min_o gets nostalgic (finally)

Further to my last post on nostalgia, I found something today that I feel infinitely nostalgic about.

“Candy Candy” is a manga turned anime series turned movie that I used to watch in Hong Kong (Catnonese sub of course). I was 3 – 5 years old at the time, but I have some memory of watching it at my grandparents apartments – either one.

I’m relieved to have reclaimed a bit of my childhood. Most people remember episodes and songs from their childhood cartoons, but until now, I have very few of these memories. This is largely because at age 3, my family immigrated to Canada so there are a few formative years of my life when I couldn’t understand anything that was on television.

After reading the entire synopsis on Wikipedia, I discovered that I do have something to hold on to from that time in my life, even though few people will be able to share it with me. It’s amazing to me that this storyline which is far more sophisticated than any children’s program on air today is completely familiar.

My mom said that the show always made me cry, and it’s amusing that she encouraged what was probably the source of all the melodrama in my psyche.

Emotional Trauma

Death – Candy loses both her parents and her childhood playmate and boyfriend

Lost friendships – Candy’s best friend gets adopted and is forbidden to communicate with her again

Jealousy – Candy’s spirit and charm attracts all the handsome male characters, making her a target for the women around her

Cruelty – Candy’s adoptive family (the women) hate her and eventually force her to work as a maid to her adoptive sister

Blackmail – Candy’s engagement is broken because her fiancé gets blackmailed by another girl who loses her leg

Sexual Harassment (kind of) – Candy’s adoptive brother lies to her and her adoptive family forces her into getting engaged with him

Character Development

Candy was a good role model too especially since she was an orphan and I was an only child. She was consistently loyal, optimistic and loving which in the end (despite much suffering) earned her right to a happy ending.

True Romance

One part of the story that has haunted me forever was the scene when Candy’s crying over the loss of her best friend, Annie, and is crying on the hill. This is where she meets The Prince, the man to which her long, painful journey will eventually lead her. Here's the scene from the manga: