The TRUTH about Gilbert...Violet Evergarden - S1E8 - Episode 8

[@mrpeanutbutter6817]

So, this is explained in the Light Novel but not in the show, Dietfried found her alone in an otherwise uninhabited island. One of his men tried to assault her and she killed him, then proceeded to stalk the rest of them, until Dietfried managed to subdue her, but she killed most of his men. That's as far as we get from her background. So she was an orphan with no background from another country, and they just turned her into a disposable warchild, which happens a lot still in our world.

[@SonesBen]

I suspect that, given everyone else's attitude towards Violet, Gilbert felt that following that order and taking her with him was probably the best option for her out of a collection of terrible options. Because if he left her behind, there was a good chance that command would just hand her over to some other officer who would have less concern for her wellbeing. So he took her with him to the battlefield, and then felt horribly guilt for putting her through that, even though it was the best thing he could do for her.

[@onetom2222]

Without defying his superiors. He should've smuggled her out of the army

[@TukaihaHithlec]

⁠​⁠@@onetom2222 The show did a good job showing that Gilbert tried everything he could. He took her from his brother, but Dietfried had already made arrangements with the army. He brought her to his home, but when he wasn’t there she tried to run away to find him. He tried to argue that she was a strategic risk, but command didn’t care. He left her at the camp, but she followed him into battle against orders. Suppose he did somehow sneak her out of the army - then what? She couldn’t speak, read, or write, and seemed incredibly prone to violence. By the time she could do those things, she was more attached than ever. The finale reveals that Gilbert tried to have his family adopt her, but with his father dead and his mother sick, Dietfried was head of the family and having none of that. Something the show doesn’t portray as well is that Violet’s time in the army was the best in her life. She was a feral child, but in the army she had food, shelter, purpose, education, and (though she didn’t yet recognize it) love. She didn’t want to go back because of any sense of duty, in fact she rarely knew what the objective was or why, nor did she care. She was pointed in the right direction and told to kill. She often killed allies without realizing and didn’t care who died except Gilbert. She was good at killing and that made her feel wanted.

[@kevint4673]

It is nice seeing this in retrospect rather than in episode 1. Especially after we know how much Gilbert means to her, and how Hodgins looks after her still. Not Dani saying "Nothing going on behind those eyes" to kid Violet 😭😭

[@Okkotsu86275]

Great observation Morgan with the Thorfinn comparison, it’s pretty accurate, I can see the parallels. And just like him, Violet is a beast when battling. But unlike like Thorfinn, her reformation as been a bit smoother and gentler. And thank goodness for that.

[@RatoInsano]

Yeah, there is a surprising number of similarities between Violet Evergarden and Vinland Saga. Both protagonists are blond child soldiers that eventually grow past that and try to leave that life behind. You just replace searching for the meaning of Love for the meaning of being a true Warrior.

[@invi022]

​@@RatoInsanowhich is kinda the same thing in Vinland

[@Okkotsu86275]

I like that we got to see more of Gilbert. He really seemed to have Violet’s best interests at heart. Can’t shake this feeling that he is still alive. I hope my feeling is proven true for sweet Violet’s sake

[@shanajeangedeon9060]

"No one except for Gilbert thought this was a bad idea" I am horrified by how realistic of a depiction of the military this is, it's genuinely scary how they treat soldiers and children

[@TukaihaHithlec]

Good job noticing that apparent discrepancy between the Bougainvillea and Hodgins families’ wealth. Gilbert’s family is indeed more wealthy, but they’re also a “soldier family”, so the men are expected to prove themselves in the army like any draftee. Hodgins’ family is not like that, but they’re wealthy enough to keep him protected. He evidently doesn’t like this, and as much as possible doesn’t associate with his family. We meet several of Gilbert’s relatives but not one of Hodgins’. He started his own business, tries to get his own loans, and buys Violet’s brooch back all without their help. Dietfried is similar to both in that he doesn’t like his family, but also uses that to get a position in the navy out of spite.

[@NileSwimmer]

Honestly, how did Gilbert's brother force her to work for him, if she can easily take them all out? But glad we got this flashback. Violet the Violent...what a machine.

[@TukaihaHithlec]

My impression is that she was easily brought onto the ship with food and clothes, them assuming they were rescuing her. When she started defending herself from the initial assault, the crew all went after her except the captain. We’ve seen that these early fights were exhausting for her, and counterintuitively she was not predisposed to violence. I can see her willingly submitting to him as long as he provides some basic amenities and doesn’t seem like he’s going to seriously harm her.

[@NOMAD-_-]

😢 Gilbert was the only one kind to violet and saw her as a human while others just a tool for war like a ravenous dog 😢

[@vinzegcs]

Gilbert realised he needed to Violet to fight to save the lives of his men but he feels guilty for doing it.

[@VillainessAO]

yayy I was excited about this episode

[@TukaihaHithlec]

The translation could be a lot better (thanks Netflix) and some viewers unfortunately get caught up on word choice. Dietfried’s warship came across an island she was on off the coast of the enemy’s eastern front. She was not a war orphan and was not found in the aftermath of some battle, nor captured during one. They only came across her as a consequence of the war, but there is otherwise no connection. Gilbert being called a hypocrite has unintended implications. He’s just being scolded for being protective of one child in particular during a war where thousands are suffering.

[@myheartwillstopinjoy8142]

Major spoiler for the VE anime and movies: I hate that there is any romance between Gilbert and Violet (although I don't remember if the movie implied romance or just platonic love). I hate even more that people actually ship them, and that's not because of the age gap (I don't consider age gaps to be inherently bad especially if both parties are adults). This episode specifically is exactly why I hate that. Gilbert taught her to read and write, he named her, he raised her. He is a father figure. When she met him, she was a child who didn't speak, couldn't read, couldn't write, had no name and knew no social norms. That people even consider the possibility of a romance between them boggles my mind and disgusts me.

[@ShineiNouzen86]

I can proudly say " I'm the biggest fan of *VIOLET EVERGARDEN*

[@ikeoranekwu5567]

I might be wrong but does Violet have the same voice actress as Mikasa?

[@superfrendo1]

Yes its the same voice actress

[@Lawfyy]

I didn't realize it til now but yeah they do share the same voice actress. Funny enough both characters share the same trait of being strong female characters in action anime series haha

[@ShineiNouzen86]

I just noticed this...Damm

[@VillainessAO]

She is yeah

Yes. She’s also 2B in nier automata.

[@JessYapping]

Gilbert is a very good man for caring about Violet but it’s war you can’t really expect them to not jump on the opportunity of a weapon that can shift the tides it’s sucks😢Also yeah she’s a kid but she like maybe 2-3 years younger than what the guys getting taken to war anyway it’s not a big deal to them cause they were putting kids in war anyway

[@Chiraq872]

😍Dani🥰 lil Steve said “Dani’s the one in the middle…” I said. Hey! Watch your mouth. Don’t get slapped Harry Potter!😂He said. “Nvm dude” lol. He’s not that drunk.

[@VillainessAO]