Rating: 8.5
Initial impressions
TL;DR: Episodes 1-6 OK, 7 great, 8-10 amazing, 11 great, 12-13 OK. I’ve also included some images of my favorite scenes below.
After getting through the first 7 episodes, I had conflicting opinions about the show. Although each episode was quite beautiful in isolation, the fact that each had a different cast of characters made it rather hard for me to get emotionally invested. After watching episode 3, I was pretty excited to see how the friendship between Violet and Luculia might develop since she’s the first person to actively befriend Violet, but she ends up being one-off character who only makes occasional cameos later on. Nonetheless, I think the relationship between Luculia and Spencer was definitely the strongest part of the first six episodes.
I also didn’t like episodes 4 and 5 that much. For 4, it just felt like a rather run-of-the-mill execution of “person who doesn’t understand feelings learns from a mistake,” along with another example to reinforce the beauty of letters that felt less poignant than the conclusion of Episode 3.
I also just couldn’t get behind the message of episode 5. The marriage makes perfect sense if only to forge a political alliance, which the Princess herself appears to acknowledge, but the episode also makes sure to emphasize that the Princess and the Prince feel genuine love for one another—in spite of having met only once, communicating only through letters, and a 10 year age gap. In my eyes, this seems like a relationship doomed to failure. I also think that this episode adds unnecessary ambiguity to the nature of the relationship between Gilbert and Violet, which seems pretty clearly father-daughter to me.
Episode 6 was alright, but having Violet “randomly” be paired with another orphan seemed a bit contrived to me. Nonetheless, I think the impact Violet had on him was illustrated well and the best moment of the show so far, apart from the moments with Luculia and Spencer.
Episode 7 was really good. Seeing Violet so invested in the play’s character is a great illustration of just how far she has come emotionally, and her assistance of the playwright definitely provides the strongest example yet of how Violet has helped others.
Then, the last 5 minutes of this episode somehow get even better, as we see Violet for the first time sympathize with those she killed in the past, wondering just how many “one day” wishes she took away, coming to a visceral understanding of her own feelings and others’ alike.
I cried so hard watching Episodes 8 and 9. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever cried more than in the E9 moment when Violet receives the letter from Iris and Erica. Just like Violet, this was the moment in the show when I came to appreciate just how beautiful a letter could be. To receive a letter is to know that someone is thinking of you, even when you’re not there, so much so that they can’t help but put their thoughts onto a page.
I don’t have much to say about the remaining episodes. I thought both episodes 10 and 11 were really good, with a similar purpose to the first 6 but executed much better. However, the protracted battle/war drama in 12-13 felt rather unnecessary, and I didn’t care much for the character of Dietfried. That final letter to Gilbert was beautiful though.
「愛してる」の意味は何ですか？
So, how does the show answer its central question: what does love mean?
Through Luculia, Violet learns that when you love someone, you are grateful for them.
Through Leon and Oscar Webster, she learns that you are lonely without them. 寂しい。
Through Gilbert, she learns that you find them beautiful. 美しい。
Through Iris and Erica’s letter, she learns that you think of them, even when they’re not there.
Through Gilbert’s mom, she learns that they will always live on in your heart.
And through Violet, I learned just how beautiful and multifaceted love really is.