Spoilers are included

With the delivery of the final letter, we reach the conclusion to our heroine's cross-continental adventure for the ages. Violet Evergarden's journey of self discovery and personal realization not only sets a monumental milestone for Kyoto Animation and the anime industry itself, but quite literally changed the lives of so many. The importance of her legacy is immediately made clear and it seals the wrapping of what already was an incredibly fitting character arc conclusion from the original show. Violet's made her impact on the world, and it's time for her to put personal matters to rest once and for all. Now, KyoAni is left with the task of being the deliver of the penultimate love letter for the series and its fans.

First, the structure of the letter must be carefully crafted. No matter what, the presentation, direction, and animation you're getting into with a KyoAni work will always be incredible. The dreamlike landscape that is Leidenschaftlich feels re-imagined with a style that's more crisp and detailed than ever before (Despite the limited variety in locales). This works so smoothly with a refreshing directing perspective from series veteran Taichi Ishidate. Everything that happens on screen feels slow and meticulous, while highlighting landscapes, objects, and character movement to a much stronger degree than the show attempted. It creates a surreal experience that even when what's happening in the movie at that moment may not be of the same quality, my eyes were never bored with the visual perfection.

We begin to write the letter. Violet Evergarden: The Movie attempts to juggle numerous storylines at once that don't involve the protagonist herself. It's a foreign concept as the original show was always focused on Violet no matter what was happening, and it's evident in quality. Despite creating interesting parallels, the growing concern of technology and the replacement of the Doll position felt shallow; attempting to tie it into the incredibly solid episodic-like plotline surrounding Yuris was an even weaker blow. Yuris is proof that the writing team is still more than capable of creating plausible and emotionally grabbing plot lines, and it confuses me why they weren't able to devote this same attention to other parts of the film given the long running time.

We cross into the bulk content of the letter. Shallow is unfortunately the crack that runs throughout this entire product, and eventually stumbles on the shock of the film - Gilbert. I don't think the writers were necessarily ready for the wave of questions that would need to be answered by signifying his existence and the weight that would come with it. I'm all for putting us into Gilbert's perspective and understanding his unknown motives - his reasoning for not returning stemming from self-hate is completely plausible and his relationship with his brother created depth from an otherwise basic (But effectively used) character for Violet to develop off of. Seemingly bringing him back from the dead throws accountability that was otherwise not necessary, and it's clear KyoAni wasn't prepared for this. It's not necessarily bad or unbelievable material, just the unseized potential and developing problems are incredibly disappointing. Leaving most of the true reasoning somewhat up for interpretation as the movie sailed to its conclusion before it could give us more of a taste of Gilbert's perspective is arguably its biggest flaw. It doesn't damage the original intent created from the character that the show set out, but most importantly it hurts what could have been the perfect conclusion for Violet's end.

We reach the climax of our letter. In the middle of all the jumble that this film is, Violet is being thrown right around with it. Despite wanting more from her stories as the viewer, it's clear that Violet has reached her end in the position of a Doll. It's an uncomfortable realization to hit, but one that makes but all the sense. We all have our roles in life that only us can fulfill, but at the end of the day, who's there to help us? I've grappled with whether this realization is somewhat counterintuitive to the show's own conclusion, but I can get behind it. People grow up and change, and while the show still works incredibly well as it's own singular project, it's an avenue well worth taking. Violet's confusing and emotionally damaging journey to reach the ray of light at the end which makes up the core of the film is where it shines the brightest. Seeing her in such a vulnerable position towards the end of the movie yet still putting in all her effort is nothing short of perfect character development. Her accepting the reality that Gilbert didn't want to see her - it felt so incredibly real and challenging. Even if the other parts of the film aren't as well written or thought out, Violet is once again here to pick up the pieces and still offer something tangible and strong. It unfortunately is no where near enough to save the film's flaws, but it does the most important part of the original show justice, and with that I can be happy.

We preview our letter after completion to polish it up. I can't say that the conclusion the two end up together is surprising, but it's difficult to say whether it was truly deserved or not. I don't think there's a right answer necessarily, and I think people who have issues with the age etc are completely valid (Except the jabs at child grooming in my opinion feel completely baseless and misrepresent the point of Gilbert's character in the show). With that being said, more needed to be done. It had to feel less coincidental that things worked out the way they did. Why not take the first 40 or so minutes that was dedicated almost purely to recapping previously known information and use that time more productively instead? At the least the more familial relationship route makes the most sense for both of the characters and was the right choice.

As we close the letter and fold it into its envelope, it's difficult to press the final stamp in. Violet Evergarden is a project that will forever have changed me. It's message hit incredibly deep, and even after the recent rewatch I love it even more than I thought I would. Who knew a story about a damaged war veteran learning to heal and discover her emotions could create something so awe-inspiring and beautiful. After the recent horrific arson attack, it's incredible seeing Kyoto Animation back in the spotlight with a project that feels so personal. It's clear that finishing the story was just as difficult for them as it was for the viewer. And while it's hard to look past the plentiful flaws plaguing what could have been a perfect sendoff, the heart and meanngi is still there and shining brightly. This isn't a final goodbye - no such thing exists with the everlasting effect our words and stories give each other. The relationships we create and the people we inspire is what makes us humans who we are, and Violet's story is no more than a testament to such power. We firmly press the stamp on to the envelope and leave the rest up to fate.