Violet Evergarden

A lot can be said about animation as a medium: That it’s unrealistic, fake, shallow, or even childish. Certainly from a Western perspective, this is certainly the prevailing consensus, and a quick proprietary glance at any lineup of in-season Japanese offerings only seems to reinforce that notion. Rather, praise seems to be lauded upon the cinematic offerings churned out from prominent Hollywood directors, ever on the hunt for more metal men to validate their success as artists.

“Animation is for kids, you need real people to get across real emotions.”: so I was told by people who evidently knew more than me on these matters.

So it was certainly a surprise to me when in 2015, while watching one of these ‘kids’ shows, I felt the warm trail of teardrops slinking their way down my distraught face. That particular show was ‘Your Lie in April’ (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso), and my teenaged brain at the time knew not how to process the mix of bittersweet romance and tragedy that I had experienced over the course of 24 episodes. The experience was all the more heightened by the excellent visual production, as well as the now-legendary soundtrack. Having never truely connected with any visual medium on such an emotional level before, Your Lie in April was my first foray into the world of human-based and character driven drama.

Fast-forwarding through the interceding years between 2015 and 2020, I found myself only occasionally sampling the various new anime releases trickling out of Japan. These were a mixed bag of quality: without any guidance of the matter, I would stumble between solid 8/10 shows and train wrecks that even my inexperienced self at the time knew were hot trash. Even with these ocational forays, I could never quite find that same level of emotional reaction I felt way back in 2015. Not until early 2020, thousands of kilometres from home, on a quite bullet train late at night.

This was on a long-awaited six week trip through Japan with a friend. Just prior to the trip, I had gotten some bad news about the course of my university studies, and I took the opportunity to give myself some distance to rethink the course of my career. The distance also gave me some breathing room, and unwind after what was a very difficult year (little did we know what would proceed this). We did a great deal of intercity travel during this journey, and early on we realised that we would need something to occupy ourselves on the many lengthy train journeys along the way. It was this that spurred me to purchase a Netflix subscription, and download various shows that stood out to me.

It was one such show that caught my eye. The title artwork was gorgeous, and a further examination only further peaked my interest. ‘Violet Evergarden’: a story of valuing human connection, of finding purpose beyond feels of regret. The plot synopsis intrigued me, the artwork inticed me, and so both my travelling companion and I both decided to add it to our travelling repetoir. And so it came to be that over the course of several days, we would watch Violet’s journey of self discovery in train carriages, in capsule hotel foyers and snow-covered waiting rooms all across the country.

Violet Evergarden brings together a beautiful, deeply human story, with some of the most stunning visual and musical production I had and still have since seen. The story, which follows the titular Violet, is set in an alternative world, similar to that of post war 1900s Europe. In the wake of a tenuous pease after a great war and having fought as a child soldier, Violet finds herself discharged from military service and separated from her only human connection: her superior officer Major Gilbert. With no purpose to drive her, Violet takes up a job as an ‘Auto Memories Doll’: a ghostwriter, in order to better processed the emotions she had long since repressed, and to understand the meaning behind the Major’s last words to her.

Visually, this show is a veritable bombshell, with film-level quality employed consistently throughout its 13 episodes. Beyond just great artwork and backdrops, the animation in Violet manages to capture and reflect the mood of any scene masterfully, adding subtle touches that elevate their emotional impact. The period themes employed play further into the holistic feel of the show. The environment has a strong 1920s feel to it, from the suits and dresses worn, to the old brick buildings, steam trains, and the all-important typewriters. All these aspects create a strong visual identity that provide a strong basis for the story elements to rest on. This is not to mention the moments of breathtaking beauty employed in the various story climaxes throughout, which elevates the experience even further.

On top of excellent visuals, Violet boasts one of the most impressive soundtracks in any visual medium. Evan Call, the composer, has somehow managed to craft tracks that are consistently both excellent and thematically appropriate to the scenes they accompany. These tracks capture a variety of emotions and states of mind, and help highlight the constantly evolving headspace Violet herself experiences throughout the story. These are tracks that both serve their purpose in the show excellently, as well are a delight to listen to outside of the show. The entire OST has found its way onto various playlists that I listen to on a regular basis.

The overall experience of watching Violet Evergarden for the first time was something akin to magic. Perhaps it was the physical locations I watched them in, or the headspace that I was in at the time. Regardless of that, the overall quality of the show is such that even in the various rewatches I have done back home, that same magic is still there, just as strong as ever: something that unfortunately cannot be quite said for Your Lie in April. Violet Evergarden has made me smile: both out of joy and in pained sorrow. It has me cry: both out of tragic sadness and bittersweet catharsis. It is these experiences that make Violet so special to me, and hold it firmly at my top spot of my all time favourites.

In my opinion, Violet Evergarden is nothing short of a masterpiece in every conceivable manner, and it is my consistently reoccurring joy to share that joy with both old, as well as new anime fans looking for new recommendations. Being able to share those same emotions I first felt on a brightly-lit train carriage far from home with my friends is one of the most rewarding feelings for an long-enfranchised anime fan. And while those experiences and emotions may be experienced differently for those I share Violet with, that in itself somewhat captures the essence of the story. Of the long journey of self discovery. Of what it feels to love and experience loss. Of sharing new experiences and feelings with those closest to us. Of discovering a new love for the first time.

I love Violet Evergarden, and I sincerely hope we haven’t seen the last of its like.