Violet Evergarden

Episode 10

This was the first episode of Violet Evergarden that made me cry.

That realization came as a surprise for me, given that the series has always tried to be a tearjerker. We've just come off a two-episode dive into Violet's tragic backstory and her struggle to come to terms with Gilbert's death. But although I could appreciate the craft behind those episodes, none of it brought me to tears. This episode did.

What made this episode so heartbreaking was its simplicity. Young Ann knows of her mother's impending death, but she doesn't know why it's happening, or why her mother is choosing this occasion to write letters with Violet instead of spending her last days with her daughter. Ann is selfish and demanding as children often can be, but she's also incredibly sweet and earnest. Her dilemma feels all too real because of that.

This episode adapted the second chapter of the first light novel volume. Like the light novel, the anime is shown entirely through Ann's perspective—except for one scene at the end, which I'll get to in a moment. The scene where Ann accuses Violet of being an interloper and runs away in tears after making her mother cry plays out more or less the same way in both versions of the story. Her mother's letters are also identical in the light novel.

The biggest differences between the light novel and anime lie in Violet's character. When Ann first encounters Violet, she mistakes her for a doll. In the light novel, her misunderstanding never gets outright corrected; it's still early in the story and there are many mysteries about Violet's character that have yet to be clarified. In the anime, however, Ann touches Violet in the end and realizes how warm she feels. They also share an amusing exchange about what happens to the tea Violet drinks. (On both occasions, Violet answers, “It will eventually be expelled from my body and return to earth.”)

Watching this episode, I got a similar feeling that I get from rereading the beginning of a book after seeing the entirety of the story. The scene at the end where Violet cries and talks about her struggle to hold in her emotions is anime-original, but I also found myself interpreting the scenes that were adapted straight from the light novel in a different light now. When Violet says, “Just as my arms can never be soft and warm like yours are, there is nothing that can be done,” I can't help but recall the gruesome circumstances in which she lost her arms last episode. Anime viewers know that Violet's words of comfort come from a place of personal understanding, and that was something I could not have grasped when I originally read the books.

There are other changes in the anime, too. Ann's father in the light novels was just a deadbeat, but in the anime, Ann says, “He died a hero.” Her father was a victim in the war too, and his daughter never knew him well enough to grieve for him. Violet's face is obscured in this scene, but you can easily imagine how well she understands the significance of this tragedy compared to Ann.

At the same time, Violet's military mannerisms were toned down in the anime. In the light novel, she says “please give me your orders” before she commences typing. She also carries around a gun for self-defense and even explains how she uses it to Ann. The anime Violet has never been shown handling a gun since her military days, which makes me wonder how she'd feel about carrying one now.

All of these little things made Violet's reaction in the end all the more potent. Violet's job demanded that she keep a straight face here, no matter what she was feeling on the inside, but after the job was finished, she felt compelled to let it all out. Seeing her cry over Ann's plight made me shed tears for a second time. Violet's coming-of-age narrative works best when it intersects with the lives of other people instead of being the main focus of the drama.

Putting all talk of anime vs light novel comparisons aside, I also think this was one of the best stories in the series overall, because it provides the best example of how letter-writing can change a person's life for the better. Ann's mother can never return from the grave, but her letters can be read long after she is gone. This also feels like a case where Violet's presence as a scribe was actually needed, given that Ann's mother was not healthy enough to hand-write so many letters by herself.

There's a kind of romantic appeal to letter-writing that doesn't exist with emails or text. The feelings conveyed within letters are written in a tangible form, and it requires care and good handling to ensure that a letter reaches its recipient intact. As a result, the words echo even long after the writer is dead. Violet Evergarden doesn't always hit the mark with its themes, but when it does, it can be powerful stuff indeed.

Rating: A+

Violet Evergarden is currently streaming on Netflix in select territories.