As the death-causing waves of COVID-19 continue to encounter all parts of the globe, one may understand how lackluster the world is without theatre movies - one of the most recreational industries of humankind. The fact that no movies were produced, or even recorded, for 5 or 6 months really hits the industry into its core, and casts a big doubt on its survival.
Luckily, the debut of several movies during this crisis has just confirmed that the community has its capability to overcome the difficulties. And to be honest, it was much more outstanding than I've ever imagined.
The latest movie of Demon Slayer was a good example, a remarkable debut and a truly wonderful cure for the whole community indeed. Everyone is talking about it, everyone is hoping this will act as a catalyst for more to come out.
I'm not an exception of this, but to be honest my intention was left on something else, something that may truly helps me gain back my fading interest...
Violet Evergarden Movie.
I have just finished it with my warming tears hooking on my face all along at the theater. I didn't even remember where was the last time I cried so much like this...
Where should I start with...
The story was introduced in a quite unfamiliar way, which may distract or confuse viewers a bit thereafter. But from my perspective, it acts as a guide for the whole story to be smoothly displayed and thereby more easily grabs their intention. As the story continues to progress, you'll have the chance to meet both new and appeared characters, each will leave a mark on the story as a whole.
What I love most in this plot is that everything was set and done exquisitely, a proper pace we've all seen in this franchise to a decent amount of time separated for each scene to develop and expand the story, and the position flashback scenes which makes viewers cry so bad. Such great works KyoAni have finished, that every words, every expressions and actions matter.
Several friends of mine told me that the plot was what they did not found difficult to predict, and surprisingly they were right. It was indeed a drawback of this movie where the actions and conversations at the beginning indicated way too many details, which should have better been revealed in the middle or later of the story. Having said that, when the final phase of the movie was displayed and as your delicate heart were already step-by-step melted, it shattered yours and in the meantime pushed the whole story into a breathtaking finale.
The BGM and SFX of this movie is, from my perspective, the most successful and indispensable part of it. Old OSTs were played all along the movie, which really hit me with nostalgia and fill me up with fresh feelings that I've been new to for ages. The sounds of nature, the birds, the river, the waves of the ocean, the sadness in rainy scenes were absolutely incredible. Crucial conversations were remarkably emphasized by wonderful soundtracks at the beginning but then just relied on characters' voice soon after, which makes them more genuine and in a more aesthetic viewpoint. And of course, why should not I mention the appearance of "Michishirube" at the end of the movie, which was somehow sounded way much better than any versions and in any situations in the anime series.
And not to forget the visuals, still as outstanding as usual. The characters were beautifully designed, each of whom possessed a unique look as well as a distinguished way of understanding and acting. And how about the landscapes? They are all delicately polished to the smallest details, which gave them a more real and lively look, as to highlight the meaning of each scene taken spot on them.
The conclusion of the movie is something I adore so much, but the point is that I've never read the novel so it's not objective to say which one is better. To be honest, a happy ending is all I wanted after being shredded in pieces by the story and my own feelings, and I appreciated that they did not disappoint me... However, the changing of the sky color in the final part was something unrealistic. What I mean by that is, the way they changed the sky color in order to emphasized the contents (as it shifted from day to dawn then dust relatively) was quite unusual and not as successful as they expected it to be.
The movie, even though not flawless, is still something real authentic and fresh that may drive our feelings through this crisis. It's not actually the one that marks the return of KyoAni after its 2019 tragedy, but it's believed that Violet Evergarden Movie will set a high standard for any movies coming out after it.
So, if you feel life is boring and want something fresh, or you are desperate for more anime after you hyped up with Demon Slayer movie, then this is the one for you. I won't add any further details that may ruin your feelings or your expectations, I'm just here to firmly tell you that the movie is amazing and you should give it a try.
Take a deep breath, close your eyes, let the music flow in your mind and take you along until the very end of the journey.
