The opening credit roll was animated by Hayao Miyazaki, except for two scenes by experienced animator Yasuji Mori. Assigned to animate a ring dance of Heidi and Peter, Mori wanted to analyze a movement of two real people, so Miyazaki and animation director Yôichi Kotabe did a ring dance in a parking lot next to their studio, and Mori shot them with an 8mm camera for reference.
Heidi (1974) Japanese anime series by Zuiyo Eizo. It was directed by Isao Takahata, has been dubbed into many languages. The TV series was also broadcast in Italy in 1978. It was subsequently edited in three theatrical feature films, Heidi in città (1978), Heidi torna tra i monti (1978), Heidi a scuola (1979), produced by Beta Film and Riccardo Billi and distributed by Sampaolo Film. The first of the three, Heidi in città, summarizes the episodes in which Heidi is brought to Frankfurt and befriends Clara. The second, Heidi torna tra i monti, summarizes the latest episodes of the series, in which Heidi, finally back with her grandfather, continues to maintain the friendship at a distance with Clara, who, precisely during a visit to the girl initially hampered by Mrs. Rottenmeier, will resume the use of her legs. The third feature to be released, Heidi a scuola, sums up the first part of the series, which includes the arrival of Heidi in the mountains and the meeting with her grandfather.
A feature-length film was edited from the series by Zuiyo (which by then was a separate entity from Nippon Animation, which employed many of the TV series' animation staff) distributed in 1979. All cast were replaced excluding Heidi and the grandfather. This movie is also the only incarnation of the Heidi anime to have been released commercially in the United States in English (on home video in the 1980s).