Reviews

Surprisingly enough, I liked this short OVA more than the Gaiden Eternity movie. I felt like this episode fleshed out the characters a lot better, describing the effects of the war on so many ordinary people, not just those who worked in the military. The war may have ended, but their hearts were frozen in time and I understand how it must be so difficult to accept progress, both emotionally and in terms of societal development. I really enjoyed how this elaboration of the setting and collective mindset supported Violet's own situation, and how this side story pushed her to understand what "love" and "moving forward" really mean.

That said, I wish they had included this episode in the main series, in between episode 4 and 5. I remember feeling really jarred by the pacing in episode 5 because it didn't feel realistic that Violet had suddenly become an amazing love letter writer, despite the time skip. I felt like it warranted an explanation of some sort, namely a letter request with a huge impact on her psyche, exactly like this one.

In short, I just seriously enjoyed this OVA so much and how it ties in with the main series, as a huge fan of the whole Gilbert storyline. (Spoiler ahead) The final lyrics of the song in the opera came out a little cheesier than I expected, but it still hit the kokoro nicely, resulting in a few tears from me.

I highly recommend this!