The Violet Evergarden anime film from Kyoto Animation was originally slated to hit theaters in January 10, 2020 but was delayed to April 24, 2020 as the award-winning anime studio looked to recover from a horrifying arsonist attack at its main animation studio. However, the rise of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic resulted in a second delay to September.
The Violet Evergarden film was previously described as a "completely new work," indicating that it will expand upon the award-winning light novel series written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. The film has been listed with a runtime of 2 hours and 20 minutes, a lenghty runtime by anime film standards.
This film is separate from the Violet Evergarden I: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll standalone, side-story anime film which was previously released in September 2019 and enjoyed a limited theatrical-run in North American theaters this past February.
The Violet Evergarden TV anime was previously simulcast on Netflix worldwide during the Winter 2019 anime season. However, U.S. and Australian Netflix subscribers were forced to wait until April so the streaming platform could comply with its bing-watching business model.
The Great War finally came to an end after four long years of conflict; fractured in two, the continent of Telesis slowly began to flourish once again. Caught up in the bloodshed was Violet Evergarden, a young girl raised for the sole purpose of decimating enemy lines. Hospitalized and maimed in a bloody skirmish during the War's final leg, she was left with only words from the person she held dearest, but with no understanding of their meaning.
Recovering from her wounds, Violet starts a new life working at CH Postal Services after a falling out with her new intended guardian family. There, she witnesses by pure chance the work of an "Auto Memory Doll," amanuenses that transcribe people's thoughts and feelings into words on paper. Moved by the notion, Violet begins work as an Auto Memory Doll, a trade that will take her on an adventure, one that will reshape the lives of her clients and hopefully lead to self-discovery.