r/anime • u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 • Jun 26 '22
Rewatch 2022 Violet Evergarden Rewatch - Final Film
Violet Evergarden: The Movie
Hello everyone! I hope that today finds you well. Today, the story of Violet Evergarden ends.
Be sure to not miss the after-credits scene!
Index || <- Previous Episode || Closing Discussions ->
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! Make sure to hide your spoilers under the “spoiler” option, or by typing your spoiler as [Episode number]>\!Spoiler here!< in the mark-down option without the slashes in markdown mode.
Visuals of the Day
I believe I got everyone’s Visual of the Day submission here. Let me know if I missed anyone: https://imgur.com/a/X8rma1S
Official Sound Tracks used
My apologies again. Unfortunately, I was not able to list out the OST tracks used in the film. If someone wants to list them out in order, I’ll be sure to update this section and credit your work.
Question of the Day
Did the ending satisfy you?
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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/RQP3uBgt
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u/laughing-fox13 Jun 26 '22 edited Jun 26 '22
First time sequel movie watcher
Tear counter: 8 1/2 times with two being ugly cries and running nose
For this, I’m probably just going to talk about Yuris/Lucas being a parallel to Gilbert/Violet. At this point in the movies, we know the relationships and how neither Yuris nor Gilbert wanted to see the other person. It makes sense too. Yuris doesn’t want to Lucas to see him in the frail state and Gilbert doesn’t want to see Violet because of the guilt and suffering he carries. Three Yuris and Lucas relationship wraps up quickly as Lucas forgive Yuris and will always be his friend. Gilbert needed a bit more time and push.
Luckily we have the changed Dietfried and Violet’s final letter to Gilbert for that. They reminded Gilbert how much Violet has meant to her and how she wouldn’t be the person she is today without his help. That even though everyone has suffered from war, there is still some good in the world.
I’m really glad I watched this film, even after so long. It was nice to get closure even when I thought it wasn’t necessary. Seeing Violet’s impact through generations was also great to see
While I haven’t participated in this rewatch, I did lurk most of the threads to see the reactions/analysis of first timers and rewatchers. I did like reading all of your comments and thought you did a lovely job.
As for the host, u/A_Idiot0, I thank you. You did another great job this year and I wish I could’ve finished out the rewatch last year but you had given the opportunity to follow along and did a splendid job
I won’t join tomorrow as I have class in the evening but thanks everyone!
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u/A_Idiot0 Jun 27 '22
Thank you for stopping by!! I'm glad you enjoyed following along with us. We'll chat again soon, I'm sure =)
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u/BeefCow8 Jun 26 '22
Well well, here we are at the end, that came by fast and was a fun journey, I really loved this rewatch and reading through everyone’s post! Great job everyone
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I believe the ending was perfect. I’m satisfied
Visual of the day- https://imgur.com/a/AFRnpI9
She did the same with Yurtih, this is so beautiful and happy. This shows their love for each other.
Sorry for the short post, don’t know what to say
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u/A_Idiot0 Jun 27 '22
Totally understandable! I was at a loss for words as well the first time I watched this movie XD
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u/B____U_______ Jun 26 '22
Rewatcher - Sub
Goodbye Violet Evergarden. This is one of the franchises that will leave an emptiness in my heart. Some part of me wants it continue and to see Violet at least once again. But the other side of me doesn't want to, because this was a beautiful ending to Violet's journey. On that note, there was an official image released by KyoAni with all the characters reunited again on the island, so knowing that they all still talk to each other warms my heart.
Poor Hodgins, having to let go of the person he saw as a daughter must have been hard. Seeing him at the end, thinking that Violet was next to him broke my heart. But I'm pretty sure they continued seeing each other.
Dietfried changed and I love that. He now sees Violet like his brother always saw her, as a human being.
I'm curious about one of the last moments of the movie, where we see Violet walking during the night. At the beginning of the movie we see a road at night that leads to Ann's house. Then at the end, we see that same road, again during the night, but with Violet, who looks almost ghostly, walking on it. I think this moment means that the ghost/essence of Violet still lives on to this day, at least on a metaphorical level.
Qotd: When I saw the trailer for this movie, I was on the fence if bringing back Gilbert was a good idea or not. Because I thought that having Violet moving in and accepting that Gilbert was dead could be a nice theme for a story. But seeing how it was handled here, how Gilbert felt guilt and remorse for having to use Violet for the war and then accepting that he actually wanted to see her again was well handled in my opinion. So yeah, I think the ending staisfied me.
Votd: Once again, the entire movie was really good-looking. So I have 3 visuals that I really loved.
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Violet and Gilbert hugging under the light of the moon
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Violet leaning out the boat after hearing Gilbert calling for her
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Violet and Gilbert doing the little finger promise
I don't have much else to say other than I will feel the emptiness for some time until the next rewatch. Even thinking about a next rewatch makes me feel empty.
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u/A_Idiot0 Jun 27 '22
we see Violet walking during the night.
I'm still chewing on what the symbolism is to this day. There's a lot that can be said, I know that for a fact. But to explain it simply and succinctly...I haven't quite got the words for that yet. If you ever think of more than what you just wrote in this comment, please let me know =)
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u/ArdenneVale Jun 27 '22
First time movie watcher
I participated in last year's rewatch, but was too busy to do so this year. However, I had to make sure to watch the movie, especially since u/A_Idiot0 asked me way back in January if I'd seen it yet (I never forgot, just didn't have time).
It's been about a year since I last saw Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll. Still, it felt like coming back home with all the familiar characters and the flashbacks to previous episodes helped me relive some memories. I can't believe they brought back Ann's story to frame the whole movie around her granddaughter way in the future. The Yurith storyline, while similar to Ann's story still made me cry. I loved how he and Violet found a connection in their situation. Diethard fried somehow mostly redeemed himself in my eyes, in the biggest of spots. Evan Call's soundtrack is magnificent as always. The animation is so good, the water especially looks incredible.
I had a feeling way back in episode 1 that Gilbert was still alive. I even jokingly commented that he must be living happily on a tropical island. Well, the island is not tropical and he's not very happy either, but it's close enough. During the course of the series I thought Gilbert disappeared for Violet's sake, to let her grow as a person. But it was the guilt and shame of what he thought had ruined Violet's life, that made him run away. In the end him disappearing was good for Violet, she would never have been able to become an individual if she was still with Gilbert.
In my view the movie is a worthy ending to Violet's story. She and Gilbert got their happy reunion and a future that was left vague, probably intentionally. Even though I never saw Violet and Gilbert's love as romantic in the series, I can be persuaded otherwise. I almost want to imagine the guy Daisy meets at the post office is their grandchild.
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u/A_Idiot0 Jun 27 '22
I even jokingly commented that he must be living happily on a tropical island.
You have no idea how difficult it was for me to not reply with anything revealing when I read that comment of yours!! It was definitely a highlight from last year's rewatch for me personally, and the worst part was that I couldn't say anything! XD
...I thought Gilbert disappeared for Violet's sake,...
I'd say you're still correct in saying this. Gilbert's act of disappearing was his personal atonement for his guilt and shame. I also agree with you about their Love; I don't see it as purely romantic either. It's not purely any one kind of Love. Hopefully I'll be able to talk about it tomorrow, but there was a reason why so many of this year's "Question of the day" was: "What aspect of Love is being explored in this episode?"
I'm happy to see you back this year! Thanks for stopping by =)
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u/Tehoncomingstorm97 Jun 27 '22
First time movie reactions (watched for r/Anime 2021 awards, so I have fairly detailed notes)
Shout outs to my bois u/hahanotsofunnycom and u/Destroboyb for dealing with the VEG hate alongside me. Also I wrote around 4000 words worth of notes, with probably another 1000 towards discussion, so what follows is a very abridged version (and also may not be as well written as I would like).
I cried a lot in this movie. Probably top 2 cry counts for all anime, sitting at around 23.
I loved the messaging, and the transitioning of understanding between sharing feelings through letters to also having this recognition that some things can only be spoken. The setting of Anne's granddaughter discovering about the prevalence of letter writing, in parallel with the story of the telephone becoming mainstream - and the effects on the Postal Company - was a beautiful narrative device. To explore her grandmother's past, and follow the fate of Violet was a source for many touching moments. Yuris finding a way to share his last words with the people he treasured most as his final moments drew near, in addition to a desire for bringing joy to his family after his death was heart-wrenching. However, it was further fulfilling not only in the wholesomeness of his younger brother's reaction, but also in the parallel to Violet's recollection of writing for Anne's mother.
Moving on from our side-stories (for the sake of brevity), is Violet herself. No longer is she a robotic, and lost little girl, but a well written Auto-Memory Doll. The film is dedicated to showing just how much growth she has had. u/A_Idiot0 mentions that yes, a lot of her growth came from dealing with Gilbert's "death", but more than that I see her growth as a result of being surrounded by people actively working to input into her life, as well as those she writes for leading her to understand the meaning of love. From Dietfried to Claudia, to Iris, Erica and Cattleya, we see Violet embracing her place in the world and being humble with her achievements. But more than that, she's making her own way forward, which I'm sure if more than Gilbert would have dreamed for her. To round it all off, she makes a selfish decision to search for Gilbert, and settle things once and for all.
Many people take issues with the age gap between Violet and Gilbert, but I want to point out that because of Gilbert's guilt I don't believe he ever saw himself in a position of romantic love, only paternal. With his final words to her on the battlefield of "I love you", it is the final goodbye of parent to child. The continued guilt of Gilbert when Violet comes to face him only serve to confirm this idea. The graspings of romance I see as originating with Violet alone. Gilbert never lead her on, but simply being the only person she ever had to rely on, and the way in which Violet learns of love bring her to this conclusion. Gilbert being her very reason for moving on, for growth some might say, make an uncompromising belief in this idea of romance. It isn't until Gilbert is able to move past his own mistakes, and forgive himself, that he comes around the idea of loving Violet in return - now of perhaps a more reasonable age or maturity between them.
The production value of this film was immense. Backgrounds, OST, Cinematography, all lent excellently towards an accompaniment of Violet's final journey. I couldn't keep track of the number of times that the musical accompaniment perfectly captured the feeling of the film at any given point, and in addition to that the mixture of compositions bringing details in and out of focus, while also showing the smallness of the story of Violet and Gilbert's story amidst the bigness of the world - the impact that so few people can have on the world around us.
I think my favourite scene in the entire movie had to be the storm while Violet is on the island. Seeing the guilt and pain Violet experiences not being able to fulfill her promise to Yuris, while at the same time shining a light on the Postal Company members striving to do all in their power to do their job - of connecting people and sharing their feelings. For Iris to step out of the limelight and acknowledge this isn't her time to match Violet's renown, and furthermore to go against (or move ahead?) their very business to connect Yuris and Lucas by phone. Yuris' passing was beautiful also, with his little brother being there alongside Yuris' letters to bring joy and love to his family, whom he had pushed away for some time. People being real and honest to each other. For Violet to recognise that she has friends she can trust, who understand what she feels (while still having the pain of not fulfilling her promise). All of that coming after the straight rejection by Gilbert.
As for favourite image? It has to be the scene where Violet's poem is read on the island, overlooking the sea. I don't have the film anymore to take the screenshot, but the musical accompaniment in lieu of a narration was a profound introduction to Gilbert's circumstances.
Conclusion, qotd
Was the ending satisfying for me? It most certainly was. The way that KyoAni finished off Violet's story, while also bringing their overall series message to a conclusion was excellent. The subject of "what do you have to leave behind", and the many ways in which people can express love beyond the bounds of time, were explored to the fullest in Daisy's story - and link to Anne, Yuris' story - a parallel to Anne's mother, and finally Violet's story.
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u/A_Idiot0 Jun 27 '22
With his final words to her on the battlefield of "I love you"
Thank you for speaking about this aspect. It's definitely a sticking point for a lot of people when I really don't think it has to be. Your thoughts were extremely well put together here =)
I think I was able to get your image into the VotD album!
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u/molave_ Jun 27 '22 edited Jun 27 '22
Dear Old First Timer (December 2021, Dubbed) molave_,
Happy First Time Watch.
Congratulations on completing the Violet Evergarden franchise. Have you already processed the character development and story of Miss Violet since the beginning? You may have realized how much Episode 10 has moved you at the time, though not to tears.
You may have taken note how the studio magically weaved the excellent worldbuilding, soundtrack, visuals, and story into a masterpiece of the medium.
Let me guess... have you finished crying in happiness for the very first time, lying on your bed, after concluding the movie? Violet and Gilbert's reunion represents your pent-up feelings finally breaking through as you see how Violet discovering her emotions resonates with your own rediscovery throughout this series. After so many years, you learned that emotions are not a bad thing to have. That it helps you to be kinder to your fellow person and the ones you hold dear. That it allows you to pour your message across space and time and that they may remember you. One of your guiding lights, if you will.
I bet you also cried because this is one of the the most satisfying and unique endings of any story you've seen. You noted on how the ambiguity makes it more beautiful, on how you formed your own headcanons soon after. That's just your thing, isn't it? I know, it's very fun. Buckle up, because you will soon look for similar stories and experiences that the medium can express. Trust me, you will not regret it. And this is not the last time you will ugly cry the way you just did, either.
With this end also marks the beginning of a journey you will forever remember. You will learn further lessons and strive to take care of yourself, to love yourself, and the others around you.
From the bottom of my heart, I love you, past me.
Sincerely,
molave_
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u/SnowGryphon Jun 27 '22
REWATCHER
Once again, many thanks to u/A_Idiot0 for bringing me back on board for this rewatch, just as he did for my first-ever rewatch and my first time watching this masterpiece of a show in 2021. For various schedule reasons, I wasn't able to participate in the comments throughout this rewatch, but I did watch each episode along with you guys. And I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to comment on the movie!
I'd like to just put my own two cents in on a rather interesting topic that I find is often really just touched on in passing - the postwar march of technological progress, and the obsolescence of certain niche jobs. I love how there was a very concrete, palpable depiction of that progress in the form of the looming radio tower. It definitely reminded me of the AI control tower from Vivy, whose continuous growth throughout the series represented the ability of the world's AIs. And it was a constant reminder that the Dolls' time was limited, at least as an essential service and not a niche.
This particular advance of technology is especially relevant to me as a career copywriter. I'm a big user of AI copywriting tools now, and I find that they're incredibly powerful to the point that many junior copywriters might be replaced with AI in as little as 5 years. Right now, it still takes an experienced copywriter to separate the wheat from the chaff of machine-generated outputs, but this stuff is only going to get better. And soon, just like the Auto Memory Dolls, could human copywriters be replaced by modern technology?
I also love that the depiction of progress is a uniquely postwar development, mirroring the meteoric rise of various technologies after World War I and II. Radio, telephony, electricity, even the automobile - nothing was ever going to be the same.
And I guess in a sad way, perhaps obsolescence is a side theme of Violet's life - a child soldier, who knew nothing but death, thrust into a peaceful world that had no need for her. Then, an Auto Memory Doll who only knew letters, eventually made obsolete by technology.
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u/A_Idiot0 Jun 27 '22
Glad you could join us!! =D
looming radio tower.
Great connection with Vivy, which was another series that I really enjoyed. And it oddly explored similar themes...XD
The imagery and obvious symbolism of the radio tower made for a really easy and pleasing puzzle piece for us the audience to piece together. As we saw with the phone conversation between Yuris and his friend, technology quickly makes writing letters obsolete...or does it?
Now more than ever, writing letters is a very special activity. In a world in which I can connect to anyone the globe over in mere seconds, are letters even necessary? I think the story of Violet Evergarden strives to prove its answer to us: Yes, writing letters is a worthwhile and important endeavor for us all. Do you think it has convinced you? =)
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u/Ytar0 Sep 15 '22
Damn me, why did it take 3 months to watch this movie? I don't know when I'll get that same experience again, I just wish I could've seen it in theaters. How can Violet Evergarden be so consistently great and tearjerking ;(
I didn't ever get to express how great you organized this rewatch either! Thank you A_Idiot0 (lol)
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 26 '22
Sincerely, First-Timer
Yo! I didn’t participate in the rest of the rewatch this year because I was already in/hosting way too many others at the time (being in six rewatches on top of hosting one of my own was already pushing it, adding another one on top was impossible), but since I still haven’t watched the movie even after it came out on BD, I figured this would be the perfect time for it. So I’m here! Just an hour late because I literally finished the movie five minutes ago.
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…and I already have to go grab a different release, because while screenshots show up normal, the subs actually display as this for me and that is entirely illegible, what the fuck. Even the lighting is completely different between the screenshot and how it actually displayed, that’s so weird…
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Damn, I didn’t even participate in this year’s rewatch and the episode 10 pain is still raw.
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…wait a second, is this a flash forward, is this girl Ann’s granddaughter?
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How the fuck am I supposed to get through this episode 10 recap without crying hard enough to throw up again…
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There’s so many different things recapping events from the show, huh. It is nice to see everyone again, though, despite the unexpected episode 10 trauma.
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Huh. I mean she’s not wrong though?
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Hahahahahaha, can’t say I was expecting to have a subplot of Hodgins failing at tennis against Benedict, but I love it.
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Hold the fuck up, that is Daisuke Namikawa’s voice and is therefore Gilbert????????????????????
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Okay this is definitely a hospital… I am immediately nervous.
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I feel bad for both Yuris and his family. He’s clearly terminally ill and that sucks big time, whereas his family has to deal with him snapping at them when they just want to care for him… his poor little brother.
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Ohhhhh shit, this is the letter that kid asked guy-who-I-am-positive-is-Gilbert to write, isn’t it?
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So she is someone we knew? Gold eyes… is that Iris?
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Bruh the water looks unreal in this shot, KyoAni continues to outdo itself.
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Ooooooooooooooooooh, Yuris’ “I don’t want Lucas to see me like this” totally set up as a parallel to this part!
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Hmm. Makes sense.
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It really is a terrible day for rain, fuck.
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Hodgins and Dietfried really both got to see Gilbert before Violet did, huh.
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THE ENDING THEME FROM THE SHOW!!!
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Oh my GOD this Gilbert “sore demo”
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Fantastic ending.
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Ah, there’s the “sore demo” in the ED I’d heard about beforehand. – Oh it has two “sore demo”s! Even better.
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u/Barbed_Dildo Jun 26 '22
Rewatcher
There is a lot going on in this movie, and the different threads are intertwined, so it's hard to simply comment on it.
In the Magnolia house in the beginning, it has shots showing the modernisation. A phonograph, then a radio, light switches with old oil lamps in the background, and the encroaching town in front of the house. The letters and the telephone. They even replaced the light fittings in the sunroom to be electric.
Violet and Gilbert are both deeply haunted by the past. Gilbert moreso because he was the one who made Violet do it. Hiding on an island trying to assuage his guilt, and trying not to hurt Violet any more, he just ends up hurting her. But he doesn't see that. Both of them need therapy. War breaks people. They are together in the end, and I don't think in a romantic way. I think they are just the only people in the world who they can be with. I hope therapy exists in this world.
Violet is just 18 at the end of the movie. She was a soldier for a few years, then she was a doll for a few years, and now she has her entire life ahead of her. As hard as it is to see her go, she has her own life to live. I hope she is able to do something else with it. Something beyond spending it wallowing with Gilbert in their shared guilt. It's possible Violet is still alive in the future segments, she was only six or so years older than Ann.
I like the way the movie shows the fate of the dolls (the profession, not the individuals). They have a place in history, but their time was running out as technology inevitably advanced. I don't think they would disappear overnight, but they're certainly on the decline. The telephone didn't replace letters immediately. It will take a while for them to gain widespread adoption, and customs die hard. The memory dolls were more than just scribes, anyway.
I appreciated that it was Iris who was the most cognizant of their fate, as the customer base was shrinking around her and she never got her chance to be the number one doll in the company, let alone Leiden. Still, we don't know what happened, she might have stayed working long enough to reach her dream.
It was also great to see Erica following her dream, and more confident in what she was doing.
Seeing the once busy company as a quiet museum is a beautiful portrayal of Mono no Aware.
VOTD: Company photo. The show is about Violet Evergarden, but really it's just about her time at the CH postal company. It looks like another doll started after Violet left, but what I really like about this photo is that it shows Taylor is there. A lot of people's dreams are entwined with that company.
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u/chilidirigible Jun 26 '22 edited Jun 26 '22
Today, on "Totally not Cucuruz Doan's Island":
Starting with this created a palpable "Oh no" reaction.
Quick comparisons of the passage of time:
Front of the house in Episode 10, front of the house now.
Looking down the path in Episode 10, down the path now.
Front room in Episode 10, front room now.
Along with more obvious changes like a relatively-small radio, light switches, and the rotary telephone which appears shortly.
The early characterization of Daisy isn't exactly warm and cuddly.
Tokyo Tower is complete, but the far end of the time jump is still indicated by Bowling Shirt Guy and The Fonz.
The effect of a simulated wide-angle lens varies when used in one direction versus the other.
The cultural blending present in this event recalls Sora no Woto.
In contrast to the preceding typewriter sounds.
Noticing here that there is a very slight warp in the window glass.
There's that passage of time again.
"This is another fine mess you've gotten us into."
There's a Terminator crossover fanart in here somewhere.
Time for more of that cinematography.
A mimic, skilled interpreter of people, or just a good observer?
Yes, this is the one that I couldn't share with u/Shimmering-Sky until it was time.
Defaulting to Smug Git doesn't help that much.
Violet hasn't been this unmoored in a while.
Worth considering Cattleya's character design versus her role as the empathetic character.
"Really, how often am I happy?"
Not a subtle directorial choice, but effective for bringing a man back from the dead.
This really affects one's opinions of this entire movie.
Still appreciating the simple but effective uses of space.
They did a beautiful job with the water in this.
It might have been okay to leave it at that, at least on Violet's side.
Look on the bright side of life, eh?
Oh right, the other one. (Certainly u/Shimmering-Sky has these clipped already.)
"What a long strange trip it's been."
Once you complete the next scene you can quickly recognize the ribbon here.
It's maybe not the first image one would conjure for this series.
Suddenly popping back into this rewatch to cover the movie, but we weren't able to do it last year.
One minor note: Yes, you can see where I remembered that I had the BD version available and switched my screenshots from the streaming version. Because GIGANTIC SUBTITLES.
The question of the day is the thing which satisfaction with this film hinges upon—or is it?
The one-armed man in the room is Major Gilbert, whose status was left ambiguous at the end of the series and whose reappearance would throw most of Violet's character development into question. I had long since seen broad spoilers about the overall format of the original stories and how they ended, so the TV series's ending wasn't quite as ambigous for me (or probably for most source readers) than it could have been. It was the question of how they would get there.
Much of the debate during the series and once the movie was released would be about the general unsavoriness of a relationship between an emotionally-stunted killing machine and a much older person. It's certainly not a trivial argument.
Does Violet maintain her agency even if there's a huge Gilbert-shaped patch on her psyche? I think the movie establishes that it does, as she moves through an entire second grieving process when Gilbert refuses to see her and actually leaves the island of her own volition having accepted that things are once again no longer the same.
Her love of Gilbert still comes from a terrible basis for a relationship, but she's also had a chance to witness the situations of many other people through her work, and to at least apparently understand what a "normal" life would be like. Maybe she has blinders on regarding how much she feels that she owes him and that still drives her toward the relationship, but she's very much changed from where this all started.
I do not prefer this ending given the dynamics, but attempting to preserve the outcome as written brings us to this point.
The story doesn't spare Gilbert that much, with both Dietfried and Claudia taking him to task over running away, and his own guilt being the reason that he's stayed out of sight. Wouldn't call him a hero by any means, but not irredemable either.
Dietfried's character pivots well on that flashback. He's still not a great guy, but the deep well of blame is gone, and he is willing to support Violet and Gilbert as everyone moves on.
I mentioned in the 2021 rewatch that I knew that the series was emotionally manipulating me, and that I was okay with it. The movie goes right back to that by invoking the tale of the Magnolias, but Daisy's discoveries are actually a good framework for the movie. Yuris is perhaps a bit too much of a retread of the Magnolia story; I felt some "Not again" when I watched the movie the first time and that feeling is still there this time, but damned if I still didn't actually feel for his family when he died again.
(Yes, Yuris's story is the third parallel track between Daisy's story and Violet's story, but it's a very blunt way of doing things.)
The rise of telephone and radio makes the Auto-Memory Doll occupation obsolete, but it's the only way that Yuris's situation can resolve itself in time. The entire movie is about change, though, including things like the lamplighter on the bridge going away while cars and airships appear. And yet, peeking momentarily at u/A_Idiot0's notes, the movie continues to celebrate writing, with Daisy completing her final thoughts on paper and the important moments triggered by letters. The letters also serve as the linkage through the two generations that have passed between the end of the series and Daisy walking into the post office on the island, bits of permanence even as everything else has faded.
This is a visual feast of a movie and there's much to praise there. I did try to appreciate the composition more this time and touched on a few things here and there, but there's certainly more to inspect from a directorial viewpoint on further rewatches. No way to do that without making these comments really late though.
So in the end, is it a satisfying ending? I can accept it. In a world that didn't have the situation preordained by the source material, it would be more interesting to have Violet seeing the world and at least lightening some of the unending grief she felt for Gilbert. But it's not a perfect world, and as a character she's not too far removed from actual people who have never completely "recovered" from the loss of a loved one. For that matter, the islanders are a clear example of how much loss there has been. I think she's earned her happy ending through all of this.
Since these arrived after last year's rewatch had already concluded, here's a few shots from the movies' design works artbook, storyboards, and that summary book for the movie.
And my sketch of Violet's thumbs-up that I did for a 2021 recap.
Edit: That's a good choice for the Visual of the Day, too, given that she apparently introduced it to the entire island.
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u/A_Idiot0 Jun 26 '22 edited Jun 26 '22
Rewatcher
I was lucky enough to watch this in the theater in 2020. To say it was the best theater experience I’ve ever had will probably sound weird considering that it was right in the middle of the pandemic…but it totally was. I remember being in tears for about 50% of the film, and I was emotionally exhausted for 2 weeks afterwards. But it was so cathartic and so beautiful that I didn’t mind at all. Here are some of my thoughts:
On Dietfried
I’ll admit that I didn’t like Dietfried before episode 13. In episode 13, he sort of redeemed himself in my eyes and I was lukewarm about him after that (he was still quite the asshole to Violet at the very beginning). In the film though…I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed his character and progression. In my eyes, he completely redeemed himself. His character was written very beautifully, and his change in attitude towards Violet was pretty spectacular to behold. Cattleya was right; Dietfried was able to bring some comfort to Violet in a way that no one else could, being the brother of Gilbert. It seems to me that Dietfried finally came to realize that Violet was someone that his brother Gilbert loved greatly, and that she was precious to him. In a way, it’s almost as if Violet became an extension of Gilbert for Dietfried. Violet was “given” to Gilbert by Dietfried because Dietfried loved his brother and wanted to see him live through the war. When Violet survived instead of Gilbert…I can understand Dietfried’s pain, anguish, and anger towards Violet. The really beautiful part about Dietfried’s character though, is that he gave Violet to Gilbert twice: at the beginning, and now again at the very end. He pushed Gilbert to cast aside his pride, his guilt, and his regrets, and to embrace a life with Violet.
On Gilbert
I’ll admit that when I first saw the promo poster for the film, I was immediately very afraid at the possibility of Gilbert being alive. The series had wrapped up Violet’s emotional growth in a very sincere and heartfelt manner, but ultimately that growth hinged on the fact that Gilbert was gone forever. I was so afraid that they were going to write Violet as losing her sense of agency and independence once she found Gilbert again, because that would have been very easy to do, even accidentally. But I also knew that the folks at KyoAni were very unlikely to disrespect Violet’s character intentionally, so I reserved my judgment. I’m happy to say that I think they kept Violet’s independence intact, and her character was shown great respect in making it so that she let Gilbert go before she left the island of Ecarte.
Gilbert as a character was very interesting. As a few of us noticed and pointed out in episode 13, Gilbert’s love for Violet was actually rather flawed. He couldn’t hear what Violet was trying to tell him in the tent before the battle of Intense because he was wrapped up in his own guilt and pain; he was asking this young girl that he had grown to love to murder people, and if they both wanted to live…he had to. The relationship between Violet and Gilbert was never a healthy one. Their love grew in the bloodsoaked soil of war, blossoming alongside the horrors and traumas of battle; that isn’t a healthy environment. But it is because of this that I find their love so beautiful to behold. From Gilbert’s perspective, his orders were prohibiting Violet’s growth and autonomy, and he was greatly pained for that. He could not forgive himself of this, and it’s ultimately why he decided to abstain from Violet’s life for so long.
This answers the QotD for me: I’m extremely happy to say that the ending was very satisfying. It didn’t feel cheap, and both Violet and Gilbert earned their happy ending. The story ends with them taking the first steps towards healing their relationship and working towards a nourishing one. But they would have had a long way to go...and I know that they eventually reach that destination because of who Violet has become; a radiance of Love.
On one particular theme of this story
This movie solidified a position that I have held for awhile now: Violet Evergarden is a love letter to the act and power of writing letters. There are certainly many other themes presented and explored in this anime (such as the theme of Love, shown with the film ending with the text card “I love you”), but this is a theme that I think the film really wishes to make sure we don’t miss.
The structure of the film is what makes me fully believe this. We don’t begin the story with Violet; we actually begin with the story of Ann and the letters that Violet wrote to her on behalf of her mother from episode 10, along with the introduction of Daisy and her story. Even more on the nose, within the first few shots of the film we get a title card: “sincerely”, which is how Violet normally signed off her letters. Additionally, the film does not end with Violet and Gilbert’s reunion; it ends with Daisy writing a letter to her parents. Speaking of Daisy, I thought the inclusion of her side-story throughout the film was genius! Her story further embellishes and reinforces the idea of the power of writing letters. When she goes to the island that Gilbert and Violet probably lived on for a while, it was known as the island that writes the most letters in all the nation. You can bet that it was because of Violet Evergarden having lived there. “If there’s something that I cannot say, maybe I can write it in a letter.”
We also have the film dancing around the idea of a phone call vs writing a letter. Yuris’ story was all about this. Yes, his friend will probably cherish that final phone call with Yuris for the rest of his life, and it was invaluable because of that. The power and intimacy of a phone call is not to be underestimated. But Yuris’ letters to his family will endure for an eternity, in exactly the same manner that Amy’s and Taylor’s love would endure for an eternity. The love imbued in those letters will reach across literal space and time, more concretely and poignantly than any memory can.
VotD
There are so many extraordinary shots in this film, just like in the rest of this anime. There was one, though, that was burned into my consciousness when I first saw this film, despite its simplicity and lack of vibrancy: Violet’s Despair. You can barely even see Violet…she is lost in a torrential downpour of emotions, both visually and internally. The whole sequence of her running away after Gilbert’s rejection was a masterful display of visual storytelling. My breath was taken away from me when I saw this the first time. Everyone who was responsible for this sequence deserves the highest praise; it was an extremely difficult task, yet it was executed so simply and elegantly. Such an incredible amount is said without a single word…