Violet Evergarden (Japanese: ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン, Hepburn: Vaioretto Evāgāden) is a Japanese light novel series written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. Kyoto Animation published the series under their KA Esuma Bunko imprint from December 2015 to March 2020. The story follows Violet Evergarden, a former child soldier who becomes an Auto Memory Doll, a person who writes letters to help people connect with one another.
A 13-episode anime television series adaptation, produced by Kyoto Animation, aired between January and April 2018. Advance screenings of the series took place in 2017. An original video animation episode was released in July 2018. A spin-off film premiered in Japan in September 2019. A second anime film, Violet Evergarden: The Movie, which follows the events of the anime series, premiered in September 2020.
In 2014, Violet Evergarden won the grand prize in the novel category of the fifth Kyoto Animation Award.
Synopsis
After four years of war, The Great War in the land of Telesis ended. Violet Evergarden, a young girl trained as a violent fighter, was injured during a final battle. She was left with only the words "I love you" from the person she cared about most, but she did not understand what they meant.
As she healed, Violet began working at the CH Postal Company after an argument with her new guardian family. There, she saw someone called an "Auto Memory Doll," a person who writes down others' thoughts and feelings on paper. Inspired by this, Violet decided to become an Auto Memory Doll. This new job would take her on a journey that might help her understand others and herself better.
Media
Violet Evergarden is written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. It was published by Kyoto Animation under their KA Esuma Bunko imprint from December 25, 2015, to March 27, 2020.
The anime adaptation was first announced in a commercial for the first volume of the light novel in May 2016. In June 2017, Kyoto Animation announced that the world premiere of the first episode would take place at Anime Expo, AnimagiC, and C3 AFA Singapore 2017. The second episode was first shown at the KyoAni and Do Fan Days 2017 event on October 21, 2017, and the third episode was screened in five theaters across Japan on December 10, 2017. The 13-episode anime aired in Japan from January 11 to April 5, 2018. An original video animation episode was released on July 4, 2018, with the final Blu-ray and DVD volume. The series is directed by Taichi Ishidate at Kyoto Animation, with the screenplay written by Reiko Yoshida. Akiko Takase designed the characters, and Yota Tsuruoka handled the sound direction. The opening theme is "Sincerely" by True, and the ending theme is "Michishirube" by Minori Chihara. Netflix began streaming the series worldwide on January 11, 2018, except in the United States and Australia, where it started streaming on April 5, 2018. Anime Limited acquired the series for home video distribution in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and the first episode premiered at MCM London Comic Con on October 28, 2017. Madman Entertainment acquired the home video distribution rights for the series in Australia and New Zealand.
A spin-off film, Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll, premiered at Germany's AnimagiC 2019 convention on August 3 and in Japan on September 6, 2019. The film was directed by Haruka Fujita, the series' original director. The film's credits include the names of those killed in the Kyoto Animation arson attack as a tribute to their work. Madman Entertainment licensed the film for distribution in Australia and New Zealand, with a theatrical premiere in Australia on December 5, 2019, and in New Zealand on December 12, 2019. Funimation screened the film theatrically in the United States in early 2020. Anime Limited licensed the film in the UK and Ireland, with a premiere scheduled at the Glasgow Film Festival on March 1, 2020.
When the Violet Evergarden Gaiden light novel was released, the jacket band announced that a "new project" was in progress and would be a completely new work for the anime. In July 2018, it was announced at a special event for the series that the new project would be a brand-new anime film. The second spin-off film, Violet Evergarden: The Movie, premiered on September 18, 2020. It was originally scheduled to premiere on January 10, 2020, but was delayed to April 24, 2020, due to the Kyoto Animation arson attack. It was later delayed again to September 18, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The official Kyoto Animation channel uploaded the first 10 minutes of the film on YouTube on October 8, 2020.
Music
The soundtrack for the series, called Violet Evergarden: Automemories, was written by Evan Call. It was sold by Bandai Namco Arts through their Lantis brand on March 28, 2018. The soundtrack has 47 songs, including 6 that feature singing by Aira Yuuki, Minori Chihara, and True. All of the music, lyrics, and songs were written by Evan Call, except for some parts that are different.
Reception
In 2014, the novel Violet Evergarden received the grand prize in the novel category of the fifth Kyoto Animation Award. It was the first work to win a grand prize in any of the three categories: novel, scenario, or manga.