Kyoto Animation attack victims remembered in Violet Evergarden movie

The arson attack on Kyoto Animation’s Fushimi studio has left a lingering wound felt across the world, one which the studio will mark in its first release since the attack took place in July. The spin-off movie Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memories Doll will take a moment in its end credits to honour the 35 lives which were lost, including a list of all the victims of the horrific incident.

The film is set to open this weekend, making Violet Evergarden the ambassador to the road to healing for the studio, the injured and the victims’ loved ones. In the trailer, Violet tells the movie’s new character Isabella “There is someone I miss, but we can’t see each other”. This line will now provide a much needed catharsis for everyone who was impacted by the attack. 

A veteran background artist who survived the tragedy called the studio’s unbroken determination to create anime “the greatest counterattack” to the arsonist’s actions. In so many ways, this moment to remember the employees whose lives were lost or changed forever will be both beautiful and essential.