Violet Evergarden
Violet Evergarden is a Japanese light novel series written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. It was published by Kyoto Animation 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 tasked with writing letters that can connect people.
A 13-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Kyoto Animation aired between January and April 2018 with several advance screenings taking place in 2017. An original video animation episode was released in July 2018, and a spin-off film premiered in Japan in September 2019. A second anime film, Violet Evergarden: The Movie, serving as a sequel to the anime series, premiered in September 2020.
In 2014, Violet Evergarden won the grand prize in the fifth Kyoto Animation Award's novel category.
Synopsis
Following four long years of conflict, The Great War in the land of Telesis finally came to an end. Caught up in the bloodshed was Violet Evergarden, a young girl raised as a ruthless killer. Hospitalized and maimed in a bloody skirmish during the War's conclusion, she was left with only the words "I love you" from the person she held dearest, but with no understanding of their meaning.Recovering from her wounds, Violet starts a new life working at CH Postal Company after a falling out with her new intended guardian family. There, she witnesses by pure chance the work of an "Auto Memory Doll", amanuenses that transcribe people's thoughts and feelings into words on paper. Moved by the notion, Violet begins work as an Auto Memory Doll, a trade that will take her on an adventure, one that will reshape the lives of her clients and hopefully lead to self-discovery.
Characters
Main characters
;;
CH Postal Company
Others
Media
Light novels
Violet Evergarden is written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. Published by Kyoto Animation under their KA Esuma Bunko imprint, from December 25, 2015, to March 27, 2020.Anime
The anime adaptation was first announced via a commercial of the light novel's first volume in May 2016. In June 2017, Kyoto Animation announced that Anime Expo, AnimagiC, and C3 AFA Singapore 2017 would host the world premiere of the first episode. The second episode was first screened at the KyoAni and Do Fan Days 2017 event on October 21, 2017, and the third episode in five theaters across Japan on December 10, 2017. The 13-episode anime aired from January 11 to April 5, 2018, in Japan. 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 handles the sound direction. The opening theme is "Sincerely" by True while the ending theme is "Michishirube" by Minori Chihara. Netflix began streaming the series worldwide on January 11, 2018, except for the United States and Australia, where they began streaming on April 5, 2018. Anime Limited acquired the series for home video distribution in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and premiered the first episode 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.Films
A spin-off film, Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll, premiered on August 3 at Germany's AnimagiC 2019 convention and in Japan on September 6, 2019. The film was directed by the show's series director Haruka Fujita. The film credits feature the names of those killed in the Kyoto Animation arson attack as a dedication to their work. Madman Entertainment licensed the film for distribution in Australia and New Zealand, premiering the film theatrically 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 on March 1, 2020, at the Glasgow Film Festival.When the Violet Evergarden Gaiden light novel was released, the jacket band announced that a "new project" was in progress and that it will be a completely new work for the anime. In July 2018, it was announced at a special event for the series that the aforementioned 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 it was later delayed to April 24, 2020 due to the Kyoto Animation arson attack. It was subsequently 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.