Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eager to make the trip back to Green Gables, and see how things are getting along for Anne and her new friend Diana. Their first outing in the woods has already proven to be a rousing success, as Anne’s imagination and Diana’s knowledge of their home fused into a fantastical journey through their local groves and glens. Takahata and Anne’s sensibilities could not be more complimentary; with the two of them as our guides, this adventure took on a magical tenor as inviting as any Ghibli film, demonstrating how intimate human drama and magical realism are such a natural pairing. Our own lives are not experienced in such a way as could be captured by an impartial camera’s eye; they are suffused with the emotional buoyancy of discovery, hope, and despair, making these fantastical embellishments more true to the human experience than clinical observation could ever be.

As for this coming episode, the staff list seems about par for an episode of Anne, meaning it ranges from all-time medium luminaries to simply excellent long-time artists. Along with the usual pre-Ghibli crowd, we’ve got Seiji Okuda handling storyboard duties, a man whose credits range from Sherlock Hound and Heidi all the way through recent productions like Hitori Bocchi and Pastel Memories. I’m sure there’ll be plenty to poke at in all sorts of directions, so let’s not waste a moment further, and set our carriage towards Green Gables!

Episode 11

Man, it has been an extremely stressful week on my professional backend, making it all the more joyful to hear this welcoming OP melody. Few OPs can match this one in terms of that “it’s alright, you can calm down now, we’re headed to Green Gables” style of appeal

I know anime’s current model of adaptation has far different priorities (ie being a Kadokawa light novel advertisement wing), but god I wish we were still getting adaptations of genuine literature classics. Imagine regularly receiving shows that started from a baseline guarantee of literary script quality!

“Marilla’s Amethyst Brooch Disappears.” Alright Anne, time to put all those mystery novels I’m sure you’ve read to work!

“An entire summer was spent with Diana, until one certain day…” Oh wow, quite a time skip there. It sort of goes to show this story’s literary origins; novels tend to be far more cavalier about skipping forward through someone’s life story than television shows, trusting their audiences to understand that life contains both fits of commotion and long stretches of consistent experience

That convention carrying through in adaptation also means literary adaptations tend to be the most ambitious in terms of narrative and thematic scale. Shows like Legend of the Galactic Heroes and From the New World are some of the most sprawling and satisfying in all of anime, and I’d love to see more such novels adapted into animation. Can you imagine an anime adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude?

Also like this opening shot using these apple trees to illustrate time’s passage. Green Gables itself continues to be a key, living character in this production

Extremely Marilla moment, realizing Anne is back because she’s yelling some nonsensical song from over the hills

Ahh, it’s so adorable to see how Anne has settled into this home. One of the cats jumps on her lap the moment she sets down beside Matthew, and Matthew himself seems far more comfortable chatting with Anne, suggesting a table for the Idlewild before she can even mention it

The two of them are laughing and being frivolous and Marilla Will Not Stand For It

Anne’s breathless updates on a church picnic indicate she’s also found a place within the town’s larger community. Hard to imagine her failing to win over the village’s children eventually

“I’d like to know why you didn’t obey me.” “Well, I tried to, as much as I could. But you have no idea how fascinating the Idlewild can be.” See, it’s really not her fault at all, Marilla

“Matthew is such a sympathetic listener.” Indeed he is

Marilla gives her a stern talking-to, but nonetheless also offers permission to go to the picnic. Even for Marilla, there’s only so much she can deny this girl

“Ah, you dear good Marilla! Ah, you are so kind to me!” Ahaha, Anne’s thanks and apologies are always so delightful. Marilla getting Matthew-tier flustered by all this affection; neither of the siblings are particularly good at dealing with this

Marilla states she’s been planning to teach Anne to cook, but is waiting for Anne to be a tad less featherbrained to start. Can’t really blame her there

“I couldn’t endure the disappointment if anything happened to prevent me getting to the picnic. I suppose I’d live through it, but I’m certain it’d be a lifelong sorrow.” Anne sure does live an apocalyptically dramatic life

“Diana tried to explain what it was like, but I suppose ice cream is one of those things that are beyond imagination.” Her character voice is just so distinctive and endearing – this mix of polite, formal speech patterns and utterly bombastic declarations

Green Gables drenched in rain has an entirely different tone from its usual mode, with somber grays and blues matching Anne’s lowered spirits

Upon hearing the picnic’s formal announcement at church, Anne just clutches her hands together and begins vibrating intensely. It is clear that her entire future happiness depends on the fate of this picnic

I certainly don’t lament the decreasing influence of religion in the public sphere, but it’s interesting to see the role the church plays in this town, turning a disparate set of farmsteads into a genuine community. With both church and secular community participation dwindling over time, we’ve developed an increasingly isolated sort of culture, and I don’t think the internet’s grouping of like-minded enthusiasts is a proper replacement

“I don’t think I’d ever really believed until then that there would truly be a picnic.” It’s true, it was a pretty fantastical idea

“You set your heart too much on things, Anne. There’ll be a great many disappointments in store for you throughout life.” Wise words from Marilla, though Anne can’t exactly change her nature

“Looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them.” Though I actually agree with Anne’s counterpoint. Many things in life are at their best in our dreams of what they potentially could be, rather than what they eventually turn out to be

And at last, Anne notices Marilla’s amethyst brooch

Anne confesses that amethysts are what she always imagined diamonds to be like, and thus she cried when she first saw an actual diamond. Well, there’s the advantage and disadvantage of her consistent heart-setting in one

And then she discovers the brooch again, alone at home. Don’t do it, Anne!

The artists did quite a nice job of illustrating how light passes through a gem like this, effectively capturing the shimmer and shadows reflecting on different facets of the gem

Anne no! Leave the brooch in the… damnit Anne!

Anne attempts her best I Didn’t Do Anything Wrong face as Marilla inquires about the brooch. She looks about as guilty as every single puppy that has ever attempted this face

“That’s one good thing about me. I never do the same naughty thing twice.” Oh my god Anne

“Go into your room until you’re ready to confess.” “Will I take the peas with me?” “No, I’ll finish shelling them”

The moment Anne is out of the room, Marilla sets to work mentally forgiving her, acknowledging that Anne likely made a mistake instead of an intentional falsehood

She also acknowledges she cares far more that Anne lied to her than about the brooch itself. In spite of its unfortunate substance, this whole adventure is ultimately serving as an affirmation of how much Marilla now cares about Anne, and wishes for Anne to be the best version of herself she can be

Marilla’s persistent efforts to find the brooch in her room further emphasize her unwillingness to believe Anne would do such a thing

Matthew’s only input on the situation is to request that he not be involved with punishing Anne. Oh, Matthew

“Anne steadfastly refused to confess.” Anne and Marilla are both so stubborn in their own way that their interactions provide near-infinite fuel for drama

And Done

And now even the picnic is in jeopardy! What happened to that blasted brooch, Anne!? Was it really worth all this suffering?

Well, tragedy aside, this was actually quite a productive episode in terms of developing Anne and Marilla’s relationship. Between the time skip and the brooch issue, it’s clear to see how much Marilla now cares about Anne – if not, she wouldn’t be nearly so tormented about Anne potentially deceiving her. In visual terms, this was a touch more conservative than the show’s standard, with its household focus leaving little room for feats like last episode’s woodland adventures. But with Tomino returning for the next episode, I imagine the conclusion of this brooch drama will be as visually engaging as Tomino’s last tragic contribution. I can’t wait to see it!

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