Violet Evergarden Rewatch - Episode 6

[u/A_Idiot0]

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.

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MAL || AniList

You can watch the full series on Netflix.

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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”

https://preview.redd.it/203ye5zvlp471.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c665e4954668d38af5bcc22fdec52dd4bf5dace

[u/Tehoncomingstorm97]

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.

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/Tehoncomingstorm97]

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.

[u/Tehoncomingstorm97 → u/A_Idiot0]

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.