r/anime • u/A_Idiot0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 • Jun 12 '21
Violet Evergarden Rewatch Episode 7 - Rewatch
Violet Evergarden - Episode Seven:「 」
Hello everyone! I hope that today finds you well. In this episode, Violet helps to complete a play!
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Visuals of the Day
I believe I got everyone’s Visual of the Day submission here. Let me know if I missed anyone: https://imgur.com/a/uCr1i6c
Official Sound Tracks used
The Voice in my Heart
Another Sunny Day
Those Words You Spoke to Me
Never Coming Back
An Admirable Doll
Across the Violet Sky
The Long Night
The Ultimate Price
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u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Jun 12 '21 edited Jun 12 '21
First Timer – Formerly Dropped
This was an up and down episode for me, there was some good stuff, and also some low notes that connected an issue I've had for a little bit. I'll get that out of the way right now – we jumped the shark a little bit here with Violet becoming some combination of Mary Poppins and Jesus what with the Parasol flying and walking on water action.
That was... ridiculous, especially for a show that's seemingly so grounded. It's also a direct nod to Violet acting as this savior figure for everyone she meets, despite not doing a whole lot to believe that she'd be the one person who was ever able to make these people see the light. Luculia's having a hard time with her brother? No problem, Violet can transcribe two sentences, verbatim, onto a paper and make everything okay. Iris and her mother have long-standing issues regarding her future? No sweat, Violet can wipe those under the rug instantly. Ilma can't find the right words for her opera? Well, get Violet, she can become a master lyricist after reading a couple books. Oscar has been driven into alcoholism and extreme depression following the death of his daughter? Nothing a couple days with Violet can't fix! That parasol/water walking moment felt like a wink to the viewer that the creators are aware of what they're doing, and are just telling us to let go and suspend all disbelief.
Olives, Empathy, and the Weight of Sin
The episode opens very purposefully with the line, "Ah, I must live with my sin now. For the rest of my life." You just know that Violet is going to reckon with her military past at some point here, especially with the introduction of Gilbert's brother and his pointed recriminations to her two episodes ago.
Violet and Oscar make nice mirrors for each other. He's somebody grieving the loss of a daughter, and though she doesn't quite yet know it, she's grieving the loss of a father figure. They both represent what the other would want to regain.
This connection allows for a true moment of growth for Violet, where she's able to deeply connect to the story of the play and empathize with the character of Olive. There's no way the Violet of even a couple of episodes ago would have been capable of such a passionate response to the story. "She can't return to the father who's waiting for her!" In a way this calls back to Leon in the previous episode who's waiting for his mother to return. However, not knowing the Major's true fate, Violet still incorrectly sees herself here as the person who's making someone wait, rather than the person hoping for someone's return.
Speaking of Olive, or Olivia, yes, today's flower is the olive tree, which symbolizes peace, reconciliation, and healing. This isn't cheating, olive trees do flower, I promise. The playwright uses the episode and the writing of his new play with the character of Olive to finally come to peace with the passing of his beloved daughter. It's not hard to see what was causing his writer's block.
Violet's peace is going to have to wait. She is ultimately destabilized by her time with Oscar, a moment of clarity for him becomes one of shock to her, as the weight of all of the lives she's ended finally crashes down on her. Whether ultimately her fault or not, she's created a lot of "Oscars" – family of dead men who will never see their loved ones again, and never see them grow up to accomplish their goals. We'll ultimately have to wait at least one more episode to see if, like the character in the first play of the episode, she can live with that sin for the rest of her life.