Violet Evergarden Movie

SPOILER HEAVY REVIEW!!! As you can probably guess by the score, I have some major issues with this movie. However I'm gonna get the good things out of the way first: + Awesome animation + Awesome sound (this includes music and voice acting) + Decent story for the first half of the movie, many recurring characters and many events from the TV series that got brought up again To talk about my issues with the movie, I first have to talk about the TV series, the themes it brought up and the development of Violet as a character. The story of the TV series was all about Violet's development from a tool of war, an unfeeling robotic puppet whose only purpose in life is to follow the orders of her superior officer, to an independent woman who has come to terms with her own emotions and has her own will and purpose in life. It also was about Violet processing the loss of the person most important to her. She had to accept that Gilbert may never come back, and that she needs to find a way to move on and live a life that doesn't revolve around him. I loved the TV series! I enjoyed all the little stories of the side characters and Violet's own story. It really hurts me to see the movie throw most of that out of the window, go in a very different direction and end at a point that was very unsatisfying to me. The first half of the movie was decent, we had a few more side stories with nice references to the TV series and Dietfried and Violet started on processing the loss of Gilbert together. Then we found out, that Gilbert is still alive and the trouble began. (So the whole "Coming to terms with the loss of someone important" theme is thrown out of the window I guess...) When Violet and Hodgins came to Gilbert's island, we found out that he had changed a lot and didn't even want to talk to Violet. I really liked this character development of his, he was partly responsible for the horrors of the war and for the misery of Violet's childhood and tried to redeem himself. Him not wanting to see her again and thinking that it'd be better for both, despite us knowing that he was really hurting her a lot at that moment was also something I liked. It showed us, that Gilbert is probably just not as perfect as Violet remembered and made him seem more human to me. At this point I thought: "Well ok, maybe they see each other one last time or maybe they exchange some letters and then Violet can move on and continue her development to an independent women who is able to come to terms with her own emotions and Gilbert convinces her, that she doesn't have to follow any orders from anyone anymore and should instead do what she wants?!" Nope, Violet does send a letter to Gilbert and he immediately decides to run after Violet, because now he wants to see her again! So Gilbert runs to the beach, shouts out Violet's name, to which she responds by jumping off her ship and swimming towards Gilbert. We then get this scene, where both of them are crying, Gilbert says her that he loves her and that he wants her to stay with him and then gives her a hug. We later learn that both of them lived happily everafter on the island... This one scene at the beach is so disrespectful to the entirety of Violet's character development that came before! Not only does Violet call Gilbert "major" throughout the entirety of the scene, but she also agrees to his order to stay with him forever! So in the end, Violet didn't move on at all, she still obeys the orders of the same superior officer, does as he pleases and is completely dependent on him! And that's the end to Violet's story as a whole?! This is just so very disappointing... I loved Violet Evergarden a whole lot, but now they managed to not only deliver a poor ending, but also to invalidate most of what made it so good in the first place. If you were watching Violet Evergarden for the good music and animation, then you're gonna be just as happy with this movie. But if you enjoyed it because of it's story and Violet as a character, then you'll be as disappointed and hurt as I am after watching this movie (which you probably already did, because of the spoilers). Sorry this kind of ended up being a rant. I felt the need to express my disappointment and anger with this movie, so that I'll be able to move on from it.

This will be spoiler free:D Im actually really fortunate to catch the movie in the cinema today. The whole presentation of the movie was just so beautiful. The art style and the details of everything in the movie was so well done. Kyoto animations really did a really good job drawing and animating this movie. I cannot stop talking about how pretty the art style is. The story itself did not fail to amaze me once again. I brawled my eyes out bruhhhh. There were 2 specific scenes that left me shooked as they were so fking good. I will not talk about it as this review is spoiler free:D Anyways, this movie is one of the best ive seen so far as it not just has a good plot but also has amazing art, good sound effects and awesome characters. I really enjoyed it and i hope u do too:3

Hands down superb animation, great voice acting. Which begs the question, what's not to like? The pedophilic nature of the main couple is too problematic to ignore. I mistakenly assumed that the love between them was of familial nature, and was horrified to discover (via light novel and later episodes of the TV series) that this was not the case. Violet was roughly 13 when she was at war with the major, and is under 18 during the movie. So, no problem at all that a man more than 10 years older than her is her romantic interest. Just. NO. All the character development of Violet from the TV series just evaporated. They even show her being socially awkward and not understanding "normal people" again. I thought she went through all that already. And isn't Violet supposed to accept the major's death at the end of the series and come to terms with her grief? Well, she's all hung up on him in the movie. I actually loved the soundtrack for the most part, but the heinously sung insert song was simply appalling. What a voice! Grating nails on chalkboard much? And allowing your family and friends to grieve your death when you are actually alive is such an ass move. His resurrection also didn't sit well with me. Showing the characters' emotional growth and dealing with grief and loss? No. What about the headshot wound and getting an arm cut off and massive blood loss? No problem. That ain't gonna kill no one. The side episode with the little boy was touching, if a rehash of a TV episode. The main plotline was cliched and predictable and disturbing. Violet's interactions with both the elder brother and her boss are infinitely superior to hers with the major and sometimes pretty cute, ugh! I guess I just can't get over the fact that he was romantically interested in her when she was not ever 14 years old. (vomits) I wasn't a big fan of the TV series either, but the movie is just worse. Do not recommend to anyone who cannot accept pedophilia. Well, no one should accept pedophilia.

As expected Violet Evergarden continues to be beautifully animated, the music and sound is lovely, so on and so forth. So what is my problem with it? I feel like this movie just undid all of Violet's personal growth. The end of the anime, she was finally moving on with her life. She kept the hope that Gilbert was alive in her heart, but she moved forward with friends and people who loved her. She had immense personal growth. Why? Why did this movie have to come and undo all that? You gave her strength to go forward, then threw her past in front of her and made her run back to it. It's a beautiful movie, but this movie pissed me off. Claudia is best dad.

Violet Evergarden: The Movie - SPOILER AHEAD These lines are being typed when I still have some warm tears lingering on my face, while playing the sentimental vocal soundtrack "Mirai no Hito E" from TRUE. I tried to remember when was the last time that I cried this much, feel this much, and had such an uprising unspoken shakiness that just waits to explode and erupt into the avalanche of emotions. Many films/movies that tug your string, many media products begging for your tears, spoon-feeding your pains and wrenching your hearts. Violet Garden: The Movie, however, slowly melts your heart away, makes you wish to cry and voluntarily succumb to the emotional weight, but as the same time heals your broken heart with powerful lines, and soothing undertone like a passionate ode. It repeats this cycle until viewers realize that they have finished the roller-coaster ride of emotions and become a crying mess. What this movie does is to portray the narrative as the collection of three overlapping stories with the mixed bags of past, present and future. Together, they have formed an everlasting final tale of a former child soldier, an exquisite Doll, and more importantly, a finally true-to-be human girl known as Violet Evergarden. The first story is the framing medium fast forwarding to half of century in the future, and following Daisy. She is the granddaughter of Anne from TV series' ep 10, who has lived her life to the fullest. Anne's passing has left a deep scar to Daisy, distancing herself from her parents. However, upon finding the grandmother's treasure, 50 years worth of letters typed by a Doll, Anne sets on the journey to learn about this mysterious figure shaping the life of her beloved grandma. The second and the third story contain the larger chunk of the film length and have a close interconnection in reaching the endgame. They pull us back to the present, where we see Violet, Iris, Cattleya, Erica, Benedict, Hodgins, and the CH Postal Company in the midst of industrial and technological revolution. The invention of devices called telephone soon will make the ghostwriters, or the Dolls to become obsolete. The change is coming and forcing everyone else to make decisions in their crossways, to embrace the future that is thriving ahead. But Violet is facing dilemma of being unable to shake the pasts out of her mentality. Ghostwriting is what connects her to Major Gilbert. It becomes a new foundation for her to cling into will of living. Writing letters is what keep her intact against the post-trauma disorder, guilt and lack of reasons to keep up; so much that without it, what would be left for her? While everyone else is walking steadily through lives, Violet only has two things that matter to her, working and Gilbert. She visits his mother's graves, she reconciles with his brother Dietfried, and her eyes shine brightly upon finding Gilbert's belonging like a child finding the long-lost toys. She walks on the thin wire of emotional stance, which has been overcast by the sign of demise, knowing this would not be last for too long. Fortunately, as Violet is trying to cope with her burden, she met her new unexpected client, Yurith, a socially awkward young boy with an incurable disease; and surprisingly the new beacon of hope regarding whereabouts of Gilbert. Throughout the 2/3 of the movie is the focus of Violet's quest to see Gilbert, commingled with her task of fulfilling the last wish of a soon-to-be-dead. Although they seem to be separate on the surface, these stories are intertwined where Yurith and Violet form a connection to realize the truly important things to convey their love to dearly beloveds they care about. The movie also explores the closer aspects of two brothers Gilbert and Dietfried, their past guilts and deep wounds of regret. For Dietfried, he loses a chance to profess how much he loved his long-lost brother. For Gilbert, he carries with him the physical and mental disabilities. He is disgusted with what he did to Violet. He regrets for making her hands tainted with countless lives and blood; and despite how much he cares for her, the inability to say "I love you" once more on their reunion would just carve another cut to his already damaged soul. On the other side, Yurith only wants to convey his love to his parents, baby brother, and his best friend, but is unable to do so with his pride and self-pity of his fate. When things are unfolded, stories are told and conflicts are resolved, all the pieces of the script are tied together and Violet Evergarden: The Movie follows a traditional conclusion with little of plot twists, and fairly predictable outcomes. But thou shall not jump to conclusion as a poor plot. It is the well execution of storytelling, rich sketch of universe, fluid transition between scenarios, and the perseverance of character's progression that make Violet Evergarden special. And as the cream on the crop, characters are manifested, animated and humanized that can be deeply relatable depending on our own experience. Story has an authenticity and a freshness that may drive our feeling through the crisis. It is "genuine", to say the least. If all of those above are still not impressive enough, Violet Evergarden still has its signature move to tug at your heartstring. The vibrant visuals are not less than spectacular, astounding and unfathomable. Characters' designs are carefully touched with dynamic facial expressions. The landscape and finishing backgrounds are polished whose every second can be still-shot work of pure art. The music is amazingly composed and well-timing that is soothing and sentimental, endeavoring and timely, and melancholic yet reassuring. The voice-over team outdid themselves, with souls and loves in dialogues. The peak of this harmony is evident transparently throughout the movie: from the faint smile of Yurith upon passing his last words, the rolling flashback of Anne, to the idyllic reunion under the moonlight. Seeing Violet bawls her tears out, continuously thumps herself to compress emotional explosion, and valiantly utter each spoken word, I have my utmost respect to KyoAni for such a well-drawn scene with the high complexity of mental state. The movie ties the knot with Daisy who concludes the telltale of the infamous Doll and her legacy. It shows the lasting power of words, that long after the writers, senders and recipients are dusted in the sand of time, still have the ability to change the lives. Yurith is a testament to written words, but also spoken works. Letters can touch the human heart, but so do the voice, the smile and tears, and any other shapes or medium forms. Gilbert is the final reminder in building the bridge from human to human. A way to connect with each other still be there as long as we have the courage to show them. In the end, Violet Evergarden: The Movie is a fantastic closing chapter of Violet's journey. More than just her journey to find the meaning of "love", it is also our own journey to remind ourselves what makes us, creatures with intelligence and self-awareness, become human. As an emotional experience with insightful view of the human condition through stages of lives and circumstances, it taught us the empathy - which how basic it may sound, is easy to be forgotten in these days and ages. “After all, all we have is the present". Mumbling this final movie quote while looking into the void, I just thought: What a good day to cry!

If you really liked the original anime for what it was, do NOT watch this movie it ruins the entire thing. Won't go into details as not to spoil anything, but this movie invalidates everything that made Violet a compelling and interesting character in the first place. All for the sake of fan service. The animation and music are still beautiful, but I just can't condone that kind of writing ever. In my (humble) opinion, the original anime was absolutely sufficient and did not need follow-ups, it was a bittersweet, tragic but beautiful and meaningful ending to a well rounded story. The Specials are okay, just lacking compared to the original series, however this movie actually ruins the entire story

I really wish Gilbert hadn’t survived. Violet’s clinging to him was—or should have been—what still kept her tethered to the past, preventing her from more properly developing into an individual, mature human being. A better writer would have had her come to terms with what cannot be changed, so both the pain and positive formative memories could swirl into something better. Someone better. Hell, I would have accepted the Major pushing her away and her leaving as healthy and realistic enough. But them discovering each other and falling in love like this? Too contrived, too feel-good and soapy. Even for an obvious dude-soap like VEG. And frankly, adoptive parent-child dynamics like this still creep me out. It’s like Gilbert did, in the end, raise her to be… useful to him. Yuck. I’m honestly going to pretend this one doesn’t exist; it’s only indisputable achievement is as yet another impressive piece of animation and atmosphere from KyoAni. Really disappointed in whoever came up with this totally incongruous indulgence. 5/10

I will write a simple review here, unlike the novels others write: Went to see the screening in theaters yesterday in the USA, and I absolutely loved it! The animation was breathtaking as expected, and it hits you in the feels multiple times. Bring tissues if you have a history of crying while watching Violet Evergarden. There are scenes in this movie that will get you hard. As a movie, it's really good, but I wouldn't recommend watching just this. You have to watch everything before because this movie brings back from stories from the TV series and ties those in very nicely, so you'd be missing on a lot if you did not watch the entirety of the series beforehand. I am glad to see that they brought this story to a close in a very way as to not leave any room for imagination. I am not very fond of stories where authors leave it up to the reader/watcher to potentially come up with several endings and whatnot. Just end the thing, make it solid, whether the audience will like it or not. That's my $0.02 anyway... I am hoping it will come on Netflix soon as the previous movie did. This needs to be experienced on a large screen in 4k!

I do not usually write reviews for anime, but after seeing the Violet Evergarden film today here in Sydney, I just felt like I have to put a few words down regarding my own opinions and views of this amazing film I just witnessed. I remember leaving the cinema stunned and speechless, there are a few anime films that leave me with the same feeling of awe because of the depth and power of its artistic beauty and emotional depth. I can definitely state that the Violet Evergarden film – for me at least – is one of those rare anime films; like Princess Mononoke; Grave of Fireflies; Ghost in the Shell and the Samurai X Trust and Betray OVAs that touched and moved me deeply while watching them for the first time, and maybe changed me forever after watching them. WARNING SPOILERS BELOW What was it about the film though that moved and touched my heart so profoundly? Was it witnessing the emotional climax of Violet’s character development? Or was it the central message that the film was attempting to communicate to its viewers? And what was the underlying message of the film? was is it the timelessness and eternity of love? even though the moments of pure love that we experience are transient and fleeting like all the things we experience and witness in this world? Or is that the power of love to transform us forever for the better? And that without love we are all left feeling empty and adrift in the world? Or that heart-felt words communicated through words and letters forever leave a deep impact upon our souls, especially those letters written by those whom we love, like family and close friends? There truly was so much to absorb from the visual and audio spectacle of the film, but I believe that the underlying message of the Violet Ever Garden film – as symbolized with Violet’s painful longing and hopes to be reunited with the major again – was that what ultimately saves us from the abyss that we all will eventually fall into because of the unexpected tragedies and sufferings of human existence, is love. Whether that love we receive may be from a beloved – like in violet’s case with the Major – or love from various family’s members, like the love from a mother, sister, or son– all examples clearly and powerfully illustrated in both the Violet Ever Garden series and films. And this love needs to be communicated and expressed through words. The other message then is the power of words – which are vehicles for our deepest and secret emotions – to heal the wounds of past traumas and afflictions. Words of love from people who care for us and love us can heal our deep emotional wounds and ultimately save us from the darkness of the abyss that many of us can find ourselves helplessly trapped in because of various tragic and painful life circumstances forced upon us beyond our control and personal choice. Going in to the film, I was worried that the Violet Evergarden film would not live up to all the hype and expectations surrounding it. This is the first major work of animation produced by Kyoto animation after the tragedy they experienced last year. It’s amazing that after all that Kyo ani went through they were still able to deliver such a masterpiece. This film in my opinion is definitely one of their best works, and I have seen nearly everything made by Kyoani, this might be the best anime film they have produced up to now, maybe even better than A Silent Voice. I can therefore state without any hesitations and doubt that this film lived up to all my expectations and more. You can feel that that movie was made with all the passion and love that Kyoani could give to it. I felt like one of the messages that the Kyo Ani production staff wanted to communicate to their viewers and fans after the tragedy of last year, was that Kyoani was back and wasn't going anywhere. I can’t wait till this film is released next year on Bluray so that I can watch it again along with the series. Finally, we get a satisfying conclusion from Kyoani in regards to the beautiful spiritual and emotional journey of Violet’s attempt to discover the meaning and reality of Major Gilbert's words “I love you.” And I thoroughly enjoyed and cherished every moment of it. Thank you Kyoani. Violet Evergarden is now in my top 5 list of my favorite Kyoani works. Because of this film, I now rank the Violet Evergarden series and films higher than Clannad After Story, but ranked behind Hibike Euphonium and K-On!

disappointed. i really loved the series when i first watched it. witnessing violet's journey through her pain, her heartbreak, hope and realization of emotions were unlike i've ever seen so i fell in love with the anime. so i had high expectations. the art style and the voice overs were perfect so no problem there. but the plot... i dont know how to write a review without it turning into a rant. the ending was just betrayal to the character development violet shown over the span of the series and the movie. and it left me frustrated --SPOILER-- when violet said im leaving i let out a scream of joy! because this was all its about her developing and conquering her freedom. her building a life for herself from scratch and meeting new people along the way and never taking no for an answer but knowing when to let go, learning what love is, empathising for feelings she never had and understanding complex human relationships. it was perfect. the ending was rushed i think. they reunited them within 20 mins so neither gilbert's story made sence or the way they they 'resolved' the tension. so the rushed route they chose was a pure betrayal to her character it left me frustrated. to me violet looking back from the ship to the island will be the perfect ending. ps also i was gonna give it a 3 but violet's hysterical crying at the end pissed me the hell off. as if even the writers knew the ending would suck so they tried to amp it up by tugging at your heartstrings. ugh

Gonna keep it short and spoilers free. Story itself is predictable and cliched, but thats not the issue. It could have been a nice story of tragic love, of lovers, separated and wounded by flames of war and trying to accept their loss and deal with it, and thats the impression story gives at start, at least in show. But the further it goes, the more obvious it becomes that author is INTENTIONALLY trying to squeeze tears by overstretching it and adding hardly meaningful episodes rather than keep story compact but interesting. This movie is not exception, story of boy in hospital was NOT needed, show already build enough backstory and should have just moved on straight to the ending. Violet's past also stays mystery, while it holds big potential. Another big problem of this movie is male hero. His actions unrealistic, absurd and idiotic, author DIDNT EVEN TRY TO PLAY AMNESIA CARD, which, while being cliched, would have made LOT OF SENSE. And finally, ending itself. We are never told that Violet is infertile, so what happened to her legacy, her kids? Did she bear any? Story revolves around families but fails to provide disclosure to pretty vital part. ------------ Conclusion: A decent tragic love story which starts fine but gets ruined by intentional tears squeezing, unrealistic and absurd male hero and horribly presented ending which failed to answer bunch of important questions.

Whether you enjoy it or not isn't what I'd like to say here: I just found it really boring just like the anime. The visuals are absolutely amazing just like the series, but as a whole, it falls short in grabbing your attention just like in the anime. I won't disregard the story in either the anime or the movie to which this review falls on, but it's just so slow and so boring. It's a feels show I understand that, but flexing beautiful frames long past it's due date isn't great for roping in a watcher. I think modern anime has destroyed my anime attention span I will admit, but God damn was it a chore trying to at least enjoy the series let alone a movie without falling asleep. It doesn't deserve the placement it does on MAL so I'm dropping a 1 Sorry if you disagree, these are my thoughts.

2 and a half hours of non-stop bawling to the point where I had to literally went out to buy more water cus I felt like I was dehydrating, and another 2 and a half hours after coming home. You know, once in a while you will have a feeling that everything has peaked. Your brain would run out of stimulations, so you'll say to yourself "Okay, maybe I'll lower my expectations a bit in order to keep enjoying things." but sadly it's just disappointment after disappointment. You have now fallen into a pit you don't know how to climb out, and eventually you won't even bother tryna do it. Then stuff like this just subtly shows up with snacks and climb into the pit with you. No flashy entrance, no overglorified introduction, you just start talking like best pals who have known each other for a long long time and lose yourself in the conversation. Before you realize it, you are sitting on the ground again, but they're gone. Time flies by, you'll be chilling somewhere and start to reminisce about the past. Strangely, the moment you'd remember most is not when you were on the ground, but rather be like "Man, that time under the pit was surely something." For that, KyoAni has done it again.

I would have rated this film higher if I have not read the original source material because everything in this adaptaion is stunning—from the music, production, and character design. What's appalling is the direction of the film, the characters' arc, and the whole plot. The whole adaptation was a huge dissapointment from the LN but the main series, at the very least, is tolerable. I took my time watching the film because I knew that the changes in the plot would not suit me well. When I finally gave it a chance, it left a bad taste to the mouth because 1.) the emotional scenes were shoved to your mouth and 2.) they already butchered Violet's character arc in the series but they fcked up even anime!Violet's journey and growth in this movie. Even in this last film, I was looking forward about the cute dynamics between the peeps from the CH postal but they didn't deliver. Their interactions felt force and unnatural, it was a great disservice to the original source because the CH postal in the LN is definitely one of the best found family I encountered as of late. Both Violet and Gilbert didn't have a good character development and even the smallest amount of character development they gave Violet from the series was lost because of this film. I bet though, that if you love stunning animation, emotional music, and tear jerking scenes shoved on your throat, you'd probably give this an 8 or even 10. At the end of the film, all I could think about was pedo Gilbert inflicting more emotional baggage for young Violet as the latter has already chosen to stay at Ecart and take care of poor old Gilbert. (The original source that actually took its time developing Gilbert and Violet's own characters and relationship will not make you feel this way so I guess, if we quite share this view, you might want to try reading the LN. Also, not to be mean, characters like Iris and Erica doesn't add anything to the story at all. These two characters replaced MORE amazing characters from the LN and I'm still pissed off about it.)

I think this is my first ever review that I have written, but I just couldn't ignore the urge to convey my emotions. I have finished the movie just two minutes ago. I don't think I have cried for two hours straight before. To be honest, I did not expect much, just because the ending was already kind of spoiled and obvious to me. Turns out, I underestimated the power of telling stories, art, and sounds. Every detail combined made the movie extremely emotional in the best way possible. The side story about a boy was absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking, the way of telling the story was also remarkable. To be honest, I did not really care about the future that was told with the memories of the young girl. It was okay I would say. Finally, the ending was really logical, but somehow still filled with so much love and warmth, that I just broke down completely, just like them. The story of Violet Evergarden will forever live in my heart and will always remind me to be open with my feelings towards my loved ones, as hard as it may be. I don't think I have enough power to watch this movie again, but I will be going back to the series from time to time in the future. Violet Evergarden to me is a gift and a lesson. It will never leave its place in my top favorites and I will miss it dearly! Thank you for everything.

The visuals were an absolute treat. There was beauty in almost every scene. KyoAni's artstyle for its characters have a timeless, rich quality. The English voice acting was acceptable. Despite the lack of any standout performances, it felt necessary given the show's setting that does not suit Japanese. Unfortunately, KyoAni's insistence on condescending its audience brings the movie down from a MAL (7) to a (4). This is a picture that is afraid of silence. Having every scene accompanied by some swelling, boisterous orchestral piece took away more than it added. They really wanted to tell their viewers how to feel rather than trust in their process. I could only imagine the sort of people who would enjoy this are those who need everything spelled out for them.

- Spoiler Free - I am new to anime and I recently watched the show Violet Evergarden. I consider it to be a remarkable 10/10 show because of the emotional impact it had on me, and a lot of that came from seeing Violet's journey and development - overall I was very happy with the conclusion the anime show provided for Violet. Of course we always want to see more of a great thing, that is only human nature, but we should only see more if it remains respectful to what came before... VE: The Movie is beautifully animated, in fact I can safely say this movie showcases the best animation and art that I have ever seen in an animated show or movie. The voice acting is also passionate and expertly performed, I watched with English dubs, and the music is beautiful. There are of course some beautiful moments throughout the movie, but overall the main story did not work for me. I want to keep this review spoiler free so I will simply say that in my opinion (and I believe many others) the plot of the movie greatly detracts from the character growth of Violet. I felt almost guilty in being disappointed by this movie as the anime might be my favourite media ever, and I truly cherish the character of Violet, but I must go with my feeling on it, therefore I plan to move forward trying to forget that this movie exists. I am rating 4/10 because I think going any lower would be unfair given the merits that do exist here. I gave points for the animation / art direction, voice acting, music and also for the reason that I think the creators did care about this movie, it unfortunately just didn't end up working for some like myself.

Short Review (spoiler-free): If you already found VE the TV series to be mediocre or had a hard time sitting through its overly sensational narrative, unfortunately the movie is not going to change that for you. Then again if you are already a fan you can either totally ignore my review or take it with a whole pack of salt. The movie did not work for me, but it does not have to be the same case for you. There's no shame for liking something that speaks to your heart. For the record, I do not hate the franchise. On the contrast, I wanted to like it or at least find a charitable angle to appreciate it just like some of my anime friends. I gave Violet Evergarden TV series a 7/10 praising its meticulous art and overall solid reconciliation arc of the titular character. Then why is my rating for the movie (which is endlessly praised here and rated No.17 of all anime) lower than the series? It boils down to this: the movie went full "Chiung Yao" and threw the solid characterization out of window for shallow fan-service. Coupled with other issues inherited from the series, this finale movie is noticeably weaker for me. Baseline impression: 7/10, weighed down to 6.3/10 by ridiculous emotional manipulation and cheap plot. Recommended to: people obsessed with everything Victorian, fans of Chiung Yao and the most corny K-dramas. People looking for the most meticulous Kyo-Ani visuals. Not recommended to: people who prioritize coherence, worldbuilding and characters over shiny art. People looking for extra depth in an anime's themes and narratives. Pros and Cons: (Spoiler-alert) + meticulous art and soothing visuals throughout the movie. The water effects at the end probably need Unreal Engine 6 to render, but the animators manually drew them frame by frame, I suppose. Respect. + Some artistic camera work. + the orchestral OST works most of the time. + People who ship the Major and Violet would be satisfied (duh). + The beginning and the end frame VE's story in a nostalgic fashion with historic impacts in mind. It's corny but a nice touch nonetheless. - Way too long for its simplistic story. 40% of the movie is the series' recap with a little extra background story regarding Major and his brother. In a charitable light, let's just agree with one of my friends and say that VE the series is one of the best "celebration of humanity", well how about a celebration of the "celebration of humanity"? That is how the movie feels like to me. If you can celebrate that, maybe the movie is for you. Unfortunately it did not work for me. - The movie tried too hard to sell Violet's achievements as an Auto-memory Doll, but I still had a hard time buying them. Throughout the series and the gaiden movie, I always found Violet to be more believable as an assassin par excellence/action heroine rather than a legendary ghost writer. She's learned from her experience and good memory, but surpassing all her colleagues in such a short time is a hard sell. There are other gaps between what the writer wants the audience to take at face value and what it actually feels like. Those are issues rooted in poor and haphazard worldbuilding I already mentioned in my series review. - Violet's ending feels like a betrayal of what her arc represents in the series and the gaiden movie. Funny enough, in the gaiden movie Violet's co-workers had a discussion about the goal of a woman after their auto-memory doll career. So I guess Violet's a pioneer for wanting to continue to work regardless of her marriage status, but blam! The movie had her marry Gilbert and quit her job immediately. - Redundant and repetitive characterization/melodrama. Many reviewers already mentioned this issue, so I will be brief with this one. In short, VE's character arc of reconciliation with her self is already complete at the end of the series. Through the salvation arc in the final 3 episodes of the series, she's come to terms with her loss and past atrocities, gaining the courage to live on. What she failed to save in the 1st episode drove her to successfully save millions of lives in a heroic sacrifice. It's not the most original idea but at least solid enough to prop up the show for me. However, the movie with its wishy-washy ending threw that quality out of the window. Major Gilbert, in a more charitable interpretation, was basically going through the same process VE did in the series. However when the movie goes overboard by dumping 40 minutes into him being a crybaby in denial, it doe not only hurt his characterization, but also making the movie extra artificial and tiresome for me. I'd rather watch VE dramatically rushing back to the little boy for his last letter. - In my VE series review, I commented that those episodic stories centering on dying parents/lovers/siblings are essentially ripped from H.C. Andersen books. Moreover, Violet did not need to be part of those stories to make them work or moving. The same problem permeates the movie. A dying kid writing letters to his parents and baby brother? It's difficult not to be moved by this type of story in nature. In a more charitable interpretation, the kid came to term with his emotions towards his family due to his interaction with VE, but again you can easily swap VE with a nurse or another ghost writer and the story could still work. The movie, in this regard, is basically EP10 from the series but 140 minutes long. - Major Gilbert's reason for shunning Violet had me roll my eyes so hard I could see my own brain. He also spends way too long repeating those same cringing words in the last half of the movie. - Over half of the movie is characters crying their eyes out without much significance to the story. Violet's crying a lot. The Major cries non-stop. Major's tough bully brother also cries. The dying kid and his family cries. I'd imagine the entire audience in theater also crying with these characters. And you'd better cry too or else you're a heartless monster. Duh. At this point, this franchise has been abusing the formula of "dying characters telling VE their true emotion in tears before kicking the bucket" so much that it becomes a parody on itself. I was half-expecting the little boy to actually survive so that the narrative would not be completely monotonous. Guess I was asking too much from the writer. I had dejavu of watching the most infamously sensationalist Chiung-Yao shows or K-dramas during the movie . (For those unfamiliar with Ms. Chiung Yao and her works, she's the most influential modern romantic writer in Mandarin. Her signature characters are often either Mary Sues or young women idealizing romance to the point of idiocy.) To be fair all emotional shows try to evoke certain emotions from the audience. However, I appreciate it when a show does that with sincerity, coherence and consistence with the worldbuilding. Violet Evergarden the movie has a ton of crying and emotional moments but they barely add to the characters. In the end I would say the story of this movie does not deserve its animators, who on the contrast deserve the highest respect. But what do I know? Take my review with a whole pack of salt.

So are we all just okay with a 29yo man having feelings for a 14yo girl? Or are we all just pretending it’s platonic??? OR??!? I loved the series. I wanted to love this movie, but like many other reviews have pointed out, it essentially erases all of Violet’s progress with mental and emotional growth. ~sigh~ I also really love a love story, but I cannot get behind this age gap. I dgaf if it was “normal” or “appropriate” for that time period. Just NOOO. The art is incredible. But this story and ending…not realistic and honestly disappointing. Watch for the art, maybe not for the plot. And definitely not for the grown man grooming a child trope.

Stunningly beautiful... and incredibly flat. I have been waiting for this movie to drop on Netflix for almost a year after it aired, in order to watch it at the best possible HD. Turns out it was the best choice, because Violet Evergarden without its art and animation would be a horrifyingly thin experience. *spoilers This is a movie of about two and a half hours that can be summed up in exactly two (2) sentences: Violet writes letters for the family of a boy that will die soon. Then Violet goes on an island to meet Gilbert. And that's it. That's the movie. That's the whole story. Plot structure? Climax? Well we have people crying, don't we? Anyways, look at how pretty we've drawn this scenery and animated those waves! The Good: This movie is worth a watch for its art and animation alone. Forget the story. You don't even need it. Like you stare at a painting in a museum and you find yourself breathless from its beauty, Kyoto Animation delivered that exact absolute beauty with this movie. Everything is just *chef's kiss* from the tiniest speck of grass to entire buildings and attires. The biggest enjoyment factor of this movie is how happy it makes your eyes, like birthday candy. It almost made me forget the trauma from watching deliberately ugly series like Ping Pong the Animation; it healed my soul and doubled my crops. The Bad: Unfortunately, my crops soon shriveled up again, because the story and the characters ranged from non-existent to impressive failures in emotional manipulation. Violent Evergarden as a series is what we call a "tear-jerker". Hopping on the trend of "I will make my outmost priority to make you cry" sad movies that are really popular to some people, it strives to make the viewer cry in any given opportunity. But the unfortunate truth is that there are only a handful of people that know how to earn that from the audience, and I'm positive that none of them worked in this project. I might be wrong, seeing other reviews of people who bawled their eyes out, but I can't help but looking at them in pure disbelief. Did it really make you cry, or did it make you think you were supposed to cry, otherwise you wouldn't be a 'good' person? If it did manage to convince you about the second one then props, it did succeed in emotional manipulation, because it shouldn't be like that. Seeing characters crying on screen is not a reason to cry yourself. Seeing characters die is not a reason either when it's not unexpected by what the story has already set up. Violet Evergarden only had one instance where it actually succeeded at eliciting a sincere emotional reaction from its audience, and that was episode 10 of the TV series. And that was so obvious, that characters related to that episode were actually used as narration tools in this movie. The rest of it is more like: "I am telling you that you should feel emotion x now, so now FEEL IT!" Uh, no. It doesn't work like that. In a similar train of thought, the series in whole suffers from the 'teenage female MC syndrome', which basically translates to wanting to convince you how awesome its protagonist is by putting it directly into the side characters' mouths. Oh Violet you're so pretty. You're so diligent. You're so amazingly good at your job. You are our Lord and Savior and the next best thing after sliced bread! Other characters pretty much don't exist if they don't talk about how awesome Violet is, what is Violet doing, what is Violet feeling right now. There is a boy in his deathbead with his family all around him, but even he feels the need to comment on Violet's emotions at that exact time. For what serves as the climax of this movie, Violet's exchange with Gilbert goes pretty much like this: "Go away, I have made you suffer." "Okay. But I thank you for your loving words anyways." "WAIT VIOLET JUMP OFF THE SHIP I LOVE YOU." (If you think I'm making it too simple, unfortunately I am not.) I won't even talk about not being a huge fan of the narrative decision of bringing Gilbert back. It didn't surprise me though, because having Violet paired up with another man would require extra narrative effort and build up, and why do that when the goal is to make the audience cry by using the least possible narrative effort and max out the artistic side of the project instead. For a story that uses writing as its main theme, they definitely did not make it their first priority. To sum it up: Two and a half hours is way too long time to just stare at pretty pictures, but Kyoto Animation made them so pretty it actually kind of pulls through. Probably this series will appeal more to people that don't require of the movies they watch to be heavy plot-wise, and will be satisfied with a generally calm atmosphere throughout the process, but staring at pretty backgrounds was the best I got from it. 6/10.