Reviews

After the devastating tragedy for Kyoto Animation in 2019, seeing this movie as their big comeback is truly an inspiration but felt extremely bittersweet. One of my favorite production studios, hearing about the news was devastating so upon the announcement of this film I was extremely hopeful but also apprehensive for the quality and content of the film after so much of the staff was gone. My worries were proven to be for naught because the movie was everything I had hoped for it to be and even further exceeded my expectations. Kyoani has always been my favorite anime studio because of their attention to detail, fair treatment of workers, and impeccable quality and sound design. Each work is meticulously crafted to perfection and you can physical feel all the hard work that is poured into each and every frame. This Violet Evergarden sequel movie and finale is no exception, and I was in awe of the production quality throughout the entire duration (when I could see the screen, that is). Amazing artwork, breathtaking visuals, perfect score and incredibly nuanced and well voice acted characters made this movie a masterpiece in my eyes. The movie itself was full of themes of tragedy and moving on, as well as remembering the past but learning to focus on the present. It presented life to be a precious thing that should not be taken for granted. Thinking about these motifs in the context of the Kyoani tragedy was heartbreaking but also beautiful. Me and everyone else in the theater was blown away until we were all a sobbing wreck, and I eagerly look forward to future works by Kyoani.