Violet Evergarden: Recollections

"A LOVED ONE WILL ALWAYS WATCH OVER YOU"

This review is for the mother and child story because it didn't fail to make me cry EVERY TIME.

The mother knew she did not have much time left and spent her last days writing letters to her daughter, which were to be given every year for 50 years, one for every birthday. We love how the mother's love can last even after a goodbye. And hate how they throw lines because every word will hit you. I wasn't even her parent, but seeing her grow, happy, and her ending makes me happy.

The anime Violet Evergarden is easily one of my favorite animes of all time, it's fantastic in every sense. What this movie is is a 'recollection' of previous plot points from the anime, but recompiled into an hour and 30 minute production. It cuts out some of the best moments from the anime, while adding sporadic jump cuts in some very odd places. It's not a horrible watch by any means, but if you're trying to enjoy everything this series has to offer you need to start with the anime and skip this one altogether. Still watched it, still somewhat enjoyed it, but I would ... not recommend it when a superior product exists.

Violet Evergarden is one of the greatest anime ever made. It contains one season, two one-shots, and a movie. Recollections is designed to condense that first season into ninety-five minute recap film.

But Evergarden never needed a recap. It's not a long show, and there wasn't much (if any) fat to cut.

In the original, Violet ventures out each episode to help a different client express their true feelings in the form of a letter. The scenarios are creative, beautiful, and often touching, but what matters is how Violet learns from them. She gradually comes to understand the meaning of love by seeing it reflected in her ... clients, and that helps her reconcile her tragic past. Seeing Violet grow into a fully realised human is part of what makes the show so remarkable. Spread among the one-shots are episodes focused on Violet's relationship with her beloved Major Gilbert - these are the 'important' bits, but it's the one-shots that make them work.

Recollections cuts most of it. The two introductory episodes are crammed into thirty minutes, and then we watch three of Violet's most popular assignments, largely unchanged (though they are all shortened). Gilbert's storyline is edited down into a nine-minute sequence which will no-doubt confuse first-time watchers. The original show's two-episode finale is totally thrown out, and in order to avoid any inconsistencies, the character of Dietfried - Gilbert's brother - is thrown out too.

The result is a rushed and disjointed experience. None of the characters (especially Violet) feel well-rounded because all their quiet, contemplative moments were cut. None of the emotional beats are given the time they need to settle. Before you can process one heart-wrenching scene, you're whisked along to the next. Recollections is inferior to the original in every way. At best, it's a excuse for existing fans to revisit some of the show's best moments. But the idea of a first-timer choosing to watch this is all sorts of horrifying.

Please don't do that.

Just watch the original.