/anime/4282/the-garden-of-sinners-chapter-5-paradox-paradigm
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Paranoia and Paradoxes
Tomoe is just killing someone.
He's either too paranoid to keep a straight mind or too caught in the act, but for some reason, he couldn't stop stabbing the woman in her belly. And she is, his mother. He kept stabbing on and on, and at one point, he took out her intestines and finally confirmed, that he really did committed matricide, and runs away. When a postman arrives to the dead apartment with not a single soul around, he calls the cops. But when a cop arrived, the woman of the apartment, aka Tomoe's mother, simply asks them,
"What's wrong?"
One of the key characters is seen committing matricide as the film begins. What unsettles us in this scene more than the act itself is this strange feeling of terror lurking around which makes it potentially worse for our confused Tomoe. Throughout the film, we stick with this completely new character who had no mention or relevance to the story up until now, and the film does a great job at bringing his confusion and madness in a 2-hour experience, with its non-linear storytelling. The entire film centers on Tomoe Enjou's guilt which is the only proof about murder he commits. As the film goes on, we start to find out about the complexity of the apartment and its owner, Araya Souren. VA'd by "Jouji Nakata", Araya is an intimidating yet tragic villain.
Spoiler, click to view
He believed, after encountering countless 'pointless' deaths, that the ideal world humanity dreams of, of life and peace in a cruel world, is ugly. He wanted to save humanity from this ugly world, from its own fantasy, and wanted to preserve it. Which he finds out that is possible, if he can destroy the 'Origin of Life', for which he wanted to use Shiki, and her attachment with the 'Boundry of Nothingness', as a way to ultimately save humanity. In which he fails.
The movie is heavily plot-oriented and ensnare its viewers in a tangle of paranoia and paradoxes while incorporating aspects of horror, mystery, and even action. And as usual, Yuki Kajiura's OSTs are fire, no question there.
The biggest demerit in this movie, or for the entire franchise, is it's hallowed emotional core. As the story and plot are so mechanic and complex, it is hard to understand character motivations and get behind their often-confusing dialogue. The dialogue in the entire series is another debatable aspect. I remember on my first watch, when I watched the sub, I was focusing more on the subtitles and rewinding just to
'get' what they are saying, despite wanting to experience the visuals more. It's a common problem for a sub-watcher, so maybe that's just me.
There's often a question about whether this series is meant to be watched in chronological order or creator's order. After rewatching up to this film, I safely say that it is meant to be watched in the creator's order. The fast-paced non-linear cuts and transitions in this film can feel overwhelming and confusing, if viewers are not used to that technique. So, I recommend watching in creator's order first, and the chronological order for later rewatches.
Creator's Order: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8.
Chronological Order: 2-4-3-1-5-6-7-8.
I gave this series a try, just because this film has a pretty high rating, while not much for the rest. And after rewatching, I can safely say, it's definitely worth getting into, even if it's just to watch this great film.
