Violet Evergarden
Anime Review
It’s been awhile since I’ve watched anime, but what an amazing show to transport me back! Violet Evergarden is gorgeously animated and a show that can draw you in from pure visuals alone (kudos to the acclaimed Kyoto Animation). The background scenery is like a watercolor painting, and the animation really has stand-out character design and costume design. The main character, Violet, has an especially beautiful and memorable character design, and I’m sure cosplayers have already had a great time replicating it in real life. The sheer detail in everything animated on screen is very apparent, and I think this anime is gorgeous from beginning to end.
As for the story, I was a bit skeptical at first, because the written summary did not really convince me that this was a must-watch. Violet Evergarden is a fantasy drama of a post-war period, where the characters are mostly rehabilitating themselves into a peace-time society. The main character, Violet, was a hardened soldier whose only purpose in life was to follow military orders, but now that the war is done, she is learning what it truly means to be human in her new job at a post-office company. Viewers will get to follow the character development of Violet, and discover just how lovable and heartfelt each episode is. While there is an underlying story arc that focuses on Violet’s trauma, each episode shares mini-stories of new characters that Violet encounters on her journey to self-discovery. And each episode serves a unique purpose in expanding the character development of Violet. I love the side stories as well as the side characters, and all in all, I think season 1 is the perfect length! There was one particular episode that made me cry - the one about the ill mother and her daughter - but I won’t give away any spoilers.
Violet Evergarden is a beautiful show that accomplishes everything I could possibly want in an anime: beautiful visuals, quality storytelling, gorgeous music, and heartfelt/emotional character arcs. Believe the hype, because this show is worth it! I would also love to see continuations of the story if a movie or a new season is in the works.