The Canadian tourism board wants you to know that this year is the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables. They’ve been emphasizing this important data point all year long, hoping that it will pan out in tourism dollars. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and take a peek.

So you see, yes, Carrots herself is alive and well, and inspiring consumer spending in a time of economic woe, to boot. I find this funny, because Anne Shirley and her creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery, only ever inspired me to sheer audacity. I wanted to be wild and creative, and have adventures that involved bosom friends, raspberry cordial, and cute boys (possibly not in that order) just like Anne. (Well, OK, once I was also inspired to donate money to PBS because I got sucked into a fundraising drive while they were airing those Sullivan miniseries based on the Anne books, too. But that’s about it).

I like adaptations of YA novels. And when they’re done right, they’re just right, and you know it in your Story Gut. Kevin Sullivan’s Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea, are not stringent in their adherence to the novels, but they do manage to get Maud’s world correct. They’re quality entertainment in their own right, but they’re also really fun to juxtapose to the books. I’m cool with this form of “Maud” pop culture because those two films are clearly respectful of their source. Of course, then a few years ago the Sullivan team went and totally lost my support by releasing a third Anne miniseries. I’m still heartily boycotting it because it’s original and not based on any of Montgomery’s Anne novels. I can handle creative license in an adaptation, but messing with beloved characters in a totally new story that is positioned as “canon” really frosts my cookies. This was a horrible idea. “Why would they do this???” I wondered. “Where’s Mrs. Lynde when you need her? Someone needs to tell these heretics where they can put that third film!”

So I guess you can imagine my horror when I came across Budge Wilson’s Before Green Gables, an Anne prequel novel, floating around my local Borders a few months ago. “WTF?” I wondered: “Is nothing sacred any more?”

Subsequent “How could this happen?!?” internet searches resulted in some exciting revelations. One, the prequel novel is very real, and has also been optioned by Nippon Animation, based in Japan, for a TV follow-up to their previous Anne of Green Gables anime series. Two – wait. “WHAT?” I pondered. “There was a previous Anne anime series?!?!?!”

Ahhh.  And there you have it. I discovered Akage no Anne, an anime series from 1979 that tells the Anne of Green Gables story in excruciating detail, and is just as weird, trippy, retro, and beautiful as you’d expect. It’s a true adaptation, done with respect, but also heavily influenced by the culture producing it. And its frickin’ gorgeous.  Bonus: the infamous Hayao Miyazaki (some claim he’s the Walt Disney of Japan – I’m not sure that’s the best description, but he’s certainly an amazing animator) worked on the project. It’s pretty cool, and if you poke around the internets, I’m sure you can find a torrent file, like I did, possibly even one with English subtitles! You can also rummage around YouTube and get a taste of it there, too. Great stuff for a rainy afternoon. Or, for celebrating an anniversary that’s a lot less about dollars, and more about well … story sense.

Lucy Maud Montgomery was born on November 30, 1874.  Try celebrating the anniversary of Maud’s birth by curling up with Anne, Emily, or Pat, or by climbing your own Alpine Path. It’s all about girl power and audacity. Own it, ladies.