Violet Evergarden

SUMMARY

  • Violet Evergarden anime is the adaptation of the light novels with the same title by Kana Akatsuki.
  • The author opened up about her feelings on the differences between the anime and the light novels during a special interview.
  • Like many fans, she believed in the anime and appreciated how it retained the core essence of her work while making mindful changes.

Based on the light novel by Akatsuki Kana, Violet Evergarden anime is the favorite tear-jerker for many fans. The anime is a visual treat that is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, with the beautiful animation paired up with Violet’s melancholic experiences. The anime and the light novel have the same storyline, but as individual experiences, they differ quite a lot. 

Violet Evergarden can be seen holding an umbrella in Violet Evergarden animeViolet | Credits: Kyoto Animation

When an anime adaptation strays too far from its source material, the fans of the original are usually skeptical of the end result. With Violet Evergarden, the author of the light novel was confident that the fans would understand the anime by its end.

She spoke about her feelings about the differences between the light novel and the anime during an interview. Her words explain how she has an understanding of the differences between the two mediums and how she believes in both of them equally. 

Violet Evergarden Author on the Anime Adaptation 

The picture is a still from Violet Evergarden animeThe anime has stunning animation | Credits: Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation needs no introduction, and their works like A Silent Voice and K-On speak volumes about their prominence and popularity. The beautiful animation pulls at fans’ heartstrings and Violet Evergarden is no different. The anime has resonated on a deeper level with many fans. However, it’s quite different from its source material.

During a special interview (via translations on Tumblr), the author was asked about her views on the differences between the light novel and the anime. 

A novel is a world in which the amount of information is overwhelmingly large, and the author is the sole leader. Of course, the worldview is also modeled from the editors’ advice and the marvelous illustrations, but basically, it is a lonely work. 

With her words, the author highlighted how the anime is a team effort where different experts work together to bring a beloved project to life. There are many aspects to be considered. They put their best effort to bring the author’s vision to life, which sometimes leads to the fans’ expectations not being met.

Violet looks sad with a grim background behind her in Kana Akatsuki's Violet EvergardenViolet‘s character in the anime is different from the light novel | Credits: Kyoto Animation

However, the author had confidence that at the end of the anime, fans will understand that both the mediums are Violet Evergarden in the end. This belief and the understanding of how different both the mediums are, was probably the reason why she had no issues with the anime making changes to her creation. 

Surely, once it all comes to an end, I think they will be able to understand that both are “Violet Evergarden”.

It could be said that the differences of the light novel and the anime allow fans to experience the story in two different ways. While the anime is a more cohesive and linear project, the light novel goes back and forth with the timeline and perspectives. 

The Anime Captured the Best Aspects of the Light Novel 

Violent and Gilbert are sitting on a bed looking at each other in Violet Evergarden movieViolet and Gilbert | Credits: Kyoto Animation

In the light novel, the story is more fleshed out than the anime. Instead of growing through every interaction, Violet’s growth in the light novels happens gradually and is not as apparent. Many fans believe that the anime captured some of the best aspects of the light novels and added their own spin to it, and the final product turned out to be a memorable experience. 

The author somewhat agreed with this sentiment as she shared that even though the anime couldn’t adapt everything from the light novel, it retained the core essence through ‘subtleties’.

She felt that the stunning animation, music, and voice acting worked extremely well together. For any fan of the series, the mere mention of the anime alone is bound to spark joy and tears simultaneously. This special connection is a result of the writing, but Kyoto Animation has accentuated the appeal in the best way possible. 

Violet Evergarden anime is available to stream on Netflix. 

Violet Evergarden

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Written by Laveena Joshi

Articles Published: 175

Laveena holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism with a keen interest in entertainment journalism. Known to defend Naruto with her life, her love for anime has turned into great appreciation for the Japanese Culture. Besides considering herself a veteran weeb, she's also a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur. Better if the perfect brew is paired with a random video essay from YouTube. Blending her love for anime with the know-hows of content writing, she is now an anime content writer at FandomWire.