Kara no Kyōkai

Kara no Kyōkai (空の境界, lit. Boundary of Emptiness), subtitled and alternatively titled as The Garden of Sinners, and also known as Rakkyo (らっきょ), is a Japanese light novel series, authored by Kinoko Nasu and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi. Originally released as a series of chapters released independently online or at Comiket between October 1998 and August 1999, the chapters were later republished by Kodansha into two volumes in 2004, and again in three volumes between 2007 and 2008. Ufotable produced a series of seven anime films based on the series between 2007 and 2009, and also produced an original video animation episode in 2011. A final anime film was produced and released in 2013. A manga adaptation illustrated by Sphere Tenku started serialization in September 2010 in Seikaisha's online magazine Saizensen.

Plot

Setting and themes

Set in Japan predominantly during the late 1990s, the series chronicles the life of Ryōgi clan heiress, Shiki Ryōgi, and her relationship with classmate Mikiya Kokutō. Both the light novel and the films are depicted in anachronical order with each chapter/film serving as part of one collective narrative.^[1] The series deals with the paranormal and tackles mature themes such as suicide, rape, patricide, incest and murder.^[1][2] Its lore and story draws inspiration from various religious philosophies and psychological concepts such as multiple personalities; the anima and animus; the nature of sin; life, death and reincarnation; and the paradoxical nature of the Taiji.^[2]

Kara no Kyōkai is set in an alternate universe to Tsukihime and Fate/stay night; in which it serves as the prototype for both series as well as introducing many of the concepts prevalent within the latter two.^[3] In particular the main protagonist, Shiki Ryōgi, possesses similar abilities as Tsukihime's protagonist, Shiki Tohno, and another character, Aoko Aozaki's sister, Tōko Aozaki (who was briefly mentioned in Tsukihime), also being featured. As one of Kinoko Nasu's earliest works, it introduces some of the most fundamental concepts in the universe of Type-Moon's works, including souls, the Akashic Record/Origin, Counter Force, Magic, Magecraft, and Mystic Eyes.^[2]

Story

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.

Main characters

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 Do. With Mikiya, Shiki works for Tōko to investigate paranormal events and resolve them with force if necessary.

Media

Novels

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 their 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 August 6, 2004, Kodansha released the series as a commercial publication, which enjoyed immense popularity, with 5,000 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.^[4] In 2009, Del Rey Manga announced printing of the Kara no Kyōkai novel. This was confirmed in the first volume of Del Rey's Faust release.^[5] However, Del Rey became defunct before it could happen.

Drama CD

In September 2002, a drama CD based on the series was released.

Animated films

The series was adapted into an anime film series, divided into seven chapters, which were animated by the studio ufotable.^[6] 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, Murder Speculation – 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 Recording (忘却録音, Bōkyaku Rokuon), Murder Speculation – 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. A compilation film of the first six films with some new footage was released on March 14, 2009, in preparation for the release of the final seventh film. In connection with the film's release, the novels were once again reprinted, as three volumes with new illustrations.^[7] A North American premiere of the fifth chapter was held on May 22, 2009 at the Anime Boston convention.^[8]

The series was released on Blu-ray with a new chapter, Gekijō-ban Kara no Kyōkai Shūshō: Kara no Kyōkai, in Japanese with English subtitles.^[9] A DVD of the said chapter was released on February 2, 2011.^[9] Aniplex of America released the imported Blu-ray box set on February 8, 2011.^[10][11] The box was immediately sold out and has not been reissued since.^[12] However, the individual films were available for rent on the PlayStation Network until mid-2012. A new limited edition DVD boxset was released in late 2012.^[13] Likewise, Madman Entertainment released a limited edition DVD boxset in October 2013.^[14]

3D conversion of Kara no Kyoukai first movie called Overlooking View 3D (空の境界 俯瞰風景 3D, Kara no Kyoukai: Fukan Fuukei 3D) was released in July 2013.

An eighth film, Future Gospel (空の境界 未来福音, Kara no Kyōkai: Mirai Fukuin), was released in September 2013 and had grossed US$1,710,413 by October 20.^[15] As of February 14, 2015, Aniplex of America will be releasing Future Gospel (now subtitled -recalled out summer-) and Future Gospel - Extra Chorus on Blu-ray in late April.^[16]

Releases

• May 21, 2008 (Japan DVD 1: 俯瞰風景 - Thanatos) (Fukan Fukei)
• June 25, 2008 (Japan DVD 2: 殺人考察(前) - ...and nothing heart) (Satsujin Kosatsu (Zen))
• July 23, 2008 (Japan DVD 3: 痛覚残留 - ever cry, never life) (Tsūkaku Zanryū)
• December 17, 2008 (Japan DVD 4: 伽藍の洞 - garan-no-dou) (Garan no Dō)
• January 28, 2009 (Japan DVD 5: 矛盾螺旋 - Paradox Paradigm) (Mujun Rasen)
• July 29, 2009 (Japan DVD 6: 忘却録音 - Fairy Tale) (Bōkyaku Rokuon)
• December 9, 2009 (Japan DVD 7: 殺人考察(後) - ...not nothing heart) (Satsujin Kosatsu (Go))
• February 19, 2014 (Japan DVD/BD 8: 未来福音 - recalled out summer) (Mirai Fukuin)

Theme songs

Each of the theme songs to the series are performed by Kalafina, a project formed by Yuki Kajiura. Outside of the ones for Future Gospel, they were found on their album Seventh Heaven.

• Overlooking View (俯瞰風景, Fukan Fūkei)
  • "Oblivious"
• A Study in Murder – Part 1 (殺人考察(前), Satsujin Kōsatsu (Zen))
  • "Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Iku" (君が光に変えて行く, Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Iku)
• Remaining Sense of Pain (痛覚残留, Tsūkaku Zanryū)
  • "Kizuato" (傷跡)
• The Hollow Shrine (伽藍の洞, Garan no Dō)
  • "Aria"
• Paradox Spiral (矛盾螺旋, Mujun Rasen)
  • "Sprinter"
• Oblivion Recording (忘却録音, Bōkyaku Rokuon)
  • "Fairytale"
• A Study in Murder – Part 2 (殺人考察(後), Satsujin Kōsatsu (Go))
  • "Seventh Heaven"
• Future Gospel (未来福音, Mirai Fukuin)
  • "Alleluia"
• Future Gospel - Extra Chorus (未来福音 Extra Chorus, Mirai Fukuin - Extra Chorus)
  • "dolce"

Manga

• Kara no Kyōkai the Garden of sinners, Sphere Tenku (September 15, 2010 - ongoing), Japanese online magazine Saizensen)

References

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Manga official website (Japanese)
• Official Aniplex USA website
• Kara no Kyōkai (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia