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nebroadweWell, well, well. I knew that L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and sequels were popular in Japan, but I wasn't expecting this: TMS has produced an animated version of Emily of New Moon with what looks like a bunch of young guns stepping up on the production side but some serious voice talent on the acting front. Tomoko Kawakami (everyone from Utena of Revolutionary Girl Utena to Misuzu in Air) has Emily; Akemi Okamura (Fio in Porco Rosso, Nami of One Piece) takes Ilse; Akio Ohtsuka (whose credits are legion: Banner of the Stars, Blue Seed, Escaflowne, Full Metal Panic!, Nadia, Paprika ... ) plays Mr. Carpenter; and Aya Hisakawa gets to sink her teeth into the creepy, possessive and tragic character of Aileen Kent. (Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard. When they make the anime of my life, I want to be voiced by Aya Hisakawa.)
By the testimony of the bloggers following this series here and here, Kaze no Shoujo Emily looks lovely and sounds like it's well put together, but I'm wondering about its chances for a cross-pondian release. Shoujo anime is a tricky sell in the North American market at the best of times, and we've got enough home-grown adaptations of children's literary classics to raise the coals-to-Newcastle problem (not to mention the question of to what extent Montgomery's fandom overlaps with anime fandom). But oh, if only, if only ... I am an absolute sucker for art that reflects on the process of making art, and Emily's growth into her talent as a writer is beautifully handled in the books. (Plus, I have friends in the Montgomery fandom whom I've been dying to hook on anime: talk about your perfect gateway drug ... )
By the testimony of the bloggers following this series here and here, Kaze no Shoujo Emily looks lovely and sounds like it's well put together, but I'm wondering about its chances for a cross-pondian release. Shoujo anime is a tricky sell in the North American market at the best of times, and we've got enough home-grown adaptations of children's literary classics to raise the coals-to-Newcastle problem (not to mention the question of to what extent Montgomery's fandom overlaps with anime fandom). But oh, if only, if only ... I am an absolute sucker for art that reflects on the process of making art, and Emily's growth into her talent as a writer is beautifully handled in the books. (Plus, I have friends in the Montgomery fandom whom I've been dying to hook on anime: talk about your perfect gateway drug ... )