Emotions are something that exists within every person. Though there are some of us who are not in touch with our feelings. We can understand the journey that Violet Evergarden is on. She is mainly thought of as a tool of war to just be used for the military’s goals. A child soldier just sounds awful. Which is where the most important characters of the series come in, with Gilbert Bougainvillea. He wanted Violet to live her own life.
Despite being the most important character in the series, he is dead before the events of episode 1, as he puts Violet in the care of Claudia Hodgins. A big challenge for Claudia is what do you do for a person who only knows war and is asked what they must do next? As Violet was always dependent on Gilbert’s orders. He tries his best to push her to find a new path. His decision to lie to Violet that Gilbert is still around is a reminder that even lies can save us. No doubt Violet would have given up if she knew the truth at the start of the series.
Claudia’s words to Violet at the beginning of the series are something we can perhaps look at ourselves. As he mentions, you might not realize it, but you have numerous burns. Whether one realizes it or not, Violet has been in pain. At the same time, she has been numb to the pain. This is something we humans can relate to because even if we endure pain and it feels numb, it doesn’t mean that there is no pain. For Violet, becoming an Auto Memory Doll was a way for her to get in touch with her feelings and recognize the pain and burns she endured for so long.
An Auto Memory Doll in this series is someone who can express the thoughts of oneself in a letter. The series goes through different lengths of how people have trouble illustrating their feelings. But also how a letter can express one’s feelings when it wouldn’t be possible before. As Violet encounters more clients, she grows to understand emotions and her own feelings. Which eventually has her grappling with the reality that Gilbert is dead.
This is a key point in the story because the guilt of what Violet did eats her up. The question is always, do you deserve to live given your sins of the past? Of course, with criminals there is the law, but for Violet herself, she killed and killed. Seeing the suffering of people losing their loved ones, she didn’t know the pain she was inflicting on others. Of course nobody can blame Violet because she didn’t understand her emotions. Claudia raises a great point that we can’t change the past, but we can make up for it in the future. This is one of the biggest points in Violet because this allows her to embrace her job as an Auto Memory Doll. She will go out to help people going forward, as she now understands her own feelings.
Violet’s growth throughout the series is great because it is not linear. She starts to understand emotions but then questions herself. It gives her character a very humane side that is easy to empathize with and grow fond of. The biggest thing is that emotions are complicated, and that is seen with Dietfried who has every right to think, why did his brother die for her? He doesn’t hate Violet, but it is his difficulty accepting the death of the younger brother he loved.
Production-wise, KyoAni is on this, and as usual, it is a standout in all areas of production. Some of the best art direction and sound direction you will find in anime. Animation and voice acting are standouts as well.
If you even like character-driven stories, then you must give Violet Evergarden a shot. At the very worst, it is worth a watch for its production values. But you might watch a series that you will fall in love with.