If you tell a Japanese person you’re from Canada, they won't ask about maple syrup or hockey. Honestly, they’ll probably ask if you live near Prince Edward Island. Why? Because of a 50-episode cartoon from 1979.
The Anne of Green Gables anime—or Akage no An (Red-Haired Anne)—is a bit of a cultural phenomenon that North Americans mostly missed. While we were busy with disco or whatever, Japan was busy making a definitive, shot-for-shot masterpiece of L.M. Montgomery’s novel. And look, I know what you’re thinking. "It's just an old cartoon." But this isn't just some vintage relic. It’s basically the secret origin story of Studio Ghibli.
The Ghibli DNA Nobody Talks About
Long before Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro, two guys named Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki were grinding away at Nippon Animation. Takahata directed it. Miyazaki did the scene settings and layouts. You can see it in every frame.
The way the wind hits the grass in Avonlea? That’s Miyazaki. The painstakingly realistic way Marilla pours tea or folds a tablecloth? That’s pure Takahata. They didn't just animate a book; they built a world that felt lived-in. In 1978, the team actually flew to Prince Edward Island to take photos and sketch the landscape. They even brought back soil samples to make sure the paint colors for the ground were 100% accurate. Talk about dedication.
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The pacing is where people usually get tripped up. It's slow. Like, really slow. Modern shows try to cram the whole book into two hours. This anime takes 50 episodes to cover just the first novel. It lets you breathe. You feel the change of seasons. You watch Anne grow up—not just in height, but in the way she speaks and thinks.
Why it feels different from the 2025 remake
We recently got a new adaptation called Anne Shirley (2025), and while the "vibe" is great, it’s basically a highlights reel. It condenses three books into a handful of episodes. The 1979 version is the opposite. It’s a "slice-of-life" before that was even a cool genre tag. It focuses on the mundane. The chores. The long walks. It makes the emotional payoff when Matthew buys those puffed sleeves feel like a religious experience because you’ve spent forty episodes watching Anne wish for them.
Isao Takahata’s Obsession with Reality
Takahata was kind of a rebel. Most anime at the time was about giant robots or space pirates—think Mobile Suit Gundam, which came out the exact same year. Takahata wanted to prove that you could use animation to tell a serious, grounded story about a girl who talks too much.
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- Dialogue is King: The script is almost word-for-word from the book.
- Realistic Acting: Characters don't just stand there; they fidget, they look away, they show tiny micro-expressions.
- The "Imperfect" Anne: This version of Anne isn't just a "kawaii" mascot. She can be annoying. She's loud. She’s incredibly stubborn.
There's a famous story about the casting. Takahata chose Eiko Yamada to voice Anne because she sounded inexperienced and impulsive. Miyazaki actually hated the choice at first. He wanted a "cuter" voice. But Takahata held his ground. He wanted Anne to feel like a real, awkward kid, not a polished idol.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Red Hair"
Here’s a fun fact: In Japan, the "red hair" thing didn't carry the same social stigma it did in 19th-century Canada. To a Japanese audience in the 70s, red hair was just... hair that wasn't black. They didn't really get why Anne was so devastated about it.
Instead, they latched onto her spirit. Japan in the 1970s was a rigid, hardworking society. Anne was this wild, imaginative orphan who refused to be quiet. She represented a kind of freedom that resonated deeply, especially with women. It’s why you still see Japanese tourists in Cavendish today, wearing straw hats and carrying carpet bags.
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How to actually watch it today
If you’re looking to dive in, don't just grab the first thing you see on YouTube.
- Avoid the "Movie" version: There is a compilation film that cuts the series down. Don't do it. You lose all the character growth.
- Sub over Dub: Honestly, the original Japanese voice acting is much more nuanced. The English dubs (there are a few) often make Anne sound like a screeching cartoon character rather than a poetic, lonely child.
- Check the Prequel: If you finish the 50 episodes and need more, there’s a 2009 series called Before Green Gables. It’s also part of the World Masterpiece Theater and covers Anne's life before she arrived at the train station.
The Anne of Green Gables anime is a masterclass in slow-burn storytelling. It’s about the "healing" power of nature—a genre the Japanese call iyashikei. It doesn't need villains or world-ending stakes. It just needs a sunset over the Lake of Shining Waters and a girl who finally found a place to call home.
If you want to understand why Studio Ghibli feels the way it does, you have to watch this. It’s the blueprint. It’s the soul of Japanese animation hidden inside a Canadian classic.
Your next move: Find the first three episodes. Commit to the slow pace. Watch the way the light changes in the kitchen as the sun goes down. If you aren't charmed by the time Anne starts naming her plants, then maybe it’s not for you—but I bet you’ll be hooked.