I finished Heidi, Girl of the Alps tonight! What a lovely show, you can see the genesis here for several ideas and themes that later were expanded in films like Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbor Totoro, and Only Yesterday. Might write some more about it at a later date, but something I am interested in if anybody knows; is there any kind of analysis related to crip theory written on this show? I am not familiar with the original story so I don't know how much it takes from it, but I thought the way that Clara's disability and subsequent recovery was portrayed is interesting. It is pretty "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" in it's approach, but it is also at times surprisingly compassionate for how Clara is worried and stressed by the pressure put on her to walk. If anybody has any idea on any pieces like that (or anything related to the show, really) please let me know!
This article over at Animetudes (h/t to @lrwerther for linking this to me) goes really into the nitty gritty of the production of Heidi. It is a fascinating read, both in how it outlines the way that the show's production would influence more shows to come, and also detailing the brutality that was the making of the show. Really wonderful read here.
