I wanted to write a review for a show, but as I write this nearing the end of episode 13, this is the very show I want to dedicate a review to. The first review for a show that I properly write.
Violet Evergarden is our protagonist of the story, a girl who was orphaned and thus does not know who her parents are. Yet, she was still raised on the battlefields of a World War 1 inspired setting, fighting for the nation of Leidenschaftlich, a very Germanic esq nation, she was already at a young age an incredibly competent warrior who then went under the care of Major Gilbert Bougainvillea. Major Gilbert was far different than his brother who introduced him to the young child, instead of seeing her as a tool to be used for combat, he saw her as a human being. All Violet knew was orders and war, yet Major Gilbert taught her how to read and write. Even giving her the very name she's called by, stating that someday she'll be a person who was truly deserving of a name like Violet.
Major Gilbert cared for her, and even showed her kindness and affection Violet didn't know what to call.
During the final battle of the great war, with the Major being shot and wounded, with Violet still by her side carrying him to safety after being shot by rifle rounds, tearing her arms off, she refused to just let Major Gilbert die.
In their final moments on the staircase, Major Gilbert ordered her to continue to live, and from the very depths of his heart, he confessed his love for her.
After the war had ended, and with Violet Evergarden having her arms replaced by prosthetics, and placed in the late Major's friend, Colonel Claudia Hodgins care she wanted to pursuit an answer to a question, a bit of her own curiosity.
"What does Love mean?"
Romance isn't something inherently knew, we've all questioned someone's affection for us at one point, we've possibly even asked that very question that has led us to so many different answers but in Violet Evergarden the pursuit to understand what Love meant is the primary goal of the Violet. Her needs and weakness is how her trauma and militaristic conduct holds her back from ever finding such answer. Yet, we watch her change so heavily as she explores what Love means, what it means to love someone. This pursuit of course leads her to becoming an Automemories Doll. Shortened or abbreviated to just Doll is a job title of someone who ghostwrites for others who cannot write any longer or that struggle to write a letter. We've all probably struggled with finding words to choose when describing or pouring our feelings out and a Automemory Doll helps with that. Their expertise on language mechanics and writing as a whole allows for people to put their most complex feelings into writing. This occupation has her going across the region to help people pour their heart out or even help with writing entire plays.
As for what touched my heart so much was episode 10, "A Loved One Will Always Watch Over You."
We see Violet Evergarden travel to a countryside home to assist a Sickly mother with a terminal illness write letters while her still very young daughter we see go through stages of grief as the young girl struggles to understand what the Mother is doing, and why Violet is there in the first place.
We begin to understand the Daughters grief in the midpart of the episode, where we're told that the Daughter's father was killed in service during the very Great War that Violet herself participated in.
The Daughter is still grieving over the loss of her father, and that becomes evident in the climax of the episode where we see the Daughter ask for her mother to play with her. Yet, the Mother was still busy having Violet Evergarden write out numerous more letters. The way the Daughter doubted her own mothers love, and the stress of coming to terms that her own Mother lied to her about recovering fast as her health declines, having numerous times where she falls to her knees during the episode. The Daughter runs away after doubting her mothers love, and that she will be alone once her mother dies.
Running out into the country side, Violet follows the Daughter as she comforts her. During those 3 minutes we're shown how Violet has changed as a character, how she still grieves the loss of her commanding officer, and how she has healed. She puts it bluntly that somethings can't have anything done about. Violet uses her metallic arms as an example, her fingers will never be soft as the child's. Embracing the child in a hug she comforts the Daughters worries, and self-deprecation. She mends their bond, cementing in the fact her Mother still loves her very much, and that Violet will be done with writing all the letters.
We see Violet Evergarden leave the next day, as they wrap up with the letters and the Mother and Daughter share their goodbyes. We're given a monologue from the daughter, realizing that Violet wasn't just an actual doll (Forgot to mention that small plot point) but also expressing a desire to read what Violet wrote.
After the bidding of farewells, we're given a showcase of the Daughter and Mother spending time, with the two of them fading out of each scene before we're abruptly shown the Mothers funeral. At that slideshow of the two, I was already breaking down in tears. Throughout the whole episode, despite my heavy summarization, you could sense the beautiful emotional bond the Mother and Daughter had that was strengthen with the painful loss of someone so close to the two of them. Yet, after that heart wrenching funeral scene after the slideshow, we see the daughter a year older, now eight on her birthday in a desolate mansion receiving a letter, a letter from her own mother.
We're shown every other few years after that, the daughter growing up with the letters her mother wrote for her. We see her grow, gain friends, even get a job, and we see her own love-of-her-life. We're shown all the way up till she's 20, with her own kid as she's happily married, with her own mother in the letters always checking in on her.
We go back to the current time period, present setting where we see Violet breaking down in tears over the fact that the Daughter is only so young, and will be living alone without either of her own parents. Yet, it's revealed that the seven days Violet stayed at the estate, the Mother and her wrote over 42 letters to be sent to her daughter every birthday, up till the daughter is Fifty years old.
It was then and there I was fully crying, dripping tears down my face onto my recently washed dog who sat on my lap. It was a genuine first for me, a genuine, real proper cry over a show and it felt so weird.
I get reminded of my own mother whenever I even think of that episode now, and especially as I write this review. My mother has been the closest person to me in my life, who has cared for me so much, and watching it on the night before Mothers day only made the tears going down my face turn into a river. This show alone, would be a masterpiece in my eyes for an eternity off of how it has made me cry so much.
Yet, I cannot excuse the very weird relationship age gaps. Especially with the Princess and Prince episode that was earlier on in the shows run that questions if age determines what is love and what is manipulation (and whatnot).
It was, very weird to watch through. The Princess was 10 years younger than the Prince and it's the first thing brought up to Violet when she's asked if it's weird to like someone who was 10 years older than you romantically. Look, historically, this happened to a few princesses, but this is still so incredibly weird to watch. It's very important to plot sadly, and it's why I can't give this a 100.
Heckle at me all you want for deducting points for this, it's gonna make it so much weirder when a friend of mine gets to that point in the show and has to watch through it.
The relationship between the Major and Violet also stems from the same issue, is the love from the Major Romantic or parental love? It's hinted as a "sorta-kind of" (at least from what I have gotten.) and that makes it so much weirder. Look, the plot of Violet grieving the death of her Major if you interpret it all as their relationship being a father-daughter bond makes the scenes so much more wholesome, but thankfully the relationship when being interpreted as romantical is a lot more vague and convoluted with the direction of assuming it's romantical. Major never showed any sexual desires or romantical desires, so primarily we can just interpret the "I Love you" to be more of a fatherly parental love than anything, which makes me sleep a lot better at night because if it was the opposite, good lord this would be an insanely tragic and sadder story. It's this ambiguity that has the viewer question the show and the events in the show that I cannot deny myself from finding some enjoyment. It makes the whole show a lot more engaging as you question yourself when you watch the show. Then again, this story explores what is love, and what it means to love someone. It's all questionable, and pushes you to ask yourself and possibly resort to your own compass as to what you think love is, and as we all clearly know good media has you question yourself and what you're watching.
For these very evident issues I have with the show, I cannot give it anything higher than just a 98-99. Possibly when I'm older, and after I finish the movies, I'll visit this review maybe and regrade it. Maybe when I'm in college I'll overlook my review after a rewatch.
Do not let my own personal gripes from my own bias stop you from watching this show, if something as that is only taking it down 2 points in my eyes, I hope it proves that at the very least this show is still a contender as a masterpiece to be remembered forever. I love this show, and I am excited to watch the movies!
This has been yours truly, and said truly's first review. This gets a Darksouls Three out of Armored Core Six.
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