Kara no Kyoukai

Summary:

On a cold winter day of March 1995, Kokutou Mikiya meets an enigmatic girl, dressed in only a white kimono. He later meets her again at a  high school freshman ceremony, and finds out her name: Ryougi Shiki. Her air of reticence and unsociableness intrigues Mikiya, who simply believes that she is a misunderstood girl with a kind heart. A string of gruesome murders on the streets ensues, and it catches Mikiya’s attention. He gradually learns how the murders are connected to Shiki, followed by a supernatural twist of fate that determines the course for the rest of their lives.

It’s an ambitious project produced by ufotable, a relatively unknown production studio, and directed by several unproven filmmakers. It’s also extensive by looking at its timeframe: a collection of seven movies that spanned almost two years, from December 2007 to August 2009. Kara no Kyoukai is the anime adaptation by the popular Japanese game company Type-Moon, and it has been garnering universal praises for the beautiful visuals, the grim presentation and composer Yuki Kajiura’s trademark musical prowess. It’s actually more than that, to be honest, but for all the hype and praises it has been creating, it deserves every one of them.

From the onset, Kara no Kyoukai is a gorgeous eye candy; the visuals are simply breathtaking with rich depth, and backdrops are detailed down to pixel level. The entire aesthetics is a work of art, a winning blend of minimal, subdued yet fluid animation; a mix of dynamic and static camera panning, dark and vibrant colours; and glowing auras amidst a dark, static and picturesque setting. There are also memorable one-shot scenes, be it Shiki’s dead-cold stares or the artistically gruesome dead bodies, and the visuals are accompanied by profound philosophies, engrossing mysteries and subtle symbolism. Drawing from past experiences, the concepts of physical and spiritual existence, souls, the human body as an empty soul vessel and the human mind, are akin to Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence and even the execution style by the two are surprisingly identical.

Another noticeable aspect of Kara no Kyoukai is Yuki Kajiura’s music, one of her best in a long time because unlike some of her previous works, her music this time isn’t overwhelming. The Kenji Kawai-esque ominous haunting music tunes complement the dark ambiance and setting of Kara no Kyoukai. What’s more significant is the unique formatting; opting for one-hour OVAs (with the occasional two-hour OVAs for certain arcs) rather than the conventional 12 half-hour episode format, works superbly with the episodic nature of the story because had it chosen the latter, it would have lost momentum of the climatic development of each subplot. The episodic nature warrants such formatting, and additionally, the non-chronological storytelling ingeniously leaves viewers curious at the end of each movie, and it’ eventually abated by answering all lingering questions and tying off all loose ends on the final movie.

Seeing as how Kara no Kyoukai is based on seven separate but related stories, it’s expected that there may be issues dealing with the engrossing effect of each movie. The first movie (Fukan Fuukei) is your stylish yet ordinary action fare, and fairly gives the idea of what is to be expected for subsequent movies. The second movie (Satsujin Kousatsu part 1) has a dramatic change of pace and focuses on the beginning of how it all began, and I find this movie better than the first one. The third movie (Tsuukaku Zanryuu) reverts back to more stylishly beautiful action flick, with some gritty scenes. The fourth movie (Garan no Dou) is one of the weaker movies, resulting from the slow pace. The fifth movie (Mujun Rasen) is highly neurotic and nightmarish, with some heavy dialogue and convoluted plot development. Paradoxically, it’s the most daring and best movie, featuring one of the best fights I’ve laid eyes on. The sixth movie (Boukyaku Rokuon) is the weakest and most boring movie because of the predictable plot and relatively mediocre action, and it even teeters on the edge of being a moeblob. The final movie (Satsujin Kousatsu part 1) gracefully ends it all, putting proper closure to Shiki and Mikiya’s unique relationship.

Kara no Kyoukai is, simply put, a work of technical brilliance. It’s gritty and grim, with a plentiful dose of suspense and shock value. Even better, it’s not all about the action; it’s coupled with a story of profound depth, discussing several themes and philosophies and wrapping it all up within seven movies. There aren’t many anime titles out there that would sweep away the viewers with the visuals, and there are even less than would also rivet viewers down with the engaging plot. This ambidextrous endeavour eventually pays off and though it’s not without its flaws, this is an exemplary anime that grips viewers from start to finish.