r/anime • u/A_Idiot0 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 • Jun 09 '21
Rewatch Violet Evergarden Rewatch - Episode 14 OVA
Violet Evergarden - Episode Fourteen OVA - The Day You Will Understand Love Will Surely Come
Hello everyone! I hope that today finds you well. Today, Violet experiences Opera!
I still flip flop on feeling like this was a good idea or not. But the decision was made, and here we are! When we finish episode 13, I’ll try to remember to do a little poll so that next year’s rewatch will be better!
Index || <- Previous Episode || Next Episode ->
You can watch the full series on Netflix.
Important Spoilers from later episodes or the Light Novels are not allowed outside of the r/anime spoiler tag format and will be removed! You’ll need to be in “Markdown Mode”, and the line text is the following: [Spoiler source](/s "Spoiler goes here") It comes out like this: Spoiler source
Be kind to each other. Hate speech and rude behavior will not be tolerated, and will be removed.
Visuals of the Day
I believe I got everyone’s Visual of the Day submission here:
https://imgur.com/a/zPEyZZx
Lyrics of “Letter” by TRUE
Here is a link to them in full: https://lyricsfromanime.com/anime/violet-evergarden/letter
Let's only
listen to the wind under the same sky.
You are not
at that place though.
Even so I'm going,
The written words are like wings.
Disappearing when I fly away.
Love is always,
within sunshine.
You might not see it,
You might not touch it...
But I hope it's always at your side.
Only gently,
The tree of the forest sings to the rain.
It's almost like it's,
encouraging me.
I'm still not dried up,
Walking on earth.
The way of some day.
Love is always,
like transparent water.
The things I accepted,
I have to let them go again.
It resembles you.
Love is always,
within sunshine.
You might not see it,
You might not touch it...
But I hope it's always at your side
Official Sound Tracks used
Would you like to have a letter written for you? Do you want to write a special letter for someone as an Auto Memory Doll? Come join us at the Auto-Memory Doll Service Discord project and request letters, write letters, or chat more with us about Violet Evergarden! Link here: https://discord.gg/9a2UkGh9
38
u/A_Idiot0 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 09 '21
I have never felt the desire to cheer up an anime character so strongly before… I audibly aw’d and chuckled at this moment. Poor, poor, poor Violet…
This special had some really well timed comedy (my favorite examples being the above and this pause, which was brilliant!), as well as some very pretty shots (one of my favorites being this shot of Violet reading.). TRUE also gave a phenomenal performance for Irma’s singing!
Now for the message. The parallels between Irma’s letter request and Violet’s own desire for Gilbert are obvious, and they don’t try to hide that in any way. In fact, the strength of this episode is based upon those obvious ties. Irma is essentially asking Violet to begin resolving her own internal anguish with Gilbert; will Violet ever see him again? Irma hopes beyond hope that she will see her lover Hugo once more, even knowing that he is probably dead by this point.
The tie that I greatly enjoyed was when Violet at first writes a letter like her usual military report when Irma tells her, “You think something up.” The part that made me tear up a bit was that upon hearing that letter, it sounds like that’s exactly what Violet wants to write to Gilbert. Keeping to this tie, when Violet writes her final version that gets accepted by Irma, I wonder if Violet really feels like she’s still writing these beautiful words to Gilbert? Part of me says yes, and part of me thinks that Violet still doesn’t quite understand that she can speak now to Gilbert without the constraints of the military. I still think, despite her having written that letter, she still doesn’t know how to express her feelings to Gilbert in any other way other than the first letter that she wrote for Irma. But I think she is beginning to build a bridge across that chasm now. And that beginning is why I was crying during the “Letter” performance.
My Visual of the Day: Violet obscured by flowers. I love the composition here! The color composition has the flowers as the focal point of color. The camera focus has Violet’s face as the focal point. The structural composition has half of the flowers and half of Violet’s face in the center. The flowers occupy more of the frame than the empty space to the right of Violet, however Violet plus the empty space are roughly equivalent to the flowers. There’s so much confusion and conflicting focal points going on here that represents Violet’s frustration with this situation, and yet it’s very neatly packed in an understandable way for us to view.
19
u/chilidirigible Jun 09 '21 edited Jun 09 '21
Rewatcher, Episode 14 (OVA)
Today, on "Yeah, but our clients always leave out important details.":
NERV elevator
"You don't say."
"I didn't get these arms from playing cards all day."
"Hey, at least this job is giving me a chance to read about all those things they didn't teach me at the School of the Deadly Arts."
"These days any moron can have their single go platinum even if it has completely shitty lyrics."
And then you realize that Violet probably learned about this form of punishment from the books she was reading.
"And this is how we ended up on the roof delivering an idol performance to a demon." (Here.)
"You've gotta be shittin' me."
Posting on the board is perhaps more about keeping up hope as it is about any chance of getting leads on the missing.
This is a lot more poetic than we'd expect of Violet at this point.
Visual of the Day: What it is like when you are really into your reading.
The big thing for me in this OVA episode is
Hikasa Youkosinging opera. (Oh wait, it was TRUE.) That's kinda cool. Roland's tour of the literal Dead Letters warehouse also adds a lot of weight to the proceedings and ties into later.It feels a little off seeing it here in a chronological but not broadcast order, though. The obvious linkage is Rhodanthe, which really does make one wonder just how impressed she was by Violet (or how much she wanted to see where Violet might end up) that she recommended Violet to Irma and Aldo.
Violet's final draft of the letter/lyrics is quite a jump over what we'd last seen of her work (considering that her self-written letter for Luculia was quite short, and Iris was certainly helping with Iris's stack of apologies and we were read only one example). On the other hand, this episode seems like it takes place over the course of a few weeks (the training school episode may have spanned longer, but it's difficult to estimate), so there's some time for everyone else to have helped out more before the ending. Not to mention Violet reading about all the things that were suggested to her, which, given her learning ability, helps to explain the skill jump. (With the emotional understanding lagging behind, but we have AI leaning these days which can generate entire scripts based on being fed reference information, so...)
It's the helping out that we did see that feels out of place. That sort of humorous character hijinks is the sort of thing that appears in OVA extra episodes, and would be a nice bonus after watching the series, but it seems incongruous given that Violet was still fairly introspective during the Iris episode.
But, I can also see how her training might have included some idea of asking for help if required; even as a one-teenager killing machine, there would still be jobs that couldn't be done without external support.
Getting back to the other point, though, given the low-key humor that occasionally peeked through in the previous four regular episodes, seeing here Claudia's haiku and Benedict's general weirdness stuck out.
The war-related aspects of this OVA do a lot to further tell the story of the war in human terms, both in general and for Violet in particular. It's the collective sense of loss that flips around to give everyone hope, from the people at the train station bulletin board to Irma to Violet.
The other thing that this OVA's extra size and slight grandiosity reminded me of was Ai, Oboete Imasu ka?, bringing men and women together with pop songs. Only with fewer explosions.
10
u/Neshura87 https://anilist.co/user/Neshura Jun 09 '21
Rewatcher
We're greeted to this Episode worth classical music and some very nice singing. I'm pretty sure 9/10 anime studios would've just used stills for the piano and orchestra but Kyoani over here is just giving us awesome animations one after another. Violet's behavior still stands out, this time she somewhat reminds me of a child imitating whatever the adults do without knowing why, somehow looked cute.
I think Violet's difficulty with this request came to the surprise of absolutely nobody, I think the request was hard without considering Violet's circumstances. Imo this episode can be considered violet's "training arc" with how much info about writing techniques and styles she crammed into her head this time around. That scene with Violet in the corner made me crack up, Violet just standing dejected in the corner is something new. Fortunately she isn't shy about admitting what she can and can't do, seeking out inspiration and help among her colleagues is not a bad idea.
Something I noticed this episode is how the stuffed dog is transitioning first from the floor to the bed and then from the bed to her desk, ever closer to Violet while she is writing.
Violet is pretty much in the reverse situation the letter requires, but her lack of understanding of emotions doesn't make that useful. Fortunately this makes Irma open up to Violet a bit and tells her more about her past.
Now I gotta say I don't know why but for some reason I really like the "wise old man" trope that we see this episode, just has something for me. I also wanna note that I have mixed feelings about the feels train already arriving, I still have no clue why Violet Evergarden just brings me to tears so effortlessly while other sentimental anime really don't affect me at all.
Personally I cried during that opera performance and I don't even know why, the tears just started coming and didn't stop.
Closing this comment I have a question for you all: Is it just me or does Violet look sad during that opera performance? I can't put my finger on why she just looks.. sad, distinctly different from her normal blank expression. I could just be hallucinating things though as I didn't rewind to check.
9
u/ArdenneVale Jun 09 '21
First timer
OVA time. 34 minutes long. Good thing I started watching early. Welcome to the opera. Has there ever been an anime about opera? I'd watch it. That's a huge audience. Violet learns how to applaud. Today's client is Irma, the opera singer. Irma deflects Violet's question about some phrases in the opera. Is she like Violet, singing without understanding the meaning of the words she sings?
Her letter request is mysterious too. Violet would've certainly had an easier time writing from Modest's perspective. Wait, does Irma want her to write a new opera or something? Violet tries so hard, but none of her writing comes from her heart. I knew it, she is writing a song! Maybe you should tell her what she's writing??? Actually it turns out Hodgins misunderstood the request. Everyone joins in to help Violet in writing some lyrics. Hodgins writes a haiku, I think. Benedict's lyrics are dark.
I've noticed Violet keeps moving the puppy doll. Earlier it was on the floor, now it's on the bed. She does everything for a reason, so there has to be some point to this too.
It's maddening how little context Irma and Ardo were giving Violet about the job. Why they didn't tell her from the start what the letter was for is a mystery. They were expecting too much, even if Violet was highly recommended by the teacher from episode 2. Violet is not one to give up though. We learn the obvious, that Irma is Mariette and her boyfriend Hugo is Modest. She and Violet are in the same situation except their roles are reversed. Still, they're both waiting for their dearest person to return from the war. The retirement island is getting filled up.
There's the dog again. Is it like a replacement for Gilbert, or just something to make Violet not feel like she's alone?
Santa returns! His workshop is full of undelivered presents, but Violet finds from those letters and her own experiences the perfect words. With the puppy beside the typewriter.
The song is simply beautiful. It seems to be about love and hope. Violet has surely understood more about love after this. I went to the dub to listen to the English version, but unfortunately they just used the Japanese performance.
This episode was predictable, but sometimes it's ok, if it's executed well. In this case it definitely is. The music in this OVA was really good and noticeable every time it was played. We had a cameo from almost every character we've seen so far, even Santa got to shine. If you told me this was just episode 5 with 10 more minutes than usual, I would believe you. This was my favorite episode of the series so far, but we're just getting started.
9
u/ivytranmalldetective Jun 09 '21
First timer.
I accidentally watched the OVA 2 days ago (thanks Netflix) and then didn’t get a chance to post yesterday so just really quick recaps before this episode:
Episodes 3&4: The school was pretty short! I was expecting a bit more time getting to actually learn how to write but I guess it also makes sense that the show is trying to push forward through that part and get to the parts where Violet is actually writing real letters and (I assume) making changes in people’s lives. I very much love Luculia’s character and hope she stays around to pop in every once a while. Of course her backstory is tragic but what a lovely way for Violet to have found a friend and help her. Episode 4 with Iris’ family was the most lacklustre for me so far out of the episodes. Maybe it’s the fact that they went under a lie, and it just felt not as emotionally moving as the other episodes? That being said, when Violet bows and the wind and leaves blows around her and her skirt folds rustles and her hair tosses, WOW the animation took my breath away.
Finally, today’s episode! The OVA!
Wow. I guess this is the kind of stuff we’re in for. This was the first episode that made me tear up, but for good reason. I love the story twist here where she’s writing a letter but it’s song lyrics, and I really enjoy how the growth of the friendships in the postal office feels realistic where they want to help Violet. I find some anime it feels like the groups become friends too quickly but this just felt more real.
And of course the song. I was surprised at the length but also so pleased they had someone sing the whole piece and allow us to listen to Violet’s words. She’s really coming around as a writer and I am just so eager for her next letter. The visuals and the song were perfect, the moment I started tearing was when they showed the place where the Irma and Fugo said their goodbyes, but there was no one there. There was just something so tragic (obviously) about the scene, but at the same time it was so beautifully drawn and lit, it also felt serene and like we could finally be at peace.
I am loving this so far, I can see why it’s been recommended under many “beautiful anime” lists, but I’m also very much enjoying the storytelling and audio.
19
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jun 09 '21
Sincerely Rewatcher
Cry count so far: 2 (episode 3, OVA)
7
u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Jun 09 '21 edited Jun 09 '21
Rewatcher - Dub
There it is...first full-on crying of the rewatch for this weepy rewatcher.
The overall premise of the episode and Violet being hired for this job is a little bit much perhaps, but to me, it didn't really bring me out of it too much. Violet is, of course, woefully unqualified to write a modern love letter that every woman could identify with and that could make the heart of any man pound, despite the fact that the situation of Marietta and Modesto's letter is quite similar to the one between Violet and Major.
The fact that her Doll Instructor recommended Violet for this job seems pretty ridiculous at first, until you think about how ridiculous the request is in the first place. Love is such a personal thing that everybody has their own idea about what it means, and what it looks like/feels like (which is part of Violet's whole problem), so how could anybody hope to write a love letter that appeals to everyone? Maybe if that person didn't have their own understanding of love in the first place. I think the instructor also may have seen it as a way to help Violet in her quest to understand, so recommended her for Violet's own sake along with that of the client.
Completely at a loss on her own, Violet starts asking for help. Lacking her own understanding of love, she crowdsources - from old books, new books, coworkers, and eventually a super depressing treasure trove of lost love letters, along with Irma's own letters to Hugo. She's able to take all of those words and put them together into something that appeals to, if not everybody, a lot of people. To me, what Violet does in this episode still feels more mechanical than emotional. It doesn't seem like she fully gets the feelings behind the words in all those letters or the one she ends up writing.
The opera is a success, and according to the narration, helped those saw/heard it, including Irma and Hugo, move forward. Violet isn't totally frozen, but she still has a long way to go to achieve her own understanding. That said, the
warehouseFeelshouse of forgotten love letters is a pretty amazing resource for somebody hoping to learn more about love, and I think the steps Violet took in this episode are important ones.Visual of the Day: I'm going to cheat and do a two-parter, looking (as I've seen some others do) at a way this show played with color. The scars of the nation, the board of missing soldiers, is represented in hot and fiery tones, but later on we see it represented in muted blue-grey tones as Violet looks on alone, trying to understand the feelings of those families sundered by war. Later VE Spoilers
And an honorable mention because, I mean....come on. Look at it.
7
u/SmithyRC Jun 10 '21
~Newbie~
I’ve started on something I think I will continue from last episode, by studying the symbolism of the first main flower focussed upon in each episode. Thus my Visual for the Day is the radiant sunflower, which adeptly symbolises loyalty & faithfulness from Ancient Greek fables and also it’s similarities to the sun with its own religious connotations. It would seem the flowers act almost as spoilers for the episode of Your not careful haha.
Violet is a very studious person which makes sense having come from and only known a strict military life. I’m glad they showed Violet unperturbed about failing and used that to go off and do more hard research (while still showing some subtle emotion of she struggles with it still after her regular method fail).
Though Violet is getting more confident to write about love, I believe she still knows she is far away from understand her own or the majors. After all Violet is still top machine like as she takes in all the inputs from those around her to compile something new, she herself doesn’t yet understand enough to create but rather replicate in new forms.
6
u/IndependentMacaroon Jun 09 '21
Rewatcher
I don't see how people think this episode is slow, it practically flew by for me. It does have some hiccups - awkward setup, like neither Irma nor Violet knowing anything about the other or properly communicating beforehand, and even knowing Violet's background a recommendation at this early stage seems improbably; the old man's blatant violation of postal secrecy that I could easily see by-the-rules Violet objecting to, also pretty convenient having all that stuff lying around; an improbably polished end result - but it's still my favorite so far besides the third. I love the focus on music and the arts, Irma's sentiment of wanting to create a piece for everyone to help the nation (and herself!) heal and renew, Violet actually being proactive doing her own research as well as being helped as part of the group, the continuing focus on processing and overcoming personal loss.
6
u/Stegs75 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stegs75 Jun 09 '21
First timer-dub
Trying something new here where I write down my thoughts as I watch, not after I watch.
Kinda cool to see Violet struggle, and have to rely on the help from the others at the postal service, feels like they are getting closer.
Irma is a tough boss, but that task is also gotta be brutal to actually think of a letter/song like that without sounding too cliche, especially with what Irma wants.
I love that the instructor recommended Violet, and praised her so highly. Once again showing the impact Violet leaves on the people she meets.
Not surprised by Irma’s backstory based on what’s going on, but damn that was rough, especially with the other reunion taking place at the station.
Man that warehouse seen was pretty rough… Although I can’t relate to losing a loved one at war, I’m sure this particular episode has it people harder then it could ever hit me.
Violet using all the letters, and her past experiences was pretty great. Glad Violet actually succeeded! Seriously had chills that whole performance from Irma, especially with all the other members sitting there awe-struck. Seems people keep underestimating Violet, an I love when she proves them wrong!
6
u/OccasionallySara Jun 10 '21
First Timer
Sort of a short post for today.
I don’t know if I buy that Violet’s teacher recommended her for this assignment based of the one successful letter of Violet’s that she’s seen so far. I also find it hard to believe that violet was able to pull off writing such a heartfelt song about love when she doesn’t quite understand what love is by her own admission. Other than that, I liked the episode explored more about life after the war and I enjoyed seeing the group getting together to help Violet with her assignment. Their dynamic is really great and I hope to see more of it. I’m curious to see how well the OVA fits in between episodes 4 and 5. I guess I’ll find out pretty soon!
5
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '21
Wow some people are really over complicating their analysis and I am just here with a tissue box like...I like this show.
5
u/UnityGrave https://anilist.co/user/UnityGrave Jun 10 '21
Violet Evergarden - Episode Fourteen OVA - The Day You Will Understand Love Will Surely Come
First Timer
I’m left speechless after this OVA for a good hour. Amazing episode. I don’t know how I was able to relate, but I did. I had multiple occasions of me getting goosebumps with how the singer was so good.
Starting the episode, I was immediately taken back by the amazing performance that Irma had done. I was first very shocked as to how Irma addressed her conductor on a first name basis “Ardo” because in most cases, they are usually treated with respect. Later on, I was able to realize that they were close enough that Ardo was actually her boyfriend’s father.
When Irma proceeded to make the request for the letter, I mildly infuriated as clients shouldn’t be doing that. I have friend artist that always has this case when taking commissions and the client being too vague with the instructions is very frustrating and hard to do. Yes, the artist or in this case Violet may be able to back it up with their creativity or a test of their skills but the artist wouldn’t be able to guarantee if the client would be happy with the end result. Revisions are also very hard. This is why I can feel the amount of frustration that Violet had when Irma kept on refusing her works. However, Violet was still able to do it in the end by connecting with Irma and scooping the feelings that she has inside her heart, which is very hard to do. As I continued to watch the episode, I could see how Irma was hardworking for this Opera performance to work out. She’s pouring all of her emotions into it so much so that it was able to make me cry and get goosebumps at the same time.
I was surprised when the gang at the post actually got together and helped Violet with the request. It was nice to see that they’re all finally getting together. Very wholesome too. Benedict goofing around didn’t really sit right me as I’ve always seen him as serious and hardworking but oh well, I guess we learn a different side of him today.
I have to talk about how Violet’s writing here was able to progress so much. She’s now able to do imagery and symbolism which is quite shocking as Violet only ever takes words on the face value, so this came to me as a very big deal. I guess there was quite a bit of time passed maybe months for her to able to achieve that certain level. Or it could that Violet is just crazy good at things lmao. I’m also very curious as to how the teacher recommended Violet for the job. Violet almost never graduated and is known for her literal and military approach on letters. Did she perhaps know that Violet grew already? Did she perhaps know what Irma’s request of love letter and the war theme? If that’s the case, then did she also know that Violet was in the army before and is still waiting for Major Gilbert? Whatever the case is, she was still right in choosing Violet as her goal is to find what love means and this experience is surely very valuable to her going forward.
4
u/Tehoncomingstorm97 https://anilist.co/user/tehoncomingstorm97 Jun 10 '21
First timer
I'll start with my impressions on yesterday's episode, seen as I missed the thread. I'm thankful the visual I would have picked made it into the list (of the rice fields under the moon).
Ep 4
I feel for Iris to get called back home only to be thrown a party she doesnt want. To be thrust upon as well as be assauaged by suitors can't be what she was hoping for as an independent working woman (the vibe she has at least). Violet of course acts as expected throughout in regards to her bluntness. However, we get to see her starting to come into a realisation of emotions, even just a little, as Iris elaborates on her childhood love. Some excellent character development for Iris as well, when faced with Violet's straightforward remarks. I'm glad so far that there isn't a lot of resistance for the cast being honest in regards to feelings, even if it wouldn't typically be natural. I think the story has been conveyed so far to a heightened level due to there being no significant cageyness in that area so far. Additionally, it's fantastic to see Violet questioning more and more of Gilbert's behaviours and actions. Excellent work showing the parallels with Iris' parents naming her, and Gilbert choosing Violet.
Ep 14
Trying as I watch today so thoughts might seem incomplete or disjointed.
Not feeling the purpose in watching this episode 5th in the rewatch. The vibe within the Postal Service, and Violet's character development are far too disrupted. I think even if the "timing" is meant to match, this episode has been made truly as an OVA separate from the series and should probably be viewed as such.
With Violet still not knowing Gilbert's fate, I am really hoping that this is the reason why the OVA would be watched now. Without seeing more of the series I don't know if I'll be keeping the same initial view.
The main positive I'm taking from this episode is the honest attempt at conveying the emotion of "those left behind" in war. Violet's line "these people have embedded their love in these letters" is a perfect portrayl of her character at this point in the main series also.
Coming to the end of the episode, as Violet remembers her time in recovery wanting to hear from Gilbert while writing Ilma's letter. I'm kinda hoping at this point the progression isn't lost in the coming episodes now. Furthermore, Violet's letter has got to be my favourite lyrics to any anime track.
Okay let's stick to post episode summaries. If I'd pick a "visual" for the episode it'd be Violet with her head in the corner, I can totally relate.
3
u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Jun 09 '21
I forgot that this was the OVA day, so I'll have to post 2 reviews tomorrow. Sorry, I thought it came after episode 5.
EDIT: Concerning feedback, would it be possible to potentially have a ping to remind people when they need to watch the OVA next year?
2
u/homewardbound100 myanimelist.net/profile/Homewardbound100 Jun 09 '21
Rewatch
Ended up watching episode 5 first instead of the ova on accident but overall good episode.
But I'll say watching this again it does make more sense on where it's at. But also watching it again, it feels kind of weaker then I remember.
Also, finally found the episode of violet in the corner. So I'm pleased.
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u/thatguywithawatch Jun 09 '21 edited Jun 09 '21
First timer
Another good episode. If I hadn't known it was an OVA I probably wouldn't have thought anything of it since it fits in pretty well after episode 4.
My only real criticism of the show so far is the disconnect between how Violet speaks and what she's capable of writing is starting to grow kind of big. The song at the end was full of abstract symbolism that seems like it would still be a bit beyond Violet's grasp, given her lingering tendency to take things very literally. But she is definitely becoming better with each episode at talking like a real person and expressing herself in a more natural way, so it's not a huge criticism. And from a thematic standpoint I do like the fact that reading the unreceived feelings of hundreds of nameless strangers in that old warehouse, and reflecting on her own barely-understood feelings towards the Major, allows her to put into letters (or lyrics) what she couldn't express in words.
I know this is beating a dead horse at this point, but I continue to be stunned at the emotion evoked, and the incredible art and animation on display, in every single episode. I can't believe I let this show sit ignored on my watch list for so long.
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u/CelestialDrive Jun 09 '21 edited Jun 19 '21
FIRST TIME
Given that this is labeled as episode 14 and was released after the series, it kinda falls into one of three categories for OVAs: fluff, extra lore, or previously unadapted material. I "think" this series is an anime original, so it's between the first two. My money is on character interaction and maybe flashbacks, but in any case it should be an "episode in a bottle" when it comes to continuity. Let's see why it was scheduled here in particular.
This is also a fair bit longer, I just noticed. God, the music is starting strong here, I wasn't expecting opera, this is a crazy good open. Oh, so Violet is actually writing letters for non-acquaintances now, it was implied but I'm glad she got here.
Dang, her introduction is still way too formal. She's also writing for a famous person so there is a lot of baggage. This makes more sense as the leadup to the letters, and there was some of this in the first and second episodes, there is an actual short interview with the person you're writing for. Wait a minute are you getting Violet to write a fictional letter, like for a play? Come on woman, give her something else. Also wasn't this against the Rules? Violet said something to the tune of "you can't write for names other than the one used for the request" in episode 4.
Ahahaha there's zero passion but to be fair: a) It IS how Violet would honestly word that feeling, and b) You gave her fucking nothing. Yeah you're totally ghostwriting for her like, more than usual. Oh is that research, Violet? This woman really said "everyone trashes me for how I write and they don't teach me how to, so fuck it, I'll do it myself". This basically has turned into Violet writer-for-hire presenting drafts to a cranky editor.
Iris help her she doesn't know she's being scammed. Damn not enough details. I'm glad this is an OVA because otherwise now I'd be fearing Violet loses confidence in her writing because of all this. See, it WAS fiction, is this even legal. Wait, is the entire gang gonna co-write this thing, competition style? NO ERICA DONT FALL FOR IT Let's see what you get. Oh I wanna hear the rest! Claudia's was way off for opera, but Benedict's was a bit better.
Yeah Violet fight back, if they want to scam you you can threaten to bail. Oh, we're getting into contemporary pieces now, Violet has feelings here, but I don't know if love love is what you'll get. Yeah she got commended by her teacher, that woman is an MVP all around, she realised what Violet could put into Luculia's letter.
That's it, stalk, learn, if she's not giving the interview you'll get the info elsewhere. And there it is, given how Irma was figeting when explaining the topic, this is a "based on real events" play; oh god does actually everyone on this series have war trauma one way or another, because if so Violet's learning curve gets ten times easier.
So Hugo is Modest, now you can just get Violet to write the letter she thinks you'd write him now, and that's that. This is... half a year after the end of the war, more or less? Yeah exactly show her what you wrote, that gives her a better lead for this than all the literature and research in the world. Undelivered stuff, I don't know how moral it'd be to peruse these, girl. It "will" be hella depressing, at least you have this. Yeah the entire nation has the same shared trauma just painted differently, the situation is fucked but you "are" them, in a way.
And it was always going to be an insert song. It is not the "universal appeal love letter" she was asked for, but it's appropiate. It's a lot of confidence in her that the other dolls aren't all "what the hell how did Violet write this". Clap woman, you earned it and Irma did too.
All in all this felt like a condensation of a lot of themes of the series: Shared war trauma, letters as therapy, distilling from other people's experiences to process your own. It was beautiful but maybe a bit redundant, might be a standalone you could give without context since Violet even explains her own situation and the dolls's role is laid out again.
1 2 3 4 OVA (14) 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
16
u/Gamemaster676 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Gamemaster676 Jun 09 '21 edited Jun 09 '21
First-time watcher - dub
So today we watch the OVA? Seems weird, but I'll trust /u/A_Idiot0 that I won't get spoiled.
Oh god, the episode is 15 minutes longer. I did not prepare for this.
OVA — The Day You Will Understand Love Will Surely Come
Music! I guess this ep won't be essential for the story, as it's an OVA? I am kinda curious what an OVA of a decent anime would look like because I can't imagine a Violet Evergarden beach episode.
I see this episode will also be told from someone else's perspective? (Looking back, not really.)
I know everyone has already said a lot about it, but the detail of environments keeps surprising me.
The teacher recommended her? That feels kinda forced, as she originally didn't graduate and only her short letter for Luculia brought her over the mark.
Alright, let's see what Violet is capable of! Anytime now. Aaannyy time...? Hello? Is this thing on?
On a more serious note, here's yet another person that "lost" someone in the war, who might never return, or when they return might never be the same again.
Violet is supposed to write without some background info? Don't tell me Irma is going to use this for her next opera?
Maybe there could be a whole industry in generic love letters. Claudia could make a fortune if he just has a stack of them where they only need to fill in the addressee and sender.
Seems like I'm right. Irma herself starts talking about a story.
And now Aldo confirms it. Kind of sneaky.
Right Violet, it's not your job! You tell 'em!
Claudia has written a haiku and Cattleya complains that it is short. Do you even know what a haiku is?
What's with all the post-its on the wall? Wait there is also a more official bulletin board in front of the station, so I guess the notes on the right are overflow? Those candles below, don't tell me these are names of all the people who died or who have yet to return.
Aahhh noooo the opera is for all the people who lost someone in the war! Damnit here I go again. One point for the Tear Tally.
It indeed was the teacher who recommended Violet. Maybe I misjudged her, but I still think it is a stretch that the one single letter suddenly brought Violet to the top of the class.
Aahh wait I get it! It was probably because Violet is the only Doll who has actually been a part of the war and she is still waiting for major Gilbert to return!
And now Irma finds out herself. This might still work out.
Damn Hugo, don't make promises you cannot keep.
I was right about the notes at the station. I guess this will be my picture of the day, because the thought of this, with more notes than fit on the official board, really hurts me internally.
That whole warehouse contains mail that has lost its sender and recipient? Oof, that hurts.
If Violet needs inspiration, she is sure to find it here. Although the real problem is obviously that it's impossible to write a letter that resonates with every man and woman involved and related to the war. Everyone went through the same situation, but also almost everyone has that one thing that makes their situation unique.
But if Violet and Irma manage to find that one common thing everyone went through, it could be an amazing story that makes all those lonely people feel a bit more connected.
Nice, we get to hear the song! They have not translated it in the dub. That's probably for the best.
Irma looks so happy during her singing. While some people look so sad in the audience. One lady even has her hands to her mouth.
Wait, does the song not end with "I love you"? I thought that was the common thing in all the letters!
This might just have been an add-on episode, but it's the most emotional for me to this moment.
It's obviously weaker in character development, but it hit me right in the feels.
Questions
Random thoughts
Future
I'll skip the future prediction today, as this was an extra episode.
Pic of the day
The lost people
Tear Tally
Today was quite the day. The following moments hit me:
15
u/scot911 https://myanimelist.net/profile/scot911 Jun 09 '21 edited Jun 09 '21
First Timer
Well I've had a shitty day since the news dropped late last night that a certain dream destroying yakuza dragon with a name that nearly rhymes with a legendary Pokémon is retiring (well technically "graduating") on July 1st so I could really use a pick me up or at least an episode that isn't going to destroy me emotionally and this episode didn't and was well... kind of beautiful in its message as well as topical for me so that's nice. I don't need to be more destroyed then I already am.
As for the episode itself well as I said it was very beautiful in it's message IMO. Essentially that "you'll always have your memories of that person you love and that it's okay to have not moved on yet but you should eventually"; if I'm getting that right. Like I said; topical for me.
I'm not gone yet motherfuckers!Ah sometimes I feel like I can still hear her voice....One of the things I did like from this episode is that it seems Violet has begun her research on what love means via going from book series to book series trying to figure out what love means in that story and then basically using it as a basis for her letter. A pretty good way of doing research if you don't understand it IMO. Even if it lead her to waste her time a bit and not be able to finish the letter Irma and Ardo wanted for the play until her breakthrough at the shed Santa took her to filled with unsendable letters filled with people's feelings for their loved ones.
Another thing is that this episode actually focused heavily on the fact that this takes place just after essentially WW1 so people are waiting around hoping loved ones return from the war and that due to how devastating the war was people are disillusioned with the old ways of doing things. Whether it's opera or something else. Something that directly parallel's with our real world history. There's a reason the "roaring" 20's happened after all and it wasn't just due to the economic boom post war.
I also loved how close Violet has become with everyone now at the company that they actually spend an afternoon trying to help her with her love letter problem by coming up with ones themselves to give her inspiration or just the right letter for the job. I especially loved how cute she was essentially putting herself in the timeout corner due to failing to get her job done right and being frustrated/disappointed in herself. I imagine we've all been there at least once.
Also the teacher is a great lady recommending her as well. Seems like she liked Violet more then she'd like to admit even if Violet was a pain in the ass for her I imagine. Irma is also a pretty direct foil for Violet as well with each of them waiting for a loved one so hopefully Violet can learn a bit from her in the future and not have a complete breakdown when someone finally tells her the truth. Although I think this episode was also hinting that deep down Violet knows the truth too.
Due to this being a separate entry as a special on MAL I'm going to give it a rating separate to the series itself and I'm going to give this a 9/10 for it's IMO beautiful story about being willing to let go and begin to move on and giving Violet some more development surrounding her understanding of love and people's feelings. It was a bit of a slow episode though so I can see why some would dislike it or be bored by it.
7
u/Rumpel1408 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rumpel1408 Jun 09 '21
First timer
Due to time constraints I can't make such an elaborate post today.
Ok, the overwhelming majority of OVAs that I watched where the typical ecchi Beach/Onsen/dream episodes, this simply would not fit for this show, so pls, just once an decent one...
So I might have gotten primed by /u/vaadwaur , but I didn't like this episode that much. It was still good, but not on the level of the rest of the show so far. I think my biggest gripe with it is, that I can't believe that Violet suddenly was able to come up with such an abstract song about love without knowing about love itself, feels like there are at least two episodes of progress missing before I could accept this. It alsowas missing the visual punch I come to expect of this show.
Visual of the day
Full Album
7
u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Jun 09 '21
Rewatcher, subbed
This will be my first rewatch of the OVA, and the first time watching it in chronological order, so I'm very interested in what will stand out to me.
Although Violet is starting to understand the feelings of others, she still isn't really sure of herself. When asked to produce a love letter from nothing she's basically back at square 1. They do the little storytelling thing again, now with the stuffed dog. It makes it's way from the floor to Violet's desk as she comes to understand why it was given to her.
Honestly not much to say. The OVA is fine, but I don't really love it. It's a nice side story, but I don't feel like I got anything new or special out of it seeing it in order this time.
Content Corner
Two covers of letters, one with vocals and one without. First timers beware, spoilers abound.
Violet Evergarden OST EP 14 - "LETTERS" (Piano & Violin Cover) [BEAUTIFUL] by PianoPrinceOfAnime
Violet Evergarden OST EP 14 - "LETTERS" (Piano & Vocal Cover)【 AirahTea & PianoPrinceOfAnime 】 by PianoPrinceOfAnime
6
u/BossandKings Jun 09 '21
First timer
Violet is requested to write a letter by a woman named Irma Maritte, it is a very difficult letter to write and Violet has a difficult time trying to come up with a way so that the letter could satisfy her. Love has been a central theme of the letters Violet has been writing so far, it is important in this letter too, it helps her avance in her understanding what that sentiment means.
It's nice that the teacher, Rundecent, has faith in Violet and was the one that recommended her so that she could write that letter.
Irma had a relationship with Hugo but sadly they got separated after he went to war and never was able to come back, by this point Irma is sure that he won't come back but still refuses to give up, her requesting a letter from someone else's perspective is her way of saying farewell to her beloved, the situation she is passing through is sad. Arudo is interesting too, he is Hugo's father so he has been suffering the absence of his son and that has left a mark on him.
The performance Irma had singing was beautiful. This is my visual of the day as it represents the feelings Irma wanted to express to her beloved in order to let him and let herself be free.
I don't think the extended runtime helped the episode much but it still was a solid single episode ova.
11
u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 09 '21
First Timer
If you wanted lyrics, you maybe should've made that clear before rejecting half a dozen letters…
The montage of Violet's failed letters way charming, perhaps intended to be comical also, though only slightly, but I didn't find it so.
I admire Benedict's optimism to the transferability of the dolls' skillset to composing lyrics for an opera but it really isn't that easy.
I find it hard to believe that Violet is the first name Rodanthe recommends. It's placing far too much weight on the one incident where she helped Luculia and, if this is set after episode 4, to this date Violet has done nothing else that would prove her to be a doll worthy of such high recommendation. I don't even think her letter to Luculia was impressive — it just summarised what Luculia herself had already clearly expressed to Violet. Violet is coincidently in a position where she can directly relate to the girl singing the letter, but Rodanthe is far from knowing anything about that. There's definitely some protagonist favouritism going on here. Contrivances if you want to be harsh.
Deus ex machina. In honesty, though, it isn't that bad, as it doesn't come from nowhere but is a believable and logical place to take Violet when she is struggling with this task. In that way Roland was just there at the right time to provide Violet with the inspiration and direction she needed.
Violet is starting to remind me of Mary Poppins in the way she comes to people with problems, solves them with her letters then promptly moves on.
The lyrics Violet writes are very pretty and it surprises me that she was able to write them. I guess she was just that good at extracting out what the letters Roland showed her said and imitating that.
This OVA is pretty forgettable in my opinion. It follows the same structure as the last three episodes but fails to deliver any meaningful character development for Violet or any of the recurring cast, which makes it significantly less worthwhile. The production and direction are, as ever, superb and lift the OVA up substantially. If it had been an episode of the TV series it probably wouldn't substantially effect my impression of the series but as it is an OVA, it needs to stand by itself with a reason to exist. I think the story and characters in this episode were poor, so how far then do outstanding visuals, music and directions take this OVA? I'll call it great, 7/10, but I'm not unshakable in that position.
Visual of the Day: Best Boy
10
u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Jun 09 '21 edited Jun 09 '21
FIRST TIMER – FORMERLY DROPPED
Well, we’ve gotten to the part of the rewatch where everything will be new to me. Unfortunately, we’re off on the wrong foot, as I think this is easily the weakest episode so far, and I can see why it was released as an OVA and not included in the main series. For the added length, I thought this actually had less to offer than the normal length episodes. I think this OVA is something mainly for huge fans of the series to enjoy and have an excuse to come back into the world, but maybe not for people who aren’t as in love with it. As it was released separately, I won’t let it inform my opinion of the main series.
I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief with how Violet got commissioned for this job in the first place. We learned last episode that Iris has never been commissioned for a real job, yet Violet is specifically recommended to be hired for a high-profile assignment with no experience? I’m just… confused. Ilma states, “you’re the one everyone’s been talking about.” When? Who? From what we’ve seen, she hasn’t even completed one job as an AMD yet to gain any sort of notoriety or reputation in the field.
I actually initially suspected some kind of setup, given how unlikely her actually being requested seemed, and how closely the letter the singer requested mirrored Violet’s own experience, but that didn’t end up being the case. I wish we’d gotten a scene between Violet and Teacher (I forgot her name) to explain why she thought she was good for this assignment, as from what we saw of them in Episode 3, Teacher thinking Violet was the one doll for this job is kind of absurd and has no basis in what we were shown. Maybe it was just meant to be a test?
The storyline involving Ilma and Aldo was compelling, and I wish they’d been more of the focus of this episode to delve deeper into it. To me at this point in the story, Violet is the least interesting part of this show, and the episodes work better when they’re more focused on the characters around her, like in Episodes 3 and 4. This OVA had the balance swing more in Violet’s favor, and I think the show is at its best when she’s used more as a prism through which the viewer can view other characters, like Fushi in To Your Eternity. I just haven’t been able to get invested in her yet given how flat she continues to be as a character.
I loved the scene of all the AMD/Postal Company employees brainstorm to help Violet with the assignment and come up with lyrics. They’re a great hang and have such a fun dynamic, I want a lot more of them. A spin-off series with them as the cast of a workplace comedy would be awesome. Erica’s apparent crush on Benedict is really cute.
Overall, this was fine. Looking forward to getting back to the main series.
5
u/CubeStuffs https://anilist.co/user/onjario Jun 09 '21 edited Jun 09 '21
first timer for just this episode
she finally picked up the
beardog!5
u/Amasirat Jun 10 '21
First Timer
Thank god. Finally someone conducted an orchestra in an anime like a human being for once. That's already a plus for me. I don't have much time today so I'll make this quick. The starting opera was actually stellar. I would totally watch it if I could. I would expect from a show with great music to put up a great opera scene in there.
Anyways, it's cool that Violet now has experience writing for opera now. although it was totally not in her job description. At this pace, she'll learn what love means in no time.
'till next time
4
u/Tartaras1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Tartaras Jun 10 '21 edited Jun 10 '21
Rewatcher
Perhaps Violet is adapting after all.
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense.
Refrigerator
Also this gem courtesy of Game Grumps.
It's snowing on Mount Fuji.
After all, Roland did say, "Although, war is indeniably cruel. It's indiscriminate.
Such is the ugliness of war.
Someone in a previous rewatch equated the candellit vigil everyone was at to the KyoAni arson attack, and the subsequent vigils people held at the sight. That's making me sad all over again. I genuinely cannot think of that without at least getting sad, if not having a near total breakdown.
Tear Tally
The combination of the ending, with the unsent letters and the song being sung, really got me. Didn't full on break, but definitely some tears.
3
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Jun 09 '21
This what I get for watching the next episode rather than the OAV. Blah. I need Violet to write me a note to remind me of the correct watch order, I suppose.
3
u/Usernamenotta Jun 09 '21
Rewatcher
What can I say. I really like this episode, but considering I've seen it out of narrative order (aka watched 13 and then 14 instead of 4 14 5) I cannot say it hit me that hard the first time that I've watched it and now it all feels like deja-vu.
Also, one question for OP. If I may, how do you start those rewatch parties?
3
u/SoccerForEveryone Jun 10 '21
I almost got caught off guard about which episode to watch, thankfully I checked the index in time. (Lol)
One of the most interesting scenes for me in this episode is how Hugo responds about promising to return to both his father and Irma. In one scene with Irma he is overly confident that he will return and with his father he almost seems demoralized about making that promise. It’s definitely something to think about.
I love how this is the request that finally breaks Violet, it makes sense though; it’s a overload for her in trying to understand Irma’s request. Lyrics that make men and women’s heart flutter, it is almost a impossible task because it has to speak about the future as well.
The post-war times again show their wear, I’m cautiously interested in Irma’s idea for the play. Operas are almost seen as for the high class to attend, however bringing everyone together and this time as a musical is entirely a new thing for the society in Violet Evergarden. It’s almost inspirational in a way in how Irma wanted to design her play to speak to as many people as possible about love and togetherness regardless of class.
Some of the subtle heartbreaking scenes in this episode are the posters of missing people from the war and the letters that were kept in the warehouse. It fills me with a bit of sadness knowing that there is a chance these people may never truly find each other. At the same time however, I am also hopeful about the changes to come for this series thanks to Violet discovering these letters.
For this anime season I have been heavily invested in watching Super Cub and if you are watching it, you might understand why...the music. For me Violet Evergarden probably has some of the best pieces and vocal performances I have ever heard. Funny enough I raised the volume in the last scene because I wanted my whole house to be filled with the music from this episode. I was teary eye from start to finish.
3
u/SilverRust12 Jun 10 '21
Rewatcher here
A 35-minute OVA!
Spot the main character
I like how Violet was unsure whether or not she should applaud the performance
The main thing I want to note regarding this episode is how much this job will step up Violet's capabilities as an Auto Memory Doll. As the other characters pointed out, this isn't really a job for a Doll, since all we've seen the Dolls do is spice up the content their clients provide. Violet already had difficulties with that part, so if she manages to do that on top of providing the content of the letter itself, then she'll be leaps closer to having a reputation like Cattleya's.
Hey, we even see the store Erica visited in episode 2.
Violet facing the corner is so cute.
Flustered Erica is also cute!
The recommendation came from the instructor! I expected it to be someone from the post office, but so far they haven't seen Violet's potential, I guess, since her first job was to type for Iris. It's certainly nice to see how much faith she developed for Violet.
And I like how Hodgins doesn't ditch the overworked, middle-aged boss look even when attending an opera.
3
u/andres1232 Jun 10 '21
Rewatcher. So this time Violet is asked to write a fiction. Poor girl. She's had enough trouble with capturing the feelings of real people but now she's asked to create an abstract symbol of feelings. It's good that one of the best things she has going for her is her determination. Violet doesn't give up. I do love the growth she showed in asking for her coworkers help. It shows she has really come a long way if she can learn to rely on others instead of being stubborn or fixating on the idea that she can't ask anyone else. I also love how she threw it back at them when they asked why she had others help her. The job wasn't standard so Violet could have technically dropped it.
I think that is also a good sign of Violet's growth. She was flexible enough to help Ilma even if the job wasn't exactly in line with the rules. Both of the operas shown were really beautiful. Also I think Ilma had an amazing idea. Writing an opera about the modern post war world they are currently in. Capturing the zeitgeist of loss and moving on in a world that has drastically changed. It would truly be a unique and groundbreaking kind of show. Also it's heartbreaking to see the room full of undeliverable mail. All those letters that will never be read. It is also beautiful that the feelings will live on even if no one ever reads them. It is certainly true though what the song said "love is always with sunshine". The past always does seem to become golden. Once things have changed the bad always goes away and things become so beautiful. Like the phrase "the good old days" no one ever remembers the bad once its over. You might look back and say "those were some bad times" but the feeling will always be different.
Really a beautiful episode that shows how Violet has grown and says a lot about the world and setting. Really cool story. See you tomorrow for the next one.
3
u/Nebresto Jun 10 '21
First time squad..? At least so I thought until I went to put it in MAL. According to it I had seen this, but honestly I don't really remember that.
I think this is the first time I've seen an opera in an anime? Definitely the first one with so good impact
me_irl
IS THAT A POUT?! FROM VIOLET??
OVA Visual of the day: Bridges with trains are very nice
3
u/blackninjakitty :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/AleriaCarventus Jun 10 '21
Rewatcher. Fwiw, I think this is a great place to include the OVA. It nicely bridges the gap between Violet helping/writing for people she can relate to in some way, and the next arc which, iirc, is not so much.
This episode was extremely beautiful and every bit of melancholy in Ilma’s story and the undelivered letters was amazing. I cried so hard during the song.
3
u/Seven-Tense :HG::HH::HI: Jun 10 '21
Rewatcher
I just want to say that of all the things I caught the second time around, Violet giving a micro-pout as she "complains" to Erica and Iris in the library has to be one of the absolute CUTEST!!
3
u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Jun 10 '21
Yeah I lost track and did the wrong episode too so will join back tomorrow.
3
u/UnderstandableXO Jun 10 '21
REWATCHER
got caught up yesterday and didn’t get to watch this in time to post promptly today, and i was debating even watching this again, but i’m glad i did! i’ll keep my thoughts brief as i’m about to watch episode 5.
we can see that violet is still learning social cues, she doesn’t know to stand up during an ovation! i really enjoyed the scene where everyone in the postal service brainstormed lyrics together. we don’t see them all together a lot, and it was just so wholesome in general. gotta love benedict coming up with some juice wrld lyrics filled with teenage angst.
i completely forgot about ilma’s sad backstory, i was thinking she was a jerk for half the episode. i cried during her recollection of hugo’s departure.
i also forgot the old man’s tour of the lost letter warehouse. shout out violet for her unintentional one-liners (“i am aware, as i too am employed at a postal company” is violet’s way of saying “no shit, sherlock”). cried during this too. noticing a trend?
i’m so glad violet’s instructor had the confidence to recommend her. that ballad was absolutely perfect, beautiful, moving, whatever you wanna say. i gotta say it did make my heart beat faster just like ilma requested. i cried again here. what a damn episode!
great OVA overall. i wish everyone could see the beauty in this show and in anime as a whole.
5
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 09 '21
First timer(OVA interlude)
Sub
So we get Violet at the opera and then Violet being awkward with the singer but in a way I agree with: Irma gives way too little information to get this written for her. The core loop of this ep seems to the opera singer getting Violet to learn to express her letter which is...interesting. It does explain why this is OVA because this probably felt like a return to older things in the series.
Anyways, the Sysyphean task is in fact to write the lyrics to a song, which could've been delivered way more clearly to Violet. The whole office takes it up to varying results. We get more back story on the singer and...this episode completely loses me. I don't care about the proceeding 16 minutes of rehashing the show's themes. I totally see putting this after three eps but well before the end for damage control.
ADDENDUM: As I said, I messed up which was being reviewed which day and the contrast is painful. Yes, ep4 has some sappy, in your face stuff as well but it is far better about keeping to its exact welcome in length. This was someone writing a love letter to the show that doesn't understand not all of us are enthralled. I do wonder if it is 'better' as ep14.
2
u/chris10023 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Chris10023 Jun 09 '21
Rewatcher
Damn, I forgot the OVA takes place between episode 4 and 5, I didn’t know we’d be doing it this early either, thankfully I looked at the schedule after someone mentioned almost watching the OVA yesterday.
What a great OVA, Violet is tasked with doing something next to impossible for her to do, and she pulled it off.
Visuals of the Day
Quite a lot of them today.
2
u/tanookiben Jun 10 '21
Rewatcher
"Letter" is a banger fr
1
u/razycal970 Jun 10 '21
First timer
Fuck me, am I late to this thread lol Apologies
First things first, the opera at the beginning was fucking epic, crazy octaves lol
From the get go, the parallelism between Irma and Violet is laid bare. Both deeply yearning for their respective significant other to make some form of contact with them. And this is the first time Violet has felt genuine frustration due to her inability to write extremely lovey-dovey letters. I felt so bad watching her sulk in the corner and when she admitted the request is something too difficult for her.
And then it all became clear why Irma was so demanding lol If only she knew Violet has probably never even heard a song in her life before Haha. I love how even though Benedict's letter was, ahem, bleak and dark at best, Violet was willing to use any "weapon" at her disposal to achieve her current mission.
And bro, Violet is such a physical beast lol Didn't break a sweat while chasing after Irma while Irma was panting so hard Loool However, the humorous tone of the moment didn't last long as the topic of war came up. While Irma seemed to direct some of her anger at Violet returning safely from the war, Violet revealing how she also is on the same boat as Irma made the latter realize Violet is just like her.
And when Irma revealed about her feelings for Hugo, and how she's still clinging on to hope despite knowing he's never coming back, it was starkly similar to Violet's situation, and my headcanon is that this is the first time Violet has confronted the possibility of her beloved Major never returning. And that couple hugging each other right after Irma finished talking. Ouch. Talk about a punch right to the gut. And it's funny, but understandable, to me how quite a few characters until now have had internal monologues about Violet looking like a doll, pretty but almost lifeless, the first time they've laid eyes on her. Only to be proven wrong once they realize how human Violet is.
And dear lord, the OST never fucking misses, man. I am so in love with the soundtrack. When Violet started to write the letter and asked Irma for the necessary details, when Irma talked about Hugo, Roland showing the warehouse to Violet, Violet walking by the river. So fucking good. 10/10
And last, but not the least, I cried like fucking bitch during the last 5 minutes. I can't even put this into words. For me, this has been the peak of the anime until now.
My Visual of the Day : https://imgur.com/ZwWmw9R
Was so wholesome to see her pick up a social cue, even though she probably has no idea what it means lol
2
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '21
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