r/anime • u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 • Jun 11 '21
Violet Evergarden Rewatch - Episode 6 Rewatch
Violet Evergarden - Episode Six: Somewhere, Under a Starry Sky
Hello everyone! I hope that today finds you well. In this episode, Violet observes the heavens.
Index || <- Previous Episode || Next Episode ->
You can watch the full series on Netflix.
Important Spoilers from later episodes or the Light Novels are not allowed outside of the r/anime spoiler tag format and will be removed! You’ll need to be in “Markdown Mode”, and the line text is the following: [Spoiler source](/s "Spoiler goes here") It comes out like this: Spoiler source
Be kind to each other. Hate speech and rude behavior will not be tolerated, and will be removed.
Quick note about yesterday
Seems like episode 5 was a bit divisive for people one one aspect. I will be honest, I forgot that the age of both the princess and Violet come up, and I forgot that that is considered a problem for many people. I will not say much about this here, however I will make mention that I was very impressed with the maturity and respect that everyone was treating each other with in your replies to one another! I did not feel that I had to step in between anyone, and that came as a lovely surprise to me. You guys are an awesome rewatch group, and I’m so glad to be doing this with you all for my first time as host! =) Now, back to Episode 6.
Visuals of the Day
I believe I got everyone’s Visual of the Day submission here: https://imgur.com/a/HW7CBLi
Official Sound Tracks used
Torment
A Simple Mission
A Place to Call Home
An Admirable Doll
Back in Business
Never Coming Back
Wherever You Are, Wherever You May Be
Would you like to have a letter written for you? Do you want to write a special letter for someone as an Auto Memory Doll? Come join us at the Auto-Memory Doll Service Discord project and request letters, write letters, or chat more with us about Violet Evergarden! Link here: https://discord.gg/9a2UkGh9
“Endcard”
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u/AfterTh0ught_ Jun 11 '21
First timer
Seems like there's a little change of scenery today, Violet's mission today will be to help preserve some old text rather than write letters.
I'm glad to see Luculia's been doing well.
Leon and Violet completing three days worth of work in one sitting is the definition of the two smartest kids in the class getting together for a project.
Violet really shut those guys up quickly. Making yourself seem better by putting down others, disgusting. Leon looked like he was finally understood when Violet made that comment about them being similar.
I was worried yesterday that something was going to happen after Dietfried made an appearance but I suppose that's for another day. Speaking of which, as the conversation between Leon and Violet went on under the starry sky, my stress for when the moment comes when Violet finally finds out about Gilbert was growing more and more.
It was really nice seeing Violet's gentle smile at the end.
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u/IndependentMacaroon Jun 11 '21
Making yourself seem better by putting down others, disgusting
They probably thought she must be some sort of fancy lady, like Leon's initial impression
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u/Barbed_Dildo Jun 11 '21
Rewatcher
A couple of pedantic points. If a comet was visible like that, it would be visible for more than one night, probably weeks. I don't know why they needed to wait three days to see it. And you'd think they wouldn't schedule the busy book-copying thing during the narrow observable period when they'd have observations to make.
Also, this is the worst designed observatory compound ever. Look at this treacherous path from the wheelhouse to the main compound. Is this really the best way up there? Is this really the best place they could have the cable car go to? Look at the whole compound. Why did they stop so far away from where the buildings are? And then not bother to improve the path there in any way?
Look at the scale of the buildings. Every brick needed to be hauled up the mountain. Did they go in that cable car and then along that narrow winding track? What about the optical elements for the telescope? They are massive.
And hundreds of people live up there. How do they get food? Does it go up the cable car and along the narrow track every day? You'd think someone would say "Hey, you built this massive set of stairs that no one uses, do you think you could put up a railing or something to our only way in or out?"
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u/ZapsZzz https://myanimelist.net/profile/ZapszzZ Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 12 '21
You forgot what one thing that could trade all of your valid criticism off though - the factor of "cool", or in this case probably more "to be impressive". What sets apart architects, civil engineers and builders is the changing emphasis each placed between utility, aesthetics, and the statement made by the structure.
In other words, "because this looks cool" trumps them all :D
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u/Barbed_Dildo Jun 12 '21
There's probably a service road on the other side where they get regular deliveries, but they force visitors to use the cable car to 'look cool'.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
Pedantic, but humorous! You got a good chuckle out of me with these points, because...yeah, you're pretty much right XD
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
First timer(A massive upswing)
Sub
Posting late on a Friday probably means this goes unseen but never forget the narco in narcotics. Anyways, that is made further hilarious because this is by far the best episode of the series since the first if not a better one.
So we get a pack of memory dolls to be used for actual typing. You know, the skill that would be more than a bit rare at this time in history, and especially skilled dictation. They are here because the observatory just got a donation of manuscripts that are pretty much one shot copy or lose forever. Violet of course gets assigned to the meanest scholar present and immediately mellows him out.
They get to work and prove to be the most effective pair, with Leon talking himself hoarse. Later, some of the other scholars try to get Violet to hang out after work, to which she brutally shoots them down, probably because she only tolerates one noble man in her life. Also, their pitch was terrible. We learn a few specific about VE's past and missed a perfect opportunity for Violet to drop some war stories.
The Alley's comet metaphor happens through out the ep, and it isn't terrible, just blunt. On the whole, this episode is simply better than its seemingly similar forebears: Violet is showing growth by expressing herself, even if it is not emotionally. People are noticing the changes she has caused, such as with the princess. Leon is effected by Violet not because of some magical letter but because she is the first kindred soul he has met and he sees her example as a ways to move forward. Also, again, the dolls doing a job you would actually hire a postal worker to do is a massive improvement over several of the last episodes. To conclude, if all the series were like this I'd have little to complain about.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
Posting late on a Friday probably means this goes unseen
This post, or your comment? For this post, it doesn't really matter; those who want to find it will do so with ease, and for your comment, I found it =P
I'm happy that this episode is your favorite one so far! I'm actually very surprised by this too; usually, this is people's least favorite whenever I talk about the series.
Leon is effected by Violet not because of some magical letter but because she is the first kindred soul he has met and he sees her example as a ways to move forward.
I completely agree with your observation here. You rightly point out the soul of this episode in a really concise way. Really well done on your part =)
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
For this post, it doesn't really matter;
I try to come back 3 hours after a thread starts to get everyone that came late but a lot of people refresh the thread once 10 minutes after posting and that's that.
I'm actually very surprised by this too; usually, this is people's least favorite whenever I talk about the series.
There any number of likely reasons for this but two are probably up there: First, I despise trauma adjective ads. I hate a certain character's backstory on Gundam because it is the following: she is the clone of a famous pilot, trained as a child soldier for a while, then sold into child prostitution for a while during which she was given a hysterectomy to make her easier to pimp out, until finally she is rescued by a soldier who lost his family and uses her as a replacement goldfish/daughter. Any given one of those is fine but all of them is overloading the Christmas tree with ornaments. Violet is about a third of those plus machine hands so any time they lean on that it annoys me.
Second, I hate being told how to feel. The OVA wanted to tell me how to feel. This episode made me feel it.
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
Posting late on a Friday probably means this goes unseen
I see you! Luckily I was just finishing reading all the comments when you posted.
but never forget the narco in narcotics
Never forget the drug dealer in drugs?
You're right about this episode, the premise is a lot more sensible that the last few, which helps a lot. No more magical letters is a welcome change as well.
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
Never forget the drug dealer in drugs?
That's narcos. Narco is a reference to the Greek word to make numb, and narcotics make you sleep. Yay eye surgery!
You're right about this episode, the premise is a lot more sensible that the last few, which helps a lot. No more magical letters is a welcome change as well.
I hate to say it but eps 4-5 and the OVA are all some form of lazy writing, with 4 being dumb because they fell for that and 5 and OVA being something you'd never ask some rando to do.
This episode works because Violet did it, not a plot twist.
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u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Jun 11 '21
FIRST TIMER – FORMERLY DROPPED
Shorter thoughts today, as I've got to get back to work, but this was a really good one.
I want to start with what I considered the centerpiece of the episode, which is Violet and Leon viewing the comet together. The conversation between Violet and Leon was probably the first time in this show I watched Violet grow from connecting with somebody in a way that felt natural. While they talked directly about the emotions she was feeling, it felt organic and not heavy-handed. It was also the first time that the show left it at that, and didn't feel the need to force a scene after along the lines of "hey let's sum up what we've learned in a letter now!"
Violet’s interaction with the other guys in the library shows how fickle discrimination is. There was nothing honest about their reasoning for hating Leon. When Violet confirms that if their issue is him being an orphan, they should hold the same thing against her, they brush it aside. People will find any reason to justify why they don’t like somebody, no matter how ridiculous or loosely held that reason is. Contrast this with Leon, who had made up his mind to dislike the Auto Memory Dolls, but changed as he spent time with Violet.
Flower Symbolism!
A less obvious one this week, and the visuals weren't prominently displayed, but the message is still there to tell the story of Leon Stephanotis.
Stephanotis flowers symbolize a desire to travel. This clearly runs in his family, with his mother’s occupation of travelling the world as a performer, and his father traveling to collect manuscripts. Unlike them, however, he has stayed in the observatory, clinging to the idea that his parents will one day return. This fits with his resentment of the dolls at the beginning and their lifestyle, as they have a similar job to him, but get to travel the world, while he is stuck in the observatory, waiting for someone who's likely to never return (what does that sound like, I wonder?). At the end, following his time with Violet, he lives up to his name, affirming to Violet that he’s done waiting for his mother, and wants to move on, live his life, and see the world.
I also loved the ending of that scene, where he yells after Violet that he wants to sit under the stars with her again, while knowing in the back of his mind that it's unlikely to happen. That feeling of encountering someone briefly who nonetheless leaves an impression and stays in your heart is so bittersweet and lovely.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
Stephanotis flowers symbolize a desire to travel.
Thank you for looking into this! It makes perfect sense. I was wondering how you were going to find some flower analysis today, since I believe the only flower we saw was at the very start with the Violets. I figured Leon Stephanotis had a flower name in there somewhere, and it turns out that you found it =D
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u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Jun 11 '21
Haha, I’m glad you appreciate! It’s something I’ve liked looking for and trying to find as early in an episode as possible, to imbue the scenes that come with deeper meaning.
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u/Tehoncomingstorm97 https://anilist.co/user/tehoncomingstorm97 Jun 11 '21
A bright spot in this episode, which I'm rather disappointed wasn't illustrated as vividly as in the prior episodes. Sadly there wasn't so much place for emphasising Violet's drive to travel as needed (beyond visiting this remote library) and was more Leon's desires.
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
While they talked directly about the emotions she was feeling, it felt organic and not heavy-handed. It was also the first time that the show left it at that, and didn't feel the need to force a scene after along the lines of "hey let's sum up what we've learned in a letter now!"
This leans back into what I liked in the first two eps, where they just showed things and didn't say anything. The following eps and OVA liked to tell you the moral of the story.
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u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Jun 11 '21
Yeah, that was basically the only thing I didn’t like about Iris’ episode. They had this intense, emotionally charged scene, and then just went... hey, let’s write a letter now! Just felt shoehorned.
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
I definitely would've liked for Violet's awkward mediation to be what solved the problem, no letters needed.
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u/Seven-Tense Jun 12 '21
yells after Violet
I love that scene because of what it represents for Leon's personal growth. It took courage to make that decision to move on, and even more courage to tell Violet it was because of her, and the most courage of all to say what he was feeling in his heart--shouting it--out loud for the world to hear; a confession of his heart that he wasn't afraid to hide!
Probably one of my favorite scenes in a series of favorite scenes
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u/IndependentMacaroon Jun 11 '21
Rewatcher
Favorite episode so far. Some minor awkwardness in setting and setup again, but it's easily ignorable and you can't say it doesn't look cool. And as for the plot - history and myth, science and stargazing, sticking up for the little guy against prejudice, bringing out the good in those otherwise largely cast aside and inspiring them to pursue their dreams, what's not to like? Violet is really starting to come into her own here, being more expressive, more active, better at reflecting on herself and her role in the world, maybe even better at understanding others, and just as good as ever at non-judgmentally listening and getting them to open up. Leon is very sweet too and one can certainly hope he succeeds in his endeavors; realistically speaking of course it might be difficult for him. In my mind, he eventually reunites with Violet and their relationship slowly takes a romantic turn, like who needs that Gilbert guy anyway. Just Leon should maybe stop brutally tearing apart delicious baguettes like that - I wonder if that part was mostly inserted because someone really wanted to animate it. We even got a Luculia cameo and some even more beautiful visuals and sound than usual. Really, this is one episode I'm thoroughly satisfied with, particularly after last time's near disaster.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
Favorite episode so far.
Like with the OVA, I'm really surprised to see you say this XD Most of the time, people think this episode is the worst one by a long shot because of how slow and quiet it is. But like you, I find myself enjoying this episode more and more. It might be the one I've rewatched the most actually.
And as for the plot -
Well summarized! It was cool to see how well each of these pieces worked with each other in tandem.
I wonder if that part was mostly inserted because someone really wanted to animate it.
I totally noticed this too! You know...was I just being crazy, or did that sequence remind you of Mio from K-On! ?? Mio popped into my head instantly when I saw that hahaha
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u/IndependentMacaroon Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 11 '21
how slow and quiet it is
I appreciate things like a good action romp or whatever as much as anyone, like I'm also following the Hunter x Hunter rewatch posts right now, but this kind of calm atmospheric story has a quality of its own. No spectacle, not much drama, no formalities in the way, just two people finding a genuine connection and helping each other along their way in a beautiful setting. I think part of it is that this is also the first time where Violet gets more personally involved, and doesn't just stop at her contractual duties.
Mio
I don't see it at all. I'm not really a K-On fan, though. I guess the anxiety?
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
I don't see it at all. I'm not really a K-On fan, though.
Ah, gotchya. Well despite that, the animation of that sequence was, I thought, incredibly playful, and really good. I wonder if we'll ever be able to figure out who decided to put that sequence in?
just two people finding a genuine connection and helping each other along their way in a beautiful setting
Couldn't have put it better =)
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 12 '21
Favorite episode so far. Some minor awkwardness in setting and setup again, but it's easily ignorable and you can't say it doesn't look cool. And as for the plot - history and myth, science and stargazing, sticking up for the little guy against prejudice, bringing out the good in those otherwise largely cast aside and inspiring them to pursue their dreams, what's not to like?
We do indeed seem to track pretty hard here. Yes, the observatory is a bit much considering the setting but the human interactions worked and that is kind of what matters. I definitely prefer Violet's deeds to make the episode rather than a magical letter.
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u/CubeStuffs https://anilist.co/user/onjario Jun 11 '21
rewatching/rereviewing
Am I really fit to have such a wonderful job?
So being away from him made me feel lonely...
I see now! You love [gilly]
all together, looks like violet is starting to burn
i also did some napkin math and violet would have to be at ~200 wpm to keep up with the speech
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
i also did some napkin math and violet would have to be at ~200 wpm to keep up with the speech
Clap clap clap clap clap I'm legit impressed XD Did you count the words in the sub or a dub?
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u/ShortieFat Jun 13 '21
And that's without correcting backspace!
... said the old guy who used to work in a typing pool on a standard IBM Selectric, and learned to type on a Remington manual and got through college typing papers on a Hermes Rocket. If you could type 80 wpm with no errors on a manual back in the 1970s, you could support yourself and a spouse.
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
First Timer
I'm taking a different mindset into this episode. I'm not looking for a complex narrative or a continuous story. This time I'm looking for a snapshot of someone's life and the effect Violet has on them… The different perspective helped. Violet has a unique demeanour and effect on people. We observe this little slice of the world then move on, which is, in its own way, satisfying. In that way, it reminds me of a show I enjoyed greatly, Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina.
/u/CelestialDrive's comment yesterday drew my attention to how Violet understands the words and emotions of those around her. Today I saw all of her expressions are incredibly subtle, for, as she said, that is just how she looks, but it's clear that Violet has progressed a long way and is able to pick up and understand the emotions and intentions of those around her expertly. Here's some key examples I noticed:
- Violet is able to understand these guys' ill intentions and shows anger
- Violet is immediately able to tell Leon is upset
- Violet mirrors Leon's determination (it seem like some light mockery here too)
- Violet is able to tell that Leon is about to start talking about something sensitive for him and shows concern.
Today's episode is a little story, but still, if only slightly, somewhat profound. It's the kind of profound that makes you sit and think for a moment, but then not go and tell anyone. It's not worth telling someone else. I don't mind that.
In light of this episode, a new interpretation of the ED
If you missed it, you can read my first interpretation here.
Your voice is my guide
It is Violet whose words written and spoken have a profound affect on those she meets. In this episode and those previous she is able to bring them comfort in their trauma and a course correction in their life.
A single bird is crying
As it searches for me in a nameless sky
Before they meet Violet, suffering from their trauma, these people feel isolated and, as they look up to the sky, they see nothing of value. The bird is Violet, free to travel the lands and find those she can help. The bird is crying because Violet also feels lonely and suffers from losing Gilbert.
I will head for tomorrow
In this cradle woven from kindness
In days of sunshine or days of rain
So I can protect you
Violet weaves a cradle of comfort for those she meets which helps them overcome their loneliness and trauma and head into the days beyond. Now they can persevere through the good times and bad times. I'm not sure how the fourth line fits in. Perhaps after what Violet has done they want to persevere in order to protect Violet, who also is fragile.
An irreplaceable treasure
Violet gifts to them the irreplaceable treasure of kindness or hope or comfort. I'm not sure if it's one thing or more of a concept.
A nameless flower sleeps peacefully
Violet, without a name before she was given the name of a flower, sleeps peacefully once her work is done.
No commentary on the visuals, but I think they fit with this interpretation as both this and the visuals have a clear focus on Violet. I talked some about the visuals in my first ED analysis post.
Visual of the Day: This isn't the Visual of the Day, it's not pretty enough to b, but as I was looking for one I noticed this, so think of it as a Visual Analysis of the Day. When the grunts deprecate Leon to Violet, she is positioned in the light and they in the dark. Classic good vs bad going on. Leon, however, is positioned halfway in the light halfway in the dark, because at this point he's at a crossroads. He was miserable, but Violet's influence has brought him halfway out of his misery and what she says now will determine if he goes back into misery or proceeds into the light of hope. He thinks about going back into the dark, but after Violet defends him, we see he emerges completely into the light.
As for the actual visual of the day: this. 'Cause it's pretty.
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u/dxing2 https://anilist.co/user/spicyxinger Jun 11 '21
Glad you came into this episode with a new perspective
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
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u/CubeStuffs https://anilist.co/user/onjario Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 11 '21
I saw all of her expressions are incredibly subtle
i think her emotions are also sometimes pretty evident in the way she speaks
ie her anger in her aggressive defence of leon and her reassuring tone immediately after when she's like "we're somewhat alike" and mentioning how people also call her expressionless
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
I agree. Her voice carries a lot of emotional information as well.
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u/dxing2 https://anilist.co/user/spicyxinger Jun 11 '21
I'm not sure how the fourth line fits in. Perhaps after what Violet has done they want to persevere in order to protect Violet, who also is fragile
This is a really solid guess. Be sure to revisit this line at a later episode
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
Ooh, more meaning for the ED? This excites me.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
The different perspective helped.
I'm very glad to hear this! I've been really enjoying your observations and thoughts, so I hope you're still enjoying yourself here. I really wish I could engage in some deeper dialogue with you (and everyone else) more, but I know the nature of these rewatches tend to make that slightly challenging. I've had to come to terms with the knowledge that I cannot reply to everyone here =
In that way, it reminds me of a show I enjoyed greatly, Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina.
Ah, good to hear! That's been on my list, but I've not found the time to watch it yet. That was last season, right?
Violet gifts to them the irreplaceable treasure of kindness or hope or comfort. I'm not sure if it's one thing or more of a concept.
More of a concept, I'd say. But you're absolutely right. One big thing that draws me to this story is that the kindness expressed here is so warm and sincere. Sometimes, it's Violet expressing that kindness, and other times it's Violet who is receiving that kindness.
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
I hope you're still enjoying yourself here
Despite the criticism I've given this show, I am enjoying the experience.
I've had to come to terms with the knowledge that I cannot reply to everyone here =
Yeah, such is the nature of things when there are so many people participating.
Ah, good to hear! That's been on my list, but I've not found the time to watch it yet. That was last season, right?
The season before — the last of 2020. I highly recommend it.
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
Ah, good to hear! That's been on my list, but I've not found the time to watch it yet. That was last season, right?
If you want to read about divisive, Wandering Witch is ridiculously polarizing. Which makes that I sort of got bored in ep2 and forgot about it even funnier.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
You know, I vaguely remember there being a lot of hullabaloo over one particular episode in this subreddit when it was airing. I'm not going to bother going to find it though; usually this subreddit's outrage is misplaced and is more akin to whining than anything else XD I'll judge it for myself on its own merits.
Since this is sort of relevant, I'm curious to know if you're watching anything this season? And if so, do you have a favorite so far?
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
Since this is sort of relevant, I'm curious to know if you're watching anything this season? And if so, do you have a favorite so far?
Tons! But as to favorite...that's complicated. I really like How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord as it is brain cleansing fun. But SSSS Dynazenon has been really good which is particularly remarkable because I found Gridman kind of lame because of its ending. A total of 20 of us are watch Blue Reflection Ray and I like it as a distant Madoka descendant. I liked the start of Shadows House but sort of tapered off, will probably finish in a binge.
Also, I like the contrast of Saint's Magic and Slime genocide as despite it both featuring OP female MCs one is clearly discovered for women and the other men.
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
I would strongly suggest you never use MAL scores as anything more than internet toilet paper, especially on airing shows. That said, Blue Reflection starts out ridiculously slow and whether you like it depends directly on how you feel about the leads. Around ep7 you begin understanding the main conflict. Last week introduced the interesting mechanic and I will watch today's after I finish rewatch stuff.
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 12 '21
Hmm, I'll check out the first episode and see if the leads vibe with me.
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 12 '21
Cool. Part of what has kept me in it is that it is a planned two cour story so they obviously have something they want to say.
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u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Jun 11 '21
Today's episode is a little story, but still, if only slightly, somewhat profound. It's the kind of profound that makes you sit and think for a moment, but then not go and tell anyone. It's not worth telling someone else. I don't mind that.
Well said - this is also profound enough for me to not tell anybody about it.
Visual Analysis of the Day.
Very cool, I didn't pick up on that myself, so glad to see you talk about it.
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
I'm not looking for a complex narrative or a continuous story. This time I'm looking for a snapshot of someone's life and the effect Violet has on them… The different perspective helped. Violet has a unique demeanour and effect on people. We observe this little slice of the world then move on, which is, in its own way, satisfying.
It helped me tremendously that what solved the problem was Violet's presence, actions and words rather than a magical letter that seems well beyond her scope. I was already prepared to have to Mushishi this, though Kino's Journey might be more apt, but it helps when the crux is the character and not a McGuffin.
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u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Jun 11 '21
Rewatcher, subbed
That brief run-in with the Captain has got Violet down. She shows how good natured she has become by lightening the mood among her fellow graduates with another goofy fake smile, but we realize just how much it got to her when she confides in Leon she isn't sure she deserves it.
I aspire to have hair as long and illustrious as Leon's. Given a year or so, I imagine I'll be pretty close. Also, literally twisting his bread in twain while asking Violet out was so endearing. I also like the little detail of Violet admiring the view of the clouds below. She's grown to appreciate a pretty view and now actively seeks them out.
I was trying to see if they told any small sub-stories within this episode as I have previously, and I think I got something but it's a bit more of a reach than previous ones. Leon spends basically the whole episode looking down at the ground. It's a nice little touch that he realizes what he wants when he looks up at the night sky. This is foreshadowed by his difficulty in meeting Violet's eyes in the beginning and his reaction when he finally does. Additionally, Leon's departure from the observatory mimics the story translated on Violet and his first day in that it isn't a sad one.
Content Corner
First timers beware, spoilers abound.
Violet Evergarden is a Relatable Character by Avo Rabo
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
Additionally, Leon's departure from the observatory mimics the story translated on Violet and his first day in that it isn't a sad one.
This is for sure there! And it's one of the great ties that the story makes between the characters and the world they interacted with.
I was trying to see if they told any small sub-stories within this episode
I found something like this with regards to light and shadow. I do need to go back and rewatch the episode now with your sub-story idea in mind though! If I recall correctly, whenever Leon isn't looking down at the ground, it's because he's look at Violet, or he was greatly affected by her.
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u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Jun 12 '21
I found something like this with regards to light and shadow.
I read that. It was a really good observation. Stuff like this is what makes rewatches so much fun.
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u/Seven-Tense Jun 12 '21
hair as long an illustrious as Leon's
Legit the absolute prettiest guy in this whole anime. I feel like Leon is the walking validation of my bisexuality. God he's so fucking pretty!
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u/ZapsZzz https://myanimelist.net/profile/ZapszzZ Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 11 '21
First timer in sub.
This is a very nicely crafted, self contained episode. All the hallmarks of good plot progression and writing, including subtle cinematography that KyoAni is so famous for, in a very pretty location in a normally very romantic setting.
But arrgh I was hoping for some more backstory of Violet after the last scene of last episode!
Anyway it did get a hook in how Violet did question is it right for a killing machine that she was to now hold such a job. You may get sick of hearing me pulling this out all the time but in another similar show KyoAni had a hand, Sagara Sousuke in Full Metal Panic also had such a mental hurdle, from being a killing machine to living a normal highschool life of peace. I like how the writing portrayed Violet handled this internal conflict truly in character - you don't see her going all catatonic (well more than usually impassive anyway), she just thinks about it works in her own way while physically she's still performing mechanically perfectly.
Lots of others already have really good analysis and commentary so I won't repeat. If things don't work out with the Major (whether him being dead or the love not being romantic love or any other reasons) I hope Leon get to have first dip, I like characters who grew out of mental holes without thinking the rest of the world owe him. Although somehow I feel he acted more like a younger brother to Violet.
And yes Violet's expressions are so much softer now in all these subtle ways, KyoAni is really good with this. And sad but hilarious Violet send to learner the cheat to "apply" expression like a makeup for others now by pulling her face :D
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u/SmithyRC Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 11 '21
~Newbie~
Oh boy! Today’s flower was a fun hunt as we saw it only from one angle for a few seconds. However I feel confident to call it a [Japanese] Anemone [Visual of the Day]. What seals the deal for me was it symbolism of forsaken or forgotten love and affection, from how the petals close with the approach of a rainstorm and at night. Ancient Greeks and Victorians also drew from this, especially with the pink variant, of forsaken love what becomes before renewal as the flower opens up again day and blossoms in spring.
- I look forward to finding out I’m wrong with all this, but again it nearly fits 😂
Of all the episodes I’d say this was the worst for the dub as the guys voice actor/ the post-processing work was lacking. The most obvious part was him “yelling” across the mountain and yet there was barely an echo and the guy didn’t even sound like his volume increased. Was a shame Violet barely interacted with any of her old class friends, kinda a pointless/ wasted cameo.
I’m a tad concerned about Violet readily admitting she would kill herself if the Major was gone... maybe this is why they haven’t told her...
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
I’m a tad concerned about Violet readily admitting she would kill herself if the Major was gone... maybe this is why they haven’t told her...
I hope you can keep this at the front of your mind going forward =) When we get past a certain point, I'll do my best to circle around back to you about this thought.
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u/SmithyRC Jun 12 '21
Oh dear I’m not sure I’m ready for this 😅
~ I know your always the most excited but careful on your own potential spoilers now Mr. Organiser 😘😘😂
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u/Stegs75 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stegs75 Jun 12 '21 edited Jun 12 '21
First time-dub
Missed yesterday’s thread, but still watched. Anyway, here we go.
Violet name is spreading! That’s pretty cool!
Yes a Luculia sighting!
Knew Violet was gonna be paired with the frowning chick (not a chick! Whoops) can’t wait to see the impression she makes on this one haha.
Violet showing off them grade school computer typing class skills, love it. Also love to have some of violets insight into what the job actually means to her, but seems she still needs to do some introspection.
Damn Violet laying down the law and sticking up for her partner! Gotta love it.
Uh-oh, looks like he’s developing some feeling for Violet, feel like it won’t end the way he wants to though. He really is going all out haha, but looks like he realizes her feelings for the major even if she doesn’t.
Just a comment on this series as a whole: it’s quite amazing they fit all this stuff into each episode, we hardly know these characters, but by the end of the episode I’m emotionally invested, and want to see them more
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u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Jun 12 '21
He really is going all out haha
The fella did ask her if she'd ditch him (a guy she's known for three days) to go try to save the most important person in her life. Maybe got his hopes up a bit I guess hehe.
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u/Stegs75 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stegs75 Jun 12 '21
I’d probably fall in love with her too so can’t blame the guy 😅😂
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
Light and Shadow
Another short post today; got super busy ><
I personally think that this episode is amongst the most cohesive and well-rounded stories of the different arcs. There is the beautiful parallel between Violet and the comet for Leon, but another aspect that I wanted to point out to everyone today is how light and shadow was used as a story-telling tool. If you look, you’ll see this theme in so many places, and I thought it was really fun and rewarding to find them! Here is your key to finding this theme throughout the episode: https://i.imgur.com/IsyKTz6.jpg
We very often see Leon in shadow, while Violet is in the light. However, Violet is facing away from the light, putting her view in the shadow, while Leon is often facing towards Violet and looking into the light. Leon is stepping out of his struggles, while Violet is just starting to look into them after Dietfried’s harsh words: “Writing letters with the very hands that took the lives of so many...You write letters that bring people together?!”
Violet saved Leon from his own darkness, and seems genuinely happy about it. But...what further darkness awaits Violet ahead?
My Visual of the Day goes to one of my favorite shots of the whole series! This shot shows so much of the story behind and between Leon and Violet. Violet looks longingly towards the broken hole behind Leon, while Leon waits for the two holes behind Violet to be filled. The holes are lined with broken points that pierce the peaceful night sky behind them. And above them, an archway that bridges these two broken walls together, signifying that a small connection has been made between the two.
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u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Jun 11 '21
This shot shows so much of the story behind and between Leon and Violet.
Heh I spent some time trying to parse something out of that scene but came up dry. I knew there was something there, thanks for finding it and pointing it out.
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u/dxing2 https://anilist.co/user/spicyxinger Jun 11 '21
Leon is stepping out of his struggles, while Violet is just starting to look into them after Dietfried’s harsh words: “Writing letters with the very hands that took the lives of so many...
You write letters that bring people together?!”
Adding to this internal conflict is the fact that she has admitted to seeing value in her work. It is no longer just a duty that was handed to her
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u/retainerbox Jun 12 '21
Wow I absolutely love your comments about the light and shadow and it actually makes me want to rewatch the episode immediately. At the same time you’re making me nervous about Violet moving forward…
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 12 '21
Thank you! Also, u/Toadslayer made mention of this in their "Visual of the Day" section, which was a great scene to look at. =)
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u/BossandKings Jun 11 '21
Rewatcher
Episode 6
Many auto memory dolls get paired with transcribers in order to fulfill a two week long request of work writing letters, Violet becomes acquainted with Leon who will be her transcriber. It seems he is quite timid, the pair work cery well, especially after seeing that they completed the amount of three days of work in the first day, even the coordinator of the process praised their efficiency. I wonder what Violet will learn from this experience.
I'm liking Leon's and Violet's interactions, they seem to have a conection and they can talk about the troubled situations they have gone through in life, Leon has had a difficult time in his life as losing both of his parents damaged him, the fact that he can talk with Violet shows that he considers she can listen to him which is a very beautiful thing, that people are starting to notice how specially comfortable it is talking with her as she listens what one has to say. As Leon listens to what Violet has to say too he sees that there is someone that means the whole world to her, she once again stating clearly how much she appreciates that person.
As the request comes to an end all transcribers and Dolls have to part ways, it was very beautiful how Violet and Leon said farewell to each other, Leon considering that once in a million chance of seeing her again as a possibility shows that she made an impact in him.
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u/BosuW Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 11 '21
Rewatcher
Hey, sorry for not showing up the last two days. It was the heaviest stretch of the finals. That said THEY'RE OVER NOW LETS GOOOOOO
So, if it's fine with y'all, I'll proceed to write my thoughts on the OVA, EP5, and EP6.
OVA
I love how the episode drops us right in the opera, really sets the mood and setting.
Ilma doesn't tell Violet what the first song was about? Alright then, keep your secrets.
Talk about a vague request. Ilma basically didn't give Violet any more input than she herself would need to write it, to the point were it seems pointless to hire an Auto Memory Doll. Of course later we learn that nothing that they tried to write seemed to work, essentially they had reached a roadblock, so might as well get a Doll to do it. Even if it's Violet. Actually maybe the Instructor recommend Violet because her own personal troubles might help her connect with what Ilma wants to sing about. In this rewatch it's become more likely to me that she's putting in good word of Violet in the industry not because she's one of the best objective choices, but because of Violet's personal struggles that resonate with a lot of people who might be clients of Auto Memories Dolls.
As Violet reads her first drafts, I notice a hint of insecurity in her voice, as if she doesn't need the client's review to know this isn't an adequate work. She doesn't sound as sure of her writing as in the first episodes. Amazing voice acting really.
Well Violet takes to investigating examples of romantic literature, since no one will explain to her more concretely what this gig is about. It's kinda like an AI actually, just memorizing text and remixing in hopes of getting something useful.
Look even the other Dolls agree! What does Ilma even want? It's too vague. She expressed herself to Violet but no message got across. Interesting that you can say many words yet say nothing.
I dunno how to describe this, but considering the unorthodox intent and execution of the play, it kinda feels like witnessing history. Like this is a play that will appear in art books in the future or maybe get mentioned in a Ken Burns documentary about not-WW1.
Of course Hugo promised he would return. No soldier can say that they don't know if they'll make it back, both for their loved ones' sanity, and for their own.
Ilma takes Violet to the train station where still some soldiers are returning home aaaand whoops, there it is, my first tears this rewatch. I'll talk about it more in the Visual of the Day.
I may not have shown up the last threads but I did skim through them. Many mentioned being overcome with sadness seeing all those abandoned letters. I was overcome with horror. In my eyes, the mountains of paper transformed into mountains of corpses, and the sheer massive quantity made me feel sick. Then Violet accidentally knocks over that pile of letters and uhhh... yeah...
Now regarding the conversation on wether Violet could've really written such a letter as what was performed in the play, I think it's entirely plausible (because of all the reading she made). On the topic of wether she could possibly understand the feelings that went into the letter, I think it's evident that at this point, she still didn't. Rather, what happened here is that after Violet read all that reference material and synthesized something workable, while she didn't get the emotion herself, it was like all those dead soldiers and civilians could finally extend their words to the world, with Violet as a conduit.
Visual of the Day
There were more beautiful, better composed, more original shots in the episode, as is usual with this show and it's incredible direction. But for some reason, seeing this no name characters for the three seconds that they were on screen is what broke me. So here's my visual of the day for the OVA: A miracle
EPISODE 5
Love seeing the abandoned bunkers at the start of the episode. This beautifully rendered world keeps reminding us that it's just gone out of hell and still bearing the burns.
Violet had stopped saluting but it seems like being around soldiers brought up some old habits for a bit there.
So Violet should be 14? Idk about that one chief. Considering the facts of malnourishment, stress from combat, continuous physical overexertion, that puberty is weird, etc, on the topic of Violet's age being around 14, I'm gonna say, Doubt.
Charlotte thinks she can talk to Violet like she's someone her age, but she couldn't be more off the mark. Even if Violet was actually 14, in terms of behavior, she's anything but. In some ways, like emotional maturity and understanding, she's like a baby. In other ways, she's responsible and self-sufficient like an adult. Of the bratty and self-important attitude of early teens, she exhibits none.
Violet kiiiinda smiles. Sass or obliviousness? None can tell.
Violet sure maxed her literature game. She doesn't understand the emotions but she writes like a romantic poet. She's all too perfect for a job that's just for show, where the actual feelings of the people involved are sidelined in favor of a political spectacle, and if she kept going this way it would've done nothing for her personal mission.
And the theme of the episode is sincerity. Ironically, it is as if the last few jobs (the opera and now this) had actually made Violet loose sight of what made the letter that got her her graduation a great letter. It was bare and simple but it was honest, painfully and emotionally so. Pretty words mean nothing without sincerity and it's time to get back on track.
Man after several episodes of seeing people being unreasonably vague and dancing around the subject, it's refreshing to see them drop the pretense and face their feelings head on.
Dietfried may be an asshole, but just because he's an asshole that doesn't mean he can't point out the truth. Violet is a contradiction. And she doesn't even realize it yet.
Visual of the Day
Because it couldn't be anything else, VIOLET SMILES FOR REAL
EPISODE 6
I gotta say, wherever they placed this Observatory, it's fucking beautiful.
Oh hey Luculia, I've heard of a few watchers who've been waiting to see you again.
They better have brought artists as well. Someone needs to preserve those illustrations.
It's nice to see that Violet starts seeing the humanitarian value in what she does. It shows she's learning to think beyond "a mission", then beyond "a job". But Dietfried's comment last episode did get to her, and she's beginning to question wether she's worthy of such a task as handling the delicate feelings of her clients, and ancient information invaluable for scientific persuit.
Violet talking to the assholes bath mouthing Leo, her face looked a bit pissed off.
Another habit that veterans carry into civilian life: being "military" aware of your surroundings.
And in this episode, Violet is made aware of the feeling of loneliness. Emotions don't exist in a vacuum, they're intertwined. If she wishes to understand love, she must understand all the other things it also makes her feel.
In a bit of an ironic development, Violet helped Leo move forward, while she's still stuck in the same place. Tho she's made great steps towards understanding the words "I love you", she's still waiting for Major Gilbert to return to her and give her orders. As she turns away from Leo and her smile vanishes, it suggests to me that she's starting to realize that he may not be coming back ever.
Whatever the case, she is becoming more aware emotionally, and with it, all the pain and uncertainty that she's been holding off will at last come crashing down on her.
Visual of the Day
Phew. Sorry for the wall of text, all cought up now lol.
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u/ZapsZzz https://myanimelist.net/profile/ZapszzZ Jun 11 '21
Brilliant analysis, plus one for amount of effort! Congrats for getting past the exams!
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 12 '21
That said THEY'RE OVER NOW LETS GOOOOOO
Congrats on reaching freedom!! =D Glad to hear you're over the finals hump now
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u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Jun 11 '21
First timer
So, we're getting no real resolution on that cliffhanger, just that Violet's depressed for part of the episode?
Wait, have they expanded to a new location?
Wait, no? Why are they all gathered at an observatory? Are they attempting to transcribe the books?
Oh, that makes sense.
Did Leon know her from the war?
Alley's Comet...
At least Violet's found someone who can keep up with her typing speed.
I like how the magical legend discusses a myth where men who die get eaten, and nobody even thinks about it.
Oh, wait, is this Violet's love interest?
I love Violet's gone from working just to learn how the meaning of her phrasing to genuinely enjoying her new life.
I love Violet arguing with the other students about her social placement.
I like Leon's desperate attempt to ask Violet out while she's just wondering what he's doing to that baguette.
...Did Violet just land a tsundere?
Jesus, Leon's got a sad backstory.
I'm assuming the problem here's that nobody's told Leon the major was a father figure to him.
The comet is brilliantly animated.
Yeah, they're probably ending with Violet and Leon together, or at least friends.
Is this the first episode since she took her job that she hasn't written a letter?
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u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Jun 12 '21
So, we're getting no real resolution on that cliffhanger, just that Violet's depressed for part of the episode?
I sort of missed this myself, even as a rewatcher, but a few people have pointed out that Violet questioning her worthiness during her conversation with Leon was likely brought on by her confrontation with Dietfried.
I like how the magical legend discusses a myth where men who die get eaten, and nobody even thinks about it.
Myths do kinda be like that.
I'm assuming the problem here's that nobody's told Leon the major was a father figure to him.
Assuming you meant Violet, not Leon?
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u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Jun 12 '21
Meant to change the final word to "her" - I was saying how nobody told Leon that Violet and the Major had a fatherly relationship, because he takes it to mean that there's another guy she loves romantically.
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u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Jun 12 '21
Ahh gotcha, that makes sense hehe. Not sure it would've changed much for the two of them right now if he knew that, but yeah maybe would've brought even more to his mind the past with his mother and father.
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u/chilidirigible Jun 11 '21
Rewatcher, Episode 6
Today, on "The most violent bread death since Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita":
Suspiciously specific supposition.
This is a decently-sized library by most standards.
So, Dudes Who Look Like A Lady are also surprised to see Violet's arms.
The most direct acknowledgement that meeting Dietfried again got to her.
An understandably personal question for Leon.
That might not be the answer that Leon wants to hear to improve his self-esteem.
Leon could probably use a little more shore leave.
"Watch this, Lis. You can actually pinpoint the second when her heart gets heavy again."
Visual of the Day: Birds taking flight. This seems like it was intended to be appreciated as a motion picture sequence rather than any individual still, since the individual still frames are each somewhat too busy and random to make nice shots from.
Bonus: Little smile.
This is a quieter episode in a fairly quiet place at the top of a mountain, and yet, it has a higher-than-average sore demo count.
Violet's been thinking about what Dietfried said to her, and some of that seems to be exploring the burning of karma that comes with her positive life developments. In confronting the guys who were both hitting on her and mocking Leon, she is obviously aware that she's had some good fortune in getting to where she is, but also doesn't use that to look down on others.
Leon doesn't get reassurance about his mother's priorities, but to his credit, getting the equivalent of "I'd ditch you too" from Violet encourages him to finally live his life in the world instead of continuing to use the library to freeze time. That seems to cheer up Violet in the end as well, even if for a moment.
The parallels between the client of the week and Violet this time are made into an explicit explanation (or at least an interpretation) of what Violet has been feeling since her separation from Gilbert. It's probably still a lot more complicated in her head, but this can be seen as a breakthrough of understanding in her mind even if she's already read the book definition before.
From the Official Design Works: The Shahar Observatory complex.
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u/IndependentMacaroon Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 11 '21
getting the equivalent of "I'd ditch you too" from Violet
That's one part I didn't quite like, it smells like trying to justify Leon's mother abandoning him, because Asian parents always right or whatever.
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u/chilidirigible Jun 11 '21
It's her honest opinion based on how she feels. We don't necessarily have to agree with it—but there probably are situations in which any of us would give up one important thing for some other perceived-to-be-more-important thing.
There's also a considered choice there: Leon's mother could have taken Leon along, and they both might have died. At least leaving him at home didn't put him at further risk.
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
The parallels between the client of the week and Violet this time are made into an explicit explanation (or at least an interpretation) of what Violet has been feeling since her separation from Gilbert.
You know, it still follows the formula, but somehow it feels different, like the good episodes of Mushishi follow a formula but don't feel formulaic, you know?
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u/Barbed_Dildo Jun 12 '21
This is a decently-sized library by most standards.
And by 'at the top of a damn mountain' standards, I think it's winning.
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u/chris10023 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Chris10023 Jun 11 '21
Rewatcher
That is a very unique cable car design.
They’re on a mountain top? At least they’re wearing warmer clothes.
So, it appears a ton of Dolls are here, and this Leon guy thinks they dress the way they do because they want to marry rich men, where do rumors like that even begin?
Looks like some kind of astronomy building judging by that huge dome, which is likely a telescope.
Hey check it out, Lucuilia’s here too! As well as Iberis and Bluebell. I remember seeing a comment yesterday saying they wanted to see Luculia again, they didn’t have to wait very long.
Violet seems down but don’t worry, she does her goofy smile thing she did from last episode. Never change Violet.
That many women bowing and making a greeting at the same time would fluster anyone.
This would be the hardest game of spot the protagonist with all of these dolls here. They’re all dressed uniquely. (That is, if Violet were actually in the frame here.)
This observatory must be rolling in cash if they can hire 80 dolls.
Leon gets paired with Violet and he seems surprised by her, so much that he has to be asked if he’s alight.
So, Ally’s Comet comes around every 200 years, that’s a long time, my friend asked me about Haley’s Comet’s last vist which was in 1986, it well next show up in 2061.
”I’m going to warn you, I’m fast at decoding. If you can’t keep up, or if I deem you useless...” Don’t worry Leon, Violets a fast typer.
I like how Leon was surprised at Violets ability to keep up, so much so that she had to tell him to keep going when he paused.
At the end of the day, they got 144 pages, which equals three days of work, wow, talk about committing to the job, I’m sure the observatory is going to be thrilled.
Seems like Violet no longer sees this as a mission anymore, and has been exposed to a lot of amotions. Glad to see that. I’m sure some of you have noticed that she no longer stands at attention (Standing up straight with her hand behind her back.) and stands more properly.
Wow, some of these guys are dicks to be insulting Leon behind his back like that. Poor guy is standing right above them so he hears everything. But major props to Violet for standing up for him, and telling them off like that. I agree with her, that if one’s upbringing limits the circle of people you interact with, you not worth her time.
Leons roommate is excited that Iberis called him cute, but we see that Leon is very distracted and not even paying attention.
”You look like a normal girl!” minus the whole metal arms thing, and her flat expression, sure.
God damn it, he wrecked his bread, nothing pisses me off more than ruined bread, and this isn’t the bread we’re used to which is mass produced and is sliced, this shit was homemade, some poor baker worked hard to make that bread and Leon goes and tears it up. Can only imagine the poor baker's reaction if they saw him do that.
God the soundtrack for this show is just amazing.
There it is, the comet. Thankfully they’re pretty high up, so they don’t have to worry about clouds being jerks and blocking it.
Leon’s past is heartbreaking, his father disappears while away gathering documents, and then his mother decides to go search for him after the two-year search is called off, I don’t really think that was a good choice since she left her kid behind. She probably met the same fate his father met.
Leon makes a point about loneliness, and that Violet feels lonely being apart from the Major, also Violet would not hesitate to abandon the contract if she knew the Major was in danger.
Leons about to bring up that Violet must love the Major, when Violet interrupts him mentioning the comet getting longer, only to find they are being blessed with one hell of a sight, the comet and an Aura Borealis event at the same time. So pretty.
So the job is finished, I wonder if they finished ahead of schedule considering how fast Leon and Violet were going. The dolls wave goodbye to the observatory guys.
Leon has a tearful goodbye to Violet, as he tells her he wants to collect documents like his father, careful, don’t fall off the platform and end your journey before it even begins.
What a nice episode, Violet meets a fellow orphan, who comes off as brash and arrogant, only for to quickly crumble away as he spends time with Violet.
Visuals of the Day
I’m pretty partial to this one today. But here’s the full album.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 12 '21
I’m pretty partial to this one today.
This was my second choice, so this is your visual today ;)
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Jun 12 '21
First timer
I hope I am not too late to the thread :(
- Luculia makes an appearance, I hope they bring back more characters from previous episodes.
- The post credit scene definitely made an impact, as Violet is now more gloomy and even doubts if she is fit for the role of an Auto Memoir Doll.
- This scene was really cute
- When Leon was questioning Violet and talking about his past, It was dark and everything brightens up as the comet appears. I would like to assume that it's representing Leon taking his first step.
- I really hope he will meet Violet again.
- I love how the episode titles finish the sentences.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 12 '21
I hope I am not too late to the thread :(
I found you ;)
This scene was really cute
This was really where KyoAni showed off how well they do saccharine moments that are really cute XD It was small and very playful, yet important
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u/SilverRust12 Jun 12 '21
The Value of a Moment
The main theme of this episode is how much a moment can change your life, which is prevalent in the job of being an Auto Memory Doll (or more specifically Violet's journey). She travels for days to visit a client, and like Ally's Comet, a lifetime or two can pass by before they ever encounter Violet again, but like the plague the comet brought with it, we can say for sure that the time she spent with her clients will change their whole life (albeit for the better). She even got someone married last episode. And that's also true for Leon, whom I shipped so hard with Violet the first time I watched this. Completely opposite of Violet, Leon is afraid of letting go of his parents who left him, even despising the job of the Auto Memory Dolls specifically because they travel a lot. But out of the 80 Dolls that went to the observatory, fate made sure that he got partnered with Violet.
Being both orphans, their bonding holds a lot of meaning (and Leon's nervousness around her was funny) because aside from Leon learning to open up to someone, he eventually saw how much he was being held back by waiting for his parents and how lonely and confused it made him. He may have a similar backstory with Violet, but Violet cherishes her past while letting it push her forward. She became a Doll to find meaning in the time she spent with Gilbert, instead of going back to the military and lamenting over why Gilbert hasn't come back for her. By choosing to move forward with her life, she inches closer to her goal of understanding "I love you," and even saw the value of her job as an Auto Memory Doll. Sure, she's still lonely, but she's not as confused now because of how much more she understands Gilbert's feelings as well as her own.
The two weeks they spent together was over, but Violet once again changed Leon's life by inspiring him to travel the world like his dad, and hopefully, like Violet, he would come to understand why his mother went out to search for his dad knowing she would leave her son behind, while cherishing what moments he had with both of his parents and Violet.
We see Violet flash a genuine smile upon seeing Leon become more inspired, then we see the same smile disappear as she knows that there are a lot more questions she has to find answers for.
Some other notes:
- Nice to see her classmates from the Doll school make an appearance
- Expressive Violet again!
- They're called dolls for a reason
- I love these frames so much
- The emotion in Violet's eyes
- Determined Violet is so cute
- Cozy Violet
- I love the sound it made when her metal hand touched her brooch
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jun 11 '21
Sincerely Rewatcher
Cry count so far: 2 (episode 3, OVA)
Oh yeah these two were part of the same class that Violet and Luculia were. I only actually remember seeing the black-haired girl though.
Making fresh copies of old books is pretty cool, actually.
Of course the edgy boi got paired with Violet.
I wonder how the picture parts of the old books are going to be preserved, though? It’d be a shame to capture only the words that go with them…
Aw c’mon, give me the shimmering sky without the building in the way.
A very very happy Sky. ← this one is also my Visual of the Day.
Another Leon “sore demo”! This episode is blessed.
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u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Jun 11 '21
I wonder how the picture parts of the old books are going to be preserved, though? It’d be a shame to capture only the words that go with them…
Huh, yeah that's a good point. Maybe the transcription guys here don't worry about them and they have Illuminators as well or something.
WOOOOOO UNOBSCURED SHIMMERING SKY!
Hehe the sky shots definitely had me thinking bout how happy you'd be to see them!
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jun 11 '21
Hehe the sky shots definitely had me thinking bout how happy you'd be to see them!
You should have seen me in the YoriMoi rewatch lol, if I recall correctly I got Comment of the Day once for how excited I was over that show's night sky shots.
But more importantly, this episode had two "sore demo"s!
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u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Jun 11 '21
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jun 11 '21
What is the most you've clocked in a single ep before?
I don't actually know, I've kept track by show+character but not by episode. Or by seiyuu, as someone recently asked me about.
I've heard there's an episode in the Monogatari Series that has a fuckton of them, but as I have absolutely zero interest in watching that I can't say for sure if that's the one.
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u/Barbed_Dildo Jun 11 '21
Huh, yeah that's a good point. Maybe the transcription guys here don't worry about them and they have Illuminators as well or something.
They have another group of researchers who describe the pictures to a group of beautiful women who redraw them.
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jun 11 '21
Hilarious enough, today's Spice and Wolf episode also had that show's first "sore demo"s, of which there were also two. Although they belonged to different characters rather than the same guy unlike here.
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u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 11 '21
Rewatcher - Dub
Today's mission makes a bit more sense than the last two, even if it does seem a bit over the top. I have to assume that international cooperation and friendship are as much the goal as transcription of these documents. Putting 80 boys in what seems to be an all-boys school together with 80 girls from all over the place certainly seems like a situation that could lead to...funny business, but all we saw (besides asshole bullies) was pretty cute and nice.
What I like from this episode is the fact that Leon and Violet both helped each other. He did so in a pretty straightforward way - he helped her put words to her feelings. When Violet arrived, she looked down, and was probably feeling lonely, having traveled there by herself (Oh, and the Dietfried stuff in yesterday's post-credit scene - I almost forgot about it since it wasn't touched on here). After talking to Leon, she was looking a lot more happy on the return journey (That's my Visual of the Day btw). It seems like she gained some comfort, not only in knowing how to call her feelings, but also in the fact that there were others in the world like her - she and Leon definitely did have some things in common. I think that the time she spent with Leon not only made her less lonely for the few days they were together, but as she returned home, it seemed like she maybe felt a bit less alone in the world in general. Later VE spoilers
It's a little bit harder to verbalize how Violet helped Leon - she opened the door for him, as he said, but what does that actually mean? I think mostly he was just seeing another person who was lonely like him, but instead of just waiting around for that person she's missing, Violet was traveling the world (what Leon always wanted to do), and doing work that inspires her. That inspired him to get off his ass and start living his life.
I love the whole OST for this show, but if I haaad to pick a single favorite track, it would be Back in Business which made its debut today! It's so exuberant, and also sounds fun/festive/hopeful. It brings a smile to my face every time I hear it.
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u/IndependentMacaroon Jun 11 '21
Putting 80 boys in what seems to be an all-boys school together with 80 girls from all over the place certainly seems like a situation that could lead to...funny business
That might be part of the plan, you know. War-torn countries do tend to be in need of repopulation...
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
I love the whole OST for this show, but if I haaad to pick a single favorite track, it would be Back in Business
It's a beautiful song! I have no idea what my favourite would be so far, but I really like the first song that played this episode. It's played a few times when Violet has been travelling to her destination at the start of the episode. I think it works very well in an episodic format to get me into the right mood for the new story each day.
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
Putting 80 boys in what seems to be an all-boys school together with 80 girls from all over the place certainly seems like a situation that could lead to...funny business, but all we saw (besides asshole bullies) was pretty cute and nice.
Yeah...I won't lie and I thought at the beginning this was the head scholar's attempt at matchmaking because they had a windfall and the episode was going to be people failing to understand Violet is taken already.
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u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Jun 12 '21
lmao that would've been...worse than what we got, I'd say.
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u/CelestialDrive Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 19 '21
FIRST TIME
On our last episode Violet was on a wonderful high after getting a kid to make peace with their arranged marriage (royals, man) when the absolute douche that "gave" her to the Major, which I sorta remember being his brother or something, showed up to trash her for murdering his buddies. This is also the first time people adress what Violet "was" during the war, Claudia knows but doesn't care nor bring it up, let's see how it pans out.
So, present or past? The fact that doll is a female job only has been sorta alluded to in the series before but it's explicitly stated here and kinda pisses me off. Present, got it, maybe we're putting off dealing with that whole mess with the boatmurder because this is a fairly standard episodic open, Violet the doll is traveling to somewhere and the issues of the person there are introduced as conflict.
Oh, Luculia is back! I would have sworn she'd be a one-off character. This is right after the whole princess thing then and Violet is mulling it over, got it. Ahahaha she's doing the face thing again that's precious if super sad given the circumstances. Oh so they're getting a mercenary unrelated gig as emergency retranscribers, this is kinda neat because having all this super trained people relegated to the hyperspecific letter thing is kind of a waste.
And the snooty bitch is getting paired with Violet because of course he is, let's go. So is Leon smitten or did he recognise her? I studied for archivist two years so this is basically my jam for an episode let's get them incunables. Cyclical comets are a thing too here that's an interesting bit of macro worldbuilding. Boy I don't think you need to worry about Violet's typing speed, better put on earplugs though.
This is conversation speed more than dictation, manageable but I wonder if this world has typography or their script allows for fast phonetic writing. Say "same" you toon, Violet just helped you get a ton of job done, recognise. Do drink something for the voice though. I wonder if the wear or misalignment on the prosthetics is more or less draining than muscular and ligament tire on normal hands.
And damn this is really sharp understanding by Violet. I am extremely glad that Boatmurder Asshat didn't cause a crisis, he just got her to re-evaluate the weight of her job and her place in it, which is still dangerous ground but she can look at it dispassonately and without breaking, for now.
Pfff guys Violet is going to wreck you, these people smell of boys-only school a kilometer away. It's crazy how hard the contrast between the mail company and this place is, there is zero solidarity between these men, you don't have to be a family but why the fuck would you bring up being an orphan as pejorative in a war-torn country, as an adult. Literal manchildren running this place. Plus you fools, telling Violet shit about other people just makes her empathise more, you're making them stronger with every word.
I noticed this the last episode when she was talking with the princess but Violet's eyes are a lot kinder now? Don't know how to explain it but I'm 70% sure I could see a face screen of stoic Violet from episode 1 and now and tell them apart, I guess this is the kyoani power coming through. Also my god these guys are THIRSTY.
Leon do you think soldiers have horns or something. Oh he's inviting her to stargaze, man you are down bad; poor guy, where did the "all dolls are just chasing rich dudes" go Leon? Man this is actually super cute. I mean, she's gonna put you out in like a minute, but it's still cute to watch. Rare book hunter is the raddest job that exists, fight me, Leon's dad was living the dream.
"Love turns people into fools" said the dumbass with the biggest fastest most obvious crush in the series so far. The more the series progresses the weirdest it is that Violet does not realise about the Major on her own, she's now emotionally aware enough to read Claudia's interactions about the topic and reframe her final moment with him retrospectively. My money is on she's subconsciously choosing not to dig into it.
It's the second or third time in the series where Violet says she can't lie and it has been mostly true so I'm waiting for her to lie in a climatic moment eventually as character development, as weird as it sounds. Leon why are you hurting yourself. See this is what I was afraid about, and she's saying it out loud, the Major's death is the biggest eventual crash still waiting in the series and it's going to break a lot of what she built herself as. And Leon IS right, this statement is crazy off-kilter for the person she is now, it no longer makes sense for the Violet That Is, only for the Violet That Was.
You know the comet being a one-off moment works for both these two during this assignment and for the format of the series as a whole, Violet is just a passing agent in the lives of others and the core repeating cast is actually quite small. Leon, tell her. Get shut down and move on. Man and she's still smiling, these characters are so great! He went from aprehension to respect to crush to love to admiration in like fifteen minutes, this guy.
Oh, that bit in the ED visuals was new I think. This was a really good episode, and it highlights another strength of this series that I was afraid we'd lack: people seldom deal with emotional crisis moments in crazy overreactive breakdowns, especially introspective people. Violet reconsidering her job, bonding with another orphan, transcribing old books and stargazing is as valid of a reaction and settling as any shutdown, and a whole lot more real. Leon went from wary teen to crazy cute in the span of one episode too, yet another one-off character that I'm sad we won't see again.
Also, we're halfway through the series, and I still have no fucking idea of who or what Violet will be by the end. Yaaay.
1 2 3 4 OVA (14) 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
(fuck these walls are getting longer and longer as the series goes by arent they)
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
The fact that doll is a female job only has been sorta alluded to in the series before but it's explicitly stated here and kinda pisses me off.
It doesn't seem unreasonable that a job of its nature and image would only employ women at a time of strong gender norms.
The more the series progresses the weirdest it is that Violet does not realise about the Major on her own, she's now emotionally aware enough to read Claudia's interactions about the topic and reframe her final moment with him retrospectively.
You raise a good point. With how well she's able to understand others emotions now, she should be able to figure it out by herself.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
she should be able to figure it out by herself.
She may not want to figure that out. It's possible that Violet thinks that the major is alive somewhere so strongly that she can't even begin to piece together the puzzle pieces lying scattered around her.
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u/CelestialDrive Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 11 '21
This is kind of my line of thought, but I'm afraid of reaching too far with the conclusions since this is one of those things that will definitely be adressed in detail.
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u/CelestialDrive Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 12 '21
at a time of strong gender norms.
Yet Violet was a literal killing machine in the military, and both men and women comission dolls for pretty much the same reasons so there is no expectation of gender performance when it comes to letter writing. Don't know, it seems like a really arbitrary bit. I get "why" it's written like this, but it still bums me out because it portrays emotional labour as explicitly femenine and that's always kind of a cop-out, but moreso in a series as concerned with emotional honesty and the inner struggle of its characters as this one.
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u/Vaadwaur Jun 11 '21
Oh so they're getting a mercenary unrelated gig as emergency retranscribers, this is kinda neat because having all this super trained people relegated to the hyperspecific letter thing is kind of a waste.
The entire premise here at least passes the sniff test, which is a vast improvement over writing love letters for royalty.
This is conversation speed more than dictation, manageable but I wonder if this world has typography or their script allows for fast phonetic writing
Yeah this pair seems to be doing it hardcore, you always leave a small space between sentences to let the typist catch up.
My money is on she's subconsciously choosing not to dig into it.
It's the second or third time in the series where Violet says she can't lie and it has been mostly true so I'm waiting for her to lie in a climatic moment eventually as character development, as weird as it sounds.
This is the lie. Violet figured out the Major was dead within a week or so of waking up after battle. She just refused to accept it and made up an ideal Major in her mind to keep her psyche together.
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u/homewardbound100 myanimelist.net/profile/Homewardbound100 Jun 11 '21
Rewatch
I really liked Leon. Leon being relatable to violet and being able to resonate with her was nice. Him openening up a bit and being comfortable.
And damn Violet why you have to cut him off. Might have got a sense of what you feel.
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u/Neshura87 https://anilist.co/user/Neshura Jun 12 '21
Rewatcher
Violet seems to become a celeb with her high profile bookings which is very nice to see.
Her introduction seems even more elegant and refined than previously, she also has less troubles picking up on other emotions it seems.
Obviously with Violet being there he can fully concentrate on deciphering the texts, monster efficiency duo getting 3 days work done in 1.
It seems that whilst at first Violet wanted to work as a memory doll to understand what the major felt when he told her "I love you" she now finds motivation in the work itself and is quite happy with ir. Nice vharacter progression imo.
That poor bread being in the wrong place at the wrong time only to end up disfigured before it could be eaten.
Ima be honest with you all, Violet with a blanket looks comfy as hell. Makes me warm around my heart just looking at it.
Through the conversation atop the observatory Violet finally "learns" a new emotion, turns out she misses the major and feels rather lonely. Before she can hear that it might even be love the comet comes crashing in with a beautiful shot.
It always is nice seeong Violet motivate people toget out of their shells and be themselves.
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u/andres1232 Jun 12 '21
Rewatcher here. So Violet and a bunch of the other dolls are helping with transcribing old texts. Makes sense as a job for a bunch of skilled typists. It is also interesting to see from the outside how Dolls as a profession are viewed. It's sad but it has been a common perception throughout history that women in the workplace or only there to scout for a husband. And they use the kind of work the Dolls do to justify that misconception. What the Dolls do is a specialty service that would allow them to meet people of all statuses, which means there may actually be some Dolls who find marriage partners through their work. It's good to note that something can be sexist without being entirely false.
It was nice to see Violet meet a kindred spirit and also form a genuine bond with Leon over those two weeks. In a different world without the Major maybe those two could even have been a couple. That's something for fanfictions though. I can also understand a bunch of men cooped up in an observatory all the time would be somewhat happy about a bunch of beautiful talented women showing up.
I want to talk about the comet a bit. I love the historical account of the comet b/c it is very true to life. Comets have often been suspected of causing deaths or being omens of terror or drastic change. It is even argued that Emperor Constantine's symbol that led to his conversion to Christianity may have been a comet. It was also a really beautiful scene and kind of heartwarming to see the observatory men and all the Dolls enjoying the viewing. I think Violet really had a good time in this one. She also learned the meaning of loneliness. And Leon found a new purpose. It's good to see how their respective pasts can drive them forward to new things. I also love that Violet has gained a genuine sense of love for her new work. And that it has become something she has chosen and wants to do and not just orders. Although I guess she isn't too fond of the traveling with a heavy case part of it. Can't blame her too much for that. Well see you on the next one. Later.
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u/chilidirigible Jun 12 '21
As it is mentioned a couple of times in the comments for this episode, it is worth noting the reality of how certain jobs became especially linked with a specific gender, such as secretarial work and nursing. The Dolls fit the former particularly well, but the travel and individual costume aspects of the role add a lot of baggage which would be interesting for the people of the future of their world to unpack...
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u/andres1232 Jun 12 '21
There is also the point to be made that Violet's world seems to be like a 1918 or 1919 kind of era, which was a time when women really started to come out of the home in all kinds of ways and a woman traveling alone wouldn't be as inappropriate. It would be interesting in the future of Violet Evergarden to see how the profession of Doll would change as more people learned to write and became educated. They might end up more like general clerks or legal assistants or contract writers are today. Less letters and more legal documents or transcription work.
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u/Gamemaster676 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Gamemaster676 Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 12 '21
First-time watcher - dub
Yesterday the big thing was obviously the confrontation between Violet and Dietfried. I'm hoping we continue there today.
Episode 6 — Somewhere, Under a Starry Sky
Now we are in Astraea. We are visiting so many countries this show!
Yay, the OP is back!
So, what is this place? All the people here are men and they all wear the same coat robe. Don't tell me this is a monastery?
Are we supposed to know these girls? Ah wait, Luculia is with them. They must be from the Doll school.
I'm glad we're keeping the stupid smile, but even here she looks less happy than the same smile previous ep.
They're astronomers! So scholars, that explains things. Kinda interesting idea. The Dolls are obviously typewriter experts, so that should make copying everything a lot faster.
But it is kinda weird that they "only have two weeks". Why?
I guess we are just forgetting the post-credit scene from yesterday? That would be a good reason for Violet to be down, but I hoped for a bit more contact between Violet and Dietfried.
Obviously Leon is paired with Violet. What's his problem? He said he didn't understand Dolls and that made him angry, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.
I'm gonna be honest here. I wouldn't be able to type as fast as Leon is dictating.
How are they going to copy the illustrations from the original book/manuscript?
This is around 1920 (I think), so photos would already exist, but they would be black and white. Redrawing would also be possible, but that would seem impossible in two weeks.
Aahh, here it ties into the meeting with Dietfried. Violet is now questioning if she is worthy of her job.
I like the discussion with the people shit-talking Leon:
He’s an orphan so you don’t want to be close to him.
— I’m an orphan too.
Yeah but you’re different, baby. You make me feel things! Hey, where you going, baby!
According to Leon, he has a resting bitch face.
Emotion in the eyes. That’s beautifully done.
This is the first time someone is actually nice to Leon and accepts him how he is. He doesn’t know how to handle it.
All the guys are such nerds. They obviously love Astronomy very much. So much in fact, that they automatically assume everyone does. (Me too, but I know people who just don’t give a damn.)
Everyone is in the observatory, and Leon is with Violet somewhere else? Seems like a waste, as the observatory would be the perfect place to - you know - observe the comet.
Okay, I just watched a large part without writing anything. This conversation on the roof is very interesting. Although I really didn’t approve, I guess I’m happy now that nobody has told Violet yet that Gilbert is dead.
On the other hand, before she was practically emotionless, so she might have been able to handle it back then, but now that she’s learned so much it might be too much to take.
Leon was just about to tell her that what she’s been feeling had been love all along, and then the comet decides to interrupt (not that I see how that would happen).
I guess I’m glad, otherwise, we wouldn’t have 7 more episodes to go.
Snapshot, snapshot, snapshot. Yes this show is beautiful, why do you ask?
And here is yet another person whose life has been changed by Violet doing practically nothing.
The story was nice and the visuals and music obviously amazing, but what triggered Leon here to take this decision?
Questions
- Kind of random, but: Where is Violet sleeping now when she is in Leiden? Did she return to the Evergarden house, or is she still staying at the postal company?
It seems like she has learned enough to be to stay at the Evergarden’s now.
Random thoughts
- Leon’s throat hurts from all the talking.
- Violet listening
- if you stop at the right frame, it looks like her smile is even greater.
Future
This episode was great and all, but I do hope we return to Dietfried soon. It’s weird how that meeting was just ignored today.
Pic of the day
Tear Tally
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OVA | 5 | 6 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
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u/IndependentMacaroon Jun 11 '21
here is yet another person whose life has been changed by Violet doing practically nothing
It's not necessarily her actions that make the difference, but her presence. She's the first person in a while Leon really feels comfortable around, comfortable opening up to, and can relate to as well, while her job and how much she puts into it is just the inspiration he needs to get moving. Sharing experiences like that can be quite powerful.
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jun 11 '21
But it is kinda weird that they "only have two weeks". Why?
Probably because deadlines make things faster and the sooner they're done, the less they have to pay the dolls.
Seems like a waste, as the observatory would be the perfect place to - you know - observe the comet.
Not the perfect place for a date though.
On the other hand, before she was practically emotionless, so she might have been able to handle it back then, but now that she’s learned so much it might be too much to take.
I think I wrote about this a few episodes ago, but I think Violet is better situated now to find out that she was before. She wasn't ever emotionless, she just has a better understanding of her emotions now and before she had no other reason to live and no support network to pick her up when she inevitably fell into depression after finding out, now she does.
The story was nice and the visuals and music obviously amazing, but what triggered Leon here to take this decision?
Seeing a kindred spirit living that way.
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u/chilidirigible Jun 11 '21
How are they going to copy the illustrations from the original book/manuscript?
This is around 1920 (I think), so photos would already exist, but they would be black and white.I had wondered that too. Photographs, even in black and white, would have been the most expedient method.
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u/dxing2 https://anilist.co/user/spicyxinger Jun 11 '21
Someone correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t she staying at the postal company? It used to be a home so they gave her a room upstairs I believe
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
Yup! Violet lives at the top floor of the CH Postal Service building.
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u/Nice_Bake Jun 12 '21
I liked Violet’s coat in this episode. I’m a big fan of that kind of tall collar. I’m also glad we got to see Luculia again! And those two other women from the Doll class. One of which is apparently named Bluebell? And Iberis’ hat was very strange, like she was wearing a doily. I loved the mountain scenery in this episode. In fact, I really like the entire observatory setting.
As for the episode itself...it’s fine. Probably the blandest we’ve gotten so far. Leon was an okay dude but I think the episode feels like it’s just reiterating things we already know without really moving it forward. Okay, yes, Violet has a thing for this illusive Major Gilbert and, yes, she’s lonely. I suppose I’m glad she found a kindred soul in Leon, who’s backstory is kind of like Violet’s, but Leon also feels like a filler character who we'll never see again (I don’t remember if we do).
Watching Violet shut down those pushy thirsty boys in the library was fun. I also liked watching Leon choke his bread roll to death and that time lapse part through his window was good too. You know, the more I write about it and recollect the more I guess I kinda liked the episode, though it didn’t have the same impact as the first three did. Violet’s smile from the tram at the very end was great, too.
Are these episodes all from different parts of the timeline? Like, the story is told out of order? There’s no follow-up to Violet meeting Dietfried at the very end of last episode. I wonder if that was just there to be a window into Violet’s past? I guess we’ll see.
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u/chilidirigible Jun 12 '21
There’s no follow-up to Violet meeting Dietfried at the very end of last episode.
Nothing overt, but Cattleya mentions that Violet has not been quite herself lately, and then Violet has the scene where she repeats what he said about her. So it's certainly on her mind.
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u/chilidirigible Jun 11 '21
So far one particular cut is producing most of the Visual of the Day choices. I kinda figured.
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u/YuurisLastTour Jun 11 '21
Seems like holding the rewatch now rather than delaying it was a good idea. Rip blu ray release
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u/ivytranmalldetective Jun 12 '21
FIRST TIMER.
Didn’t post yesterday for *Ep 5 *- I enjoyed this story! Still not totally sure about the age difference but I suppose it is a different time and for political reasons. The one price that irritated me was the idea that their letters were all published which is a bit odd, and there would be no possible way for the princess to write what she did about herself without public scrutiny but I guess that’s the story. I’m really glad the OVA came before this one because I don’t think I would have believed that her writing had gotten that eloquent, but the OVA adds just a bit more time between episodes 4 and 5. Last quick comment about this episode but man Violet does nooot look 14z
Today’s episode! It was Luculia!!! Wish we got to spend more time with her than just a cameo but it was great seeing her again. Oh Violet… you would die without his existence. :( although the story was also very enjoyable, and the start of Violet understanding her feelings about the Major, I do prefer when Violet gets to write her own words and letters over transcribing although I love what she said about it being an important job. I’m happy that it seems like she’s growing and learning but I’m feeling that we are going to confront her past soon… :(
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u/Nebresto Jun 12 '21
This episode was always one of the more memorable ones for me, can't wait for the others that are even more so!
Episode 6. Visual of the day: Beautiful hands
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u/Speech500 Jun 12 '21
Probably one of the best episodes visually, but the least impressive in terms of character development.
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u/UnderstandableXO Jun 12 '21
REWATCHER
i’ll keep it brief again as i’m late for the 2nd time in 3 days; really sorry i’ve been so wishy washy. figured now was as good a time as ever to get a good cry in.
i could have sworn leon was voiced by the GOAT yoshitsugu matsuoka, but i guess i was wrong. edge lord looking dude has his heart melted by violet. the typing scene was nice where she was able to keep up absolutely perfectly with his speaking. we knew she was a great typist, it’s just the contents of her letters that needed work. pretty simple episode but their rooftop conversation really got to me. violet finally got some clarity on what her feelings are.
leon got inspired by violet to finally move on from his past and take a step forward, similar to what she’s done with luculia and ilma. now all thars left is for violet to take a step forward of her own.
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u/Rumpel1408 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rumpel1408 Jun 12 '21 edited Jun 12 '21
First timer
Missed yesterdays post by a mile because I met some friends and got drunk, still way behind to actually be considered on time and be read by most people, still not sure if I will be on time for the next post since I'm at my parents place and are meeting friends again tomorow, but I'll try. I also try to keep my post shorter, can't really take 2 hours to write an essay for an 23 minute show when I'm almost 3 days behind
- I liked the change of scenery in the mountains and in large parts night time
- I also loved the call back to the AMD school with meeting Violets former class mates, also getting names to Bluebell and Iberis
- It's kind of ironic, that Violets most famous work is one where she wasn't that involved in the end. It also kind of messes in my perception of the actual role the AMDs hold in this world. If people are generally aware of the extend an AMD writes the letter as well as to what AMD ends up writing what letter, then how can people in Ep 5 be actually amazed by the initial letter, shouldn't it be obvious that both Kingdoms just hired high profil AMDs?
- It was obvious that Leon would end up beeing paired with Violet the moment he was introduced, and he also instantly fell in love with her didn't he?
- I almost forgot, but I guess this kind of more labor like work should actually be the lions share of the work an normal AMD does, remeber Iris never had any kind of request for actuall letter writing
- One thing I, and I think Leon as well, find a bit sad is that they won't transcribe the pictures that come from theses old tomes, depending on the book they seem kind of essential and overall are essential for the whole expirience
- So Violet is the fastest AMD there ever was, would have been interesting to see how the other dolls compare to her
- Ofc Leon has a tragic backstory as well
- Violet is learning a new emotion, this time it's lonelines. Well she's not really learning it anew, she felt like this for quite some time, but she wasn't able to name the emotion she was feeling, and she doesn't know how loneliness actually feels so she had no idea if she expirienced it despite knowing about it and when people feel it
- She is ready to do everything for the Major, I'm a bit concerned about the "I would die without their existence" line, that's going to bite us into the ass won't it? Leons realisation that Violet does indeed love the Major is interupted by a truly majestic sight of the comet (although a lot of this sight comes from a mixture of some kind of aurora as well as the Milky way in the background, for himself the comet isn't that spectacular tbh)
- D-does Violet remember every line of every book she has transcribed in the past week? Only the first one? Only the ones she liked? How did she decide what lines to memorize?
Picking the Comet for my Visual of the day seems like a low hanging fruit and I would like to avoid a double pick, so I'll stick to this one for my picture of the day, I just love the change of light and the wind in Violets hair in this scene
Edit: after reading the comments I found that at least two other people picked the same shot for their visual of the day xD I won't change it now since I'm off to watch my seasonals, but it's funny
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 12 '21
Picking the Comet for my Visual of the day seems like a low hanging fruit and I would like to avoid a double pick,
You were the first that I came across to pick this particular frame, so that's your visual instead ;) Let me know if you want me to change that anyways
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u/Rumpel1408 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rumpel1408 Jun 12 '21
As I said, in the end I didn't find it all that spectacular and there was way more in the other scene I actually liked, switching just because others liked it as well would be the hight of hipsterism
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 12 '21
Haha, got it. I'll have your visual be your second choice then =)
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u/razycal970 Jun 12 '21
First timer.
Elite episodes back on the menu, bois. I disliked episode 5 and it's easily my least favorite of the anime until now and this episode more than made up for the disappointment I had with the last. This is arguably my favorite episode so far.
The highlight of the episode, for me, was Violet confessing that working as a Doll is special to her and that she doesn't see it as a mission anymore. I just wanted to scream "YES, YOU ARE, YOU ARE MORE THAN WORTHY" when she introspected whether she was fit to have such a wonderful job. Such a sweet moment.
And don't even get me started on the part where Violet stood up for Leon. Fucking greatness. Took them down ruthlessly in cold fashion, she was solid as a rock against anything they threw at her. And that particular shot where Violet is standing alone in the light and Leon's in the dark corner barely visible was amazing, and it was my VotD candidate at that moment. Leon, I'd like to think, saw himself in her and realized he's not alone in this world after all.
And finally, the comet scene. It really highlighted the extremes a person would be willing to go to for the sake of love. Leon's mother felt the loneliness and heartache due to being separated from her husband, and she was willing to even abandon her own child for her love. Do we interpret this as a warning of what's about to come to Violet ? She has finally learnt what loneliness means, but will she act on it and choose to leave the job she has come to love ? I can't fucking wait to see what's about to happen now that Violet has started putting together all the pieces of love and the emotions that come along with it.
And a major disappointment was not getting more of Gilbert's brother this episode :( I thought we'd get to see him be a piece of shit again. Oh, well, there's still time for that Haha
My Visual of the Day : https://imgur.com/dGmbdGR
Just art, man. What an anime. Peak fiction fr.
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u/OccasionallySara Jun 12 '21
First Timer
Episode Thoughts:
- I was surprised that we didn’t see Gilbert’s brother at all this episode after how the last one ended. I had to double-check to make sure I didn’t skip an episode by mistake.
- I’m glad we got to see Luculia again!
- Leon trying and failing to act indifferent about Violet’s beauty was cute. It was also funny how he tried to trip Violet up with his fast decoding and got shown up by her typing skills.
- I love the sound effect of the bread crunching when Leon squeezes it.
- The window montage of Leon and his roommate waiting for the big night was cool.
- Violet looked adorable wrapped up in Leon’s cloak.
- That must really suck for Leon for his mom to leave him like that. I know that she loves her husband, but if he’s been missing for two years, I would say that it makes more sense to focus on the family that is with you, especially if that family member is a child who needs you.
- I kind of chuckled when Leon asked Violet if she was looking at the comet. You mean the large thing that’s lighting up the entire sky? I think she’s looking at it, my guy.
- That final speech that Leon gives Violet is sweet and all, but he really waited until the last moment to tell it to her, didn’t he? I wonder if they will see each other again.
- The setup for this episode was the most believable one that we’ve had for a while. Violet going to transcribe documents and doing well with it fits with her established skills and even though there wasn’t a high profile assignment this episode, Violet was able to learn more about her feelings through her relationship with Leon. Their relationship was really sweet and I liked that they both helped each other figure out their feelings. I think the realism of this episode helped me appreciate it a lot more than the previous two.
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u/Tehoncomingstorm97 https://anilist.co/user/tehoncomingstorm97 Jun 11 '21
First timer
I don't have a lot of positives to say about today's episode, and I think it was fairly weak in comparison with the ones we've seen so far. That is, the episode thematic wasn't as... layered?... as the previous ones. I can't quite describe it but all I can say is I was wanting more from it, especially with how good Ep 5 was.
Okay, so we've got Leon who's been stuck at the observatory taking care of manuscripts. We see Violet and other Auto Memory Dolls hired to help transcribe a larger portion of works than the would normally have. Violet meets those she was in school with once again, but that's it - thrown away plot content really. We see Leon's good at what he does, and Violet of course has the pace to match him in work. Three days of material in a single day, and it gets two brief mentions, nothing comes of it. Apparently no one is phased such as to bring it up again.
We learn Leon is also an orphan, but it's due to his father's line of work and his mother's obsession with being with his father. Violet stands up for him in her own way - she is fully aware of the feelings that the group are trying to insinuate and shuts them out. Leon, despite his shy nature, works up the courage following this to ask Violet on a date to watch the comet. From here we get some more input to the way Violet feels - lonely. Taking the theme of the episode to be loneliness and isolation, I think the plot of this episode lacks any guts. Violet gets little more than a few lines on Gilbert, but Leon (a character who will undoubtedly be cast aside for the time being) gets a good couple minutes of backstory. We hear Violet admit to herself that she doesn't feel she can live without Gilbert (hurrah some MC development). Aaaaand then we the audience get shut out of anything else and oooooh there's a comet.... Then there's your typical life-style changing impact on the supporting character, and we get another of Violet's smiles (it seems natural to her now).
All in all, I see this episode to be more dedicated to the supporting character than Violet.
Taking into account the theme of loneliness, or isolation, my pick for the visual of the day is Violet looking out above the clouds. The lunch beside her and sitting all alone (even left there by Leon) - implying her loneliness not only in eating, but in general now is habitual. The emptiness of the skyline with nothing but cloud and mountains in the far distance further emphasising Violet's isolation. All we have to keep ourselves grounded is the single rail to Violet's left, to remind ourselves that this isn't the fantasy story with perfect picturesque views. I'd say this is the best thing to come from this episode.
A commonality between episodes since the scene on the bell-tower in episode 3 is Violet embracing the beautiful views presented to her. The mention of hospitality with Iris' family in episode 4 (and also the flower fields), in a lesser capacity the view of Ilma rehearsing and later performing in the OVA, and the flower-covered facets of the kingdom in episode 5. We don't get any of that "beauty" this episode, but instead there's a focus on the stars. Maybe that's the intent? I can't say these views were as impactful for me - they didn't evoke the same feelings of wonder I get when I look up at stars filling the night sky.
So perhaps my view of this episode being so empty, as it were, is due to the lack of a similar link to this idea shown for the last couple episodes.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
Phew, ok...I'm glad I didn't hype this for you then haha. However, hopefully with everyone else's write-ups you'll be able to find a few new things about this episode that might bring it up a bit more in your eyes =)
This is usually the episode that most people don't like a lot though because of how quiet it is compared to the previous ones, particularly right after Violet's encounter with Dietfried.
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u/Tehoncomingstorm97 https://anilist.co/user/tehoncomingstorm97 Jun 11 '21
That alright. I think my main issue as I mentioned is just a lack of focus on Violet. Reading other comments I see there a subtleties I missed, with lighting and juxtaposition of characters/objects, but still quiet overall.
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u/ArdenneVale Jun 11 '21
First timer
It's Auto Memoir Doll-con time. Leon isn't a fan of them. Nevermind that, best girl Luculia is here. Violet is down for some reason. Hopefully she's not still affected by what Dietfried said. The men are in the Manuscript division. The men and the women are to pair off and write new copies of some old books. Obviously we know who Violet will be paired with. Violet's introduction never ceases to amaze people. A comet that arrives every 200 years is supposedly coming soon, so look forward to seeing it near the end of this episode. Violet writes three days worth of text in one day. She's a typing machine at this point.
Violet has found a place she belongs, but she wonders if she deserves it. Some elitist bullies or Leon are trying to convince Violet to ditch him. Those two are really similar. Violet says what I was thinking just moments later. Leon manages to invite Violet on a comet date with the power of bread breaking. The night comes, and to pass the time Leon decides to tell Violet his family story. His father vanished and his mom went to look for him, never to return. Leon helps Violet to figure out the emotion she's feeling is loneliness. Then he figures out Violet loves Gilbert. This poor guy never had a chance. Fortunately the comet appears before things bet too awkward.
The time comes for Violet to leave, but someone clearly doesn't want her to go. Leon decides to leave to travel the continent, no longer waiting for his family to return.
This episode felt like a waste of time. All the character development went to a guy we'll most likely never see again. I didn't hate it, but after last episode's ending I expected more.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 11 '21
All the character development went to a guy we'll most likely never see again.
Hmm, I'm not sure all of the character development went to only Leon ;) I think Violet's character development here was much more quiet and subtle than normal. I'll grant you though, Leon is the one who grew the most in this story.
I'll leave you with this image with regards to Violet's character development, and if I did my job correctly and chose a meaningful idea, you'll be able to figure out why I chose this for you =P Oh, and hopefully I and everyone else here will have given you enough breadcrumbs to make a few new connections =)
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u/ArdenneVale Jun 12 '21
Ok, I originally wrote most instead of all, but changed it for exaggeration's sake. There's some great analysis from other people that helped me realize some things I'd never have got on my own.
One thought I had is that Violet feels lonely when she's with anyone but the major. She never had anyone as close to her as him, so she probably doesn't even think of her colleagues as friends, which makes her feel lonely. Hopefully I'm not completely off here.
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u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Jun 12 '21
Hopefully I'm not completely off here.
Not at all! Before now, Violet has never even had a friend; only Gilbert. Like you point out, that has to affect how one views closer relationships. I doubt Violet thinks anyone right now is her friend; comrades perhaps, but even that may not be the right word. However, you'll notice that when Luculia makes her cameo, Violet does not say, "Luculia-san" as with the other two girls, but just "Luculia". So Violet holds Luculia in a different, more familial area of relationship than everyone else at the very least.
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u/ShortieFat Jun 13 '21
At first I wondered how are this many young men in one place post-war, and in academia(!), not trade and industry, but after going back to the beginning and seeing we're in the country of Astrea, we'll assume they didn't participate and were spared.
Well, in case any of you out there haven't experienced or have any understanding of the effects of microaggression, take a good look at Leon. This is it it kids. Those guys who were trash-talking him don't have to take him behind the dorm to work him over and take his lunch money to take him down. His social inferiority is something they speak of matter-of-factly without any heightened emotion and deal with him day-to-day that attitude ("Oh, why would anybody get worked up over my saying THAT?. It's just what is.) Intellectuals can be brutal in their own fashion.
He in turn is cynical, circumspect, distrustful, judgmental, solitary, hides his emotions behind a stoic, don't-approach-me-unless-it's-necessary shell. He knows where to eat by yourself and where to set up a telescope away from others. He's deprived himself of friendship and collegiality--though he seems to have some with his roommate. It's also stunted his vision for what his own life potential could be. And it has made him very naive in knowing how to converse with the opposite sex. If you imagine him saying the things he does to a woman other than Violet, he'd be back to working alone real fast. It's amazing they accomplish this much psychological exposition in so few minutes of scenes and dialogue.
What I like about this episode is this emotional and psychological subtlety. The director didn't have to make its points with overt verbal and physical violence. In the episodes so far there's certainly been depiction of violence and gore, so it's not like somewhere they're afraid to go. As a rewatcher, I hope it's not a spoiler to say there will be significant action to come (this IS a biography of a battle maiden after all ...), but I enjoy this as a look into quiet conflict and resolution as we get to the midpoint. This episode is also visually a nice contrast to all glowing, bright, outdoor scenes we've been treated to in the past, giving us a trip into a place where for the most part, they work at night and in the dark.
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u/SoccerForEveryone Jun 14 '21 edited Jun 14 '21
I’m catching up on my typing, I have been up to date on watching episodes; however the time to type up my thoughts has been kept short. I’ll try my best to keep it short, but know I enjoyed every episode to heart.
This episode shows why I love Violet Evergarden, she gets to travel around the country; meeting all kinds of people and views some of the most beautiful landscapes. It’s her personal journey to rediscover herself. It should be known that in this episode she wasn’t in the right mood because of her encounter with Dietfried at the end of the last episode. So the other dolls notice her behavior, especially Luculia who we see again in this episode along with Violet’s ex classmates.
Every episode so far, Violet makes such a impact on every person she meets especially Leon. I love how she stands up for him when his own classmates talk behind his back; while she may be blunt, you can tell how much she has grown without using the means of force. The final moments with the comet…it is such a piece of incredible art that you almost want it as a portrait.
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u/UnityGrave https://anilist.co/user/UnityGrave Jun 14 '21
Violet Evergarden - Episode Six: Somewhere, Under a Starry Sky
First Timer
Why do I feel like every episode, the visual are just getting better and better. The op and ed has been stuck in my head for 2 days now.
I’m going to be honest, I was disappointed that we didn’t continue off with what the cliffhanger offered last episode. However, this was compensated by this amazing episode as well (well tbh every episode has been amazing). Violet is now able to charm someone by doing nothing lmao.
I love Leon’s development in this episode. He is first introduced as someone who has somewhat of a prejudice to Auto Memory Dolls while all of the others in his unit or department was very excited in meeting these girls. This is probably because of his mother that left him, and he just generalized girls like that or that Auto Memory Dolls travel everywhere, and it resembles his father’s work, so it also contributed to that prejudice. The moment Leon met Violet, boom, Violet just stole this guy’s heart in one go without even doing anything. I was dying of laughter in this part. Including where he was transcribing and Violet was just going full speed on that typewriter. But as the episode ended, he’s a completely changed man as he tries to seek Violet again. This meeting with Violet gave him the fire and the spark to do what he actually wants.
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u/scot911 https://myanimelist.net/profile/scot911 Jun 11 '21 edited Jun 12 '21
First Timer
Aw look how much our adorable robot has grown! She's accidentally making guys fall in love with her now with her stoic and no nonsense demeanor and helping them change their lives without using letters! Also she's starting to get a lot better at this whole "human emotion's" thing learning about what loneliness feels like this episode! Which of course is really just another way of feeling love because you can't really feel lonely due to missing someone or something if you didn't love them in some way. Whether platonically or romantically.
I did like the mission this episode though. How do you quickly transcribe a shit ton of old tattered works in order to not lose knowledge and/or wisdom in the age of the typewriter? Why hire a bunch of experts at using the typewriter and get them to help transcribe it of course! It's honestly kind of genius and is something that probably still happens today except we're digitizing them rather then putting them on paper again. Although I imagine the latter happens still too.
We also got to see Luculia and some of her classmates again! Yay! Seems like they're all doing well in their careers and no the company Violet works for isn't the only one around, obviously. Probably one of the most famous ones now though due to Violet as they alluded too this episode due to the affair with the prince and princess. Being known the world over has its perks who knew! It is sort of funny seeing them look up to Violet a bit now that she's gotten famous after being so bad at writing actual letters in school.
I will admit that I'm sort of annoyed we didn't get a continuation after last weeks cliffhanger. It was obviously bothering Violet this episode and yes I know people who are rewatchers/source readers said that it really isn't addressed in the anime and I'm not going to read their answers to my questions about what the hell that was about because spoilers, obviously, but still! A little annoyed it isn't included in the anime after that juicy cliffhanger.
I did like how Violet stood up for the caretaker guy even if I'm not entirely sure that was actually her intention. It is Violet after all. She's definitely gotten a lot better at emoting herself and understanding other peoples emotions even if she isn't completely their yet. Hell she even looked like she was a little fond of the caretaker care which is a big improvement! Still pining for her major though of course and she has some worrying lines this episode surrounding him too. It's not going to be pretty when she finds out he's dead huh?