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Jul 13, 2022
My exposure to slice-of-life romcoms has been pretty limited until this point. As I continue to watch more and more in the genre that I like (Such as Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun), where my tastes like becomes ever more clear: Besides the need for a solid narrative hook, style trumps everything else in importance. I don't mean to say that substance needs to be sacrificed for style, but the latter is the core piece for me of creating immersion in slice-of-life material with a light tone. Fortunately, Komi Can't Communicate nails this perfectly.
The first part/cour/season partially succeeded with a strong narrative hook; Komi's godlike complex created
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from minute one within the school felt fresh and witty, and luckily maintains a "wholesome" feel that doesn't soil the dynamic (The few moments/characters that work against the feel, like Yamai or Aragi, are easily some of the worst parts of the show, but weren't a significant enough detraction to ruin the good-willed intent). I'm not knowledgeable enough about the actual disorder Komi suffers from, but I never felt like characters or settings largely took away from its seriousness, and it's what makes Tadano (Who is one of my favorite SoL male protags) and Komi's relationship so likeable from episode 1 as he strives to help her with the 100 Friend goal, further adding to this strong narrative hook. It was very clear Part 1 experienced growing pains in what exactly the show wanted to focus on: Komi's dynamic with the class, the brewing love relationship between the main two, or the introduction of new personality driven class members. This lack of balance in ideas left me wanting so much more from the strong premise initially set up. It doesn't help that the most offensive cast members had so much screen time when first being introduced, ruining entire episodes for me. I could see a vision, just one struggling to be reached.
Once cour 2 began, I could finally feel the growing pains ceasing. Komi and Tadano's romantic relationship took a stronger focused, the new characters being introduced still retained the gimmick quality but were far more likeable (Katai is the GOAT) while the older and annoying characters were less prominent, and Komi's personal development was far more substantial and enjoyable to watch play out. Many events like the Christmas party as well only worked as well as they did because of the struggle cour 1 had in creating solid chemistry within the entire eclectic cast, which ultimately paid off. There wasn't one episode I disliked, which alone is a massive improvement.
At times though, it can feel like Komi is just running through the SoL motions, like practically every other SoL I've seen; the familar Valentine's Day, White Day, New Year events, and more. What differentiates Komi though is its style. The combination of Komi's animation, character designs, use of lighting, and direction (Like it's great use of close ups for the important moments of development), is consistent (Despite the constant outsourcing from OLM) and creates a general vibe I struggle to not feel completely immersed in. It's a feeling that I understand may not resonate with everyone in the same way, but Komi has hit a particular chord with me that feels really warm and loveable. Smaller things, like the repetitive (but perfectly executed) opening episode dialogue, black cat motif, and ED visuals (An all-timer) make me realize how much I've grown to enjoy the bizarre cast of characters and Komi as their central link.
Knowing we're barely a third of the way through has me excited to see how things continue and hope that it continues to weed out the show's few unpleasantries, in which cour 2 has already began to make some progress through. And more Katai please.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 21, 2022
*contains spoilers*
Death Note was (like for many others) one of my first anime experiences ever. The core dynamic between Light and L had me completely hooked the entire way through, but I found the second half to be severely lacking to the point of genuine hate growing for that portion. About 8 months or so back, I decided to give the manga try (having been about 4 years since first watching the anime) and re-evaluate my thoughts on Light's journey at creating an "ideal" world. Now, finally putting the journey to rest, my opinions have evolved into something much more convoluted then I could have
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imagined.
Perhaps unfair to the series, but for me to really explain my thoughts, I need to view Parts 1 and 2 as separate entities to first lay out my thoughts. Despite my opinion evolving, there's undoubtedly a difference between the two present for me still.
Light Yagami is genuinely one of the most intriguing protagonists I have yet to experience so far in animanga. From just the first few chapters of the series, Light never changes his ideals, philosophical viewpoints, and means of action. By establishing himself as the God of the "New World" he is to create, he creates a level of consistency in his actions that serves as an incredibly solid foundation for the moral conflicts that serve as the main "food for thought" of the series. At the same time though, there's never a moment to easily predict his next action. It's an absolutely perfect balance of execution that only works as well as it does thanks to his rival L, who's similarly fascinating in his background. A lot of similar points I've brought up regarding Light are also applicable to L; there's an argument to be made for L's questionable morals and drive for HIS justice. In the end, when all is said and done, this battle between the two is nothing more than a game for both of them, and never really forces the reader to pick a side. The definition of what it means to truly be just simply does not exist in this world, and it's for the reader to interpret and figure out that answer. Defending an aspect of one character's morals doesn't negate their other actions though; by having the main character be the "worse" character out of the rivalry clearly establishes the fact that there is a line drawn to some extent by the mangaka. That level of ambiguity though is the core of Death Note's specialty, and what I still value the most out of the experience.
It would be a disservice to ignore the impeccable art that the manga version also applies though. It's incredible to believe this is the product of a weekly shounen jump series. The western inspiration for the noir/crime comic artstyle is clearly present and mixes perfectly well with the more Japanese-inspired character designs. It allows for character emotions to be delivered in such a visually expressive and unique manner; while dialogue is a big hint towards how Light is usually feeling, the use of shading is brilliantly applied to show the reader which side of Light we're looking at in any given moment, just from visuals alone. The use of biblical imagery is simply the icing on top of the cake; it's a shame that the anime didn't make a stronger push to apply it more often, because it's such an important core to Death Note's identity. I simply can not gloat more about how much I loved its art.
This is unfortunately where the "ideal" image that the mangakas had for the series blossoms into a product much more troublesome. With how dialogue heavy the series is, there's bound to reach a point where the plot begins to take a hit in pacing and feels more like trudging through a muddy pit to reach the finale. Too many moments, such as Light's memory loss period, became an absolute bore to get through. It's also where the cracks in L and Light's seemingly perfect dynamic began to show.
What is it that makes L and Light's dynamic so compelling? As said earlier, the similarity in morals, lack of right/wrong answers, and the "game-like" structure employed. A lot of these defining points though can purely be boiled down to a conceptual understanding of the characters and their usage though. While these are incredibly profound themes to explore, the dialogue and actual story beats taking place between the two is what the majority of your experience plays out to be though. As I kept reading though, I couldn't get past the point that the plot only progressed in the interesting manner it did because of one critical aspect - both characters are always on the same wavelength of thinking. And if they aren't, it's for short bursts of moments that are soon very quickly patched out. This is a double edged sword - for one, it makes whatever slip up that eventually takes place to make one "beat" the other all that more satisfying. On the other end, it takes away from the cleverness of the writing so much. I loved scenes like their tennis match so much until I began this core component. Are these scenes really that special when for the most part are designed like "One character is presented with a challenge or way to overcome the obstacle, and the other character thinks the exact same thing but the opposite to what the other character plans on doing". You could argue this is even more egregious in the second half when there were simply too many moments where it felt like both characters lacked a unique perspective on the situation and it simply boiled down to "I know what you're thinking, and I'm going to win", for their to only be a handful of times where they differed. It comes off as completely unrealistic and I'd go as far as to say lazy at certain points. This is something I could see my perspective changing on, but at the moment, it makes me feel like I'm being tricked by the reader to think how "clever" and "smart" the dialogue is, when in actuality, isn't truly written that way.
To best end my thoughts off, I need to talk about the second part. I think for the most part (besides the "boring" portions happening way more often here than in the first part, and way more instances where the plot fails to progress in an impactful manner) I liked it a lot, and seeing the downfall of Light felt realistic and incredibly well capped off with the finale.
There's one thing that hasn't changed in my mind though since the first viewing - I still believe that the series would have fared better by ending off with L's death and for Light to win, and it really boils down to one particular grievance. It's not that I believe Light losing to be unrealistic - the complete opposite in fact. At the same time, Light winning fits within the themes of the story in an equally realistic way, so that's not really the issue here. It all boils down to the existence of Near and Mello.
I don't think Near and Mello are particularly bad characters, and I don't think they can be boiled down to simply "L 2.0" (They have SOME unique aspects to differentiate the characters enough). L and Light's dynamic was only so interesting because of the stakes that existed. It truly was the battle between two God-like figures; the winner of the battle was going to be the savior of the world. So when one of the opponents finally comes out victorious, what does the plot decide to do? Introduce a school designed to create the next L's of the world that was not once mentioned through the entirety of the first part. Why do stakes even exist if there's an ENTIRE school of potential L successors that when banded together have the power to defeat arguably anyone that stands in their way?
Does it ruin the plot? Far from it. But does it take so much away from the anticipation and high stakes that arguably make Death Note in the first part what it is? Absolutely.
There's a lot more that could be discussed with Death Note, and despite my harsh critiques towards the end, it's impossible for me to doubt the enjoyment I was able to muster out of the text until the end. There are critiques I could see myself changing my opinion on in the future (Like my issues with how the dialogue/scenes between Light and L aren't as clever as they make themselves out to be), but I'm severely disappointed with the potential that's lost with the existence of Near and Mello's characters. At the least, when all is said and done, Ryuk is a pretty cool character though.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 13, 2022
Scrolling through the review section for the page has made me greatly dislike the discussion around Sonny Boy, and it highlights an incredibly concerning yet important facet of analyzation, especially in terms of anime: the passionate need to find meaning.
This is less of a critique on the community and more of one on myself; this is something I continually struggle with. Meaning through imagery and dialogue is indeed a driving force for analyzation, and I'm not denying such an existence, but when delving into the blurred lines of absurdity, the value of meaning grows more complex.
There's an important foundation to the themes of Sonny
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Boy; that the challenges we face growing up and progressing throughout society bring confusion and obstacles in finding purpose in our own lives and finding what makes us "whole". Each episode (for the most part) feels isolated in its delivery of a unique plot point or "coming of age" story, but when formed together can create a sometimes messy and jarring timeline of events and character moments in which Sonny Boy never particularly holds your hand in any regard. That's not to say there isn't focus - if anything, it allows the main characters (especially Nagara) to have their own "coming of age" arcs in a less linear or formulaic manner. So while having a basic understanding of these themes is important to solving the puzzle, there becomes a point where us, as the viewer, needs to refocus ourselves and reassess how exactly we're engaging with the material that's being presented.
And this is really where my main issue lies with discussion for this show. I'm not trying to sound pretentious and act as if I truly understood everything present, but is that really how this show is suppose to be processed?
Discussion is critical in further enjoying any piece of media, but when said discussion simply boils down to "This show is stupid because I didn't understand it", "This show is too confusing and only pretentious people like it", or "I understood everything the show was trying to tell, this show just isn't for everyone", then the importance of discussion loses all value.
I applaud the loose structure Shingo Natsume chose when formulating Sonny Boy, and I think the confusion that comes from something quite abstract is EXPECTED to happen. And when a show delves into the sci fi elements to the point of becoming borderline absurdist, than that growing confusion's importance only grows in size.
For example, the ninth episode presents us with a great rivalry that has been taking place for hundreds of years by two twins. They live in a This World that "reverses" itself at certain periods of time, in which they'll duel out in sumo style; all over because of a difference of one strand of hair. A topic for an episode like this presents itself with intriguing subtext potential, but it's impossible to sit here and explain to me why this certain situation exists beyond the point of absurdity to be understood.
And that's really what I'm trying to get at. Sonny Boy is a blend of confusion; some of it to be understood, and some of it to be taken at face value. While the intricacies of the sci-fi lore may be difficult to keep straight at times, the deeper meaning for the most part is to be taken at face value. Trying to examine too deeply into why monkeys who play baseball even exist in this world, but when you reassess your understanding and pay more attention to the story being told rather than the intricacies of the symbolism, understanding the parallels between the competitive monkey league and the the competition brewing between the classmates themselves is much easier to understand.
Anime isn't always the best at delivering intricate characters and worlds, so when a show does take the gamble at accomplishing just that, then that's all its known for. The review and forum pages are just filled to the brim with this constant arguing and disagreement over its "deepness" and it's a real damn shame. Sonny Boy's existence shouldn't be defined by the controversy surrounding its unique approach. I understand why many do just that (as explained in this review), but it does a disservice to every other compelling factor. It's still an anime and has all of the factors of any other anime, but instead of judging the quality of those things, too many people seemed to be wrapped around simply the structure of the show itself.
This "review" ended up being more of a rambling then anything, and I understand the hypocrisy in me writing this entire piece critiquing the same thing I'm shining more light on, but it just saddens me to see how this show will probably fall between the cracks (given the low rank and popularity), especially when it's a shining light for Madhouse after they've been in a rough slump for some time now. I think the last thing I want to say for anyone interesting in experiencing this show is to not be intimidated by the "confusion" everyone talks so much about. Confusion is only natural at times, and experiences like this can only help you and your understanding grow. When you pass that initial hurdle, it's not as frustrating as many on this site present it to be.
What better way to end off the piece then to explain how much I ended up enjoying Sonny Boy. It wasn't until the end that I was totally hooked on the premise, but the development from the beginning always remained fascinating, and I loved the absurd concepts presented every single episode, with some of the best production/presentation to come out of last year. Nagara's journey felt so powerful and realistic, and the long feeling of time passing helped solidify the development of every character even further. The ending itself hit all the right notes with me as well, and felt incredibly fitting for the direction the show presented itself from the beginning. Really happy I didn't end up passing this show up (which was originally my intent).
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 7, 2022
"Everyone has to be drunk on somethin' to keep pushing on... Everyone was a slave to something."
*rewatch*
S3P1 feels like a thrown together mesh of characters, politics, and lorebuilding, to cram as much buildup as possible for P2; and damn, it works.
A medium size cour that is split up into 3 main consecutive parts - the government revolt, Historia's arc conclusion, and the preparations for the recapturing of Shiganshina. The constant perspective switch can feel jarring and under developed, but consistency lies beneath. World building is a constantly evolving matter - from the deep dive into societal structure and government control inside (and underneath) the walls
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to the mystery of the Titans slowly unraveling, there's never a dull moment in the development of the intricate fantasy setting.
From the beginning one of AoT's goals has been to shine the light on the evils that grow within the sacred walls that are said to keep the same corruption out. S3P1 takes it a step further with the introduction of Kenny and the Reiss family line. Everyone is truly "drunk" on something, even Erwin and his internal desires to follow his father's path for information. But episodes like "Bystander" expresses how such drunkenness can bring out the pure beauty that comes from the simplicity of life. This "foul is fair and fair is foul" theme is one of the highlights of AoT's excellently developed moral dilemmas, and I loved seeing it used in a more broad context as opposed to just the main scouts in S2. It's easy to get caught up in the surrealness of human transforming titans and mind controlling bloodlines when the life of the average humans living inside the walls shapes the plot so much.
Historia is the most conflicting side of the season still though. There's something holding me back from truly enjoying her as much as I wish I could - and maybe this is where the adaptation that many people complain about falls flat (I personally have not read the manga at the moment) - and it's pretty disappointing. There's something about her character arc that feels disconnected, and I think I'm starting to piece together the reasons why.
Take Levi for example - one of the best characters in this season. Through Kenny, we finally learn about his beginnings living in the slums and the violent journey he took to the top. Not only did it give reason behind his melancholy attitude and make him more interesting as a whole, but it also creates a connection back to what I was discussing earlier - the importance of the average human being in this world. Levi is a product of a so called "safe" society everyone is led to believe, but it couldn't be more far from the truth. Almost every strong character in Aot - Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Erwin, etc - are all somewhat a product of the evils that brew from humanity, and all things that can happen to the average Eldian. As a result, Levi and the rest serve a larger purpose than what's immediately presented.
Perhaps I'm overlooking things or it stems from simply not being able to completely connect with her character, but with how drawn out her character arc is over the course of a season and a half, I don't see this same well thought out "purpose" I see in everyone else. Don't get me wrong; I found the soul-searching journey to learn what it means to truly do what YOU want to do pretty empowering at times, especially at it's climactic finale, and I really like the similarities you can create between Frieda Reiss and Ymir. I also do see how her stepping up for the position of the Queen but taking the time to help out the under privileged through the simple things like harvests is the show's way of creating the connection between Historia and the running theme of being "special" the season focuses on. But by the time the conclusion did finally hit, it was far past the point I was ready for the back and forth from her to be done with and as a result felt more like a shell of other, more successful characters. In order to create such a purpose, there needs to be a strong foundation through the character's own arc; even if the pieces for greatness are there, without the glue to keep it together, it misses the mark.
To cap it off, AoT really has the curse of production, doesn't it? It's a step forward and a step backwards from the last season. The animation, character models, and overall look is a big step up from last season, but still far from the greatness of Season 1. At the same time, the great direction from the last season that created such nerve-wracking tension in certain moments and developed the horror elements so well feels pretty much gone. It's not like there's necessarily much in its place either - the style itself looks fine but feels like a hollow shell of its past self. Even the bold outlining on character models feels pretty much gone. It's not a necessarily bad thing, and Season 2 wasn't too much better, but it's a step that was probably taken due to budget restrictions more than anything.
Overall, I really loved returning back to S3P1 and have come to appreciate it a decent bit more. It's a bit messy at times and Historia's character arc has plenty of flaws but the slower pace and stronger focus on political drama has great payoff and leads into true greatness.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 29, 2021
"Someone has to be the one to do it. Someone has to be the one to stain their hands with blood."
*rewatch*
As AoT begins to progress further into its world building and moral dilemmas (One of its strongest aspects), production and narrative takes a step backwards.
The scope widens past our main trio and captains to flesh out some of the more underappreciated Scouts like Reiner, Bertholdt, Sasha, Connie, and more, as the secrets of what lies behind the wall grows deeper and deeper as Titans and the Beast Titan invade Wall Rose.
I think one of AoT's biggest weaknesses is its lack of personality designated to
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most of the Scouts besides the main leads. Learning more about Sasha's backstory and Connie's humanity adds depth but in the end did more for building the tense mood of the season than anything. More than anything though, I've never been very fond of Historia and Ymir's dynamic, and that unfortunately stays true. I can appreciate how their internal conflicts and struggle to find meaning within others and themselves is required to give the theming of humanity that lies within everyone behind the walls legs to stand on its own (and an aspect of the show that's so crucial in the Final Season), but it's always felt so uninvolved and I never found reason to care about what happens to either of them.
At the same time, this exploration into humanity also shows its benefits. Reiner and Bertholdt's dynamic shines so bright and the mental struggles Reiner especially shows through his personality disorder begins to build the bridge connecting the two different sides of humanity.
Perhaps this season's biggest grievance though is its need to constantly shove flashbacks and explanations down the viewer's throats. It's handled well enough in certain situations like the Colossal/Armored reveal, but absolutely kills other moments, like when Reiner breaks down in the forest and Ymir explains in full detail why he is in fact acting this way. I know this is an "anime/shounen" issue but it feels like padding and takes from the believablility the show is trying to establish.
On the more nitpickey side but the pacing is also odd at times. It goes from incredibly quick and fluid action sequences to entire episodes where almost nothing happens. A lot of these things were issues in the first season but not nearly as obvious.
This is all woven together by a disappointingly significant increase in production quality. When given the reigns, Araki shines once again (Like with Eren awakening the Founding Titan power) but it's so clear cuts were made. Horrible Colossal/horse CGI, butchered ODM scenes, dozens of close ups. It's something that's easier to get use to over time but feels like insane whiplash coming right off of Season 1's stellar and consistent animation.
I don't want my many issues to take away from the many things this season does right. I love seeing the mental buildup Eren is experiencing in retrospect after nearing the end of the show. There's this subtleness hiding behind the "suicidal maniac" still there and it's glorious. S2 is also the peak of the horror elements that have all but vanished in S4. The more detailed/less cartoony style lends itself to some truly disturbing moments. The introduction of the Beast Titan, Connie's mom, the girl Sasha saves who's watching her mother being eaten alive, I actually found myself speechless at times. The more abundant close ups too lend itself to incredible facial expressions and eye detail that's unsettling but carries so much emotional weight to it. It made the production compromises really worth it.
I know that people believe AoT suffers from "forgetting cast members" syndrome as the narrative shifts focus on specific characters in certain arcs but I really like how Armin, Mikasa, Erwin, etc have their own special moments even if they aren't in the spotlight.
This season is really odd overall on a rewatch because of how much hinges on the reader being clueless to the mysteries of the world. I don't think it invalidates my current feelings but is something to definitely note.
To conclude, I can't not mention the masterpiece that is "Warrior". Now with AoT almost reaching it's end, the initial reveal is still one of the most captivating episodes and gives Reiner the wings to soar later on. Ymir's backstory is another standout.
Overall, Attack on Titan Season 2 was disappointing going back towards, but doesn't take away from the fact it's still what I love about AoT at its core, and I have full confidence in my enjoyment of what's yet to come.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 25, 2021
"Why? You know why. Because I was born into this world."
Season 1's jaw-dropping production, strong narrative setup, and scope back into the now morally divided cast provided a unique yet enlightening experience.
It's easy to forget now just how grim early AoT was - and seeing the dire stakes humanity is put into is both empowering and allows the main theme to truly seep its roots: What does it mean to give up one's humanity for the greater good? This complex moral dilemma applied to a younger "suicidal maniac" Eren Yeager allows for the seeds to begin blossoming as this "emobidment of humanity's rage" is immediately
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forced to come to grips with this reality. In fact, seeing the entire cast come to grips with this reality that accompanies war, leadership, or even love is done in a way that brings dozens of incredible characterization moments but still room to grow as everyone begins searching for their own freedom outside the walls.
Tetsurou Araki's direction elevates these elements to staggering degrees. Mikasa's backstory, Armin's defense of Eren, every fight scene with the Attack Titan - every movement has exaggerated weight that invigorates the strongest of emotions every single time. It's unfortunate no season after this stands up in comparison in terms of production. The bolder outlined character models can be a little inconsistent in design and doesn't always quite hit but is a fair compromise for every glorious ODM/Titan fight scene.
Overall, Season 1 was such a treat to return to. Feels great having a refresher of Eren, Armin, and everyone else's initial development/setup and helped me remember some incredibly important aspects to their characters. Really is a near perfect beginning.
Female Titan > Trost
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Nov 9, 2021
*CONTAINS SPOILERS*
With the delivery of the final letter, we reach the conclusion to our heroine's cross-continental adventure for the ages. Violet Evergarden's journey of self discovery and personal realization not only sets a monumental milestone for Kyoto Animation and the anime industry itself, but quite literally changed the lives of so many. The importance of her legacy is immediately made clear and it seals the wrapping of what already was an incredibly fitting character arc conclusion from the original show. Violet's made her impact on the world, and it's time for her to put personal matters to rest once and for all. Now, KyoAni is
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left with the task of being the deliver of the penultimate love letter for the series and its fans.
First, the structure of the letter must be carefully crafted. No matter what, the presentation, direction, and animation you're getting into with a KyoAni work will always be incredible. The dreamlike landscape that is Leidenschaftlich feels re-imagined with a style that's more crisp and detailed than ever before (Despite the limited variety in locales). This works so smoothly with a refreshing directing perspective from series veteran Taichi Ishidate. Everything that happens on screen feels slow and meticulous, while highlighting landscapes, objects, and character movement to a much stronger degree than the show attempted. It creates a surreal experience that even when what's happening in the movie at that moment may not be of the same quality, my eyes were never bored with the visual perfection.
We begin to write the letter. Violet Evergarden: The Movie attempts to juggle numerous storylines at once that don't involve the protagonist herself. It's a foreign concept as the original show was always focused on Violet no matter what was happening, and it's evident in quality. Despite creating interesting parallels, the growing concern of technology and the replacement of the Doll position felt shallow; attempting to tie it into the incredibly solid episodic-like plotline surrounding Yuris was an even weaker blow. Yuris is proof that the writing team is still more than capable of creating plausible and emotionally grabbing plot lines, and it confuses me why they weren't able to devote this same attention to other parts of the film given the long running time.
We cross into the bulk content of the letter. Shallow is unfortunately the crack that runs throughout this entire product, and eventually stumbles on the shock of the film - Gilbert. I don't think the writers were necessarily ready for the wave of questions that would need to be answered by signifying his existence and the weight that would come with it. I'm all for putting us into Gilbert's perspective and understanding his unknown motives - his reasoning for not returning stemming from self-hate is completely plausible and his relationship with his brother created depth from an otherwise basic (But effectively used) character for Violet to develop off of. Seemingly bringing him back from the dead throws accountability that was otherwise not necessary, and it's clear KyoAni wasn't prepared for this. It's not necessarily bad or unbelievable material, just the unseized potential and developing problems are incredibly disappointing. Leaving most of the true reasoning somewhat up for interpretation as the movie sailed to its conclusion before it could give us more of a taste of Gilbert's perspective is arguably its biggest flaw. It doesn't damage the original intent created from the character that the show set out, but most importantly it hurts what could have been the perfect conclusion for Violet's end.
We reach the climax of our letter. In the middle of all the jumble that this film is, Violet is being thrown right around with it. Despite wanting more from her stories as the viewer, it's clear that Violet has reached her end in the position of a Doll. It's an uncomfortable realization to hit, but one that makes but all the sense. We all have our roles in life that only us can fulfill, but at the end of the day, who's there to help us? I've grappled with whether this realization is somewhat counterintuitive to the show's own conclusion, but I can get behind it. People grow up and change, and while the show still works incredibly well as it's own singular project, it's an avenue well worth taking. Violet's confusing and emotionally damaging journey to reach the ray of light at the end which makes up the core of the film is where it shines the brightest. Seeing her in such a vulnerable position towards the end of the movie yet still putting in all her effort is nothing short of perfect character development. Her accepting the reality that Gilbert didn't want to see her - it felt so incredibly real and challenging. Even if the other parts of the film aren't as well written or thought out, Violet is once again here to pick up the pieces and still offer something tangible and strong. It unfortunately is no where near enough to save the film's flaws, but it does the most important part of the original show justice, and with that I can be happy.
We preview our letter after completion to polish it up. I can't say that the conclusion the two end up together is surprising, but it's difficult to say whether it was truly deserved or not. I don't think there's a right answer necessarily, and I think people who have issues with the age etc are completely valid (Except the jabs at child grooming in my opinion feel completely baseless and misrepresent the point of Gilbert's character in the show). With that being said, more needed to be done. It had to feel less coincidental that things worked out the way they did. Why not take the first 40 or so minutes that was dedicated almost purely to recapping previously known information and use that time more productively instead? At the least the more familial relationship route makes the most sense for both of the characters and was the right choice.
As we close the letter and fold it into its envelope, it's difficult to press the final stamp in. Violet Evergarden is a project that will forever have changed me. It's message hit incredibly deep, and even after the recent rewatch I love it even more than I thought I would. Who knew a story about a damaged war veteran learning to heal and discover her emotions could create something so awe-inspiring and beautiful. After the recent horrific arson attack, it's incredible seeing Kyoto Animation back in the spotlight with a project that feels so personal. It's clear that finishing the story was just as difficult for them as it was for the viewer. And while it's hard to look past the plentiful flaws plaguing what could have been a perfect sendoff, the heart and meanngi is still there and shining brightly. This isn't a final goodbye - no such thing exists with the everlasting effect our words and stories give each other. The relationships we create and the people we inspire is what makes us humans who we are, and Violet's story is no more than a testament to such power. We firmly press the stamp on to the envelope and leave the rest up to fate.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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