Ranked #121

Kara no Kyoukai 4: Garan no Dou

Kara no Kyoukai review Part 4

I have to admit that this series seems to be getting a lot better as it progresses. The fourth installment, entitled Garan no Dou (or The Hollow Shrine), is actually one of the best so far in several respects.

This time around the story begins directly after the end of the second movie, with Ryougi Shiki being transported in an ambulance, accompanied by Kokuto Mikiya. When she finally awakens from her coma, Shiki discovers that she has obtained the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception", and also discovers that almost two years have passed by. Mikiya, meanwhile, has graduated from highschool, and has begun working for Aozaki Touko.

Ufotable have once again done an excellent job with the artwork and animation, however there are some small areas wherethe quality drops a little. The hospital environs have an appropriately clinical feel to them, yet when the story takes a darker turn these surroundings and backdrops adopt a far more ominous feel. The various supernatural happenings are suitably ephemeral, especially where the "Void" is concerned.

The action sequences are, again, extremely well executed, and the incorporated CG runs smoothly with the rest of the animation. The characters are designed at quite a unique stage given that this movie covers the two year period between the second and third movies. The audience has the rather rare and welcome opportunity to see the characters "grow" in terms of age over the course of one episode (admittedly there is an accelerated sense of time but that's by-the-by). The slight changes in the design of Mikiya and Shiki (especially facially), are subtle, but they are noticable (something which Ufotable should be applauded for).

The sound is very well done in this movie. The music is a little more atmospheric than the rest of the series, and the effects are well used overall. One of the problems with the series so far was that some of the effects could overwhelm the viewer, but thankfully it seems that this movie doesn't really suffer from that problem. This movie is definitely a step in the right direction in terms of sound.

The voice actors are once again excellent, and this is the first opportunity for Honda Takako (Aozaki Touko), to really show her stuff. Sakamoto Maaya also puts in another sterling performance, and manages to project the confusion and fear felt by Shiki.

Many people believe that the second movie is the one that shows the most development with the characters. Whilst they do gain some depth in that movie, Garan no Dou is actually a better stage to show the true potential of the characters. The audience is given far more insight into the Shiki we all know and love than can be found in the second movie, and whilst Mikiya is more of a bit part thistime around, this is balanced by the fact that Touko is finally given some depth. Although there are still many mysteries surrounding her, it was nice to see Touko's character being fleshed out a bit more (hopefully this will continue in the last three movies).

Fans of the series won't be disappointed with this outing, as there is enough going on to keep most people interested. Unfortunately, the same old gripe comes to the fore as the story is predictable in parts. However, this can be forgiven because of some solid character development and a more atmospheric environment (thanks to the sound and music quality being better).

The fifth episode awaits.... read more