The Significance of the Letter

Violet Evergarden does an amazing job of portraying the significance of writing letters and receiving them. I thought the beginning of the anime was slow, but I’m very glad I completed it. Violet Evergarden does a great job at pulling at your heartstrings. Definitely give it a watch!

I was thinking about Violet Evergarden and letters in general, then thought about the letters and cards I’ve received over the years. I actually keep the majority of them, any card or letter that contains a personal message. Some, I keep in a box in my room. The rest, I keep downstairs.

Some letters and cards are from people I am no longer in touch with. I think it’s natural to drift away from people. Then we meet new people. There is nothing strange about that. The people that were once a part of my life were there for me during my highs and lows. Their letters and cards serve as a way for me to remember them, and evidence of the good moments we shared.

I write letters. In fact, I rarely give people cards. Some people tell me that they love that I write letters. I think that it is sometimes easier to convey feelings through words. I spend a long time on my letters. I write with different coloured pens sometimes. I also decorate them with stickers and stamps. I hope that people enjoy reading my letters. ^^

Anime Wrap Up for 2018

Most of the anime I watched this year were not seasonal anime. Non-anime shows and movies, shows I dropped, put on hold, and shows I’m currently watching are excluded from this post. I’m also probably missing some titles.

Anime Series I’ve Completed in 2018

* Koi wa Ameagari no You ni (After the Rain) – I’ve reviewed this beautiful anime, which you can read about in this post.

* Violet Evergarden – I highly recommend this stunning anime because it will tug on your heartstrings.

* Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 (Attack on Titan Season 3) – I was disappointed when they stopped airing season 3 halfway, when it was reportedly supposed to have over 20 episodes.

* Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor – Kaiji is my third favourite anime, and the best psychological anime I’ve seen.

* Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku-hen – This is the second season of Kaiji.

* Touhai Densetsu Akagi: Yami ni Maiorita Tensai – This is by the same creator of Kaiji, and the focus is on mahjong.

* One Outs – This is by the same creator of the manga, Liar Game. It’s a psychological baseball anime.

* Steins;Gate – This was difficult to get into, and my opinion of it did not change halfway through, contrary to what others were telling me.

* Tokyo Ghoul – The beginning was slow, but last episode was amazing. It has the best anime opening. I reviewed the last episode, which you can read here.

* Inuyashiki – This is one of my favourite anime. It’s not as heavy as Gantz, but there are mass murders.

* Kamisama no Memochou (Heaven’s Memo Pad) – The last episode left a lasting impression on me. I’ve reviewed this anime, which you can read here.

* Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori (Hell Girl Season 2) – This was a great anime, and the latter of the series was super interesting. I reviewed this series in this post.

* Jigoku Shoujo: Yoi no Togi (Hell Girl: The Fourth Twilight) – I wouldn’t recommend this one, unless you are an avid fan of Hell Girl. I reviewed this series in this post.

* Sakamoto Desu ga? – A good watch if you’re looking for comedy or slice of life.

* Boku dake ga Inai Machi (Erased) – I absolutely loved this anime, and it’s a series I can binge. The ending is too rushed, but the Netflix live-action adaptation does a better job with the ending,

* Chuukan Kanriroku Tonegawa – This is a spin-off featuring the antagonists from Kaiji, Tonegawa and Ootsuki. It is a comedy, and has made me laugh on several occasions. I looked forward it every week. You can read my Tonegawa post here and Ootsuki post here.

* Boku no Hero Academia 3rd Season – I had to take a break from it because of the hype, but I’m really glad I returned to it. There were uninteresting parts, but it became really good afterwards. I’m looking forward to the fourth season.

Anime Movies I’ve Completed in 2018

* Ghost in the Shell – Unpopular opinion, but I don’t like Ghost in the Shell.

* Metropolis – Unpopular opinion, but I don’t like Osamu Tezuka’s works.

* Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) – Not my favourite Studio Ghibli film…

* Kimi no Na wa. (Your Name) – This is probably my favourite anime film. The colours are beautiful and the music is memorable.

* A Silent Voice – I’m sorry, but I liked Kimi no Na wa. better.

* Steins;Gate Movie: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu – This film made me like Steins;Gate. I was seriously so impressed by it.

* Boku no Hero Academia the Movie: Futari no Hero – I watched this one in the movie theatres, and it was really good. I liked the focus on All Might, but I wish that Froppy played a major role.

* Saint☆Oniisan (Movie) – I need more!

* Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa (Castle in the Sky) – The music is what got me interested in this film. It’s not my favourite Studio Ghibli film, but the ending is great.

Special Episodes I’ve Completed in 2018

* Steins;Gate: Oukoubakko no Poriomania – This didn’t leave an impression on me.

* Steins;Gate: Kyoukaimenjou no Missing Link – Divide By Zero – Sets up the stage for Steins;Gate 0.

* Violet Evergarden: Kitto “Koi” wo Shiru Hi ga Kuru no Darou – I reviewed this beautiful special episode, which you can read here.

OVAs I’ve Completed in 2018

* Saint☆Oniisan – Jesus and Buddha go on vacation in modern day Japan and they are roommates. This is comedy, and it made me laugh out loud.

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I’ll probably complete Ore Monogatari!! since we have a little over a week left in 2018.

Thank you for reading my blog this year and in previous years, and I look forward to reviewing more anime in 2019!

Review: Violet Evergarden Special Episode

Violet Evergarden: Special (also known as Violet Evergarden: Kitto “Koi” wo Shiru Hi ga Kuru no Darou) was released on October 4th on Netflix, and of course I had to watch it on the release date. It’s not the same as the Violet Evergarden movie, which will be released in 2020. I can’t wait to watch that!

Since it’s an extra episode, it is the same length (34 minutes). If you haven’t watched the series yet, you should start that first. This special episode takes place between episodes four and five. If you are new to the amazing anime called Violet Evergarden, you should watch the first four episodes, this special episode, then proceed to episode five.

Synopsis: Violet is faced with a very difficult job. She has to help an Opera House songstress write a love letter that “makes all women yearn and all men’s hearts pound.”

Although I think that this episode should be part of the main series, I do think that this episode stands out from the rest. I think it’s because of the music aspect, since Violet’s client is an opera singer. The anime has a beautiful soundtrack, but the music is especially good in this one.

The animation is still a 10/10 for me. I enjoyed this episode a lot. If you liked Violet Evergarden, definitely give this special episode a watch. Violet’s character development will make more sense because of her experiences in this special episode.

If you’ve never seen Violet Evergarden but have an appreciation for letters or for love, please give this anime a try. It took a few episodes for me to warm up, but I gradually fell in love with the series. Many of my anime blogger friends have cried while watching this, and maybe you will too.