Kara no Kyoukai Movie 7: Satsujin Kousatsu (Go)

That was a great conclusion to the series, KnK 5 is the peak of the plot and KnK 7 is the peak of emotions and development for both Shiki and Mikiya. This series is not for everyone, at first I thought I wouldn't like it. But now, it has become one of my favorite anime. Each individual movie range from good to mediocre, but Movie 5 and 7 are amazing. As a whole, I think KnK has a solid character driven story. The plot is nothing wow, it's just a bunch of murders starting to come back and taunt the main character to get consumed by her unstable murderous impulse. This movie has a very fitting villain that act as a contrast to Shiki, not as interesting as Araya but still served his role very well. But what I love about this movie is how the story developed Shiki and Mikiya relationship. Shiki is murderous and Mikiya is too kind & naive. No other normal man would probably spend their time with a girl like Shiki who is mentally unstable, doesn't talk too much, and can probably kill you at any moment. But Mikiya accept her as who she is, he keeps believing in her and turns out he is right. This movie confirmed that Shiki has only killed one person which was Araya who is considered by the main villain of this movie as an inhuman, not a human. All those four murders was done by someone else to tempted Shiki's murderous impulse. On the other side, Mikiya is very positive and too kind to the point he is called dumb by Shiki herself. Shiki is not the only imperfect human being in the story, Mikiya can also be counted as one. His too positive attitude will only get himself killed. Shiki's sharp instinct will protect Mikiya from all the danger and Mikiya's kindness will hold Shiki from getting murderous. They are the opposite of each other and complete each other, their dynamic are amazing in my eyes. This movie also gave more insight to "origin". Shiki's origin is nothingness just like Araya and movie 8 mentioned, therefore she sees everything meaningless and seek the death of it. The main villain of this movie surrendered to his origin and used it as an excuse to justify his crime while Shiki manage to resist it. We should accept our origin but that doesn't define who we are in the present. Shiki did it by letting Mikiya enter her life, she can finally live a normal life. Shiki is such a great character. The other characters like Enjou, Fujino, Araya, and Touko was also done quite well. Some characters lack more fleshed out, but overall I really enjoy it.

This review is from the overall movies adaptation of Kara no Kyoukai. Those movies are pretty flawed, as they could've have been handled way better and less rushed. Paradox Spiral that is Movie 5 emotional pay-off of the novel hit harder. A 1h, 2h extra hours would have made our time with Tomoe a lot better in a way that we can connect more with the characters before his inevitable final moments. A lot of banters and dialogue that were maybe mundane but neccesary for adding more depth to the final twist of Tomoe. Same with Fujino in Lingering Pain, Movie 3 , When Mikiya pick her up in the street and they talk at his home. It been skipped, she simply wake up and go. We don't see the promise they made and the quiet dialogue that show us Fujino love for Mikiya. As for Movie 6 the Rien Academy drama was a complete disaster. It was so bad, it skipped and rushed almost every details. We don't know how Azaka see the fairies as Shiki advice her to use her fire magic to trace the heat signal, We don't know what Satsuki or God Word say to Shiki, threaten her with recovering SHIKI memories that make her panic for the first time adding so much more to Shiki character when she's threaten psychologically. We don't learn to Satsuki backstory nor his defeat, how he's a monkey paw wish granter and was cursed by the fairies and a lot more. This movie stand at the absolute bottom by how surface level it is. It was not rushed, we jumped over every major details making the journey butchedred. If the LN was heavy with philosophy, the movies are a stories in a hurry trying to catche a bus. It doesn't hit the same. The only well adapted arc are Movie 2 and Movie 7 aswell as the epilogue that has a decent pacing. For the animation. Ufotable was truly ahead of it's time.. The animation, Sakugas and lightning especially in Movie 5,7 and 8 was breathtaking for 2007. It smooth, pleasing to the eyes and fluid. Even in early Ufotable style compared to HF or UBW or even F/Zero. It has it charm. You feel the power of the MEODP of Shiki when they glow in the night of Mifune or the ethereal snow and the orange glow of the town in the epilogue with Void Shiki and Mikiya. Not even at their pinnacle. Ufotable never fail to deliver a clean, incredible animation that capture the atmosphere of the urban fantasy of Nasu. The OST. Even before watching the movies I had a KNK ost playlist that I listened and enjoyed. Kiajura ethereal,eerie choir was a blessing to the ears.. until you see the movie and hear the same leitmotif in climax, intense same over and over. It'a the same melody, the same notes with a different introduction and build up, arriving at movie 4 you can anticipate the choir that you will hear at a climax and you will be right. I don't feel like hearing a album but different remixes playlist of the same music. Kiajura didn't have this problem with Fate/Zero nor Madoka Magica but for some reason Kara No Kyoukai was just a bile of the same leitmotif remixed across the movies. A lot was glossed over and It is a lesser version of the LN that I give the mediocre score of 5.5/10. Animation alone can get so far but a butchered jouney of a deconstruction of identity and finding meaning to life through sins can't afford shortcut nor precipitation. I recommend it nontheless for the cinematography and the simple pleasure to see those characters talking and moving but if you want the full experience, you need to read the Light Novel.