The official website for Anne Shirley, the anime adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved Anne of Green Gables novel series, revealed new details on Wednesday. The announcement included a key visual, additional staff members, a teaser promotional video, and confirmation of the anime’s April 5 premiere.
The series boasts an impressive creative team, with Yūji Watanabe (Lupin the Third: Part 5 episodes 2 and 4) and Naoko Saitō (Lupin the Third: Part 5 episode 2) serving as animation directors. Tadashi Kudo (The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus) is leading the art direction, while Shiho Kuriki (City Hunter The Movie: Angel Dust, Armored Trooper Votoms: Pailsen Files) is handling the color key artistry.
Shinji Saitō (City Hunter The Movie: Angel Dust) is the compositing director of photography, and Kisuke Koizumi (Chainsaw Man, Kingdom seasons 3 and 4) is overseeing sound direction. Acclaimed composer Michiru Ōshima (Fullmetal Alchemist, The Tatami Galaxy) is in charge of the anime’s music.
Broadcast and Episode Count
The anime is set to premiere on April 5 on NHK Educational at 6:25 p.m. JST (5:25 a.m. EDT) and will consist of a total of 24 episodes.
Voice Cast
The main cast includes:
- Honoka Inoue as Anne Shirley
- Aya Nakamura as Marilla Cuthbert
- Yasunori Matsumoto as Matthew Cuthbert
- Naoya Miyase as Gilbert Blythe
- Yume Miyamoto as Diana Barry
Manga Adaptation
A manga adaptation of Anne Shirley, illustrated by Akane Hoshikubo (Hōkago no Salome, Sonogao de Ai Sanaide), launched in Kadokawa’s B’s-LOG COMIC magazine on January 5.
Story and Setting
The original Anne of Green Gables novel is set in the late 19th century in the fictional town of Avonlea, located in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Anne Shirley Anime
The story follows Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan who is mistakenly sent to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, middle-aged siblings who had originally planned to adopt a boy to help on their farm. The novel chronicles Anne’s adventures in school and in the town as she grows up.
The anime adaptation will explore Anne’s journey from childhood to adulthood, highlighting her deep bond with Matthew and Marilla, her friendship with Diana Barry, and her romantic relationship with Gilbert Blythe. Some of these story elements are drawn from Montgomery’s later sequel novels.
Previous Adaptations in Japan
Japanese novelist and translator Hanako Muraoka introduced Anne of Green Gables to Japan in 1952 with her translation, titled Akage no Anne (Red-Haired Anne).
The novel first inspired a 1979 television anime series, directed by the legendary Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko). This was before he co-founded Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Spirited Away, Ponyo) worked on the layout and designs for the first 15 episodes, while future Ghibli director Yoshifumi Kondō (Whisper of the Heart) handled character designs and oversaw animation production.
A compilation film of the 1979 series was released in Japan in 2010. Takahata had previously supervised a six-episode compilation in 1989, though it was never officially released at the time. The Mitaka no Mori Ghibli Museum Library later added it to its collection of international animation classics.
Additionally, Nippon Animation produced a prequel television series, Before Green Gables, in 2009.
With its rich history of adaptations and a highly talented production team, Anne Shirley aims to introduce a new generation to Montgomery’s timeless tale.
