| Kara no Kyōkai | |
Cover of the first Kara no Kyōkai novel. |
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| 空の境界 | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action, Romance, Supernatural, Thriller |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Kinoko Nasu |
| Illustrated by | Takashi Takeuchi |
| Published by | Type-Moon (original creator) Kodansha (commercial publisher) |
| English publisher | Del Rey Manga |
| Original run | October 1998 – August 1999 |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Anime film | |
| Overlooking View | |
| Directed by | Ei Aoki |
| Music by | Yuki Kajiura |
| Studio | ufotable |
| Licensed by | Aniplex of America |
| Released | December 1, 2007 |
| Runtime | 48 minutes |
| Anime film | |
| A Study in Murder (Part 1) | |
| Directed by | Takuya Nonaka |
| Music by | Yuki Kajiura |
| Studio | ufotable |
| Licensed by | Aniplex of America |
| Released | December 29, 2007 |
| Runtime | 58 minutes |
| Anime film | |
| Remaining Sense of Pain | |
| Directed by | Mitsuru Obunai |
| Music by | Yuki Kajiura |
| Studio | ufotable |
| Licensed by | Aniplex of America |
| Released | January 26, 2008 |
| Runtime | 56 minutes |
| Anime film | |
| The Hollow Shrine | |
| Directed by | Shinichi Takiguchi |
| Music by | Yuki Kajiura |
| Studio | ufotable |
| Licensed by | Aniplex of America |
| Released | May 24, 2008 |
| Runtime | 50 minutes |
| Anime film | |
| Paradox Spiral | |
| Directed by | Takayuki Hirao |
| Music by | Yuki Kajiura |
| Studio | ufotable |
| Licensed by | Aniplex of America |
| Released | August 16, 2008 |
| Runtime | 115 minutes |
| Anime film | |
| Oblivion Recorder | |
| Directed by | Takahiro Miura |
| Music by | Yuki Kajiura |
| Studio | ufotable |
| Licensed by | Aniplex of America |
| Released | December 20, 2008 |
| Runtime | 59 minutes |
| Anime film | |
| A Study in Murder (part 2) | |
| Directed by | Shinsuke Takizawa |
| Music by | Yuki Kajiura |
| Studio | ufotable |
| Licensed by | Aniplex of America |
| Released | August 8, 2009 |
| Runtime | 121 minutes |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Shinsuke Takizawa |
| Music by | Yuki Kajiura |
| Studio | ufotable |
| Licensed by | Aniplex of America |
| Released | February 2, 2011 |
Kara no Kyōkai (空の境界, lit. Empty Boundaries) is a Japanese novel series, authored by Kinoko Nasu and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi. It is also known under the nickname Rakkyo (らっきょ). Its subtitle is The Garden of Sinners.
Contents |
Kara no Kyōkai originated in October 1998 as a series of five chapters released online on Nasu and Takeuchi's dōjin-based website, Takebōki (竹箒), with its final two chapters being released at Comiket 56 in August 1999. Nasu and Takeuchi later formed Type-Moon, and in 2001, featured a portion of the book in its 2001 Tsukihime fandisk, Tsukihime PLUS-DISC, which saw Kara no Kyōkai gain significant popularity, leading it to be released as a dōjinshi publication at Comiket 61 on December 30, 2001.
On September 2002, a drama CD based on the series was released, and on August 6, 2004, noted publisher Kodansha released the series as a commercial publication, which enjoyed immense popularity, with 5000 limited-edition versions of the novel being sold almost immediately upon release. Both editions of Kara no Kyōkai altogether sold more than 500,000 copies.[1] In 2009, Del Rey Manga began printing the Kara no Kyōkai novel. This was confirmed in the first volume of Del Rey's Faust release.[2] The series is regarded as being set in a world parallel to that of another Type-Moon series, Tsukihime, with the protagonist of the series, Shiki Ryōgi, possessing similar abilities as Tsukihime's protagonist, Shiki Tohno, and another Tsukihime character, Aoko Aozaki's sister, Tōko Aozaki (who was briefly mentioned in Tsukihime), also being featured.
The series was being adapted into an anime movie series, divided into seven chapters, which were animated by the studio ufotable.[3] The first chapter, titled Overlooking View (俯瞰風景 Fukan Fūkei), premiered across Japanese theaters on December 1, 2007, with the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters, A Study in Murder (Part 1) (殺人考察(前) Satsujin Kōsatsu (Zen)), Remaining Sense of Pain (痛覚残留 Tsūkaku Zanryū), The Hollow Shrine (伽藍の洞 Garan no Dō), Paradox Spiral (矛盾螺旋 Mujun Rasen), Oblivion Recorder (忘却録音 Bōkyaku Rokuon), A Study in Murder (Part 2) (殺人考察(後) Satsujin Kōsatsu (Go)) being released soon after on December 29, 2007, followed by January 26, 2008, May 24, 2008, August 16, 2008, December 20, 2008, and August 8, 2009 respectively. In connection with the movie's release, the novels were once again being reprinted, as three volumes with new illustrations.[4]
An American premiere of the 5th chapter was held on May 22, 2009 at the Anime Boston convention.[5]
The official Japanese website had announced that the series will be shipped on Blu-ray with a new chapter, Gekijō-ban Kara no Kyoukai Shūshō: Kara no Kyoukai, in English and Japanese subtitles with a retail price of 52,500 yen (about US$620).[6] A DVD of the said chapter was released on February 2, 2011.[6] Aniplex of America released the imported Blu-ray box set on February 8, 2011.[7][8]. The box was immediately sold out and has not been reissued since[9].
Kara no Kyōkai is set in an alternate universe to Tsukihime and Fate/stay night, with many of its characters becoming prototypes to characters in Type-Moon's later works. In particular, Mikiya Kokutō has been described as the prototype for Shiki Tohno, the hero of Tsukihime, who possesses the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception that were first introduced as a characteristic of Kara no Kyōkai's protagonist, Shiki Ryōgi. Other characters have made appearances in other works by Type-Moon. Mikiya Kokutō's employer, Tōko Aozaki, is implied to be the puppet maker in the third Fate/stay night scenario, Heaven's Feel, and she is mentioned as the creator of Shiki Tohno's glasses in Tsukihime, where her younger sister, Aoko, appears. Aoko is also the heroine of Mahōtsukai no Yoru.
As one of Kinoko Nasu's earliest works, it also introduces some of the most fundamental concepts in the universe of Type-Moon's works, including souls, Akasha, Counter Force, Magic and Magecraft, and Origin.
Mikiya Kokutō becomes intrigued by the mysterious series of violent deaths occurring in his town and Shiki Ryōgi, a beautiful but unsociable girl. As he tries to become closer to Shiki, he realizes that Shiki is connected to the mysterious deaths and that the supernatural forces involved with both could kill him. It is revealed that in Shiki's family, certain members of her family possess two distinct personalities, both aware and conscious of one another, but possessing different qualities. The dual consciousness, and Shiki's upbringing as a demon hunter, has caused her to reject other human beings.
However, upon meeting Mikiya, she gradually finds happiness through their relationship and a schism develops between her two personalities. As a result, she winds up in a traffic accident and is left in a coma for two years. When she awakens, she finds herself unable to connect her past memories to her current identity. Reunited with Mikiya, now employed as an investigator for Tōko Aozaki, Shiki assists Tōko's detective agency, Garan no Dou, whenever combat is required, while struggling to come to terms with her identity.
Kara no Kyōkai follows the story of Shiki Ryōgi, a teenage girl who possesses the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception", a supernatural ability that allows the user to see the inherent mortality of everything (both living and non-living) in the form of lines and a single point (which is the "origin" of the object). Trained as a demon hunter, Shiki originally possessed two distinct personalities, a male personality SHIKI (織), and the original female personality Shiki (式), until a traffic accident kills her male personality and leaves Shiki comatose for two years.
When she awakens, she is reunited with Mikiya Kokutō, a friend who had fallen in love with her and promised to attend college with her. Mikiya, whose hopes of attending college with Shiki had been crushed when she fell into her coma, dropped out of college and began working as an investigator for a puppet-maker and powerful sorceress, Tōko Aozaki. To remain close to Mikiya, his sister Azaka also joins Tōko's detective agency, Garan no Dou. With Mikiya, Shiki works for Tōko to investigate paranormal events and resolve them with force if necessary.
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