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Hello, I think you did a wonderful job writing this article. As a Korean person, I was pleasantly surprised to see this kind of topic discussed here, and you bring up many insightful points about South Korea-North Korea relations, which have even been researched, quoted, and sourced! If it’s alright, I would like to share some of my opinions on the points you wrote about:
1. I actually don’t think movies like Steel Rain are possibly made so North Korea remains a relevant issue among the South Korean populace. For as long as North Korea exists, it will always be relevant to South Korean people. No young Korean man will think military conscription is “outdated and inefficient” because he thinks North Korea is no longer a viable threat. That’s the only reason why a young man will begrudgingly serve in the military. Young Korean men are disgruntled about military conscription because it takes away two years of the most important time of their lives, such as university, jobs, and marriage. There’s also the valid argument against why young Korean women of the same age are not conscripted, too, and troubling issues of bullying, abuse, and suicide within the army.
2. I also think maybe I interpreted this film very differently from you. I did not see this film as one hoping that North Korea can begin to trust South Korea, and reconciliation and possible reunification can grow from that point. The film’s conclusion is definitely giving the opinion that South Korea has to stand equally against North Korea, not with it. When South Korea makes the demand that North Korea must give us half of their nuclear weapons in an act of mutually assured destruction (MAD), I interpreted this as more South Korea, hopefully, standing up on its own two feet against North Korea. As a Korean person, I don’t think it’s fair to say that the film portrays South Korea trying to win the trust of the North. That implies North Korea is worthy of trust in the first place, which it is clearly not. Saving the North Korean leader was just the better option between two awful choices since the alternative was outright war.
I apologize for the long response, and I hope I did not misunderstand what you have written. I just wanted to share a Korean perspective and different interpretation of the film. If you would like to learn more about the relationship between South Korea and North Korea, I suggest these selection of videos from Youtube that covers this issue:
“What North Koreans Think Of South Korea” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhmzpMP3bEE&t=331s
“Escaping from North Korea Three Times: Kim Pil-ju’s Story” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW97CjpmrXw
“Do South Koreans Want Reunification with North Korea?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZchtQ9-PWY
I hope these videos (and others from the channel) can give you more insight into the current political and social climate between South Korea and North Korea. Thank you for tackling such a difficult and complicated subject!

I’m really impressed by your extensive knowledge and understanding of animation in America and Japan! I never even thought about the animators’ intents before and how different their animation techniques were. I just simply assumed, “One was more American, and the other was more Japanese.” Wonderful work on writing this article–I learned a lot!

What a great topic to write about! This was really well-written, and I like how you chose different types of “smart heroines.” One thing I noticed was how young all the characters were.The oldest is probably Elle, who is in her early 20’s, so it would be fascinating to see older female characters who fit the trope of “smart heroine.” I guess there would be some overlap with professional women or those in positions of power being seen as threatening or domineering just because they’re intelligent.

Thank you for this essay! After finally graduating from college this month, I’ve been feeling a lot of self-doubt and confusion if I should pursue a career in writing. This has greatly encouraged me to continue writing, though I do hope the arts can become a more lucrative career choice in the future!

I first watched this anime because the animation was so gorgeous, but I stayed for the story, Violet, and her relationships with the other characters, especially Gilbert. Episodes 7 (the playwright and his deceased daughter) and 10 (the little girl and her mother) were some of my favorites and the most memorable episodes, for me, across all anime shows.

I think empathy is one of the most important themes to discuss and show in stories because it connects people together and their shared (or not shared) experiences, but I don’t often see this theme in anything I read or watch. Maybe it’s just not as explicit/obvious. ‘Violet Evergarden’ is a must-watch anime for anyone, anime fan or not, and I’m happy people are still talking about it. You did a wonderful job writing this essay!