This is another post I wrote for Beneath The Tangles on Violet Evergarden. Unlike my previous article, this one really touched my heart and I felt God’s presence while I was writing it. I hope that it impacts you positively in some way whether you’ve watched the series or not.
Love is always
Like looking through clear water
Go to accept it
And it leaves
Just like youLove is always
In a sunshine-filled place
Even if I can’t see you
Can’t touch you
It’s like you’re by my side-“Letter” (Violet Evergarden Special end song) by TRUE
Anime has become harder to watch for me. I believe because I’ve watched almost 200 series/movies/OVAs, even some of the best shows of the season don’t move me like before. I’ve seen the same story played out, similar dialogue, and other aspects of new shows copied from older ones.
Violet Evergarden though, helped capture the essence of why I love anime even after 20 years of watching. From the date of this post, the last episode that was released on Netflix is considered a special, but it seemed to me like an episode that fits into the season. It impacted me emotionally though, and I only realized what was happening by the time the episode ended. God certainly showed me His presence after experiencing this one.
Writing a love letter isn’t easy—to get the right words without sounding corny and being honest is hard, especially if you’re not poetic. Violet finds this out herself, as she’s tasked to write one for Irma, her new client. Violet tries, but Irma isn’t satisfied with her work, saying it doesn’t have enough emotion to it and that Violet doesn’t understand what she wants. The letter is actually for a play, which Irma is going to perform, reading the letter as a song.
Violet isn’t sure how to revise the note, so another character, Ardu, tells Violet to speak to Irma about the letter to get more information. She does, and Irma admits to Violet that she wants to write this letter for Ardu’s son, Fugo. He was her boyfriend and since he hasn’t returned yet from the war, both Iram and Ardu accept that he did not survive. Even with those details, Violet is troubled and can’t write the letter until a postman sees her and offers help. He takes her to an old war post office that is full of unsent letters, either because the sender or receiver is no longer living. As Violet begins to read them, she sees they are full of love that the writer expressed to the receiver. She begins to understand the emotions that she missed when she first wrote the love letter.
Inspired, she writes it again and Irma is pleased with the results. The letter is sung during the play that Irma performs in, and the audience gives a teary-eyed standing ovation.