Anime Review: Kara no Kyoukai

Kara no Kyoukai

So, how do I begin? This is a show I basically knew nothing about when I was going in, but it still managed to impress me in the end. Let’s get started with the story. It follows Shiki Ryougi, who basically solves mysteries of a supernatural nature. It’s an adaptation of a TYPE-MOON light novel series, so the setting is the familiar magical beings and magi and whatnot. What I thought was really cool about the story was that it didn’t follow any sort of linear trajectory. I mean that in the sense that it jumps around through time telling you bits and pieces of the story, leaving it up to you to piece it all together. It’s easy to get confused, but I think that overall, it was a nice effect. When you’re watching it, it starts to look like each movie is just Shiki going around beating a new enemy. However, as you go on, you find out that each battle had a specific purpose and there’s actually something bigger going on in the background. I definitely thought that was pretty cool.

Story: Score 93/100

I understand that it was a bit intentional, but the cast in this show ends up being a bit sparse. We have our main character Shiki Ryougi, who runs around slicing stuff up and the like, and we have Mikiya Kokutou, who basically plays the normal guy who tries to get close to her. Joining them, we have Touko Aozaki, a magus as well and Shiki and Mikiya’s employer, and Azaka Kokutou, Mikiya’s sister who has a crush on him. Other than that, the show basically introduces a new character in each movie to act as an enemy. I like the main cast a lot, every single one of them, but in the end, they’re really all we get. And in the end, they really don’t explore too many character backgrounds other than Shiki’s. They mention something with Touko’s sister, but never revisit it.

Characters: Score 87/100

The animation in this show was impressive, even to someone like me who doesn’t normally notice these things. It’s TYPE-MOON and ufotable, so the character designs are very familiar and much of the style of the animation is reminiscent of Fate/Zero. Still, what really stood out were the battles. Each one of them looked spectacular…if only there weren’t just one or two such scenes in each movie.

As for the music, I think they did a great job of fitting the music to the scenes. The strings make everything sound so dramatic, and the main theme is a nice tune. There were a lot of points where there really isn’t any music playing, and I get that this is intentional, but it really bugged me at couple points. Still, the overall effect is that it really slows down the show at the important parts when music isn’t playing in the background, so it works out.

Animation: Score 96/100

Music: 90/100

This show is actually longer than it looks. At first glance, it’s just seven movies, but it actually turns out to be close to nine hours of content. Still, I’d say it was well worth it. Just a warning…this show is not for the faint of heart. Lots of blood…with relation to Another, I’d say maybe…comparable? I dunno…I still think the battles make up for it. If you think you can handle it, I’d definitely say give it a shot. This show is now making me consider watching Tsukihime to finish off the TYPE-MOON works.

Final Score: 92/100