Ranked #1361

Akage no Anne

The "World Masterpiece Theater" version of "Anne of Green Gables" turns the book into a comprehensive fifty-episode series, absolutely the best adaptation ever made. Anne Shirley is a red-headed orphan girl who talks too much, has a big imagination, and gets herself into all sorts of trouble. When a mistake places her in the care of elderly siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert at Green Gables in the the town of Avonlea, she inspires a lot of headaches, but also becomes a vital piece of their family.

Directed by Isao Takahata in his pre-Ghibli days, and staffed by plenty of other familiar names (Miyazaki boarded the first fifteen episodes, Kondo designed the characters), the production is incredibly lavish. I've never seen this amount of well-researched historical detail in any other anime series - the crew actually went to Prince Edward Island to study the architecture and natural scenery - and the resulting visuals are breathtaking. Though it has its bumps, dull stretches, and odd quirks, this is a classic in every sense of the word.

A long series like this is the best format for literary classics, because they're often slow paced and episodic. In the case of "Anne," this means there's plenty of room for all of her adventures, not just the famous ones. Anne still walks a ridgepole, renames half the town's landmarks, and mistakenly dyes her hair green, but we also get to watch her grow up from a scatterbrained eleven-year-old to a formidable young woman, who has to face some very tough decisions. The creators were absolutely faithful to the book, to the point of using chapter titles for many episodes, and even fleshed out the ending a bit more than the original. Best of all, despite its age, "Anne" is easily as watchable and wonderful as it was a generation ago.
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After finishing Akage no Anne I was awestruck. I was lost for words. Now, a good amount of hours later, I am unable to sleep. I've been thinking about Akage no Anne all day, all week even (as I've been watching it every day) and I've decided that I simply must review it before I can go to bed.

First, a bit about the director, Isao Takahata. He is the only director of animation (that I'm aware of) that exploits the distinct contrast between realism and fantasy. His work generally follows a realistic style, but with sudden outbursts of the fantastic (or "magical"). This style fits Akage no Anne perfectly, as it is about a young orphan girl with lots of imagination. Her name is Anne Shirley and she is adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, two elderly siblings. They had wanted to adopt a boy, but gradually come to treasure Anne. Those creative whims when Takahata attempts to illustrate her imagination is nothing short of astounding. You might think the series is giving you all it has as early on as in the first episode when Anne is going through the "White Valley of Delight". An unforgettable moment if there ever was one, but there is so much in store for the viewer.
Early on the focus of Akage no Anne can be divided into three different categories. First off, Anne Shirley herself, we get to know her character, what drives her, what saddens her and what touches her. Secondly, the outside world that is "relevant", and driven by human sense and logic, which would be the Cuthberts and all the other people in Anne's environment. And lastly, nature and everything else that is subject to Anne's creativity. The early episodes contain many conflicts between these categories and are often melodramatic, but young Anne is a quite melodramatic character, and the voice actress does a terrific job at making it all feel real. These early episodes are essential and complement the later ones very well as they contain a study of characters, of lifestyles, and of hopes and dreams. They definitely do a character study of a child better than anything else I've seen.

The story covers a wild range of subjects and is always captivating, and often really touching. As the story progresses and Anne grows up, the conflicts sort of dissolve. After the early episodes are over, Akage no Anne turns more into a happy, twee-filled series. Not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, I'm completely in favor of this happy part of the series, because after watching some of the last episodes (which are very moving and had me in tears several times) I understand how incredible the bigger picture of this series is. It is tremendously multifaceted.
The pacing is not exactly slow but the series takes its time which could potentially alienate those who have only acquainted themselves with today's commercial anime. Some scenes or perhaps entire episodes could be deemed as pointless, but it all depends on how much you are willing to take in. Be open when watching Akage no Anne because I promise you, it has so much to offer!

Now, about the visuals... Oh man, those backgrounds! The amount of care that has been put into the scenery is absolutely breathtaking! And god, the music... I have already acquired the soundtrack. The music here generally takes on the traditional task of heightening the mood, but it also grants the series even more layers of depth. I'm telling you, the music plays a huge role in this series. If you're a fan of orchestral arrangements (who isn't?) then I'd be surprised if you don't agree with me.

As you have probably noticed, I have nothing but good things to say about Akage no Anne. It is a masterwork and I urge anyone with an interest in something other than the mundane to see it!
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