Grab some tissues to wipe away your tears, dear viewers, as we bring you Violet Evergarden. The visuals and bright color palettes are chosen and sculpted by Kyoto Animation.
Violet Evergarden is an all-in package. From beautifully drawn characters, fantastic storytelling, an emotion-inducing plot, and a beautifully crafted universe, viewers are guaranteed to have a great time.
You will either end up crying or rooting for the young protagonist as you watch her develop into a human being experiencing emotions for the first time.
Slice of life genres are typically not a “go-to” by anime fans, but Violet Evergarden is an exception to that. It leaves a lasting impact, a lesson worth learning about how words on paper can deliver the most powerful emotion.
Violet Evergarden is a comfort anime when you want to have a break away from all the violent and action-packed genres.
If you are in for an emotional ride of self-discovery—this anime is for you.
Violet Evergarden Watch Order By Chronological Order of Events
The best way to watch Violet Evergarden is to watch it in chronological order of events.
Although the main anime series only has 13 episodes, watching the OVAs and movies can help viewers to focus on the storyline.
You will be able to see the different perspectives of other characters and make a much deeper connection with the series.
| Watch Order | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Violet Evergarden (Episodes 1-4) |
| 2 | Violet Evergarden: Kitto “Koi” wo Shiru Hi ga Kuru no Darou (2018) |
| 3 | Violet Evergarden (Episodes 5-13) |
| 4 | Violet Evergarden Gaiden: Eien to Jidou Shuki Ningyou (2019) |
| 5 | Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2021) |
Where to Watch Violet Evergarden (October 2022)
| US | Netflix, Funimation, Crunchyroll |
| Canada | Funimation, Crunchyroll |
| UK | Funimation, Crunchyroll |
| Australia | Funimation, Crunchyroll |
Violet Evergarden is available to watch on Netflix in the US. Most of the animated films are uploaded to that streaming site.
If you are outside the US, you might need to use a VPN to access it.
Complete Summary of Violet Evergarden Anime
| # of Episodes | 13 |
| Runtime | Approximately 24 minutes per episode |
| Manga Canon Episodes | 1-13 |
| Anime Canon Episodes | None |
| Special Episodes | Violet Evergarden: Kitto “Koi” wo Shiru Hi ga Kuru no Darou (2018) |
| ONA | 5 |
| Movies | Violet Evergarden Gaiden: Eien to Jidou Shuki Ningyou, Violet Evergarden Movie |
Violet Evergarden is a steampunk, drama, slice-of-life, and coming-of-age anime. It focuses on the story of a girl named Violet.
The light novel of the franchise was written by Japanese author Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. The anime was published on December 25, 2015, by Kyoto Animation.
Taichi Ishidate and Haruka Fujita directed the anime television series. The series was licensed by Netflix, Madman Entertainment, Funimation, and anime Anime Limited.
Violet Evergarden is a mini television series that was adapted by Kyoto Animation. It would go on to win awards such as the grand prize in the 5th Kyoto Animation Award’s novel category in 2014 and Best Animation at the 2019 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Violet Evergarden Complete Anime Synopsis
1. Violet Evergarden (Episodes 1-4)
| Media | Series |
| Original Release | January 11 – February 1, 2018 |
| Runtime | Approximately 24 minutes per episode |
| IMDb Rating | 8.4/10 |
Violet is a young female soldier that is part of the Leidenschaftlich Army under Major Gilbert Bougainvillea. Violet got severely injured in her last battle, which cost her her arms. They were later on replaced with prostheses.
Colonel Claudia Hodgins is a former colleague and acquaintance of Gilbert, and he came to pick the girl up after her recovery in the hospital.
Turns out, after the war, Gilbert had arranged for Violet to be fostered by the Evergarden family, which is how she got her last name. Violet asks the whereabouts of Gilbert, to which the Colonel dodges to answer.
Violet was raised most of her life by Gilbert as a child, and because of the environment of military discipline, she had a hard time adjusting to normal life.
Violet was originally used by the army as a killing machine; hence, no love and gentleness were exposed to her. Still, Hodgins was sure that she could be accustomed to a civilian lifestyle.
Hodgins hires Violet in his company, CH Postal, as a postal worker. Violet quickly gains interest in being a ghostwriter and becomes an Auto Memory Doll.
Violet, along the way, will learn what it’s like to be a normal girl with her own aspirations and choices.
2. Violet Evergarden: Kitto “Koi” wo Shiru Hi ga Kuru no Darou (2018)
| Media | Special |
| Original Release | July 4, 2018 |
| Runtime | 34 minutes |
| IMDb Rating | 8.3/10 |
Hodgin’s company, CH Postal, has just received a job request to transcribe a love letter from a well-known opera singer Irma Felice.
Violet accepts the job and goes to Irma as her Auto Memory Doll, but this job has proven to be far too difficult than just writing a simple love letter.
Irma provides only small pieces of information about the person she intends to send the letter to. And what’s more, she asks Violet to write the letter based on her own emotions, not Irma’s.
Because of Violet’s lack of knowledge and exposure to human feelings such as love, she understandably has difficulty writing something Irma would approve of.
Violet, who is short on options, decides to consult and ask for help from her fellow colleagues. They happily add their input by making their own love letters, but Irma is still not moved by it.
Violet finally asks Irma to use her own emotions and transcribe what she really feels into words because only she can satiate her own standards for her love letter.
3. Violet Evergarden (Episodes 5-13)
| Media | Series |
| Original Release | February 8 – April 5, 2018 |
| Runtime | Approximately 24 minutes per episode |
| IMDb Rating | 8.4/10 |
Violet was sent to a faraway kingdom in Drossel. She was tasked by the military to write a public love letter for their young princess Charlotte, which is to be addressed to Flugel, the prince of a neighboring kingdom.
Princess Charlotte is nervous about being wedded to Prince Damien. She later on confides to Violet that she already harbors feelings for the prince but is not confident if he feels the same towards her.
In the later episodes, Violet continues on her journey to self-discovery. She meets new people along the way, which helps her broaden her perspective on life and love.
People from her past will also appear, some hate her, and some admire her. Violet will learn what it takes to be a human and discover what Gilbert means when he professes his love when they are near death’s door.
4. Violet Evergarden Gaiden: Eien to Jidou Shuki Ningyou (2019)
| Media | Movie |
| Original Release | September 6, 2019 |
| Runtime | 1 hr. 31 minutes |
| IMDb Rating | 7.4/10 |
Isabelle is a noblewoman born from the noble York family. She was enrolled in an all-girls academy. There, she will be trained and groomed to become a befitting lady, one that society approves.
Isabella hated the thought that her responsibility as a woman was nothing more than to be a respected aristocrat and maintain a good social life.
She sees her school as a prison, restraining her from being free. She struggles to keep up with her lessons and ultimately hires Violet as her personal tutor.
Violet was perfect in everything she did, seeing as she was brought up with discipline and control in the military. But Isabella did not know that and so misunderstood that she was just any other noble lady.
She was quickly proven wrong when she learned about Violet’s struggles and imperfections. Isabella then confides to Violet about Taylor Bartlett, her sister, with whom she lost contact a long time.
Violet asks if she wants to make a letter to her sister, and so begins Isabella’s struggles to convey her feelings and put what she wants to say into words.
5. Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2021)
| Media | Movie |
| Original Release | September 18, 2020 |
| Runtime | Approximately 2 hrs. 20 minutes |
| IMDb Rating | 8.5/10 |
Years have passed since the Great War. The world is progressing into a modern state where phones and cable communication are replacing the Auto Memory Dolls.
Moreover, the concept of writing letters is slowly declining. However, Violet’s reputation as an Auto Memory Doll continues to rise.
Violet continues on her journey of self-discovery. She continues to expose herself to the many emotions the world could give her as she meets different kinds of people with unique personalities.
But most of all, she wants to learn what “I love you” means. A phrase confessed to her by her Major Gilbert as they are on the cusp of death.
Violet refuses to give up on the idea that her major is dead and believes that somewhere out there, he is still alive. And when she does meet him, she can confidently share with him her understanding of the emotion called “love”.