Violet Evergarden

I had wanted to write about Your Lie in April. But then, I watched Violet Evergarden.

I don't remember ever crying so much.

If Your Lie in April brought me to tears because of the love story, Violet Evergarden is a story much closer to heart.

It is about learning about feelings. As someone who has been running away from my own feelings... learning to feel is a demanding task. The story of being ex-military and having to fit back into society is another part of the story that strikes too close to my own heart.

When more than half the episodes in the series bring you to tears, you do not deny that you love the series.

When you know a sequel movie is coming, and want to watch it, yet fear to go because you know you will end up as a crybaby in the theatre...

I hope they will show the movie sequel soon. Because it hints that Major Gilbert is still alive, and there may even be a reunion with Violet. But I also dread that day... I may end up dying from dehydration in the theatre... losing all that water from crying too much.

The wonderful job done by Kyoto Animation. If only Yokoyama Masaru or Aketagawa Jin had been in charge of the music... but then, I would have died from crying and won't be here to write this.

Side note: When I first started watching this series, I didn't think Violet was human at all. The references to her being a tool, being so cold and expressionless, and having metallic hands left me with the impression that she was a robot. I thought it was a story about a robot learning about human feelings. It didn't help that the ghostwriters were called Auto Memory Dolls, which further conjured an image of being nonhuman. Until a bit further down the series... when I realized that her metallic arms are replacements for REAL arms lost during war. And even further down, when an episode showed how she actually lost those arms trying to save Major Gilbert. That one really really hit me hard...

Update 17 July 2020: Just found out that Violet Evergarden is known as 紫罗兰永恒花园 in Chinese.

 

Note to self: Watch at night and alone. It is hard to go out with swollen eyes. And wipe tears with a good soft towel.