Basic Info / 基本情報
|
English |
日本語 |
|---|---|
|
Director |
Taichi Ishidate / 石立太一 |
|
Year |
2020 |
|
Running Time |
140 min (2h 20m) |
|
Genre |
Anime, Drama, Romance, War / アニメ、ドラマ、ロマンス、戦争 |
|
Production |
Kyoto Animation |
|
Box Office |
¥2.18 billion (Domestic), $21.4 million (Worldwide) |
Synopsis / あらすじ
English Years have passed since the Great War ended. Violet Evergarden, a young woman once weaponized as a “killing machine” in the military, now works as an Auto Memory Doll—a ghostwriter who gives voice to the unspoken feelings of others. Through her travels across the continent, she has learned of human emotions and the warmth of a smile. Yet, she remains haunted by the final words of the man who meant everything to her: “I love you.” This film is the final chapter of her journey—a story about the letters we write, the words we cannot say, and the enduring power of love to heal a broken heart.
日本語 大戦が終結して数年。かつて軍で「戦うための道具」として育てられた少女、ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデンは、今、代筆業「自動手記人形（ドール）」として歩んでいます。大陸各地を巡り、人々の想いを言葉にしていく日々の中で、彼女は少しずつ人間の感情を知り、微笑むことを覚えました。しかし、彼女の心には今も、かつての大切な人が最後に残した「愛してる」という言葉が深く刻まれていました。本作は、彼女の旅の終着点——綴られる手紙、伝えられない想い、そして傷ついた心を癒やす「愛」の力を描いた物語です。
Cast & Crew / スタッフ・出演
|
Role |
English |
日本語 |
|---|---|---|
|
Director / 監督 |
Taichi Ishidate |
石立太一 |
|
Screenplay / 脚本 |
Reiko Yoshida |
吉田玲子 |
|
Based on |
Light novel series by Kana Akatsuki |
暁佳奈のライトノベルシリーズ |
|
Character Design / キャラクターデザイン |
Akiko Takase |
高瀬亜貴子 |
|
Music / 音楽 |
Evan Call |
エバン・コール |
|
Theme Song |
“WILL” by TRUE |
TRUE「WILL」 |
|
Art Director / 美術監督 |
Mikiko Watanabe |
渡邊美希子 |
|
Director of Photography / 撮影監督 |
Kohei Funamoto |
船本孝平 |
|
Color Design / 色彩設計 |
Yuka Yoneda |
米田侑加 |
|
Editing / 編集 |
Kengo Shigemura |
重村建吾 |
|
Sound Director / 音響監督 |
Yota Tsuruoka |
鶴岡陽太 |
|
Animation Director / 作画監督 |
Taichi Ishidate, Akiko Takase, Chiyoko Ueno, Miku Kadowaki |
石立太一、高瀬亜貴子、上野千穂子、門脇未来 |
|
Production / 制作 |
Kyoto Animation |
京都アニメーション |
|
Distribution / 配給 |
Shochiku |
松竹 |
|
Executive Producer / エグゼクティブプロデューサー |
Shinichi Nakamura, Hideaki Hatta, Yota Tsuruoka |
中村慎一、八田英明、鶴岡陽太 |
|
Cast / 声の出演 |
Yui Ishikawa (Violet Evergarden) |
石川由依（ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン） |
|
Daisuke Namikawa (Gilbert Bougainvillea) |
浪川大輔（ギルベルト・ブーゲンビリア） | |
|
Takehito Koyasu (Claudia Hodgins) |
子安武人（クラウディア・ホッジンズ） | |
|
Hidenobu Kiuchi (Dietfried Bougainvillea) |
木内秀信（ディートフリート・ブーゲンビリア） | |
|
Haruka Tomatsu (Cattleya Baudelaire) |
戸松遥（カトレア・ボードレール） | |
|
Aya Endo (Erica Brown) |
遠藤綾（エリカ・ブラウン） | |
|
Minori Chihara (Iris Cannary) |
茅原実里（アイリス・カナリー） | |
|
Koki Uchiyama (Benedict Blue) |
内山昂輝（ベネディクト・ブルー） | |
|
Azusa Tadokoro (Taylor Bartlett) |
田所あずさ（テイラー・バートレット） | |
|
Aoi Yuki (Yuris) |
悠木碧（ユリス） | |
|
Megumi Han (Daisy Magnolia) |
潘めぐみ（デイジー・マグノリア） |
Additional Information / 追加情報
Awards / 受賞歴
- 44th Japan Academy Film Prize (2021) – 1 win:
- Animation of the Year – WON
- Newtype Anime Awards (2020) – Multiple wins:
- Best Film – WON
- Best Director – WON (Taichi Ishidate)
- Best Screenplay – WON (Reiko Yoshida)
- Best Character Design – WON (Akiko Takase)
- Best Score – WON (Evan Call)
- Best Female Character – WON (Violet Evergarden)
- Tokyo Anime Award Festival (2021) – 2 wins:
- Animation of the Year (Feature Film) – WON
- Best Music – WON (Evan Call)
- Crunchyroll Anime Awards (2021) – 7 nominations, 2 wins:
- Best Film – WON
- Best Animation – WON
- Best Director – nomination (Taichi Ishidate)
- Best Character Design – nomination
- Best Score – nomination (Evan Call)
- Best Drama – nomination
- Best Romance – nomination
- Shanghai International Film Festival (2021) – 1 win:
- Best Animated Feature Film – WON (Golden Goblet Award)
- Fantasia International Film Festival (2021) – Official Selection:
- Camera Lucida Competition
- SciFi-London Film Festival (2021) – 1 win:
- Best Animated Feature – WON
- Animation Kobe (2020) – 1 win:
- Theatrical Film Award – WON
Critical Reception / 批評的評価
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (Critics), 99% (Audience) – based on limited reviews
- IMDb: 8.4/10
- MyAnimeList: 9.03/10 (#1 anime movie, #2 all anime at time of release)
- Filmarks: 4.3/5
- Eiga.com (映画.com): 4.3/5
- Universally acclaimed as masterpiece of animation
- Kyoto Animation’s artistry praised as pinnacle of medium
- Emotional impact described as “devastating,” “cathartic”
- Yui Ishikawa’s vocal performance as Violet highly praised
- Evan Call’s orchestral score universally acclaimed
- Letter-writing motif celebrated as profound metaphor
- 140-minute runtime considered perfectly paced
- Some criticized as “too slow,” “melodramatic”
- Criticized by minority as “war crime apologia” (child soldier narrative)
- Final 30 minutes described as “emotionally overwhelming”
- Visual storytelling (rain, letters, seasons) analyzed extensively
- Variety: “A breathtakingly beautiful meditation on loss and love”
- The Guardian: “Exquisite animation and profound emotional depth”
- Anime News Network: A+ “A masterpiece that transcends the medium”
- Praised for depicting trauma, PTSD, recovery authentically
- Resonated deeply post-Kyoto Animation arson attack (July 18, 2019)
Box Office Performance / 興行成績
- Worldwide Total: Approximately $21.4 million
- Domestic (Japan): ¥2.18 billion
- Final attendance: Approximately 1.33 million
- Opened September 18, 2020 in 157 theaters
- International: Estimated $1.5 million
- Limited releases in select Asian markets, North America, Europe
- Production Budget: Estimated ¥500-700 million (approximately $4.5-6.5 million USD)
- Return on Investment: Approximately 3.5-4.4x
- Opening Weekend (Japan):
- ¥453 million (3-day weekend)
- #1 at Japanese box office
- Per-screen average: ¥2.88 million
- Context – Kyoto Animation Arson Attack:
- July 18, 2019: Arson attack killed 36 KyoAni staff, injured 33
- Worst mass murder in Japan’s post-war history
- Production staff lost, delayed film 8 months (April → September 2020)
- Film became tribute to lost colleagues
- Audience attended as memorial, support for KyoAni
- COVID-19 Impact:
- Released during pandemic (September 2020)
- Limited theater capacity (50-70% in Japan)
- International releases delayed/cancelled
- Streaming delayed to protect theatrical revenue
- Despite restrictions, became major success
- Milestones:
- Remained in top 10 for 10 consecutive weeks
- ¥1 billion: 24 days (faster than most anime films)
- ¥2 billion: 63 days (November 20, 2020)
- Longest theatrical run for KyoAni film (6+ months)
- Comparison to TV Series:
- TV anime (2018): Massive critical/commercial success
- OVA Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (2019): ¥900M+
- Movie (2020): Exceeded expectations given COVID-19
- Demographic Breakdown:
- 60% female audience (unusual for anime films)
- Strong concentration ages 18-35
- Significant older audience (40+) drawn by themes
- International fanbase despite limited releases
- Japan Performance Analysis:
- #11 highest-grossing domestic film of 2020
- #2 highest-grossing anime film of 2020 (after Demon Slayer)
- KyoAni’s highest-grossing theatrical film ever
- Outperformed A Silent Voice (¥2.3B, KyoAni’s previous record)
- International Performance:
- Limited North American release (Funimation, February-March 2021)
- Played in ~500 US theaters at peak
- US gross: ~$700,000 (limited by pandemic)
- Strong performance in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China (limited release)
- European releases in Germany, France, UK (arthouse circuits)
- Australian/NZ release (Madman Entertainment)
- Repeat Viewing Phenomenon:
- Average 2.8 viewings per attendee (exceptionally high)
- Fans reported watching 5-10+ times
- “Violet loss” (ヴァイオレットロス) trended on Twitter
- Theaters reported sold-out late-run screenings (unusual)
- Home Media:
- Blu-ray/DVD released April 21, 2021 (Japan)
- Sold 47,000 copies first week (#1)
- Cumulative sales: 150,000+ units
- Deluxe editions with storyboards, artbooks sold out
- Streaming:
- Netflix exclusive (global except Asia) – October 13, 2021
- Delayed 13 months to protect theatrical/home media revenue
- Trended #1 in 15+ countries upon release
- Introduced massive new audience to series
- Merchandise & Tie-Ins:
- Limited edition letter sets sold out nationwide
- Fountain pen collaborations (Pilot, Sailor)
- Post office collaborations (special stamps, postmarks)
- Pop-up cafés, exhibitions
- Light novel sales surged 400%
- Cultural Impact:
- Revived interest in letter-writing among youth
- Japan Post reported increased airmail services
- “Violet Evergarden effect” on stationery industry
- Letter-writing workshops inspired by film
- Schools used film to teach empathy, communication
- Kyoto Animation Recovery:
- Box office success aided KyoAni’s financial recovery
- Demonstrated studio’s resilience post-tragedy
- Profits donated to victim support fund
- Film dedicated to lost colleagues (end credits)
- Awards Season Impact:
- Japan Academy Prize win (Animation of the Year) boosted prestige
- International festival wins expanded global awareness
- MyAnimeList #1 ranking sustained long-term interest
- Crunchyroll wins validated critical consensus
- Legacy:
- Considered one of greatest anime films ever made
- Standard for anime emotional storytelling
- Inspired new generation of letter-writing narratives
- KyoAni’s artistic peak acknowledged industry-wide
- Became symbol of studio’s perseverance after tragedy
Related Review / 関連レビュー
🔗 English Review
・[Airmail Day] “For the day we gained wings, we dare to remember a love that was heavy—long before the world learned to fly
🔗 日本語レビュー
・【エアメールの日】翼を得た日のために。あえて、翼を得る前の、重い愛を
