて、前のめりに倒れこんだ。

To tan, Candy wa nanika ni tsumazuite, maenomeri ni taore konda.

Eventually, Candy stumbled upon something and fell down.

笑いながらテリィも起き上がる。キャンディは赤くなって、跳ねるように立ち上がった。

「つまずいただけよ！石ころみたいにどこにでも寝ころぶのね！」

「石ころは水仙の香りなんてかがない」

立ち上がったテリィの顔にはなんの傷跡も残っていなかった。

Warainagara Terry mo okiagaru. Candy wa akaku natte, haneru yō ni tachiagatta.

`Tsumazuita dake yo! Ishikoro mitai ni doko ni demo nekorobu no ne!'

`Ishikoro wa suisen no kaori nante kaganai' tachiagatta Terry no kao ni wa nan no kizuato mo nokotte inakatta.

Laughing, Terry also got up. Candy turned red and bounced back up.

“I just stumbled on you! You sleep everywhere like a stone!

“Stones cannot smell the daffodil fragrance,” Terry stood up, no scar left on his face.

As roses were associated with Anthony, daffodils were associated with Terry. Perhaps not in the manga, because I didn’t recall Terry saying something about daffodils in manga (unlike the ever-present association between roses and Anthony). However, the 2010 CCFS clearly mentioned Terry laying down on a bed of daffodils, enjoying the flowers’ scent. It’s not far-fetched to associate the daffodils at Candy’s garden by the Avon River with Terry.

Part 13: Slim’s painting

Slim’s painting was depicted in the CCFS Prologue, which was beautifully translated here. Here I use the Japanese scripts posted by Nee-chan with the translation from Self Taught Japanese.

数年前、ロンドンの蚤の市でその油絵をみつけてくれたのは、あのひとだ。

なんと素敵な贈り物だったことだろう。

あのひとは、たくさんの古びた油絵の中から一目見てすぐにその絵が“ポニーの家”を描いたものだとわかったのだ。

Sūnenmae, Rondon no nominoichi de sono aburae o mitsukete kureta no wa, ano hitoda.

Nanto sutekina okurimonodatta kotodarou.

Ano hito wa, takusan no furubita aburae no naka kara hitome mite sugu ni sono e ga “ponī no ie” o kaita monoda to wakatta noda.

The two sentences, and also some sentences before and after Nee-chan’s quote are translated as follows (see source):

There stood oil painting “#10”, enclosed within a handmade frame. My love had placed it so it could be seen from anywhere in the house. Several years back, he had found the painting in a London flea market.

Oh, what a wonderful gift it was.

With only a quick glance, he had picked #10 from a pile of old paintings, knowing immediately it depicted Pony’s house.

So the painting depicted Pony’s Home, but not its front view or back view. The painting depicted Pony’s Home as seen by a person who was standing on the large hill at the back of Pony’s Home. Then, also from Self Taught Japanese, the novel resumes its narration of Slim’s painting:

It was a lovely day in May.

Buttercups and white clovers covered Pony’s hill.

Anyone who climbed it was greeted with a spectacular view of Pony’s house, surrounded by a lush, green forest that dazzled the eyes. Long, soft grasses swaying in the wind. Lupines and sunflowers in many bright colors adorning the yard.

Nee-chan argued that it had to be Terry who spotted the painting, because - according to the 2010 CCFS - Albert was looking at the sky when the young Ardlay met Candy for the first time once in a spring. Meanwhile, Terry stood on Pony’s Hill for a while, soaking in its winter view, imagining Candy’s childhood there.  

Terry standing on Pony's Hill, Chapter 5

Scottie was more reluctant to conclude that this Anohito was Terry from this passage, because while Terry had the winter panoramic view (essentially, Scottie agreed with Nee-chan here), Albert had the spring view of the hill.

I agree that, while Terry might not recognize the spring hues of the Pony Hill and Home, he would recognize the bird’s eye view of the Home. Albert on the other hand would recognize it spot on, not just based on the spring colours, but also based on the bird’s eye view from the hill.  Albert went back to Pony’s Home at the end of Chapter 9, where Candy finally realised that he was – after all – the Prince of the Hill. Albert would see Pony’s Home from the hill. I bet he would return many times to Pony’s Home afterwards. The look of the Home seen from the Hill would be imprinted in Albert’s mind in the coming years.  Therefore, Albert had more likelihood to recognize the painting.

However, Candy’s monologue included this sentence:

なんと素敵な贈り物だったことだろう。

Nanto sutekina okurimonodatta kotodarou.

Oh, what a wonderful gift it was.

あのひとは、たくさんの古びた油絵の中から一目見てすぐにその絵が“ポニーの家”を描いたものだとわかったのだ。

Ano hito wa, takusan no furubita aburae no naka kara hitome mite sugu ni sono e ga “ponī no ie” o kaita monoda to wakatta noda.

With only a quick glance, he had picked #10 from a pile of old paintings, knowing immediately it depicted Pony’s house.

Nee-chan commented as such, “というキャンディの驚きがあり、喜びがあるのです。”

To iu Candy no odoroki ga ari, yorokobi ga aru no desu. There is a surprise in Candy’s words, there is joy.

Candy would be happy, joyful, to have both Albert and Terry buying the painting for her. However, only Terry would give her such a surprise. Assuming Terry and Candy indeed rekindled their (everlasting, never ending) love, Terry would come back to Pony’s Home and view the home from the hill again. He would soak in the view again for the second time, only being very grateful this time for finally being able to be with Candy. However, he would not stay there for long. One week perhaps, but no more than two weeks. Hence, his ability to detect a painting of Pony’s Home on the spot does command a surprise. On the other hand, Albert would return again and again to Pony’s Hill, and he would have more chance to imprint the panoramic, almost bird’s eye view of the Home. Albert’s ability to identify the painting with one look would not be surprising.

I have to also add that Terry was an actor. His memory should be amazing because he had to remember all the Shakespeare lines, and those lines are not easy to remember, I tell ya... Hence, even with just standing on the hill looking down at Pony's Home once, Terry would be able to remember how it looked. The shape and colours of the house would be imprinted strongly in his mind. Terry's ability to recognise Pony's Home, although pleasingly surprising, should actually not come as a surprise...

Part 14: Anthony

I find it a bit difficult to summarise this part. However, Nee-chan did point out a very important thing: Throughout the manga, up until Chapter 6 at least, the fandom rivalry should have been Anthony vs Terry. It was only later in Chapter 6 that Albert, in his glorious blond, showed up, giving birth to Terry vs Albert fandoms. Nee-chan suggested that this transition might not be something favourable to Nagita Keiko, hence Nagita-sensei inserted Anthony once more in the CCFS novel. The last letter in the Epilogue has also been for Anthony (Candy wrote an unsent letter to him).

Part 15: Anthony

Nee-chan continued discussing about Anthony and his contrast to Terry. Although Anthony was much gentler than Terry, the former was also more reluctant to rebel against Aunt Elroy’s tyranny (he did, though, by writing a letter to Uncle William, just like Archie and Stear did). Meanwhile, Rebellion was Terry’s middle name, hence the boy had no hesitance to drop out of school and drop his Granchester name to rescue Candy.

I do have to admit that Part 15 does not seem to relate to CCFS at all. It’s more of highlighting the difference between Anthony and Terry, which didn’t help establishing Anohito in CCFS.

Part 16: Albert

Here, Nee-chan returned to directly discuss the nature of Anohito, and whether it fits Albert’s nature. Analysing the letters between Candy and Albert, Nee-chan concluded that Candy’s letters to Albert are packed with words of joy and gratitude. Albert himself always wished for Candy’s happiness. Nee-chan also counted that the word “adopted” was used seven times, the word “adopted father” was used four times, while “appreciation” came out six times.

Also, here’s the quote from CCFS, Volume 2, p. 310 (Albert to Candy):

ポニー先生たちには「養父として当然のことをしたまで」と伝えておいてほしい。

養父----!?

しまった、自分で言ってしまったか…。

Ponī sensei-tachi ni wa `yōfu to shite tōzen no koto o shita made' to tsutaete oite hoshī. Yabu ----!? Shimatta, jibun de itte shimatta ka….

Translated by Mizukifans as follows:

“Please tell Miss Pony [and Sister Lane] that I have done only all that is expected of a good adopted father.

Adopted father?! Oh, no! I have said it myself…”

I do have to be fair to pro-Albert fans that the letter (Epilogue, Letter 1 from Albert to Candy) should be read in its entirety. Check the Wattpad to read it. It can indeed be interpreted as Albert not feeling comfortable being called “Dad” by Candy, but I think it’s more because he was still a young bachelor than anything else. I do not detect any hint of romance in Letter 1, but I never wear Candy/Albert shipper glasses anyway...

Letter 1 (Albert to Candy), Epilogue, CCFS 2010

Part 17: Epilogue from Nee-chan

Here Nee-chan just reaffirmed her theory that Terry is Anohito. Later, Nee-chan (and I) wish that Nagita Keiko would just tell us all who Anohito is, but it might never happen. Nagita-sensei purposely destroyed the timeline and also the identity of Anohito as not to disappoint any fans.

But to me, Nagita Keiko has left more than enough breadcrumbs to establish the identity of Anohito. Even when reading Nee-chan’s blog posts, I can see that, while there are passages that are ambiguous, passages that can be attributed both to Terry and Albert, I find NO passages that were solely attributed to Albert. The only way a reader can think that Albert is Anohito is by refraining from reconstructing the events in CCFS. Even so, it would be very strange, because Candy-Albert letters in Epilogue should be written immediately after Candy found out that Albert was also the Prince of the Hill. Thus, placing those letters so late in the novel only indicates one thing:

Candy Candy the Final Story should not be read from cover to cover with an assumption that the readers are following chronological events. Yet, by reconstructing the events as proposed by Nee-chan, we cannot but conclude that Terry, not Albert, is the Anohito.

And does he, Terry, not deserve the happy ending too? He had been suffering alone in New York while Candy had her army of friends with her (not that she didn’t long for him either).

Oh, and I need to comment that Nee-chan didn’t talk about Candy’s letter to Terry, not once. I think it’s because the letter has the ripe apricot reference. Ripe apricots are – as Scottie wisely detected – linked to sexual desire as per Japanese culture. Scottie had to explain it to her non-Japanese readers like me. Nee-chan, however, wrote in Japanese for people who are fluent in Japanese script. She didn’t need to explain further about the ripe apricot reference.

I also wish that Nee-chan explained about the diary that Candy left to Albert. See, Candy had a diary where she wrote all about Terry. She left the diary (and all letters from Terry) post-manga events. It seems later Albert wanted to return the diary and letters to her, but she refrained from accepting them. I am not certain of what happens to the diary and letters, and the context of Albert’s plan of returning the diary and letters to Candy.

Yet, I have ordered the Italian version of Candy Candy the Final Story, and once I receive it, I will do more homework re the diary and letter, and also to reconstruct the events in the CCFS.

Until then, be happy with me that Candy and Terry have been reunited seven years ago, after more than three decades of painful separation!


Update 16 August 2017

After gaining access to the Candy-Terry forum (thanks again, Nila!), I'm able to check the passage about diary. Candy indeed wrote to Albert a letter where she was thinking of returning her own diary back to Albert for safe keep. 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."). Thus, the letter about the diary should not be placed at the Epilogue when she was already healed. You can read the translation at CT Forum, but you need to register first (contact Nila for registration).

Also, I will make my own interpretation of the timeline after reading the CT translations. I am certain that it will match what Nila, Lady Gato, and Nee-chan had proposed, but I just need to do the exercise myself to come to that conclusion...