The Diary of Anne Frank: A moving, insightful and inspiring animated masterpiece

"The Diary of Anne Frank": An animated film that combines history and emotion

The animated film "The Diary of Anne Frank," based on the diary of Anne Frank, a young girl who lived through the dark days of World War II, was released on August 19, 1995, and deeply moved many audiences. The film tells the story of Anne and her family who spent time in hiding to escape Nazi persecution, and highlights the misery of war and the strength of humanity.

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

novel

■ Release date

August 19, 1995 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toho

■ Eirin Number

114388

■Frequencies

103 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Anne Frank

■ Director

Akinori Nagaoka

■ Production

Produced by Madhouse Produced by The Diary of Anne Frank Production Committee (TBS, Bungeishunju, TOKYO FM, IMAGICA, Hakuhodo)

■ Story

In 1942, the shadow of the Nazis, who were invading European countries, loomed over Amsterdam in the Netherlands. As anti-Semitic policies progressed, the Frank family, including 13-year-old Anne, was called up by the Nazis. However, Otto, the head of the family, hid his family in the office of his good-natured friend Miep Gies. With Miep's support, they continued to live a long and difficult life of endurance, unable to make a single sound while the office was open. Meanwhile, Anne named her diary "Kitty." She continued to record the free-flowing emotions of her impressionable age. Eventually, the Funderson family and dentist Dussel joined them as "roommates." The eight men and women gathered in one place continued to live positively in the harsh reality, but in August 1944, the fateful day finally arrived...

■Explanation

This is an animated film adaptation of the timeless classic "The Diary of Anne Frank" by Anne Frank, written during World War II amid the madness of Nazism and unspeakable racism. It was carefully produced using 110,000 drawings and a full-scale location shoot in Amsterdam. The music by Michael Neumann, which colors the entire film, is also wonderful. The voice actors are a stellar cast, including Kato Go in the role of Otto, Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Sakagami Jiro, and Kuroyanagi Tetsuko.

■Cast

Anne Frank / Reiko Takahashi / Otto Frans / Go Kato / Vandaan / Jiro Sakagami / Peter / Tsuyoshi Kusanagi / Margot Frank / Seiko Tanno / Penelotra / Tetsuko Kuroyanagi / Dussel / Yusuke Takita / Miep / Yoshie Taira / Takuro Nakayoshi

■ Main staff

・Planning: Takanori Yoshimoto, Masaya Araki ・Original story: Anne Frank ("The Diary of Anne Frank: Complete Edition" translated by Mariko Fukamachi)
・Director / Akinori Nagaoka・Screenplay / Hachiro Konno, Roger Pulvers・Storyboard and directing assistance / Toshio Hirata, Rintaro, Morio Asaka・Original character design / Noriyuki Kubo・Mechanic design / Yasushi Ohara・Design / Araki Office・Animation director / Yoshinori Kanemori・Art director / Yuji Ikeda・Color design / Isamu Tsuchida・Color design / Hideko Kudo・Director of photography / Iwa Yamaki・Music / Michael Nyman・Sound director / Yasunori Honda・Producers / Masao Maruyama, Yasuteru Iwase・Production / Madhouse・Production / "The Diary of Anne Frank" Production Committee (TBS, Bungeishunju, TOKYO FM, IMAGICA, Hakuhodo)

■ Main Characters

Anne Frank Otto Frank van Daan Peter Margot Frank Penelotra Dussel Miep Kleiman

Background and production process of the work

The Diary of Anne Frank is set against the backdrop of the persecution of Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II. Anne Frank lived in hiding with her family in Amsterdam from 1942 to 1944, during which time she continued to write her diary. Her diary depicts the horrors of war and the simple joys of everyday life, and was read by many people after the war, renewing their desire for peace.

The production of this anime film aimed to respect the weight of the original work and convey its message through visual expression. Director Akinori Nagaoka shot on location in Amsterdam and depicted realistic backgrounds to enhance the realism of the story. In addition, the large-scale production system, which required 110,000 drawings, achieved beautiful images with attention to detail.

Characters and voice actors

The main character, Anne Frank, was voiced by Takahashi Reiko. Her delicate acting realistically portrayed Anne's growth and suffering, eliciting deep empathy from the audience. Kato Go, who played Otto Frank, skillfully portrayed the strength and kindness of a father who protects his family, demonstrating his presence as a central figure in the story.

Other than that, a stellar cast of voice actors, including Tsuyoshi Kusanagi as Peter, Jiro Sakagami as Fandarn, and Tetsuko Kuroyanagi as Penelotra, gathered together. Their performances portrayed each character's personality and emotions richly, adding depth to the story.

Music and Sound

The music was composed by Michael Nyman, whose beautiful melodies resonated throughout the film. Nyman's music expressed the misery and hope of war at the same time, moving the audience's hearts. In addition, the detailed sound effects by sound director Yasunori Honda realistically reproduced the tension of the hideout and even the small sounds of everyday life.

Evaluation and impact

The Diary of Anne Frank was highly praised when it was released. It was especially praised for its faithful reproduction of the spirit of the original story and for its beautiful animation. In addition, the film's depiction of the horrors of war, yet the portrayal of Anne never losing hope, moved many audience members and renewed their desire for peace.

This work has been used in educational settings and is highly regarded as a teaching material to teach the younger generation about the history of war and the importance of peace. Furthermore, it is highly valued not only as an animated film but also as a historical documentary, and continues to be loved around the world.

Recommendations and related works

"The Diary of Anne Frank" is highly recommended for people who want to learn about the history of war and reaffirm the importance of peace. You can also gain a deeper understanding by reading the original "The Diary of Anne Frank." Related works include the animated film "Grave of the Fireflies," which also has a war theme, and "Schindler's List," which depicts the Holocaust. Through these works, you can learn about the misery of war and the strength of human beings from various perspectives.

Conclusion

"The Diary of Anne Frank" depicts a historical event in the form of animation, and is a work that deeply moves and teaches the audience. Beautiful images, music, and the performances of a stellar cast of voice actors come together to convey the misery and hope of war. Through this work, you will be able to reaffirm the importance of peace and have hope for the future.