Louisa May Alcott is recognized as the original creator behind several anime and manga works, serving as the credited source author for multiple Japanese animated television series. As an American novelist born on November 29, 1832, and active in the 19th century, Alcott is best known for her literary works, particularly the novel Little Women, published in 1868. Her writing, often drawing from her own childhood experiences in Concord, Massachusetts, has become the foundation for numerous adaptations across various media, including anime.

Alcott is not an anime or manga creator in the sense of producing illustrated works herself; rather, her status as an "original creator" in this context stems from Japanese productions that adapted her novels. The most significant of these is the 1987 Japanese animated television series Tales of Little Women, also known as Ai no Wakakusa Monogatari. Produced by Nippon Animation, this 48-episode series aired on Fuji Television as part of the prestigious World Masterpiece Theater franchise. The series was directed by Fumio Kurokawa and adapted for the screen by Akira Miyazaki, with Alcott receiving credit as the author of the original source material.

Prior to the 1987 series, two other notable anime adaptations of Alcott's work were produced. A television special titled Wakakusa Monogatari aired in 1980, co-produced by Toei Animation and Kokusai Eiga-sha. This was followed by a 26-episode television series in 1981, known as Wakakusa no Yon Shimai or Little Women's Four Sisters. This 1981 adaptation was directed by Kazuya Miyazaki and produced by Toei Animation, airing on Tokyo Channel 12. Both productions credit Alcott as the original author of the source novel. A sequel series, Little Women II: Jo's Boys, also known as Wakakusa Monogatari: Nan to Jo-sensei, premiered in 1993, continuing the adaptation of Alcott's sequels to her original work.

In addition to these direct novel adaptations, Alcott herself has been depicted as a character in original anime works. She appears in the anime and manga series Bungo Stray Dogs, where characters are named after and inspired by real-world literary figures. In this series, Louisa May Alcott is portrayed as a young strategist with an ability named Little Women. This further demonstrates her enduring cultural significance within Japanese anime and manga, where she is recognized as both a source author and a figure of literary inspiration.