"I will run as fast as I can to wherever my customer desires. I am the Auto Memories Doll, Violet Evergarden"

Story: 10/10

The story follows a girl named Violet Evergarden, a former soldier, through her experiences in her job at CH postal as an Auto Memories Doll. This job entails traveling across the continent, ghostwriting letters for all who need it. Through her travels and her interactions with the people she's working with, she desires to find out the meaning of the words spoken to her by former Major in the army. The words, "I love you".

The story of Violet Evergarden is beautiful, tragic, and heartwarming. As each episode unfolds, we are introduced to short, episodic stories about whatever side character has been introduced that episode, while slowly building on Violet's overall character arc. However, the characters featured in these episodes are not forgotten about, with most of them either playing minor parts in the following episodes as reoccurring characters or by having a small but noticeable impact on the world developed through this anime.

One of the main themes explored in this story is the theme of relationships. Many different forms of relationships are explored through this story, whether it be that of a parent and child, romantic involvements between royal families, or the bonds shared between siblings. Through the episodic narrative structure of the story, this anime develops each of these relationships to the fullest by having an entire episode dedicated to each of the aforementioned forms of relationship. One of the best episodes for this theme is Episode 10, simply titled "Loved ones will always watch over you". I have gone into more detail on this episode and the relationship explored during this episode in the spoiler section below.

Animation: 10/10

The animation is, for lack of a better word, incredible, and without a doubt the best animation I've ever seen in an anime. Despite this, I never found myself stunned or in awe by how beautiful this anime looks. It all just feels natural. From the fluid and gorgeous character animation to the incredibly detailed and beautiful background artwork, it never felt like I was watching drawings on a screen, rather, as cliche as it may sound, I felt myself being engrossed in the world these characters live in throughout each and every episode, my surroundings seemingly disappearing as I was drawn further and further in. The realism and fluidity of this animation truly allows it's characters to shine, portraying their emotions perfectly, getting through to the viewer, and forcing them to empathize with the character on a human level.

My favourite episodes animation-wise are Episode 4, with its incredible background artwork, reminiscent of classical landscape paintings, and Episode 7, which has some of the most realistic and fluid animation work I have ever seen.

As a final note on this section of my review, I will say this. The animation is not the best part of this anime, but is more of a tool used to deepen the viewer's connection with these characters and this story, and reinforce other elements such as worldbuilding.

Characters: 10/10

We now move onto the greatest strength of this anime, the characters. The character writing is some of the best I have seen through this medium. Throughout the story, we are introduced to a variety of side characters. From playwrights to soldiers, Violet's travels lead her to interactions with many different people. All of these characters have been masterfully crafted, each having their own stories, motivations, loved ones, and personal issues, leaving each character with depth and a sense of realism. This leaves the viewer attached to these characters, and as they project their innermost emotions through the screen, we're left feeling the same emotions as them. The amount of character depth and progression achieved in a single episode for many of these side characters is on par with some of the best characters from series which lasted much longer. While some characters are less developed than others, many are flawless, and are an exceptional example of how much good character writing can impact the quality of a show.

The main character, Violet Evergarden, is one of those examples. Through her interactions with each of these characters, she learns and develops as a character, leading to one of the best main character arcs in recent years of anime. I cannot say much more without the risk of spoiling, so I will include a short review of Violet's character in the spoiler tag below. This contains moderate spoilers on how her character progresses, so open at your own risk.

I also want to highlight the character designs, as they are incredibly well made. All the male and female characters look visually appealing, with each looking unique and interesting. Each of the character designs shown throughout the show match up perfectly with the personality of the character, as each has been carefully crafted to give an accurate reflection of who the character is, one such example being the character Iris Cannary. I will give a brief analysis of her character design in the spoiler section below

OST: 10/10

If there is one part of Violet Evergarden which leaves me in absolute awe, it is the OST. The OST in Violet Evergarden is perfect. It doesn't stand out when it doesn't need to, and plays a more ambient role in scenes of serenity and peace. In more intense scenes, the OST isn't overpowering, while at the same time giving the viewer a feeling of suspense and excitement. In more melancholy scenes, there are no obnoxious 'sad songs' or anything out of place which ruins the moment. In other words, the OST is perfect. At no point in the anime did I feel that an OST was subpar, unnecessary, or unwanted. The OST, in general, can just be summarised using the same word I've been using the describe all other aspects of this anime; beautiful.

Worldbuilding: 10/10

Worldbuilding is one of my favourite aspects to see done well in anime, so I was pleasantly surprised by how well Violet Evergarden managed to flesh out its world. The story manages to give an insight into the daily lives of many different types of people, and the ways they all interact with the world. Many different job fields are shown throughout the show, such as Violet's employer, CH Postal. It is a new company, started by former military colonel Claudia Hodgins, and aims to provide a postal service that everyday people can use, rather than the previously existing military-only postal services. CH Postal, among many other job fields, places, and lifestyles, has been given a good amount of development, without forcing information down the viewer's throat, like many other anime seem to do. Like all the other aspects of this show, the intricate and detailed animation, especially scenic shots, reinforce the worldbuilding, adding in small additional details about the world in a natural and realistic way.

Where Violet Evergarden's worldbuilding really stands out is on the political side of things. Whether it be a wedding between royal families or peace talks between different countries involved in wars, the politics of the world takes on a large role in Violet Evergarden. I won't be analysing it in this review though since I don't want to make it too long and drawn out, but just trust me when I say it is some of the best worldbuilding I've seen in anime, achieved in only 13 episodes.

Final Thoughts:

Violet Evergarden is a masterpiece. All the elements of this anime work together to create one of the best and most emotional anime I've ever seen. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a more serious and emotional take on the Slice of life genre.

I haven't included an enjoyment stat since if you've fully read my review, it should be obvious that it is a perfect 10/10. Thank you for reading my review, if you disagree with anything I said, feel free to leave a message on my profile so we can have a friendly discussion about it.

@sanjiskick