The anime was directed by Isao Takahata and storyboarded by Hayao Miyazaki. Yoshifumi Kondō served as the animation director and character designer. It ran from January 7, 1979 to December 30, 1979, every Sunday at Fuji TV from 19:30PM to 20:00PM, ending at 50 episodes.
Set in 1800s-era Canada, the anime tells the story of a little red-haired girl named Anne, who, after spending nearly all her life in orphanages, is sent to live with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, two farm owners. There's just one problem, though - the Cuthberts asked for a boy. This little mistake ends up leading the Cuthberts to happiness as Anne changes their life for the better, becoming one with the folk of Prince Edward Island.
Akage no Anne was a big hit in Japan, Europe, and Latin America and is said to be largely responsible for the influx of Japanese tourists who continue to visit Prince Edward Island to this day. An English dub was made in South Africa, but never aired in North America; however, a French-Canadian dub, made in Quebec, aired on Radio-Canada beginning in 1989. Unlike his previous direction of Heidi, Girl of the Alps, which takes several liberties from its source material, Takahata chose to stay as close to the source material for this anime as possible, while adding in a few original elements. It also contains a few plot references to LM Montgomery's other works, like Emily of New Moon.
The anime also featured an adaptation of the authorized prequel Before Green Gables (Konnichiwa Anne, meaning "Hello Anne"), released in 2009, in time for the original series' 30th anniversary).
Has no relation to Kaze no Shōjo Emily, another anime series based on another LMM work (though both anime series are owned by the same production company).
Akage No Anne (赤毛のアン; Red-haired Anne) has examples of:
- Accidental Good Outcome: The Cuthberts own a ranch and sent a request to the orphanage for a farm boy to help run it. To Matthew's shock, they accidentally send a girl. While the Cuthberts are unsure if they want to keep her, when Anne tells them of her Dark and Troubled Past, they decide they'll roll with it.
- Adaptation Expansion: While the anime is very faithful to the original book for the most part, there are a few extra scenes added in; namely the episode where Anne thinks she ate a poisoned apple (which was taken from Emily of New Moon, another book series by the same author), and Anne and Diana's brief falling out over Diana's decision not to take the entrance exam for Queen's Academy (which wasn't in the original book).
- Adaptational Name Change: Carrie Sloane is renamed Sophia in the 1979 anime. However, the English dub changes her name back to Carrie.
- Adjective Noun Fred: The anime's title is "Red-haired Anne".
- Aerith and Bob: Anne, Matthew, Jerry, Martin, Gilbert, Diane, Minnie-May, Josephine, Charlie, Norman, Ella, Ruby, Josie, Gertie, Tilly, Muriel and Marissa. Possibly justified since this is the 1800s we're talking about here.
- Alternative Foreign Theme Song: Western dubs of the 1979 series use a different theme song from the Japanese. The theme songs in the English and French dubs are adapted from the German theme.
- Animated Adaptation: The anime is an adaptation of Anne of Green Gables.
- Arcadia: Prince Edward Island is a beautiful rural place full of flowers, fauna and farms, and has a tight-knit community. Per the "small town" stereotype, people hold conservative values and are deeply religious.
- The Bet: One episode focuses on the dare game craze going around Anne's school; Anne wants to show up her rival Josie, so she agrees to walk over the thin rod at Barry's house.
- Birthday Episode: In one episode, it's Diana's birthday and Anne is invited for a sleepover. The same episode introduces her grumpy aunt Josephine, who does not like Anne after she accidentally jumps on her.
- Cherry Blossoms: There are lots of different flowers in the backgrounds, including a cherry blossom tree.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Implied; Anne and Gilbert knew each other from their school days, though calling them "friends" is certainly a stretch as Anne spends several years hating his guts. After she realizes that he's not what she thinks he is, they become friends, with their last scene together implying that Anne is starting to fall in love with Gilbert.
- Close-Knit Community: Everyone knows each other in Avonlea, as well as in neighbouring towns like White Sands and Carmody. News of Anne's adoption spreads like wildfire and many other neighbours offer to adopt Anne if the Cuthberts don't want her (since they initially asked for a boy) and Anne and the other kids also go to the same Sunday school.
- Coming of Age Story: Of a little girl with big heart and a wild imagination assimilating to her new Arcadian life, making new friendships and rivals along the way. At the start of the anime, she was a loose-lipped, playful cloudcuckoolander and by the end of it, she's more mature and has successfully left a lasting impact on Avonlea.
- Compilation Movie: Takahata cut up the first 6 episodes of Akage no Anne and trimmed them into a movie in 1989, however these have never received a non-Japanese dub.
- Compressed Adaptation: Some of the novel's subplots are removed in favour of adding original storylines.
- Creator Thumbprint: As per the norm for Hayao Miyazaki animations, there's a lot of beautiful scenery and a strong-willed female protagonist.
- Cute Girls Doing Cute Things: Downplayed, but many episodes are about Anne and Diana's adventures around Avonlea, mainly because of Anne's impulsive, mischevious and passionate nature.
- Death of a Child: Discussed in one episode when Anne eats an apple, later finds out it's poisonous, and starts penning a goodbye letter. The apple isn't really poisoned, so she lives.
- Downer Beginning: At first, Anne is worried she'll be sent back to the orphanage, and can't connect with the Cuthberts. We later learn that she's an orphan and has been in a lot of terrible foster homes.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Anne braves through Parental Abandonment, abusive foster homes and the death of Matthew Cuthbert amongst other things before accepting her place in Prince Edward Island and realizing her love for Gilbert. The two live Happily Ever After at the end of the story.
- Filling the Silence: Averted with the Western dubs, including English. While English dubs in particular often tend to fill silent moments with music or dialogue, the Western (including English) dubs of this anime actually have dead silence or realistic background noises (such as muted conversation) where there was music in the original.
- Flowers of Nature: Avonlea is very rural and green, and full of pretty shubbery and fauna, including the wild mayflowers Anne picks to add to her hat in an attempt to look more stylish.
- Lost Wedding Ring: When Marilla's brooch goes missing, Anne is blamed. She is grounded and forbidden to go to the picnic as a result. Anne eventually makes up a confession that proves her innocence.
- Once an Episode: Anne has an Imagine Spot regarding herself and her friends that often involve power fantasies, nature or victory.
- Public Domain Character: Everyone. This is a common practice for WMT works as they adapt old Western novels into anime, with a few exceptions like the cast of Lucy-May of the Southern Rainbow and The Bush Baby.
- Scenery Porn: Daisies, lillies, Cherry Blossoms, roses, wildflowers, mayflowers, tulips, peonies and petunias are only some of the pretty flowers that fill up the background. Here
's a complation if you're interested. - Shown Their Work: The Green Gables shown in the anime◊ is near-identical to the one in Real Life.
- Shout-Out: The episode where Anne eats an apple and believes she's going to die is a reference to Emily of New Moon, which was also written by L. M. Montgomery.
- Slice of Life: While Akage No Anne is a slice of life anime, what makes it unique is Anne's tendency to use her imagination and make mundane situations something else completely.
- Stylish Sunhats: When Anne is at Sunday school, we see the girls wearing fancy sunhats each with their own unique decorations, such as flowers, frills and beads. [[https://anneofgreengables.fandom.com/wiki/Gallery:Anne's_Impressions_of_Sunday_School See here]].
- Token Religious Teammate: Gilbert's friend Moody, who wishes to become a pastor when he grows up.
