Hans Christian Andersen is the Danish author whose literary fairy tales have served as the foundational source material for numerous anime films and television series. Born on April 2, 1805, in Odense, Denmark, he became a master of the literary fairy tale, a genre distinct from traditional folk tales. While he was a prolific writer of novels, plays, travelogues, and poems, his enduring legacy lies in his 156 fairy tales, published in a series of nine volumes between 1835 and 1872. His stories, including such enduring works as The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Snow Queen, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Little Match Girl, and Thumbelina, have been translated into more than 125 languages. Andersen's tales are notable for their innovative use of spoken language, their deep emotional range, and the inclusion of both optimistic and profoundly pessimistic endings. A strong autobiographical element runs through his work, often focusing on themes of the outsider, unrequited love, and the quest for identity and beauty, which he explored from a perspective that resonates with both children and adults. He died on August 4, 1875, in Copenhagen.

Andersen's role in the anime and manga industry is exclusively as an original creator or original concept source, with no involvement in production as a writer, director, or voice actor. His work became a foundational element of Japanese animation from its early years. One of the first major adaptations was the 1968 theatrical film The World of Hans Christian Andersen, produced by Toei Animation. This was followed by the 1971 television anime series Andersen Monogatari, also known as Andersen Stories, produced by Mushi Productions and Zuiyo Enterprise. This 52-episode anthology series, which aired on Fuji TV, adapted 31 of Andersen's storylines and was notable for using the pixies Bubbles and Binga as a framing device.

Toei Animation continued to adapt his work throughout the 1970s. A significant production was the 1975 film Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, directed by Tomoharu Katsumata. This feature-length adaptation remained notably faithful to the original Andersen story, including its tragic ending. The same period saw the release of the World Famous Fairy Tale Series, a collection of short anime films produced by Toei Animation between 1975 and 1983. This series included adaptations of several Andersen tales, such as Thumbelina, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Wild Swans, The Little Match Girl, The Ugly Duckling, and The Red Shoes.

In the 1990s, Andersen's work was featured prominently in two major anthology series. The World Fairy Tale Series, a 1995 Italian-Japanese co-production, featured his stories among its 26 episodes. Similarly, the OVA series Video Ehon-kan Sekai no Meisaku Dōwa also credited him as the original creator for multiple episodes. These productions, along with many others like the 2005 television series The Snow Queen, demonstrate the continuous and widespread adaptation of his literary fairy tales across the history of Japanese animation.

The recurring themes in Andersen's original works have made them a persistent source for anime adaptations. His stories frequently explore profound human emotions such as love, loss, sacrifice, and the feeling of being an outsider, themes that lend themselves well to dramatic and visually expressive animation. The capacity for both poignant and hopeful resolutions in his tales has allowed different adaptations to emphasize either fidelity to the original tragic endings or more uplifting conclusions. The production of numerous anthology series specifically dedicated to adapting classic fairy tales, with Andersen consistently featured alongside other major literary figures, underscores his status as a cornerstone of the genre in anime.

Andersen's significance to the anime industry lies in his role as one of the most frequently adapted literary sources, providing the narrative foundation for some of the earliest and most enduring works of Japanese animation. His fairy tales formed a core part of the World Masterpiece Theater's predecessor series and were central to the production slates of pioneering studios like Toei Animation and Mushi Production. By consistently serving as the original creator for these projects, his body of work became an integral part of establishing the fairy tale and fantasy genres within anime, bridging the cultural gap between 19th-century European literature and 20th-century Japanese visual storytelling.