Kara no Kyoukai

***The Garden of Sinners*** (空の境界 Kara no Kyoukai?, lit "Boundary of Emptiness") is a series of light novels written by Kinoko Nasu and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi, written before they both became involved in the visual novel business. The novels were originally released independently online and at Comiket from 1998 to 1999, later being officially published and reprinted by Kodansha in 2004 and 2007. Though considered by many to be the prototype of *Tsukihime*, its story and structure are also much, much more complex.

## Plot

### Story and setting

Set in Japan in the late 1990s, ***The Garden of Sinners*** follows the story of Shiki Ryougi, a teenager raised as a demon hunter who acquired the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception after surviving a fatal accident. It also chronicles Mikiya Kokutou's unwavering efforts to get close to her while they were still high school students and their subsequent adventures in dealing with supernatural cases as investigators for Touko Aozaki's detective agency, Garan no Dou.

Set in an alternate universe to *Tsukihime* and *Fate/stay night*, for which it serves as a prototype, it introduces many of the concepts prevalent in the latter two. In particular, the protagonist, Shiki Ryougi, possesses similar abilities to Shiki Tohno, the protagonist of *Tsukihime*. Aoko Aozaki's sister, Touko Aozaki, is also briefly mentioned.

As one of Kinoko Nasu's earliest works, it introduces some of the most fundamental concepts in the universe of TYPE-MOON works, such as Souls, the Akashic Record/Root, Counter Force, Magic, Magecraft and Mystic Eyes.

Both the light novel and the films are presented in an anachronistic order, with each chapter/film serving as part of a collective narrative.

#### Notes

1. ↑ "Möbius Ring"
2. ↑ "Möbius Link"
3. ↑ "01\_feline"
4. ↑ "02\_daylight"
5. ↑ "03\_say grace"

### Themes

The series deals with the paranormal and addresses mature themes such as suicide, rape, patricide, incest and murder. Its plot is inspired by various religious philosophies and psychological concepts such as multiple personalities; anima and animus; the nature of sin; life, death and reincarnation; and the paradoxical nature of Taiji.

### Main characters

*Main article: List of Kara no Kyoukai characters*
Shiki Ryougi (両儀式 Ryōgi Shiki?)
A beautiful teenage girl who possesses the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
Mikiya Kokutou (黒桐幹也 Kokutō Mikiya?)
Shiki's love interest and later husband. After crossing paths with Touko Aozaki, he drops out of university to work for her.
Azaka Kokutou (黒桐鮮花 Kokutō Azaka?)
Mikiya's younger sister, who is obsessed with him. She becomes an apprentice of Touko due to her rivalry against Shiki and is talented in ignition magecraft.
Touko Aozaki (蒼崎橙子 Aozaki Tōko?)
An powerful magus who pretends to be an artisan specializing in puppets.
## Media

### Light novel

*See also: Kara no Kyoukai: Mirai Fukuin and Kara no Kyoukai: Shuumatsu Rokuon*
***The Garden of Sinners*** began in October 1998 as a five-chapter series published online on Nasu and Takeuchi's website, The BAMBOO BROOM (竹箒 Takebōki?), with another two chapters being published in Comiket 56 in August 1999. The two later formed TYPE-MOON, and in 2001, the first four chapters were included in the *Tsukihime* bonus disc, *Tsukihime PLUS-DISC*, which gained considerable popularity and was subsequently released as a doujinshi publication in Comiket 61 in December 2001.

On August 6, 2004, Kodansha released the series in two volumes as a commercial publication, with 5,000 limited edition copies selling out almost immediately upon release. Between September 2007 and January 2008, another three-volume edition was published under the Kodansha Bunko imprint, with a total of more than 700,000 copies sold.

Expanding the narrative, two additional stories were published. The first, *Future Gospel*, takes place a decade after the original events. It consists of two chapters ("Möbius Ring" and "Möbius Link") and three manga shorts ("01\_feline", "02\_daylight" and "03\_say grace"). It was published as a doujinshi in August 2008 in Comiket 74, and in November 2011 by Seikaisha Bunko.

The second story, *Final Record*, serves as a sequel to the first, and was originally distributed exclusively to attendees of the *Future Gospel* film in 2013.

In 2018, Kodansha released a three-volume special edition to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series. The third volume includes *Future Gospel* and *Final Record*, along with illustrations by Shidzuki Morii.

#### Chapter listing

* Chapter 1 — "**Overlooking View**" (俯瞰風景 Fukan Fūkei?) Thanatos.
* Chapter 2 — "**A Study in Murder – Part 1**" (殺人考察(前) Satsujin Kōsatsu (Zen)?) …and nothing heart.
* Chapter 3 — "**Remaining Sense of Pain**" (痛覚残 留?) ever cry, never life.
* Chapter 4 — "**The Hollow Shrine**" (伽藍の洞 Garan no Dō?) garan-no-dou.
* "**Intermission - Kirie/Fujino**" (境界式 Kyōkai Shiki?)
* Chapter 5 — "**Paradox Spiral**" (矛盾螺旋 Mujun Rasen?) Paradox Paradigm.
* Chapter 6 — "**Oblivion Recording**" (忘却録音 Bōkyaku Rokuon?) fairy Tale.
* "**Intermission - Lio**" (境界式 Kyōkai Shiki?)
* Chapter 7 — "**A Study in Murder – Part 2**" (殺人考察(後) Satsujin Kōsatsu (Go)?) …not nothing heart.
* "**Epilogue**" (終章/空の境界 Owari Shō / Kara no Kyōkai?) Boundary of Emptiness.
* "**Future Gospel**" (未来福音 Mirai Fukuin?) recalled out summer.
* "**Final Record**" (終末録音 Shūmatsu Rokuon?) the Garden of oblivion.

2004 editionVolume 1
ISBN 978-4-06-182361-7Volume 2
ISBN 978-4-06-182362-42007 editionVolume 1
ISBN 978-4-06-275892-5Volume 2
ISBN 978-4-06-275920-5Volume 3
ISBN 978-4-06-275946-52018 edition (20th anniversary)Volume 1
ISBN 978-4-06-511012-6Volume 2
ISBN 978-4-06-511013-3Volume 3
ISBN 978-4-06-511014-0
### Drama CD

*Main articles: Kara no Kyoukai Drama CD: Fukan Fuukei and Kara no Kyoukai Drama CD: Shuumatsu Rokuon*
***The Garden of Sinner Drama CD: Overlooking View*** was released on August 9, 2002 as a doujin work. Based on the first chapter of the series, original episodes were added by screenwriter and author Omori Rice (大森ごはん Ōmori Gohan?). The accompanying booklet includes a dialogue between Kinoko Nasu and Gen Urobuchi. It was produced and marketed by Magic Cage.

Another drama CD titled ***The Garden of Sinner Drama CD: Final Record*** was included as a bonus disc in the 2013 limited edition pack of *The Garden of Sinners: Future Gospel*.

#### Theme songs (Overlooking View)

* "**Night Device 006X**"
* "***Sora wo Koete***" (ソラヲコエテ?, lit. "Beyond the Sky")

### Anime film series

***The Garden of Sinners*** has been adapted into a series of seven films by ufotable between December 2007 and August 2009, released in the same anachronistic order as the light novels. A 3D edition of the first film, *Overlooking View*, was released in July 2013.

In preparation for the release of the seventh and final film, a compilation film entitled  *Gate of Seven Heaven* was released in March 2009, combining the first six chapters, with some new footage.

In February 2011, a 33-minute OVA entitled *Epilogue* was released on DVD format. In July 2013, the same was included in a Blu-ray Disc Box that compiled all 7 films.

An eighth film, also animated by ufotable, under the name *Future Gospel* was released in September 2013, along with *Future Gospel - Extra Chorus*, the latter containing the animated version of the three manga shorts included in the book of the same name. In February 2014, both were released in DVD format, along with a limited edition Blu-ray or DVD format, which included the soundtrack and a drama CD.

There currently appear to be no plans to animate *Final Record*.

#### Releases

1. ***The Garden of Sinners 1: Overlooking View*** (December 1, 2007 / 3D - July 13, 2013)
2. ***The Garden of Sinners 2: A Study in Murder - Part 1*** (December 29, 2007)
3. ***The Garden of Sinners 3: Remaining Sense of Pain*** (February 9, 2008)
4. ***The Garden of Sinners 4: The Hollow Shrine*** (May 24, 2008)
5. ***The Garden of Sinners 5: Paradox Spiral*** (August 16, 2008)
6. ***The Garden of Sinners 6: Oblivion Recording*** (December 20, 2008)
7. ***The Garden of Sinners Remix: Gate of Seventh Heaven*** (March 14, 2009)
8. ***The Garden of Sinners 7: A Study in Murder – Part 2*** (August 8, 2009)
9. ***The Garden of Sinners: Epilogue*** (February 2, 2011)
10. ***The Garden of Sinners: Future Gospel*** (September 28, 2013)
11. ***The Garden of Sinners: Future Gospel - Extra Chorus*** (September 28, 2013)

#### Theme songs

Each ending theme was performed by Kalafina, a vocal group formed by composer Yuki Kajiura.

* "**oblivious**"
* "***Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Iku***" (君が光に変えて行く?, lit. "You Turn into Light")
* "***Kizuato***" (傷跡?, lit. "Scars")
* "**ARIA**"
* "**sprinter**"
* "**fairytale**"
* "**Seventh Heaven**"
* "**snow falling**"
* "**Alleluia**" (アレルヤ?)
* "**dolce**"

### Anime (TV edition)

*Main article: Kara no Kyoukai (TV edition)*
Between July and September 2013, a television version of the series with a total of 13 episodes aired on TOKYO MX, BS11, Nico Nico Live Broadcast and Bandai Channel, not in the order of release, but in chronological order, excluding chapters 5 "Paradox Spiral" and 6 "Oblivion Recording".

### Manga

*Main article: Kara no Kyoukai (manga)*

The manga adaptation is currently published in the web magazine *Saizensen* since September 15, 2010, being illustrated by Tenkuu Sphere and supervised by Nasu and Takeuchi. The tankobon volumes are published by Kodansha.

## Chronological timeline

1995
* **March:** Mikiya meets Shiki (her third personality) on the street for the first time.
* **April:** Mikiya and Shiki enter the same high school and bond with each other. Lio Shirazumi meets Shiki.
* **July:** Lio is spurned by Shiki, accidentally kills a person, and has his origin awakened by Araya.
* **September:** Lio embarks on a murder spree, implicating Shiki in his crimes, and drops out of school after his fourth murder.

1996
* **January:** SHIKI visits the Mother of Mifune, who foretells his impending death.
* **February:** Shiki attempts to commit suicide, but SHIKI dies in her place, leaving their body in a coma.

1998
* **March:** Mikiya graduates from high school and enters university.
* **May:** Mikiya visits Touko's doll gallery, quits university, and starts working at her detective agency.
* **June:** Shiki awakens from her coma and, after recovering, starts working for Touko, as well.
* **July:** Araya heals Fujino Asagami, awakening her powers. Shiki loses her left arm fighting her.
* **August:** Shiki faces off against "Meruka Kuramitsu", destroying his precognitive ability. Mikiya receives a premonition about his death from Shizune Seo. Later on, Mikiya asks Shiki to take care of a cat for him for a while.
* **September:** Araya awakens Kirie Fujou's powers. Fujou causes several suicides, is defeated by Shiki, and commits suicide herself.
* **October:** Ririsu Miyazuki contemplates suicide but is scared out of it by Fujino. Tomoe Enjo kills his parents and hides in Shiki's apartment, while Mikiya is out of town getting a driver's license.
* **November:** Kaori Tachibana dies in a dormitory fire; Misaya Ouji kills Hideo Hayama. Shiki, Tomoe, Mikiya, and Touko face off against Souren Araya and Cornelius Alba, killing both of them.
* **December:** Shiki and Mikiya visit a temple on New Year's Eve.

1999
* **January:** Shiki and Azaka root out the master of the fairies at Reien Girl's Academy, Satsuki Kurogiri.
* **February:** Lio Shirazumi starts killing again, but is stopped by Mikiya and Shiki.
* **March:** Mikiya meets Shiki's third personality once more and talks with her.

2008
* **August:** Mitsuru Kamekura becomes employed by the Ryougi Group.

2010
* **August:** Mitsuru Kamekura and Mana Ryougi visit the Mother of Mifune.

## References

1. ↑ Anime News Network - News from June 26, 2013
2. ↑ *Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet*
3. ↑ Kodansha Book Club - *Kara no Kyoukai* (2007 ed.), Vol. 1 (in Japanese)
4. ↑ Kodansha Book Club - *Kara no Kyoukai* (20th anniv.), Vol. 3 (in Japanese)
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Aniplex - *Kara no Kyoukai: Mirai Fukuin* (limited ed.) (in Japanese)
6. ↑ Aniplex - *Kara no Kyoukai: Epilogue* (in Japanese)
7. ↑ Aniplex - *Kara no Kyoukai* Blu-ray Disc Box (in Japanese)

## External links

* Official website (in Japanese)
* Official manga website (in Japanese)
* Official Aniplex USA website
* *The Garden of Sinners* (films series) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia