The fourth Kara no Kyoukai movie, which delves further into Shiki's backstory. · Waifora

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Name: The fourth Kara no Kyoukai movie, which delves further into Shiki's backstory.
Item: the Garden of sinners Chapter 4: garan-no-dou. (The Hollow Shrine)
Rating: 82
Author: SoulBlade17

This review is all subjective and my own personal opinion. You do not have to agree with it, nor am I asking you to. I hope that this just helps you get an idea of what the anime I am talking about is like and form a basic and general consensus on it. The ratings I give anime and manga are mostly my personal overall enjoyment. I have not read the novel, and it has been around a month or two since I have watched the anime. This review will be spoiler free, however details of previous movies will be discussed to some extent. A big thank you to Nikz for proofreading this review and giving me feedback. TL;DR will be at the bottom.

Introduction

Kara no Kyoukai: Garan no Dou is the fourth movie in the Kara no Kyoukai series, but the second chronologically. This movie takes place shortly after the second movie, where Shiki is left in a coma in a hospital. Of course, Kokutou makes frequent visits to Shiki, leaving rose bouquets. Shiki stays in a coma for two years, and in the meantime, Kokutou meets a prominent character of the series, Touko Aozaki.

Plot

The nature of the Kara no Kyoukai plots can leave the viewer quite baffled. Even after watching all of the Kara no Kyoukai movies, there are certain aspects I still find myself not fully understanding. Despite that, one can still enjoy Kara no Kyoukai even if the inner intricacies of the plot fly over your head. But when you do obtain a grasp on the deep meaning this series holds, it can feel quite satisfying. This movie is one of the less complex movies in the series. Luckily Aozaki once again serves as the movie's exposition, explaining the supernatural elements of the world. In this film, it further builds upon on Shiki's character and backstory. Here we learn more about her past and how she obtained her Mystic Eyes. Because of this, the film makes Shiki even more of an interesting character, a character we want to follow along with on her journey. Combined with movie two, Shiki's character is much more fleshed out and she becomes further likable. Most of the plot in this movie revolves around Shiki waking up from her coma, and coming to terms with what has happened to her. Essentially, this movie aims to, like I have stated before, build upon Shiki's character and explain to the audience why she is the way she is as seen in the first and third movie. Straightforward, and yet I was so engrossed in the film. That could be because I was so captivated in knowing more about the mysterious Shiki, who we barely knew. We do not know that much about her from movie one and three, and to see her backstory further explained here may just be what made the plot so fascinating. Simple, and yet effective. Furthermore, this film (and perhaps the series as a whole) excels in crafting an atmosphere that fits the plot particularly well, drawing the viewer in even more.

Characters

The cast of characters is quite small, with only three characters.

Spoiler, click to view

The four other characters listed in the AniList page only appear after the credits so they do not really count.

Given that there is such a miniature cast, one would expect them to be quite fleshed out. Shiki takes centre stage in this film, and the entirety of the movie mostly revolves around her. Kokutou serves as the 'loyal partner' per se and Aozaki who serves as the series exposition and Shiki's guide. They play they parts well, but they are easily overshadowed by Shiki, at least in this film. Despite that, they all served to be interesting characters to me, and I enjoyed watching all of them in the film. They were all likable and served to be important pillars of the film, holding it to be even stronger. Shiki is most certainly an unique character, which is part of what makes her such a fascinating character to watch. She is starkly different to regular female protagonists, even the way she speaks is very unconventional for female characters. Cold, harsh, and what could easily be described as an anti-hero, Shiki remains to be an icon for Kara no Kyoukai, drawing the viewer in with her charm. She is well written, and her dialogue makes her character even better. Kokutou is great character (although I am pretty biased here, he is my favourite character after all) but he takes a less prominent role in this film. He is just simply a kind character, very easy to love. Sometimes it is good to get back to basics, and Kokutou is a good example of this. As for Aozaki, she is a recurring character in the series, but I never got tired of seeing her. She is a pretty interesting character and stands out in her own right. She is quite vital for the series as a whole, as she time and time again serves as the explanation to the viewer as to what is actually going on. Even outside of her exposition role, she holds her own as a character. One minute she could be serious and ruminative and the next minute she could be friendly and amicable. The voice actors for the film also do well to bring life not only to the characters, but to the world. They all do well to fit the characters they were cast as and made the viewing experience that much more enjoyable. They seem genuine and the emotions in their voice acting is present.

Animation and the art

For a film made in 2008, I am taken aback in how stellar the animation is. Even anime I have seen that come out in the past year or two seem to fall behind in this film in terms of animation. That is how fantastic I found the animation in this film. ufotable excelled in animating not only the action, but everything else in the film. The art is also wonderful, I personally am a fan of the art present in Kara no Kyoukai. The characters look great, and the world looks amazing too.

Music

Kara no Kyoukai has some fantastic music in the series and this movie is no exception. Yuki Kaijura and Kalafina craft music that fits very well into the world of Kara no Kyoukai, making the world and film more alive and the viewing experience even more engrossing. The music during the action draws you in, and the suspenseful music builds the mood. The theme song of this film, ARIA by Kalafina is fantasic, even outside of the film.

Conclusion and TL;DR

This film is phenomenal for those who are watching Kara no Kyoukai. The character development and backstory of Shiki is a great watch, and I will probably find myself re-watching this film, and the entire series one day. All in all, a wonderful film for those watching Kara no Kyoukai and fans of the series. 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, but I would recommend watching it in the achronological order). 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. A summary of this review:

The plot can be confusing at times, but that does not mean you cannot enjoy the film.
This film mostly serves as development for Shiki and her backstory, which makes it fascinating to watch.
A small cast of characters, with the focus being on one character. Luckily, it is a good one.
Stellar animation and art from 2008.
Wonderful music that makes the film even more engrossing.

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.