As a child I was surrounded by music and films from Italy, and those images, so rich and beautiful, struck me in a way I can hardly explain. It is surprising for me to think that now my book will be published precisely in a country that I feel so close to Candy Candy was born forty years ago as a graphic novel.

At the time I used the pen name Kyoko Mizuki and during the serial publication which lasted four years, I wrote a volume of pages which would be enough to fill approximately ten novels like the one you are holding in your hands.

Accompanied by the pretty illustrations depended upon Yumiko Igarashi, the manga reached success and it even led to the making of anime that was shown worldwide. I would never have thought that such a thing could happen. It was a dream that I couldn’t even have described in the pages of a book.

It is thanks to all this that I can now communicate with you, in Italy!

The earlier version of this novel, published in Japan in 1978 and reprinted in 2003, was based on the drafts of the original work and of course it draws from its texts.

However, for a long time I continued to think that there was still a lot to be told.

Candy’s manga was aimed at a very young audience, therefore it had to respect many rules. As long as the story remained only in that form, I was certain that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to change its contents.

Nevertheless, the years have gone by and unexpectedly, I was presented with the opportunity to propose a new novel again. It almost seemed to me that Candy (the one living in my story), who had dwelled all this time in my heart waiting to be able to talk, was saying to me: “Write something about me again.”

In fact, Candy, who had grown up since then, had stayed by my side talking to me even after the published series had come to an end.

This novel stemmed from our (secret) conversations, has allowed me to bring her to new life, completely freeing her from the bond which tied her to the graphic novel.

However, had I put everything on paper, the story would have been endless… This is the reason why I had decided to retain a less detailed form.

The world of narration is limitless. It can expand beyond each and every border and its possibilities are boundless.

I hope that you, Italian readers, will be able to soar in the immense world that lives in your heart and that you will be able to enjoy this novel to the fullest.

Really, a lot of time has passed since this work was born.

Decades have passed by now, but a long time ago, I had the chance to visit your country, together with the illustrator and the editor.

On that occasion, I was asked many times the following question: “Why did you want to tell the story of a foreign girl despite your being Japanese?”

My answer is still the same: “Falling in love, love and the feeling which binds us to another person are the same all over the world.”

During the journey which eventually led to the translation of this novel, I received help from a great many people.

A huge thank you to you all. “Molte Grazie!”  

Keiko Nagita
(November 2014)