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'Violet Evergarden'—A Compendium of My Thoughts on the Show

A deep dive into the show as a whole, talking spoilers, and giving you my consensus for the show as a whole.

By BoblobV2Published 5 years ago 53 min read
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My Original Review

Violet Evergarden is a set of two light novels written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. It was the first work to win the grand prize of the Kyoto Animation Awards novel category, an accomplishment that occurred in 2014. The two volumes were released a year apart during the Christmas of 2015 and 2016, and a 13 episode long anime was produced by Kyoto Animation in 2018 that was distributed worldwide through Netflix. The series was directed by Taichi Ishidate, whose previous works in episode direction and key animation include Clannad, Hyouka, Koe no Katachi, and Kyoukai no Kanata—to name a few.

Voilet Evergarden presents its story by means of episodic storytelling. In other words, each episode tells its own story with its own set of characters, accompanied by an underlying narrative that links everything together. With the progression of each episode, we get to see the growth of our central character and how she changes from the battle-hardened soldier to Violet Evergarden.

The show has an interesting way of building up the world the characters live in. The show does not have many scenes of pure exposition where characters are saying things for the pure benefit of the viewers. Instead, the show decides to show everything. They show history through flashbacks, they world build by having Voilet travel to various parts of the world and by her experiencing the different environments, and we, as the audience, also experience them through her. As a result of this, we have a deep understanding of the political climate of the fictional land, the various classes of people, the struggles of individuals during a time of war, and how people choose to either accept it, fight against it, or succumb to it.

Violet starts out as a blank slate, which in itself is not a bad thing. What it allows for is the viewers to have a surrogate to experience the world through, provided it is done right. Violet Evergarden succeeds with flying colours. Unlike most shows that come out, the character does not remain a blank slate all the way through to the end of the show. Instead, with each episode that passes, we learn more about her past, what made her the way she was at the start of the show, and through her journeys meeting different people and experiencing the world, she grows—so by extension, so do we. As audience members, we are that much more invested in the characters because we do not see them through the eyes of a viewer, but through Violet’s eyes, and so we tend to feel the exact same way Violet does more often than not.

The supporting characters are a force in their own right. Each one has their own unique design, personality, and arc away from Violet, which gives the impression that Violet is privy to the whims of the world and has no control over it. The one-shot characters that appear in a single episode all have their own arcs and desires that are incredibly fleshed out with strong emotional hooks. It is also wonderful to see how various characters who come into contact with Violet change and become the best versions of themselves simply from spending time with her; Violet herself, in turn, grows and learns more about herself.

The visuals of the show are comparable to a feature film. The various landscapes, post-war, are lush and beautiful to look at. Meanwhile, conversely and during the flashbacks to the war, things look grim and devoid of colour, yet still maintain a feeling of hope despite the desperate situations characters finds themselves in. For a show that is not action-heavy, the sakuga bursts presented in it are beyond breathtaking, leaving one speechless. The show manages to near seamlessly integrate moments of 3D animation alongside the 2D animation. The only way you would notice is if one were to look particularly with the intention of finding those segments.

The music by Evan Call is fabulous and fits the show like a glove. The main theme of the show being a particular highlight. The soundtrack is vibrant and uplifting, always carrying with it a sense of wonder. It is an effect I have only experienced once before during the opening of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring when we first see the Shire. Only here, it lasts through a majority of the show and the effect does not at any point wear off.

(Addition to the Music: The main theme is incredibly reminiscent of the film Atonement, where a typewriter is used to create the main beat in a song. While in Atonement the theme is attached to a character, this show uses it thematically for instances like the joy of communicating one's feelings, looking to a bright future, having the courage to change, and being the best that you could be.)

This is a show I cannot recommend enough. The level of emotion that is packed into each episode is sublime. So much so that it had me reaching for the tissues during 10 of the 13 episodes. It has a great message, a fantastic overarching narrative, breathtaking visuals, a wonderful soundtrack, and a great collection of characters. If you have a Netflix account, Violet Evergarden is one I would implore you to watch.

Why Watch/Talk About it Again?

It has been six months since I watched Violet Evergarden for the first time, and wrote about it here. Since then, the show has been on my mind in one way or another; and with the recent events that transpired at Kyoto Animation combined with the general state of affairs we find ourselves in, much in the same way I watch Garden of Words and Man of Steel on a regular basis, I feel now more than ever is the best moment to watch Violet Evergarden again and feel hopeful towards the future. Having thought about the show for as long as I have since first watching it, I am certain that it is, without a doubt, my favourite piece of media out of everything that I have experienced to date. Watching this first episode only confirmed this notion.

Episode 01

Throughout this first episode, we are given an insight into Violet’s past and the horrors of being in war, but what is even more cruel is the fact that she was a child at the height of the war and was treated as nothing more than a tool. Following the end of the war, as a result of having been treated as a weapon for so long, following orders is the only thing that she understands. By interacting with the rest of the cast members, we get to see her slowly change her understanding of the world and how she fits into things; so much so to the point that by the end of the episode, she finally asks for something that she wants, rather than doing what someone else wants her to do.

What is absolutely beautiful about that moment is that the reason why she is asking to be an Auto Memories Doll is so that she can understand what the words "I love you" means, as they were the last words her former commander Major Gilbert spoke to her. This is the first step towards becoming her own person, and not simply following orders since the moment she was born. What is additionally impressive is that this is not a passive goal for Violet, this goal of seeking understanding allows for her to be an active protagonist that is always moving forward; and because she is seeking the answer to something as nebulous as love, there would be many different interpretations of it to be explored until she finds the one that best helps her understand her own feelings.

Despite it being the first episode, the show does not shy away from putting the characters into tough positions. From the start, we have Hodgins faced with the choice of either telling the truth about Gilbert to Violet, or to be indirect with her so that she would not be hurt so soon after recovering from her injuries. It is a difficult situation, and the way Hodgins was portrayed was fantastic. The show is not completely leaning on the heavy side; whenever Benedict and Hodgins are onscreen together, there is humor present to help alleviate the heavy mood that the show permeates. While the humor is not particularly fantastic, what makes it work as well as it does is the fantastic editing and the timing of the jokes.

Visually, the show is a spectacle, with incredibly fluid animation, a bright colour palette, incredibly detailed backgrounds, and a bustling world that feels lived in. Beyond that, the music is beyond phenomenal. All these aspects combined had me nearly in tears already; and considering the emotional state that I found myself in the first time I watched the show, I dread to think of the condition that I would find myself at the end this time when I know what is to come.

Episode 02

This episode starts with Violet being introduced to the three other Dolls that she will be working with when it comes to writing letters. Each one of the dolls has a distinct personality and distinct character design that helps them stand out in their own way. Cattleya is the mature, mentor figure that helps her juniors. She is confident and extremely good at what she does. Erica is the timid, shy, and reserved one, and Iris is the boisterous one that is not afraid to speak her mind. Added to that, you have the combination of Major Payne and Drax the Destroyer being taken seriously in the form of Violet herself, and you get a very interesting group of women working together.

It may seem slightly left field that I compared Violet to both Major Payne and Drax; however, that is how she starts as a character prior to the fantastic character progression that she receives throughout the show. She is still incredibly militaristic, stringent in her behaviour, and perceives her obligations as a doll as orders when in the workplace. Add to that the fact that she takes everything that is said to her in a very literal sense. As it was portrayed by the way she wrote the letter for the woman in this episode. While the other dolls try their best to interpret the emotions of their customers into the letters that are requested of them, Violet wrote what the customer said word for word.

This event leads to one of the most interesting conversations that I have listened to. It takes place in a beautiful cafe that I would love to frequent if it actually existed, and is between Violet and Cattleya, simply talking about the contradictory nature of human emotions and how we tend to behave with others. With these thoughts being conveyed through words, it is evident just how complicated the thoughts and emotions of a person are, while at the same time being quite simple to read by the way people behave and act around each other, much like how Violet’s customer was. Someone in love that is willing to open up her heart and accept her love’s proposal, while her mind says things that are to the contrary. It just goes to show that while taking things literally, like Violet does, makes things simpler in a lot of ways, at the same time, we as a race desire the passion that comes from being wanted.

This sentiment is repeated once more with Erica as she herself behaves in a way that contradicts what she says with what she does. Only when it comes to Erica is this used to develop her character, and draw out the similarities that are present between herself and Violet. In many ways, out of all the Dolls, Erica is the closest to Violet from a personality perspective, as she too has a hard time when it comes to interpreting the emotions of a person, and writing the true meaning of what they say. These are two characters that both failed in this regard, in this episode, and are the better for it.

We are shown, in this episode, just how good humanity can be by the way Claudia and his employees are. How they are willing to set what matters to them aside for the sake of someone else. For example, by the way Claudia found Violet the pendant that was given to her by Gilbert. What this show is doing is portraying the very best that humanity has to offer to itself by being incredibly honest, by showing our flaws, by showing just how far we are willing to go so that we can protect those who are close to us, and by showing the contradictions of our feelings. Once again, this episode had me incredibly emotional by the time it ended, even more so than the previous episode. The first time I watched this series, I was crying through 10 of the 13 episodes, and I fear I will once more be an emotional wreck by the end to an even greater degree.

Episode 03

This episode revolves around Violet going to school so that she can be the best Doll that she can be. What this segment really emphasizes is the fact that, in this time period of the world, the people that are able to read or write is quite low, or is a privilege afforded to those who can afford it, as it was the case in our very own history. Beyond that, this is a profession that is completely dominated by women. In fact, as far as the show depicts it, only women are Dolls. At no point is there a reason given as to why this is the case, it is only down to speculation to fill in the answer ourselves.

My personal theory is, generally, women are easier to open up to from an emotional standpoint, especially at the time period that this show is depicting; which, if we were to have a real life equivalent, is the late 1800s or early 1900s, a time period where gender behaviour is far more regimented to what is appropriate for a man and a woman. This functions in addition to the long-standing notion of women being far more emotionally in tune when compared to a man, which allows for them to interpret emotion far better. Whether this is actually the case or not is left to be seen.

During this episode, we see Violet make a friend during the time that she was going to class, Luculia. While we have seen different dimensions to war by way of Violet, herself, and Claudia, Luculia brings a different dimension in the form of her brother and the relationship she has with him. Her brother was a soldier in the war and was left as a cripple that suffers from PTSD, and finds some solace by drowning himself in alcohol.

Through this episode, we get to see how Violet is struggling with interpreting other emotions, while Luculia is struggling with expressing her emotions. This creates an interesting dynamic that helps to balance itself out. So much so to the point that Violet managed to take the first step towards being a Doll as a result of the time the two of them spent together, and writing a letter on behalf of Luculia to her brother. The episode does not hold back, as we see the state that her brother is in, while adding to the effects of war is the guilt that he feels towards the loss of their parents. The letter perfectly captures the emotions Luculia is going through to the point that the brother is able to recover slightly and find some amount of peace in himself.

This letter is what earns Violet a passing grade in the class that makes her a true, trained Doll, and she really does earn it because she was initially failed for not being able to interpret emotion despite having the best technical skills in the class. There is actually a hint of One Punch Man that reminds me of this moment where they both excel technically only to falter mentally.

While there is a lot to digest in this episode, as is the usual case with this show, we are not smothered, instead we are given a few moments of humor courtesy of Cattleya and Benedict. The two of them have a great relationship with each other that is a joy to watch, as they could be cordial with each other at one moment only to get into a heated argument in the next, and the timing of this shift in dynamic is fantastic.

We got one of the most beautiful shots that overlook the city that they live in at sunset, and it was breathtaking to the point that you could have paused, taken a screenshot and hung up the screenshot on the wall as part of your house decoration.

Episode 04

This episode focuses on Iris as both Violet and herself travel to Iris’s home town for a request. Prior to this episode, we have seen Iris in a very limited fashion where she is primarily in the background. We know that she is not afraid to voice her thoughts, and is quite prideful of herself. However, during this episode, we get to see a completely different side to her. This is emblematic of how we tend to be in actuality, we show a different side of ourselves to the friends and co-workers, when compared to the side we show to the family that we grew up with.

This episode took me back to my childhood where we lived next to a farm, and everything in front of us was paddy fields, cows, and greenery. As rural as you could get really, and to a certain extent, there is a lot of how she is feeling that I can relate to. The desire to come to the city and make a name for myself, in her case it is in being the most sought after Doll, whereas in my case it is to make films. While the show is not about her and she is in fact a supporting character, this similarity really strikes home with me in more ways than one. From the way I behave in front of my friends and those I work with when compared to my family being another.

This episode truly exemplified the awkwardness one feels when it comes to expressing their emotions honestly to their parents, and so the line by Violet really struck a chord with me where she says that sometimes there are things that we cannot express face to face, things that we can express only when the feelings are written down.

We also get a sense of how emotions transform relationships that people have with each other. How close two people could be, and how they could drift apart based on the strength of emotions that they feel towards each other. What this episode does incredibly well is that it shows Iris as a character that wears her heart on her sleeve, incredibly self conscious and emotional, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. We are all similar in this aspect in varying degrees, as these emotions drive us to be contradictory to that which we desire. Once more illustrating the complexity of human emotion.

By having Violet write a letter to her parents and friends that came to her birthday party, she managed to gain a deeper understanding of who she is as a person. This is as opposed to when she had to sort out her feelings alone and was bombarded by her parents with regards to her marital status, and wanting to play matchmaker, complied with the fact that they want her to quit being a Doll and come back home. What makes this episode great is the idea that people have the capacity to understand each other when their emotions are communicated, and interpreted in a concise manner. Both the daughter and the parents were able to finally understand each other, if only slightly, as a result of the letter.

Another highlight of this episode is the importance of communication, to make sure that you are on the same page with whoever it is that you are with in regards to any type of relationship. That being said, we are all humans, and once more as Violet said, people tend to contradict themselves and sometimes even lie to themselves about what they are feeling, and this makes them hard to truly understand.

This is an episode that I appreciate far more the second time that I watched it when compared to the first time, and the above are the reasons why.

Episode 05

This episode revolves around Violet writing a string of love letters on behalf of Princess Charlotte to Prince Damian. Two members of royalty that is expected to be married as a political move to bring peace between the two respective countries. Straight from the off it is uncomfortable to watch as Charlotte is 14 years old while Damian is 24 years old. Two very uncomfortable ages to be thinking when it comes to love and marriage. Within the lore of the show itself the age at which a member of royalty is allowed to marry is the age of ten, most likely so that the rulers would be able to use the children as political chips in the larger political game. Though this information does not make it any easier to digest whether it reflects the times in our own history or not.

Beyond these sentiments the episode explores emotion and love in an interesting setting, the political setting. While the first episode touched on this type of love, in this episode it takes centre stage, and that is romantic love. Although, in this setting they are meant to communicate the love that they have for each other by means of letters, Charlotte’s being written by Violet that will also be read out to the general public. The logic behind this is to reassure the people of the countries, to bring them a sense of hope for the future, and improved relations between the two representative countries.

When it comes to a relationship between two people where it is the relations between the countries that is at stake, it would be easy for those who are looking to be sceptical about the pairing and how strong the connection is between them actually is. Not only is this something that the public would be concerned about, this is a concern that Charlotte herself is not sure about either. The reason why, is because the letters are being written by Dolls, and so the emotions run artificial as they are interpretations of emotions rather than a direct expression of them. This in turn frustrates Charlotte as she knows who the real Damian is after having met him on her tenth birthday.

What is really evident is the depiction of how powerful a single moment can be, how a single unexpected meeting could in turn change the course of your life. Unlike many, Charlotte did not stand by, instead she went about making sure that her dream of being with Damian would come true. As such after four years, during which the war had prevented her from being married, she went about making sure to convince her parents that a marriage to Damian is the best course of action. With the effort being so one sided, it is only natural to doubt the feelings of the other, especially in a royal setting, where actions would be carried out as duty as opposed to what someone would want.

Violet recognises the style of the letter that is sent by Damian, and so manages to convince Cattleya to let the Prince write his own letters while Charlotte would write her own. This improves the communications of each others feelings that much more to the point that they are able to to get on the same page and know that they both feel the same way about each other. Thus resulting in the marriage at the end of episode.

What is also present in the episode is the love between a mother figure and a child. In this case between Charlotte and Alberta, who is the personal maid of Charlotte, the woman who raised her in the absence of her mother. The bond that they share is a special one that is closer to that of an actual parent and child, as is so beautifully conveyed in the scene where Charlotte is getting ready for her wedding.

We finish the episode with Violet arriving back home on the ship to find Gilbert’s brother, Dietfried, the man who originally gave Violet to Gilbert in the first place. During this encounter we see just how much he hates Violet and the reason why. During their first encounter she was responsible for the death of many of his men.

Episode 06

This episode takes place in an astrological institution that is preserving texts that are on the verge of decay and loss. Violet and 79 other Dolls are brought to the institution and is paired with one of the keepers of knowledge so that the text can be decoded and written with minimal time lost, and by the time the deadline for these transcripts come about. Violet meets some Dolls that were in the same class as she was in, one of them being Luculia. For the remainder of the time that Violet is going to be staying and working, she is to be paired up with Leon, a loner with seemingly only one friend in the entire institution. Having watched the episode again, it is interesting how Leon is actually Rey from Star Wars from a character perspective.

Leon is waiting for his mother to return with his father, who was lost during an expedition. After the search for the father was given up as a whole, his mother went in the hopes of finding him herself leaving Leon behind to end up being an orphan. This manifested in him having a cynical outlook on the world, and despite this he is unable to let go of the hope that one day his mother would return for him. As a result of this paradox he is stuck in the place he finds himself in, both physically and mentally, unable to leave as a result of this false hope, and not wanting to for fear of being hurt again. What this really illustrated is the strong emotions a child feels towards their mother.

While Leon starts off not too inclined to give Violet a second thought, when she is approached by a couple of the other members of the institution that invite her to be around them instead of Leon, we see how the negative opinion others have of him really affects him emotionally. However, he is surprised to hear that Violet herself has had a life that is very similar to his own, and with this knowledge slowly starts to open up to her and think highly of her the more he gets to know her. This illustrates how we are able to feel a kinship with those that have had a similar life to ourselves. Leon feels so highly about Violet that he invites her to watch the passing of a comet with a two hundred year cycle with him. His longing for this moment is perfectly expressed by the way the passage of time was edited.

It is during the time when the comet is passing that we get to learn a lot about the two characters. For instance how they are in fact both feeling lonely. A loneliness felt by feeling so strongly about someone that when they are not close to you, despite being surrounded by people, you feel lonely. Which in turn depicts a love so strong that you would be willing to drop everything and go be with the person that you love if they are in a bad place. As Violet is not able to decipher the emotions within herself, it is actually Leon that recognized this, and while we as the audience knows this, he is the first to figure out that Violet is in love with Gilbert.

What this comet scene portrays beautifully is that these rare moments, moments that should be cherished, are moments that could only be compared to as a miracle that they ever happened at all. Moments that change your entire outlook on life, and change the direction you are heading in. In Leon’s case just to start moving forward at all, to think about what would be best for him, follow his passions, and not be tied down to the hope of something that deep down you know is never going to happen. How a chance encounter has the ability to change who you are. The joys of meeting new people.

Looking at the episode in hindsight it is interesting how each of the dolls all have a unique design and a unique set of clothing that helped each of them stand out, while the members of the institution all wore the same thing, emphasising the brotherhood that they are a part of and their shared goal. This highlights how Leon is one that is looked at as an outsider because on a subconscious level he is wanting to break away and be his own person. This is a great episode that tells you, with a little help from the last place that you would expect it to come from, you have the power to change the course of your life with a single decision, and most importantly, to love yourself and what you want to do to make yourself happy, rather than dwell on something from the past that brings you pain.

Episode 07

In this one episode we get to see Violet contemplate her past actions by observing the grief someone else is going through as a result of the death of someone incredibly close to him, and the effects that would have. Then finding out that Gilbert is presumed dead, finding herself in the same place that Oscar was at the start of the episode, running away from the truth, not wanting to accept this information. She gets to see and experience grief all in one episode. This episode revolves around a writer that had lost both his wife and daughter to illness, and is suffering from writer's block as a result. He now spends his time drinking to the point that he is unable to even type.

Violet is hired by him to be his scribe, so that she would write while he verbalized the instructions. From the moment they meet he becomes difficult with her, treating her more as a maid as opposed to a Doll. Violet tells him directly that he is being difficult, as he asks her to make dinner while he himself drinks. After cleaning the house, he finds that she had hidden all of his alcohol, so that he would not be distracted. This is where we see the first difference between Violet Evergarden and every other piece of media, we would expect Oscar to be enraged at this, however in this instance he is disinterested more than anything else. Almost as if everything else in his life holds no meaning.

As the episode progresses, we see the relationship between Oscar and Olivia. It is a warm and loving relationship that the father and daughter possessed, and this is reflected in the play that he is writing. A play about a little girl fighting evil with spirits so that she is able to return to her father back home, a wish on his part that he holds onto, hoping to see his daughter again. What is wonderful about this is how we see the different ways in which people move on, both in a positive manner and in a negative manner. With Oscar starting out by numbing himself through alcohol, to expressing his grief by way of the play, which allows him to face the grief that he is going through, confront it, and let out all the emotions that he had been keeping inside all this time.

The pinnacle of this episode truly comes when Oscar is faced with coming up with a satisfying conclusion to the play, a play he is so far happy with as a result of just how much Violet is invested in Olivia, wishing for her to return to her father. The first time that we see Oscar express any strong emotions is when Violet finds Olivia’s parasol, where he is bombarded with the memories of his daughter in the ranch he lives in. It is by this parasol that he manages to find the ending that is unique and satisfying. By incorporating the wish Olivia made regarding running across the lake with the parasol while stepping on the leaves. A moment that Oscar sarcastically requested Violet to try, which she treated as a true request. What follows is probably the most memorable moment in the entire show; a moment of pure beauty and an emotional high where we witness the moment where Oscar manages to finally let loose with his emotions and move on, animated with one of the most stunning sequences I have ever seen. Combine this with the stellar soundtrack, and you have a moment that would open the floodgates to have you in tears.

It is not only Oscar that gets a significant arc in this episode. Violet herself has a significant amount of growth afforded to her. Having witnessed the ramifications of having the promises between people go unfulfilled she starts to question herself, and the amount of people she had killed. The amount of promises she had prevented from being kept by her own hand. During the sail back home, she starts to understand what Claudia meant in episode one when he told her that she is burning inside as a result of the things that she had done in her past. This realization shakes her so much that she questions if she is allowed to do what she is doing now.

It truly is a testament to just how packed every episode of Violet Evergarden really is, as we are still not done with what happens in the episode. When docking and stepping off of the boat, she runs into Tiffany Evergarden, the woman she was originally supposed to stay with in episode one. Tiffany expresses how glad she is that Violet is who she is now, and lets slip that Gilbert is gone, thus prompting Violet to run to Claudia and ask him directly, to which he admits that Gilbert is in fact missing in action and presumed dead.

Episode 08

This is the first time that we get to see a story told over multiple episodes in the show, as up until this point, it has been episodic in nature. This episode looks at the past that Violet and Gilbert shared during the war, from the moment she was given to him until the final battle. Seeing this episode, we get to see just how much Violet has changed from the emotionless girl she started out as to the Doll she is now.

After the initial meeting, Violet is far more like a scared puppy than an actual person, and the trouble that Gilbert goes through in order to bring her out of her shell so that she can be her own person instead of the tool that everyone else treats her as is endearing to watch; and as a result, we get to see just how good of a person Gilbert is. He gives her a name, teaches her how to read and write, and overall treats her like any other girl, as opposed to a thing that is only good for killing. During the conversation between Claudia and Gilbert prior to the final battle, we see that these two individuals are the only ones to have ever treated Violet as a person.

During this episode, we see just how ferocious Violet actually is when it comes to fighting, going so far as to disarm and kill multiple soldiers with ease. So much so that her own comrades are stunned into place, while Gilbert is only feeling regret that someone so young is being forced to kill in order for others to see worth in her. Throughout the episode, we see Gilbert try and keep her out of the battlefield, whether it be through strict orders to her directly, or by trying to convince his superiors to let her sit out the battle and not participate. However, due to Violet’s desire to protect him and the superiors strict orders to use her, she is made to participate in the fight.

We see here the extremes people go to when it is war time, and how someone who is truly kindhearted feels when witnessing these horrific things first hand. With context being added to the relationship, we are shown the opening scene of the show once more, in greater detail. It is Thanksgiving as the city Gilbert and Violet are in is liberated and celebrating. Gilbert offers to buy her something as a means of thanks, though Violet is only able to interpret his offer as an order and so is left confused.

While they are walking through the streets, Violet comes across the emerald brooch, and we see the first physical thing that she ever wanted; and the reason why is because it reminds her of Gilberts eyes, eyes which from the moment she first saw them, she thought was beautiful. This is the first time that Gilbert, and the earliest point in her life that we see her express her feelings, and what she wants for the first time. It is a wonderful moment.

I find myself saying that a scene is a wonderful moment so often when writing about this show and it is true, there is no other word that I could use that I have not already. We go on to the final battle and we see the lead up to the events that we have seen multiple times already, the moment when Violet and Gilbert are on the steps. They are part of the infiltration mission and while it starts off well, things devolve fast until it is only Violet and Gilbert remaining. We see just how visceral war can be, coupled with just how unpredictable a battle can become when the battlefield is covered in a thick layer of chaos. We get to see these characters hurt more and more, and while you know what happens, it does not make it any easier to watch.

Intercut with these moments of flashbacks, throughout the episode, are moments in the present day where she goes to see Deitfried to confirm if Gilbert is, in fact, dead or not. While we have not seen much of him so far, from the moments we do see him, we know that he is antagonistic towards Violet. Here, upon hearing that she did not even know that Gilbert was dead, infuriates him and takes out his anger on Violet. During this moment, there is the very real sense that he despises her for more than the events that took place when she was attacking his men. There is a resentment that is present in his interaction that you get the very real feeling is related to Gilbert.

She then travels to the house that Gilbert first brought Violet to deep in the rural area of the country. She sees the housekeeper that she first met years ago who she tried to take a bite off of when trying to get Violet clean. She leads Violet to the grave that is in the gardens and it reads clear that the grave belongs to Gilbert. This moment is truly heartbreaking, as we see Violet’s character truly vulnerable and exposed, breaking inside.

Episode 09

This episode picks up right where the previous episode left off; Gilbert has been shot by the enemy. During the next few minutes, we get to see the events leading up to the death of Gilbert, and how Violet loses her arms. We get to see Violet express extreme amounts of emotion, the sheer desperation that she is feeling in order to get Gilbert to safety, despite the fact that she had lost both her arms. To add to that, there was no way for Gilbert to muster up the strength after having been shot multiple times by the enemy.

In present day, we get to see just how deep Violet's denial is. She had gone to the site of the battle with the intention of trying to pick through the rubble in the hopes of finding any trace of Gilbert, no matter how faint. Anticipating this, Claudia meets her at the site and tells her that he is willing to wait as long as he has to, 'til she decides to come back home. She relents, and on the way back they are stopped at a military roadblock. Here we get the information that there is a rebel group that is making trouble by fighting, despite the war having ended. As they leave to take another route, Violet sees her younger self in one of the soldiers, a representation of the past that she cannot seem to let go of.

With no other way of knowing how to cope, she locks herself in her room, refusing to go out or even meet her friends. Both Erica and Iris are worried about her, and with no discernible way to communicate their feelings, they decide to write a letter. During this time of worry, Luculia’s brother arrives wanting to hire Violet to write a letter of thanks to his sister. Iris and Erica funnel their feelings along with the request by the brother into the letter and have it sent directly to her.

When receiving the letter, it is already night, and Violet is surprised to see the mail is still being delivered. The mailman lets her know that much of the letters were not delivered and were in fact left abandoned. As such, he is working overtime to deliver all the day's letters. She offers to help him, and in doing so discovers the importance of linking people by means of sending and receiving letters. Something she learns by the reaction people have towards receiving a letter, and she herself getting one for the first time.

Throughout this episode we get to see her experiences in the past, both in the part of her life where she took lives, and in the part of her life where she helped to bring people together. We get to see this second aspect by the way the episode shows each of the people she helped in the place they now find themselves in. Luculia’s brother, Pincess Charlotte, Erica, Iris, Leon, and Oscar were all shown in this montage.

After helping the brother, she walks home and comes across a pot of violet flowers, and she thinks back to the moment when she was first given her name. She was told to live a life that lives up to the name that she had been given. Once we had been shown the two sides of her past, we literally get to see her take the first step forward towards the future that she wants for herself. Despite the fact that having the will to do so is the first step, we all want to hear the outside acknowledgement of our decisions, and so she runs over to Claudia and asks him point blank if it is okay to live the life that she had been living so far despite the life that she had lived. He in turn affirms what we know. That it is okay to live, and to want to be someone better, to accept the past and move forward.

During this episode, we get to see just how good the show is when it comes to their plants and pay-offs. Things that were set up in the first episode and were sprinkled in throughout are all being paid off while also setting up seeds for the future.

Episode 10

This is probably the episode that makes me cry the most. It is told from the perspective of Ann, the child of an ailing woman, Clara, who hired Violet to write a letter for her. Right away we are treated to the innocence of the child, and the love that she shares with her mother. Throughout the episode she expresses how much she wants to spend as much time as she can with her mother. While Clara tries to reassure Ann that she will get well, Ann knows deep down that her mother is dying. We also see how relatives are already hounding her for the wealth that she has, along with the country house. This is something even Ann brings up.

Violet has been hired for a week for the sole purpose of writing the letter that is requested by Clara. During this week Ann and Violet spend a lot of time together while Clara’s condition steadily deteriorates. The more time that Ann spends with Violet, the higher her opinion of Violet becomes, and the more she does the things that she wants to do with her mother, with Violet. Ann is already aware of this as she admits to Violet that that is indeed the case.

There is a build up of emotions within Ann, where she is trying to be the good well behaved little girl that her mother wants her to be in this difficult time; however there is also the part of her that wants to be selfish. These feelings are brought out during a moment when her mother is having a fit, and unable to hold back any more Ann lets loose her emotions, begging her mother to spend what time she has left, being with her, instead of writing letters. It is a brilliant scene as you can truly feel the desperation in the voice of the character being projected from the screen, as such massive props to the voice actor.

Once Clara dies the girl will be alone because her father was killed as a result of the war that he volunteered for, and in finding out about this, we can see Violet start to empathize more with Ann as a result of having taken part in the war herself. At the end of the episode she finally lets herself feel the loneliness that the girl would be going through, and as a result she broke down into tears. This is the first time we see Violet cry for someone else’s pain, and not for the pain that she herself is going through. She is, at this point, a character that feels a lot more empathy, when compared to when we first meet her. Despite the fact that the show is episodic in nature, the character development, and progression that Violet goes through is organic.

The most emotionally satisfying moment in the episode comes before Violet’s breakdown. We are treated to a montage of Ann’s life. From the moment Violet leaves them, 'til Ann is in her twenties, married, and with a child. It is during this montage that we find out who the letters that Clara was writing is for. Over the course of seven days, Clara had written fifty letters, all for each of the fifty birthdays that Ann would have from the moment that Clara would die. While many people say that our loved ones would always be with us, Clara went above and beyond to make sure that a piece of her will always be a part of Ann’s life. To make sure that she knows she was very much loved. This is an incredibly beautiful gesture in which to end the episode on.

Episode 11

Violet goes on a request that Claudia receives from a soldier deep in the battlezone of the civil war taking place in the north. However, this was also a request that Claudia was planning on rejecting as a result of the danger that is involved in this job. The only reason why Violet went was because she overheard Claudia talking to Cattleya about it late after hours. During this conversation Cattleya laments that it is a shame the request has to be rejected, because there are also feelings the soldiers would want to communicate with those back home, that would not get the chance to otherwise. After everything that she had experienced since she had started working as a Doll, she felt compelled to go to the soldier, her own background affecting her choice to go.

While her choice is admirable, it is unfortunately slightly too late, as the soldier that requested a Doll was sent out to scout the enemy with a squadron. Said squadron was ambushed, and his base was destroyed. After the ambush he was the only survivor, and was hunted by the rebels. During this time Violet had managed to get a delivery man to fly her over to the danger zone so that she would be able to fulfil her contract. The rebels catch up to the soldier and the soldier is shot. He is then surrounded by the rebels; however, to his amazement Violet jumps off of the plane, fights the rebels, and forces them to retreat. The fact that one of the rebels remembered her from the war was a major factor in this retreat as he knew they would not be able to win against her.

During this short fight we get to see how Violet had changed since she had become a Doll. Even though she still moves like a soldier and fights like one, unlike the previous times we had seen her in a battle, this time she goes out of her way to make sure that the rebels are beaten, not killed. In working as a Doll she had learned the value of life.

She takes him to a nearby cabin so that he would not freeze to death in the cold. Despite her efforts, he himself knows that he is not going to last too much longer, and so asks her to write the letters for him. Even though she does not have a typewriter or any way of writing, she manages to memorize the two letters so that she could write them when she has returned. Once the letters had been memorized he passes away. The next morning she buries him and travels to an open field to meet with the pilot so that she could be extracted from the danger zone. Once she is safe, the pilot lets Claudia and the rest know that Violet is in fact safe.

It is from this point onwards where the episode starts to become emotional. Violet makes a stop on the way home, and delivers the letters the soldier had wanted to write directly to his family and the woman that he loved. It is a simple moment where the family and the woman he loved is coming to terms with the fact that he had passed. This is an emotional moment for Violet as well. She contemplates on the futures that she had taken away during the war. Beyond that the number of soldiers that were never able to tell their families how they felt before they died.

What is beautiful here is that her actions had managed to bring this family a sense of closure, something that they would never have gotten had she not gone to fulfil the request. Seeing this reaction brings her to tears as she regrets not being able to do more. The emotions cascading themselves all over her as she starts to experience survivor's guilt, not only for the soldier that she had just buried, but for the soldiers that took part in the war as a whole.

Episode 12

We now arrive at the final arc of the show. Dietfried has been ordered to protect the peace envoy that would end the tensions that would lead to a reignition of war. These events take place continuously from the events of the previous episode, where Violet is on her way back home. Meanwhile, Cattleya and Benedict are travelling with the peace envoy as a means of good faith, and the rebels are plotting their revenge for the outcome of the war.

The journey is split between a ship and a train, and on the ship Dietfried approaches Cattleya and asks about Claudia, remarking how weak willed he was to have quit the military as soon as the fighting stopped. However, what provokes the anger of both Cattleya and Benedict is when Dietfried refers to Violet as a weapon, and mocks the work that she has been doing, both with regards to herself, and those that had hired her.

Back home we see Claudia go about his day, and on the way home he stops to observe a father and a daughter embrace. This ignites strong emotions within him, and we can see what he yearns for with regards to himself for the first time in the show. The desire to have a family and a daughter of his own. Looking at Claudia with this perspective in mind, we now have to ask ourselves if the reason why he is so protective of Violet and the reason why he goes so far for her is because he views her as his own?

On the way back home, Violet notices that there are fires all along the train tracks. Looking into the train itself she sees Cattleya inside of it, thus prompting the pilot to land as fast as he could so that she could run to warn those inside the train. Cattleya is surprised to see her on the train, and as she is explaining the situation, she is approached by Dietfired. While he has contempt for her throughout his interaction with her, he is also portrayed as a practical man. Willing to put aside his personal feelings for the sake of the mission at hand, going so far as to take Violet to the side and have her give him all the information that she could.

Despite the strides that Violet had taken in her personal life, Dietfried only regards her as a weapon, and constantly calls her out on her behaviour when she is around him. For example, the moment following their interaction exchanging information, she requests to stay on board and to receive orders so that she would be able to help protect those that are on the train. He remarks on how she is no different from the time of the war, where all she wanted was orders, as she is requesting now.

During this time, the rebels had found out about the peace envoy, and had infiltrated the train. During the night, they had gone so far as to uncouple the carriages of the train that had Dietfried's main forces on them. As a result, the small group of rebels took control with little to no effort. There are only two fighters left of the train now. Dietfried and Violet, two people that now have to work together to ensure the safety of everyone that is onboard the train.

The events proceeded smoothly on the side of Dietfried, taking out the rebels that had taken control of the conductor. However, things on Violet’s side was not going as smoothly. While it is obvious that she is the superior fighter on the train, her unwillingness to take the lives of those she fights opens up her defences which allows for the rebels to gain the upper hand and trap her.

Dietfried manages to reach her in time and save her. It is at this moment when his raw emotions finally come through and reveal themselves. Seeing her in such a vulnerable state, being bested by those that are clearly inferior, and her being so unwilling to kill is a contradiction to what he saw her as. Now that she is not willing to kill, his opinion of her is being challenged, and he erupts. Blaming her for the death of his brother, that she was not strong enough to save him, and so on and so forth. Finally being honest with the emotions that had been inside him all this time, and as such we are given the context to the antagonistic feelings that had always been under the surface everytime they had interacted till this point.

Dietfried in his rage outright tells her that is she is not useful as a weapon, she has no value, and she should just die. For the first time we get to see Violet stand up to Dietfried where she admits that Gilbert had told her to live, and so she has no intention of dying, and will continue to live.

Episode 13

The final episode of the series carries on right where the previous left off, with Violet and Dietfried fighting the rebels at the top of the train. The rebels are now composed of only their commander, and the second in command. Dietfried is being shot at, and using her mechanical arms Violet protects him. Her arms are shredded bit by bit with every bullet that makes contact with her, and Dietfried then takes care of the two. In the prior episode the commander had taken the brooch that Violet treasures so much from her, and it was Dietfried that salvages the brooch handing it over to her afterwards. They are then informed that the bridge that they are traveling through is rigged to blow, and so without wasting any time they act.

Dietfried tries to stop the train while Violet along with Benedict take care of the bombs. Benedict is able to take care of his bomb with ease, however because of Violet’s shredded arms she is unable to gather the strength that would allow her to rip the bomb from the foundations. As she is pulling at the bomb, we are treated to a sequence that is very reminiscent of Ghost in the Shell where Major Kusunagi is ripping the control of the drone in the first film. We see every detail of Violet’s arms rip till they become scrap metal making for a fantastically animated sequence.

With the immediate danger out of the way, they carry on with their journey uninterrupted and the peace talks proceed without any other complications, finally bringing true peace. We then go right back to work as the Dolls are hard at work to prepare for the first air show that they would be having since the start of the war, something that they were not able to have because of the potential dangers involved at war times. The Dolls are writing letters to celebrate peace, commemorate the dead, and to help people write their wishes on paper as these letters would be released from the plane all over the city. These letters are not intended for any one person, it is to release your wishes and feelings out into the world.

During this busy time, Dietfried asks Violet to join him in going to the family home so that they would meet his and Gilbert’s mother. His mother is having trouble remembering as a result of her old age, forgetting important details, such as the fact that Gilbert is dead, and the reason why she wanted to meet Violet in the first place. However, once she is reminded of all this she speaks far more candidly. She admits how hard it is to let go of those that are close to you, admits how even though Dietfried says to move on, he himself has yet to do so. During this exchange, Violet is finally able to understand the feelings that she had been feeling inside.

It is the scene following this interaction where we see Violet turns into a complete person. Dietfried gives her her final order, to live. For the first time we see Violet admit that she no longer needs orders to live her life, and seeing this freedom in Violet, there is the sense that Dietfried himself has found an answer to his feelings deep inside of him. Perhaps the fact that Violet can change and move on while continuing to love Gilbert, shows him, and allows him to do the same thing.

As a result of this days events she is able to sit down at her typewriter and write a letter of her own that will be released into the city the next day. During the next day she meets with everyone that she works with at the centre of town and they tell each other what it is that they wrote on the letters, their hopes for the future, their desires, what they are thankful for, and messages intended for those that have passed. Violet’s letter is addressed to Gilbert, and she tells him what has happened in her life since. In this moment we have a montage of the life that she had led since the war had ended. The places she had gone to the people that she had met. How each of them helped her understand herself a little bit better till she is the person that she is now.

She is able to accept herself and live life as she desires for the first time in her life.

Coming up for Violet

The film for Violet Evergarden that Kyoto Animation had been working on has been something that I have been looking forward to for a while. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to write this series of posts leading up to this current post. My feelings towards the tragic events towards the arson at Kyoto Animation are a complete mixture that I was not, and am still struggling to, sort out, which is one of the reasons why I have not made a post on it. The emotions range from anger to sadness, and everything in between. As such I thought that the best way to express my feelings is by celebrating the work that Kyoto Animation had done. To show my support, and to remind myself that despite the chaos that exists in the world, there is hope.

Since then, Kyoto Animation has announced that they will make sure they hit all the release dates that had been set up till this point. I am of two minds about this, and so as a result am not clear on how I feel yet. On one hand I feel it is admirable that they are choosing to push forward despite the struggles in order to create art, however there is also the extreme conditions of the anime industry and the near crippling conditions a majority of the animators go through. With this tragedy, I would be completely fine if the studio announced that they would be delaying their upcoming projects, so that they would be able to recover properly without the added stress of meeting a deadline.

Regardless, I wish the best for those that were affected, and the best for the studio moving forward, heading towards a speedy recovery. When it comes to anime, I will be there to watch anything that they make.

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About the Creator

BoblobV2

Writing about anime, and anything else I find interesting.

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