Kara no Kyōkai

, with its final two chapters being released at Comiket 56 in August 1999. Nasu and Takeuchi were later to form Type-Moon, and in 2001, featured a portion of the book in its 2001 "Tsukihime" fandisk, "Tsukihime PLUS-DISC", which saw it gain significant popularity, leading it to be released as a dōjinshi publication at Comiket 61 on December 30 2001.

On September 2002, a drama CD based on the series was released, and on August 6 2004, noted publisher Kodansha released the series as a commercial publication, which enjoyed immense popularity, with 5000 limited-edition versions of the novel being sold almost immediately upon release. Both editions of "Kara no Kyōkai" altogether sold more than 500,000 copies. [cite web|last=Watanabe|first=Kei|title="Kara no Kyōkai": The Anime Movie Versions of the Popular Dōjin Novel, Presenting to the Public from the First of the Month |publisher=Mainichi Shimbun|date=November 30 2007|url=http://mainichi.jp/enta/mantan/news/20071130mog00m200083000c.html|access-date=2008-01-26|language=Japanese] In 2009, Del Rey Manga will begin printing the "Kara no Kyōkai" novel. This was confirmed in the first volume of Del Rey's "Faust" release. [citeweb|url= http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780345502063|title=Faust 1 by Faust Editors|publisher=Del Rey Manga|accessdate=2008-09-25] The series is regarded as being set in the same world as another Type-Moon series, "Tsukihime", with the protagonist of the series, Shiki Ryōgi, possessing similar abilities as "Tsukihime"'s protagonist, Shiki Tohno, and another "Tsukihime" character, Aoko Aozaki's sister, Tōko Aozaki (who was briefly mentioned in "Tsukihime"), also being featured.

The series is being adapted into an ongoing anime movie series, divided into seven chapters, which are animated by the studio ufotable after being announced. [citeweb|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-01-08/kara-no-kyokai-film-in-the-works|title="Kara no Kyokai" Film in the Works|publisher =Anime News Network|date=2007-01-08|accessdate=2008-08-05] The first chapter, titled Nihongo|"Overlooking View"|俯瞰風景|Fukan Fūkei, premiered across Japanese theaters on December 1 2007, with the second,third and fourth chapters, Nihongo|"A Study in Murder (Part 1)"|殺人考察(前)|Satsujin Kōsatsu (Zen), Nihongo|"Remaining Sense of Pain"|痛覚残留|Tsūkaku Zanryū and Nihongo|"Void Shrine"|伽藍の洞| Garan no Dō, being released soon after on December 29 2007, followed by January 26 2008 and May 24 2008, respectively. In connection with the movie's release, the novels are once again being reprinted, as three volumes with new illustrations. [citeweb|url=http://www.akibaos.com/?p=2485|title=Akibaos article on the new novels|accessdate=2007-12-27|language=Japanese] It is expected for the fifth movie to premier in Japanese cinemas on August 16 2008.

Plot

Movie 1: Overlooking View

September 1998

Mikiya Kokutō brings over some ice cream while visiting Shiki, but Shiki is not happy to see him and adamantly refuses to eat any of it. Afterwards, Shiki and Touko discuss the recent spate of unusual suicide incidents where several high school girls fell to their death , but left no suicide note and had apparently no reason to commit suicide. Touko concludes that the girls did not intend to die. At night, Shiki visits the deserted part of town containing the Fujō buildings which have now fallen into disrepair and am about to be demolished, and while there chances upon the body of newest victim. She also notices several ghostly figures floating above the Fujō building.

The next day, Shiki discusses the building with Tōko, as she can feel something abnormal about it. Tōko suggests that the figures are records and memories of the victims who have died so far but have for some reason not dissipated into the world. In the afternoon, another Shiki is walking outside when another victim falls to her death. Deciding to take action, Shiki visits the Fujō building at sunset and battles a mysterious apparition that manages to take control of Shiki's left arm and tries to choke her to death with it. Using her mystic eyes, Shiki destroys her arm which is revealed to be a puppet arm that Tōko created for her. While the arm is being repaired, Shiki eats the ice cream that Kokutō bought using her remaining arm. The next day, Shiki takes back the repaired and improved arm, returns to the Fujō building and destroys all the floating figures and the apparition, who attempts to use her power of suggestion to make Shiki fall. It has no effect on her because she never had interest in such things.

Afterwards, Kirie Fujō awakes in her physical body on her hospital bed after being killed by Shiki in her spiritual body. Touko walks in and asks why she did it, Fujō replies that she didn't intend to make them fall, she just wanted to make friends with them, and so called to them, as she was stuck in the hospital with an incurable condition ever since she could remember. After Touko leaves, Fujō decides that the moment of her death when she was killed by Shiki was the most that she has ever felt alive, and wanted to relive that feeling. She wheels herself to the roof of the Fujō building, where she commits suicide by falling from the roof. Kokutō wakes up, feeling as if he had slept for a very long period of time, and Shiki demands that he stay over at her house to finish the ice cream he bought. In the Epilogue, Touko is walking near the Fujō building with an unidentified woman, where Fujō's corpse has been found. Touko comments that she just probably could not fly today.

Movie 2: Murder Speculation (First Half)

March 1995 - February 1996

Mikiya first meets Shiki in a white kimono during a snowing day. Later on, at the high school freshmen ceremony, Mikiya sees Shiki in the crowd and chases after her, introducing himself to her. At night, Shiki stumbles onto a fresh corpse of someone killed in a traffic accident, the blood still flowing. Kneeling, she applies the blood on her lips as lipstick and smiles. At school the next day, Mikiya discusses Shiki's choice of dress, a kimono, stating that it must be cold. Shiki replies that she will simply wear something over it when it gets colder, and Mikiya suggests a jacket. Shiki later on takes Mikiya's suggestion and buys her trademark red leather jacket. At night, a man stumbles as he runs in fear from an unseen attacker, who kills him brutally with a knife. The next day, Mikiya tells Shiki about the murder, saying he has an inside source as the murder is not on the news yet but Shiki is displeased that Mikiya is talking about something like that during lunch.

The police discover the fourth corpse, the school reacts to the news by prohibiting all after school activities. Shiki is one of the few people left in the school by this time, but bumps into someone she does not know, who reprimands her by asking her if four times isn't too much, even if she is irritated. Shiki refuses to reply. It is raining outside, and as Shiki waits at the entrance, Mikiya comes up behind her and offers her an umbrella. Startled, Shiki refuses, saying she has someone coming to pick her up. The two wait there in silence, until Shiki can no longer stand it and suddenly asks Mikiya where he was the whole time, and he replies saying that he was in holding a farewell party for an upperclassman that was dropping out of school because he found something to do. Mikiya invited Shiki as well, but Shiki did not think he was serious. At night, Shiki finds the fifth corpse, but simply remarks "the fifth one" emotionally.

Shiki has a duel with her father, using real katanas, but loses. Her servant, Akitaka, remarks that Shiki is the real successor of the family, over her male brother, an unusual move as the male is the successor in traditional Japanese families. This is because only Shiki inherited the special multiple personality of the Ryōgi family who in her case, is male and Shiki wraps herself in bandages to hide her femininity. During lunch break, Mikiya's friend from the judo club, Gakuto, quizzes him about the rumor that he is going out with Shiki. He admits that he does like her, but they are only friends. Later on, Mikiya finds a letter in his desk from Shiki asking him out on a date. Shiki shows up, but talks and behaves in a boyish manner, leaving Mikiya confused. Over a meal, SHIKI, the male personality, writes out two different spellings, Shiki and SHIKI, and explains that he is the rebellious impulse of Shiki, but lately they have been out of sync, whatever Shiki likes, SHIKI does not, and vice-versa.

Mikiya has dinner with his cousin, Daisuke, who is a detective and is investigating the recent murders. He reveals that they have obtained a recent clue, Mikiya's school emblem was found at the latest murder scene. After school, SHIKI has a frank talk with Mikiya, warning him that Shiki will try to kill anything that opens up her isolation with the world. The next day, Mikiya still offers to eat lunch with Shiki, leaving her perplexed. At lunch, Mikiya notices a bandaged injury on Shiki's left arm, who admits that she got it during the last killing. Mikiya doesn't believe her, but Shiki warns him again that if he doesn't back off, she will probably end up killing him. Mikiya once again has Daisuke over for dinner, who reveals that they found the killer's skin underneath the victim's fingernails, and that the killer probably has an injury around the elbow, the location that Shiki had bandaged. Panicking, Mikiya dashes out to Shiki's mansion in the bamboo grove, but Shiki is apparently not in. While walking around in the grove, Mikiya finds Shiki, drenched in blood in front of a fresh headless corpse spurting blood. As the blood splatters onto Shiki standing there in a trance, Shiki turns and smiles at Mikiya. Walking up to the terrified Mikiya, Shiki smiles and says "Be careful Kokutou-kun. A terrible premonition tends to attract a terrible reality."

After the cops find the crime scene, Mikiya pretends to not have seen anybody, but secretly goes back to keep watch on Shiki's house every night, and is easily spotted by Akitaka as he does not do a very good job of keeping hidden. This keeps up until Shiki loses her patience and has another talk with Mikiya, who still refuses to believe she is the killer, and she then asks him if he will be coming tonight. That night, Mikiya is still keeping watch, when Shiki in a blood red kimono shows up in the rain, and chases him while slashing wildly with her knife. Shiki chases Mikiya to the road just outside the bamboo grove, where Mikiya falls and Shiki straddles him, holding a knife to his throat. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Shiki asks Kokutō to say something, who can only reply with "I don't want to die.". Shiki smiles and replies that she wants to kill him. Screeching tires are heard, and the scene switches to June 1998 where Mikiya has started working for Tohko, and visits the comatose Shiki in the hospital with flowers, stating that he has always believed in her.

Characters

Major characters

;nihongo|Shiki Ryōgi|両儀式|Ryōgi Shiki:anime voices|Tomoko Kawakami (drama CD), Maaya Sakamoto (movies):A teenaged girl, who possesses the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception", a supernatural ability that allows the user to see the inherent mortality of everything (both living and non-living) in the form of lines and a single point (which is the "origin" of the object) which is shown by having a rainbow-like color in her pupils. A cut along any line will bifurcate the object, no matter the sharpness of cutting tool used, and a stab at the point destroys the object's origin, causing instant death. She recently recovered from a two-year coma caused by a traffic accident. Prior to the traffic accident, she originally had two personalities, a male personality named nihongo|Shiki|織|Shiki, and the original female personality nihongo|Shiki|式|Shiki. Children born into the Ryōgi family are generally male and are raised with two personalities, so the male personality is customarily called the "yang" personality, while the female is called the "yin" personality. It is easy to tell which Shiki is speaking at a given time because they both have a distinct style of speaking, most notably that the female Shiki refers to herself with the pronoun nihongo|watashi|私, while male Shiki refers to himself as nihongo|ore|オレ. After waking from her coma, Shiki discovers that she can no longer feel the male Shiki's presence and assumes that he died because of the accident. She also feels a detachment from her memories before the accident, and while she knows she is Shiki, she does not feel that she is. In the hopes of regaining herself and the "dead" Shiki, she puts on a cold façade that somewhat resembles the female Shiki's and tries to act as the male Shiki did. Tōko understands the sense of detachment Shiki feels, but considers the current Shiki a third, new personality. She assists the Garan no Dō agency in handling paranormal cases when combat is required.

;nihongo|Mikiya Kokutō|黒桐幹也|Kokutō Mikiya:anime voices|Kentarō Itō (drama CD), Kenichi Suzumura (movies):Shiki's friend who, two years ago, made a promise with Shiki to attend college. He discovers a doll at an exhibition his friend asked him to attend and falls in love with its flawless craftsmanship. He is so charmed by it that he seeks out the maker, Tōko Aozaki, and then finds her residence. With his hopes of attending college with Shiki crushed because of her coma, he drops out of college to work under Tōko as an assistant investigator. Tōko holds his investigative skills with high-regard because of his ability to find her workplace, an abandoned building hidden to all except those who wish to find it.

;nihongo|Azaka Kokutō|黒桐鮮花|Kokutō Azaka:anime voices|Yukari Tamura (drama CD), Ayumi Fujimura (movies):Mikiya's younger sister, who loves him. She becomes an apprentice of Tōko due to her rivalry against Shiki, and is talented in the magic of ignition. She is quite similar both in appearance and abilities to Akiha Tohno (though Akiha's ability consists of controlling external heat, whereas Azaka's ability is inducing ignitions). In an interview with Nasu, despite their rivalry, Azaka actually likes Shiki personality and vice-versa except their relationship with Mikiya has made it difficult for both of them becoming good friends.

;nihongo|Tōko Aozaki|蒼崎橙子|Aozaki Tōko|:anime voices|Kikuko Inoue (drama CD), Takako Honda (movies):Appearing as a puppet maker, Tōko is actually an extremely powerful sorceress, capable of 'miracles' that normal magi cannot create. She runs a business in an abandoned building called nihongo|Garan no Dō|伽藍の洞, a detective agency consisting of only herself and Mikiya that only takes supernatural or otherwise abnormal cases. She is the sister of "Tsukihime"'s Aoko Aozaki, with whom she does not share a particularly good relationship. In the early editions of the novel, Tōko was portrayed with short blue hair. In the newer editions of the novels and the movies, she has been given long red hair; Nasu and Takeuchi, dissatisfied with older illustrations of Tōko, changed her hair colour to reflect her relationship to Aoko Aozaki, who also has red hair.

econdary characters

Chapter 1

;nihongo|Kirie Fujō|巫条霧絵|Fujō Kirie:anime voices|Rie Tanaka (movies only):A bedridden girl who controls a ghostly version of herself above the nihongo|Fujō Building|巫条ビル|fujō biru. She is the reason behind the supposed Fujō Building suicides.

Chapter 2

;nihongo|Daisuke Akimi|秋巳大輔|Akimi Daisuke:anime voices|Yuji Ueda (movies only):A detective working with the local law enforcement, Daisuke is Mikiya's cousin who acts as an elder brother figure to him. Despite his scruffy and laid back appearance, Akimi is a diligent investigator who’s put in charge of unraveling the truth behind a series of strange murders which he suspect someone from Mikiya's highschool.

;nihongo|Lio Shirazumi|白純里緒|Shirazumi Rio:An older schoolmate of Kokuto who quit school because he found something he wanted to do. Becomes important in the seventh book.

Chapter 3

;nihongo|Fujino Asagami|浅上藤乃|Asagami Fujino:anime voices|Mamiko Noto (movies only):Classmate and friend to Azaka, who both attend nihongo|Reien Girl's Academy|礼園女学院|reien jogakuin. A murderer in secret, her ability to feel pain is very distorted and her murders are seemingly a way of giving her inner peace. Fujino has the special ability to bending space/objects with her mind which she uses to tear off limbs of the people she interogates. She later also gains clairvoyance in conjunction with her power which allows her to bend objects without having to be able to see them.

Chapter 5

;nihongo|Tomoe Enjō|臙条巴|Enjō Tomoe:anime voices|Tetsuya Kakihara (movies only):A teenager that Shiki takes in. He claims to have killed his parents because of constant dreams of getting killed by his mother.

;nihongo|Sōren Araya|荒耶宗蓮|Araya Sōren:anime voices|Jōji Nakata (drama CD and movies):An expert of sorcery and a previous acquaintance of Tōko from the nihongo|Sorcerer's Association|魔術協会|Majutsu kyōkai|also known as the Mage's Association. He is incredibly powerful and carries seven mobile bounded fields which are normally impossible to move.

;nihongo|Cornelius Alba|コルネリウス＝アルバ|Korunerius Aruba:A sorcerer.

Chapter 6

;nihongo|Satsuki Kurogiri|玄霧皐月|Kurogiri Satsuki

;nihongo|Misaya Ouji|黄路美沙夜|Ouji Misaya

Chapter 7

recalled out summer

;nihongo|Shizune Seo|瀬尾静音|Seo Shizune

;nihongo|Meruka Kuramitsu|倉密メルカ|Kuramitsu Meruka:A Bomber.

Media

Novels

Chapter listing

*Chapter 1 – Nihongo|Overlooking View|俯瞰風景|Fukan Fūkei Thanatos.
*Chapter 2 – Nihongo|A Study in Murder (Part 1)|殺人考察(前)|Satsujin Kōsatsu (Zen) …and nothing heart.
*Chapter 3 – Nihongo|Remaining Sense of Pain|痛覚残留|Tsūkaku Zanryū ever cry,never life.
*Chapter 4 – Nihongo|Void Shrine|伽藍の洞|Garan no Dō garan-no-dou.
*Nihongo|Intermission|境界式|Kyōkai Shiki
*Chapter 5 – Nihongo|Paradox Spiral|矛盾螺旋|Mujun Rasen Paradox Paradigm.
*Chapter 6 – Nihongo|Oblivion Recorder|忘却録音|Bōkyaku Rokuon fairy Tale.
*Nihongo|Intermission|境界式|Kyōkai Shiki
*Chapter 7 – Nihongo|A Study in Murder (Part 2)|殺人考察(後)|Satsujin Kōsatsu (Go) …not nothing heart.
*Nihongo|Boundary of Emptiness|空の境界|Kara no Kyōkai
*Nihongo|Gospel in the Future|未来福音|Mirai Fukuin recalled out summer

Animated films

Theme songs

:Each of the theme songs to the series are performed by Kalafina, a project formed by Yuki Kajiura.
*Nihongo|Overlooking View|俯瞰風景|Fukan Fuukei
**"Oblivious"
*Nihongo|A Study in Murder (Part 1)|殺人考察(前)|Satsujin Kousatsu (Zen)
**Nihongo|"Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Yuku"|君が光に変えて行く|Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Iku
*Nihongo|Remaining Sense of Pain|痛覚残留|Tsuukaku Zanryuu
**Nihongo|"Kizuato"|傷跡|Kizuato
*Nihongo|Void Shrine|伽藍の洞|Garan no Dō
**"Aria"
*Nihongo|Paradox Spiral|矛盾螺旋|Mujun Rasen:
**"Sprinter"

Chronological timeline

;1995:;March:*Mikiya meets Shiki for the first time on a snowy night.:;April:*Shiki enters high school and gets acquainted with Mikiya.:;September:*Chapter 2 – Nihongo|A Study in Murder (Part 1)|殺人考察(前)|Satsujin Kousatsu (Zen)

;1996:;February:*Shiki encounters a traffic accident and spends two years in hospital in a coma.

;1998:;March:*Mikiya enters university after graduating from high school.:;May:*Mikiya sees one of Tohko's dolls at an exhibition.:*Mikiya meets Tohko.:*Mikiya quits university halfway.:;June:*Chapter 4 – Nihongo|Void Shrine|伽藍の洞|Garan no Dō:;July:*Chapter 3 – Nihongo|Remaining Sense of Pain|痛覚残留|Tsuukaku Zanryuu:;August:*recalled out summer – Nihongo|Gospel in the Future|未来福音|Mirai Fukuin Möbius ring:;September:*Chapter 1 – Nihongo|Overlooking View|俯瞰風景|Fukan Fuukei:;November:*Chapter 5 – Nihongo|Paradox Spiral|矛盾螺旋|Mujun Rasen

;1999:;January:*Chapter 6 – Nihongo|Oblivion Recorder|忘却録音|Boukyaku Rokuon:;February:*Chapter 7 – Nihongo|A Study in Murder (Part 2)|殺人考察(後)|Satsujin Kousatsu (Go)

;2008:*recalled out summer – Nihongo|Gospel in the Future -The Biginning|未来福音・序|Mirai Fukuin Jo Möbius link

References

External links

* [http://www.karanokyoukai.com/ Official website] jp icon
* [http://www2.ocn.ne.jp/~typemoon/rakkyo/index.htm The Moonlit World - "Kara no Kyokai"] en icon