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Anime Expo Hosts Kyoto Animation's Violet Evergarden World Premiere

The official website for Kyoto Animation's Violet Evergarden anime announced on Wednesday that Anime Expo will host the world premiere of the anime's first episode. Director Taichi Ishidate, voice actress Yui Ishikawa (voice of Violet Evergarden), and opening theme song performer TRUE will have a Q&A session with the screening on July 2.

The website also began streaming the anime's first promotional video and revealed a key visual.

ANImagic 2017 will host the anime's Eurpean premiere of the first episode in Mannheim, Germany. Kyoto Animation and Do Animation's third fan appreciation event will host the Japanese premiere of the anime's first two episodes in Kyoto on October 21. C3 AFA Singapore 2017 will host the Singaporean premiere of the first episode.

Kyoto Animation announced an anime project based on author Kana Akatsuki and illustrator Akiko Takase's Violet Evergarden novel in May 2016, and has streamed two animated commercials (below) 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.

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.

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).

This year's Anime Expo convention will run from July 1 to July 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition, the convention will formally include a preview night a day before on June 30. The convention will host world premieres for the Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen Prologue - Sakura to Futatsu no Kuma (Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Arc Prologue: Sakura and the Two Bears) video anime, the live-action Tokyo Ghoul film, the Welcome to the Ballroom television anime, Tatsunoko Productions' Infini-T Force television anime, and the English dub for the Fate/Grand Order: First Order anime special. The convention will host the U.S. premiere of The irregular at magic high school The Movie: The Girl Who Summons the Stars- anime film. Crunchyroll will a preview screening of the first three episodes of The Ancient Magus' Bride anime at the convention.

Source: Animate Times

Update: The anime will start airing in January. Yota Tsuruoka (Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club, K-ON!, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) is directing the sound.