The Garden of Sinners (Kara no Kyoukai)

Recently, I've been watching (or to be more exact, I've somehow managed to watch) some anime on a regular basis, which given my style of life and routine is something very difficult for me...

However, once again I've come across a series called "Kara no Kyoukai (Boundary of Emptiness)" better known in English as "The Garden of Sinners". Cause it's troublesome typing, I'll refer to this series as KnK. (Please bear by it...)

Now, KnK was actually a series of 7+3 Light Novels written by Nasu Kinoko. He's the same guy who authored and wrote the story for Shingetsutan Tsukihime (Lunar Legend Tsukihime or Lunar Legends) and Fate/Stay Night. I was primarily attracted by the title, but I started watching this series because I saw Nasu's name. I like Tsukihime and I'm a die hard fan of Fate/Stay Night (Saber!!! <3 )... So I knew I just had to watch this.

So, I start watching the first Movie/Episode - KnK : Overlooking View.

BTW, these screen shots are not in chronological order, so that the reader may not be able to guess what the story is and to avoid possible spoilers....

 A series of suicides done by very normal High School Girls begin to happen from the rooftop of some Fujyou Buildings. Shiki (protagonist) goes to the murder scene of the 5th victim and concludes next day that 8 are supposed to die. However, when she is not on time to save the 7th victim, will she become the 8th victim herself? There are 4 main characters in this movie, namely Mikiya (Shiki's close Friend), Shiki (Protagonist), Touko Aozaki (Supporting Role {Hidden Mastermind}) and the Antanoist, the owner of the building.

Now, coming to why I liked it, and consider it good enough to post on my blog.
1) The Artwork and Animation. Done by ufotable, the animation is something that was beyond what I expected it to be. The art was flawless, the expressions of characters excellently made, and the animation was very very fluid and smooth. Even the 3D parts of it were awesomely and seamlessly done. 10/10 for that.
2) Characters. The Characters came out very strong. I wasn't drawn by the story as much as I was drawn by the character of Shiki and to some extent Touko. The characters were displayed with such detail and beauty that I must confess I was captivated. Also, Shiki is one badass, no nonsense girl :D
3)Dialogues. The dialogues were deep and highly impressive. While some discussed philosophy of souls and bodies, some described the current situation or maybe a fact of life... but whatever dialogues were spoken out, they are not wasted and the visuals are not wasted either. Like the Intro Credits helps us understand the deep dialogue between Shiki and Mikiya at the end... I'll repeat what I said in short. The Dialogues were impressive and some were awesome.
4)Background and Ending Score. The Music for all the movies was made by Yuki Kajiura (Yes, you can click her name for more info). Need I say more... :) As of today, the ending theme "Oblivious" is already my song of the month.

As for the story... it was good, but the above points completely overshadowed it. So, that becomes a minus point. In rating an Anime or Movie, the story should be the first thing the viewer should notice.

Overall, I rated the first move 8/10. My friend Mr. V rated it at about 7.8/10. So, it's definitely worth watching (at least once if you don't like foreign language movies or Anime.). However, the first and second movies are OK, the third movie takes the level of violence to a higher level and also has brief nudity. It becomes an overall 18+ series there on, so those who don't like 18+ stuff (I know a few in real life... ) shouldn't take the effort to even try it. At the most watch upto the first 2 movies only then.

The Second Movie is about the Relationship between Shiki and Mikiya and also a tragic past Shiki had. It also tells about why Shiki has such a dark character.

The Third Movie is all about Shiki and her Badass character. It goes deeper into why she is the way she is. Also, there is an equally badass Antagonist. Due to the level of adult stuff in it... this movie alone takes the series to over 18+ ratings.

I'm yet to watch the others right now, but I've enjoyed these three movies a lot and am planning to complete this series now. It's worth my time at least... :)

And yes, it's a pleasant break from the cliched comedy or romance Manga/Anime I've been watching for the past 3 to 4 weeks...

P.S. Yes, I was too lazy to post images/screenshots for the 2nd and 3rd movies.... -___- I mean, it's a headache taking screenshots. Then again, this is a Rated 18+ anime, hence there are many screensots I can't post because of the excessive violence or nudity... Also, the images are a respective copyrights of their owner, and I do not own them :P