Kara no Kyoukai: Mirai Fukuin - Extra Chorus is a follow up to Kara no Kyoukai: Mirai Fukuin, adapting the three short manga chapters that featured in the Recalled Out Summer novel. These stories were not long, and so this movie only ends up being at thirty minutes long. The first story is about when Shiki has to take care of a cat while Kokutou goes away. The second story follows Asagami helping out one of a friend of one of Kirie Fujou's victim (the antagonist from the first movie). Lastly, the final story revolves around the night Shiki and Kokutou spend at New Years Eve. These are side stories that take place after the end of Kara no Kyoukai. The novel and the manga chapters that are featured in it were made in 2008, a couple of years after the original novels were made. This movie is only thirty minutes long, but I thought I may as well make a review on it, so others can get a better idea on what this short movie is.
The plot of the first story is starkly different to the rest of the series. Instead of being dark with a hint of mystery, this time it is more light hearted. Shiki is forced into taking in a cat Kokutou found whilst he has to go away for work. This is an amusing set up for Shiki, as it goes against her typical character and the many other situations she has found her self in throughout the rest of the series. It is a charming and amusing short story, and it is nice to see Shiki in a different setting.
The second story is darker than the first, revolving around how one of the friends of the victims in the first movie is dealing with her death. Risu Miyazuki feels horrible after the death of Yuuko Andou, believing she was left behind and it was her fault that she caused the death of her precious friend. Fujino Asagami later comes along and helps her get over the death of Andou. This short story was certainly interesting, seeing how a death of a loved one can effect a person, and we got to see Asagami again. I did not find it as captivating as the other parts of Kara no Kyoukai, but I did not mind watching it.
The final story in this film takes place in New Years, where Shiki asks Kokutou out for the New Years. A bit unexpected of her, but I am glad it happened, as we get to see this short story unfold. During this night out, Shiki and Kokutou bond, something they are not able to do often. It was lovely to see, quite heart-warming too. It was quite different to the tone of the rest of the series, but it was welcome.
They are not many characters in this movie, which is to be expected. The returning cast is still a treat to watch, and this time we see them in situations that are not unexpected. As such, they deal with these situations with their regular personalities, which can be particularly amusing at times, especially with Shiki. Fujino Asagami makes a return, but for me, she was not as interesting to watch. I did like how she served as the stepping stone for Andou to develop though. As for Andou herself, I did not like her as much. I found her to be a little annoying and unlikable, especially considering her outlook on life, and
Even though it was a short watch, the animation and art were certainly not disappointing. Kara no Kyoukai as a series had stellar animation and whilst this movie did not get much of a chance to show that off, ufotable still made it most certainly pleasing to watch. The art style presented in Type-Moon work has been a personal favourite of mine, and I enjoyed seeing it again in this film. The art style does well to create stunning characters and settings.
There is not much music present in this film given the length of it, so there is not much to talk about. However, the theme song of this movie, 'dolce' by Kalafina is great, it is still wonderful to listen to outside of the film.
Kara no Kyoukai: Mirai Fukuin - Extra Chorus provides a few more stories to end off the series once and for all. Whilst I still want more Kara no Kyoukai, I was glad to see more. I have read the source manga for this film, and ufotable did well in adapting it into anime. I would recommend this to any Kara no Kyoukai fan. Whilst it may not be as good as the rest of the series, it is still a nice treat to watch. It is only thirty minutes anyway, it will not take up too much of your time. If you came to this review without having watched any other Kara no Kyoukai film, I would still recommend this series, but you should start here (or movie two, since that is the first chronologically). The series is good for those looking for something with great animation, along with a dark and thrilling plot. If you liked the Fate series, chances are you will like this series too. It is written by the same author, Kinoko Nasu and takes place in an alternative timeline in the same universe. Of course, Kara no Kyoukai is not for everyone, and can be pretty hard to get into. But still, I would still recommend giving it a try. To summarise this review:
Thank you to those who took the time to read this review. I hope you were able to get something out of this review. If you did not like this review, then I apologise for wasting your time.
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