Violet Evergarden

## The Anime

### Soundtrack

In retrospect, the opening and ending song of Violet Evergarden are really good. The opening song is a really nice song with a really nice beat. The vocals are also really good. I will say that you don't really feel the emotional weight of the opening song until you watch the show, which is a sign of a good opening.

The ending song, Michishirube, is a really good song as well. I really like that it starts slow at the beginning, but then it builds up into a really nice beat. It is really nice to hear it after each episode, especially after the emotional ones. I will definitely be adding it to my playlist.

The soundtrack for Violet Evergarden is really good. A lot of it's orchestral pieces which I really enjoy. It really makes sense with the setting. The music is really emotional and really fits the vibe of the show. I especially enjoyed the music that played during the emotional scenes. It really made them so much better.

### Thoughts

There are so many things that makes Violet Evergarden's show special. Not only that, the best aspects of this anime are so good that it's hard to just focus on one of them. This is a highly emotional show that pulls on your heartstrings in both new and old ways.

One thing that Violet Evergarden is known for is making you cry. I think this is one of the most consistently emotional shows I've ever watched. Violet's story herself is painted in such an emotional way in her flashbacks. Her journey from being just a tool of war into a true individual is depicted incredibly well. It's like I felt each and every struggle that she felt. Even though her relationship with her Major is portrayed retrospectively, the true emotional core of the story belongs in her present development. You really feel how much she misses her Major. While that's being developed as the overarching story, the per-episode basis story that the clients had are also presented. Each and every client's story is incredibly emotional. It's like we (the viewer) and Violet are going through the same motions of recognizing and realizing someone's true thoughts. I truly enjoyed each and every letter that Violet ghostwrote. Amazing.

While there are really good episodes, like the observatory episode or the playwright episode, my favorite one is the tenth episode. It's about Violet ghostwriting letters a mother is making for her daughter. To be honest, the tragedy of the mother slowly dying is portrayed incredibly well. Her daughter only sees the mother avoiding spending time with her, even though she's writing so many letter for her so that she's never alone. What really puts the cherry on top are the final few scenes. It made me cry when the daughter read out her mother's letters year after year. I don't know why I cried so much. Maybe because it's such a simple premise that's executed so incredibly well. This show is so emotionally taxing.

While Violet herself is a child, the rest of the cast are mostly adults. I think the cast of Violet Evergarden is depicted in a very mature way. Even though it's true that they still have the "anime charm" that is expected, the maturity and emotional depth that the characters embody still shine through the screen. They may look like simple characters with simple wants and fears, but when you really look close they're complicated characters with complicated motivations. Other than the clients, this stuff really isn't brought up in the story much. Maybe that's a flaw, but I think that's just life. Things can be brought up and never resolved. Overall, Violet Evergarden's cast is one of the best in all of anime.

I think what ties all of the good aspects of Violet Evergarden together is the worldbuilding. It's portrayed in flashbacks and such that the fast advent of new technologies is gradually changing the world. The progress not just shown by the characters, rather it's talked about, shown in small sprinkles of detail, or you can see it clearly in the skyline. To me, this is what builds the foundation of the show. Of course, on top of the foundation there is so much good worldbuilding in store. Such as the various cities, the people in them, the infrastructure, and more. The key thing that Violet Evergarden executes in its worldbuilding is making it feel "lived in". There's a deep history in every nook and cranny of the world in paints. It all builds up incredibly well to the ending, which I find very nice.

Overall, Violet Evergarden is one of the best anime in history. I don't think there's a single aspect of the anime I dislike. Maybe it falls short of perfection in some areas, but I can understand an anime not being perfect (nothing is). This is an anime I recommend to anyone who likes to watch things. 10/10 Gem-Gem.

## Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll

### Thoughts

Eternity and the Auto Memory doll is "just" a 1.5 hour Violet Evergarden episode. Other than the worldbuilding, it's not much a continuation of the story, rather kind of a filler between the show and the final movie. Overall, it's still just as emotional and polished as a Violet Evergarden episode, which makes it a pretty good movie.

## The Movie

### Thoughts

Violet Evergarden: The Movie is a tour de force of everything that the Violet Evergarden franchise is about. It executes on so many emotional beats that are done so incredibly well. I genuinely don't know how the writers did it. It's almost flawless.

This movie has multiple storylines that somewhat tie to each other. The first one introduced is about Anne Magnolia's (the girl who got letters from her mom) granddaughter becoming curious about the legend of Violet herself. I think seeing the world of Violet Evergarden from an outside perspective, let alone seeing it in the future is incredible. While this storyline isn't as important in the story, the worldbuilding it does is still quite important, even if there aren't many scenes about this storyline.

I think Yuris' story is incredibly emotional. He's a dying child who wants to write letters for the people he loves, how does that not play with your heart? I think the letters that Violet ghostwrote for him are filled with emotion, even though they're quite short. I really felt his feelings for the people he loved. The pen is mightier than the sword, after all. Other than that, I also enjoyed how his story was resolved. Basically, Yuris doesn't want to meet with his friend, Lucas because he doesn't want his sick body to be seen. In the end, the postal company helps to find a telegram so that Yuris can talk to Lucas one more time. It's ironic that the postal company uses the invention that will surely end their relevancy. Yet, the characters from the company still recognize the emotional urgency of the situation at hand. Incredible.

The movie finally wraps up the story of Violet Evergarden by revealing that Gilbert (Violet's Major) is still alive somewhere. Due to his guilt, he exiled himself to an island without a working male population. Ironically, also revealed that the working male population died in the war while opposing Gilbert's faction. There, he works hard teaching and creating useful inventions. It really plays your heart to see a "past version of Violet" here; that is, someone buried in their guilt. At first, he doesn't even want to see Violet, even if Hodgins tries to force him. Then, Gilbert's brother, Dietfried comes to talk some sense into him. You really feel the familial trauma being released in the scene. I find it to be one of the most emotional scenes in the entire series. He finally realizes his love for Violet and runs for her departing ship. The scene they share in the moonlit beach is so emotional. I really felt how much they loved each other. This is what makes for a satisfying ending.

Violet Evergarden: The Movie only elevate on the show's best themes. That's what makes it so good. It's just as incredible of a story as the anime. It's incredible, and anyone who loves anything should watch the entirety of Violet Evergarden. Overall, the series is a 10/10 Gem-Gem. Thank you, Violet.