World Masterpiece Theater: Before Green Gables (Part 1)
🌈 Synopsis of Episodes 1 to 18
Anne Shirley loses her parents at the age of six and is taken in by the housekeeper Joanna Thomas, beginning her life in the rural town of Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia. In the impoverished Thomas household, Anne is kept busy with housework and childcare, yet she overcomes her difficult days with her rich imagination and cheerful spirit.
This first half carefully depicts how Anne nurtured her heart during her childhood before becoming 'Anne of Green Gables,' and how she survived using her imagination and kindness as weapons. It is a story of how her (resilient strength) is quietly, yet surely, cultivated.
🏠 Main Characters
🌟 The Protagonist and Those Around Her
Anne Shirley
The protagonist of the story. A bright and imaginative girl with red hair and freckles.
Joanna
She takes in the orphaned Anne due to her connection as a housekeeper at Anne's parents' home. She raises Anne while living a life full of hardships.
Bert
Joanna's husband. He has a drinking problem and cannot keep a job for long, but he shares a strange sense of empathy with Anne.
🏠 The Thomas Family (The first home where Anne lives)
Horace, Edward
The eldest son of the Thomas family.
Eliza
The eldest daughter of the Thomas family.
・Edward Thomas
The second son of the Thomas family
・Harry Thomas
The third son of the Thomas family
・Noah Thomas
The youngest child of the Thomas family
Other Characters (Appearing in Episodes 1-18)
Mr. Henderson
The teacher at the school Anne attended in Marysville.
Eggman
A person who taught Anne about words and medicinal herbs.
Lokinbar
A kitten Anne adopted. A presence that becomes a pillar of support for Anne's heart.
🌹 Episodes 1 to 5
Episode 1: "Anne of Green Gables";In the rural Canadian town of Bolingbroke, six-year-old orphan Anne lived with the Thomas family, helping out around the house. Her days were filled with poverty and endless work. Even so, with her creative imagination, Anne always kept a bright heart...
Episode 2: "The Name Anne";Anne named the kitten she received from Minton 'Rocinante,' and she began to wonder who had given her her own name, but Joanna would not tell her. Meanwhile, Horace and Edward took Joanna's precious shawl without permission.
Episode 3: "The Little Yellow House";Anne longed for the parents she had never met. After learning from a conversation between Joanna and Eliza that her parents had lived in a 'little yellow house,' Anne became obsessed with the idea. On her way to town, she asked Bert about the house's location, but...
Episode 4: "The Golden Fountain";While out in town with Eliza, Anne's eyes lit up at a book of Browning's poems in Mr. Johnson's shop. Mrs. Emerson, a wealthy woman who appeared there with her son Roger, took a liking to the unique Anne and decided she would make a good playmate for her daughter, Mary.
Episode 5: "Eliza's Love";Bert got a job on the railroad, and peaceful days continued for the Thomas family. Then one day, Roger told Eliza that he was going to London for work and wanted her to marry him and come along. Eliza thought about taking Anne with her, but...
🌹Episodes 6–10
Episode 6: "Hope is Born";Eliza struggled with whether she should give up on marriage for Anne's sake. Bert showed a fatherly side to his daughter for the first time, telling her to get married and live her own life. Anne, who had secretly overheard their conversation, closed her heart to Eliza for trying to leave her behind.
Episode 7: "The Wintry Wind and the Rose";Noah, who had newly arrived at the Thomas house, was a baby who was always smiling. Anne was taking care of Noah again today, but she noticed Katie Maurice in the glass door of the room's cupboard.
Episode 8: "A Distant Melody";Anne chatted away again today in front of the cupboard she had named Katie Maurice. Since Bert had been working diligently lately, everyone in the Thomas family was able to eat salted meat.
Episode 9: "To Marysville";Crushed and desperate, Bert finally drank the alcohol he had been abstaining from. Bert returned home drunk, causing a huge scene and wrecking the house! He left the room in shambles and fell asleep on the floor.
Episode 10: "The Mysterious Egg Seller";Anne and the Thomas family were driving their carriage across the snowy fields toward the new town of Marysville. The new house was in a terrible state of disrepair, but it had many rooms, and Anne was to have a room of her own.
🌹Episodes 11–15
Episode 11: "Winter Sunflower";Every time she went to buy eggs, Anne learned a new word from the Eggman. One day, Anne brought her treasured book of Browning's poems along. When she told the Eggman why she called it the 'Golden Fountain'...
Episode 12: "First Day of School";The snow melted, and the spring Anne had been waiting for finally arrived. Anne, who was finally able to go to school starting today, was so busy from the morning, talking excitedly to Rocinante.
Episode 13: "A Friend Named Sandy";About two weeks after Anne started school, Mildred brought a beautiful brooch she had received for her birthday to school.
Episode 14: "Landry's Dream";On the days she could go to school, which was only three times a week, Anne's heart would dance with excitement from the morning. That morning, Anne was late because of taking care of Noah, and when she entered the classroom...
Episode 15: "Let's Go on a Picnic";One day, while Anne was eating her lunch, Mildred and the others were talking about the Sunday church picnic...
🌹Episodes 16–18
Episode 16: "More Books!";Mr. Henderson, Anne's teacher at school, was always buying books for the children with his 'paltry salary'...
Episode 17: "Our Stage";Anne hears that the play all the students were practicing so hard for has been canceled, and on top of that, Mr. Henderson is about to be fired...
Episode 18: "The Course of Love";The time spent with Eggman has now become something truly enjoyable and irreplaceable for Anne...
Raised in an orphanage, Anne lived supported by her imagination and hope.
One day, she is adopted and sent to Green Gables on Prince Edward Island, and she sets off on her journey with a heart full of excitement. However, the Cuthbert siblings had been hoping for a boy, and Anne faces the anxiety of being rejected once again.
Even so, with her rich sensitivity and positive spirit, Anne gradually builds bonds with the people around her. While experiencing the warmth hidden within Marilla's strictness, Matthew's quiet kindness, and the beauty of nature, Anne learns the meaning of "being loved" and "having a place to belong."
The story delicately depicts Anne as she steps out from loneliness toward hope, learning to accept herself while deepening her relationships with others.
Look forward to the second part next time! ❤️