While most anime today prefer to deliver larger-than-life thrills and melodramatic character drama, there’s been a steady rise in more grounded and emotionally contemplative series. These are shows that aren’t afraid to dip their toes into more complex topics and make viewers cry like there’s no tomorrow. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (2023) may be the poster child for anime like this, but a more underappreciated, yet equally valid series that deserves recognition is Violet Evergarden (2018).
For those uninitiated, the series follows Violet, a soldier who becomes a scribe following what is essentially the anime version of World War I. The series is almost entirely reliant on self-contained episodes focusing on the plights of her clients and their own stories. Think of it like the love child between the quiet musings of Kino’s Journey (2003) and the emotional devastation of Your Lie In April (2014). It’s an incredibly powerful series, and one of the most underappreciated anime on Netflix. If you’re interested in starting the series, then here’s the best way to watch Violet Evergarden in order.
Violet Evergarden (2018)
If there’s one word to describe Violet Evergarden, it’s empathetic. For each of the 13 episodes, we’re treated to a quaint, yet beautiful snapshot of human life and the importance not only of writing, but also how those words can lead to beauty. Violet Evergarden is a story of self-discovery. Violet knew only war for her life, and now that the world is in peace time, she has to adjust to a reality where conflict is no longer necessary.
Romantics will absolutely love what Violet Evergarden delivers because virtually every episode paints a picture of the beauty of life and the kindness people can have for one another. Fans of Plastic Memories (2015) will be familiar with this concept, as well as the tears that will inevitably be produced. They aren’t tears of sadness, though. Violet Evergarden will make you cry and restore your faith in humanity. If you’re in desperate need of some hope in your life, the anime will do that and then some.
Violet Evergarden OVA (2018)
Released only a few episodes after the series, the OVA for Violet Evergarden, titled “Surely, Someday, You Will Understand Love,” occupies a weird space in the series. It’s not strictly essential viewing, as it takes place between Episodes 4 and 5. Yet, the self-contained story within it is one of the best standalone stories in the series.
The key to that emotional resonance is how the OVA explores war and romance. Those who enjoy a good tragedy will find a lot to enjoy in Irma’s story. She’s a fun character to watch interact with Violet, and the more we learn about her, the more we sympathize with her and her inability to move past her own grief. There are plenty of shades of Atonement (2007) in the OVA, and by the end, the episode helps to reinforce the ideas of the main series and present Violet with a new shade of love for her to contemplate. As far as standalone episodes go, the Violet Evergarden OVA is excellent, and hearing Irma’s song at the end will make you bawl like a baby. Check it out if you want a good cry.
Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (2019)
Given the critical and financial success of the series, two movies were eventually produced. While Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020) was always intended to be a feature film, Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll wasn’t.
Originally meant to be another OVA, Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll is a film divided into two halves, with each part telling its own self-contained story. The film can feel a bit padded out. The two halves don’t quite support each other too well, feeling only loosely connected at times. Still, the emotional resonance is great, with fans of touching anime like Your Name (2016) finding a lot to love about Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s arguably the weakest Violet Evergarden experience, but when every other project is an A+, being just an A is hardly a slight against it.
Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)
Unlike Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll, Violet Evergarden: The Movie was always intended to be a feature film. The process of making it was a struggle, which included an arson attack on Kyoto Animation and the COVID-19 pandemic, but the end result is Violet Evergarden at its most lavish and detailed.
The film serves as a continuation of the series, yet it also takes several risks that could potentially undermine the conclusion of the anime. In truth, the film nicely wraps up several of the series’ lingering themes and ultimately showcases how Violet was able to learn about and discover love. More so than any other installment, Violet Evergarden: The Movie is a love story, and it deserves recognition as one of the best anime romance films of all time, alongside A Silent Voice (2016) and Weathering With You (2019). It’s maybe not quite as approachable as Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll is, since the story’s thematic weight is tied so tightly to the anime, but the writing and animation are far superior. If you want to feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and love anime with definitive endings, Violet Evergarden: The Movie is the best conclusion the series could have possibly received.
Violet Evergarden: Recollections (2021)
With Kyoto Animation finished with the series after Violet Evergarden: The Movie, one would have thought that would be the end of the series. And it was… in a way. No new original Violet Evergarden content has been produced, making Violet Evergarden: Recollections feel like the red-headed stepchild of the series.
Recollections is a compilation film. If you’ve seen films like Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon (2025), then you should know what to expect. Moments from Episodes 1 through 10 are taken and stitched together to serve as a highlight reel of the series. If you’ve already seen the anime, that makes it inessential. But if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t have the time to watch a 13- episode anime, but could more easily digest a 90-minute movie, then it gets the job done. Plenty of the series’ best moments are preserved here, even if they’re not quite as powerful as they were in the anime due to the shorter runtime. This is less of a fix for people begging for more Violet Evergarden content but more of a friendly reminder of the emotional capacity the series has.
