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"Akage no An" More at IMDbPro »

12 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
by far the best L M Montgomery adaptation to date, 5 December 2004

Author: juliacrimmins-1 from Ireland

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

note spoilers!

I have only recently availed of this edition of Montgomery's novel and i was not disappointed. Having seen Sullivan's adaptations and the 1934 RkO adaptation, Road to Avonlea and Lantern Hill I was really looking forward to this. Of those I have seen Akage No An is by far the best. It is quite long, which may put some off, but it is also the most true to the novel. There are some scenes that were not in the book, such as Anne thinking she has eaten a poisoned apple, but even in these little "extra" scenes, the makers have captured the spirit of the novel perfectly. No character is omitted, and Mathew in particular is very well scripted. You actually believe he has heart trouble right through, as opposed to the last chapters and the same for Marilla's eyesight. The music and scenery is also enchanting. In this way it captures the spiritual, ethereal aspect of the novel as no other adaptation has been able to do. Anne's daydreams, Gilbert's generosity, and all the little things that are in the book are all there. If there is a downside it is the translation of the subtitles, but even these are comical. If your are thinking of investing in a DVD version, choose this, unless you have children who are too young to read sub-titles

10 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Perfect depiction of Atlantic Canada!, 3 October 2004
Author: Marc Gagnon (marcG106) from Canada

Being an animation fan, I'd heard about this show before. I knew that Hayao Miyazaki had worked on it before founding Studio Ghibli - who wouldn't be curious? I never thought I'd see it, since it's only been released on DVD in Japan. But, thank the Net, I've found a way to watch the original, subtitled version. What a wonderful series! I've only see the first four episodes, but they've definitely captured my imagination.

Being from Atlantic Canada myself, I was thrilled to see my region depicted so beautifully in anime. It's all accurate, let me tell you (although I'm not sure if they have Japanese sakura trees in PEI...) I have to admit that I've never read the Anne novels, but watching an anime adaptation is the next best thing.

It's hard to believe this series was made in 1979... it's a masterful series of paintings, character animation and sweeping music.

Please, do whatever you can to find this gem of TV animation!

9 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
the definitive film version of Anne of Green Gables, 18 May 2006

Author: (bumpy@lainschell.com) from Brooklyn, New York

I tend to be against adapting books into movies, because you generally don't have time to be at all faithful to a book in such a short running time (the first couple of Harry Potter films were quite long because they wanted to hit so many plot points, but they still cut out all the character development). The popular Canadian miniseries from the '80s was a perfect example of this. It got a sense of the story across, but only just.

This is different. Fifty episodes are enough to do justice to a 38-chapter book. There's only one incident of any note that was cut, and several that were much fleshed out or added (plus one or two dull episodes that were mostly clips of earlier shows). You can be assured the creators really understand the characters and interpersonal dynamics of the story.

But is the story worth your while. You bet! A lot of folks link this series with Miyazaki, though he only worked on the first 15 episodes. More important were fellow Ghiblies Takahata and Kondo. But it FEELS like Miyazaki: strong, young, imaginative female lead steeped in the magic of Nature, learning to be loved by a grouchy but kindhearted elderly couple. All it needs is some flying machines!

It is worth digging on eBay for the possibly semi-legal region-free English subtitled DVDs. Don't mistake it for the recent Canadian animated series (which boggles the mind--surely it would've been cheaper to license and dub Akage no An!). This is, and surely always will be, the definitive film version of Anne of Green Gables. (You even get used to the "Konichiwa, Diana!")

8 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Absolutely amazing adaption of the novel., 9 December 2003
Author: memoryofyourface from Vancouver, Canada

I never realized that this animation was made in 1979. I watched this series, every single episode, when I was ten. And let me just say that this animated series is incredible. It captures every emotion the novel delivers, from Anne's first depth of despair to last bend around the corner. Anne's chatters, Marilla's scornful love, Matthew's unconditional love, the rivalry romance between Anne and Gilbert, they are all there. It does not miss out anything, and I do mean anything. It is truly a masterpiece. The characters are drew beautifully, especially Anne and Gilbert. And the sceneries are breathtaking. You would never imagine this was made in 1979 if you saw it for yourself. And the music. Oh, the music is also just incomparable. The music will be remembered for such a long time. This series is incomparable to Anne of Green Gables animation series that's being made these days. If you have access to this animation, give it a chance. Just one episode and you'll fall in love with it forever.

6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
One word... WOW, 9 June 2008

Author: Donica (blossom114@aol.com) from St. Louis MO

I've been a fan of the 1985 Anne of Green Gables series, loving it as a child and watching it on PBS growing up, and reading the books. Recently I stumbled upon this gem, thanks to the internet.

The drawings are excellent, and one is not even bothered by the subtitles. The story is so faithful to the books that you get swept up with the story. My heart just about broke watching Anne so upset and heartbroken at the thought of leaving Green Gables. I just wanted to hug her so badly, and it's anime! I laughed, cried, smiled my way through this charming series, and highly recommend it to any Anne of Green Gables fan.

4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
You don't know what you're missing., 29 July 2009

Author: Greens758758 from United States

"Akage no an" is simply the best piece of 'book to film' adaptation you will ever encounter. No other movie or television show even compares to this enchanting masterpiece. Why this has never been properly released in the states is beyond comprehension, but a captioned box set can be found online at Japanese and anime DVD sites.

The exquisite animation and drawings are truly works of art, much better than the computer generated graphics of today. Each character and setting is drawn to perfection will all of LM Montgomery's small subtleties incorporated into picture.

Each episode is nearly a page by page account of the actual book and 99% of everything is here. Every character, every special moment, all the tragedy, comedy, romance, and relationships are played out just as Montgomery would have intended.

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Truly Awesome Series, 13 February 2008

Author: Michael Leath (sincerelymichael@hotmail.com) from Prince Edward Island, Canada

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This comment has a spoiler at the end.

Wow! I am so happy I found this on YouTube, it's just amazing. Akage no An captures the story of Anne of Green Gables perfectly. The characters in this Japanese series are really cute, and the landscapes are absolutely beautiful. I really like the theme song as well. It's really hard to believe this was made in the 70's, it feels so new.

I can't get over how well this series depicts Prince Edward Island. I've lived on the island all my life, and let me tell you, they have it all down pat down to the red roads. The only thing is, PEI is more treed than depicted in Akage no Ann. Sometimes the landscapes look almost prairie-ish. They even have the old train stations and houses all right! The patchwork of fields, clumps of trees, birch forests, winding streams, and rolling hills are all perfect. The show makes me want to take a vacation in my own province LOL

At first, when I watched the theme song I thought Anne was flying through Japanese cherry blossom trees, but when I looked again I saw that the blossoms were actually apple blossoms! That detail made me love the series even more. Because "sakura" blossoms are such a prominent symbol in Japan, it's only natural for it to be replaced for something very common, fragrant, and beautiful on PEI. In fact, there is an apple orchard on my property, and it is very beautiful in the spring.

My favourite part of the series so far is when Anne smashes the slate over Gilbert's head when he calls her "carrots" because of her braids. Working at a museum, I know that the reason there are so many Japanese tourists on PEI in the summer is all about Anne of Green Gables. I think the book is actually part of their grade 6 curriculum. Fitting, since Anne is 11 at the beginning of the book.

Overall I think the show is really cute and I recommend it to anyone who's read the Anne books or who lives in the Maritimes. (Just to see the landscape)

Happy 100th Anniversary, Anne! See you this summer!

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