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Sep 8, 2023 7:15 AM
#1
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Jan 2017
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I don't usually resort to forum questions to determine whether I should continue watching a series, but this time around I really am quite confused.

I watched the first three Kara no Kyoukai movies and gave them each a 7, 6, and 5 respectively. The first movie introduced the flying/floating dichotomy which I found really interesting, but was not built upon in the next couple movies which made me think it is a movie 1 exclusive concept. The second and third movies were alright but I felt increasingly uninterested and detached from them. At the end of both I really found myself feeling not much of anything apart from some slight annoyance towards the 3rd one.

I guess my question is whether the concepts and atmosphere set up in the first movie will be brought up again in the later movies. I know movie 5 is supposed to bring everything together or so I heard, but I am feeling slightly doubtful about the direction they are going to take. I know I am kind of asking for spoilers, so feel free to lightly spoil me if needed.

I am also curious if anyone has similar experiences to share or if you've felt similarly alienated by this series and, unlike me, can pinpoint what caused this feeling of detachment for you.

Thanks

Sep 8, 2023 7:29 AM
#2
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May 2015
245
5th movie is the best one by far, followed by 7, 4 and 1. The only film in this series that I felt was a bit poor was the 6th. I don’t know about you but I was always interested in the films enough to watch the next one, but the 5th movie really stands out as the series crown jewel. The storyline, characters and philosophical themes are really interesting. At least watch up to that point. If you are invested in the relationship between Shiki and Mikiya, watch the rest of the series, especially 7 and the epilogue.
ShamankinguYohSep 8, 2023 7:35 AM
Sep 8, 2023 7:58 AM
#3

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Jan 2017
6095
yoru987 said:
I guess my question is whether the concepts and atmosphere set up in the first movie will be brought up again in the later movies.


The concepts are individual to each Movie , so no , they won't talk about it again.

But the overall atmosphere is the same in all of them.
It's even what Fukan Fuukei is used for : Presenting the atmosphere and general tone of the franchise to the viewer.

yoru987 said:
I know movie 5 is supposed to bring everything together or so I heard, but I am feeling slightly doubtful about the direction they are going to take.


Basically , Movie 1 and 3 seems to cover some stand-alone investigation cases , but they are linked to Movie 5. Same for Movie 6 & 7.
Did you wonder how the characters got their supernatural abilities ? Well that's how they are linked together.

That's all.

Dunno what you don't like , but with each Movie answering a question or at the very least throwing hints about the 2 main characters , i don't think it's a good sign that your score decrease the further you go. And actually , if you are not interested in the characters , you will find Movie 4 , 6 & 7 very bad , as their whole premise is about the main characters themselves...
Alexioos95Sep 8, 2023 8:01 AM
"Genius lives only one storey above madness."
– Arthur Schopenhauer.

"Stupidity is a talent for misconception."
– Edgar Allan Poe.

"I'm tired... and hungry."
– Alexioos95.
Sep 8, 2023 8:04 AM
#4

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Jan 2021
5489
Movie 1 to 4 are mixed I guess but then 5 to 7 are linear. They do mention the characters and some of their purpose in movie 5 and 7 but its better if you don't think much about it. 7 is the actual conclusion of the the whole Shiki problem and 5 deals with one of the main villain.

It's better to continue and watch these movie and then formulate your own judgment on it rather then leaving it so early into the movies. The best has yet to come.
If you enjoyed the time you wasted, then its not a waste of time.

Sep 8, 2023 8:32 AM
#5
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Jan 2017
107
Alexioos95 said:
yoru987 said:
I guess my question is whether the concepts and atmosphere set up in the first movie will be brought up again in the later movies.


The concepts are individual to each Movie , so no , they won't talk about it again.

But the overall atmosphere is the same in all of them.
It's even what Fukan Fuukei is used for : Presenting the atmosphere and general tone of the franchise to the viewer.

yoru987 said:
I know movie 5 is supposed to bring everything together or so I heard, but I am feeling slightly doubtful about the direction they are going to take.


Basically , Movie 1 and 3 seems to cover some stand-alone investigation cases , but they are linked to Movie 5. Same for Movie 6 & 7.
Did you wonder how the characters got their supernatural abilities ? Well that's how they are linked together.

That's all.

Dunno what you don't like , but with each Movie answering a question or at the very least throwing hints about the 2 main characters , i don't think it's a good sign that your score decrease the further you go. And actually , if you are not interested in the characters , you will find Movie 4 , 6 & 7 very bad , as their whole premise is about the main characters themselves...

I’m a bit disappointed to hear the concepts of movie 1 won’t appear again, but thanks for the info!
I guess I am finding it hard to move along with the series because I’m not invested in either of the 2 main characters.
yoru987Sep 8, 2023 8:41 AM
Sep 8, 2023 9:08 AM
#6

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Jan 2017
6095
yoru987 said:
I guess I am finding it hard to move along with the series because I’m not invested in either of the 2 main characters.


Ah... I'd suggest to drop then...

The whole story is heavily character and mystery-driven , especially around Shiki. (Kokuto is more sidelined , aside from Movie 2 & 7)

If you are not invested (or atleast interested) in her killing streak of Movie 2 and her relationship with Kokuto , there is no point to continue.
The whole work is about that , after all.

Movie 5 has a strong psychological theme that is well developed (for 2 hours) , and that's why he's so much well liked by fans , but that's all you'll find... (So you could try to watch it)

That's the style of Nasu : Character-driven stories , with a slow-burn mystery and a mystical setting.
"Genius lives only one storey above madness."
– Arthur Schopenhauer.

"Stupidity is a talent for misconception."
– Edgar Allan Poe.

"I'm tired... and hungry."
– Alexioos95.
Sep 8, 2023 10:03 AM
#7
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Jan 2017
107
Alexioos95 said:
yoru987 said:
I guess I am finding it hard to move along with the series because I’m not invested in either of the 2 main characters.


Ah... I'd suggest to drop then...

The whole story is heavily character and mystery-driven , especially around Shiki. (Kokuto is more sidelined , aside from Movie 2 & 7)

If you are not invested (or atleast interested) in her killing streak of Movie 2 and her relationship with Kokuto , there is no point to continue.
The whole work is about that , after all.

Movie 5 has a strong psychological theme that is well developed (for 2 hours) , and that's why he's so much well liked by fans , but that's all you'll find... (So you could try to watch it)

That's the style of Nasu : Character-driven stories , with a slow-burn mystery and a mystical setting.

The main reason why I was unsure whether to keep watching is cause while I am not particularly invested in the characters, I am curious about the mystery, especially since it’s not a clear cut detective-type mystery which there’s a lot of and can be quite easily figured out.
The fact that the movies are mixed up chronologically was a big selling point for me with the series since I guess it’s one of the main factors that plays into the mystery.
Also having said that, the psychological genre in anime is one of my favorites too so what you’re saying about movie 5 sounds super interesting.
Also, about the fate/nasu verse, I am quite a big fan of fate/zero so in theory, the idea of a character-driven psychological drama with interesting dialogue and supernatural elements sounded pretty great to begin with for me hahaha
Well, I guess I’ll watch up to part 5 and make a decision after that
Sep 8, 2023 1:05 PM
#8
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Feb 2021
57
I have mixed feelings regarding the series. On one side, the animation and music is spectacular. On the other side, the story is meandering and somewhat incomprehensible. I think the first film was entertaining, but when the story gets into Shiki’s backstory, it gets rather convoluted.

Overall it’s worth a watch, but I can’t say it’s something I would recommend to everybody.
Sep 8, 2023 2:01 PM
#9
puer aeternus

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Sep 2021
1506
The fifth movie is the direct sequel in chronological order and also the closest thing to the first movie. Since you have Gits and Perfect Blue on your fav list, you're probably gonna like it.
Sep 8, 2023 3:52 PM
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Jan 2023
18
In my case was completely different. The first one was good but just that, the second one was better in my opinion, but the third one sold me out completely the franchise, and thank God, cuz Spiral paradox, the fifth one is one of my favorite anime movies of all time.

I recommend you to drop it then, I don't think you're going to like the rest either if you don't feel interested in the characters by now. It's fine tho, there's a lot of other shows you could be watching instead and KnK takes some time to watch.
Sep 9, 2023 1:27 AM
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Sep 2020
210
yoru987 said:
I don't usually resort to forum questions to determine whether I should continue watching a series, but this time around I really am quite confused.

I watched the first three Kara no Kyoukai movies and gave them each a 7, 6, and 5 respectively. The first movie introduced the flying/floating dichotomy which I found really interesting, but was not built upon in the next couple movies which made me think it is a movie 1 exclusive concept. The second and third movies were alright but I felt increasingly uninterested and detached from them. At the end of both I really found myself feeling not much of anything apart from some slight annoyance towards the 3rd one.

I guess my question is whether the concepts and atmosphere set up in the first movie will be brought up again in the later movies. I know movie 5 is supposed to bring everything together or so I heard, but I am feeling slightly doubtful about the direction they are going to take. I know I am kind of asking for spoilers, so feel free to lightly spoil me if needed.

I am also curious if anyone has similar experiences to share or if you've felt similarly alienated by this series and, unlike me, can pinpoint what caused this feeling of detachment for you.

Thanks


Watch till the 5th movie and then you can decide whether you want to drop it or not. I agree the 1st one was something completely different from others and I myself always wanted similar parts to that one but, the 5th one is definitely the best in the entire series make sure you watch it.
Sep 9, 2023 7:34 AM
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Jan 2017
107
kizumi91 said:
The fifth movie is the direct sequel in chronological order and also the closest thing to the first movie. Since you have Gits and Perfect Blue on your fav list, you're probably gonna like it.

I ended up watching the 4th and 5th movies partly because of your reference to gits and perfect blue and while I definitely see where you were coming from, I think the resemblance had to do more with form rather than substance :)))) which is not a bad thing in itself, it just made it clear for me that I don’t connect with the worldview of kara no kyoukai or the philosophy of its characters. I did enjoy the watch though, so thanks for the suggestion!!
Sep 9, 2023 7:38 AM
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Jan 2017
107
PolarisCordelia said:
In my case was completely different. The first one was good but just that, the second one was better in my opinion, but the third one sold me out completely the franchise, and thank God, cuz Spiral paradox, the fifth one is one of my favorite anime movies of all time.

I recommend you to drop it then, I don't think you're going to like the rest either if you don't feel interested in the characters by now. It's fine tho, there's a lot of other shows you could be watching instead and KnK takes some time to watch.

That’s really interesting to hear, I ended up watching movies 4 and 5 in the end, and while I did enjoy both of them, I think I still liked movie 1 the most. Nevertheless I am glad I watched the 5th one, I like the structure of the story and the concept behind it (particularly of the apartment building), but while I appreciate it for what it is, I myself don’t really connect with the world and its characters.
Sep 9, 2023 8:18 AM
puer aeternus

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Sep 2021
1506
yoru987 said:
I ended up watching the 4th and 5th movies partly because of your reference to gits and perfect blue and while I definitely see where you were coming from, I think the resemblance had to do more with form rather than substance :)))) which is not a bad thing in itself, it just made it clear for me that I don’t connect with the worldview of kara no kyoukai or the philosophy of its characters. I did enjoy the watch though, so thanks for the suggestion!!
It's fine, every people has their own opinions. Btw, I think the 5th and gits partially do share some similar concepts and explore themes like transhumanism, free will, reality, identity. The resemblances here are somewhat subtle and hard to recognize due to the different approaches, Gits is sci-fi and KnK is supernatural fantasy. In Gits, the puppet master wants to merge with the major in order to attain a higher form of existence; In KnK 5th, the main villain Araya wants Shiki's body in order to reach the Root. In Gits, it literally questions if technology can produce a ghost then are humans ourselves original after all; in KnK 5th, the MC Enjou is revealed to be a puppet of his original self and everything about him is fabricated even his feelings towards Shiki, thus also raises a question whether he has volition in the first place to act independently.
Sep 9, 2023 8:37 AM
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Jan 2017
107
kizumi91 said:
yoru987 said:
I ended up watching the 4th and 5th movies partly because of your reference to gits and perfect blue and while I definitely see where you were coming from, I think the resemblance had to do more with form rather than substance :)))) which is not a bad thing in itself, it just made it clear for me that I don’t connect with the worldview of kara no kyoukai or the philosophy of its characters. I did enjoy the watch though, so thanks for the suggestion!!
It's fine, every people has their own opinions. Btw, I think the 5th and gits partially do share some similar concepts and explore themes like transhumanism, free will, reality, identity. The resemblances here are somewhat subtle and hard to recognize due to the different approaches, Gits is sci-fi and KnK is supernatural fantasy. In Gits, the puppet master wants to merge with the major in order to attain a higher form of existence; In KnK 5th, the main villain Araya wants Shiki's body in order to reach the Root. In Gits, it literally questions if technology can produce a ghost then are humans ourselves original after all; in KnK 5th, the MC Enjou is revealed to be a puppet of his original self and everything about him is fabricated even his feelings towards Shiki, thus also raises a question whether he has volition in the first place to act independently.

Yeah, I recognized the similarities you mentioned since I was already expecting there to be some, but I guess I referred to them as similarities that have to do with form rather than substance because while they do play out similarly to gits, they are not explored in depth due to the fact that, as you said, Kara no kyoukai is a fantasy mystery series and not a sci-fi. Again, I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all, but I’d say movie 5 ‘presents’ the problem of free will and the concept of personal transcendence or achieving god-hood, while gits ‘explores’ those concepts. For paradox spiral they were more like plot points than thematical explorations, at least to me. Either way, I do agree that the similarities are there.
Sep 9, 2023 8:49 AM
puer aeternus

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1506
yoru987 said:
Yeah, I recognized the similarities you mentioned since I was already expecting there to be some, but I guess I referred to them as similarities that have to do with form rather than substance because while they do play out similarly to gits, they are not explored in depth due to the fact that, as you said, Kara no kyoukai is a fantasy mystery series and not a sci-fi. Again, I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all, but I’d say movie 5 ‘presents’ the problem of free will and the concept of personal transcendence or achieving god-hood, while gits ‘explores’ those concepts. For paradox spiral they were more like plot points than thematical explorations, at least to me. Either way, that’s how I saw it, at least.
Ok, I understand your point but let's just saying sci-fi is fiction at the end of the day. When it comes to philosophy, sci-fi and supernatural are just two sides of the same coin, and being a fantasy supernatural doesn't prevent it from being less profound than or inferior to sci-fi.
Sep 9, 2023 9:42 AM
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Jan 2017
107
kizumi91 said:
yoru987 said:
Yeah, I recognized the similarities you mentioned since I was already expecting there to be some, but I guess I referred to them as similarities that have to do with form rather than substance because while they do play out similarly to gits, they are not explored in depth due to the fact that, as you said, Kara no kyoukai is a fantasy mystery series and not a sci-fi. Again, I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all, but I’d say movie 5 ‘presents’ the problem of free will and the concept of personal transcendence or achieving god-hood, while gits ‘explores’ those concepts. For paradox spiral they were more like plot points than thematical explorations, at least to me. Either way, that’s how I saw it, at least.
Ok, I understand your point but let's just saying sci-fi is fiction at the end of the day. When it comes to philosophy, sci-fi and supernatural are just two sides of the same coin, and being a fantasy supernatural doesn't prevent it from being less profound than or inferior to sci-fi.

Yea, that’s fair, I wouldn’t generalize and say all sci-fi is more profound than fantasy. I think it’s more of an empirical observation that when it comes to the themes of free will and transcendence, gits provides a more in depth exploration, whereas movie 5 uses it as a plot point and chooses to focus more on character drama.
Still, I would say sci-fi as a genre tends to be (at its best at least) one of the most profound genres, both in and outside of anime, due to its exploration of the limits of humanity and technology. So that’s what my previous point about gits being a scifi was based on.
yoru987Sep 9, 2023 9:45 AM
Sep 9, 2023 9:54 AM
puer aeternus

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1506
yoru987 said:
Yea, that’s fair, I wouldn’t generalize and say all sci-fi is more profound than fantasy. I think it’s more of an empirical observation that when it comes to the themes of free will and transcendence, gits provides a more in depth exploration, whereas movie 5 uses it as a plot point and chooses to focus more on character drama.
Still, I would say sci-fi as a genre tends to be (at its best at least) one of the most profound genres, both in and outside of anime, due to its exploration of the limits of humanity and technology. So that’s what my previous point about gits being a scifi was based on.
Since KnK was adapted from light novel, many expositions were reduced due to the limit of screentime. FYI, chapter 5 is the longest chapter, which is about 3 to 4 times longer than other ones. Had it brought all details like Gits, the whole movie would be rambling as hell. And you're right, while the movie is indeed philosophical, it's more like having it as a plot device to convey its mystery drama narrative.
Sep 10, 2023 3:53 PM
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In my opinion it’s kinda hard to rate the first couple of movies since their short af, but if you don’t like the 5th movie then you’ll probably not like the rest.
Oct 22, 2023 6:39 AM

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Aug 2011
566
KNK imo is best to watch chronologically and the remix movies are fun
Oct 23, 2023 8:45 AM

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Jan 2017
6095
Zane_0 said:
KNK imo is best to watch chronologically


Why do you think so ?

You literally kill all the mystery and confusion of the beginning...
I really can't see myself loving it that much like that.

Zane_0 said:
and the remix movies are fun


There is only 1 Remix Movie.
And it's great not because it's in chronological order , but because of the AMV style.
"Genius lives only one storey above madness."
– Arthur Schopenhauer.

"Stupidity is a talent for misconception."
– Edgar Allan Poe.

"I'm tired... and hungry."
– Alexioos95.
Oct 25, 2023 5:51 PM

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Aug 2011
566
Reply to Alexioos95
Zane_0 said:
KNK imo is best to watch chronologically


Why do you think so ?

You literally kill all the mystery and confusion of the beginning...
I really can't see myself loving it that much like that.

Zane_0 said:
and the remix movies are fun


There is only 1 Remix Movie.
And it's great not because it's in chronological order , but because of the AMV style.
@Alexioos95 I guess should've said after watching the knk movies in release order and then after watching it chronologically.

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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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