KrenZane
Forested shawl over river-stream dress. Boots of soil and petal-laced gloves. A tiara atop with wild
rose ornaments, holding on hand a garden of dreams. Anne of Green Gables is poetically romanticized
from the start, at times amusingly so in its earnestness, as the story unites with your
run-of-the-mill young protagonist orphaned as a child exploding with imagination that would make the
most devastating volcanoes forego their activities in shame. Words upon words rocket on all directions
like a machine gun as never-had-friends-and-family Anne Shirley finally finds for herself targets that
don't run at lock-on, effectively shielding to nullify the ever-creeping shadows of monotony and
boredom. In a coming-of-age story ingrained in everyday life, we follow this dear young girl on her
adventures to color both grayscale and rainbow with further meaning outsourced from her endless pool
of imagination, experiencing the joys and sorrows of change and growth as many as sand on the beach.
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/R2Fshmr.png)~~~
# ~~~__Introduction Episodes__~~~
Anne of Green Gables travels linearly and grows like a plant. Each and every episode is a day in the
life of Anne in Avonlea, a countryside located in Prince Edward Island. It started when Anne was sent
to the rural town to be adopted by the Cuthberts. However, we learned that her being sent there was a
mistake, for the family was wanting for a young boy, not a young girl. Shocked upon picking up Anne on
the train station, Matthew Cuthbert--introverted and reserved through and through with a fear of women
despite the ripe age of 60--nevertheless picked up the child on a carriage to the Green Gables. It is
clear that Matthew took a liking to Anne and intends to keep her unlike his stern and solid younger
sister Marilla Cuthbert who dismissed the kid's plea for them to keep her, the words a thorny lance to
Anne's fragile heart who experienced joy in being taken in by a family intentionally for the first
time only for it to be torn asunder without even being given ample time for relishing.
Crestfallen and ravaged by a tempest of despair of having tasted the exquisite goblet of home and an
environment which essentially has a strong affinity with Anne's wild imagination, what with the lush
greenery, the kingdoms of cherry blossom trees, and the shining waters, among many others, yet its
sweetness eventually shoved away for the return of loneliness, Anne breaks down at this romantic
tragedy.
The next afternoon came and Anne was sent back to the adoption house along with Marilla. On the roads
Marilla convinced the young girl to open up, albeit reluctantly. Anne's parents who were teachers died
of illness when she was only 2 months old. She was sent to two families before being accepted in the
orphanage she belonged, experiencing loss, famine, separation, taking up caretaking responsibilities,
and most especially, suffering loneliness along the way. Using her imagination, she weaved for herself
a fabricated reality where she has a friend named Katie Maurice. Although aware that Katie is only
imaginary, she persisted with the play until she was told to part ways with that one household due to
a financial crisis stemming from poverty and a vice-filled father figure. She spent more than half a
decade in the orphanage seeing off children like her who had no parents finally having their own
families while she stayed rotting in the adoption house until being mistakenly delivered to the
Cuthberts.
From this we can understand that the traumatizing events Anne has been through solely due to the lack
of family and a home that comes with it is heartbreaking to say the least. That sudden dark turn of
the tone grabbed my well of sympathy and offered it to this dear crimson apple with a tree in sight no
longer. Yet, it is due to her imagination that she nurtured and smithed into a defense mechanism
against sorrow that she pulled through and retained that childlike vitality that is hopeful for the
future.
After encountering Anne's would-be familial prospect should she reject the adoption, Marilla's heart
softened and decided to keep Anne in the Green Gables. Finally with a home she can ground herself on,
in a conducive environment meant for sustainable maturation, Anne's daily adventures of learning
something new everyday begins.
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/vZQBjXo.png)~~~
# ~~~__The Story's Flesh: Of Loving Relationships__~~~
Anne of Green Gables is akin to a regular Saturday morning show with its relaxing atmosphere one can
easily fall under comfort to. The feeling of ease arises from a mellifluous soundtrack directed by
Urakami Yasuo playing the sound of rural life and art design handled by Ioka Masahiro that thoroughly
replicates the rose-colored beauty of nature. I was going to say, Ioka's craft on the natural
environment is astounding, truly bringing out nature's deep and manifold aesthetic blessings. It turns
out that Miyazaki and Takahata Isao (the anime's director) expressed their praises for Ioka's
depiction of nature as well.
Although it doesn't really require much brain power to appreciate and comprehend because it's more
face value, it is nevertheless a story that abounds in life lessons one would expect from a classic
children's novel (still written with all ages in mind) and excelling in that regard so much that its
novice complexity is not at all a weakness, but rather a strength. Its encompassing scope is reached
from its lessons regarding doing chores, temper regulation, forgiveness, self-love, the value of
friendship, balancing fun and studies, discovering and pursuing dreams, and most importantly, loving
your family. All of these concepts and more explored in six cycles of spring, summer, fall, and winter
are executed with immense grace.
Were I to read the novel or watch this anime whether in my innocent years or my rebellious phase I
would still take the story's tender intentions taught with love to heart. It does not come off as
overbearing, it really rings convincing all the way, soothing down angst and cynicism and all its
cronies.
Anne and the cast and everything behind it are simply great teachers capable of understanding the
events of human life and telling a story that would alleviate doubts while fortifying virtues.
The protagonist Anne Shirley at eleven started off like your ordinary kid: causing mischief,
unbelievably noisy, inhibiting self-deprecating behaviors concerning physical features, prideful, and
rather oblivious to the environment. I myself found her a bit intolerable during the first quarter of
the series, so close to the border of annoyance. She basically exhausted all her many faults in the
beginning. But there is one thing about her she herself is already aware of, something I find very
much admirable especially since she's just a child, and it's that she learns from her mistakes and is
confident that it would never happen twice.
Another thing about Anne is that she respects Marilla and Matthew a lot. She doesn't talk back
disrespectfully despite Marilla's many disagreements, nor does she do anything with the intent of
causing trouble for her guardians in mind. She fulfills her household responsibilities faithfully. It
is very clear that Anne cherishes the very first family that accepted her, and that's as sweet as
honey.
The sentiment is reciprocated by the Cuthberts. Matthew is literally overflowing with love and
affection for Anne, going so far as to sacrifice his already weakened body for honest work that pays
in order to give Anne the most comfortable life she can get and for her to forget her haunting past.
Matthew possesses boundless care and understanding for Anne, being a firm believer of the child's
capabilities. He has complete and utter faith in Anne's personality as well. Matthew's love is quiet,
but persevering, gentle, yet fiery. Its boundlessness is absolutely wholesome.
Marilla doesn't fall short in loving Anne. Being rather airheaded and clumsy, Marilla is a much-needed
slap to bring Anne back to reality whenever she wanders away into fantasyland. She teachers her the
value of religion, nurturing the importance of morals and duty within Anne. As a pragmatist, it was
very wise for Marilla to not spoil the girl at her tender age and rather train her to be sensible
amidst the extravagance around the neighborhood.
Marilla is not without faults, however. There were times where she was too stern and needlessly strict
and distrustful of Anne without ever hearing her side of things. Some moments she was seen to be
dismissive of Anne's latent ability to imagine, which the story urges is an extremely pivotal
intelligence to enhance as it transcends the world of dryads and nymphs and seeps into reality.
Overtime, however, as Anne continues to grow, Marilla "mellowed out" as per Avonlea's very own Rachel
Lynde's words (who I feel deserves her own religion because of her everything-ness). The mother figure
painstakingly floated through the stark age gap and learned to understand the needs of the youth,
especially one such princess who was never raised by proper parents.
All in all the Cuthberts of the Green Gables make for one of the best families in fiction and
therefore one of my high favorites in the expression of family love.
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/6OjzMtW.png)~~~
The story doesn't limit to familial expositions. As a show focusing on the conglomeration of
relationships from mere shards to complete figures, it is also important to take note of Anne's
friends, specifically Diana Barry. To put it simply, I adore Diana. At first I shared Anne's anxiety
in thinking that she will never have her bosom friend and Diana would be weirded out by her outgoing
energy, which would mean that Avonlea would be a desolate place for the child, incomplete despite
already fulfilling the having-a-family requirement. It turned out that their friendship would last
until the end of time, the oath on the garden stream fulfilled.
Diana and Anne are always in sync. Both of them are basically as one, never separating from one
another inside and outside the classroom. They're practically two little flowers in one stem. I grew
so fond of their interactions; their friendship, I found, is one of the most sincere ones. I too would
like to have my own Diana who connects with me and my eccentricity. She is a real gem, always there
through thick and thin, unafraid to call out her friend's mistakes.
Their relationship also has its own share of conflicts. Once they had a huge argument which would have
spelled the end of their wedding vows. It was triggered when both of them realized, they were two
different individuals after all. Diana and Anne were too in touch with each other such that both of
them could regard each other as their own selves in the intricate coalescence of their souls. Were it
not for Jerry Bout's prank on Anne in telling her she'll die from the poisoned apple which prompted
her to apologize to Diana for her childishness, things would never be the same for the inseparable duo
of Avonlea. In the end, Anne decides to join the study session for Queens while Diana paves her own
path, both still cherishing their bond nonetheless.
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/WYvPZek.png)~~~
# ~~~__Time Will Not Cease Its Flow__~~~
The author does not condone naivety nor irresponsible deeds--it is always addressed at some point in
the story. It isn't always rainbows and sunshine in one countryside of Prince Edward island. Time
flows and it carries along with it both blossoming petals and withered leaves. It is an inescapable
fact that problems always catch us ever so suddenly in surprise, and we have no choice but to accept
destiny's decree.
We witness Anne grow so much throughout 50 episodes, and I truly felt like I've overseered her like my
very own child. Puberty didn't exempt the young girl to shoot up in height. That alone brought a sense
of melancholy. Anne eventually became sensible and spoke less of her endlessly meandering fantasies.
She experienced exhaustion in dedicating her time to study hard to ace the Queens Entrance Exams. She
tied with Gilbert Blythe at #1, and after a few months, lived in the city boarding house away from the
Green Gables.
Is this what being a parent feels like? Rather than connecting with Anne in this aspect as a growing
teenager, I felt more strongly the side of the Cuthberts. Seeing one's child away arises a
debilitating kind of loneliness. Parents have their own feelings too. They cope with their own
problems too. They love us children too, and I can't help but think about my personal situation and
how I lack in gratitude for my own family. I became sensitive to their feelings whenever I am absent
from school and silent for my studies. Those sorts of things and many others I reflected due to the
movement of the story.
~~~__!! SPOILER GROUND !!__~~~
Spring had its turn for more than half of the tale. Anne of Green Gables is an expert in setting up
the tone of the atmosphere, giving glimmers of inevitable conflicts without disregarding the shining
perception it advocates for. Matthew experienced frequent attacks due to his heart problems. Marilla's
headaches were an indication of blindness. Even Anne wasn't exempted to the party--the Cuthbert doctor
warns of a possibility of Anne acquiring lung problems were she not properly supplied with fresh air.
And this is where the author teaches us to balance studies and fun lest we fall unstable and
threatened by ailments.
And so I feared for the lives of the two old angels as the pages turned. Sure enough, Matthew died,
which brought me my own kind of heart attack. Marilla was getting frail and with her own visual
problems; she couldn't possibly provide for the family. The fall of the bank's financial conditions
made it so that she had to make a difficult choice of considering to sell the house while she shelters
inside the Lynde household as Anne continues her studies far away. The rain poured into a typhoon, the
snow frosted into blizzards. It all felt so hopeless. And Anne isn't a superhuman--despite her
blinding optimism, she regressed into the shadows for a while too. But with her dutiful nature, and
most especially, the power of her imagination, she was able to concoct a plan to put them out of this
misery. She gave up her studies despite a hard-earned scholarship and sought a teaching job instead.
Anne...was so admirable. She was determined to shoulder finances at the age of 17. She was so quick in
recovering and putting her wits together; I would have brooded it over for a week at least, paralyzed.
The culmination of her hard work grew not solely for her own sake, but for a massive tree of fruitful
bearings dedicated to the people who truly loved her for who she is. As she aged, she realized how
home is the most important thing for her. That was the very thing she lacked for the first full decade
of her life on Earth. That is something a lot of us take for granted. Anne of Green Gables preaches
how we should also understand our parents for they are imperfect beings like us and to give thanks to
the reasons for our nourishment.
A bit of a tangent here, but there was a scene which I find unforgettable. It was during Anne and
Diana's trip to Charlottetown sponsored by Josephine Barry. They basically experienced the finer
things in life like casual regals. Upon being questioned whether the city life is more suitable for
her than life in the countryside, Anne stated that, no, she prefers the simple elegance of the Green
Gables to the luxury of the city. In arriving home after a few days of fun, Anne said,
>"I've had a splendid time, and I feel that it marks an epoch in my life. But the best of it all was
coming home."
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/heJMUFw.png)~~~
If that isn't one of the best things you could ever hear from your child. Often, the saddest part of
hanging out with friends is parting ways to go back home. For Anne, however, that notion is reversed.
To her, being in the Green Gables is much better than eating ice cream, sweets over tea, witnessing
opera performances, and sleeping inside a royal bedroom.
Anne Shirley is the essence of what it means to appreciate what you have. Half of her life thus far
was dedicated to grasping at straws and sleeping with utter lack. The orphanage's mistake turned out
to be one of the greatest blessings for her, and that is something she will never release from her
grip. She grabs the chance by the collar and pours it with genuine love as she continues to learn what
it means to live with a family by her side. Allowing the main character to have that kind of
background assures the universality of the story's impact. Deservingly, Anne of Green Gables the novel
became a world-renowned classic. Anne's teacher profession goes far beyond the confines of the screen
for the personal lessons she educates permits a blossoming garden of wisdom.
Despite the prickling of thorns and bladed grass after reaching solid ground, despite the howling of
uncertainties and the Death God's almighty shears, Anne Shirley braved every obstacle and lifted
herself up the clouds by the power of her divine imagination providing her the strength to strive for
her dreams and the magnetic attraction on kindred spirits as she bestows colors of joy around the
narrow road's field like a basket girl throwing out flowers past the meadow.
The achievement of simultaneous romanticization and pragmatism is a testament to L.M. Montgomery's
writing prowess, interpreted by Takahata with his own magic. In this kind of storytelling where ebb
and flow are not discarded but rather incorporated in full disclosure, Anne of Green Gables finished
as a long-lasting definitive oeuvre, a heartwarming tale brimming with realizations. I firmly believe
the story is a must to experience across all adaptations as it educates with love through timeless
grounding art.
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/afTqQ4A.png)~~~
~~~
__[ Introduction to the World Masterpiece Theater ]__
To understand this further, I will introduce the World Masterpiece Theater, a long-running series of
anime adaptations of classic western literature largely produced by Nippon Animation. Each year the
company took a classic novel and adapted it into a series of about 50 episodes. While the series in
general is aimed at children and many of the originals that got adapted were children's books, its
themes and plots can be surprisingly mature. The franchise used certain pieces of classic literature
and adapts it into an anime, in this case being Anne of Green Gables.
~~~
~~~
__[ Setting and character analysis ]__
Anne of Green Gables begins its tale in the fictional town of Avonlea on Prince Edwards Island, Canada
set during the dawn of the Second Industrial Revolution. Here we are introduced to Matthew and Marilla
Cuthbert, who soon become the parental figures of Anne as they look to adopt a boy of around 10 to
help them with the farm work. However, they are surprised when a young girl was instead given to them
by the orphanage. The story is quite literally as the synopsis entails "The story covers Anne's growth
from about eleven to seventeen years old as she makes friends, goes to school and studies. At a
difficult point in her life, Anne will have to make a hard choice and perhaps find a new dream."
We start the discussion of the characters with our protagonist Anne Shirley who carries many
imperfections. For instance, she carries an obdurate hatred of a character simply because he teased
her once. However, she is an incredibly realistic and human character and her imperfections are only
proof of that. Witnessing the heartfelt relationship between Anne, Matthew and Marilla as they grow
together as a family and deal with the tribulations of life is only part of the journey. The build-up
started back in the very moment when Anne made her way into Green Gables, culminating with substantial
personal and interpersonal developments within the family. Fundamentally, the story revolves around
Anne's process of maturation and how it all ties up together.
~~~
~~~
__[ The magical transition from novel to adaptation ]__
The adaptation of this anime is simply brilliant with every scene given detail and the scenery
described within the novel is given life with an arresting view. Akage no Anne successfully maintains
the charm of the original narrative through the stylistic devices it possesses as an anime, therefore
delivering an accurate and heartfelt visual reinterpretation of Montgomery’s imaginative vision. The
original novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery has resonated with millions of people
around the globe due to its realistic approach of depicting the magic of everyday life. I also give my
utmost respect to the director of this adaptation, Isao Takahata, who has done an amazing job of
exploring its full potential.
~~~
~~~
I cannot recommend this enough to everyone as I believe it is a story everyone can enjoy. Watching
everything unfold is truly an experience like no other.
~~~Hope you enjoyed my review and have a great day!~~~
