Studio Ghibli held their "Anniversary Preview" for the upcoming theatrical release of Anne of Green Gables at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. Director Isao Takahata was on hand, and if the Google translator-bots are correct, he was joined by Eiko Yamada, the actress who voiced Anne Shirley in the 1979 television production.
It was also revealed that this theatrical rendition of Anne - an editing of World Masterpiece Theater's first six episodes - will be released on DVD. Takahata's speech at the embassy event may also be included as an extra, which should arrive on the Ghibli Museum Library label.
I'm personally intrigued by the idea of a DVD release, and, obviously, I'm wishing and hoping for Ghibli to release the entire 1979 TV series. I don't know how likely that is, since Nippon Animation is still alive and kicking; they even revived World Masterpiece Theater in recent years, ushering in the series with an Anne of Green Gables spin-off. I'm sure they won't give up such a lucrative licence so easily.
That said, it's always wonderful to see Takahata appear in public, and to see his name on the big screen once again. It's also a treat to see Eiko Yamada, who played such a wonderful Anne, capturing that manic energy and emotional vitality so perfectly. She's my favorite Anne Shirley, in fact.
2 comments:
Being Canadian, I would love to see this. I kind of started watching it online, but having a DVD in my hot lil' hands would be great.
Of course, it's also a little weird to be seeing "the closest thing to Mickey Mouse that Canada has ever produced" in a form unique to an entirely different society. But then, more Japanese people have read the book than have Canadians, so there you go.
It would be wonderful to have the full series on DVD. Strangely as a gift for my parents I bought a PS3 for a Blu-ray player for their HD setup, in addition of upgrading the hard drive inside the device to a 250gb I put the entire Akage no Anne on it. My mother has decided it is the best rendition of Anne that she has ever watched. And frankly if there is nothing going on at their house, that is what she has running almost 24/7 - from beginning to bitter end. It would be nice to have a legal copy of the series with better picture quality.
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