Violet Evergarden‘s side story film is a tragic remnant of the skill of many Kyoto Animation artists whose lives were cut far too short, but also a bright look towards the future by a new generation of creators who now more than ever are meant to become leading voices at the studio.
Haruka Fujita, who was the sole project leader for the first time with Violet Evergarden Side Story, shared her experiences pre-production, the actual animation process, and the positive outlook she kept all the way through.
Welcome back to the most special post of the year! As is tradition, we’ve gathered writers from different communities but a shared trait: a love of animation and all it encompasses. The goal, to praise at length the greatest productions and most resonant direction in all of 2018 anime, according to a series of categories. These are our yearly anime awards – the sakugabowl!
An honestly predictable self-contained tale ended up being the most emotionally powerful one to date, standing as good proof of just how important the vision of a director is. No better chance to examine the work of all the staff involved than an episode like this!
The arc dealing with Violet’s loss and acceptance comes to an end with a spectacular set of episodes that could, and maybe should, be the show’s grand finale. Let’s examine the work of the talented directors involved and the ups and downs of this production, while waiting for whatever will come next.
Perhaps the most important episode of Violet Evergarden on a narrative sense since the premiere, as well as an interesting change in tone that also brings back the grandeur of the first episode. And beyond that, another chance to examine the production of the series and details some fans have asked us about, like which tools were used to create this series.
Once again a Kyoto Animation veteran showed up to handle a very pleasant chapter in the adventures of Violet Evergarden. This is the right moment to inspect not just how he brilliantly constructs anime, but also how the studio as a whole approaches the production process – things are changing!
Now that the introduction is done and the titular character has wrapped up her training, Kyoto Animation’s aces have come to deliver the strongest episodes of Violet Evergarden to date. We’ll look at the wonderful episodic stories storyboarded by Yasuhiro Takemoto and Naoko Yamada, explain how a new influx of young creators came into play, and try to make sense of this spectacular yet confusing production.
This week’s episode of Violet Evergarden is a chance to highlight all the detail and care put into the background elements, to make it feel like we’re only experiencing one of the many stories going on in this world. And as usual, it’s time for some notes about the production itself too, like the unbelievably small group of staff members who have contributed to the series so far.
The second episode of Violet Evergarden offers a different flavor, in a way that’s very representative of the duo of directors handling the show; after the bombastic premiere by Taichi Ishidate, it’s the turn of young series director Haruka Fujita and her much more delicate, understated, and always very thoughtful approach to making anime. Let’s explore the countless details she filled the episode with, as well as more general points regarding this spectacular production. Enjoy!