REVIEW: ‘Violet Evergarden: Recollections’ Delivers Many Of The Show’s Biggest Moments

Violet Evergarden was an orphan taken in by the state and raised to be a weapon. Viewed as simply a tool by most, the only person who ever showed her kindness was her direct superior, Major Gilbert. In the war’s closing days, however, both of them were wounded in a battle. When Violet came to, she was in a hospital, the war was over, and the Major was nowhere to be found. Taken in by a fellow vet, Violet now must adjust to a new life as she searches for the meaning of Major Gilbert’s last words to her. Violet Evergarden: Recollections delivers some of the most impactful moments of that journey in one concise hour-and-a-half viewing.

When I first learned what this movie was, I was deeply concerned with how it would deliver Violet’s tale. Being described as a condensed recap in its description, I couldn’t fathom how such an approach would bring any form of justice to the emotional voyage the original series took viewers on. Violet Evergarden: Recollections’ biggest saving grace is that the above description is not accurate. Rather than a condensing of her tale, this movie serves more like a greatest hits collection. The bulk of the film consists of content from six of the original series’ thirteen episodes. This reformatting delivers a surprising amount of the original series’ impact.

And while this may sound odd, the best part of how Violet Evergarden: Recollections presents its approach to the series is that it completely omits the final three episodes, as well as the follow-up special and movies. As such, this can serve as an excellent onboarding tool for people who might be interested but don’t want to commit to the full series. You get some of the most emotional episodes the series is known for, without having the ending moments of the tale spoiled in a rushed fashion. So if you find this movie hits for you, you can enjoy the full journey without knowing how it will ultimately turn out.

Despite its omissions, Violet Evergarden: Recollections does a great job of giving the viewer the full scope of what this series offers. Joy, sorrow, struggle, and dealing with the sins of the past are all brought through thanks to the episodes and moments that the movie chooses to include, while still leaving much to discover if one should decide to use this as a stepping stone to a full watch through.

Violet Evergarden: Recollections serves as a great experience for both returning and first-time viewers. It lets you experience many of the series’ best moments in a shortened timeframe while managing to not sacrifice their emotional impact.

And if you are a first viewer and decide to check out the rest this amazing franchise has to offer, I recommend watching the series first, then Violet Evergarden: Special, Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll, and lastly, Violet Evergarden: The Movie.

All of these can be found streaming now on Netflix.