The Garden of Sinners

The Garden of Sinners
Cover of the first The Garden of Sinners novel
空の境界 (Kara no Kyōkai)
Genre	Dark fantasy[1]
Light novel
Written by	Kinoko Nasu
Illustrated by	Takashi Takeuchi
Published by	Type-Moon (original creator) Kodansha (commercial publisher)
Demographic	Male
Original run	October 1998 – August 1999
Volumes	2 (2004 printing) 3 (2007–2008 printing) + 2 short stories (List of volumes)
Anime film series
Directed by	Various Ei Aoki (ep. 1) Takuya Nonaka (ep. 2) Mitsuru Obunai (ep. 3) Teiichi Takiguchi (ep. 4) Takayuki Hirao (ep. 5) Takahiro Miura (ep. 6) Shinsuke Takizawa (ep. 7) Tomonori Sudou (ep. 8)
Produced by	Hikaru Kondo Atsuhiro Iwakami Takashi Takeuchi
Written by	Masaki Hiramatsu (ep. 1–7) Akira Hiyama (ep. 8)
Music by	Yuki Kajiura
Studio	Ufotable
Licensed by	AUS: Madman Entertainment NA: Aniplex of America UK: MVM Films
Released	December 1, 2007 – September 28, 2013
Runtime	45-121 minutes 50 minutes (ep. 1) 59 minutes (ep. 2) 57 minutes (ep. 3) 45 minutes (ep. 4) 113 minutes (ep. 5) 58 minutes (ep. 6) 121 minutes (ep. 7) 88 minutes (ep. 8)
Films	8
Films
I: Overlooking View II: A Study in Murder, Part 1 III: Remaining Sense of Pain IV: The Hollow Shrine V: Paradox Spiral VI: Oblivion Recording VII: A Study in Murder, Part 2 VIII: Future Gospel
Anime film
Gate of 7th Heaven
Directed by	Various
Produced by	Hikaru Kondo Atsuhiro Iwakami Takashi Takeuchi
Written by	Masaki Hiramatsu
Music by	Yuki Kajiura
Studio	Ufotable
Licensed by	AUS: Madman Entertainment NA: Aniplex of America UK: MVM Films
Released	March 14, 2009
Runtime	61 minutes
Original video animation
Epilogue
Directed by	Hikaru Kondo
Produced by	Hikaru Kondo Atsuhiro Iwakami Takashi Takeuchi
Written by	Masaki Hiramatsu
Music by	Yuki Kajiura
Studio	Ufotable
Licensed by	AUS: Madman Entertainment NA: Aniplex of America UK: MVM Films
Released	February 2, 2011
Runtime	33 minutes
Anime television series
Kara no Kyoukai (TV edition)
Directed by	Various
Produced by	Toukubo Eita Ishikawa Takaki Kodama Yoshie
Written by	Masaki Hiramatsu
Music by	Yuki Kajiura
Studio	Ufotable
Original network	Tokyo MX, NicoNico, BS11, Bandai Channel, Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, Animax
Original run	July 6, 2013 – September 28, 2013
Episodes	13
Anime film
Future Gospel: Extra Chorus
Directed by	Tomonori Sudou
Produced by	Hikaru Kondo Atsuhiro Iwakami Takashi Takeuchi
Written by	Akira Hiyama
Music by	Yuki Kajiura
Studio	Ufotable
Licensed by	AUS: Madman Entertainment NA: Aniplex of America
Released	September 28, 2013
Runtime	32 minutes
Manga
Written by	Tenkuu Sphere
Published by	Kodansha
Magazine	Saizensen
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	September 15, 2010 – present
Volumes	11

The Garden of Sinners, known in Japan as Kara no Kyoukai (空の境界, Kara no Kyōkai, lit. "Boundary of Emptiness") sometimes referred to as Rakkyo (らっきょ), is a Japanese light novel series, written by Kinoko Nasu and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi. Originally released as a series of chapters released independently online or at Comiket between October 1998 and August 1999, the chapters were later republished by Kodansha into two volumes in 2004, and again in three volumes between 2007 and 2008.

Ufotable produced a series of seven anime films based on the series between 2007 and 2009 and also produced an original video animation episode in 2011. A final anime film was produced and released in 2013. A manga adaptation illustrated by Sphere Tenku started serialization in September 2010 in Seikaisha's online magazine Saizensen.

Plot

Story and setting

Set in Japan predominantly during the late 1990s, The Garden of Sinners follows the story of Shiki Ryougi (両儀式, Ryōgi Shiki), a teenage girl raised as a demon hunter who acquired the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" after surviving a fatal accident. It also chronicles Mikiya Kokutou's unwavering efforts to get closer to her when they were still high school students and their adventures later on in dealing with supernatural cases as investigators for Touko Aozaki's detective agency, Garan no Dou.

This is set in an alternate universe to Tsukihime and Fate/stay night; in which it serves as the prototype for both series as well as introducing many of the concepts prevalent within the latter two.^[2] In particular the main protagonist, Shiki Ryougi, possesses similar abilities as Tsukihime's protagonist, Shiki Tohno. Touko Aozaki's sister, Aoko Aozaki, is also featured briefly in Tsukihime.

As one of Kinoko Nasu's earliest works, it introduces some of the most fundamental concepts in the universe of Type-Moon's works, including souls, the Akashic Record/Root, Counter Force, Magic, Magecraft, and Mystic Eyes.^[3]

Both the light novel and the films are depicted in anachronical order with each chapter/film serving as part of one collective narrative.^{[citation needed]}

Real-world release order	Name of work	Chronological order
1	Overlooking View	5
2	A Study in Murder – Part 1	1
3	Remaining Sense of Pain	3
4	The Hollow Shrine	2
5	Paradox Spiral	6
6	Oblivion Recording	7
7	A Study in Murder – Part 2	8
8	Epilogue	9
9	Future Gospel	4[a] and 11[b]
10	Future Gospel: Extra Chorus	3.5, 5.5 and 6.5
11	Final Record	10

Themes

The series deals with the paranormal and tackles mature topics such as suicide, rape, patricide, incest and murder.^[3] Its lore and story draws inspiration from various religious philosophies and psychological concepts such as multiple personalities; the Anima and animus; the nature of sin; life, death and reincarnation; and the Paradoxical nature of the Taiji.^[3]

Main characters

Main article: List of The Garden of Sinners characters

Shiki Ryougi (両儀式, Ryōgi Shiki) is a teenaged girl, who possesses the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception".

Mikiya Kokutou (黒桐幹也, Kokutō Mikiya) is Shiki's love interest and later husband who, two years previously, made a promise to attend college with Shiki.

Azaka Kokutou (黒桐鮮花, Kokutō Azaka) is Mikiya's younger sister who is in love with him. She becomes an apprentice of Tōko due to her rivalry against Shiki and is talented in ignition magecraft.

Touko Aozaki (蒼崎橙子, Aozaki Tōko), appearing as a puppet maker, Touko is actually a powerful Magus.

Media

Light novels

The Garden of Sinners originated in October 1998 as a series of five chapters released online on Nasu and Takeuchi's dōjin-based website, Takebōki (竹箒), with its final two chapters being released at Comiket 56 in August 1999. Nasu and Takeuchi later formed Type-Moon, and in 2001, featured the first four chapters of the book on their 2001 Tsukihime bonus disk, Tsukihime Plus-Disk, which saw The Garden of Sinners gain significant popularity, leading it to be released as a dōjinshi publication at Comiket 61 on December 30, 2001. On August 6, 2004, Kodansha released the series as a commercial publication, which enjoyed immense popularity, with 5,000 limited-edition versions of the novel being sold almost immediately upon release. Both editions of The Garden of Sinners altogether sold more than 700,000 copies.^[4] A chapter, Final Record, was distributed as a bonus for viewers of the Future Gospel film.^[5]

Del Rey Manga announced the English publication of the light novel series. This was confirmed in the first volume of Del Rey's Faust released on August 19, 2008.^[6] However, Del Rey became defunct before it could happen.

No.	Japanese release date	Japanese ISBN
1	November 15, 2007	978-4-06-275892-5
1/ "Overlooking View" (俯瞰風景, Fukan Fūkei) Thanatos. 2/ "A Study in Murder – Part 1" (殺人考察(前), Satsujin Kōsatsu (Zen)) ...and nothing heart. 3/ "Remaining Sense of Pain" (痛覚残留, Tsūkaku Zanryū) ever cry, never life.
2	December 14, 2007	978-4-06-275920-5
4/ "The Hollow Shrine" (伽藍の洞, Garan no Dō) garan-no-dou. "Intermission" (境界式, Kyōkai Shiki) 5/ "Paradox Spiral" (矛盾螺旋, Mujun Rasen) Paradox Paradigm.
3	January 16, 2008	978-4-06-275946-5
6/ "Oblivion Recording" (忘却録音, Bōkyaku Rokuon) fairy Tale. 7/ "A Study in Murder – Part 2" (殺人考察(後), Satsujin Kōsatsu (Go)) …not nothing heart. "Epilogue" (終章/空の境界, Owari Shō / Kara no Kyōkai) Boundary of Emptiness.

Short stories

No.	Title	Japanese release date	Japanese ISBN
1	Future Gospel (未来福音, Mirai Fukuin ) recalled out summer.	Comiket 74, August 16, 2008 (doujin) November 11, 2011 (Kodansha)	978-4-06-138919-9
2	Final Record (終末録音, Shūmatsu Rokuon) the Garden of oblivion.	September 28, 2013 (Future Gospel film bonus) January 30, 2018 (Kodansha hardcover)	978-4-06-511014-0

Manga

A manga adaptation of the novel series written and illustrated by Tenkuu Sphere is currently being serialized in Saizensen web magazine since September 15, 2010. The original writer Kinoko Nasu and artist Takashi Takeuchi supervised the work. The tankobon volumes are published by Kodansha.

No.	Japanese release date	Japanese ISBN
1	November 11, 2011	978-4-06-369501-4
2	July 10, 2012	978-4-06-369506-9
3	July 10, 2013	978-4-06-369508-3
4	September 10, 2014	978-4-06-369517-5
5	August 11, 2015	978-4-06-369534-2
6	July 22, 2016	978-4-06-369554-0
7	September 9, 2017	978-4-06-369582-3
8	August 11, 2018	978-4-06-512000-2
9	August 1, 2019	978-4-06-516695-6
10	June 12, 2020	978-4-06-520433-7
11	April 28, 2022	978-4-06-527758-4

Drama CD

On August 9, 2002, a drama CD written by Ōmori Rice (大森ごはん) based on the Overlooking View chapter was released.^[7]

Anime films

The series was adapted into an anime film series, divided into seven chapters, which were animated by the studio ufotable.^[8] The films are released in achronological order. The first chapter, titled Overlooking View (俯瞰風景, Fukan Fūkei), premiered across Japanese theaters on December 1, 2007, with the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters, Murder Speculation – Part 1 (殺人考察(前), Satsujin Kōsatsu (Zen)), Remaining Sense of Pain (痛覚残留, Tsūkaku Zanryū), The Hollow Shrine (伽藍の洞, Garan no Dō), Paradox Spiral (矛盾螺旋, Mujun Rasen), Oblivion Recording (忘却録音, Bōkyaku Rokuon), Murder Speculation – Part 2 (殺人考察(後), Satsujin Kōsatsu (Go)) being released soon after on December 29, 2007, followed by January 26, 2008, May 24, 2008, August 16, 2008, December 20, 2008, and August 8, 2009, respectively. A compilation film of the first six films with some new footage was released on March 14, 2009, in preparation for the release of the final seventh film. In connection with the film's release, the novels were once again reprinted, as three volumes with new illustrations.^[9] A North American premiere of the fifth chapter was held on May 22, 2009, at the Anime Boston convention.^[10]

The series was released on Blu-ray with a new chapter, Gekijō-ban Kara no Kyōkai Shūshō: Kara no Kyōkai, in Japanese with English subtitles.^[11] A DVD of the said chapter was released on February 2, 2011.^[11] Aniplex of America released the imported Blu-ray box set on February 8, 2011.^[12][13] The box was immediately sold out and has not been reissued since.^[14] However, the individual films were available for rent on the PlayStation Network until mid-2012. A new limited edition DVD boxset was released in late 2012.^[15] Likewise, Madman Entertainment released a limited edition DVD boxset in October 2013.^[16]

3D conversion of The Garden of Sinners first movie called Overlooking View 3D (空の境界 俯瞰風景 3D, Kara no Kyōkai: Fukan Fuukei 3D) was released in July 2013.

A TV series conversion of the seven films was broadcast From July to September 2013. This reconstructed the story in chronological order rather than the order of release and did not include Chapter 5, Paradox Spiral, and Chapter 6, Oblivion Recording.

An eighth film, Future Gospel (空の境界 未来福音, Kara no Kyōkai: Mirai Fukuin), was released in September 2013 and had grossed US$1,710,413 by October 20.^[17] Aniplex of America has released Future Gospel (now subtitled -recalled out summer-) and Future Gospel – Extra Chorus on Blu-ray in late April 2015.^[18] Aniplex has also released the Japanese import of all 7 Kara no Kyoukai movie on Blu-ray in November 2015.

Each of the theme songs to the film series are performed by Kalafina, a project formed by Yuki Kajiura. Outside of the ones for Future Gospel, they were found on their album Seventh Heaven.

The Final Record chapter currently has no plans to be animated.

Releases

• The Garden of Sinners: Overlooking View (2007 (original) / 2013 (3D remake)
• The Garden of Sinners: A Study in Murder – Part 1 (2007)
• The Garden of Sinners: Remaining Sense of Pain (2008)
• The Garden of Sinners: The Hollow Shrine (2008)
• The Garden of Sinners: Paradox Spiral (2008)
• The Garden of Sinners: Oblivion Recording (2008)
• The Garden of Sinners: A Study in Murder – Part 2 (2009)
• The Garden of Sinners: Future Gospel (2013)

Other films

#	Title	Director	Original release date
Remix	"Gate of Seventh Heaven"	Various directors	March 14, 2009 (2009-03-14)
Timeline: August 1995 – January 1999 This remix collection extracts the key themes and scenes from the first six movies. The hour-long film is organized in chronological order, beginning from the 2nd movie, then the 4th, 3rd, 1st, 5th, and 6th. It's a mixture of primarily existing scenes and some new ones.
OVA	"Epilogue"	Hikaru Kondo	February 8, 2011 (2011-02-08)
Timeline: March 1999 Mikiya finds Shiki in the same place he first met her, this time in the snow. They talk, and during the discussion, Mikiya finds out that he is talking to Shiki Ryogi, the shell, or archetype, of Shiki. She explains that her origin is nothingness, and she is somehow tied to the Spiral of Origin. Because of her emptiness, she desired no interaction with the world, creating the personalities of SHIKI and Shiki. She also explains that she is the reason that Shiki still has murderous impulses, not SHIKI. She then asks Mikiya what he wishes for (principally, healing his wounds from Shirazumi), as she has the power to grant it from her connection to the Spiral of Origin, but he desires nothing. He is content as he is and does not wish to be extraordinary. They talk at length about humanity and the soul, and she says she will "sleep," likely forever. However, as she departs, she says that such a thought is "silly" as she knows she will see him tomorrow. Mikiya, now standing alone, walks home. Chronologically, the events that occur in Epilogue are the ninth in the series timeline.
Short–film	"Future Gospel: Extra Chorus" "Mirai Fukuin – Extra Chorus" (未来福音 EXTRA CHORUS)	Tomonori Sudou	September 28, 2013 (2013-09-28)
Timeline: 1998 Side stories. Adaptation of the manga by Takashi Takeuchi. Premiered and sold with Future Gospel. A compilation of short stories occurring in-between the original chapters: "Feline" after Remaining Sense of Pain, "Daylight" after Overlooking View, and "Say Grace" after Paradox Spiral.

Theme songs

Film themes

Title	Composition, Arrangement and Lyrics	Performance	Type
"Oblivious"	Yuki Kajiura	Kalafina	Ending theme (Overlooking View)
"You Turn into Light" (君が光に変えて行く, Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Iku)	Yuki Kajiura	Kalafina	Ending theme (A Study in Murder – Part 1)
"Scars" (傷跡, Kizuato)	Yuki Kajiura	Kalafina	Ending theme (Remaining Sense of Pain)
"Aria"	Yuki Kajiura	Kalafina	Ending theme (The Hollow Shrine)
"Sprinter"	Yuki Kajiura	Kalafina	Ending theme (Paradox Spiral)
"Fairytale"	Yuki Kajiura	Kalafina	Ending theme (Oblivion Recording)
"Seventh Heaven"	Yuki Kajiura	Kalafina	Ending theme (A Study in Murder – Part 2)
"Snow Falling"	Yuki Kajiura	Kalafina	Ending theme (Epilogue)
"Alleluia"	Yuki Kajiura	Kalafina	Ending theme (Future Gospel)
"dolce"	Yuki Kajiura	Kalafina	Ending theme (Future Gospel – Extra Chorus)

References

1. During the events of Möbius Ring
2. During the events of Möbius Link

1. Stevens, Josh A. (May 8, 2019). "MVM Licenses Eromanga Sensei, Schedule Garden Of Sinners Blu-ray". Anime UK News. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
2. "Madman Entertainment Announces New Acquisitions at Supanova Sydney 2013". Anime News Network. June 23, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
3. Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet – Encyclopedia, Aniplex USA
4. Watanabe, Kei (November 30, 2007). "Kara no Kyōkai: The Anime Movie Versions of the Popular Dōjin Novel, Presenting to the Public from the First of the Month" (in Japanese). Mainichi Shimbun. Archived from the original on January 5, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2008.
5. "劇場版「空の境界」未来福音 書き下ろし小説は130ページ超の大ボリューム". September 19, 2013.
6. "Faust 1 by Faust Editors". Del Rey Manga. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
7. Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Kara no Kyoukai Shi [Others] (in Japanese). p. 29.
8. "Kara no Kyokai Film in the Works". Anime News Network. January 8, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
9. "Akibaos article on the new novels" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
10. "5th Garden of Sinners' U.S. Premiere at Anime Boston". Anime News Network. February 26, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
11. "Kara no Kyoukai Gets New Final Chapter on BD with Subs". Anime News Network. August 26, 2010.
12. "Aniplex USA Adds Kara no Kyoukai – the Garden of Sinners". Anime News Network. December 13, 2010. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
13. "Aniplex USA official website". Aniplex of America. February 8, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
14. "Ufotable Diary". Ufotable. February 6, 2011. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
15. "Aniplex Panel Announcement Round-up".
16. "Madman Entertainment Announces New Acquisitions at Supanova Sydney 2013, October 19–20". Anime News Network. June 23, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
17. "Japanese Box Office, October 19–20". Anime News Network. October 27, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
18. "Magi English Dub, Garden of sinners -recalled out summer- Trailers Streamed". Anime News Network. October 11, 2023.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Manga official website (in Japanese)
• Official Aniplex USA website
• The Garden of Sinners (film series) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia