Frances Hodgson Burnett was an English-born playwright and author whose literary works became the source material for numerous anime and manga adaptations, primarily through their inclusion in the World Masterpiece Theater television series. She was born on November 24, 1849, and died on October 29, 1924. While she is celebrated as a foundational figure in children`s literature, her significance in the context of anime and manga stems entirely from later adaptations of her novels, for which she is consistently credited as the original creator.

Several of Burnett`s most famous novels were adapted into anime television series that aired in Japan during the 1980s and 1990s. Her 1886 novel Little Lord Fauntleroy was the basis for the 1988 series Shoukoushi Cedie, produced by the animation studio Nippon Animation. Similarly, her 1905 novel A Little Princess was adapted into the 1985 series Princess Sara, also known as Shoukoujo Sara, which was produced by Nippon Animation as part of its renowned World Masterpiece Theater lineup. The 1911 novel The Secret Garden was adapted into the 1991 to 1992 television series Anime Himitsu no Hanazono, a 39-episode production by the studios Aubec, Gakken, and NHK Enterprises. These series represent the most significant and well-documented anime adaptations of her work.

Beyond these television series, Burnett`s literary catalog has continued to serve as the foundation for new productions in the medium. A two-episode television special titled Shoukoujo Sara was released in 2001, serving as a compilation or conclusion to the original 1985 series. Her work also inspired an original video animation, Hello Kitty no Shoukoujo, released in 1994. In a more contemporary example, the 2006 mecha anime series Soukou no Strain lists Burnett as the original author, demonstrating the enduring and sometimes unconventional ways her stories have been reimagined within the industry.

The influence of Burnett`s novels extends into manga as well. In 2012, a manga adaptation of The Secret Garden was published with Burnett credited for the original story. More recently, her novel A Little Princess was adapted into a manga titled La Petite Princesse Sara, published in 2014 by Nobi Nobi! as part of a collection of literary classics presented in manga format. This adaptation was noted for its fidelity to the original novel while utilizing the visual language of shojo manga. Her works have also been adapted into French bandes dessinées that incorporate a manga-inspired artistic style, further illustrating the cross-cultural reach of her narratives.

The recurring adaptation of Burnett`s novels, particularly The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy, highlights a thematic consistency that has proven resonant across cultures and formats. Central to her work are narratives of orphaned or displaced children who must navigate social hardship, isolation, and personal loss. These protagonists often rely on their imagination, resilience, and the restorative power of friendship and nature to overcome adversity. These themes of emotional endurance and the formation of found family have allowed her stories to be continually rediscovered and reinterpreted for new generations.

The significance of Frances Hodgson Burnett within the anime industry lies in her role as a primary source for several cornerstone productions of the World Masterpiece Theater, a long-running staple of Japanese animation that introduced classic world literature to a broad audience. Through these acclaimed adaptations, her characters and stories became familiar to viewers in Japan and internationally, establishing her as one of the most frequently adapted Western authors in the medium`s history. Her legacy in this context is that of a foundational literary creator whose original works provided the narrative framework for some of the most enduring and beloved anime productions of the late twentieth century.