Violet Evergarden is about an ex-soldier who has only ever known a
life of war named, Violet Evergarden, surprisingly enough, learning to become
an Auto Memory Doll (which as far as I can tell is essentially a letter writer)
to figure out what "I love you" means. It's a premise filled with all kinds of
emotional subtext, and in my opinion, it is one of the most visually stunning
shows I have ever watched. However, it is also a series whose slow pacing has made
some argue that it has no substance, and simply uses its artwork to hide that
fact from people like myself who are not only easily distracted by such things
but whose attention spans are too short to notice that this show has nothing to -
OOH PRETTY COLOURS!!!
but I think these criticisms often miss the point, because
at its core, Violet Evergarden is about how people move on from tragedies both
international and personal, and what happens after the fact.
and today I want to talk about why this makes Violet Evergarden so fun to watch.
And yes, potential spoilers ahead.
Violet Evergarden isn't so much concerned about war itself, so
much as it is about how people live their lives when said conflicts come to
an end. This can be seen in the show's protagonist, Violet, who, as mentioned
before, is a young girl who's spent her entire life being trained to be a
ruthless killing machine, but who must now adjust to the complicated nature of a
peacetime world. One where her violent skills aren't necessary. But, over the
course of the story, she eventually learns how to bring people together, through her
writing, instead of tearing them apart . . . in some cases quite literally.
This basic idea of people having to find their place in the world, or who are suffering
a heartbreaking loss, because of war or otherwise, is true for many characters
throughout the show. And even the world itself, which has just come out of a long
and arduous war is doing its best to rebuild and move on. This series explores
the emotions that people go through after a tragedy, the many ways they try
to cope with them, and how they find a way to come to terms with them.
The actual "plot" may be, non-existent, but its story is one that resonates with us
nonetheless and pulls on her heartstrings in subtle ways.
Sometimes it may even be a bit too subtle, given how much the show uses little details to
expand on its characters and its world. We can learn just as much about a
character from their appearance and the way they move as we can from what they
say and do. We can see it in the way they walk, the way they hold themselves, the
way they smile and the way they frown. And though they might not say anything,
their inner thoughts more often than not spring to the surface when they're forced
to deal with a situation that is, less than ideal.
Similarly the show's world is built up by small details in the environment that hint that it's dense
history and cultures. The show, for the most part, trusts that we will be able to
put these details together for ourselves. It's something I personally appreciate,
especially in a medium where so many shows feel like they have to explicitly
spell these kinds of things out for the viewer.
However, for as much praise as I have for this show, like with anything else,
it's not perfect. The first the most obvious part is the slow pacing. For as
well as I think it works, I can easily see why others would find it frustrating.
Alongside that, the flow of the episodes can often feel strange, jumping from a
story where Violet's actions may potentially kick off a new war if she
fails, to one where she's just helping to copy some damaged old manuscripts.
Or ending an episode on a heavy bombshell, and then not mentioning it until two
episodes later. It can be quite jarring. But the thing that genuinely annoys me
is Violet's characterization. Now, I don't think Violet is a one-dimensional
character by any means, as, for blank as she may appear, especially when compared
to the rest of the cast, she's established as a deeply caring person
who's been broken by her experiences, and who simply has trouble fully
understanding her own emotions, and is struggling to keep it together.
However, the show often depicts her as someone with, no emotions. This sends mixed
signals and gets really annoying really fast when her dialogue leaves me
genuinely unsure as to whether or not violet is actually a robot . . .
the metal hands don't help.
But for as frustrating as these aspects of the show are,
I think they are overshadowed by what the show does well. It may not be the most
thrilling series in the world, but it's one that easily pulls at our
heartstrings in ways both obvious and subtle. Because, at the end of the day,
Violet Evergarden is taking the time to make us care about its world and its
characters, and their struggle to move on from the hardships they've endured and
find a new place in the world.
And that's what, for me, makes it so fun to watch.
And yeah, those are my thoughts. Tell me what yous think, if yous agree, disagree,
how yous feel about slow-paced shows, if you're easily distracted by pretty
artwork, etc, and thanks for watching! If yous enjoyed this and want to see more,
Check out my last video, where I break down Ruby Volume 5's fight scenes
and see what they get horribly wrong, and fantastically right.
Or check out my video on Yuru Camp, and why laid-back nature makes it so fun to watch.
And don't forget to like, comment, share, and of course, subscribe, to Come Fly With Me!
You can also follow me on Twitter for updates on this channel other stuff,
and hopefully, I'll see yous later!
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