After watching the anime series and the movies, I am now reading (slowly) the Violet Evergarden light novels. Still in volume one, which is covered quite extensively in the anime series. Volume one has the stories of Oscar the playwright, Anne and her mother Clara, Aiden the soldier, and Leon the astronomy scholar. Not covered in the anime series is Edward the prisoner. The last chapter of volume one is about Major Gilbert.
While working as an Auto Memories Doll, the anime Violet is not depicted as carrying weapons, but in the light novel, she is well armed. The reason being that she was told it is dangerous for a woman to travel all over the world alone, which is why she carries weapons for self-defence. For example, Ann saw a firearm in Violet's suitcase. In the story of Aiden the soldier, Violet was depicted as fighting off Aiden's attackers with a huge battleaxe. In a later part of the light novel, it was revealed that the battleaxe is named Witchcraft and has a chain attached to its shaft for attacking from range.
(Picture source: Violet Evergarden Wikia page on Aiden Field)
In the story of Edward the prisoner, it was revealed that Violet is very very well armed. In addition to whatever she may have in her suitcase, she carries weapons on her body. She has knives hidden under the insoles of her boots. A pistol is strapped to her thigh. Another pistol is kept in her jacket. Hidden in her hair are three metal spikes for stabbing at neck arteries. And finally, she herself is a weapon, but this was made known in the anime (and 2020 movie) too.
Reading the light novel, it is apparent that the anime adaptation (anime series and two movies) is quite different from the light novels. Some stories from the light novels were more or less adapted into anime as they were. Some parts were changed (like the train attack, which was the reunion between Violet and Gilbert in the light novel but not so in the anime series). Some parts were totally changed. For example, in the light novels, after their reunion, Violet continued to work at CH Postal Company and traveled extensively. In the anime, though, she moved to Ekarte Island and stayed there, taking over the post office work while continuing to work as an Auto Memories Doll for the people of the island. Once I finish the light novels, I will try to give a proper breakdown on the differences between the light novels and the anime adaptations.
Or you can wait for KyoAni to commission me to do a full translation of the light novels. 😅
My overall thoughts on Violet Evergarden The Movie
Events:
Translations of short stories:
The Tailor and the Auto-Memories Doll (unofficial translation of 仕立て屋と自動手記人形) Gilbert Bougainvillea and the Fleeting Dream (unofficial translation of "ギルベルト・ブーゲンビリアと儚い夢")
Violet Evergarden short stories: "Logbook entry" and "Diary entry" (unofficial translation)
The Starry Night and the Lonely Two (unofficial translation of 星降りの夜とさみしいふたり)
Diethard Bougainvillea's If (unofficial translation of ディートフリート・ブーゲンビリアIf) Tellsis (Nunkish) translation:
Last line of Violet's final letter to GilbertInsights on the movie:
Audio commentary notes:
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