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A gloriously flawed masterpiece. The lesser Auto Memory Dolls are given very archetypal roles and limited screentime. Claudia Hodgin's father-figure characteristics are underdeveloped and left on a backburner. Violet's tragic past as a weapon for the military industrial complex is drilled into the viewer constantly; her metal arms being repeatedly showcased in the beginning to remove all subtlety of her trauma, and her past always being outwardly stated. Violet's goal of learning what "I love you" is clearly defined and reminded all throughout the show in case one forgets her endgame. A melodrama through and through, Violet Evergarden, the show, has but one goal ... in mind: showing the character progression of Violet Evergarden.

This is not only my favorite anime, but also one of my favorite media watched.

Visual spectacle is far above its peers. Evan Call's sound design works amazingly in setting the tone and sentimental beats when wanted. Violet's doll-esque personality getting destitched as she becomes acclimated to a life beyond the battlefield felt inhumanly natural. Runtime not overstaying its welcome allows the story to be clear, concise, and complete. What needed to be done well, was done beyond expectations.

No franchise has made me feel as emotionally invested in seeing this journey taken by our titular protagonist. In spite of my disdain for the way in which the franchise concludes within the movie, in spite of me disliking the love interest, in spite of the franchise not being all that profound in its themes, and in spite of how Kyoto Animation very deliberately Oscar-baits with certain tearjerking scenes, I cannot help but feel during this show. I felt even more emotion on a rewatch, seeing how well-crafted the short&sweet story of Violet learning what "I love you" is. If anything, the flaws present add to its charm, adding a beauty to how rough around the edges it can be.

It might be depression coded, but if it worked, why complain?