One of the most frequently asked questions among anime enthusiasts is why the renowned Japanese animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki abandoned the 1979 Nippon Animation project, Anne of Green Gables, midway through production. While the question remained unanswered for a long time, a recent interview of ANN with Yoshiharu Sato finally shed some light on the matter.

Addressing the hearsay about Miyazaki, Sato mentions that the former wasn’t really fond of Anne’s character from the series. However, by the time the Studio Ghibli animator Sato joined Nippon Animation, Miyazaki had already left, leaving the conclusion open to interpretation.

Anne’s Character May Be the Reason Miyazaki Left Nippon Animation

The 1979 Nippon Animation’s Anne of Green Gables anime project, a TV adaptation of L.M. Montgomery’s classic novel series, was directed by Isao Takahata. As Miyazaki had previously worked on Takahata’s Heidi: Girl of the Alps, he was entrusted with the role of a screen planner and layout artist for the series. However, midway through the project, Miyazaki left the studio to join Telecom Animation Film.

Around this time, renowned Japanese animator and character designer Yoshiharu Sato joined Nippon Animation for the Romeo’s Blue Sky project. While Miyazaki had already left the studio by then, Sato revealed in the recent interview how he heard about it in passing comments. He stated (via ANN):

By the time I joined, Miyazaki-san had already left and gone to Telecom Animation Film. I heard a joke, or a half-joke, that “Miyazaki-san left because he didn’t like girls like Anne.” And then Miyazaki-san had the heroine for his Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro film, Clarisse. I remember thinking, “Oh, that’s the kind of girl that Miya-san likes.”

While it is unconfirmed, the argument is valid based on Miyazaki’s perspective on female leads and the portrayal of heroines. As a co-founder of Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki produced many films featuring strong, independent female characters. While Anne is loved by many anime fans, it is entirely possible that she might not have lived up to Miyazaki’s expectations.

On the other hand, in the same year, Hayao Miyazaki directed Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, his first-ever solo film, featuring the female character Clarisse. Seeing this, Sato remembered remarking about Clarisse being the character Miyazaki might like, rather than someone like Anne.

What Are Yoshiharu Sato’s Views on Anne’s Character

Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables | Credits: Nippon Animation

While Yoshiharu Sato kept his opinion on Miyazaki’s view of Anne limited, he did share his own view of the character. Sato revealed:

But even among Takahata-san’s works, the way he portrayed Heidi and the way he portrayed Anne was completely different. Heidi was more relatable, like the more ideal happy little girl, whereas with Anne of Green Gables, Anne was more, how do I say it… I didn’t really understand Anne when I watched it

Even according to the Ghibli animator Sato, he found Anne’s character more confusing than anything else. He further mentioned in his interview that he found characters like Marilla and Matthew more understandable in the Anne of Green Gables series, rather than the main character, Anne herself.

Some basic info about the anime series:

TITLEAnne of Green GablesSTUDIONippon AnimationGENREDrama, Historical, Slice-of-lifeRELEASE DATEJanuary 7, 1979IMDb RATING7.7/10WHERE TO WATCHAnne Shirley (2025 Remake) on Crunchyroll

What are your thoughts on the actual reason Miyazaki might have quit midway through the series? What is it really because of Anne’s character? Let us know by sharing your opinions in the comments below.

Every episode of the 2025 remake of the series, Anne Shirley, is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
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