Final Story: A reflection

I have been fond of Chopin’s Nocturne lately, particularly the Op 9 No 2. As I was listening to it the other day, I realised that Op 9 No 2 was a suitable background music to read Josephine Hymes’ “Seasons of Daffodils”. Thus I re-read it again… and it reignited my love to Candy and Terry. It then of course gave way to me thinking the famous Anohito identity, and how it has split the Candyland in two. This is my reflection of those issues, more than 1.5 years after my last post.

Since my last post, I have improved my Japanese quite a bit. I still struggle with Kanji, but I am more fluent with hiragana and katakana. I am more adept as well in understanding nuances in Japanese language; a very very nuanced language I should say. With these new understandings, I can see CCFS in a new light. Paired with my old analyses about Anohito, to keep it short, I can safely say that I still believe Terry to be Anohito.

I have detailed my reasons in this blog, thus I need not repeat them. However, several things popped out every now and then, e.g. the use of 微笑　(bishō) and 微笑み (or at times written as ほほえみ hohoemi) that most often described Terry’s smiles in CCFS. Bishō (and the Kanji part of hohoemi) is composed of two Kanjis: 微 and 笑. The last one 笑 is for “smile”. Yet the first one is for 微 (can be read as “bi” in on-yomi or kasuka in kun-yomi), which denotes minuteness or subtlety. Thus, 微笑, as often the case with Anohito and also Terry, is a subtle smile. It’s Terry’s smile, not Albert’s smile (Albert's smile would be more of 笑顔 egao, which is literally "a smiling face", which fits his sunny disposition).

The second thing that came to mind is Avon River, of course. I understand that my extensive review of The Great Depression might have been too far-fetched; Nagita sensei might actually not have designed it that far. However, I just couldn’t see how Albert would bring Candy to live in a place by an Avon River. The Calumet River might be a more appropriate river (there is no Avon River in the USA). Thus from that account, it is still very plausible for me that Terry is Anohito.

The third thing that I keep thinking back is the series of old Shakespeare books in Candy’s library. The description was very much like Terry’s Shakespeare collection, that I just couldn’t see Candy buying another set of Shakespeare books and display them in her library if she was Albert’s wife. That doesn’t fit her loyal character. Unless Candy has an innate interest in Shakespeare, that is, independent of her past with Terry. Or, that Albert has an interest in Shakespeare, but there's no evidence of such an interest from his side to have a complete collection of Shakespeare books.

The fourth thing that I now remember is how Candy (at her present time in her living room by the Avon River) felt how the heat of Terry’s chest when he held her during their New York breakup was still pulsing within her heart. She would not have married Albert had she still been thinking of Terry like that. Plus, in the same post above, Candy also said this about Terry's voice: "Watashi no daisukina fukami no aru Terry no koe", "Terry's deep voice that I love the most". I have added a footnote in this post how that sentence about Terry's deep voice is uttered in present tense, hence it should apply to Terry being Candy's current significant other. 

The last thing I want to replay here is the fact that Nagita re-visited her opus novel. Rewriting a big work is very tiring, thus I think it makes more sense if she wanted to infuse another message there, instead of just repeating something. That message to me is still: Terry is Candy’s husband. 

Nevertheless, understanding that Nagita Keiko has revealed that Candy’s and Albert’s relationship was not platonic, I understand that it emboldened the arguments that Albert is Anohito. I think what I take from it is that Albert has grown attached to Candy as a man to a woman, but not vice versa. Some passages in CCFS showed that Albert did indeed show more hints towards that prospect (particularly when seen from Japanese lenses). Chief amongst them would be Albert commenting how Candy had grown into a woman (I forgot which page or volume) and that Albert wanted Candy to stand next to him for a photo but she rejected it. I see those as Albert’s growing attachment to Candy as a man to a woman, but again not vice versa. Candy still loved Albert, and yes, I accept that there is an invisible tie between them, but her love for him is not the same with his changing feeling towards her. 

I also need to say that some respected fans would find mistakes in Terry’s characters (chief among them is him slapping Candy) so that Albert is Anohito or finding mistakes in Albert (chief among them is the prospect of a man marrying his adopted daughter) so that Terry is Anohito. I understand where they’re coming from. Nonetheless, I do not use such arguments. Both men are beautiful men (in terms of spirit and also forms) in their own rights. Had Candy ended up with Albert, I’d accept that for her happiness. But Terry being Anohito, hence Candy’s husband, elates my heart, truly.

Thus, if any of dear readers are going to drop comments disputing my arguments, it is within your freedom of speech. However, I kindly ask you to be civil in your exercise, for I have done so to you as well. 

As for me, as I understand Japanese language better, I understand why some fans think that Albert is Anohito. I actually now agree that Albert had started to harbour a non-platonic love to Candy (despite him being her adopted father), and based on Japanese culture, this is okay. I have come to accept that possibility too. However,  based on the scenes of Candy’s “present” home and her “present” emotions (“present” being the present moment she was inside her living room/library by the Avon River as she remembered her past), I still think Terry is Anohito. To think that both characters that I love, Candy and Terry, who both have suffered so much in life, are now happy together in that world of mine, I am truly happy for them…

Last but not least: We are still in a pandemic. The largest one the world has ever experienced after the Spanish Flu. Thus, let’s keep it in perspective. Whether Candy’s husband is Albert or Terry, it is your choice. I think Nagita sensei deliberately dropped those breadcrumbs so that Albert and Terry fans can have their own ways. However, life is much more than about who Anohito is. Family and friends matters. Our health matters. Life matters.

Thus, whoever you are, whether you're in Terry's camp or Albert's camp, please take care, and stay healthy. Live life to the fullest.

Post Script:

If you want to see an anime character with a close resemblance to Terry (but with a definite happy ending), watch Howl's Moving Castle (Hayao Miyazaki). Howl Jenkins Pendragon resembles Terry Grandchester so much physically (they even have similar hairstyles), and both young men like to pull pranks as well (particularly the novel version of Howl, smartly written by Diana Wynne Jones). Plus, Howl in the novel version actually hailed from Wales, hence quite close to Terry's British heritage. I often imagine that Terry without his dark past would be more like Howl. 

Howl Jenkins Pendragon & Sophie Hatter (Howl's Moving Castle)

As for the leading lady, Sophie Hatter resembles Candy in her sparks and joie de vivre, despite being turned into an old woman by the Witch of the Waste. Sophie's constant bickering with Howl in the novel version reminds me of Candy-Terry's bickering in the early part of their relationship in St Paul's. However, Sophie's and Howl's love also resembles Candy-Terry's very apparent love from the onset of their relationship.

AND, Howl and Sophie ended up together in both the novel and the anime, so, happy ending y'all!