Violet Evergarden (anime)



Violet Evergarden is an anime series adapted from a series of light novels. The light novels were initially released in 2015. The adaptation was animated by Kyoto Animation, and was released in early 2018. An OVA was released in July. Two feature length films accompany the series: the spin-off Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (2019) and the follow-up Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020), its release delayed after the arson attack at the studio.

The series follows the titular Violet Evergarden as she seeks to become an auto memory doll after a war. Other areas of focus are her helping other clients, and the nation of Leidenschaftlich recovering from the war. Auto memories dolls write down, on letters, what others cannot put into words, and must be attuned to the emotions of others and a fast typer. Violet journeys around, travelling to meet other clients, such as an ill mother and an alcoholic poet recovering from grief, offering them service. As the series progresses, the focus on impacts of the war and Violet's time in the military grows. But what is thing thing they call "love"?

The series is focused on evoking an emotional response, and is stuffed to the brim with Tear Jerker moments. Have tissues near you.


 * Action Girl: Violet during her time in the military, who often rushes to the front line and takes out enemy soldiers with grace and speed.
 * Artificial Limbs: Both of Violet's arms are prosthetic as she lost her real ones in the war.
 * Body Horror: One of the tools used in the arsenal to deliver War Is Hell messages.
 * Cast Full of Pretty Boys: Every boy that Violet helps out is handsome.
 * Cast of Snowflakes: Every face is unique in some way or another, regardless of whether a character is the protagonist or a background extra who disappears after eight frames. Notable in Episode three at an academy for training auto memory dolls, where every trainee has a distinctive face.
 * Cerebus Syndrome: The beginning of the series is by no means light-hearted, but they are mild when compared to latter episodes tackling themes of war, grief, and loss, . The beginning mostly focuses on Violet's internal struggles trying to understand emotions and leaving behind her war stricken self, whereas episodes eight and nine deal with bloody decapitation and people getting shot.
 * Character Title: Guess who the main character of the show is! You'll never guess it, not in a million years nor a lifetime!
 * Close on Title: Most of the episodes ends with the episode name. Some episodes doesn't, and are never given an official name.
 * Credits Running Sequence: One shot in the credits sequence is of a silhouette of Violet walking in place against a black background, holding up an umbrella, while seasons change around her.
 * Cue the Rain: In episode nine, when Violet mourns over.
 * Despair Event Horizon: In episode nine, after
 * Emotionless Girl: Violet, when she first starts, cannot understand what love or any other emotion is, speaking in a stoic, composed voice. Because of this, she struggles to express others' emotions down on paper, leading to many angry complaints. By the end of episode three she still remains emotionless, but finally learns how to express others' feelings in the letter she writes. Later episodes does show her opening up and publicly crying. The final episode shows her realising what "I love you" means.
 * Ghibli Hills: In episode four, when Violet and Iris visit Iris's home town of Kazaly, a small mountain village primarily focused on agriculture. Due to its isolation, it is surrounded by greenery and Ghibli Hills. They are drawn with enough detail to make the actual Studio Ghibli proud. They also feature in episode seven.
 * Great Offscreen War: The war sweeping across the continent of Telsis that Violet participated in before recovering, ending before the series starts. Aspects of it are shown in flashbacks, and takes center stage in episode eight.
 * Heroic BSOD: Violet gets one after realizing that in episode seven, lasting all the way until episode nine.
 * In Medias Res: The series opens with Violet saying that a brooch is the same colour as Major Gilbert's eyes, before curing to the present day. Context to that scene is later given in episode eight.
 * Living Weapon: Some members of the military call Violet this, due to her efficiency and deadliness, single-handedly turning around a war.
 * Long Title: Episodes like "You Won't Be a Tool, But a Person Worthy of That Name" and "May You Be an Exemplary Auto Memoir Doll" have long titles, although other episodes like "Never Coming Back" are of the length expected for a title. Some episodes don't have titles at all.
 * No Social Skills: Violet is unable to sustain a meaningful conversation near the beginning of the series, and her attempts at writing letters results in unnatural sounding words which generate complaints from customers.
 * No Title: Episodes seven is called 「 」. Seriously. Episode eight doesn't even Close on Title, and thus is never given an official name.
 * Recurring Character: The other members of the CH Postal company, namely Iris Cannary, Erica Brown, and Cattleya Baudelaire. They don't show up in every episode; they are missing in the standalone ones in which Violet helps other clients, but plays a role in the overarching plot of the series.
 * Scenery Gorn: During Violet's war flashbacks, animated with stunning detail. Colours are darker and desaturated to reflect the dangers of war.
 * The Song Remains the Same: In the English dub, the ending song "Michishirube", as well as the opening theme "Sincerely", remains in Japanese.
 * Time Skip: In episode ten, where we are shown Anne growing up, and.
 * Voiceover Letter: In episode ten,.
 * War Is Hell: The war sequences in flashbacks, often focusing on violence and death. Many bloody decapitation scenes are visible, along with screaming and suffering.
 * What Is This Thing You Call Love?: The entire reason why Violet joins the CH Postal Company and becomes an auto memory doll is to learn about what love is. She finally learns in the last episode.
 * Whole-Episode Flashback: Episode eight focuses on Violet's time in the military, with only a couple of minutes set in the present day. The flashback lasts to episode nine.