cleverpun Talks About Anime: Violet Evergarden · 12:51am Dec 21st, 2020
I've watched a lot of anime. But it was only recently that I got a MyAnimeList account. And trying to dig through my memories for all the anime I've ever watched was an interesting mental dredge.
I also don't really discuss anime in any particular spot. So I thought, as a change of pace, I might talk a bit about some of the best anime I've ever watched. And if you don't generally care for anime, then there may still be something here for you. After all, you follow me, which means you must have good taste (and/or think I have good taste). Or you can ignore this post and not miss out on much. Maybe this'll be a recurring feature of my blog, and maybe not.
Today I'd like to talk about Violet Evergarden. My favorite anime, period.
The premise is mostly straightforward. Violet is an orphan girl, and she spent most of her life fighting in a war. The only person who ever cared for her was her commanding officer: Major Gilbert. But in the last major battle she fought in, she lost both her arms, and Major Gilbert.
When she gets out of the hospital, an old acquaintance of Gilbert's comes to meet her, Colonel Hodgins. Colonel Hodgins offers her a job at his post office. And Violet becomes a ghostwriter.
Why is it my favorite anime? In a word, emotion. This made me cry, repeatedly. And not in a corny way. Anime often gets a bad rap for being goofy, over-the-top, childish. And it can be, and those things can be fun. But this is the second anime that ever made me cry as an adult, in a mature fashion. I daresay episode 10 is the first time that I cried in my capacity as a guardian.
Violet is a broken person, and she has to heal a lot over the course of the series. But her various clients also have their own issues that she helps them through. And that help catalyzes her own growth. The conflicts that Violet encounters in her capacity as a ghostwriter are certainly extraordinary. But it all ties into a theme. Many of the people she encounters have experienced loss, just like her.
If you want an anime that makes you cry, but is emotionally mature, then consider giving this one a try. It has its moments of melodrama and over-the-top circumstances. But Violet's journey as a person cements it all together very well.
Rereading this, "Rambles about Anime" might have been more accurate.
Violet was amazing.
The side story was real good.
Episode 14 was fantastic.
Still waiting on the movie
5419603 I heard the movie was delayed because of the pandemic. Like so many other things were.