Kon'nichiwa Anne: Before Green Gables
Encyclopedia
, is the 26th series in Nippon Animation
's renowned World Masterpiece Theater
anime
staple. The third production of the staple's recent resurrection (which began in 2007 with Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette
), it will span a total of 39 episodes.
The series premiered on April 5, 2009, and aired every Sunday from 19:30 to 20:00 JST on Fuji Television
's broadcasting satellite network BS-Fuji. From May 2009, it was also aired on SKY PerfecTV!'s network Animax
. Online streaming on Biglobe
was announced, but was eventually suspended.
children's literature
author Budge Wilson
's prequel novel Before Green Gables
, which was translated into Japanese as Konnichiwa Anne (こんにちは アン) by Akiko Usagawa. It chronicles the early years of main character Anne Shirley
as she loses both her parents and is adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.
Introduced in Lucy Maud Montgomery
's Anne of Green Gables
, the series marks the 100th anniversary of the original novel's release and the 30th anniversary of its highly popular anime adaptation, Akage no Anne
, also produced by Nippon Animation and one of the first pioneering World Masterpiece Theater series. It will replace The Long Journey of Porphy
, and will be narrated by Eiko Yamada, who portrayed Anne in the original Akage no Anne.
While developing the series, Nippon Animation's staff undertook research by visiting a historical village in northeastern Canada which formed the inspiration for Avonlea
in the novel, going to historical houses preserved from the era in which the novel is set and taking photographs, with core staff members and character designer and chief animation director Takayo Nishimura (previously chief animation director and character designer for 5 Centimeters Per Second), basing the characters, props and settings on them and also from historical books that he bought there. Nippon Animation's staff have visited historical locations in which World Masterpiece Theater series were set regularly since the staple's inception.
Joanna (Harrigan) Thomas
Bert Thomas
Eliza Thomas
Horace Thomas
Edward Thomas
Harry Thomas
Noah Thomas
Jessie (MacIntyre) Gleeson
Lochinvar
Narration
Nippon Animation
is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City....
's renowned World Masterpiece Theater
World Masterpiece Theater
is a Japanese TV anime staple that showcased an animated version of a different classical book or story each year on 7:30p.m. on Sunday. It originally aired from 1969 to 1997 then resumed in 2007....
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
staple. The third production of the staple's recent resurrection (which began in 2007 with Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette
Les Misérables: Shojo Cosette
is a Japanese anime series by Nippon Animation, and is the first installment in the famed World Masterpiece Theater series in ten years after the major flop Remi, Nobody's Girl...
), it will span a total of 39 episodes.
The series premiered on April 5, 2009, and aired every Sunday from 19:30 to 20:00 JST on Fuji Television
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
's broadcasting satellite network BS-Fuji. From May 2009, it was also aired on SKY PerfecTV!'s network Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
. Online streaming on Biglobe
BIGLOBE
is one of the leading internet service providers in Japan, operated by NEC BIGLOBE, Ltd., a 2006 spin-off from NEC.-References:...
was announced, but was eventually suspended.
Production and development
The series is an adaptation of CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
author Budge Wilson
Budge Wilson
Budge Wilson is a highly acclaimed Canadian author who was born and raised in Nova Scotia. She graduated from Dalhousie University with a B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology...
's prequel novel Before Green Gables
Before Green Gables
Before Green Gables is the title of a prequel to the Anne Shirley series. The book was published in 2008 by Puffin, a division of Penguin Books, as part of Puffin's celebration of Anne Shirley's centennial anniversary, which will also see the Anne Shirley series re-released to commemorate the event...
, which was translated into Japanese as Konnichiwa Anne (こんにちは アン) by Akiko Usagawa. It chronicles the early years of main character Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Montgomery wrote in her journal that the idea for Anne's story came from relatives who, planning to adopt an orphaned boy, received a girl instead...
as she loses both her parents and is adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.
Introduced in Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE , called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L.M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success...
's Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book...
, the series marks the 100th anniversary of the original novel's release and the 30th anniversary of its highly popular anime adaptation, Akage no Anne
Anne of Green Gables (anime)
is an animated television series, part of Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater. It was adapted from the novel Anne of Green Gables by Canadian writer Lucy Maud Montgomery. Produced by Nippon Animation in 1979, it was first broadcast on Fuji TV from January 7, 1979 to December 30, 1979...
, also produced by Nippon Animation and one of the first pioneering World Masterpiece Theater series. It will replace The Long Journey of Porphy
The Long Journey of Porphy
is a Japanese anime series by Nippon Animation, as the latest installment to the famed World Masterpiece Theater series. It is an adaptation of Paul-Jacques Bonzon's novel, "Les Orphelins de Simitra" ....
, and will be narrated by Eiko Yamada, who portrayed Anne in the original Akage no Anne.
While developing the series, Nippon Animation's staff undertook research by visiting a historical village in northeastern Canada which formed the inspiration for Avonlea
Avonlea
Avonlea is a fictional community located on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and is the setting of Lucy Maud Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables, following the adventures of Anne Shirley, as well as its sequels, and the television series Road to Avonlea.Montgomery drew much of her inspiration for...
in the novel, going to historical houses preserved from the era in which the novel is set and taking photographs, with core staff members and character designer and chief animation director Takayo Nishimura (previously chief animation director and character designer for 5 Centimeters Per Second), basing the characters, props and settings on them and also from historical books that he bought there. Nippon Animation's staff have visited historical locations in which World Masterpiece Theater series were set regularly since the staple's inception.
Staff
- Director: Katsuyoshi Yatabe
- Series composition and screenplay: Michiru ShimadaMichiru Shimadais a Japanese anime screenwriter from Tokyo. Shimada is a graduate of Waseda University. She made her screenwriting debut in 1980.-Filmography:* Urusei Yatsura , Screenplay* Dr. Slump , Script* Dr...
- Original character design: Yoshiharu Satō
- Character designs and chief animation director: Takayo Nishimura
- Music: Yasuharu TakanashiYasuharu Takanashiis a Japanese composer. Composition credits include Hell Girl soundtracks, Battle Vixens, Kon'nichiwa Anne: Before Green Gables, New Fist of the North Star, Genseishin Justirisers, Toward the Terra and Naruto titles such as Naruto: Shippūden, Naruto: Shippūden the Movie, Naruto Shippūden 2: Bonds,...
, Hiromi Mizutani, Kenji Fujisawa - Art director: Shigeru Morimoto
- Color design: Tomoko Komatsubara
- Production: Nippon AnimationNippon Animationis a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City....
Characters
Anne ShirleyAnne Shirley
Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Montgomery wrote in her journal that the idea for Anne's story came from relatives who, planning to adopt an orphaned boy, received a girl instead...
Joanna (Harrigan) Thomas
- Anne's maternal aunt, wife to Bert and mother to Eliza, Horace, Edward, Harry and Noah. She is constantly trying the make ends meet, and as such is often in a bad mood.
Bert Thomas
- Joanna's husband and father to her children, he is unable to hold down a job due to his laziness and alcoholism, usually spending whatever money he earns from the oddjobs he does on cheap liquor.
Eliza Thomas
- First born daughter of Thomas family and primary income of the household. She cares for Anne like her own child, but later marries Roger Emerson and leaves Anne behind.
Horace Thomas
- First son of the Thomas family
Edward Thomas
- Second son of the Thomas family
Harry Thomas
- Third son of the Thomas family
Noah Thomas
- Fourth son of the Thomas family
Jessie (MacIntyre) Gleeson
- An old widower with high standing
Lochinvar
- Anne's companion cat. His name is taken from a line of the poem "Marmion" by Walter ScottWalter ScottSir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
.
Narration