Reviews

The hysteria is real!!! However, the "facts" aren't.

One solar flare from the sun can affect our climate temperatures for a century, and mankind can do zip about it.

Is climate change real? Yes, absolutely. Climate changes little by little daily, warmer to colder and back again, depending on seasons, and almost exclusively based on solar interaction.

Is climate change the fault of humans? No, absolutely not. There is zero actual evidence to support that humanity is the cause, because there have only been accurate temperature recordings for less than 2 centuries. For all we know (or don't know), that temperatures could regularly and normally fluctuate across the solar system multiple times of the course of a single millennia. There just isn't enough long term data to know for certain. Anyone who claims otherwise is a poser, not a true climatologist.

The real science doesn't match the hype. This is fearmongering at its worst, and we are causing unnecessary despair to an entire generation for no reason other than political gain.

I very much enjoyed this anthology of (mostly) animated short stories, though I don't recall seeing any actual "love" in any of the episodes. There was a lot of sex and nudity, which I get is essential to some of the plot lines. Though I would indeed like to see more content like this on Netflix, there seemed to be an unnecessary number of schlongs appearing in some of these episodes. I get the importance of nudity in some of the scenes, but excess is a turn off when I'm trying to engage with understanding a character and "oh, look, it's another dick". :(

I also enjoyed the mix in animation types, though I must admit that the stories that interested me the most were primarily CGI ("Sonnie's Edge", "Beyond the Aquila Rift", "Lucky 13" and "The Secret War"). This could be because they were the most intriguing stories, or that they were some of the longer ones, or because I am just use to this style as cutscenes for video games. Either way, I would be interested in seeing full length features of each of these.

The stories that seemed intriguing in concept but the weakest in this anthology in my opinion were "The Witness", "The Dump" and "Zima Blue", though each had their own "a-ha" moments.

All-in-all, though, I would be willing to put up with a few stinkers in order to see some quality shorts in another round or two of anthologies like this. Bring on "Sex, Death, Robots & Monsters" part 2.

I have seen a lot of anime in my time, with a log of almost 2,000 anime movies or series that I have reviewed (elsewhere than IMDb), and have given very, very few above a 10 star rating. I was very surprised after seeing the trailer for Violet Evergarden as this turned out to be so much more than I expected. Every episode pulls at your heartstrings as it revels the pains of daily life and the ever so important words that we need to say to the ones most important to us while we still have the chance, and sometimes, when that chance is no longer an option.

The animation visuals are truly amazing and do an excellent job of setting up both the intensity and/or gentleness of the moment, with a balanced mix between 2D and CG without ever making the mix obvious. I rate them a 10.

The background score also does an excellent job between music and sometimes pure silence to allow the viewer to either be pulled along by the emotions of the score, or to be hushed and feel the impact of statement or a visual expression. I rate it also a 10.

The overall story at times seems like it has been done before (which is hard to do these days when literally tens of thousands of anime titles have already been done), yet keeps it fresh with little twists that keep you tied to the main character. There are absolutely breathtaking moments with a sentence here or there literally yanks the emotions from your chest and helps you realize that even if this episode seems like something you've witnessed before, you haven't felt it quite like this. I rate it a 11.

The character development at times seems weak for some of the side characters, many of whom appear to be typical anime clichés. However, at other times some of the minor characters feel more developed that then what you might consider to be the main cast to highlight a significant emotional draw needed for that part of the story. As for the main character, the steps you see her development from what she was to what she can become, are slow, painful and sometimes a bit overemphasized. The character flashbacks, though, help you realize the internal struggle she has, and why her inability to let go is so strong while she deals with understanding the emotions of others. I rate it a 9.5.

If you are a fan of anime. This is a must see.

If you are not a fan of anime, but enjoy series with strong dramatic appeal and a solid, engaging story, this is a must see.

That said, be sure to have a box of tissues handy. You're going to need them.