Anne of Green Gables, the iconic anime from Studio Ghibli legend Isao Takahata, is officially getting a reboot in 2025. While Isao Takahata is best known as the co-founder of Studio Ghibli and director ofGrave of the FirefliesandThe Tale of the Princess Kaguya, he had a storied career well before then, and by that time, he was already known as one of the biggest anime directors around.
Of all of Isao Takahata’s pre-Studio Ghibli work, the one he’s probably most famous for is the 1979 adaptation ofAnne of Green Gables. Of all theAnne of Green Gablesadaptations, the anime is often seen as the most iconic adaptation and was most people’s introduction to the story worldwide, and surprisingly,Anne of Green Gableswill receive a reboot in 2025 from The Answer Studio titledAnne Shirley. Not much is known about the new series, but with the amazing pedigree of the original, it has a lot to live up to.
How The Anne Of Green Gables Anime Brought Studio Ghibli’s Biggest Names Together
A big part of what made the originalAnne of Green Gablesanime so special was its place in the history of Studio Ghibli. Not only was the anime directed by Isao Takahata, butAnne of Green Gablesalso had Hayao Miyazaki doing scene and setting layout and Yoshifumi Kondo as character designer and animation director. Hayao Miyazaki’s reputation goes without saying, but Yoshifumi Kondo directedStudio Ghibli’s underrated classicWhisper of the Heart, soAnne of Green Gablescan be seen as a major gathering for Studio Ghibli’s biggest names.
That sort of pedigree puts a lot of expectations on 2025’sAnne Shirley, especially with what little is known about it. While the specific staff involved withAnne Shirleyis currently unknown, it’s being produced by The Answer Studio, currently best known forTower of God’s controversial second season, so unfortunately,Anne Shirleymight not have the production values to live up to the legacy of its predecessor. It’s still too early to make a definitive statement on anything, of course, and with any luck,Anne Shirleywill get the staff a story like it deserves.
How The New Anne Of Green Gables Anime Will Be Different From The Original
What To Expect From 2025’s Anne Shirley
WithAnne Shirleybeing a reboot ofAnne of Green Gables, that invites the question of how it will be different from the original anime. The original anime only covered the events of the first book, but the official website lists the Japanese titles forAnne of AvonleaandAnne of the Island, the two books to follow the originalAnne of Green Gables. Add in how the title of the new anime is justAnne Shirley, andAnne Shirleywill likely cover far more of theAnne of Green Gablesfranchise than the original anime, possibly the entire series.
As iconic as the original anime was, there’s definitely a sense of incompleteness to it due to it only adapting the first book, soAnne Shirleyadapting more books thanAnne of Green Gablescan create a more complete story that justifies watching it over the original. If that does end up happening, then so long as the production is good, the newAnne of Green Gablesanime will be a great one to watch and, ideally, do a perfect job of living up to Isao Takahata and Studio Ghibli’s legacy.
