TL;DR: Stunning visuals, some great character scenes, but feels incomplete.
I like Kyoto Animation. There, I said it. I realize that of the studios that push visuals over storytelling, KyoAni is up there with some of the worst offenders, but since I actually enjoy moe shows, I cut them a fair amount of slack. There are a handful of KyoAni shows that I didn't really enjoy (Euphonium and Free!, to name a couple), as well as a couple that I thought were weak (Tamako Market), but even then the visual quality was never compromised.
I said earlier that the series tended to be episodic, which will feel true if you watch it weekly. After re-watching the series, however, I now realize that the show has 3 arcs, each about 4 episodes long. Arc 1 is Violet turning from human weapon to doll, arc 2 is Violet turning from doll to young woman, and arc 3 is Violet confronting her past. Arc 2 feels episodic mainly because there is a "guest du jour" thing going on, and Violet's growth is harder to track.
Was the soundtrack good? It's performed by a studio orchestra, the performances themselves are beautiful, but unfortunately the melodies didn't really "grab" me. The beginning and ending themes are good, but again, they were going for "beauty", they didn't really "grab" me, and a lot of episodes eschewed the credit animation (probably because the episode content was substantial). Slow tunes are fine and all, but there's a time and a place for them, and Violet Evergarden is a slow-paced show to begin with-- don't put me to sleep, yo.
As far as characters go, it's all about Violet and the guest character of the week. Not much attention is given to the recurring cast unless they happen to be the guest character(s), unfortunately, but at least they're not repeating the same mistake of Tamako Market where the lead character was basically a cardboard cutout while the other characters stole the show. Violet's characterization is not unlike some of the "quiet introvert" types we've seen before, although hers is more of a "still a child inside, with a mental block against painful memories". I don't think this initial characterization is a weakness-- if it were, that would call into question the popularity of the introvert character. Rather, the weakness is more in the fact that we don't effectively see Violet progress from "lost little girl in a soldier's shell" to "emotionally functional" later in the series. I feel there should've been an episode or two inside her head to connect the two states. Otherwise, I find Violet inspiring, alongside KyoAni's other recent production tackling "disability". It's good to see shows that portray people whose bodies might not function the same as "normal" humans, but still excel.
The theme is brought straight up by Violet herself: "What is 'love'?" Did Violet find the answer she was looking for? I'd say yes, sort of. To their credit, KyoAni's production held close to the theme, but it did seem like this journey is still in progress. Hopefully the next production is a sequel rather than a retelling, because I think there is a lot more that can be said.
