Selma Lagerlöf was a Swedish writer born on November 20, 1858, in the Värmland region of Sweden, who became the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909. Before achieving literary fame, she worked as a schoolteacher in Landskrona from 1885 to 1895, and it was during this period that she began developing her first novel. Her literary career took off with the publication of Gösta Berling's Saga in 1891, and she would later become the first woman granted membership in the Swedish Academy in 1914. She spent her final years at Mårbacka, the family estate where she grew up, and died there on March 16, 1940.

Among her extensive body of work, the novel that holds the most significance in the context of anime and manga is Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige, published in two parts in 1906 and 1907. Originally commissioned by the National Teachers' Association as a geography primer for children, the book uses the fictional framework of a boy's journey to teach readers about the natural history, geography, and folklore of Sweden. The story follows a mischievous fourteen-year-old boy named Nils Holgersson who is magically shrunk to a tiny size and travels across Sweden on the back of a domestic goose, joining a flock of wild geese on their annual migration. The book has been translated into more than thirty languages and remains one of her most celebrated works.

The most prominent anime adaptation of Lagerlöf's work is the 1980 television series Nils no Fushigi na Tabi, known in English as The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. Produced by the Japanese animation studio Pierrot, it was the very first production for the studio, which would go on to become a major force in the anime industry. The series ran for fifty-two episodes on the Japanese network NHK from January 1980 to March 1981. The production was directed by Hisayuki Toriumi and featured episode direction from a young Mamoru Oshii, who would later become a renowned director in his own right. The anime remained largely faithful to the original novel, incorporating its episodic structure and educational elements about Swedish geography. One notable change for the series was the introduction of a pet hamster named Carrot, who accompanies Nils on his journey, as well as expanding the role of the antagonist, a fox named Smirre. The series proved highly successful and was broadcast in numerous countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, becoming a cultural touchstone for many viewers worldwide.

The core themes of Lagerlöf's original novel translate directly into the identity of its anime adaptation. The story is fundamentally about personal transformation, following a boy who is lazy and cruel to animals learning empathy, kindness, and responsibility through his experiences. This moral and educational arc is the central element of both the book and the series. Another key component is the deep appreciation for nature and geography, as the journey across the Swedish provinces is designed to teach about the country's landscapes, wildlife, and cultural traditions. The narrative also draws heavily on Scandinavian folklore, incorporating elements like tomte, magical creatures from Swedish folk tradition, into a realistic world.

The industry significance of Selma Lagerlöf's connection to anime lies in the foundational role her work played for Studio Pierrot. As the studio's debut production, Nils no Fushigi na Tabi established Pierrot as a capable animation house and set the stage for its later success with major franchises. Furthermore, the series represents a significant example of how classic works of world literature were adapted into anime during the late 1970s and early 1980s, part of a broader trend of Japanese animation studios drawing on internationally recognized literary sources. For Lagerlöf herself, the 1980 anime stands as one of the most widely seen adaptations of her most famous work, introducing her story to generations of viewers across the globe who might not have encountered the original novel.