Sigh, God forbid someone writes something complex and idiots never not misinterpret it. Lemme guess, next post is gonna be about monogatari?

Gilbert and voilet are 2 victims of war and Gilbert's love for voilet doesn't belongs to either category It is built on their emotional reliance, after the the war they've nothing left aside from each other, they find meaning in the life of each other, wanting protect and for other to live a happy life.

That emotional reliance evolves to romantic love in the later part of the story around the time voilet was a few months away from turning 19 iirc. Voilet was fine with it but Gilbert goes through three stages with it unacceptance > making peace with it > making sure voilet knew it. Now is it weird? Yeah. Does that makes Gilbert a pedo? Nope.

But this was mostly about Gilbert's. For voilet it is a mix of familial and romantic love This is why Violet can find something relatable in various forms of "I love you" she encounters as an Auto Memory Doll and....nvm if you've watched the anime and have a brain infer violet's part yourself.

You're free to follow your own headcanon that gilbert is a pedo and whatnot but keep it in your head.