Violet Evergarden is such a beautiful
anime – emphasis put on “beautiful” because it is truly so in both writing and
animation. There’s an exquisite
attention to detail in the craftsmanship involved that it visually and
narratively flows with gracefully captivating quality. As a result, it arouses a potently emotional
watching experience.
The 13-episode anime series is set
in an alternate world that looks similar to the European-inspired world of Fullmetal Alchemist. Generally, the ethos, infrastructure, technology,
and fashion of this world are a blend of those found from the Industrial
Revolution to early 20th century in real life. However, highly-functional, mechanical
prosthetic limbs, comparable to FMA’s automail, also exist here.
On top of this, the society that
has developed in this world is one that holds letters at a premium, for they
seemingly serve as the ultimate symbol and show of affection. Hence, they have this incredibly profound
impact on the recipients. In addition, though
a good amount of the population can read, writing letters is strangely an elite
skill. Thus, a career can be made out of
it. Enter Auto Memories Dolls – ghostwriters
who are commissioned by clients to articulate their emotions and thoughts into
words, and write letters on their behalf.
The center of the story is the
eponymous character, Violet Evergarden, a former child soldier having a
difficult time finding her place in a world at peace. For all her life, functioning as a “tool” for
war has been the only thing she knows.
Hence, she hasn’t developed any basic social skills, giving her a straightforward,
detached, and expressionless personality, and making her clueless to the
nuances of human nature, especially when it comes to recognizing and
comprehending emotions. Ironically, the
vocation that she decides to pick up as her post-war career is being an Auto
Memories Doll, in which it is imperative to have an aptitude for discerning client sentiments accurately in order to encapsulate them perfectly in writing.
Now, Violet isn’t necessarily an
anti-social psychopath. She does have
feelings, but her tragic background impaired her ability to apprehend and express them. That’s why she begins working as an
Auto Memories Doll – to grasp what’s the deal with human emotions. Specifically, she wants to understand what “I love you” – the final words spoken to her by her kind
commanding officer, whom she is much devoted to – really mean.
Basically, her arc is all about her rise as a Auto Memories Doll, and how her various assignments – which range from the sweet to the touching to the straight-up heartbreaking – help her gradually learn empathy. This would lead her to realize for the first time the horrors of her past, but also, what her purpose is moving forward.
In essence, the plot is kind of a run-of-the-mill character study, but it’s surprisingly thought-provoking and poignant. Tears will flow.
In summation, Violet Evergarden considerably entices for
being an absolute eye candy, a treat of pensive storytelling, and a rush of
feels. It’s certainly one of the best
anime of 2018.
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