I was very excited to see this masterpiece in production with Kyoto Animation, and I knew that it’s going to be a movie full of emotion, that probably got released at the right moment, considering the times now.

After the tragedy that happened last year, on July 18th, the arson at Kyoto Animation’s studio, I didn’t think that the movie will still get a release date. At least, not so fast.

It was supposed to be released from January this year to April. However, it once again got delayed due to the influence of Covid-19.

The arson and the times we live in left a lot of scars on many people, and I think that we can somehow relate to our characters and our protagonist, Violet Evergarden.

She has been through a lot, and the war has left her and those around her with deep scars. The plot is full of emotion and realism, the graphics are astounding, and it is a movie that teaches us an important lesson.

For those who have yet to see the anime, here is a small introduction of the story, so you get to have a better understanding of the movie:

Violet, a survivor of the war, starts working as an Auto Memory Doll, a ghostwriter that writes letters for the customers and delivers them. However, all her life, Violet has lived as a killing machine, and she doesn’t possess any emotions. The reason why she decides to work as a Doll was because of the dying words “I love you”, addressed by Gilbert Bougainvillea, her superior officer.

Besides getting to recover her emotions as a human being, Violet also wants to find the meaning of the three words said to her before parting with Gilbert.

Her journey is full of emotional scenes and meaningful encounters, and the movie is a continuation of that journey.

It is over two hours long and also has a few flashbacks from the anime that might help with understanding the plot better if you haven’t seen the series.

However, I do recommend starting with the anime before watching the movie.

In the movie, Violet gets a clue regarding Gilbert, and her hope is revived at the thought of him still being alive. Whether he is or not, I feel that what is important is if the two can reunite and connect despite what they have been through and if Violet will be able to heal in the end.

Healing after a tragedy is not easy, and both she and her companions have had traumas because of the war, so seeing their growth and the process of moving on is one of these series’ highlights.

It is a story about love, sacrifices, a story that has so much emotion impossible to transmit through just words. I feel that you should give it a try as it will not fail you, and it will fill you up with so many feelings, including gratitude for what you already have and for the fact that you are alive.