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.

It is a pleasure to meet you. If it is your wish, I will travel anywhere to meet your request. I am auto memories doll, Violet Evergarden.

—Violet, Episode thirteen "Auto Memoir Doll and `I Love You"

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.

Tropes used in Violet Evergarden (anime) include:

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. This continues when she is in episodes twelve and thirteen, taking an active role against the anti-peace faction.
An Arm and a Leg: Violet loses both arms while defending Major Gilbert before the events of the series, and loses her prosthetic arms in episode thirteen after they were damaged by gunshots.
Artificial Limbs: Both of Violet's arms are prosthetic as she lost her real ones in the war while trying to get Major Gilbert to safety.
The Atoner: While Violet is by no means a Big Bad, her relentless killing in wars haunts her, and she refuses to kill anyone in episodes twelve and thirteen, instead opting to write letters to bring people together instead of driving families apart.
Babies Ever After: In episode ten, we are briefly shown a shot of Anne with her new child after she gets married.
Body Horror: One of the tools used in the arsenal to deliver War Is Hell messages. Both of Violet's arms are shot off while trying to save Major Gilbert. The Major is shot in an eye, with blood splatters and screams.
Boyish Short Hair: Iris's short hair contrasts with her coworkers Cattleya, Erica, and Violet.
Break the Cutie: Here we go:
- Violet, who loses both parents and was found alone, loses both arms and gets prosthetic ones, learns that the person most dear to her has died in a war, then loses her arms again.
- In episode ten, Anne, who just wishes to play with dolls and life a carefree life. Her mother's illness means that it's difficult for her to do so, and she has to worry about her mother's health.
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, even containing an attempted suicide. 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. Episodes eleven through thirteen bring back themes of military and war, but in the present day instead of a flashback.
Character Development: Violet gets a very large dose of this throughout the series, learning how to feel others' emotions and what love means. She develops from a cold and merciless killing machine to a person who cares about the people around her.
Character Title: Guess who the main character of the show is! You'll never guess it, not in a million years nor a lifetime!
Child Soldier: Violet was in the army when she was found as an orphaned child. In episode five, long after the war has ended, she reveals that she's only around fourteen years old.
Cliffhanger: Episode twelve and eight. They both end with someone getting shot. In episode eight, it's Major Gilbert; in episode twelve, it's Violet's prosthetic arms.
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 Major Gilbert's death.
Cute Bruiser: While Violet can be considered cute, she is called the Battle Maiden of Leidenschaftlich for a reason.
Dark and Troubled Past: Leon from episode six, who loses both of his parents at a young age. His dad never returned from an expedition to find manuscripts, and his mum, while searching for his dad, never returns. He is reluctantly taken into the Shahar Astronomical Observatory.
- Violet, who killed many soldiers in a war, the only thing she knows is following orders from higher ups.
Despair Event Horizon: In episode nine, after Violet hears about Major Gilbert's death, she attempts suicide.
Determinator: Violet is determined to travel anywhere, even to an active war zone, to meet her clients. She states that it's the harder part of being an auto memory doll, but keeps doing it, with the travel often taking weeks.
Do-It-Yourself Theme Tune: In the original Japanese track, Minori Chihara, who plays Erica, also sings the Ending Theme "Michishirube".
Dramatic Slip: In episode four, Iris gets too excited about her first request as an auto memory doll, and slips while walking down stairs. She breaks her arm, meaning that Violet was sent with her to help her write. Bonus points for the slow motion. Extra points for Violet reaching out trying to help Iris.
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.
Ending Theme: "Mitchishirube", a slower song than the Anime Theme Song "Sincerely" used to open the series. It doesn't aim to show off anything, and its translated lyrics aren't reflective of the show's themes. As usual, the images in the sequence are slower with less action to make way for the ending credits.
Eye Scream: In episode eight, Major Gilbert is shot in the eyes, with lots of visible blood, even some flying out from the socket. His eye socket become holes filled with blood, and the force of the bullet causes him to fall over. Bonus points for the slow motion during the sequence. Cue a Say My Name yell from Violet.
False Camera Effects: Yet another Kyoto Animation staple. Commonly used effects include Lens Flare and depth of field, despite it being a fully animated production. Post processing effects such as bloom, blur, and desaturation are also common.
Floral Theme Naming: Guess who (hint: it starts with 'V').
Friend to All Children: Violet, after a fair bit of character development, becomes friendly to children, exemplified via her positive interactions with Anne Magnolia in episode ten and the fourteen year old Princess Charlotte in episode five.
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.
Good Is Not Soft: While Violet is considered a good person as Character Development happens, she can still return to her former war self and become an efficient warrior. This is illustrated in the last three episodes, when she airdrops into an active warzone and takes out anti-peace rebels. Then, she sees her co-workers and travels down to help them navigate through the hijacking of their train in episode twelve. In episode thirteen, despite having damaged prosthetic limbs, she tries to disarm a bomb. Of course, she can return to her nice self in episodes like "Loved Ones Will Always Watch Over You" and "Somewhere, Under a Starry Sky", helping people come together through writing.
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. Remnants of the war plays a part in the story in the last three episodes, which focuses on an anti-peace faction which wants to return to the state of war.
Her Heart Will Go On: In the OVA, titled "Surely, Someday You Will Understand `Love`", the opera singer Irma Felice's lover Hugo was conscripted for the Great Offscreen War, and never returned. She requests that Violet captures the spirit of her love in a letter, which serves as the lyrics to the climax of her opera.
Heroic BSOD: Violet gets one after realizing that Major Gilbert is dead 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.
Icy Blue Eyes: Violet's eye colour reflects her lack of emotions and stoic behaviour at the beginning of the series. As she grows, however, its colour becomes more reflective of Innocent Blue Eyes.
Impossible Task: In the OVA, other auto memory dolls in the CH postal company describe Irma's task — writing a letter which can win over any man's heart and any woman would sympathise with — as this.
Innocent Fanservice Girl: Violet, after being given uniform for the CH postal company, immediately starts taking off her clothes in front of other people, who panic and tries to cover their eyes as fast as possible.
It Works Better with Bullets: In episode nine, Violet shoots soldiers who have shot Major Gilbert. A soldier was hit, but when Violet goes to shoot another, nothing happens when the trigger is pulled so he runs away.
Lens Flare: Occurs in almost every episode. It's used so often it becomes a sign that you're watching a Kyoto Animation production.
Lightning Bruiser: Violet is an all-rounded soldier who is nimble and can quickly attack her enemies. She has no trouble dodging bullets, and thus is hard to hit. All of this means that you do not want to be near this girl when she's angry. Fortunately, she learns to calm down, and mostly focuses on writing letters meant to bring people together.
Little Miss Badass: Violet can take on and kill soldiers twice her size before entering her teens.
Living Weapon: Some members of the military call Violet this, due to her efficiency and deadliness, single-handedly turning around a war.
Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Leon Stephanotis in episode six.
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.
Mooks: The male soldiers that Violet kills in war flashbacks, as well as the soldiers who hijacked the train in episodes twelve and thirteen.
Nice Girl: Violet becomes this after her character development, promising to never kill anyone while fighting.
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. It's just a space. Episode eight doesn't even Close on Title, and thus is never given an official name.
Not So Stoic: Violet after learning about Major Gilbert's death, although at this point, she starts to feel more emotions due to character development.
- Violet, in episode ten, loses control and starts crying in the CH postal company once she realises that Anne will receiving her mother's letters only after her mother dies.
Parasol of Prettiness: Violet carries one, given to her as a gift by the playwright she helped in episode seven.
Parental Abandonment: Violet was found without parents and raised by the military, and Leon's parents left in search of manuscripts. Anne's father died before the events of episode ten.
Prim and Proper Bun: While Violet works as an auto memory doll, she organises her hair into buns so it does not get in the way of her work.
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.
Rei Ayanami Expy: Violet Evergarden checks most of the boxes:
- Teenage girl with pale skin? Check.
- Stoic demeanour? Check.
- In explaining her odd behaviour, she is found to have a tragic past? Check.
- Objective to become a real girl by learning human emotions? Check.
- Ill girl who suffers some sort of major injury? Double check.
- Possesses a special ability which makes her stand out from the crowd? Check again.
Say My Name: In the Cliffhanger in episode eight, right after Major Gilbert is shot in the eyes.

Violet: Major! MAJOR!

Scenery Gorn: During Violet's war flashbacks, animated with stunning detail. Colours are darker and desaturated to reflect the dangers of war.
Schizo-Tech: The world at first glance appears like early 20th century, with the main form of communication being letters as telephones haven't been invented. Typewriters are used instead of computer keyboards, but fully functional prosthetic limbs far beyond our current technological level exist.
The Song Remains the Same: In the English dub, the ending song "Michishirube", as well as the opening theme "Sincerely", remains in Japanese.
Spock Speak: Violet speaks like this at the start of the series, with military service being all she's ever known in her life. This habit carries out to how she addresses people, and she even writes like that in her letters. Of course, her clients aren't happy with letters written like that, hence why she joins an academy for training auto memory dolls. This does change throughout the series, as she grows and understands human emotions more.

Violet: I believe what you said was a disingenuous answer

Stern Teacher: The teacher of the auto memory doll training course that Violet and Luculia attends. She is described as strict, but ultimately fair, and graduation from the course is considered an honour and great achievement.
Tears of Joy:
- In episode ten, cried by Anne when she starts receiving letters from her mother.
- in the OVA, cried by Irma once Violet writes a love letter that perfectly fits her request.
Ten-Minute Retirement: Violet runs away to the place where she lost Major Gilbert in the war in episode seven after getting a Heroic BSOD, before overcoming grief in episode nine.
Thematic Theme Tune: The opening "Sincerely", whose translated lyrics deals with themes of learning new words (needed for writing), saying goodbye and emotions (which Violet slowly does throughout the series).
Time Skip: In episode ten, where we are shown Anne growing up, and receiving the letters her mother wrote her.
Thou Shalt Not Kill: Violet, in the last two episodes, refuses to kill any members of the anti-peace rebel faction, regretting her past as a war-driven killing machine, and wishing to turn into a person which creates new relationships instead of tearing up existing ones. This does create minor problems for her, as the Mooks keeps coming back to fight her. Dietfried calls her out on this, saying that she's of no use if she refuses to kill.
Took a Level In Kindness: Almost everyone from the war, but Violet is a notable example, going from a killing machine to being a nice and supportive person who writes letters.
Trying Not to Cry: Violet (and probably the audience) tries to hold back tears in episode ten, while writing letters for Anne's mother, knowing that Anne will only receive them after her mother has died. She breaks down in the comfort of her co-workers in the CH Postal Company.
Undying Loyalty: As Major Gilbert is the only person to have shown Violet kindness, she is loyal to him, his orders being the only thing she knows. She even asks the Major for orders at times.
Unstoppable Mailman: While Violet writes the mail instead of delivering them, nothing will stop her from reaching her clients, not long distances nor a literal civil war.
Vague Age: Violet isn't sure what her exact age is, only giving a rough estimate of fourteen in episode five with Princess Charlotte. This is made confusing by the Dashed Plotline the series takes, only showing Violet's significant clients.
Voiceover Letter: In episode ten, the letters Anne receives from her mother are read in her mother's voice.
Waif Fu: The pre-teen Violet Evergarden taking on grown man twice her size with grace and elegance.
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. In episode eleven, this is focused on as an anti-peace faction shoots one of Violet's clients.
What Beautiful Eyes!: Violet describes Major Gilbert's eyes as beautiful.
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.
Write Back to the Future: The example does not involve time travel, as usual for the trope. In episode ten, Anne's dying mother writes letters to her which will be delivered on her birthday for the next fifty years. The episode never reveals who the letters were addressed to Anne receives them, maximising the emotional power of the episode.