
a review by Nektar

a review by Nektar
Plot/Story
Violet Evergarden is served on an episodic silver platter, building upon backstory of our main character while she traverses the land tending to the needs of different characters in their requests for our beloved Auto Memoir Doll. I can't stress enough how absolutely touching every sub-plot feels, it is an injustice to call them side characters, as each of them feel like an artist, etching away with tools to develop our heroine into the marvelous work she becomes at the end, while dually punching me in the feels with each passing episode putting me at the edge of tears multiple times. Most notably, episodes 9/10/11 hit the climax of 'I want to see you cry' Violet Evergarden provides such depth to sorrow that at points it genuinely made me feel a heaviness in my chest. Sadness truly is a suffocating feeling, yet for this masterpiece, it was worth every single second
Animation/Design
Another absolute strong suit of this anime, that left me with my jaw on the floor at the stunning visuals. Every ounce of color and detail that went into animating this piece was masterfully done, from the piercing and beautiful colors of all the characters eyes and clothing to the rich and vibrant sceneries, this in itself propels the show even without the wonderful story telling. Words can't really summarize how visually mystifying this viewing was to my eyes. The high quality animation never once had me sitting there thinking "well that looked sort of clunky." Fluid through and through, I particularly liked the use of time lapse over the scenery during moments of passing time.
Characters
As aforementioned, each character feels like they deserve a spot in the top, but with so much emotional depth and interest between each one I could probably write a novel on them all. I want to focus here on the power triangle, Violet, Gilbert and Hodgins.
Gilbert is the main drive to Violet, the essence that she has for life, being that all she knows is the military and nothing but. There is a stark contrast between him and Violet, with the obvious humanity that Gilbert has, and the strength of the emotion he shows when expressing his desire for Violet to become more then the tool that everyone describes her as. Gilbert is the driving force and stepping stone to Violet, the presence of his character being felt always throughout the show, and represented through the brooch that is always seen on Violet. The pinnacle of Violet's development came to me at the gray scale scene in episode 8 at 9:50 when she sees Gilberts grave for the first time at the Manor he cared for her at, this realization is a driving point to her change in the perspective she has to the world around her. Hodgins completes the trifecta in a similar manner with his early comments on how Violet is burning up and will soon see her burn marks, this playing into the climax of her development around the same time. Hodgins continues to be a support to Violet throughout the show, providing her the tools and ultimately the place to where she can find her own humanity, hitting closer and closer to what Gilbert had always wanted for her.
All the characters are written and performed to very high standards, I can't express how much I think the viewer should invest themselves into each one of them.
Audio/Soundtrack
Every aspect of the soundtrack is well done, with a catchy and quickly familiar sounding OP, to a comforting ED to conclude each episode. All the scores performed in the background of each episode are done well and add the atmosphere greatly. There is less to write here as I simply have nothing to complain about. Spending the time to listen to the back tracks was pleasant and added extra sensations to each scene, adding another piece of masterful work to this show.
Conclusion
Violet Evergarden should be regarded as a modern masterpiece, I would recommend this anime to anyone, regardless of genre preference. From an analytical standpoint it checks many boxes, and from the standpoint of a simpleminded person who enjoys most things, this show deserves merits beyond words. I genuinely hope this is more recognized as time passes as one of the greats.
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