Give me Some Candy

One of the defining texts of my childhood is definitely Candy Candy, the well-known Japanese anime series. For those of you who are not familiar with Candy Candy, it is a Cinderella story, exciting and lovely, but with a twist. Candy (short for Candy-Candy) is an orphan girl, pretty and clever, but mistreated for her poverty and orphaned status. Candy is defined by goodness, bravery and a strong sense of honour. She risks her life to save Annie, her childhood friend, eventhough Annie shuns her after being adopted by a rich family. Candy is herself adopted by a rich and powerful family a couple of years later.

The twist comes in many ways. Anthony, Candy's childhood love and first boyfriend, dies tragically in an accident. Anthony's death is a trauma for many Candy Candy viewers and fans -- I have met adult people (women AND men) whose faces assume an expression of horror at the mere mention of Anthony's death.

There is more. One of Candy's beloved male friends dies at World War I and Terence, boyfriend number two, also faces darkness and a murky fate. The ending of the series is ambiguous and we do not really know whether Candy eventually finds happiness.

I have heard that the series is actually unfinished, because of copyright issues between the original writer, the scriptwriter(s) and the production companies. I don't know if this is true.

I have also discovered that the original writer, a Japanese lady, has written and published the Candy Candy novel, with a definitive (though still mysterious) ending. The novel exists only in Japanese, a language I sadly don't speak.

I can only pray to the Goddess of Romance books for a good translation to come out soon!