Tag: Episode Review
Episode 2 of the Panda's Perspective Podcast is now LIVE!
I just wanted to hop on here to let you guys know that episode 2 of my podcast is now LIVE! My boyfriend and I watched episode 2 of Magical Girl Site last night and we went over Ben's initial thoughts, feelings, and opinions of this episode. You can listen on the Anchor app here: https://anchor.fm/ayano-kitsune/episodes/Magical-Girl-Site-Episode-2-Reaction-e2d4qk or any of the following platforms listed below.
Apple podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pandas-perspective/id1438282178
Google podcast: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy83MGQ5NDg0L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PATyyLJpvuULXpQBnnIEF
Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/pandas-perspective
PocketCast: https://pca.st/n0Ob
RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/pandas-perspective-WoAD7M
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/pandas-perspective
Happy listening my pandas! ❤❤❤
Disclaimer: All imagery and photos come from searching for them on the internet. I have no claim or right to them. If I find any links I will always post them (this usually entails fan art or any other work affiliated with an artist).
on October 14, 2018 October 14, 2018 by	kawaiipaperpandas	1 Comment
Violet Evergarden Episode 13 (Fin): Dear Major Gilbert…I Understand It A Little Now
Since this is the final episode I don't want to spend too much time on the opening scenes. It's pretty apparent what happens. Violet's right arm is shot off by General Brigadier but Dietfried is able to land a shot on him in the process. We then hear an inner monologue coming from Dietfried. It's as follows, "The tool I cast away became Gilbert's dog. But even after losing her arms, her master, and everything she had, she still stood tall." Uh…that's because our Violet-chan is one determined girl! General Brigadier tries to jump off the train in order to escape, but Violet kicks him back. Violet's emerald broach flies into the air and Captain Dietfried nabs it. He tosses it back to her. Violet looks relieved to have it back and Dietfried is surprised by this.
As the train approaches the bridge crossing we see a bunch of timers go off. I knew it! I knew the train was gonna be rigged with bombs! General Brigadier gets up and calls both Violet and Dietfried naive. He then goes on to say, "If you'd kill me right at the outset, you might have made it." And then he laughs his crazy laugh before bailing off the train into the water down below. Of course he would get away! That's usually how it happens in anime. This spurs Dietfried and Violet into action. The train won't stop with the regular breaks so Violet has to opt for the emergency ones. Benedict even joins in with helping and manages to knock off one of the bombs placed directly on the bridge. That's my boy! Go, baby go!
Violet struggles with pulling the other bomb off the bridge. We see her left hand/arm break off bit by bit…but that doesn't stop our Violet-chan. She gives it her all before her arm completely shatters. The bomb finally separates from the bridge and it goes off in midair. Violet starts to fall but Benedict comes to the rescue! Thank goodness! Both the people and the train are safe.
Whew! I am so glad that part is over. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I kept thinking, "You can do it! Please, oh please let Violet get this damn bomb off." My poor little heart can't take much more of this anxiety.
Everyone makes it to the peace signing ceremony in one piece. Leindenschaftlich becomes a token of friendship and will provide one year's worth of emergency aid to Gardariki. It's a win win for both nations. The war is FINALLY over.
But even with the war declared over many soldiers have not returned home to their families. Violet continues to write letters for the families of these missing soldiers, even declaring she knows how they feel. Violet finally has come to a point where she can relate to the people she writes for. This is what Major Gilbert was wanting all along for Violet; to understand and to live freely as she wishes.
We then cut to Cattleya speaking to Violet about the upcoming Air Show. It was suspended during the war, so everyone is excited to see the return of it five years later. Cattleya then declares she might even write a letter of her own accord, and she pushes Violet to do the same.
Violet gives her usual answer of, "I've never written a letter of my own." and Cattleya simply states, "Just write how you feel right now-as your heart wills you." The best type of letters are ones that come straight from the heart.
Flashback to the final night of Gilbert and Violet before the battle of Intense. We see Violet question Gilbert once again if she is needed. She then exclaims, "Will you not give me orders anymore?" And then we see for the first time Gilbert challenges Violet's thoughts/questions. We can see Gilbert is clearly upset at Violet asking for orders. Gilbert knows deep down that Violet can live without his or anyone else's orders, but she doesn't comprehend that.
Violet tells him once again that she really doesn't understand and it is in this moment Gilbert realizes she truly doesn't. He then apologizes to Violet. He says he can no longer sit by and watch her force herself to remain a tool. You can tell Gilbert blames himself for taking Violet in and turning her into a war tool. The sadness wells up inside him and he is ashamed that Violet, even after everything, still believes in him. I can't imagine the guilt Gilbert must be feeling. It must eat at him every single day and this is moment where it finally came to a breaking point for him. 😦
We return back to the present where Violet tells Claudia and Cattleya she couldn't write a letter. She has emotions and also had them back then, but she says she doesn't know what she should tell Gilbert. This is when Claudia says try to write something, even if it short-even if it is one sentence-they will keep the letter deadline open for her. Dawww! Claudia is such a softie for Violet-chan.
Then one of the front desk girls comes into the office stating someone is there to see Violet.
Of course Violet gets her hopes up and thinks it's Gilbert, but we already know it is Captain Dietfried. He then takes Violet to their Leindenschaftlich mansion to meet their mother.
ANNNDDD this is where we cue the waterworks for Ayano-senpai….I can't help that I'm a big ol' crybaby guys! Stop judging me XD
Dietfried introduces Violet to his mother and she recalls Gilbert saying he wanted them to adopt her. She says, "You're finally here." and then goes on to ask, "Isn't Gilbert with you?" But just as Dietfried is about to mention he isn't Violet steps forward, grasping her broach, and says, "He is with us."
She then presents the broach to Gilbert and Dietfried's mother.
Gilbert's mother remarks, "It is the same color as his eyes." The moment Violet finds the broach flashes in-front of us and she states the same thing. We even see the moment Violet receives the broach from Gilbert once more.
Violet shakes from recalling the memories of Gilbert. My poor baby Violet! She misses him terribly so. I just want to hold her hand and tell her everything will be alright.
Gilbert and Dietfried's mother ask Violet what her relationship is with Gilbert. Violet conjures up an answer for her. "The Major took me in, raised me, and gave me a purpose. But…" She falters with the rest of her answer. But Gilbert's mother knows that he is missing, even if her memory is a bit hazy. Dietfried leaves the room to give them some privacy. Gilbert's mother goes on to tell Violet it wasn't her fault. She says it isn't Violet's cross to bear. While Dietfried tells his mother to give up on Gilbert, we know deep down he hasn't either. He loves his brother very much. Gilbert's mother says he is alive and puts her hand on her heart saying, "within my heart. So I won't ever forget him. Even if it always hurts to remember, I'll live the rest of my life thinking about him. I mean, even now, I still love him." Violet starts to weep but she agrees with her.
As Violet is leaving Captain Dietfried calls out to Violet. He gives her some final orders:
Then the moment we've all been waiting for happens:
YAAAASSSS! Violet finally did it guys. She made it to the point where she can live on her own now. *Throws confetti in the air* My baby is all grown up now! I am one proud momma bear.
We end this part with Dietfried's outer monologue:
That night it snows in Leindenschaftlich as Violet types up her letter to Gilbert. Which is a little odd considering there are palm tress around the city lololz….but anime logic..am I right? XD
The weather clears up the next day just in the time for the Air Show. Everyone gathers at the seaport, including the beautiful Miss Luculia! I still wish we got more air time of Luculia. She is just totes adorbs! Luculia is glad she could make it and Violet tells her she finally wrote a letter of her own for the first time.
Luculia mentions she wrote one to her parents. Violet tells her, "I am sure it will reach them." Yes, yes it will Violet-chan. Iris chimes in that she also wrote a letter. It seems she wrote one to her future self. She still believe that she will be Leiden's…no, the continent's most popular Doll. Good for Iris! You have to start from somewhere. I'm glad she is believing in herself. Luculia then asks Erica if she wrote a letter. Erica gets all shy and flustered before responding with:
Iris interrupts Erica's response by jumping on her and asking who the mystery person could be. The scene then shifts over to Benedict, Cattleya, and Claudia walking up to the girls. It seems our Erica-chan has fallen for Benedict…tehehe. Benedict then says he wrote a letter to Claudia. He wrote, "One day, I'm going to be the boss." You would Benedict, you would! *giggles uncontrollably at Claudia's defensive response* These two seriously make my day. Claudia says, "Wait, you want to take my place? What kind of letter is that?!" Ahahahahahahahaha. The Cattleya calls out Claudia in her usual fashion. She says, "You're one to talk. What kind of letter is this?"
Claudia's reaction is effing priceless:
I was laughing through my tears at this point. Claudia's letter is for his future daughter and it was oh so sweet. It read, "From Papa, to my future daughter. Papa's eagerly awaiting the day you are born. And I'm praying that you grow up healthy and strong, that you find happiness, and that you love someone who loves you just as much. And I pray that the future you and your children live in a world free of conflict and filled with happiness." I thought it was a perfectly suited letter for Claudia to write. Good job Pap…I mean Claudia 😉
As Cattleya reads out Claudia's letter the air show starts and letters come raining down from the sky.
Violet reminisces about Major Gilbert and then we finally get to hear what Violet-chan wrote to him. Her letter reads, "Dear Major Gilbert, Do you have any news? Are you doing well? Where are you right now? Are you having any difficulties? Spring, summer, autumn, and winter…Many seasons have come and gone, but the one with you isn't coming around at all. At first, I couldn't understand. I couldn't understand anything about how you felt. But within this new life you gave me, I've begun to feel the same way as you, if only a little, through ghostwriting and through the people I've met along the way. I believe that you are still alive somewhere. So I shall live, live, live and live some more, though there's no telling what life might have in store. And if I can ever see you again, I want to let you know…that the phrase "I love you"…
I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING…I can't stop these tears from flowing out of me. I need a mop and a bucket to clean them up. In the last 50 seconds of the show we see Violet making her way to an urgent client request. She has her typewriter and frilly blue parasol handy. She knocks on the door and the client slowly opens it up. Violet introduces herself just like all the other times, but this time when she looks up at the client she looks surprised. She blushes and smiles and then states that she is Violet Evergarden.
Is it Gilbert perhaps? Or maybe someone else who had an impact on Violet's life? We won't know because the show ends there. Cliffhanger-kun was in full force this final episode!!! I read some of the light novel and now I need to go finish it. I know it is a bit different from the anime, but I am all for differences in story context. Overall, I absolutely fell in love with this show. I am a huge sucker for emotional/sad anime so of course I loved it. I actually made an appointment to get a Violet Evergarden tattoo on the 20th of May. I'll be sure to share it with you all when I get the chance! I applaud KyoAni for making another emotional masterpiece. *slow clap starts*
Thank you all for joining me on this episode by episode journey! It was a lot longer than I at had anticipated, but it was fun to do none the less. Now we are onto spring season. So many anime, so little time. I will catch you guys tomorrow for a very special collab post with some anibloggers you may all know and love. Stay tuned my pandas! ❤
on April 7, 2018 April 7, 2018 by	kawaiipaperpandas	11 Comments
Violet Evergarden Episode 12: Bombardment
I don't want to spend a whole lot of time on this week's episode of Violet Evergarden. And that's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did, I just have a very busy weekend going on. I am back in school so I also have to shift my time over for that, I have a friend coming down today to spend the weekend with me, and I have a whole lot of errands to run. I wish there was more then 24 hours in a day sometimes! So forgive me if this week's episode review isn't as in depth as my others XD
Basically this episode sums up to the anti-peace force making their move. They believe the war hasn't ended and you can tell they are bitter about it. Captain Bougainvillea is asked to help in assisting with these rebels. There is a peace signing ceremony happening and the higher ups are worried that the opposition is coming to disrupt these negotiations. Captain Bougainvillea asks if they know what these rebels are planning to do. In three days the completed transcontinental railroad will carry envoys and civilian Dolls from Distery to Gardarik as a symbol of peace. This is where the rebels are believed to strike.
Cattleya is the civilian Doll appointed to this peace signing ceremony and I believe Benedict is escorting her? They never really say. Captain Bougainvillea meets up with them and he has some harsh words to say about Violet. What's new? He still believes she's a useless tool. But my baby Benedict and Cattleya stick up for our Violet-chan! Whoo! I'm so proud of them.
BOOM! In your face Captain Bougainvillea! There are people who love Violet for who she is rather than who she was. Violet is finally changing into the person Major Gilbert wanted her to be.
So…old man (originally from the battle of Intense) is back and he wants revenge for the humiliation he received. I mean….isn't that what happens when your side loses? Hence, why all of this anti-peace stuff is going on in the first place. He can't admit defeat.
As the envoy for the peace signing transfers over to the train, the rebels set fire to many different post along the railway. Captain Bougainvillea's team investigate where these fires took place.
As Violet is making her way back from the previous episode (and yes she is still with that pilot) she flies over the areas that have been damaged from the fires. But Violet knows these are not ordinary fires…they were made from bombs. Uh oh spaghetti-o's! These rebels are causing quite the distraction if I do say so myself. Violet and the pilot are making there way near the train and Violet catches sight of Cattleya. So what do you think our girl is gonna do? Yep! She asks to be let off the plane in order to help her friends.
And while all of that is going on the rebels end up infiltrating the train. This is not looking good guys!
Violet manages to get on the train and warn Captain Bougainvillea of the bombings she witnessed. She asks that everyone, including Captain Bougainvillea get off the train, but of course he won't listen to her. The train leaves the station shortly after their encounter. The rest of the anti-peace fraction starts to set the rest of their plan into motion. Captain Bougainvillea tries to decipher where they will strike on the rest of the journey.
Yes, the anti-peace force decides to make their attack in this exact area. They end up separating the front of the train from the back of the train, making sure to keep the envoy right where they want it. Violet finds Captain Bougainvillea and he tells her he will stop the train. He then orders her to protect the rest of the people aboard the train. Captain Bougainvillea plays the "you only want orders" card on Violet again (he also stated this to her when she explained the bombings earlier). But Violet says no. Captain Bougainvillea then states, "Yes you do. If I ordered you to slaughter the enemy, you wouldn't hesitate to kill them, right?" Captain Bougainvillea tries to hand her a gun and Violet responds with, "I will not kill anyone. I do not need a weapon." Captain Bougainvillea then poses this question:
Violet then makes her rounds on the train looking for the enemy. She encounters the blonde soldier who basically sent Aidan to his death in the last episode. She proceeds to choke him out but eventually just resorts to punching him in the face. The anti-peace force heads on top of the train and this is where all the action takes place. Violet heads up there as well and encounters old man from Intense. She disarms his soldiers as best as she can without killing them. Violet then asks why they are doing this. Old man responds with:
GOD! This guy is so prideful! Just admit defeat and move on with your life buddy. Stop trying to start another war. Enough people have died already for Christ's sake. Of course more soldiers come out to protect old man and Violet says she wishes to not kill anymore. The soldiers go after Violet and she fights them with her bare hands. She gets many injuries in the process. Oh Violet! Please don't risk your life if you aren't going to kill these guys! I was secretly hoping that after she injured them she would throw them off the train lolololz I mean…technically she's not killing them so it could totally work!
Eventually the soldiers corner Violet and old man gets out his sword to kill Violet. Violet's brooch gets ripped off during the battle and so the old man holds it in front of Violet's face. Dangling the last piece she has of Gilbert right in front of her eyes. NOOOOOO! How dare he put his filthy hands on Violet's treasure!!! I'm so mad right now.
Luckily, Captain Bougainvillea comes to the rescue! He kicks off the old man and throws off the other soldiers. THANK YOOOOUUU! That was my idea the whole time I was watching this scene. Captain Bougainvillea then grabs Violet by her collar and says, "You cannot even protect yourself, so, how did you expect to do this without killing? My brother Gil gave his life to protect someone like you?" Violet responds with, "I do not want to kill anymore." And then she hits Captain Bougainvillea with:
But Captain Bougainvillea counters with:
You can tell Dietfried resents Violet. He blames her for his brother's death. He is consumed by guilt and needs someone to blame…and what better choice then the person who was given to him for protection. Even though Dietfried wants Violet to die, she stands up and tells him, "The major ordered me…to live. I wanted to protect him! I…I wanted to protect him too!" We know you did Violet-chan, we know.
Then General Brigadier crawls his way back to the top of the train. Like…how? Anime logic I guess. We then see the blonde solider Violet punched out earlier on top the train with some type of bomb gun? I don't really know…but the thing looks beastly! He points it at Violet and Dietfried.
Dietfried jumps in front of Violet and shoots at Isidor (I guess that was his name). Dietfried lands a shot on the right lower side of Isidor. As he is falling Violet notices Isidor still has the strength to pull the trigger, so she jumps in front of Dietfried. The bomb is shot off and ricochets off of Violet's metal arms. Dietfried is in shock and we are left with Violet looking quite determined.
Gotta love those cliffhanger endings! I guess we have to wait till next week to see what happens next! Stay tuned for the next installment of Violet Evergarden my pandas 😉
on March 31, 2018 March 31, 2018 by	kawaiipaperpandas	2 Comments
Violet Evergarden Episode 11: I Don't Want To Die
This week KyoAni dug the knife a little deeper into my bubbling guts of overwhelming emotions. Episode 11 of Violet Evergarden broke my heart into a million little pieces once again. I don't think my heart can take another emotional beating. I don't know if I am going to make it to the end of this show. Whew! This show has been on hell of a roller coaster.
Just like episode 10 I want to focus more on the tail end of the episode. Violet ends up taking (more like stealing) a job request from Claudia's office that has her heading to Camp Menace in the snowy mountains of Ctrigall. It is the former enemy of Leidenschaftlich. So basically it is too dangerous for an Auto Memory Doll to be traveling to…but you know how our Violet-chan is! Of course she's gonna go there. The request was sent in by a young man named Aidan. Aidan is a solider fighting for the moderate fraction.
While on a mission, Aidan and his squad are ambushed by warmongers. You can pretty much say they are taken out by the other sides sniper. While trying to escape with his comrade, Yale (who doesn't make it in the end), Aidan is gravely wounded. This scene was so hard to watch. I hated seeing these guys getting shot to death. I guess everyone says this scene in the light novel is far more gruesome. 😦
This is when Violet descends from the sky and saves Aidan! I have to say seeing Violet-chan back in action was AMAZING! It is crazy to see how quick Violet is on the battlefield.
Violet drags Aidan to what seems to be an abandoned cabin in order to help him with his wounds. Instead of treating him, Aidan wants to write a letter to his family. Boy, you gonna die if you don't let Violet-chan treat you! Aidan believed he was mortally wounded. I think in all retrospect Aidan knew he wasn't going to make it…so it was only fitting for him to write a farewell letter to his family. Violet takes off her gloves and pretends to type on her typewriter while Aidan speaks his last words. Violet didn't need her typewriter in-front of her in order to memorize Aidan's words. She could remember all of them without hesitation.
Aidan's letter to his father and mother reads:
"Dad. Mom.
Thank you for raising me. This might be my last letter. If you're ever reincarnated…and marry each other again, I would want to be your son again. Please. It wasn't supposed to end like this. I was supposed to find happiness, and show you I was happy. That was the plan. So…So, I'm praying…that you would have me as your son again. Please."
Then Violet asks Aidan if there is anyone else he would like to send a letter to. He says Maria. Maria was Aidan's childhood friend who finally confessed her feelings for him before he left. They never even got to kiss!!! Waaahhhhh….I'm so sad.
The letter to Maria reads:
"Maria.
How are you doing? Do you remember…the time you confessed your feelings for me? I was really, really, really happy. Maria. Maria. I want to go home to be by your side. I don't want to die. I want to go home, to be beside you. Wait for me."
WHO LEFT THESE GOD DAMN ONIONS OUT?!
With the letters complete, Violet comforts Aidan in his final moments as he pictures himself reuniting with Maria.
Violet even gives Aidan one last real life kiss before he dies…
I CAN'T EVEN WITH THIS EPISODE! I haven't even recovered from the last one. In the end Violet delivers Aidan's letters to his mother, father, and Maria. I thought I was going to make it but then the waterworks happened. As soon as I saw Aidan's parents crying it was all over for me. I bawled like a baby.
As Violet makes her way to leave Aidan's mother says, "Thank you." She then goes to hug Violet. She thanks Violet once again.
Even Maria, through her tears, thanks Violet as well.
This is when Violet starts to cry. She apologizes and says, "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to protect him." She then goes on to say, "I'm sorry…that I let him die. I'm sorry."
If Violet didn't steal the job from Claudia's office Aidan's final words would have never reached his loved ones. Even though it was dangerous I believe Violet did the right thing. I knew Violet would be okay in the long run. I mean…the girl was used as a weapon once before.
I am so so happy that Aidan got to save goodbye to his mother, father, and Maria. It was a gift of closure. I can't fathom what it would be like to lose someone you love and never get to say goodbye to them. This episode was Aidan's goodbye. I wonder what journey episode 12 will take us on? I hope it's not another tearjerker! I need a break from crying uncontrollably XD
on March 24, 2018 March 24, 2018 by	kawaiipaperpandas
Violet Evergarden Episode 10: Future Letters
With this weeks episode of Violet Evergarden I feel like I don't really have to explain the whole premise of the episode. The first half is pretty self-explanatory. The story is told through Anne's eyes; a little girl who likes playing with dolls, is (a bit) bratty from time to time, and someone who loves their mother dearly. Violet comes to Anne's home to help her sickly mother write letters. Violet is there for only seven days but Anne seems to make a connection with her even though she blames Violet for taking her mother's time away from her.
You see, Anne's mother is dying. Anne knows without anyone having to tell her that her mother is going to pass on without her. Hence why she has such a selfish personality throughout the first half of the episode. I mean what child wouldn't be like this? Anne already lost her father and now she's going to lose her mother. I felt like it was only fitting that Anne acted the way she did. Anne really just wanted every last moment with her mother before she was left alone. As Keiko states on her blog, "Here's a little girl who, in her own way, understands that her time with her mother is being held in a timer and the sand is falling fast. She may be acting according to her own desires but there is a desperation there and an earnestness in her actions. It felt very real to say the least." I couldn't agree more! I'm sure when my mother or father are put in this position I'm going to feel those very same emotions. I felt like KyoAni did a wonderful job portraying Anne's raw emotions in this episode.
As the episode progresses the audience can gauge that the letters Anne's mother is writing are for her. We don't know when Anne will receive these letters but without a unreasonable doubt the letters are for her in the future. It was fun watching Anne poke and prod Violet into telling her who the letters were for. Of course a lady never tells her secrets! Violet is pretty darn good at keeping client confidentiality.
That's my Violet-chan! An unwavering mountain when it comes to people's inquires about specific jobs.
What I want to focus on is the last 10 or so minutes of this episode. While Violet and Anne's mother are working in the sun room Anne's mother has a bit of an illness related episode. Possibly chest pains or maybe her whole body is giving out? It really isn't explained, but we can speculate. Anne burst into the room and confronts her mother. She wants to know why writing these letters are so important. Anne even plays the guilt card, asking if the letter is more important than her. Uh oh.
Of course Anne's mother responds with:
But Anne calls her mother a liar. She says, "But you're not getting better at all! You said you were going to get better!" Anne's mother responds with, "That's right." And Anne counters with, "I already know." Anne knows her mother isn't getting better and she knows she is going to die. Poor Anne knows she's going to be all alone once her mother passes on. This pretty much brings Anne's mother to tears. Anne then begs her mother to stop writing the letters and to spend time with her.
But Anne's mother can't stop writing these letters now. They need to be completed for Anne's sake. Anne ends up running out of the room and Violet follows her. Violet does her best attempt to comfort Anne:
Keiko sums up this scene perfectly, "Violet sees a sense of permanency in what's about to happen. It is unchangeable just like how she can't go back to a time when she still had her arms. It is a loaded sentence and Anne isn't going to understand that but the simple meaning rings loud and clear. What's happened and will happen is nobody's fault, we just have to learn to deal with it and use it to make us stronger. It's a beautiful message to say the least."
Anne asks Violet once more, "Why is she writing a letter?" Violet responds with, "People have feelings they want to express to others." Anne says tearfully, "Who cares? They don't need to." In which Violet refers to what old man Jenkins told her last episode, "There is no such thing as a letter that doesn't deserve to be delivered Miss Anne." I'm so happy that Violet is starting to use her life lessons! Violet is growing as a person and she is now helping someone who doesn't understand what is going on. It is like the roles have been reversed this time.
The seven days finally come to a close and Violet is about to head home. Anne stops Violet and gives her an adorable kiss on the cheek. Dawww…see! You can be sweet when you want to Anne. This is when Anne wishes she could have read the letters Violet wrote.
At the time Anne didn't know the letters were for her, but in the final few minutes of the episode after Anne's mother passes away those letters arrive on Anne's birthday. To me, this was the best part of the whole episode. In the end we get to watch Anne turn from a young girl into a beautiful woman. We see Anne on her eighth, tenth, eighteenth, and even her twentieth birthday. As Anne grows we get to hear some beautiful and encouraging words from her mother.
This is what all of those letters were building up to. I have to admit this was the episode where I finally cried like a baby. I just kept thinking of my own mother during this episode…because we are all going to have to live without our parents someday. The tears just kept flowing! But it was all worth it in the end. I applaud KyoAni for making such a masterful episode ❤
At the very very tail end of the episode we are brought back to the present. Violet is back at the office with the girls and they are stunned to see how many letters Violet wrote. For the next fifty years Anne will receive letters from her mother. Violet ends up breaking down knowing that Anne is going to be all by herself once her mother passes away. In a way this is irony for Violet. Having written letters herself to the Major and knowing they will never be delivered is an emotional roller coaster. It is the opposite for Anne. Anne will get the letters her mother wrote but at the expense of her mother dying. Violet now knows the sense of grief and can relate to Anne's situation. Finally, what Violet is feeling/experiencing is turning her into a normal girl just as the Major wanted. This ending really hit home for me.
Words can be a powerful tool. I wish we still wrote letters like this. I know some people still do, but sometimes I feel like this is a lost art. Letters are written with the upmost love and care. People pour their thoughts, feelings, and emotions into them. Even when a person is gone, their words can still echo in the hearts of their loved ones. I would definitely give this episode a 10 out of 10. Stunning job KyoAni!
Violet Evergarden Episode 9: You Have To Live
Opening scenes:
We are thrown into the aftermath of Major Gilbert being shot. He is then shot a second time in his right side by the enemy. This is when Violet goes into beast mode, she shoots twice, cocks the rifle, and shoots one of the enemy soldiers down. She proceeds to try and shoot the other soldier but is out of ammo. This guy is literally petrified of Violet and runs off out of fear. I mean…just look at Violet's face. I would probably piss my pants if I was this dude.
The Major proceeds to tell Violet to save herself and leave him there. But of course our girl is having none of that! She proceeds to tell him, "I will not leave you behind! I will stay here and fight! I will only go if I take you with me." As our heroic Violet-chan picks up Gilbert and tries to walk off with him an enemy soldier shoots Violet in her right arm. And there goes arm number one! Holy crap balls. Those are some powerful freaking guns! Gilbert whips out his pistol and shoots the enemy in the neck. BOOM SUCKA! That's what you get for hurting my Violet-chan! Violet bears the pain and weight of Gilbert's body and continues to walk him somewhere safe. *Enter runaway soldier from before* This time he has some type of stick bomb. Oh hell no! He's gonna throw it at Gilbert and Violet! NOOOO!!!
Yup, he throws it at our main characters and this is when Violet loses her second arm. We have now come full circle to the beginning of this story.
You guys already know what happens at the end of episode one so I don't feel like I need to rehash these scenes for you, but what we didn't get to see is Violet's reaction to Gilbert's confession of "I love you." This time we do.
The bombing of Intense happens and we see Major Gilbert lunge for Violet in order to protect her. End scene.
Aftermath:
Cut to Violet digging through the rubble of Intense. She is seeking answers, but where will she find them? I doubt she will find them in the aftermath that is Intense. Claudia manages to find Violet and tells her why the bombing took place. It seems the Gardarik Army knew they were defeated and decided to bombard their own headquarters before retreating. WHAT COWARDS! But I'm sure anyone would do this if they knew they weren't going to win. Seems like an unforgiving army strategy. Violet was found at the bottom of the stairs and we hear (once more) that Gilbert most likely pushed Violet out of the way in order to protect her from the blast.
Violet (in a way) calls out Claudia and everyone else for saying that the Major was fine while she was in the hospital. Claudia responds with, "We couldn't tell you. You were more concerned about him than you were about yourself." Well no freaking duh Claudia! Violet-chan has been with the Major for a long time! Major Gilbert is the only person to show Violet any sense of compassion. It is only fitting that Violet be concerned about the Major.
Claudia then says, "Let's go." You can tell that Claudia wants to take Violet-chan back to the office and make her feel better but Violet responds with, "Where…would I go? I can only go where the Major is." Claudia gives the only answer he can, "We're going back to the office. You're our Auto Memory Doll." In reality Claudia knows this answer isn't good enough. We see him unclench his fist and try to muster up a better answer for Violet.
WHY MAJOR GILBERT, WHHHYYY? Why do you have to do this to me??? You knew something was going to happen didn't you? You knew you were going to die in this battle but didn't have the heart or the guts to say anything. You just wanted Violet-chan taken care of after your death. Gilbert, you are too pure for this world. We don't deserve you.
And then even more disheartening words from Claudia about Gilbert! I don't know how much more I can take guys and we are only 6 minutes into this episode.
Luckily Benedict comes to the rescue! He pulls up with a car in order to take Claudia and Violet-chan home. Benedict you the real MVP of this show! I love you so much.
In the car Benedict wants to know if Violet-chan is okay. Violet just stares out the window in an emotional daze. Claudia goes on to ask her, "You're okay, right?" Silence from Violet. Claudia goes on to say, "I wasn't sure what would happen when you were first discharged from the hospital, but you've learned how to be an Auto Memory Doll. You've come so far." Yes, yes she has. Violet has grown an existential amount since the beginning of this series. Then Claudia gives Violet-chan the best sense of advice (or words of wisdom) in order for her to be able to move forward.
Violet should be able to live her life without Gilbert's orders…but this problem mainly revolves around the idea of will Violet live her life without Gilbert's orders? Violet is the only one who can solve her own problems, not anyone else. It will be up to Violet-chan to decide if she wants to move forward or live in the past.
Benedict has to stop the car due to the road being blocked by fellow soldiers. It seems the city of Claisseclaire was attacked by an anti-peace faction from Gardarik. We have seen sprinkles of this information throughout the series. I am sure this is going to play a bigger role coming up in the rest of the episodes.
Concerned friends:
There they are! Erica and Iris have finally made an appearance again my friends. It seems Erica and Iris are concerned about Violet-chan. They know she is back at the office but she hasn't come to work. How sweet! The girls want to make sure she is okay.
We then see that Cattleya is also concerned for Violet-chan's well-being. She asks Benedict to go check on her. Also Benedict is wearing those shoes AGAIN!!! I wanna know why he is wearing them!!! They better explain it sometime soon or I am going to have a hissy fit.
The old delivery man (who helped Benedict eat his noodles that one time) enters the scene to ask Benedict to help him look for letters. It seems one of the new deliverymen threw away letters he couldn't get around to delivering. WHO THE HELL DOES THAT? That sounds like a lazy P.O.S to me! The old man and Benedict take off to go search for the letters.
So in the end Cattleya has to go check on Violet. Violet-chan is holed up in her room, not coming out for anyone. Just like me when I was a teen! We have so much in common Violet-chan. Cattleya offers Violet some food but Violet doesn't respond. Cattleya sets the food outside the door and this is when Violet speaks about Claudia's mentioning of her being on fire. You know…the quote from earlier episodes.
*Insert another earful from Cattleya*
Claudia comes in with the quick comeback!
Cattleya wants to know what Violet-chan should do. Claudia says, "She'll have to decide on her own. After she looks at her burning body and accepts it." More concerned words from Cattleya about Violet-chan losing the Major and everything else. Claudia responds with, "It'll be okay. She hasn't lost him or anything else." Possible foreshadowing the Major is alive? The last five episodes can go in any direction at this point. Either he will be dead for good or he will be miraculously alive.
Erica and Iris reflect on their relationship with Violet-chan thus far. I think it's great Erica and Iris are trying to be more involved with having a solid friendship with Violet! These type of connections are going to be important for Violet if the Major is really dead. Having a strong support system is key when someone must grow from losing someone they care about dearly.
While Erica and Iris talk amongst themselves Luculia's brother, Spencer, comes into the work office and says, "I would like to hire a scribe." Yay! More characters from past episodes. I love seeing old characters come into play.
Dream vs Reality:
When this scene came up I knew it was going to be a dream sequence. We see Violet back at Intense where the Major said his final words to her. She starts to cry and calls out for Major Gilbert. This is when he pops up and asks her, "What's the matter?" Violet tells the Major through her tears that she is working as an Auto Memory Doll. The Major seems confused at this sentiment. Annnddd here comes the blood! Blood starts dripping down from the stairs and Major Gilbert's face. We then hear the words of Captain Bougainvillea come out of Gilbert's mouth. Those harsh and piercing words that will forever echo in Violet's mind:
Violet awakens from her dream (more like nightmare) and calls out for the Major. Of course she is in her room all alone. Violet (upon realizing this) goes into a frenzy and knocks all of her items off the desk. She screams out and grabs the stuffed puppy Claudia gave her as if to destroy that as well.
But she can't bring herself to do it. She drops to her knees, places the puppy on the floor in-front of her, cries for a few seconds before trying to strangle herself. Oh no! Baby girl, what is you doing?! That is not the answer Violet-chan!!! DON'T DO IT!!!
Violet is so distraught that she can't even strangle herself to death. She weeps for Major Gilbert asking him what she should do.
I wish I could do something to help our Violet-chan! It makes me so sad to know she is suffering 😦
Letter:
Old man Jenkins (that's what I'm gonna call him since he doesn't have a name) knocks on Violet's door sometime later. He says he has a letter for her. I wonder who that could be from? It's from Erica and Iris! So that's what those girls were up to. Violet asks Jenkins about his late night deliveries and it seems Benedict and him found the discarded letters from earlier. Violet then asks about Benedict's whereabouts. It seems he sprained his ankle wearing those boots! Still no word about why he is wearing those boots in the first place though! We may have to chalk it up as the mystery of Violet Evergarden.
Violet goes along with old man Jenkins to finish the deliveries. There was quite a bit of letters missing! They both have stuffed satchels. If I ever get my hands on the person who discarded those letters I'm gonna….ah! I'm getting off topic now. Back to business!
Old man Jenkins has the cutest opinion about the undelivered letters! I can't help but smile at his words. I'm glad Violet had enough spirit in her to go help with the deliveries.
Violet finishes her deliveries and old man Jenkins is thrilled they have all made it home safely. Violet then gathers up her courage and reads the letter from Erica and Iris.
"How are you doing, Violet? I thought about coming to see you, but after talking with Iris, we decided to write you a letter instead. It might be strange for a Doll to write another Doll, but we wanted you to know that we are worried about you. And that we are also…waiting for you. You might not feel like coming back to work right now, so take all the time you need. But if something happens, please don't hesitate to call us. Both Iris and I have faith you will return. Also, someone named Spencer came asking to scribe a letter for him. He wanted to send a thank you and an apology letter to his younger sister. He specifically asked for you…and insisted on having you write the letter."
What a thoughtful and heartfelt letter from the ladies! Good job girls! ❤
Violet ends up writing Spencer's letter for him and we find out the letter Erica and Iris sent was the first letter our Violet-chan has ever received. In turn Violet understands that the letter she received is important. It made her feel special.
There is not better feeling in the world than feeling special! It makes you feel like you are on top of the world!
One step forward:
As Violet is heading back to the office we see bits and pieces of all the people Violet-chan has helped thus far. From Princess Charlotte, to Oscar and Leon, Violet is slowly coming to terms with a life without the Major. She stops in front of a flower shop to look at the potted violet's. She recalls the time the Major and her first met and then when he gave her her name. Violet then takes that first step forward into moving on into a new life of her own.
Violet heads to Claudia's office and asks him the most important question of all:
And then Claudia even starts to tear up! Oh no no no! Please don't cry Claudia. It will only make things worse for me. You guys already know I hate when guys cry…and if Claudia cries…then I'll cry!
I'll leave you guys with Claudia's beautiful words of encouragement to Violet-chan:
Violet Evergarden Episode 8: Harsh Reality
We have finally come full circle in this week's newest episode of Violet Evergarden. We are now back to where it all began for Major Gilbert and Violet-chan. The Major and his brother have a brief conversation about Violet and how the Captain (once again) refers to Violet as a "weapon." As Dietfried bluntly puts it she's "just a war tool." Violet is a child of war. We have known that from the very first episode, but we never really knew how much of a tool she was until this episode. This is when Major Gilbert decides to take Violet in.
*Que opening song*
Confirmation:
Violet makes her way over to where Captain Dietfried is located and confronts him about Major Gilbert. She wants confirmation that he is truly "missing in action" as Claudia had previously mentioned. Dietfried seems a bit surprised that Violet doesn't know. Dietfried starts to say, "Gilbert is no longer…" but Violet cuts him off saying that he must still be alive. Violet is in denial through and through. My poor Violet-chan! I don't want her to suffer 😦
Dietfried then asks why Violet is making such a face (I'm guessing she looks distraught/bewildered). KyoAni decides to focus more on Violet's body language rather than her face. It is nice detailing because we as the audience can picture her face in our minds. It leaves this scene open to interpretation and a bit of mystery. Dietfried mocks Violet by saying she was nothing but an emotionless tool to Gilbert (which is a pretty low blow in my opinion). I guess he is confused on how Violet can be sad if she doesn't portray emotions like a normal human being.
We cut scenes to Cattleya giving Claudia an earful after she finds out Claudia told Violet the truth. Claudia wants Violet to accept the truth but we know it's not going to be that simple for our Violet-chan. Cattleya slams her hand on the desk and says, "You idiot! You always have the worse timing! To top it off, you have no idea about how women feel." I mean…Cattleya does have a point. I can't argue with her there. Also, I kinda like seeing Cattleya mad. It gives her character a new sense of depth.
Back to Violet-chan. We see her on a train heading to God-knows-where and she is clutching the emerald brooch Gilbert gave her. I feel her pain!
It seems we are transported back in time to when Gilbert takes Violet to his home for the first time. A (what I'm guessing) servant opens the door to greet Gilbert and is surprised by the presence of Violet. Gilbert asks the women to give Violet a bath and a change of clothes. Violet is looking kind of ratty at this point. She could use a good scrubbing! The lady reaches her hand out to Violet and says, "It's okay. Just come with me." Our wild Violet-chan ends up biting this poor ladies hand. Ouch!
I can now see why she was called Gilbert's dog. I wonder if Violet always had an affinity for biting? Maybe it was a survival thing since she was an orphan? That is my best guess.
Later that night Violet is asleep on the floor. Gilbert tries to place a blanket on top of her, he doesn't want her to catch a cold. Awww…how sweet! Violet is startled and jumps back from him.
Gilbert urges again that she will catch a cold if she doesn't have a blanket on her. He mentions that it will be cold again tomorrow as well.
Violet awakens to a missing Gilbert and frantically searches all throughout the house for him. She comes up empty handed. She races for the front door and just as she's about to open it Gilbert comes in. It knocks Violet down on her butt. It seems our Violet-chan has taken a liking to Gilbert-san's presence.
Front lines:
Top brass wants Violet-chan out on the front lines with Major Gilbert but he is completely against it. He claims Violet is too unstable (which I don't disagree with). Violet is still a child after all. This douche canoe then goes on to tell Gilbert that he should just exploit Violet as much as he can and then dump her on the battlefield when she is no longer of use. EXCUUUUUSE ME? Who the fuck is this dude? Do I need to jump into this anime and beat some ass? Cause I will. I hate when people talk about Violet-chan this way. It gets my blood boiling!!!
Gilbert objects one last time and fuck boy says he doesn't have time for Gilbert's hypocrisy. He then gives Gilbert the order of dismissal. Ugh…I can't even with this dude. So freaking arrogant.
Major Gilbert is given the task to fight the enemy head on in a night mission. Violet is with him but Gilbert urges she must stay put until he gets back. Uhhhh…I highly doubt that's gonna happen Major XD
As the Major's squad traverses through a river they stop when they notice an enemy guard. Gilbert signals for advancement with his hand but it isn't his team that charges forward…you guessed it! It is Violet-chan! Orphan girl by day, flying monkey by night. The usual. Violet carefully kills the enemy guard with such precision that it's almost terrifying. It's crazy to see Violet act on senseless regard and have no emotion when it comes to taking someone's life. This must be the weapon Captain Dietfried speaks of when he talks about Violet.
Violet takes out two other enemy guards near by but catches the area on fire since one of them was holding a lantern. The next scenes are what I believe to be the best of this episode:
The look on Violet's face, the worry in Gilbert's eyes, the way the flames dance all around Violet while she takes out the enemy one by one…these scene's were absolute PERFECTION. These moments encompass what Claudia was trying to tell Violet at the very beginning of the series, "You haven't realized that everything you've done so far has sparked a flame that is now burning you up." Violet is that very flame right here in the midst of war and there is no turning back.
Home again:
Violet ends up at Gilbert's home once more, but this time it is only her standing at the door when the servant opens it. Violet looks like she has gone through hell. She's all scuffed up and dirty from her journey. She proceeds to ask if the Major is home but we already know the answer to that question.
The faces Violet makes after seeing this grave is so fucking gut-wrenching that I almost can't even take it:
GOD DAMN. This is just getting worse and worse. My depressed little heart can't take much more. Violet then recalls the scene where Major Gilbert gave her her name. We saw this part in a previous episode, but this time Violet repeats her name after the Major gives it to her. Major Gilbert then decides to teach Violet to read and write. Violet replays the things everyone said about Major Gilbert and it seems she is on the brink of having a meltdown. Her eyes say it all….
The next scenes are basically the very beginning of episode 1. We see Major Gilbert and Violet in the city of Machtig for Thanksgiving. It is when they take a walk through the shopping district and Violet stumbles upon the emerald brooch that Gilbert decides to gift her. Violet was mesmerized by it because it was the same color as Gilbert's eyes. Gilbert is surprised that Violet didn't want one that matched the color of her eyes instead but Violet's response is a memorable one:
THAT'S MY VIOLET-CHAN! You make my heart melt baby girl. ❤ Even the Major is taken aback by Violet's words. The Major then steps over to Violet and places the brooch on her uniform under her neck. Violet thanks Gilbert but he doesn't respond. He just stares at the ground with tears in his eyes. Violet says thank you once more but Gilbert doesn't say a word. Gilbert must be heartbroken on the inside. I get the feeling he knows something is going to happen and he can't come to terms with it.
Also….can I just say I hate when guys cry! It is literally one of the saddest things to see. It tears me up inside and I can't handle it! It makes my heart break into a million little pieces. So for Gilbert to get all teary-eyed I know something is going to go down. Always trust your gut.
An old friend:
Finally we get to see Claudia and Gilbert interact as war buddies. I was waiting to see Captain Claudia in action! It seems Claudia's family was an important financier of the military, so it was always important to keep Claudia safe. Violet is wary of Claudia and almost defends Gilbert before Gilbert tells her to stand down. He then introduces Claudia as his old classmate and this is when Claudia recognizes Violet from the training ground. Claudia goes on to ask Gilbert why he still has Violet by his side. He even notes, "Isn't she the one who wreaked havoc in Capria?" To which Gilbert responds with Violet's name. He says, "She didn't have a name, so I gave her one." Claudia then asks if Gilbert is going to use her for Operation Regain Intense. Gilbert says if they can regain Intense then the enemy will crumble. This will likely be the final fight. Claudia starts to walk off from Gilbert and Violet, but before he does he mentions that once the war is over he's thinking about quitting the army to start a company. He wants Gilbert to come work for him but Gilbert doesn't like the idea of working under Claudia. Claudia then retorts with:
If only Claudia knew how true those words would become.
Operation Intense:
Operation Intense kicks off with Gilbert's crew heading into the enemy's headquarters via the sewers underneath the structure. Attacking them front the front would prove to be too difficult, so they opt for the latter. The artillery team will bombard the enemy first, and while the enemy was distracted they would use the sewers to infiltrate Intense, rush the cathedral, and take control of the enemies headquarters. Alright, seems like a solid enough plan. I can get behind it.
Once the headquarters were controlled they would send up a flare to signal reinforcements to charge, and the operation would be complete. Should be easy peasy right? Wrong.
Violet leads the team through the sewers, taking out enemies left and right. Some of the squad members don't make it past the first point. Sad. The team is able to get past the first throng of enemies and races to the cathedral as planned. Upon entry of the cathedral we get a birds eye view that it is empty. OMG…IT'S A FUCKING TRAP. I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT!!! FUUUUCCCKKKK.
The enemy fires from above and Violet dashes to push Gilbert out of the way. Bullets and blood fly all over the place.
Violet manages to get Gilbert behind a wall before matters get worse. They both take a moment to catch their breath before diving back into the fight. Violet and Gilbert shoot up the enemy in a matter of seconds. The are a force to be reckoned with! It seems a fire has started outside and we see forces moving out.
Gilbert and Violet make it outside to the top of Intense and Gilbert fires off the signal flare.
They were able to pull off the initial plan. We get a brief moment of Claudia giving a smile before reinforcements head out to take over the rest of Intense. Violet stares at Gilbert from behind before calling out in a questioning tone, "Major?" Major Gilbert turns to Violet and gives her a weak smile.
And then the dreaded moment happens. I knew it was coming but I was still in shock. My hand went right over my mouth and I couldn't help but be surprised that it finally happened. I'll leave you guys with the final seconds of the show:
on March 2, 2018 March 2, 2018 by	kawaiipaperpandas
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