Anja (Twelve Months 1980)

Anja is a character and the main protagonist of the 1980 anime remake of the fairytale, (also known by its Japanese title, Sekai Meisaku Dowa More wa Ikiteiru, and Russian title, Dvenadtsat mesyatsev). The film is a Japanese-Russian co-production between Soyuzmultfilm and Toei Animation, based on the story of the same title by Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak. Anja was voiced by Shinobu Otake in the Japanese dub and Corrine Orr in the English dub.
== Twelve Months (1980) ==
Anja is feeding some forest animals, including birds, rabbits, and squirrels, when her stepmother and stepsister, Lina, approach her. The stepmother tells her that she and Lina are going to go shopping in town, and tells Anja to go to the forest to gather firewood. Lina scares off the animals by throwing a snowball at them. Anja notices this and seems concerned before her stepmom calls her name firmly to get her attention, and Anja relents, doing as she's told. While Anja is in the forest, she comes across a soldier named Captain Rustaff. The captain asks what she's doing outside in this chilly, wintry weather. Anja tells him she's collecting firewood. He inquires about whether her mother or father sent her to do the task, she tells him she's parentless. He apologizes for her loss and the presumption, and she asks the captain what he's doing outside and he explains that he's searching for a Christmas tree for the queen, even though Christmas was nearly a week ago. Anja knows of a tree that she thinks just may be perfect, she shows it to him, and offers. Captain Rustaff is pleased and accepts the offer. 
After Anja's stepmother and Lina hear of a reward of gold coins offered by the queen to anyone who finds her some spring wildflowers called galanthus or snowdrops, and they return home, Anja is back at the house as well. This time, they want Anja to go outside again to search for this kind of flowers for them. But Anja objects, due to there being a snowstorm, as well as the weather and climate being too chilly. After some arguing, they force her out into the chill anyway. After a while of trudging through the snow, Anja can't go on any farther and collapses in the snow. But then, she sees a glow in the distance. As she gets closer, she finds a dozen male spirits in cerulean cloaks surrounding a campfire. They represent the twelve months of the year. One of them, December, asks what's she doing outside in this weather and she tells them of her situation. As Anja goes near the fire for warmth, the male spirit representing April tells her who they are and that they know all about Anja, like her kindness. It turns out they have the power to change the seasons and control the climate, and weather. After hearing about her situation, one by one, the spirits representing the months of December, January, February, March, and April do a favor for Anja: They change the season from winter to spring within moments. Because of this, galanthus are now able to grow and appear in a meadow. Now Anja has the opportunity to collect the wild spring flowers and bring them back home to her stepmom and step-sis. But this is temporary, as the spirit of January tells her she has an hour before the season becomes winter again. She thanks them for their help and as a gift for her benevolence, the April spirit gives her a special, cerulean, octagonal ring which she can use to summon the spirits at anytime they're needed by also saying an incantation to have them appear and the seasonal changes happen. The January spirit tells her she must promise never to tell anyone of what she saw happened and she agrees to keep her word, then he tells her that she must leave the forest right away before the season and weather become wintry again, and she does as he says. Anja is very satisfied, happy, and gracious now that the solution to the problem has been found, and heads back home. Back at the house, the stepmother and Lina are surprised to find one of the baskets filled with galanthus and wonder how Anja managed to accomplish the task so successfully. But that didn't matter that much to them, as now they'll be able to give the flowers to the queen and be rewarded. Anja is upstairs in her room, praying to her late mother and father. After she falls asleep, Lina goes upstairs looking for her to have her do more work. Then, Lina notices the ring on Anja's finger, slips it off, and steals it. The next morning, Anja wakes up to find the ring missing. At first, she thinks that she must've dreamed the events of the night before. But when she recites the incantation, she recalls to herself that she knows for sure meeting the monthly spirits and receiving the ring weren't just a dream, and upset at the loss of her ring, she starts to cry. 
After the stepmom and her daughter return from visiting the queen's palace, they find Anja and are in need of a favor from her. Anja's stepmom tells her that she considers her as her second daughter. Anja is doubtful of this, due to having been treated so poorly. The stepmom and Lina need Anja to tell them where and how she managed to obtain the spring wildflowers, so they can explain that to the queen, after they weren't able to do it since they don't know, since they had Anja search for them instead of searching for the flowers themselves. Anja tells them she can't, because of the promise she made. The stepmom then asks her to tell her the directions to them. Anja replies she can't do that either. So a plan is made for Anja to go out, once again, to get more snowdrop flowers. After Anja leaves, Lina gets the idea of following her in secret so she'll learn about the whereabouts of the flowers. Lina tells her mom she'll tie a cloth to each tree branch to use each of them as a marker, so that it will be easier to direct her to the spring wildflowers' location and to use each cloth on a branch of each tree as a way of guiding the way back home. Anja eventually finds out she's being followed, after some snow from a high branch falls on Lina's head, and she slips, and falls. Anja tells her she should've known she'd be followed, but Lina insists that she was just checking up on her to make sure she was safe. Anja tells her to go back the way she came and if Lina doesn't comply, Anja will. Lina tells her it's too late and useless, as she shows that she's tied cloths to several trees to act as guides to the area where Anja found the flowers. Upset that she was fooled, Anja starts to cry again while Lina laughs at her.
After the queen demands to see where the spring wildflowers are for herself and to find the real person responsible for finding them, she meets Anja. The queen offers Anja the reward of gold coins which can be used to buy new necklaces and dresses. But Anja says she doesn't want any of those. The queen asks her what she does want. Anja tells her the only thing she wants is her missing ring back. After being asked where the ring is, Lina finds it in her skirt pocket. Anja tells her to give it back, but the queen says she wants to see it. After having a look at it, the queen says she doesn't have a ring like it. The queen tells Anja she'll give her her ring back if she tells her where the spring wildflowers are. Anja still refuses to reveal this. She's hesitant and tightlipped about that, other than saying she can't say. The queen threatens to sentence her to some form of punishment if she doesn't say, but Anja continues to be firm in not betraying the twelve month spirits. The queen then threatens to toss away the ring at first, but she only pretends to do so and gives her a second chance. When Anja still won't tell, the queen throws the ring, but as she does, Anja goes to catch it, while the queen holds her from behind, they fall forward, and Anja says the incantation once more. As this is done, the seasons switch again, going from winter to spring to summer to autumn and finally, back to winter. The queen, the stepmother, Lina, Captain Rustaff, the wise man, the prime minister, and the other soldiers are in disbelief at what they're witnessing. When it's winter again, the queen demands for her winter coat, but one of the soldiers tells her that it got blown away by the autumn wind. Lina and her mother find one coat has remained on a high tree branch, they both go to it to retrieve it, and fight over it. While doing so, they suddenly turn into dogs as their punishment. The others are surprised by the sight of this.
Anja is now in a horse-drawn sleigh and wearing a faux fur hat and coat. The queen demands that she gets a sleigh ride, but is told she has to ask permission first and show some kindness. When Anja invites her for the ride, the queen feels bad and guilty about her behavior earlier, and apologizes. Anja offers her her coat and the queen is astonished at how nice she is to her, even after the way she acted. The queen then receives her own coat when it magically appears on her, after learning a lesson in kindness and humility, and this is her reward. The Twelve Months reappear and January tells Anja that her stepmom and Lina will become human again in three years, if they learn some humility within that time and to return to the same spot where the snowdrop flowers were found in the next three New Year's Eves. Anja and the queen find that they have some things common with each other, more than they think. They become good, newfound friends and take a sleigh ride together.
== Personality ==
Anja is hardworking, kindhearted, caring, friendly, steadfast, curious, trustworthy, considerate, forgiving, humble, and somewhat naive. Even when her stepmother and Lina mistreat her, she has such high endurance.
== Physical Appearance ==
Anja is a slender, Caucasian/Russian teen girl. She has light blue eyes and shoulder-length, reddish-orange hair with curtain bangs or layered bangs. She wears a yellow, long-sleeved shirt with a folded collar; an orange vest; a stonish beige, shin-length skirt; a white, waist apron with turquoise stripes near the bottom, the lower stripe thicker; and black boots. Sometimes she wears a blue babushka and orange mittens. Later, she wears a white faux fur hat and a light gray, winter coat with white lapels.
==Gallery==
Anja (Twelve Months 1980) 8.jpg|Anja feeding her animals friends
Anja (Twelve Months 1980) 1.jpg|Anja getting firewood with Captain Rustaff
Anja (Twelve Months 1980) 2.jpg|Anja getting the snowdrop flowers with the Twelve Months help
Anja (Twelve Months 1980) 3.jpg|April giving Anja a ring
Anja (Twelve Months 1980) 4.jpg|Anja being brought back with a horse carriage and horse given to her as presents by the spirit.
Anja (Twelve Months 1980) 5.jpg|Anja having her ring back
Anja (Twelve Months 1980) 6.jpg|Anja offering her jacket to the Queen
Anja (Twelve Months 1980) 7.jpg|Anja and the Queen being friends
Category:Anime Heroes
Category:Loyal
Category:Female
Category:Orphans
Category:Movie Heroes
Category:Animal Kindness