7.8 /10 1 Votes
7.6/10 MyAnimeList Written by Isao Takahata et al Original network Fuji TV, Animax Final episode date 30 December 1979 | 7.9/10 IMDb Directed by Isao Takahata et al Studio Nippon Animation First episode date 7 January 1979 Writers Isao Takahata | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Genre Adventure, Drama, Historical, Slice of life Music by Akira Miyoshi, Kurōdo Mōri Similar World Masterpiece Theater, Heidi - Girl of the Alps, Kon'nichiwa Anne: Before Gr, 3000 Leagues in Search of, Dog of Flanders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Anne of Green Gables (赤毛のアン, Akage no An, Red-haired Anne) is an animated television series, part of Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater. It was adapted from the novel, Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Produced by Nippon Animation in 1979, it was first broadcast on Fuji TV from January 7, 1979 to December 30, 1979. Fifty episodes were produced in total.
Contents
It has been exported to neighbouring Asian countries and also to Europe and French Canada (Anna dai capelli rossi in Italian, Anne la maison aux pignons verts in French, Ana de las Tejas Verdes in Spanish, Ana dos Cabelos Ruivos in Portuguese and Anne mit den roten Haaren in German). As with the novels, the animated version of Anne is much beloved in Japan to this day and "DVD memorial BOX set" (Region 2) was released on August 22, 2008 and a new anime series that serves as a prequel to the series, Kon'nichiwa Anne: Before Green Gables, which premiered on April 5, 2009 in Japan.
Story
Anne Shirley is a girl raised in an orphanage. She is an imaginative and talkative girl. One day, Anne is accidentally sent to Miss Marilla Cuthbert and Mr. Matthew Cuthbert, who had originally requested a boy. Miss Marilla is surprised at first. After learning of Anne's sad past, she gradually becomes an irreplaceable member of the family of Cuthbert.
Summary
This anime was directed by Isao Takahata. He chose to make this animated version very true to the original source material, although his two previous works (Heidi, Girl of the Alps and 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother) had been adapted and altered.
Hayao Miyazaki did the scene setting and layout. Previously, he had worked on 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, although he left the production and Nippon Animation after the first 15 episodes. Miyazaki noticed a difference in Takahata's philosophy of animation; Takahata stuck to controlled, realistic acting at the time, similar to his former work. Miyazaki had not intended to do other work with Takahata, but he had also not planned on becoming independent in this season of his work.
Yoshifumi Kondo (近藤喜文) was selected for character design and animation director over Yoichi Kotabe (小田部羊一), who had stopped work with Takahata after 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother of the previous work. Kondo went on to work with Takahata on the films Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday. The voice of Anne was provided by Eiko Yamada, who would become a staple of World Masterpiece Theatre anime, going on to play Lavinia in Princess Sarah and Jo March in Little Women (the latter of which also featured character designs by Kondo).
Episodes 1-6 were edited together by Takahata into a 100-minute theatrical release in 1989. Both the theatrical release and the entire original series are available on Blu-ray.