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Minori Chihara Performs Ending Theme For Violet Evergarden Anime

Music producer Lantis announced on Saturday that Minori Chihara is performing the ending theme song "Michishirube" (Guidepost) for Kyoto Animation's Violet Evergarden anime series. The single for the ending theme will ship on January 31, the same day that TRUE's single for the opening theme "Sincerely" will ship. Chihara has previously performed theme songs for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Beyond the Boundary, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, and Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, among many others.

Netflix will stream the anime series worldwide. The company will stream the series inside Japan starting in January when the anime airs on Japanese television. The company will then stream the series outside of Japan starting in spring 2018.

Kyoto Animation announced the anime project based on author Kana Akatsuki and illustrator Akiko Takase's Violet Evergarden novel in May 2016, and has streamed two animated commercials from director and storyboard artist Taichi Ishidate. Takase served as character designer and animation director for the videos. Ishidate and Takase are returning for the anime itself, and Reiko Yoshida (Yowamushi Pedal, Bakuman) is in charge of series composition. Yōta Tsuruoka is the sound director and Evan Call is composing the music.

Kyoto Animation held the world premiere of the anime's first episode at Anime Expo. Anime Expo describes the story:

There are words Violet heard on the battlefield, which she cannot forget. These words were given to her by someone she holds dear, more than anyone else. She does not yet know their meaning.

A certain point in time, in the continent of Telesis. The great war which divided the continent into North and South has ended after four years, and the people are welcoming a new generation.

Violet Evergarden, a young girl formerly known as “the weapon”, has left the battlefield to start a new life at CH Postal Service. There, she is deeply moved by the work of “Auto Memories Dolls”, who carry people's thoughts and convert them into words.

Violet begins her journey as an Auto Memories Doll, and comes face to face with various people's emotions and differing shapes of love. All the while searching for the meaning of those words.

The anime stars:

Yui Ishikawa as Violet Evergarden, an "Auto Memories Doll" and newbie at the CH Postal Service. She seeks to learn the meaning of certain words Gilbert said to her when they were in the military.

Takehito Koyasu as Claudia Hodgins, a former officer in the army who has since founded the CH Postal Service. His close friend Gilbert entrusted him with Violet.

Daisuke Namikawa as Gilbert Bougainvillea, an army officer who sees nothing as more precious than Violet.

Aya Endō as Cattleya Baudelaire, and "Auto Memories Doll" who works for CH Postal Service. She was close with Hodgins before she started working there.

Kōki Uchiyama as Benedict Blue, a postman working at the CH Postal Service. He has known Hodgins for a while, so he has had a brusque attitude since he starting work there.

KA Esuma Bunko published the novel series' two volumes in Japan in December 2015 and December 2016. The novels won the grand prize in the fifth Kyoto Animation Award program's novel category in 2014. The win marked the first time that any work won a grand prize in any of the contest's three categories (novel, scenario, and manga).

[Via Otakomu]