THE APPEAL OF KARA NO KYOUKAI

TONY T. - Editor-In-Chief, 3rd Year, Economics and Data Science

The music is also superb.TT

The Kara no Kyoukai films are an interesting bunch. Adapted from Nasu Kinoko’s independently released novel series of the same name, they hold a somewhat interesting role in history given the time of their original release in the late 1990s. Given the relatively recent emergence of light novels and visual novels as dominant mediums of otaku consumption in the past twenty or thirty years, the Kara no Kyoukai novels released at a point where less industry-reliant and more independent works became more prominent. The release of Nasu’s seminal Fate/Stay Night visual novel is perhaps a more obvious example, though the ties between that behemoth and Kara no Kyoukai afford the latter a role almost as a sort of herald for times to come. The main Kara no Kyoukai animated adaptation, released in the form of seven films between 2007 and 2009, holds a similar role, albeit in a different context. Today, ufotable is one of the most well known studios in the industry, with series like Kimetsu no Yaiba and Fate/Zero standing out. Yet, their work prior to Kara no Kyoukai could charitably be described as non-hits – it’s not often you hear the mainstream audience discuss, say, Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! or Futakoi Alternative. It seems obvious to draw a corollary line between the studio’s superb adaptation of Nasu’s work and their true breakout hit in the Fate/Zero anime, a light novel strongly tied to Nasu’s wider meta universe.

While nothing in the previous paragraph indicates my perception of these series’ quality (in fact, I quite dislike Kimetsu no Yaiba and most Fate properties aside from Zero), I think it’s useful context to illustrate why the main seven Kara no Kyoukai films are so resoundingly interesting. Given the novels and films’ roles in terms of widening the audience for otaku media to a more mainstream demographic, it’s surprising how the series’ strengths, particularly in the fifth film, lie in far more understated aspects. Frankly speaking, the series’ narrative isn’t that interesting to me. To an extent, it’s rather typical for what one might expect from a light novel as it places a large focus on teenage character dynamics and the overall concept of finding oneself. Granted, Kara no Kyoukai is a bit edgier than more modern releases in its medium, tackling somewhat sensitive subject material than what one might expect. One could also reasonably argue that the formulaic elements are mostly not the fault of Kara no Kyoukai, but rather the result of later imitators. Still, the actual storyline of the films is almost entirely superfluous to their quality.

The majority of light novel adaptations are somewhat hard for me to get through. I owe this to a plethora of aspects, but chief among them is a general overemphasis on verbal explanations as opposed to clever visual directing, likely the fault of studios directly adapting from source material. After all, within the literary medium, everything is, by necessity, described using words. Monologues seem especially popular amongst light novel authors. This can have a rather negative effect when transitioning to an audiovisual medium like an anime series or film. Simple monologues get transformed into agonizingly protracted voiceover segments where things the audience is supposed to feel are instead described to them while the visuals stay static. There’s obvious exceptions like the Monogatari series which emphasized interesting directing while still keeping the series’ overblown monologues, but the manner in which Kara no Kyoukai handles it is perhaps more impressive. Since the actual quality of direction varies wildly through each of the main films, I’ll discuss them in separate parts, starting with the first one.

Overlooking View highlights many of the series' strengths, particularly in atmospheric storytelling. Dialogue isn’t nearly as dense compared to most light novel adaptations, as the film follows the incessantly repeated (though still valid) assertion that films ought to show, not tell. Though viewers are probably incredibly confused in this film, as the films’ non-chronological release order actually render this film the fifth in a more direct narrative viewing sense, I would argue that is itself the main intention. Rather than being caught up in the storyline, the film focuses on getting the audience invested in other elements, namely the characters’ strange interactions and the cinematography. Many shots in the film instead draw attention to the rather beautiful and almost hypnotizing backgrounds. ufotable’s use of digital techniques such as light gradients became far more pronounced during the 2010s, though this film series is a first indication of what came after, as the techniques are particularly suited for the sort of urban fantasy that Kara no Kyoukai strives towards.

The second film, A Study in Murder – Part 1, is perhaps my least favorite out of the main seven. Focusing far less on ambience and interesting direction and placing emphasis on the most uninteresting aspect of the series, its narrative, the second film does little to show why Kara no Kyoukai is an interesting series worth discussing. The production values are still fairly interesting, with ufotable showing off glimpses of their future as a studio renowned for digital effects mastery. My assertion of A Study in Murder – Part 1 as the worst in the main series still renders it a decent 6/10 in my scale as it still features certain trademark strengths of the series as a whole. But other than that, the film’s overwhelming emphasis on the generic teenage angst character dynamics is its biggest weakness. Movie 2 is almost the direct inverse of the third film, Remaining Sense of Pain. Dealing with perhaps the most heavy subject material, Remaining Sense of Pain manages to carefully tread the line in being sensitive to a topic that has real-world implications, while also utilizing its antagonist’s complex backstory in a manner that makes logical sense. While the third film is like the second one in a sense, by focusing a decent bit on character drama, they differ wildly in execution. Remaining Sense of Pain has a great narrative that doesn’t feel trite, along with the superb direction that really made the first film. The most notable aspect of the film, which somewhat extends to the series itself, is its use of lighting in unique and varied ways, something which really emphasizes a unique urban fantasy/horror feel.

There seems to be a bit of a trend with the Kara no Kyoukai films in terms of the odd ones being the more renowned ones in narrative and mise en scène. In fact, everyone I’ve discussed the series with almost universally has movies 1, 3, 5, and 7 above movies 2, 4, and 6. This becomes evident with the fourth entry, The Hollow Shrine. The film is by far the most sparse storywise out of the main series, instead opting to focus on protagonist Shiki’s internal thoughts while lying comatose in a hospital. Much of the film progresses with her monologue, with the events that do occur outside of Shiki’s mind still generally centered around how other characters react to her physical state. To lend a bit of credit, what The Hollow Shrine attempts is something I’ve praised other media for. The last two episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion infamously focused predominantly on its characters’ psychology. I consider those two episodes to be perhaps my favorite out of the entire series. There’s a strong difference between Evangelion and Kara no Kyoukai, though. Evangelion has an entire cast of truly interesting characters with deep rooted flaws that the audience is brought to care about intensely. On the other hand, Kara no Kyoukai’s cast is, as previously mentioned, rather dull. There isn’t that much about their struggles that really speak to me in a personal manner because the story as a whole isn’t nearly as universal in its pathos. Having said that, The Hollow Shrine is still probably better than the second film with its attempt at being unique in its presentation along with being a very brisk 45 minutes in length.

When discussing the Kara no Kyoukai films, the fifth is usually considered the greatest due to its fantastic atmosphere and setting, gorgeous animation, and intriguing storyline coupled with a unique structure. Simply put, I agree with the consensus. While all the films emphasize the setting as a sort of hellhole of urbanity with unspeakable horrors lying around every corner and apartment, Paradox Spiral is the entry which best embodies that. The film mainly centers around a strange apartment complex viewed from two separate perspectives, slowly building up the mystery of the building’s true nature. There’s this palpable looming dread pervasive through every scene set in said complex. A friend of mine once described the film’s ambience as being a sort of gothic twist on the comforting liminality present in iyashikei works such as Aria, a description I believe is apt. In addition to having an interesting sense of space, the film complements this with strange camera angles and strong music usage. As a whole, Paradox Spiral is a masterpiece in almost every regard. While it still ultimately follows the wider storyline of Kara no Kyoukai and is thus imperfect given how said story is a rather uninteresting light novel plot, its contained narrative of a man coping with his sanity is fantastic. It’s dynamic, feels significant, and overall works well with the film’s direction. If there is one film that encapsulates the best parts of this franchise, it’s Paradox Spiral.

It’s probably the result of the perpetual post-movie 5 hangover that always looms over this film due to its inherent place in the watch order, but prior to my latest rewatch, I never liked the sixth film, Oblivion Recording. I felt that it was overall rather uninteresting with a far more pedestrian plot and rather silly characters, an aspect which seemingly clashed with the more serious elements of the franchise as a whole. I have since changed my mind. While nothing like Paradox Spiral, Oblivion Recording is an interesting entry in the franchise which may not compare to the more atmospheric odd-numbered films, but complements them in a very different way. Its main character is far less serious and its plot less focused, but frankly, movies 2 and 4 show that taking these light novel plots too seriously can be kind of a drag. Instead, Oblivion Recording opts for a tone I might compare to K-On! or some other slice of life series. Of course, it does have its serious moments, but the film isn’t nearly as dense with those compared to earlier entries. I think the biggest difference in my latest watchthrough has been in understanding the intentions of movie 6 as a sort of palette-cleansing intermission between the fifth and seventh movies which are very serious in their tone. As such, rather than negatively viewing Oblivion Recording for its differences, I now find that said distinctions create a welcome contrast that not only separates the film from the others, but also enhances the inter-film structure as a whole.

While A Study in Murder – Part 2 is great in the same ways that all the odd-numbered entries are great, it has noticeable flaws which were more apparent upon later viewings. Namely, the film can get rather meandering with its storyline. While I used to compare this film favorably to the first one, the difference in runtimes makes them actually rather close in quality. Movie 1 accomplishes less than the seventh, but it’s only 50 minutes compared to A Study in Murder – Part 2’s 120 minute runtime. Though the latter has a higher quantity of better directed scenes, it also drags far longer. Beyond that, Overlooking View is more unique in terms of the mood it conveys, a result of the seventh film needing to complete up several mysteries and storylines as the conclusion. In spite of the negativity I’ve just expressed, I ultimately enjoy the last Kara no Kyoukai film quite a bit for the same reasons the others are great. The film has the unfortunate task of being the finale in a series where the story isn’t quite as important compared to other elements, but it still concludes the series in a good fashion.

The Kara no Kyoukai films are an interesting bunch. Taken separately, many of them are unique and interesting pieces of art within the medium of animation, strengthened by acutely great direction. Put together, they are a cohesive set of films that work well, albeit occasionally weighed down by the inherent trapping of being adapted from a light novel. With the early digital animation era being a time period where I believe anime were visually dull, I consider Kara no Kyoukai to be one of the first truly good looking digital anime. The ways in which it succeeded are largely what made its production studio succeed as it was an adaptation of a work with an existing fanbase which had strong visual flare due to digital effects. Beyond that more mainstream assessment, the films are perhaps the most strong from an artistic perspective. In its production methods, appeal to more auteur style directing, and overall ties to various industry forces, Kara no Kyoukai was an outlier that heralded the 2010s era of anime to come. Yet still, the films stand out for simply being superb works of art that do not necessarily need to be held within this historical context to be admired.