Kyoukai no Kanata Movie 1: I'll Be Here - Kako-hen

Kyoukai no Kanata: I'll Be Here - Kako hen is the first part of the movie series. This part is a complete recap of the original anime series. It does a good job getting you up to speed as to what happened in the original series and is only dedicated to the events surrounding Kanbara Akihito and Kuriyama Mirai and doesn't indulge in side stories.

Story 9/10:
This is a really good summary of the original series. No new scenes are used. It reuses the scenes from the original anime to make this summary.
The story of Kanbara Akihito and Kuriyama Mirai is explained. It does not go ... into the side stories like with the Nase Family, Inami Sakura and Fujima Miroku.

Art 9/10:
Since it uses the same scenes, it has no change in art. It's the same KyoAni which you've already seen. The artwork is amazing. Nothing more to say.

Sound 9/10:
Both the opening and the ending are really good songs. They are played near the end of the series.
The opening is played when Kanbara Akihito reaches Kuriyama Mirai when she is fighting Kyoukai no Kanata near the end of the movie.
The ending is played at the end and is a full version. It is played through the credits.
Voice actors are same.

Character 8/10:
If you haven't seen the original anime and watch this movie only, you'll miss out on many characters. As I said before, this movie focuses on Akihito and Mirai so the other characters get very little to no screen time. The only side character to have some play in this movie is Izumi Nase.

Enjoyment 8/10:
I loved the original anime and I liked watching the summary too. Even though it is a summary, some comedy bits are placed in it. And there are some emotional rides too.
It's a really good summary and for fans of the series, it is a good way to catch up and remember what happened.

Overall, I liked it. A heads-up, in the end of the movie, after the credits, they give a preview of the next part of the movie.

Don't expect too much. (spoiler-free review)

The main thing about this movie is that, whilest watching it, it only made sense to me because I watched the original series (twice even because I like it so much).

A lot is left out, and yes, the main plot points are stuffed in there, but they're basically presented without context and a lot doesn't make sense at all if you haven't watched the original series.

I can't quite give a good opinion on the story/art/character development because of this. It just barely contains any that makes sense without the context of the series. Besides that, it occurred to ... me that the movie looked like a literal edit of the series. I don't believe they've re-animated anything nor make it fancier (ex. how the Madoka movies were literally the series but with much better animation).

I don't want to completely bash this movie into the ground though, it just needs a little instruction I think?

Basically:
If you want to watch the movie because you watched the series, hell yeah! The great thing about the movie is that, the series was a while ago. If you want to go into the next movie I suppose you need the base the series/first movie shows otherwise you won't know anything about the world.

So, as a reminder of what exactly the series was about and who these characters were, I think this is a great thing, since you don't need to watch the whole series all over again.

HOWEVER,

If you want to watch the movie without watching the series first, I can strongly recommend against that. You'll miss out on tons of story and context and I'm sure a lot of things won't make sense to you since there's barely any worldbuilding in this.

I haven't watched the second movie yet, but I'm pretty sure the best way to watch and enjoy Kyoukai no Kanata is to watch the series, the first movie and then the second movie. This way, you won't miss out on anything, and if you are doing a marathon, you can even skip out on the first movie (though I'm not sure if the small fragment after the credits matters, because that IS new, contrary to the rest of the movie).

Either way, I'm not here to dictate people, and this is merely an advice ofcourse. If you enjoyed the series and you just need a thing to remind you what it all was about, this is a pretty great movie, since it takes away the need to watch the full series again.

If you're planning to watch this without having watched the series, I wish you good luck, because there'll be a lot of confusion ahead.

Have fun!

Story: The story is a recap of the episodes, but there is much more depth in the relationships, specifically Akihito and Mirai's. We get to see how much Mirai has struggled through the additional scenes, so it makes the story even more touching. The complexity and emotions of this movie helps you understand how Mirai and Akihito developed feelings for each other.

Art: The art is the same as the episodes, so it's great as always.

Sound: The emotions when the characters speak makes a significant impact on their relationships with each other. The music increased the intensity of scenes when it was required, and the theme ... songs depicted the emotions of the characters very well.

Character: Mirai and Akihito's kindness and sincerity are traits that make both of them very likable. The other characters, such as Sakura and Hiromi, serve to be very supportive companions emotionally, and in some cases, on the battlefield.

Enjoyment: As someone who watched the episodes and did not feel an intense enjoyment to the series, I was very surprised to see how much I enjoyed this film. It was remarkable to see a closer perspective to the characters' emotions and thoughts, so it was fulfilling to see the characters experience obstacles, and find their own peace.

Overall: This movie is recommended for everyone who has watched the episodes. If you didn't enjoy the episodes very much like I did, you have even more reason to watch this movie. The movie did a good job at allowing viewers to have a closer look and stronger connection to the characters.