Kawaii Kakkoii Sugoi was at Anime Central again this year to interview an exciting lineup of some of anime’s leading creators! In this entry, we had the chance to chat with the producer Yoshiko Nakayama and voice actress Honoka Inoue about Anne Shirley, a brand new adaptation of the beloved classical novel Anne of Green Gables currently airing in Japan and globally on Crunchyroll! We learn a lot about how it was to create a new adaptation for a new generation of fans!
First off, Welcome to Chicago! Hope you’re having a great time so far. My first question is for Inoue-san: What were you doing when you received the call for getting the lead role as Anne Shirley?
Inoue: When I got the call I was in a dance lesson for a completely different series.I was on break from the dance lessons when I got the news for the amazing role, but I didn’t know what to do with my excitement and what I was feeling because I couldn’t really talk about it there because I was working. So I just told my mom. How did your mom react to the news?
Inoue: She was just so happy. And I don’t really understand it myself, but she just apparently knew that I was going to get the part. I think it’s mostly because she’s just a doting mom!
That’s adorable! It was great to hear how much your mom supports you. Moving on to Nakayama-san, what sparked your interest in producing a new adaptation of I?
Nakayama: There was a competition within my company to come up with a new idea for any series and Anne of the Green Gables was one of my favorite books, so that’s why I suggested it. This is my first time as a main producer, and this is my first time controlling everything. But I had no prior experience. So originally when I pitched this project, I said we should do all 11 volumes of Anne of Green Gables, but of course, that’s a little insane. It was a little too hopeful. So the president suggested that we do just three volumes in this adaptation.
What discussions were had in awarding the project to Answer Studio?
Nakayama: Up until the time we find a studio, people are more interested.Right now, the popular genres of anime are always isekai, action, otaku-focused, and also, of course, there’s Takahata-san’s Anne of Green Gables anime. So really, no one is interested in a slice of life series. The reason we went with Answer Studio is that the wife of the Answer Studio’s President is a huge fan of Anne and even went to Prince Edward Island in the past. The president ended up green lighting the project and he wanted to make it the absolute best. They wanted to ensure the backgrounds were very beautiful and thus we were able to increase the budget. The studio could draw the characters exactly to my imagination. We definitely picked the right studio!
While planning the new adaptation, what were your non-negotiables?
Nakayama: I made sure not to change the storylines or how the characters were portrayed.
Thank you for that answer. Moving back to Inoue-san, what about Anne’s character strikes as similar or different from yourself?
Inoue: I think the way that we’re similar, I mentioned the ocean. I understand that there’s not an ocean in Anne of Green Gables, but I feel very connected to nature. So among the ocean, trees, and flowers, I feel a life force within nature. And this was a thing ever since I was little. So I think we’re similar in that way. We both really have a connection with nature and really love it. As for the way we’re different, Anne’s vocabulary is very broad, and she has a very particular way of saying things, and I think that’s one of the reasons why she’s loved. I personally don’t think I don’t think I have as big of a vocabulary. And I think that’s the way we’re different.
Finally, for Nakayama-san, In your experience doing overseas licensing work, what has changed in the anime landscape from global and domestic perspectives?
Nakayama: So about 20 to 30 years ago, adult anime was very hard to sell overseas. Basically, people really didn’t see anime for anything other than for children. But now, of course, that’s different. No one really wanted a 12 to 13 episode format. Again, that’s also different now. The money coming from overseas has a lot more zeros now. (Laughs) So, it’s very different. And it’s become a huge business.
Thank you to Anime Central for coordinating the interview!
Official Website: https://anime-ann-e.jp/en/
Official X:https://x.com/anime_ann_e
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