As someone who was introduced to this version after following a thread of curiosity from the recent "Anne Shirley", I have to say I am overjoyed to have discovered it a few months ago. I watched the BD edition with the english dub and it was especially a treat to behold after growing tired of most middle-of-the-road anime these days. You'll find no Isekai here, no Shounen battles or cutesy Slice of Life (though you will get to know Anne intimately throughout a portion of her own). The literary classic series from over 100 years ago is brought to life by a Japanese anime studio from over 45 years ago...
Akage no Anne is, to keep it simple, a breath of fresh air for anyone who enjoys masterpiece theater programs. If you find old world charm and a heavy air of intellect in period pieces like I do, you will swear by this animation. As mentioned above, this project is quite old itself, and thanks to its pre-digital hand painted cels - Victorian Era Canada feels much more believable and tangible to your eyes. There are some truly wonderous and eye-catching moments throughout the more "imaginative" years of Anne's childhood. And thanks to the BD quality, the richness and color of the original work is free to dazzle you. It is still a product of its time, but that's also a large part of its charm. The animators had no digital pens and digital software to insta-delete mistakes they may have made, everything you see was painted onto physical cels and animated like a flip book. The works of the pre-digital age have a distinct pop to them, a certain look that can only be attained by having actual layers of art on them, not just binary layers blended together in a digital program.
I personally believe that any period piece animated during our current digital era is forever disconnected from a certain element of tangibility necessary to make the old times depicted truly believable. Akage no Anne does not have this problem, you can literally see the motes of dust and dirt on the cels which proves how "real" the art actually is. The beautiful environments surrounding Green Gables are translated perfectly into visual form. The painted backgrounds especially are truly wonderous in my opinion, nothing looks flat or ugly. It's so beautiful and refreshing to see after so many anime from recent times with abysmal CGI or lazy and completely uninspired drab backgrounds. The homes and various architectures from Victorian Era Canada are also represented well, everything is believable, and you will often see characters making tea or baking food using the antiquated technology of the era. The house interiors and wallpapers are especially a treat.
I suppose one of the most noteworthy things about Akage no Anne's visuals is that they have (as we would call it now) that distinct "Studio Ghibli" style. The fun fact being Hayao Miyazaki, yes that one, and some of the crew that would go on to form Studio Ghibli in the 80s actually worked on Akage no Anne. You could basically call Nippon Animation at the time - Proto Ghibli. I believe this is most apparent during the first 3rd of the series when Anne is quite small and prone to daydreaming. You can just see with your eyes the care and wonder in certain moments that would go on to become the animated staple of Ghibli.
As for the story, I have been told that Akage no Anne is quite faithful to the original book by L. M. Montgomery, at least when it comes to the time period actually covered by the show (11-17 year old Anne). Every major event is covered, but more importantly, the little and more subtle moments are as well. This is one of the biggest problems with "Anne Shirley", it has no detail. The pacing is rushed, the subtlety is all but gone, and the characters often move and act out of their era. The Victorian Era had down to earth people, quite reserved, homely... and Akage no Anne reflects this mentality well, much better than the new show whose bouncy character animations can often take you out of the time period supposedly being represented on screen.
Akage no Anne has wonderful pacing. There are often episodes where nothing of real substance happens, but you aren't bored for a minute and before you know it the end credits are playing. That's the mark of a truly well-paced show. You lose yourself in the world and the characters and the goings on no matter how big or small. You get a real feel for Anne as a person and Avonlea as a community. You'll watch her grow, make mistakes, make friends, star in village Christmas plays, that sort of thing. Anne and Diana's friendship is especially heartwarming to see.
The last thing I want to mention is the spirituality of it all. Despite being made in 1970s Japan, the Christianity of Anne of Green Gables remains intact and is venerated. Faith and the faithful are not denigrated and subverted like you would see in many post-modern "western" productions. Religion is treated as a backbone of the community, and something to fill your soul with joy. The wife of the town priest Mrs. Allen is a common confidant for Anne, and they get along very well. This was quite refreshing to see.
Although I was introduced to Akage no Anne through Anne Shirley, it has turned out to be a far better adaptation. You owe it to yourself to watch this Proto-Ghibli production if you have any love in your heart for Anne of Green Gables, literary classics, traditional animation, or masterpiece theater. It is a delightful little period piece of the Victorian Era, based on a book series that is popular in both the west and the east. I would also recommend watching Konnichiwa Anne at least once, as that covers the very early life of red-headed Anne.
