Violet Evergarden | |
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First light novel volume cover featuring the title character, Violet Evergarden
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ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン (Vaioretto Evāgāden) | |
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Genre |
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Light novel | |
Written by | Kana Akatsuki |
Illustrated by | Akiko Takase |
Published by | Kyoto Animation |
Imprint | KA Esuma Bunko |
Original run | December 25, 2015 – March 27, 2020 |
Volumes | 4 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by |
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Produced by |
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Written by | Reiko Yoshida |
Music by | Evan Call |
Studio | Kyoto Animation |
Licensed by |
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Original network | Tokyo MX, TVA, ABC, BS11, HTB |
Original run | January 11, 2018 – April 5, 2018 |
Episodes | 13 + OVA |
Anime films | |
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Violet Evergarden (Japanese: ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン, Hepburn: Vaioretto Evāgāden) is a Japanese light novel series written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. It was published by Kyoto Animation under their KA Esuma Bunko imprint, from December 2015 to March 2020. The story follows Violet Evergarden, a young ex-soldier whose recent employment at a postal company tasks her with writing letters that can connect people.
A 13-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Kyoto Animation aired between January and April 2018 with several advance screenings taking place in 2017. An original video animation episode was released in July 2018, and a spin-off film premiered in Japan in September 2019. A second anime film, Violet Evergarden: The Movie, premiered in September 2020.
In 2014, Violet Evergarden won the grand prize in the fifth Kyoto Animation Award's novel category.
There was a machine invented as a prototype for the typewriter, called Auto Memory Dolls. It was originally made by Professor Orlando, the authority on letterpress printing and a researcher of mechanical dolls. His wife, Molly, was a novelist, but she became blind and could not write anymore. Dr Orlando then created the first Auto-Memories Doll for her, meant to register everything said by a human voice. In the present time, the term refers to the industry of writing for others. The story follows Violet Evergarden's journey of reintegrating back into society after the war is over as she is no longer a soldier, and her search for her life's purpose in order to understand the last words her mentor and guardian, Major Gilbert, had said to her: "I love you."
Violet Evergarden is written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. Published by Kyoto Animation under their KA Esuma Bunko imprint, from December 25, 2015, to March 27, 2020.[7][8]
No. | Release date | ISBN |
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1 | December 25, 2015[9] | 978-4-907064-43-3 |
2 | December 26, 2016[10] | 978-4-907064-44-0 |
Gaiden | March 23, 2018[11] | 978-4-907064-81-5 |
3 | March 27, 2020[12] | 978-4-910052-04-5 |
The anime adaptation was first announced via a commercial of the light novel's first volume in May 2016.[13] In June 2017, Kyoto Animation announced that Anime Expo, AnimagiC, and C3 AFA Singapore 2017 would host the world premiere of the first episode.[14] The second episode was first screened at the KyoAni and Do Fan Days 2017 event on October 21, 2017,[15] and the third episode in five theaters across Japan on December 10, 2017.[16] The 13-episode anime aired from January 11 to April 5, 2018, in Japan.[17]Anoriginal video animation episode was released on July 4, 2018, with the final Blu-ray and DVD volume.[18] The series is directed by Taichi Ishidate at Kyoto Animation with the screenplay written by Reiko Yoshida. Akiko Takase designed the characters and Yota Tsuruoka handles the sound direction. The opening theme is "Sincerely" by True[19] while the ending theme is "Michishirube" (みちしるべ, lit. "Guidepost")byMinori Chihara.[20] Netflix began streaming the series worldwide on January 11, 2018, except for the United States and Australia, where they began streaming on April 5, 2018.[3][21] Anime Limited acquired the series for home video distribution in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and premiered the first episode at MCM London Comic Con on October 28, 2017.[22] Madman Entertainment acquired the home video distribution rights for the series in Australia and New Zealand.[23]
No. | Title [b] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
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1 | ""I Love You" and Auto Memory Dolls" Transliteration: ""Aishiteru" to Jidō Shuki Ningyō" (Japanese: 「愛してる」と自動手記人形) | Taichi Ishidate Haruka Fujita Shinpei Sawa | Reiko Yoshida | January 11, 2018 (2018-01-11) | |
Violet is a soldier in the Leidenschaftlich Army who served under Major Gilbert Bougainvillea, who she was utterly devoted to. However, Violet is injured after a mission which resulted in the loss of her arms, requiring them to be replaced with prostheses. Colonel Hodgins, an old acquaintance of Gilbert, arrives to pick up Violet. He explains to Violet that the war they were fighting has ended and peace has come, though he is unwilling to tell Violet what happened to Gilbert. They leave for the capital city of Leiden, where Gilbert had already arranged for Violet to be adopted by the Evergarden family. However, Violet cannot adjust to civilian life due to her military indoctrination. | |||||
2 | "Never Coming Back" Transliteration: "Modotte Konai" (Japanese: 「戻って来ない」) | Haruka Fujita | Reiko Yoshida | January 18, 2018 (2018-01-18) | |
Violet joins the ghostwriting department and meets its members: the veteran Cattelya, and the two rookies Erica and Iris. Under Cattelya's direction, Violet begins her training as an Auto Memory Doll, quickly learning how to use a typewriter. However, despite her technical proficiency, Violet is still incapable of understanding emotions. This comes to a head when she offers to write a romantic letter that ends up angering both the recipient and the client. Erica then confronts Violet about her motivations to become a Doll, but relents when Violet tells her about her desire to learn the meaning of the words "I love you." Iris suggests to Hodgins to fire Violet, but Erica comes to her defense, partly motivated due to her own insecurities about being a proper Doll. Hodgins decides not to fire Violet and gives her a new uniform, along with the brooch Gilbert had originally given to Violet, which Hodgins managed to recover. Violet is overjoyed at the return of the brooch, and agrees to attend a Doll training course. That night, Hodgins confides in Cattleya that he used to be friends with Gilbert, and that Gilbert is "never coming back."
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3 | "May You Be an Exemplary Auto Memory Doll" Transliteration: "Anata ga Yoki Jido Shuki Ningyō ni Narimasu Yō ni" (Japanese: 「あなたが、良き自動手記人形になりますように」) | Noriyuki Kitanohara | Tatsuhiko Urahata | January 25, 2018 (2018-01-25) | |
Violet attends the Auto Memory Doll Training School in order to become a true doll. There, she meets and befriends a girl named Luculia Marlborough. The next day, Violet and Luculia are assigned to practice their actual ghostwriting skills on each other. However, Instructor Rhodanthe is unimpressed with the way Violet ghostwrote Luculia's letter, informing her that letters are an instrument for communicating a person's feelings, and that letter she ghostwrote was unacceptable. Luculia decides to take Violet to her favorite spot atop a bell tower to show her the view, and it is revealed Luculia's brother is crippled from the war and is now a drunkard. However, Violet fails to pass the class while Luculia graduates with top marks. Luculia meets Violet again and offers to ghostwrite a letter to Gilbert, but Violet cannot find the words to say. Luculia then tells Violet how her parents died in the war and her brother feels guilty over failing to protect them. She wants to tell her brother that she's just glad he's alive and home, but likewise cannot find the words to say. Touched by Luculia's words, Violet manages to write a short and concise letter that effectively conveys Luculia's feelings to her beloved elder brother. Upon being shown the letter, Instructor Rhodanthe allows Violet to graduate and Luculia helps her elder brother to the top of the bell tower to enjoy the view like they used to as children.
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4 | "You Won't be a Tool but a Person Worthy of that Name" Transliteration: "Kimi wa Dōgudenaku, Sono Na ga Niau Hito ni Narunda" (Japanese: 君は道具でなく、その名が似合う人になるんだ) | Shinpei Sawa | Reiko Yoshida | February 1, 2018 (2018-02-01) | |
Iris receives a personal ghostwriting request from her hometown, but accidentally injures her hand. As a result, Violet is sent along with her to assist her in writing. Upon arriving, Iris is met by her parents, and her mother reveals that she was the one who sent the request in order to get Iris to come back to celebrate her birthday. However, Iris is frustrated when her mother admits she wants to use the party as a way to find a suitor for her. As Violet writes the party invitations, Iris specifically asks her not to send an invitation to a man named Emonn Snow, but Violet sends the invitation anyway. | |||||
5 | "You Write Letters that Bring People Together?" Transliteration: "Hito o Musubu Tegami o Kaku no ka?" (Japanese: 人を結ぶ手紙を書くのか?) | Haruka Fujita Shinpei Sawa | Takaaki Suzuki | February 8, 2018 (2018-02-08) | |
On the request of the military, Violet is sent to the kingdom of Drossel in order to write a public love letter for its teenage princess, Charlotte, to Damian, the prince of the neighboring kingdom of Flugel. Violet's mission is crucial since Drossel and Flugel were previously enemies in the war and are arranging the marriage to cement the terms of the peace treaty. Despite Princess Charlotte being anxious about the wedding, Violet writes the love letter, and Prince Damian writes a letter back in response, but Princess Charlotte does not appear satisfied with it. Princess Charlotte later confides in Violet that she met and grew infatuated with Prince Damian when she first met him since he treated her as a person and not a potential wife or a mere queen consort. | |||||
6 | "Somewhere, Under a Starry Sky" Transliteration: "Doko ka no Hoshizora no Shita de" (Japanese: どこかの星空の下で) | Yoshiji Kigami | Tatsuhiko Urahata | February 15, 2018 (2018-02-15) | |
Violet, along with a number of other dolls, arrive at the Shaher Observatory in order to help the scholars make copies of a number of rare books. Violet is paired with a young scholar named Leon, who initially dislikes her and dolls in general. However, he is impressed with how quickly she works, and begins to soften when he sees that she doesn't care about his background or upbringing as an orphan. He invites Violet to view Alley's Comet with him, which appears only once every two hundred years, and she accepts. | |||||
7 | "[c]" | Takuya Yamamura | Reiko Yoshida | February 22, 2018 (2018-02-22) | |
Violet goes to assist a famous writer, Oscar Webster, in writing his next play. However, she arrives to find him a drunk recluse. Violet manages to convince Oscar to suspend his drinking while they work, and they begin writing the play. The play is about a girl named Olive who uses her power to summon magical sprites to defeat a beast, but in doing so sacrifices her ability and becomes stranded away from her home and father. Violet becomes curious about how the story will end, which Oscar hasn't decided upon yet. Violet then finds a parasol, triggering an angry outburst from Oscar. He then admits to Violet that he based Olive off of his daughter Olivia, who had died from illness, and he is trying to write the play as a way to cope with his grief over her loss. Violet then inspires Oscar with idea of Olive using her magical parasol to fly home. | |||||
8 | "[c]" | Shinpei Sawa | Reiko Yoshida | March 1, 2018 (2018-03-01) | |
Violet heads over to the military headquarters to confront Dietfried about the truth of Gilbert's fate, and he confirms he is dead. Still in denial, Violet travels to Gilbert's mansion, where she finds his grave. Back at the post office, Hodgins leaves to go look for Violet. Violet then begins to recall her past with Gilbert, which started when Dietfried transferred her to his command as a child soldier. Despite his desire to raise Violet as a normal girl, Gilbert is forced by his superiors to put her on the front lines due to her astounding combat abilities. | |||||
9 | "Violet Evergarden" Transliteration: "Vaioretto Evāgāden" (Japanese: ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン) | Yasuhiro Takemoto | Reiko Yoshida | March 8, 2018 (2018-03-08) | |
Continuing Violet's flashback, she is resolved to carry a wounded Gilbert to safety, but is shot and hit with a grenade in process, resulting in the loss of both of her arms. Gilbert tells Violet to leave without him and finally tells her that he loves her, but she doesn't understand his words. Defeated, the enemy army bombs their own headquarters, and Gilbert sacrifices his life to push Violet to safety. In the present, Violet returns to the battle site to search for Gilbert. Hodgins then arrives and tells her that Gilbert had entrusted her care to him in case anything happened to Gilbert. Violet returns to the post office with Hodgins, but refuses to do any more ghostwriting work, worrying her coworkers. | |||||
10 | "A Loved One Will Always Watch Over You" Transliteration: "Aisuru Hito wa Zutto Mimamotteiru" (Japanese: 愛する人はずっと見守っている) | Taichi Ogawa | Reiko Yoshida | March 15, 2018 (2018-03-15) | |
Violet arrives at a mansion where a seven-year-old girl named Anne lives with her wealthy but sickly mother. Anne's mother has hired Violet for seven days to write letters, but Anne is not told what the letters are about or who they are for. In addition, Anne is both mistrustful and fascinated by Violet, as she mistakenly believes her to be an actual living doll due to her prosthetic arms. Over the next week Anne comes to accept Violet but cannot accept being separated from her mother while the letters are written. After an angry outburst by Anne, Violet manages to calm Anne down and convince her not to blame herself for her mother's illness. | |||||
11 | "I Don't Want Anybody Else to Die!" Transliteration: "Mō, Dare mo Shinasetakunai" (Japanese: もう、誰も死なせたくない) | Noriyuki Kitanohara | Tatsuhiko Urahata | March 22, 2018 (2018-03-22) | |
The CH Postal Company receives a request for a doll from the neighboring country of Ctrigal, however the country is in a state of civil war between the warmongers and moderates. The request is from a soldier fighting on the front lines, but due to the danger Hodgins refuses the request. Violet overhears and travels to Ctrigal to find the client, Aidan Field. Aidan is fighting for the moderate faction, but his squad is annihilated by the enemy and he is gravely wounded. | |||||
12 | "[c]" | Shinpei Sawa Takuya Yamamura | Takaaki Suzuki | March 29, 2018 (2018-03-29) | |
Dietfried is ordered to protect a special envoy who will be traveling to a conference to sign a peace treaty formally ending the war. Meanwhile, a rebel anti-peace faction led by General Merkulov plans to ambush the envoy in order to stall the peace talks. Cattleya and Benedict accompany the envoy as they board a train to travel to the city of Distery. Meanwhile, Violet, returning from Ctrigal, notices a number of fires near the railroad. Upon learning that Cattleya is on the train, Violet decides to accompany them for protection. | |||||
13 | "Auto Memory Doll and "I Love You"" Transliteration: "Jidō Shuki Ningyō to "Aishiteru"" (Japanese: 自動手記人形と「愛してる」) | Taichi Ishidate Haruka Fujita | Reiko Yoshida | April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05) | |
Violet continues to protect Dietfried, losing one of her arms in the process. However, the train approaches a bridge, and General Merkulov reveals that the bridge has been rigged to explode as a backup plan before leaping off the train. Violet and Benedict go to remove the bombs, and Violet sacrifices her other arm in the process. With the envoy safe, the party continues on to the peace talks, where Leidenschaftlich and Gadariki officially sign a peace treaty to end the war. Upon returning to Leiden, a popular event called the Air Show, where planes are loaded with letters that are released in the sky to rain down all over the country, is being revived due to the peace. While Violet's coworkers are writing letters to submit, Cattleya suggests she write a letter to Gilbert. However, Violet cannot find the words to say. She is then invited by Dietfried to visit his and Gilbert's mother. She assures Violet that she does not blame her for her youngest son's death, and that he lives on inside her heart, even if the memories are painful to recall. | |||||
14 (OVA) | "Surely, Someday, You Will Understand Love" Transliteration: "Kitto "Ai" o Shiru Hi ga Kuru no Darou" (Japanese: きっと"愛"を知る日が来るのだろう) | Taichi Ishidate Haruka Fujita Taichi Ogawa | Tatsuhiko Urahata | July 4, 2018 (2018-07-04) | |
Between the events of episodes 4 and 5,[24] Violet is hired by Irma Fellicha, a famous opera singer, to write a letter for her for a soldier missing in action. However, Irma's requests for the letter are both vague and complex, making it difficult for Violet to write a letter that can satisfy her despite numerous rewrites. Irma's conductor, Ardu, then reveals that Irma is in fact trying to use Violet to write the lyrics of the song she plans to use in her next opera play. Determined to complete the job, Violet decides to follow Irma to better understand her heart. Irma reveals to Violet that her boyfriend/fiance Hugo, Ardu's son, left to fight in the war but never returned. |
A spin-off film, Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン 外伝 - 永遠と自動手記人形, Violet Evergarden Gaiden: Eien to Jidō Shuki Ningyō), premiered on August 3 at Germany's AnimagiC 2019 convention[25] and in Japan on September 6, 2019. The film was directed by the show's series director Haruka Fujita.[26] The film credits feature the names of those killed in the Kyoto Animation arson attack as a dedication to their work.[27] Madman Entertainment licensed the film for distribution in Australia and New Zealand, premiering the film theatrically in Australia on December 5, 2019, and in New Zealand on December 12, 2019.[28] Funimation screened the film theatrically in the United States in early 2020.[29] Anime Limited licensed the film in the UK and Ireland, with a premiere scheduled on March 1, 2020, at the Glasgow Film Festival.[30]
When the Violet Evergarden Gaiden light novel was released, the jacket band announced that a "new project" was in progress and that it will be a completely new work for the anime.[31] In July 2018, it was announced at a special event for the series that the aforementioned new project would be a brand new anime film. The second spin-off film, Violet Evergarden: The Movie (劇場版 ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン, Gekijō-ban Vaioretto Evāgāden), premiered on September 18, 2020.[32] It was originally scheduled to premiere on January 10, 2020, but it was later delayed to April 24, 2020 due to the Kyoto Animation arson attack.[33][34][35] It was subsequently delayed again to September 18, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[36] The official Kyoto Animation channel uploaded the first 10 minutes of the film on YouTube on October 8, 2020.[37]
Violet Evergarden: Automemories | ||||
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Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | March 28, 2018 | |||
Studio |
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Length | 106:30 | |||
Language |
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Label | Lantis | |||
Evan Call chronology | ||||
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Violet Evergarden soundtrack albums chronology | ||||
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The series' soundtrack titled Violet Evergarden: Automemories was composed by Evan Call and distributed by Bandai Namco Arts under their Lantis label on March 28, 2018. It contains 47 tracks and 6 vocal tracks featuring performances by Aira Yuuki, Minori Chihara, and True.[38]
All music/lyrics/tracks are composed by Evan Call, except where indicated.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
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1. | "Theme of Violet Evergarden" | 2:17 | ||
2. | "A Doll's Beginning" | 2:43 | ||
3. | "One Last Message" | 3:10 | ||
4. | "Unspoken Words" | 2:46 | ||
5. | "A Simple Mission" | 2:17 | ||
6. | "Another Sunny Day" | 2:08 | ||
7. | "The Voice in My Heart" | 2:20 | ||
8. | "Rust" | 2:51 | ||
9. | "In Remembrance" | 2:41 | ||
10. | "Ink to Paper" | 2:08 | ||
11. | "The Birth of a Legend" | 2:13 | ||
12. | "To The Ends of Our World" | 2:40 | ||
13. | "Back in Business" | 2:02 | ||
14. | "A Place to Call Home" | 2:12 | ||
15. | "An Admirable Doll" | 2:11 | ||
16. | "Those Words You Spoke to Me" | 2:13 | ||
17. | "Strangeling" | 2:11 | ||
18. | "A Bit of Sass" | 2:10 | ||
19. | "Each Memory a Message" | 2:18 | ||
20. | "The Long Night" | 2:39 | ||
21. | "Violet Snow for Orchestra" | Emi Nishida | Satomi Kawasaki | 2:53 |
Total length: | 51:03 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
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1. | "Across the Violet Sky" | 2:44 | |||
2. | "Wherever You Are, Wherever You May Be" | 2:25 | |||
3. | "Never Coming Back" | 2:24 | |||
4. | "Adamantine Dreams" | 3:10 | |||
5. | "The Ultimate Price" | 2:59 | |||
6. | "Inconsolable" | 2:38 | |||
7. | "The Love That Binds Us" | 3:55 | |||
8. | "Devoid of Hope" | 2:29 | |||
9. | "Torment" | 2:02 | |||
10. | "Fractured Heart" | 2:29 | |||
11. | "Innocence" | 2:02 | |||
12. | "Always Watching Over You" | 2:24 | |||
13. | "Torn Apart at the Seams" | 2:04 | |||
14. | "Interwined Fates" | 2:03 | |||
15. | "The Stench of Fear and Hatred" | 1:45 | |||
16. | "The Songstress Aria (Instrumental)" | 1:05 | |||
17. | "The Storm" | 2:12 | |||
18. | "Letters from Heaven" | 2:23 | |||
19. | "What It Means To Love" | 1:54 | |||
20. | "Violet's Letter" | 2:13 | |||
21. | "Sincerely (Short Size)" | True | Shota Horie | Call, True | 1:34 |
22. | "Michishirube (Short Size) (みちしるべ (Short Size))" | Minori Chihara | Daisuke Kikuta | Call, Chihara | 1:32 |
23. | "Believe In... (Short Size)" | Aira Yuuki | Call, Yuuki | 1:45 | |
24. | "Violet Snow (Short Size)" | Nishida | Kawasaki | Call, Yuuki | 0:32 |
25. | "The Songstress Aria" | Call, True | 1:06 | ||
26. | "Letter (Short Size)" | True | Horie | Call, True | 1:38 |
Total length: | 55:27 |
Violet Evergarden won the grand prize in the fifth Kyoto Animation Award's novel category in 2014, the first ever work to win a grand prize in any of the three categories (novel, scenario, and manga).[39]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
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2018 | IGN Awards | Best Anime Series | Violet Evergarden | Nominated | [40] |
Best Anime Episode | Episode 10 - "A Loved One Will Always Watch Over You" | ||||
Best Animation | Violet Evergarden | Won | |||
2019 | 3rd Crunchyroll Anime Awards | Anime of the Year | Nominated | [41] | |
Best Animation | Won | ||||
Best Protagonist | Violet Evergarden | Nominated | |||
Best Director | Taichi Ishidate | ||||
Best Character Design | Akiko Takase | ||||
Best VA Performance (EN) | Erika Harlacher as Violet Evergarden | ||||
2020 | Tokyo Anime Awards Festival | Best Art Direction | Mikiko Watanabe | Won | [42] |
2021 | 15th Seiyu Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Yui Ishikawa as Violet Evergarden | [43] |
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Grand Prize |
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Honorable Mention |
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