Encyclopedia/KNK

Kara no Kyoukai entries.

• Credits to food translation for Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet.
• Credits to Mcjon01 translation for Kara no Kyoukai DVD Q & A.

Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet

「空の境界」限定愛蔵版「Special Pamphlet」

Encyclopedia

「　」

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: 「　」 [Others], p.028-029 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese 「　」 [Others] If you really wished to pronounce this term, call it "Kara". Its meaning varied depending on each individual's understanding. To put it in simple terms, it was the Spiral of Origin. However, since the Spiral of Origin was called the Spiral of Origin, it was no longer ' '. To properly express this term was a source of headache during the production of the drama CDs. 「　」【―――】【その他】 仮《かり》に読み方をつけるとしたら、から。 受け取り方は人それぞれ。端的に分かりやすくいうのなら、根源の渦。 が、根源の渦は根源の渦、という名前がある為、やはり「　」とは別物である。 これをどう台詞《せ り ふ》にしてもらうかがドラマＣＤ時での悩みのタネだった。

Ahnenerbe

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Ahnenerbe [Place name], p.026 [T]Translation by food
English Japanese Ahnenerbe [Place name] A cafe where meetings and dates takes place. The strawberry pie there is said to be unmatched. The only link with another tale. Sometimes, foreign vampires and habit-wearing nuns come to have tea. アーネンエルベ【あーねんえるべ】【地名】 待ち合わせに使われる喫茶《きっさ　》店。ストロベリーパイが絶品だとか。 違う物語との唯一の接点。 たまに、外来の吸血鬼とか法衣姿のシスターとかがお茶を飲んでいたりする。

Akitaka Suzurigi

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Akitaka Suzurigi [Person's Name], p.034 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Akitaka Suzurigi [Person's Name] A man in his early thirties. Followed the mistress like a shadow. A servant of the Ryougi household. A person hired to take care of Shiki's education. A role model of a butler who served Shiki come rain or shine. A companion who was kept constantly busy by Shiki's willfulness and lack of common sense. He was on good terms with Mikiya. By the way, his wardrobe consisted entirely of black suits. He got along quite well with Mikiya. 硯木秋隆【すずりぎ―あきたか】【人名】 三十代前半の男性。寄り添う影のイメージ。両儀家の使用人。 式の教育係として両儀家に引き取られた人物。影に日向《ひ な た》に式をフォローする執事の鏡。 式の我が儘《まま》と世間知らずっぷりに振り回される仲間として、幹也とは仲がいい。 ちなみに、私服は全て黒のスーツ。幹也と気が合う筈《はず》である。

Azaka Kokutou

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Kokutou Azaka [Person's name], p.030-031 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Azaka Kokutou [Person's name] A young girl in her late teens. A student of Reien Girls' Academy. The younger sister of Kokutou Mikiya. A hatching magus under the guidance of Touko. A tragic heroine who was in love with Mikiya, but had him snatched away right before her eyes by Shiki due to her false assumption that Mikiya would always be alone. Because of this, Azaka trained with Touko as a way to spite Shiki. Different from Mikiya, Azaka was the perfect model student. She buried her affection and played the role of the "good little sister" when around Mikiya, but to Shiki and Touko, her true colours were all but exposed. She was a predator that always captured her prey, a wolf in sheep's skin. Her love was pure and beautiful, although a little twisted. Maybe this was why it would not simply disappear. Although she had no talent as a magus (Magic Circuits), she was still able to learn ignition spells due to her inborn ability of triggering spontaneous combustion. Since her spell-weaving skills were still not up to par, she wore the Salamander Skin Gloves that Touko gave her during combat. She was in this limbo of being only marginally relevant to the story. 黒桐鮮花【こくとう―あざか】【人名】 十代後半の少女。礼園女学院の生徒。黒桐幹也の妹。橙子に弟子入り中の、魔術使いのたまご。 幹也に恋愛感情を持つも、どうせ幹也はずっとひとりものだろうから、と油断しているうちに式に幹也を持っていかれた悲劇のヒロイン。以後、式に対抗するため橙子に弟子入りする。 幹也と違って完璧な優等生。幹也に対する感情を隠して『よく出来た妹』を演じているが、式や橙子には筒抜けであるらしい。 狙った獲物は逃さない。羊の皮を被った狼を地で行く少女。一途《いちず　》で可憐でちょい歪んだ愛情は、ちょっとやそっとでは消え去らないだろう。 魔術師としての才能（魔術回路）はないが、先天的な属性として発火現象があった為、火付けの魔術を習っている。 まだ魔術の組み立てが未熟な為、戦闘時は橙子に作ってもらった火蜥蜴《ひ　と か げ》の手袋を着用する。 物語に関わっているようで関わっていない微妙な立場。

Colours

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Colours [Ornaments], p.027 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Colours [Ornaments] Elementary colours. It is not a reaction from the three elementary colours, but impressions given by objects. It is a decoration hidden in the story, as the names of characters insinuate certain colours. To describe it from a more difficult to understand perspective: the colourless Shiki, the transparent Kirie. 色【いろ】【装飾】 原色。三原色による反応ではなく、固体が持つイメージカラー。 物語を埋める装飾として、色を暗示する人名が配置されている。 分かり辛いところで言うと、無色の式《しき》、透明の霧絵《きりえ　》。

Compulsive Hoarding

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Compulsive Hoarding [Others], p.032 [T]Translation by food
English Japanese Compulsive Hoarding [Others] It is hard to say whether this is an individual's nature or just a bad habit. Many characters in the story were eccentric collectors. It was probably because they were hollow, and needed something to fill the void. 蒐集癖【しゅうしゅうへき】【その他】 持って生まれた性質といおうか悪癖といおうか、本編の登場人物には偏執的《へんしつてき》なコレクターが多い。 からっぽだから、何かカタチのあるもので空虚を埋めたいのだろうか。

Cornelius Alba

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Cornelius Alba [Person's name], p.031 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Cornelius Alba [Person's name] Magus. An old friend of Touko's. Rumour had it that this young man was the next director in line of the Sponheim Abbey, an organization within the Clock Tower. Although he was fifty years old, he had the appearance of a handsome youth. As a magus, his abilities were first rate, but his personalities were quite troublesome. Although it did not appear in the story, his Familiar was a black hound. Alba, who could not easily love another person, favoured creatures who could easily love people. He had quite an air of a protagonist: donning his crimson long coat and top hat, strutting down the street with his black Doberman by his side. コルネリウス・アルバ【こるねりうす―あるば】【人名】 魔術師。橙子の旧友。　　　　　　　　　　　　 時計等に組する中部組織、シュポンハイム修道院の時期院長と噂される青年。 年齢は五十に届くが、外見は二十代の美青年。 魔術師としての実力は一流なのだが、性格にやや難あり。 本編では登場しなかったが、使い魔は黒い猟犬。簡単に人を愛せないアルバは、簡単に愛する事の出来る生き物が大好きなのであった。 真っ赤なロングコートにシルクハットを被り、傍《かたわ》らに黒いドーベルマンを連れて街を闊歩《かっぽ　》する姿は、中々に主人公然としている。

Counter Force

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Counter Force [Others], p.041-042 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Counter Force [Others] The Counter Force here is the safety device formed by the collective unconsciousness. The prayer to avert the demise of mankind, Alaya. And the prayer to extend the life of the planet, Gaia. These are the two aspect of the Counter Force. Both aspects have the goal of extending the existence of the current World. They will eradicate the factors that threaten to destroy the World at the moment of their occurance. Since the Counter Force is the unconscious, its appearance draws no attention, and no one will recognize it. The Counter Force is a formless spiral of power. It adjusts its scale based on the target that needs to be obliterated. The Counter Force will always appear with a status above the target, enough to absolutely secure a victory. Normally, the Counter Force empowers "a normal person" to remove the factor that can trigger destruction. As a result, these individuals are worshiped as "Heroes". Individuals who became Heroes through the aspect of Alaya are said to be integrated into Alaya after death. However, the accuracy of this statement is uncertain. These individuals are also called Counter Guardians. The emphasis here is "Counter", because they have no autonomy and will only activate in response to an event. 抑止力【よくしりょく】【その他】 ここで挙げているのは、集合無意識によって作られた安全装置の事。 人が願う破滅回避の祈りであるアラヤ、 星が思う生命延長の祈りであるガイア、 の二つに分けられる。 どちらも現在の世界の延長を目的とし、世界を滅ぼす要因が発生した瞬間に出現、この要因を抹消する。 無意識である為、発生しても誰の目にもとまらず、誰にも意識される事はない。 抑止力はカタチのない力の渦で、抹消すべき対象に合わせて規模を変えて出現する。絶対に勝利できるよう、対象を上回る数値で現れるのだ。 たいていは抑止力によって後押しされた『一般人』が滅びの要因を排除し、結果として『英雄』として扱われる。 アラヤ側の抑止力によって英雄になった人間は、その死後はアラヤに組み込まれるというが、その真偽は定かではない。 カウンターガーディアンとも呼ばれる。カウンターであるところがミソ。決して自分からは行動できず、起きた現象に対してのみ発動する。 ［＃改ページ］

Daisuke Akimi

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Akimi Daisuke [Person's name], p.025-026 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Daisuke Akimi [Person's name] A man in his early 30s. He is the brother of Kokutou Mikiya, and a police officer. He is likes a brother to Mikiya, treating him as an equal friend despite the gap in age. Daisuke is the type of man that treasures the smallest happiness. He has a strong sense of justice, but he is not bound by his own belief. Due to some minor incident, Daisuke met the information broker Aozaki Touko. Since then, he has fallen into a one-side love affair that cannot be realized. Daisuke is just this kind of mature man who can find joy in unrequited love. 秋巳大輔【あきみ―だいすけ】【人名】 三十代前半の男性。黒桐幹也の従兄《い と こ》。刑事。 義弟である幹也を気に入っており、年の離れた気の合う友人のように接する。 ささやかな幸福を愛するタイプ。正義感は強いが、その信念に縛られる事はない。 ちょっとした事件のおり情報提供者として蒼崎橙子と知り合い、以後、叶《かな》わぬ恋にかまけている。報《むく》われない愛情だって楽しめるオトナな男。

Drama CD

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Drama CD [Others], p.036 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Drama CD [Others] These seemed to be sold quite a while ago. They are quite rare right now. There were all sorts of mature matters in it and its existence is being erased. By the way, the chapter converted to Drama CD was Overlooking View. It seemed the portion of the story with the least action made it into the Drama CD. The voice actors were all veterans. It was an all-star cast that boggled the mind at that time. ドラマＣＤ【その他】 なんでも大昔に発売されたらしい。今となってはレアアイテム。色々と大人な事情があり、存在自体が殺されかけている。 ちなみに、ドラマ化されたのは『俯瞰風景』。なんと言おうか、よりにもよって地味な話をドラマ化したものである。 声をあてていただいた声優の方々は皆ベテランで、当時の立場からすると考えられない豪華メンバーだった。

ESP

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Psychic Power [Others], p.035 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Psychic Power [Others] Abnormal powers. Functions that normal humans do not possess. A kind of circuitry that leads to what are commonly called paranormal activities. Different from magecraft, inborn talents are absolutely necessary for ESP. Those possessing ESP circuits can induce paranormal phenomenons as naturally as breathing. The ESPers themselves take ESP for granted, and treat it as something they simply "can do". They only realise that they are abnormal after others (who can only comprehend "normal") have pointed it out. In this story, Asagami Fujino is an ESPer, but since she was tampered with somewhat, her ability falls between ESP and magecraft. ESP is normally an incidental occurrence, a sudden mutation limited to one generation. 超能力【ちょうのうりょく】【その他】 異能。本来、人間という生き物を運営するに含まれない機能の事。俗に言う超常現象を引き起こす回線。 魔術と違い、先天的な才能が必要不可欠。異能の回線を持つ者は、息を吸うかの如く超常現象を引き起こす。本人たちにとってもそれが『出来て』当たり前のことなので、外部（一般常識）からの指摘で始めて自分が異常なのだと気がつく事になる。 本編では浅上藤乃が超能力者とされているが、彼女はある程度人為的な手が加えられている為、魔術と異能の中間に属する。 本来超能力は偶発的に発生するもので、一代限りの突然変異なのである。

Ether lump

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Ether lump [Others], p.027 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Ether lump [Others] Ether, the Fifth Imaginary Substance as coined by the Association. It is a necessary medium that gives shape by mixing with the Four Elements. It is shapeless, but it is a critical element in the functioning of magecraft. Ether is bound to become one of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind, but in the hands of a novice, it would fail to become one of the Four Elements and materialize. This is ether lump. Ether lump is completely useless. In some sense, creating ether lump is analogous to creating "Nothingness". Looking at it from this perspective makes it sound like "True Magic" In fact, ether lump is originally the First Magic's ---------- エーテル塊【えーてるかい】【その他】 エーテルとは、魔術教会において第五架空要素と呼ばれるもの。四大の要素に溶け合い、形を成す為に必要な媒介《ばいかい》とされる。 それ単体ではカタチはなく、しかし、それがなくては魔術は成立しない要素。 本来、地水化風のいずれかをなすエーテルだが、不出来な術者によっては四大のいずれにもならず、成りそこないとして物質化する事がある。これをエーテル塊という。 エーテル塊にはいかなる使い道もない。ある意味無を作るようなもの。そう言うと『魔法』のようだが、エーテル塊はそも第一魔法の――――

Faeries

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Faeries [Others], p.041 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Faeries [Others] Ouji Misaya's Familiars. Originally, Faeries are considered the nature's sense of touch, something that humans cannot perceive. However, there are indeed some Faeries who were born wearing humans' imagination as shells. Ouji Misaya's Familiars are false Faeries. They are formless low-rank Spirits possessing the image of woodland Faeries. They can indeed wield a portion of the original Faeries' powers due to wearing Faerie-like shells. The Faerie-disguises are thought to be the creation of Misaya's Master rather than hers. As an aside, true Faeries at the scale of capable of being perceived by humans are called Elementals. A certain white vampire seemed to be of this class. One more thing, the Foundation of Faeries and Elementals are of a Mystery that cannot be reached through magecraft. 妖精【ようせい】【その他】 黄路美沙夜が使役《し　えき》していた使い魔。 本来、妖精とは自然の触覚として捉えられる概念で、人に知覚できるものではない。 が、そういった人間の想像図を外殻にして生まれてしまう妖精も稀《まれ》に存在する。 黄路美沙夜が使役したモノは、森に棲むとされる一般的な妖精のイメージに、カタチを作れない下級の霊を憑依《ひょうい》させ、妖精に偽装したもの。 妖精としての殻を被ったそれらは、元になった妖精の能力の一部を行使できる。 妖精偽装は黄路美沙夜ではなく彼女の師が行ったと思われる。 余談ではあるが、本物の妖精は人間にも知覚できるほどの規模になると精霊と呼ばれる。某白い吸血鬼はこちらに属するとか。 更に余談ではあるが、妖精・精霊もその基盤は魔術では成しえない神秘である。

Fujino Asagami

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Asagami Fujino [Person's name], p.026 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Fujino Asagami [Person's name] A girl in her late teens. She is one of the three that made contact with Shiki et al. A natural ESPer. Fujino is a student of the Reien Girl's Academy. Although the Academy rarely allows students to go outside, Fujino is allowed to enter the city twice a month due to periodic medical appointments. She is one of the triggers of the events in the story. Although she has a mild and passive personality, Fujino is the type that cannot stop on her own accord after straying once. Because she lacks some type of sensation, she cannot truly experience things despite having knowledge and common sense. Compared to Shiki who lacks a sense of existence, Fujino is someone who is similar yet different. Pure statistics-wise, Fujino has the greatest ability in this tale. In the later half of the incident, Fujino temporarily reverted back to an infantile state due to her thoughts being paralyzed by pain. In the story, Asagami Fujino walked onto the bridge in order to feel beating of the memorable summer rain. 浅上藤乃【あさがみ―ふじの】【人名】 十代後半の少女。接触する三人のうちの一人。先天的な超能力者。 礼園女学院の生徒。礼園の生徒はめったに外出を許されないが、定期的な診断の為、月に二回の割合で町に出ている。事件の原因の一つ。 温和で受け身な性格だが、一度たがが外れると自分では止まれないタイプ。ある感覚に乏《とぼ》しい為、常識を理解できていても実感できていない。生の実感がない式とは似て非なるもの。 単純な数値比べなら、物語中最高の性能。 事件後半、痛みで思考が麻痺《まひ》した彼女は、しばし幼年期に戻っている。 浅上藤乃は橋の上へ。懐かしい、夏の雨に打たれる為に。

Garan no Dou

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Garan no Dou [Place name], p.029 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Hall of Monastery [Place name] A contract-based production company operated by Aozaki Touko. Although the majority of the jobs were puppet-making, if Touko was interested, all sorts of jobs were accepted. It even produced anime. Almost no one approached the Garan no Dou because a Boundary Field was deployed over the workshop. People who had no business there avoided it subconsciously. It appeared to be an abandoned building, and it really was an abandoned building. Touko purchased this building which was abandoned mid-construction and insisted on calling it her office. The first floor was just ruins. The second and third floors were where Touko worked. The fourth floor was the office. Mikiya and Shiki had only seen the fourth floor. 伽藍の堂【がらんのどう】【地名】 蒼崎橙子が経営するよろず請け負い製作会社。一応人形作りがメインだが、橙子にとって面白ければ何でも安請け合いする。アニメも作るぞ。 伽藍の堂に用がない人間は無意識に避けて通る、という結界が張られている為、滅多《めった　》に人はやってこない。 外見はただの廃ビル。実態もただの廃ビル。 建築途中で放棄されたビルを買い取って事務所と言い張っている。 一階はただの廃墟。二階と三階は橙子の仕事場で、四階が事務所。幹也と式が出入りしているのは四階だけ。

Kara no Kyoukai Shi

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Kara no Kyoukai Shi [Others], p.029 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Kara no Kyoukai Shi [Others] The publication of Kara no Kyoukai on the homepage in 1998. The title Kara no Kyoukai (Boundary of Emptiness), reflected the character Araya Souren. As a result, the story on the homepage finished at Paradox Spiral. The story of Kara no Kyoukai already ended at Paradox Spiral. The subsequent two chapters were the epilogue of the story between Ryougi Shiki and Kokuto Mikiya. They were released in summer 1999 as copy-shi (a kind of doujinshi). 空の境界式【からのきょうかいしき】【その他】 九八年、ＨＰ上で公開された『空の境界』の事。 大タイトルである空の境界は、荒耶宗蓮という人物の物語でもある。 その為、ＨＰ上では矛盾螺旋の段階で一応の幕とした。 空の境界という物語は矛盾螺旋で終わっている。 続く二編は両儀式と黒桐幹也の物語の幕となるもので、こちらは翌九九年夏にコピー誌として配布した。

Kirie Fujou

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Fujou Kirie [Person's name], p.037-038 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Kirie Fujou [Person's name] A woman in her late twenties. One of the three who made contact. A descendant of an ancient shaman lineage. A character defined by day-dreaming and floating. Kirie was a woman plagued by disease and spent her life in the hospital ward. After losing her sight, she viewed the world with renewed clarity, and was set free by Araya Souren with another body. However, without a goal, Kirie had nowhere to go. She lingered and floated, resulting in several victims. As an aside, the Fujous made a living by channeling (e.g. wayward spirits, Gods, etc). They are a house as ancient as the Ryougis and Asakamis. Although the itako of Mount Osore lost their sight due to looking into the realm of the dead, Kirie's power blossomed as a result of losing her sight to illness. 巫条霧絵【ふじょう―きりえ】【人名】 二十代後半の女性。接触する三人のうちの一人。古い呪《まじな》い師の家系。白昼夢と浮遊。 病魔に蝕《むしば》まれ、病室で一生を過ごした女性。失明した事からより明確に外界を認識できるようになり、荒耶宗蓮によって自由になるもう一つの体を与えられた。 が、もとより目的のなかった彼女には行くあてはなく、ただ浮遊するにとどまり、何人もの被害者を生み出してしまった。 また、巫条は口寄せを生業とする一族で、両儀、浅神に並ぶ古い家柄。恐山のイタコは冥界を見る為視力を失うというが、彼女は病魔に視力を奪われる事でその力を開花させてしまったのだ。

Lines of death

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Line of Death [Others], p.032 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Line of Death [Others] The constantly shifting, graffiti-like lines visible to Ryougi Shiki. The lines appeared on everything, and by slashing the lines with a knife, the object bearing the lines could be "killed". Since the lines posed no resistance, everything could be killed with the same ease. The Lines of Death are not the lines at which "an object can be easily cut apart", rather, they are the concept of longevity given form. Strictly speaking, it is not "tracing the lines causing the object to fall apart", but "ending the lifespan and killing the object". To put it into simpler terms, it is the erasure of existence rather than physical destruction. Ryougi Shiki is a living being, and she seemed to have a easier time seeing the end of a living being. This is because as a living being, it is easier to comprehend "the death of a living being". In order to see the Lines of Death of minerals or Concepts, she either has to become minerals, or use her brain and tap into her "imagination". In summary, the end (lines) of an existence that humans cannot comprehend is not visible. 死の線【しのせん】【その他】 両儀式が視てしまう、常に流動するラクガキのような線。 線はありとあらゆる物にあり、刃物で切りつける事により、線が走っていた物体を『殺す』事が出来る。線には強度はないので、どのような物だろうと平等に殺す事が可能となる。 死の線は『物が切れやすい』線ではなく、存在の寿命という概念がカタチになったもの。 厳密に言えば、線をなぞって物を解体する、ではなく、寿命を切って物を殺している、という事になる。 物質的な破壊ではなく、存在的な消去と捉えると解りやすい。 式は生物なので、生物の死が視やすいようだ。これは同じ生物として、『生物の死』を容易《た　やす》く理解できる為。鉱物、概念の死の線を視るには、彼女が鉱物になるか、脳をフル活動させて『想像』するしかない。 要は、人間に理解できない存在の終わり（線）は視えない、という事。

Lio Shirazumi

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Shirazumi Lio [Person's Name], p.033-034 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Lio Shirazumi [Person's name] A twenty years old youth. Kokutou Mikiya's senior during high school, and he was more or less familiar with Shiki. He had handsome features, but did not stand out due to his quiet personality. He was one of the three who made contact (with Araya/Shiki?). He quit school for some reason shortly before graduation. Lio was the first chess piece Souren Araya prepared, and also the one he saved for last. However, the magus was defeated by the Counter Force before Lio could take the stage. Although Shirazumi Lio lost his commander, he considered it a fortunate turn of events. With the obstructive Araya out of the way, Lio was able to realize his own desire. He made his face to resemble Shiki, and chose the same clothing as Shiki. Only his hair was left golden, which conjured the image of a lion. The obsession with the Anima was in his nature. Or, it was a gender identity disorder that he was not aware of. ... As far as his attraction to Shiki was concerned, it might be that he was attracted to the male personality rather than the female one. Lio was something that fell out of Kara no Kyoukai Shi, which was the story of Araya. He was supposed to make his exit before the evil mastermind presented himself. However, in order to provide a resolution of the story of Kokutou Mikiya and Ryougi Shiki, the serial killer must stay. 白純里緒【しらずみ―りお】【人名】 二十歳の青年。黒桐幹也の高校時代の先輩。式とも多少面識がある。整った顔立ちをしていたが、大人しい性格のため目立つ事はなかった。接触する三人のうちの一人。 ある理由から卒業間近に学校を辞めてしまった。 荒耶宗蓮が用意した最初にして最後を飾るはずだった駒だが、彼の出番を待たずして魔術師は抑止力の前に敗れ去る。 司令塔を失いはしたが、それは白純里緒にとって幸運な事だった。目障りな荒耶が消えた事で、彼は己の欲望を叶える為だけに行動を開始する。 顔を式に似せ、服装も式と同じものにするが、髪だけが金なのは獅子《しし》をイメージしての事。 アニマ嗜好《し　こう》は天性のものと思われる。或《ある》いは、自覚していなかった性同一性障害では。……となると、式に惹《ひ》かれたのは式にではなく識《シキ》にだったのかもしれない。 『空の境界式』という荒耶の物語から外れてしまったもの。本来なら黒幕の前に退場するべきだったもの。が、黒桐幹也と両儀式の物語を締めるには、殺人鬼である彼が残っていなくてはならなかったのだ。

Magecraft

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Magecraft [Others], p.038-039 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Magecraft [Others] A general term representing activities that artificially re-enact Mysteries/Miracles. Although there were some differences depending on traditions and schools, the basic principle was still "the transformation of the magical energy that exists within the practitioner or the environment". The practitioner would issue Commands according to the Foundation (System) of his school, and this would cause the execution of a predetermined Program. Magical energy was the electrical current required to deliver the command. Although magecraft gave the impression of omnipotence, it fundamentally produced Mystery through the principle of equivalent exchange. It was possible to transform one thing into another, but it was impossible to produce something from nothing. However, the essence of magecraft as a discipline was to challenge that "Nothingness", and endeavor towards the impossible. Large-scale spells such as the so-called Grand Sorceries, Grand Rituals were really purposeless if not for attempting to reach " " (Kara) or True Magic. Kara no Kyoukai was a story of one magus' attempt at challenging "Nothingness". 魔術【まじゅつ】【その他】 人為的に神秘・奇跡を再現する行為の総称。 門派ごとに違いはあるものの、基本的には〝術者の体内、もしくは外界に満ちた魔力を変換〟する機構。 各門派が取り仕切る基盤（システム）に従って術者が命令（コマンド）を送り、あらかじめ作られていた機能（プログラム）が実行される、というもの。 その、命令を送るのに必要な電流が魔力である。 魔術には万能のイメージがあるが、基本的には等価交換で神秘を起こす。 有から有を持ってくるのであって、無から有は作れない。出来る事を起こすのであって、出来ない事は起こせないという事だ。 が、その『無』、あり得ない事に挑むことが魔術という学問の本質である。大魔術、大儀式と呼ばれる大掛かりな魔術は「　」、魔法に至る為の挑戦に他ならない。 大タイトル・『空の境界』は、一人の魔術師が『無』に挑もうとした物語とも言える。

Mage's Association

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Mage's Association [Others], p.039-040 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Mage Association [Others] A self-defense organization formed by practitioners of magegraft, transcending nationality and genre. (Of course, this is in name only.) Its mission is to manage, conceal, and develop magecraft. It reserves the use of force to protect itself from entities that threaten its existence (the Church, other mage organizations, and individuals who hunt what they consider taboo). In order to promote the development (or regression?) of magecraft, the Association set up research institutions and established laws that forbid the criminal use of magecraft. The headquarter of the Association is in London, England. It is also called the Clock Tower. The Association is divided into three departments. Besides the Clock Tower, there are also the "Giant's Cellar" in the Atlas mountains in Egypt, and the "Sea of Astray", the integrated association in Northern Europe. The "Sea of Astray" was the original Association that predated the Clock Tower, and had ceased communication with the Association since the Clock Tower became the headquarter. Also, the Association deems the Magic Foundation of the Middle East and the philosophies of magecraft from the continent* as incompatible with its teachings. Conversely, the other two schools also reject the Association. Furthermore, as Alba stated in the story, the mage organizations in Japan did not join the Association. 魔術協会【まじゅつきょうかい】【その他】 国籍・ジャンルを問わず、魔術を学ぶ者たちによって作られた自衛団体。（無論、名目《めいもく》上ではある） 魔術を管理し、隠匿《いんとく》し、その発展を使命とする。 自らを脅《おびや》かすモノたち（教会、自分たち以外の魔術団体、禁忌に触れる人間を罰する怪異）から身を守る為に武力を持ち、魔術の更なる発展（衰退ともいう）の為、研究機関を持ち、魔術による犯罪を抑止する為の法律を敷く。 本部はイギリスのロンドンにあり〝時計塔〟の異名を持つ。 始まりは三大の部門に分かれていたらしく、エジプトはアトラス山の〝巨人の穴倉〟、北欧に根を張る複合教会〝彷徨海〟と呼ばれる原教会もあるが、時計塔が本部になってからは交流が廃《すた》れる一方だとか。 また中東圏の魔術基盤、大陸の魔術思想とは相容れず、お互いに不可侵を装《よそお》っている。 また、本編でアルバが語っていた通り、日本の魔術組織も協会には組していない。

Magic

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Magic [Others], p.040 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese True Magic [Others] A Mystery different from magecraft. The final destination of every magus. "True Magic" achieves things that cannot be realized in a given era. An "outcome" which can be achieved through the investment of time and resources is not True Magic. Currently, the Association has determined five Magics. The so-called First and Second Magic are only known by a limited few in the Church. Although it is said that no more new "Magics" will emerge, Kokuto Mikiya insightfully pointed out the unrealized Magic. 魔法【まほう】【その他】 魔術とは違う神秘。魔術師たちの最終到達地点。 その時代で実現不可能な出来事を可能とするのが『魔法』であり、時間と資金をかければ実現できる〝結果〟は魔法とは呼ばれない。 現在、協会では五つの魔法が確認されている。 第一魔法、第二魔法と呼ばれるそれらは、教会でも一部の人間しか知らされていない。 もうこれ以上『魔法』は現れまいと言われているが、まだ実現できていない魔法を黒桐幹也はさらっと言い当てていたりする。

Magic Circuits

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Magic Circuits [Others], p.039 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Magic Circuits [Others] The pseudo-nerves existing in the body of a magus. They are the paths that convert life force into magical energy, as well as the paths which connect to the foundations underlying Grand Rituals. The number of Magic Circuits is determined at birth. Mage lineages will resort to any means to alter themselves in hope of giving their descendants just one more Circuit. This is why magi from older lineages are more powerful. In terms of the number of Magic Circuits, and the quality of the lineage, Cornelius Alba is undoubtedly a first rate magus. In fact, neither Aozaki Touko nor Araya Souren have many Magic Circuits. Touko has about 20, Araya about 30. Still, the two are considered geniuses: Touko has talents that are independent of her lineage. Araya's overwhelming power is probably a result of the anguish that he ceaselessly accumulated through the ages. 魔術回路【まじゅつかいろ】【その他】 魔術師が体内に持つ擬似《ぎじ》神経。 生命力を魔力に変換する為の路《みち》であり、基盤となる大魔術式に繋がる路でもある。 生まれながらに持ち得る数が決まっており、魔術師の家系は自分たちに手を加えて、魔術回路が一本でも多い跡継ぎを誕生させようとする。 古い家系の魔術師ほど強力なのはこの為。 魔術回路の多さ、血筋の品質で言うのなら、コルネリウス・アルバは紛《まぎ》れもなく一流の魔術師。 実は蒼崎橙子も荒耶宗蓮も、魔術回路はそう多くない。橙子が二十、荒耶が三十といったところ。 天才と思われがちな両者だが、橙子は血筋以外の才能で、荒耶はひたすら積み重ねた苦悩によって、他を圧倒する力を手に入れたのだろう。

Magicians

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Magicians [Others], p.040 [T]Translations by TMdict.com.

English Japanese Magicians [Others] Nickname of people who can turn mysteries that are not magecraft, things that are impossible, possible. In the past when civilization was less developed, most magi were magicians. As civilization developed, the impossible became possible, and many magic devalued into magecraft. Mysteries, in the face of reality, tasted great defeat. ———However, even among those, there still exists miracles unreachable by humans. Magi who can realize those mysteries are called “magicians,” bearing with them fear and respect, admiration and jealousy. In the world of Kara no Kyoukai, there are only five magicians. 魔法使い【まほうつかい】【その他】 魔術ではない神秘、ありえない事を可能とする人間の俗称。 かつて文明が未熟だった頃、魔術師の大部分は魔法使いだった。 しかし文明の発展と共に不可能は可能となり、魔法は魔術として価値を落とすに至った。神秘は、現実の前に大敗を喫したのだ。 ―――が、その中においてなお、いまだ人の手に余る奇跡は存在する。 その神秘を実現させた魔術師は“魔法”使いと呼ばれ、畏怖と尊敬、憧憬と嫉妬を一身に受ける事になる。 空の境界のの世界観において、魔法使いは五人いるとされる。

Mikiya Koukuto

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Koukuto Mikiya [Person's name], p.031 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Mikiya Koukuto [Person's name] A youth in his late teens. Employee of the Garan no Dou. A very normal and unremarkable individual. One of the protagonists of the story, possessing characteristics of the Yang. Although he was related to all characters of Kara no Kyoukai, he only stepped into the maelstrom during one incident. Mild-mannered and caring, most people were very fond of him. ... However, for some inexplicable reason he encountered Shiki, who was his polar opposite. Subsequently, he was doomed to a long-term relationship with Shiki, for better or for worse. Be careful when walking alone during snowy nights, Mikiya. Since he symbolized the peaceful daily life, he was very popular among people who sought such things. Even after the story concluded, Mikiya still made Shiki restless. He was an example of "the scariest things are always found closest to you in unexpected forms". The protagonist of Tsukihime inherited the characteristics of both Mikiya and Shiki. 黒桐幹也【こくとう―みきや】【人名】 十代後半の青年。伽藍の堂の社員。極めて普通のひと。物語の主役の一人。陽性。 『空の境界』全体に関わる人物だが、渦中に踏み込むのは一つの事件だけである。 温和で面倒見がよく、大抵の人に好かれる好人物。 ……なのだが、何の因果かまるっきり正反対の両儀式と知り合ってしまい、以後、式と末永くやっていく運命に。雪降る夜の一人歩きには気をつけましょう。 日常の象徴な為か、そういうモノに憧れる人たちに大人気。物語が終わった後も、式はヤキモキさせられる訳である。 一番恐ろしいものは意外な形で一番近くにある、という見本。 『月姫』という話の主人公は、彼と式の色合いを受け継いでいる。

Misaya Ouji

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Misaya Ouji [Person's name], p.028 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Ouji Misaya [Person's name] A girl in her late teens. A faerie-user. She was a student of the Reien Girl's Academy, and an upperclassman of Kokutou Azaka. Misaya was a talented girl who was the chairwoman of the student committee until the last year, an impeccable mistress. Azaka once said, she was more of an intimidating empress rather than a cute princess. She led the mindless familiars while conducted multiple parallel cognitive processes, demonstrating characteristics found in Alchemists. This was probably because the magus who acted as her mentor was a student of Atlas. Although she clashed with Azaka like water and oil, their secret desires were very similar. 黄路美沙夜【おうじ―みさや】【人名】 十代後半の少女。妖精遣い。 礼園女学院の生徒で、黒桐鮮花《こくとうあざか　》の先輩にあたる。 昨年まで生徒会の会長を務めていた才女で、非の打ち所のないお嬢様である。 鮮花｜曰《いわ》く、可愛らしい王女さまというより、威厳のあるお妃《きさき》様。 意思を持たない使い魔たちを統率する司令塔。複数の思考を同時に走らせるのは錬金術師の特性。 彼女の師である魔術師が、かのアトラスの院生だった為だろうか。 鮮花とは水と油だが、隠し持つ願望は似通《に　かよ》っている。

Mother Riesbyfe

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Riesbyfe [Person's name], p.042 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Riesbyfe [Person's name] Principal of Reien Girls' Academy. Age unknown. A pious Christian. When energized, she would engage in overzealous philanthropic activities due to her excessive faith. The principal's office was decorated with a shield that would invoke the image of a violin. Originally she was not an important character that would warrant an entry in this glossary, but since she showed up in other works, I had to pick her up. リーズバイフェ【りーずばいふぇ】【人名】 礼園女学院の院長。年齢不詳。 生粋のクリスチャンで、元気な頃はありあまる信仰心から過激な慈善活動をしていたとか。 院長室にはヴァイオリンを思わせるような盾が飾ってあるらしい。 本来この用語集に載るほど重要な役どころではないのだが、他作品で登場しているので拾い上げた。

Mystic Eyes Killers

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Mystic Eyes Killers [Ornaments], p.038 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Mystic Eyes Killers [Ornaments] A magical construct capable of suppressing the power of Mystic Eyes. Since Mystic Eyes are a power derived from the oculus, Mystic Eyes Killers are commonly made into glasses. The glasses Touko wore are also Mystic Eyes Kilers. The protagonist of Tsukihime, Tohno Shiki, acquired Mystic Eyes Killers crafted by Touko from someone. They relieved him of the unbearable sight of Death, and allowed him to live normally again. This also reflected just how self-abusive Ryougi Shiki was, declining the Mystic Eyes Killers. No... it was more an episode that reflected her heart of clear water. As a side note, Touko poured an obscene amount of money into constructing Ryougi Shiki's Mystic Eyes Killers, but Shiki shoved them back saying "Why should I do it to please you?" The reason Shiki declined the Mystic Eyes Killer was the same as when she refused to wear the uniform of Reien Girls' Academy. 魔眼殺し【まがんごろし】【装飾】 魔眼の力を抑える事の出来る魔術品。 眼、という事もあり、大体はメガネとして作られる。橙子がかけているメガネも魔眼殺し。 『月姫』の主人公、遠野志貴《とおの　し　き　》は視えてしまう死に耐えられず、人づてで橙子謹製の魔眼殺しを譲ってもらい、なんとか生活していけるようになった。 魔眼殺しをつけずに暮らしている式がどれほど捨て鉢《ばち》……じゃなくて、達観した精神かを物語るエピソード。 ちなみに、橙子が巨額を投じて作った式用の魔眼殺しは、「なんでオレがおまえを喜ばせないといけないんだ」と式に突っ返された。 式がメガネを突っ返した理由は、礼園の制服の時と同じと思われる。

Mystic Eyes of Death Perception

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Mystic Eyes of Death Perception [Others], p.035-036 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Mystic Eyes of Death Perception [Others] Ryougi Shiki's ESP. Although it has some characteristics that are similar to the Mystic Eyes in magecraft, it is classified as an ESP. Eyes of Direct Death allows the user to perceive the the conceptual "Death of an Existence" as visual signals. Death emerges to the surface of an existence (objects, animals, etc) as lines. Cutting along the lines will result in "Death", regardless of the constitution or properties of the object. Ryougi Shiki acquired this power after spending two years in a comatose state and contacted " " (Kara) for a prolonged period of time. Shiki's body already had the ability to perceive the Lines of Death, the accident merely awakened this power. Of course, Eyes of Direct Death is only one aspect of the powers of this body called "Ryougi Shiki". 直死の眼【ちょくしのめ】【その他】 式の持つ異能。魔眼と呼ばれる魔術行使と似た性質を持つが、分類的には超能力。 概念でしかない『存在の死』を視覚情報として捉える事が出来る。死は線となって存在の表面に浮き彫りにされ、その線を裂かれたモノは材質・性質問わずに『死』に至る。 二年間に亘《わた》る昏睡《こんすい》状態によって長く「　」に触れていた為、両儀式が持ってしまった力。もともと式という体に死の線を視る機能があり、事故によって覚醒しただけの話。 もっとも、直死の眼は『両儀式』という体が持つ機能の一端にすぎないのだが。

Ogawa Apartment

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Ogawa Apartment [Place name], p.028 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Ogawa Apartment [Place name] The stage of Paradox Spiral. A ten-story apartment with a complex structure. The designer was Aozaki Touko. A temple of Taiji. It could be called the artificial manifestation of the inner landscape of Araya Souren, who did not have a Reality Marble. The name of the Boundary Field here was Hounouden Rokujyuyonshou ("The 64 Layers of the Hounou Temple"). 小川マンション【おがわまんしょん】【地名】 矛盾螺旋の舞台。まわりくどい構造をした十階建てのマンション。設計者は蒼崎橙子。 太極図《たいきょくず》の伽藍《が　らん》。固有結界を持たない荒耶が人工的に作り上げた、彼の心情風景の具現といえる。 結界名、奉納殿《ほうのうでん》六十四層。

Orange Bag

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Orange Bag [Others], p.028 [T]Translations by TMdict.com.
English Japanese Orange Bag [Others] Aozaki Touko's bag. She seems to be very fond of using it. It is not used as a bag, and is stuffed with a projector-like mechanism. A projection machine that perjures a magical creature of shadow. 才レンジの鞄【おれんじのかばん】【その他】 蒼崎燈子の鞄。わりと愛用しているらしい。 鞄として使われる事はなく、中は映写じみた機構で埋まっている。 影の魔物を偽証する幻灯機械。

Origin

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Origin [Others], p.029-030 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Origin [Others] The direction of everything that arose from fundamental cause. The α that enabled the existence of α, the absolute order that existed at the very core. For instance, something with the Origin of "taboo", regardless of being born as a human, animal, or plant, would always exist to go against the morals established by the collective. It was the idea that, independent of the process of reincarnation, humans acquired bodies and wisdom from the directional force at the point of origin, and acquired personalities that were only slightly different from their prior lives. Individuals who awakened their Origins would be consumed. This was due to "personality" being something merely on the magnitude of one hundred years; it would be overwritten by the directional force born from the origin. However, humans (human bodies) who were overwritten by their Origins would acquire great powers. Araya Souren learned the technique to awaken Origins during his research into the root of humanity. Of course, he only awakened the Origin of one person. 起源【きげん】【その他】 始まりの因で発生した物事の方向性。αという存在をαたらしめる、核となる絶対命令の事。 例えば〝禁忌〟という起源を持つモノは人に生まれようと獣に生まれようと植物になり変わろうと、群れにおける道徳から外れた存在になってしまう。 輪廻転生《りんね　てんせい》があろうがなかろうが、人間は発生した時の方向性に従って肉をつけ知恵をつけ、以前とは少しだけ違った人格になる、という考え。 起源を覚醒したモノは起源に飲み込まれる。たかだか百年程度の〝人格〟など、原初の始まりより生じた方向性に塗り潰されるだけだからだ。反面、起源に塗り潰された人間《にくたい》は強大な力を手に入れる事になる。 人間のルーツを探る荒耶宗蓮は。その過程で起源を覚醒させる術を学んだ。 もっとも、彼が起源を覚醒させたのは一人だけであるが。

Overlooking View

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Overlooking View [Others], p.037 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Overlooking View [Others] The title of the first chapter, occurred in September 1998. Kara no Kyoukai was itself a ridiculous story, and this chapter certain led the charge. This chapter was written with the idea "if I go totally bonkers at the beginning and everyone accepts it, then I would be OK afterward no matter what I write". Although at the time I thought it was a gamble, in retrospect it was really common sense for a writer. 俯瞰風景【ふかんふうけい】【その他】 第一話の章タイトル。時間軸上では九八年九月の話。 そもそもトンデモ伝記な『空の境界』だが、その中でもトップクラスに無茶な話。 ＨＰに連載を開始する前に「一番初めに一番無茶をやって受け入れられれば、後は何をやってもＯＫじゃないか？」というコンセプトで書かれたらしい。 当時は博打《ばくち　》だと思ったようだが、今なら言える。そんなの物書きの常識だ。

Paradox Spiral

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Paradox Spiral [Chapter Title], p.040-041 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Paradox Spiral [Chapter Title] The title of the fifth chapter. The grand finale of the tale that was Kara no Kyoukai Shi. This was the only chapter where Shiki was armed. It seemed that it was determined from the initial planning stage that there would be only one chapter where Shiki would wield a sword. From the initial concept, it seemed the idea was "this would be the shortest chapter. If other chapters were one hour long when animated, this one would be thirty minutes". What were we thinking about at that time? This was truly worrisome. 矛盾螺旋【矛盾螺旋】【章名】 第五話の章タイトル。『空の境界式』という大きな話の最後を飾るもの。 式が武装するのはこの話だけ。初期段階から、式が刀を持つのは一話のみ、と決められていたとか。 初期プロットのコンセプトを見ると、「全話中一番短い話。他の話が一時間なら、これは三十分のアニメのノリで」だそうだ。 当時、何があったのかは気になるところではある。

Red leather jacket

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Red leather jacket [Ornament], p.025 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Red leather jacket [Ornaments] Shiki's favorite outfit. Only the all-important Mikiya is oblivious to the reason that Shiki loves this outfit. It seems Shiki is fine with any red leather jacket. She insists that "I will switch to a new one if this one gets worn out". 赤い革ジャン【あかいかわじゃん】【装飾】 式が好んで着用する上着。 彼女がこの上着を好む理由を、肝心の幹也だけが分かっていなかったりする。 赤い革ジャンなら何でもいいらしく、今着ているものがくたびれたら新しいものに代えるだけ、と式本人は言い張っている

Reien Girls' Academy

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Reien Girls' Academy [Place name], p.044 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Reien Girls' Academy [Place name] Kokutou Mikiya's sister, Kokutou Azaka's school. A mission style all-girls academy. A sterile boarding school. Originally it was a sister school of some seminary in England, but recently other girls' academies had emerged using Reien as the template. The sponsor seemed to be Asagami Fujino's father. 礼園女学院【れいえんじょがくいん】【地名】 黒桐幹也の妹、黒桐鮮花が通う学校。 ミッション系のお嬢様学院で、全寮制の無菌室。 もともとはイギリスにある神学校の姉妹校なのだが、最近は礼園を手本にした女学院が出来たらしい。出資者は浅上藤乃のお父さんだとか。

Satsuki Kurogiri

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Kurogiri Satsuki [Person's name], p.030 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Satsuki Kurogiri [Person's name] A man around 25 years old. A teacher at Reien Girls' Academy. He left a strong impression on others, yet at the same time he was so very forgettable. A smile. He resembled Kokutou Mikiya to the extend of making Azaka and Shiki perplexed. Although his countanace did not resemble Mikiya, the aura he projected was similar to that of Mikiya's. He was a magus who was uncertain of tomorrow (the future), but hopefully clung to yesterday (the past). Although Ouji Misaya treated him like a brother, it was unclear if they were siblings. He was not proficient in combat, but excelled in persuading his opponents. Satsuki possessed a very rare talent, yet precisely due to this talent, he was unable to demonstrate his powers. Ten minutes is such a long time. ------- One life time is oh so brief. 玄霧皐月【くろぎり―さつき】【人名】 二十代半ばの男性。礼園《れいえん》女学院の教員。覚えやすいのに覚えにくい印象。スマイル。 鮮花と式が戸惑うほど黒桐幹也に似た人物。顔は似ていないが、まとった空気が似通っている。 明日（未来）がよく分からないので、昨日（過去）に一縷《いちる　》の希望を持った魔術師。 黄路美沙夜に兄と慕われるが、彼らが本当に兄妹であるかは不明。 荒事は不得手だが、相手を説得する事においては最高と言える。 稀有《けう》な才能を持っていたが、結局、その才能故に能力を発揮できなかった人物。 十分は長い。―――人生は短い。

Shiki's Kimono

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Shiki's Kimono [Ornament], p.032 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Shiki's Kimono [Ornament] A luxury item that was not immediately apparent to the eye. It appeared to be an unremarkable kimono, but the quality was revealed in the fine details. If you ask which part of it is haute conture, it must be that Shiki could still perform high kicks while wearing a kimono. In a related note, the early concept of Shiki was "a juxtaposition of Eastern and Western concepts" (or literally "an unhomogenized compromise between the East and the West"). 式の着物【式の着物】【装飾】 さりげなく高級品。パッと見なんのヘンテツもない着物だが、細かいところで手を加えられている。 どのヘンがオートクチュールかと言うと、着物なのにハイキックが打ててしまうあたりである。　　　　　　 余談ではあるが、式の初期コンセプトは〝混ざらない和洋折衷《わ　ようせっちゅう》〟だった。

Shiki Ryougi

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Ryougi Shiki [Person's name], p.042-043 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Ryougi Shiki [Person's name] A girl in her late teens. One of the main characters of the story, possessing the characteristic of Yin. A killer who could not kill. She used a coarse male speech pattern, and used Ore as her first person pronoun. She had a cold personality and appeared to care about nothing. She had only worn kimono up to the age of 16, but due to the comment of her high school peers, she bought a leather jacket. After that, she began this strange getup of wearing a leather jacket over a kimono during winter. Although it seemed that she was concerned about her attire, but really she did not care. She just wore what she wanted, but the result was consistently "always kimono", "laced-up boots or geta", "...red leather jacket". Mean, heartless, and merciless, but occasionally she would react in a surprisingly feminine way. Like Mikiya said, it you want to compare her to an animal, it would be a rabbit or something like that. She was the second child of House Ryougi, who artificially induced dual personalities in their offspring. Due to her confirmed multiple personality, her brother was abandoned as the heir in favour of her. Because she was aware of her abnormality since childhood, Ryougi hated people as well as herself. Although she developed a cold personality as a result, secretly she wished to experience a normal person's happiness. .... Ever since she encountered the materialization of that dream, her fate changed drastically. She had a male personality known as "SHIKI", but he was lost due to an accident. Subsequently she developed the ability to perceive Lines of Death. Was it a compensation, or was it a sequelae of the accident? After awakening from the coma, she did not have a realistic sense of living. Although in frustration she attempted to feel this sense of living through killing, due to various accidents and benevolent obstructions she never succeeded. With a uncertain sense of living, this listless girl continued to come to Touko's office day in and day out. By the way, Shiki's emotions towards people were quite animalistic. Regardless of good or evil, Shiki first divided people into "those she can be with" and "those she cannot be with". For those "she can be with", she would stay with them even if she hated them. Touko was "dislike", Azaka was "like", such were the categories. As to Mikiya, in the words of Shiki, "I don't know". 両儀式【りょうぎ―しき】【人名】 十代後半の少女。物語の主役の一人。陰性。人を殺せない殺人鬼。 男のような乱暴な口調で、一人称はオレ。冷めた性格で、万事がどうでもいいように振る舞う。 十六歳まで和服しか着てこなかったが、高校で出会った同級生のちょっとした台詞から皮のジャンパーを購入。以後、冬は着物の上に革ジャンを羽織《はお》る、という妙な服装になった。 服装に拘《こだわ》っているように見えるが、実は本人何も考えていない。 好きなものを着るだけという考えで、その結果として『いつも着物』『履物《はきもの》は編み上げブーツかゲタ』『……気に食わないけど赤い革ジャン』という格好になっている。 ぶっきらぼうで薄情《はくじょう》で容赦《ようしゃ》がないが、時折びっくりするほど少女らしい反応をする。幹也曰く、動物に例えるのならウサギだとか。 人為的に二重人格者を生み出す両儀家の次女として生まれ、多人格の素質を認められ、兄を差し置いて両儀家の跡取りとなった。 幼い頃から自分が異常だと知っていた為、極度の人間嫌い＆自分嫌い。それ故に冷めた性格になってしまったのだが、心のどこかで人並みの幸福を夢見ていた。 ……その夢の具現に出会ってしまった事から、彼女の運命は大きく変動していく。 『識』という男性人格を持っていたが、事故によって失われた。その代償か事故の後遺症か、以後、死の線が視えてしまう体質になってしまった。 昏睡から目覚めた後は生の実感がなく、人を殺す事で生の実感を得ようと躍起《やっき　》になるが、色々な偶然とか善意の妨害とかで上手くいったためしがない。 不確かな生の実感を抱きながら、今日も今日として橙子の事務所に通いつめるアンニュイ少女。 余談ではあるが、式の対人感情は中々に動物的。 好き嫌いに関係なく、まず一緒にいていい人間と一緒にいたくない人間とに分かれるのだとか。 一緒にいていい人間なら嫌いだろうと付き合っていくらしく、橙子は嫌い、鮮花は好き、というカテゴリーらしい。 幹也はと言うと、本人曰く「知らない」だそうで。

SHIKI Ryougi

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Ryougi SHIKI [Person's name], p.043-044 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Ryougi SHIKI [Person's name] The other personality of Ryougi Shiki. Lost. Killer. A personality of Ryougi Shiki who controlled the aspect of "Denial/Negativity". His speech and gestures were those of a youth. Although it was dual personality, Shiki and SHIKI were not a result of Dissociative Identity Disorder. For both of them, it was a matter of whose actions take priority. Even though SHIKI was responsible for Ryougi Shiki's destructive impulses, he was not a pure killer. It could be said that SHIKI despised his own impulses and voluntarily became Shiki's subordinate personality. However, the relationship changed with the appearance of Kokutou Mikiya. At the time of Ryougi Shiki's accident, SHIKI acted as the substitute and disappeared. The reason that Shiki still employed the male speech pattern despite the disappearance of SHIKI was elaborated in Murder Investigate Part II. 両儀識【りょうぎ―しき】【人名】 両儀式のもう一つの人格。失われたもの。殺人鬼。 『両儀式』という人間の中で〝否定〟を受け持つ人格で、少年のような口調と身振りをする。 二重人格というが、式と識は解離《かいり　》性同一障害ではない。お互い、行動における優先度が違うだけの話なのである。 両儀式の破壊衝動を受け持つ識だが、生粋《きっすい》の殺人鬼という訳ではない。むしろ自らの衝動を嫌っていた識は、自分から式の裏側に徹していた。 が、その関係も黒桐幹也の出現によって変わってしまい、両儀式が事故にあった際、式の身代わりとして消滅した。 男性である識がいなくなったのに式が男口調である理由は、『殺人考察（後）』で語られている。

Shizune Seo

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Seo Shizune [Person's name], p.034 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Shizune Seo [Person's name] A girl in her late teens. A student of Reien Girls' Academy. Kokutou Azaka's roommate. Future sight. A timid, introverted girl. She was incorporated into the story since the early draft in preparation of acting as the protagonist of Gospel of the Future. Although she was not very active in the main story of Kara no Kyoukai, a character of similar concept emerged in the side story of Tsukihime. Gospel of the Future would be a story about her chat with Mikiya. The setting would be Ahnenerbe. The planned length was about 30 pages. In terms of chronological order, Gospel of the Future would take place before Paradox Spiral. In it, Shizune would advice Mikiya "if you keep going like this, you could die very soon". In Paradox Spiral, the content of Mikiya's reply to Enjou Tomoe was the exact opposite of that. It seemed Mikiya was lying there. 瀬尾静音【せお―しずね】【人名】 十代後半の少女。礼園女学院の生徒。黒桐鮮花のルームメイト。未来視。 おどおどした引っ込み思案の少女で、プロット段階で予備の話として組み込まれていた『未来福音《み　らいふくいん》』の主役。 『空の境界』本編での活躍はなくなってしまったが、同じコンセプトのキャラクターが『月姫』の番外編で登場している。 『未来福音』は彼女が幹也と軽いお喋りをするだけの話。場所はアーネンエルベで、三十｜頁《ページ》程度の閑話《かんわ　》として予定されていた。 時期は矛盾螺旋の前の話で、幹也は彼女から「今のままだと、近いうちに死んじゃうかもしれません」と忠告されている。矛盾螺旋において、幹也が臙条巴に返答した内容はまるっきり反対、幹也らしいウソなのだった。

Spontaneous Combustion

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Spontaneous Combustion [Others], p.037 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Spontaneous Combustion [Others] The so-called unexplained phenomenon of human combustion. It was the spell that Kokutou Azaka favoured. However, it was closer to ESP than magecraft. In terms of ESP, it would be called Pyrokinesis. Spontaneous Combustion is a method of attack that causes the target to self-combust, rather than immolating the target directly. There are many theories which explain Spontaneous Combustion, Azaka's Spontaneous Combustion can be explained by an amalgamation of the Charged Corpus Theory and the Electromagnetism Theory. The Charged Corpus Theory suggests that the human body produces electrical current during states of psychological arousal which causes Spontaneous Combustion, while the Electromagnetism Theory suggests that Spontaneous Combustion is a result of an increased release of electrons in the atmosphere. All incantations used to activate Spontaneous Combustion were musical notes, since Azaka comprehended magecraft and combat through music. 発火能力【その他】 スポンティニアス・コンバッション。人体発火現象と呼ばれる、原因不明の発火現象。 黒桐鮮花が得意とする魔術だが、魔術というより超能力に近い。超能力で言うのならパイロキネシス。 炎で対象を焼くのではなく、対象自体に発火してもらう、という攻撃方法。 人体発火現象には様々な説があるが、鮮花の発火能力は精神｜昂揚により人体に電気を発生させる人体帯電説と、空気中に大量放出された電子を原因とする電磁波説を混ぜ合わせたもの。 発動の為の詠唱が単一かつ楽譜記号なのは、鮮花が魔術と戦闘を楽曲だと捉えている為。

Souren Araya

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Araya Souren [Person's Name], p.026-027 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Souren Araya [Person's Name] A man looks to be about 45 years old. Magus. A face carved with grief, a robust body unusual for a magus. These characteristics exert immense pressure on his opponents that seems almost nauseating. Although Araya is average as a magus, his talents relating to Bound Field construction is exceptional. A bound field divides what is inside from the outside. In order to construct a complete world from his own body, first Araya must complete himself. Araya, who has no exceptional talents, is able to become a first-class bound field master by completing himself through the accumulation of ages and sheer determination. That which divides the inside from the outside, Kara no Kyoukai is his story. Araya symbolizes the paradoxical spiral, the most important event in this tale. Talking about the impossible, what Araya accomplished is like achieving the pinnacle within a field while being completely oblivious of even the name of this subject field. Araya embodies the "accident of not knowing what is true and false", and the "accident of not learning the truth that has become common knowledge". As a result, it is absolute that the paradox will persist until the very end. 荒耶宗蓮【あらや―そうれん】【人名】 外見、四十代半ばの男性。魔術師。 苦悩が刻まれた貌と、魔術師にあるまじき強靭《きょうじん》な体が、対峙《たいじ　》した者に嘔吐《おうと　》感に似た重圧を与える。 魔術師としては平凡だが、『結界』作りに関しては屈指《くっし　》の冴えを見せる。 結界とは内と外を分けるもの。それ自体で完結した世界を作り上げる為には、まず自身を完成させなくてはならない。 特殊な才能を持たない荒耶は、歳月と信念を積み重ねる事で自己を完成させ、一流の結界師となった。 外と内とを隔《へだ》てるもの。『空の境界』は彼の物語でもある。 物語中最大の事件・矛盾螺旋《むじゅんら　せん》を象徴する人物。 何があり得ないかと言うと、彼は学んでいた学問の名前も知らずに、その教えを極めていたようなものなのである。 間違いを知らないままでいられる偶然、当然の事実を他人から教えられなかった偶然。故に、その矛盾は、最後まで抱えるべき必然。

Spellcasting

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Spellcasting [Others], p.033 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Spellcasting [Others] A necessary step in the activation of magecraft. While utilizing an established school of magecraft, one must strictly follow a set protocol. Spellcasting is one step in this protocol. An analogy would be the application process of a document, which would include application, acceptance, review, and finally issuance. Spellcasting would be the "application" step. In the case of utilizing magecraft with a broad Foundation, spellcasting is mostly a convention. However, for those who practice their own style of magecraft, spellcasting has potent self-suggestive powers. In the bodies of magi, the Magic Circuits which shape magecraft already exist. Incantations are the "personal adage" that help the magi transform themselves. They are a method to efficiently activate and mobilize the Magic Circuits. Spellcasting is not a method to speak to the World, but a method to speak to oneself. Even for the same spell, different magi will utilize different incantations due to their distinct natures. As an aside, spells that speak to the World rather than oneself are classified as Grand Spells or Grand Rituals, and it is impossible for an individual to use such spells. 呪文詠唱【じゅもんえいしょう【その他】 魔術を発動させるために必要となるもの。 一流派として安定した魔術を使用する際は、定められた形式通りに手順を踏まねばならず、その一端が呪文である。 手続きで言うのなら、申請、受理、審査、発行のうち、最初の申請である。 大きな基盤を持つ魔術行使に関しては約束事でしかないが、自己流の魔術行使の場合は自己暗示として効力の方が大きい。 魔術師の体には、魔術を成す為の魔術回路が作られている。 この魔術回路を効率よく起動・作動させる方法の一つとして、自らを作り変える『決り文句』である呪文が作られた。 呪文は世界に訴えるものではなく自身に訴えるもの。同じ魔術であれ、魔術師ごとに呪文詠唱が異なるのは術者の人間性の違いという事だ。 余談ではあるが、自身ではなく世界に訴えかける呪文は大呪文、大儀式の類《たぐい》であり、一個人での使用は不可能とされる。

Stone-head-like stone head

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Stone-head-like stone head [Others], p.027 [T]Translation by food
English Japanese Stone-head-like stone head [Others] Not a typographic error. Shiki occasionally behaves as such. As Touko said, it is evidence that Shiki lives by feelings alone. いしあたまな石頭【いしあたまないしあたま】【その他】 誤字にアラズ。 式はときおりこういった表現をする。橙子曰く、感覚だけで生きている証拠だとか。

Strawberry Ice-cream

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Strawberry Ice-cream [Others], p.034 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Strawberry Ice-cream [Others] One of the few things that Shiki was fond of, also one of the things she hated. Even though she despised cold food, she always seemed to buy it from the convenience store. Regarding this, Mikiya made some amazingly insensitive comments such as ".... are you... are you trying to conquer your weakness...?" ストロベリーアイス【すとろべりーあいす】【その他】 式の数少ない嗜好《し　こう》の一つにして、苦手なもの。 冷たい食べ物は嫌いなクセに、コンビニエンスストアに寄ると必ず買って来るらしい。 この件に関して幹也は「……もしや、弱点を克服するつもりなのだろうか……？」などと、素晴らしい鈍感ぶりを発揮している。

Taiji

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Taiji [Others], p.035 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Taiji [Others] A philosophy originated in ancient China, a graphical representation of the Yin-Yang theory. It attempts to capture the essence of everything on a conceptual level: those that are active are defined as Yang (white), and the opposite are defined as Yin (black). The Taiji symbolizes opposing concepts such as day and night, light and darkness, male and female. At the same time, you may also call it a condensed version of the ever-changing, dynamic World. Furthermore, there is a dot of Yin in Yang, and conversely a dot of Yang in Yin. This indicates that the distinction between Yin and Yang is not absolute. There is darkness even in light. Taiji is the "one" at the beginning, the Yin and Yang that divide the "one" are called Liangyi (Ryougi). As an aside, the magi in this story were all practitioners of Western magecraft who were incompatible with Chinese philosophies. 太極【たいきょく】【その他】 古代中国で生まれた思想、陰陽《おんみょう》説を表す図。 万物の状態を概念的に捉《とら》えたもので、能動的・活動的であるものを陽（白）、その逆になるものを陰（黒）と分けている。 昼と夜、明と暗、雄と雌と相反するものを象徴しながら、影響しあい流れあう世界の縮図とも言える。 また、陽の中には一点の陰、陰の中には一点の陽があるが、これは陰陽の区別は絶対的なものでなく、明の中にも暗がある、という事を示している。 太極は始まりの一であるが、この二つに分かれた陰陽を両儀という。 余談ではあるが、本編における魔術師たちは中国の思想とは相容《あいい　》れない西洋魔術の術師である。

Tomoe Enjou

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Enjou Tomoe [Person's name], p.027 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Tomoe Enjou [Person's name] A youth in his late teens. A part-time worker, tenant of the Ogawa Apartment. He ran away from home...an unusual individual. He had a small build and feminine features. He would be a bishounen if he maintained silence. He was aggressive and lacked tolerance, so he frequently got into fights. He encountered Shiki through some trivial matters, and gradually became involved in strange incidents. ---Of course, the gears had malfunctioned since the very beginning. 臙条巴【えんじょう―ともえ】【人名】 十代後半の少年。フリーター。小川マンションの住人。家出少年。……イレギュラー。 小柄で女顔。黙っていれば美少年。攻撃的でこらえ性がなく、ケンカっ早い。 些細《さ　さい》な間違いから式と知り合い、徐々に怪事に巻き込まれていく。 ―――もっとも、歯車は始めから狂っていたのだが。

Touko Aozaki

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Aozaki Touko [Person's name], p.025 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Touko Aozaki [Person's name] She looks like a woman in her late 20s. Touko is the guide in this tale, yet at the same time she is an outsider. The owner of the Workshop, Garen no Dou. She is one of the magi that appear in this tale, and makes a living by crafting puppets. Touko is an individual with dual personalities, and the switch is made by putting on and taking off her glasses. With her glasses on, Touko is objective and ruthless; yet without her glasses, she is subjective and emotional. Which one is the real Aozaki Touko, even Touko herself does not really know. Emotional or not, Touko is fundamentally a romanticist. Touko loves new things, and will tinker restlessly with things that she is interested in. She is also a speed demon. Although Kara no Kyoukai will not be a story without Touko, she does not constitute the body of the tale. Touko hates her name, yet she has a habit of always wearing one piece of orange-coloured accessory. Even though Touko has a younger sister, their relationship is extremely bad. 蒼崎橙子【あおざき―とうこ】【人名】 見た目二十代後半の女性。物語の案内役で、部外者。工房・伽藍《が　らん》の堂《どう》のオーナー。 本編に登場する魔術師の一人で、人形作りを生業《なりわい》としている。 人為的な二重人格者で、メガネをかける・はずすで人格をスウィッチする。 メガネをかけている時は客観的で酷薄《こくはく》、メガネをはずしていると主観的で人情家。どちらが作為的《さくい　てき》でない蒼崎橙子なのか、本人にもよくわからないらしい。情が薄かろうと厚かろうと、根っこの部分はロマンチスト。新しもの好きで、興味を持ったものをいじり回してはしゃいだりする。スピード狂。 『空の境界』は彼女なくしては語れない話だが、彼女が主体になる事は決してない。 自分の名前が嫌いなクセに、オレンジ色の装飾品を一品、体のどこかにつける習性がある。 妹が一人いるらしいが、関係は最悪。

Tsukihime

[v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Tsukihime [Others], p.036 [T]Translation by food

English Japanese Tsukihime [Others] A Visual Novel Game written by Kinoko Nasu. It was a story about a youth who had Mystic Eyes of Death Perception just like Ryougi's. It shared many similarities with Kara no Kyoukai, and the two were also subtly connected. It was published as a doujin work, and is currently out of print. The remake seemed to be in the works, or maybe not...? 月姫【その他】 奈須きのこがシナリオを担当したヴィジュアルノベルゲーム。 式と同じ直死の眼を持ってしまった少年の物語。 『空の境界』とは共通点も多く、両者は微妙にリンクしている。 同人作品として発表され、現在は製造が終了している。リメイク版の準備は着々と進められているとかいないとか……？

Kara no Kyokai Movie Pamphlet Q & A

Chapter 1 – "Overlooking View"

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 1: “Overlooking View” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: 式はいつから一人暮らしをしてるの??
English Japanese Q: 式はいつから一人暮らしをしてるの? Nasu: Untranslated Takeuci:Untranslated Nasu: Untranslated Ｑ：式はいつから一人暮らしをしてるの? 奈須きのこ（以下「奈」）：事故から目覚めてからです。 十六年分の記憶を自分のものと実感できなくなった為、 “それまで”の痕跡がない、真新しい部屋が必要だった模様。 あと、お嬢時代から一人暮らしに憧れていた･･････とかだったらちょっと可愛い。 武内崇（以下「武」）：なんか両儀の家って堅っ苦しい感じだしね。 奈：でも居心地は悪くないんだよ。 無口・強面・厳格な式パパだけど、きちんとした人格者なんだ、アレで。

Chapter 2 – "A Study in Murder (Part 1)"

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was your favorite scene in Chapter 2?

English Japanese Q: What was your favorite scene in Chapter 2? Takeuchi: I thought he snowy scene at the beginning was impressive. Nasu: Same here. The opening scene is full of deep emotions. Now, if you're talking about what scene exceeded my expectations as the original writer, that would be when Akitaka tells Shiki there's a stalker outside her room. It was just too adorable the way Shiki said "You can leave him be," then scampered back to the futon and pulled the covers over her head. Oh, and the heroine Mikiya's tears were nice too. Ｑ：第2章でお気に入りのシーンはどこですか？ 武内崇（以下「武」）：やはり冒頭の雪のシーンが印象的でした。 奈須きのこ（以下「奈」）：右に同じ。 冒頭のシーンは色々と感慨深いので。原作者の意表をついたという意味なら、私室で秋隆さんに「外にストーカーがいるんですけどー」と報告された式。 「あんたの放っておいて構いません」と小走りでベッドに向かって布団を被る姿が可愛すぎました。 そしてヒロインにあんをの扱いされる幹也に涙。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Do Shiki and Mikiya have good grades?

English Japanese Q: Do Shiki and Mikiya have good grades? Nasu: Mikiya’s are exceptionally average. As for Shiki, she’s an honor student during the events of Chapter 2. When she woke up after the accident, however, her past habit of truancy resurfaced and she fell out of the teachers’ good graces. Takeuchi: Not that she cared, though. Ｑ：式と幹也の成績は優秀なんですか？ 奈：幹也はいたって平均的。第2章での式は優等生です。 事故から目覚めた後は従来のさぼり癖がでますので先生方のおぼえは悪くなります。 武：まぁ仕方ない気もしますが。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: How proficient is Shiki’s swordplay?

English Japanese Q: How proficient is Shiki’s swordplay? Nasu: About the same as that legendary swordswoman of Fuyuki. Takeuchi: Wow, Shiki is amazing! …Or rather, isn’t it Fujimura that’s amazing!? Nasu: Of course, Shiki prefers knives over swords. But, setting aside likes and dislikes, if she was willing to lose the knife obsession and seriously show her full power as a swordswoman… well… it’d be enough to give a 200-year-old warrior monk pause. Ｑ：式の剣術の腕前はどのくらいですか？ 奈：冬木市で噂になった少女剣士と同じぐらい。 武：式つぇー！……じゃなくて、藤村つぇー！と言うべきなのかここは！？ 奈：でも式は刀よりナイフの方が好きなのです。得意不得意は別にして。 そのあたりのこだわりがなく、問答無用で剣士としてのスペックを出すようなフラットな人格になれば、まあ、200年近く生きてる武闘派の怪僧をびびらせるぐらいには。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: When Shiki bought that leather jacket, was it out of her own allowance? And if so, how much does she get?

English Japanese Q: When Shiki bought that leather jacket, was it out of her own allowance? And if so, how much does she get? Nasu: She has a monthly allowance of 50,000 yen. If she ever needs more money beyond that, she casually puts out an “I wanna go shopping” sort of aura, and the ever-perceptive Mr. Akitaka will make arrangements. Takeuchi: An “I wanna go shopping” aura… So that would be, like, staring at something she wants with gleaming eyes, right? …I’d like to see that. Nasu: Nah, she’ll just be a little bit more grouchy than usual. Definitely. Ｑ：革ジャンを買ったりするお金があらってことは、式はお小遣い制なのですか？だとしたらいくらくらい貰っているの？ 奈：月々5万円のお小遣い。それとは別に、お金がほしくなったらそれとなく「買い物したい」オーラを発し、それを察した秋隆さんが用意します。 武：買い物したいオーラ…やっぱり欲しいモノを、ちらっちらっと見たりするのだろうか…俺も察したい。 奈：いや、単にいつもよりちょっと不機嫌を感じなんだよ、きっと。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: I know Shiki binds her chest when she's in her kendo outfit, but does she usually go braless otherwise? My heart is thumping just thinking about it!

English Japanese Q: I know Shiki binds her chest when she's in her kendo outfit, but does she usually go braless otherwise? My heart is thumping just thinking about it! Takeuchi: Yeah, you definitely wouldn't wear underwear with a kimono, right? Nasu: Now we just have to get Ufotable to make Chapter 2: The Transparent Kimono Edition. Ｑ：式は、剣道着の時はサラシだけど、いつもはノーブラだったりするんですか？ だとしたら、ちょっとドキドキします。 武：うん、確かに和服は下着付けないっていうけどね。 奈：ufotableさんは今すぐ第2章は和服透けて見えるバージョンを作るべき。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Shiki’s father seems like a really scary person. What does he do for a living?

English Japanese Q: Shiki’s father seems like a really scary person. What does he do for a living? Nasu: Naturally, he’s Yaku――*cough*, I mean, he manages a diverse portfolio of companies. He occasionally acts as a “consultant” for rival organizations, and has a large number of “freelance employees” on retainer in his home. And he’s a bit old-fashioned, so he won’t hesitate to resort to violence when the occasion calls for it. Takeuchi: I see. Basically, you’re saying it was a really dangerous thing that Mikiya did. Nasu: Oh, and he’s also a member of the Gourmet Club. Ｑ：式のお父さんはとっても怖そうな人ですが、普段は何をしている人なんですか？ 奈：そりゃ当然ヤク――ごほんごほん、複数の会社を多角的に経営し、時には競争相手の企業の相談役にもなり、自宅にフリーランスな構成員を何人も抱え持ち、時に暴力も辞さない、昔ながらの名十です。 武：なるほど。幹也がどんだけやばい行動をしていたのかって話ですね。 奈：あと美食クラブの会員です。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: How are relations in the Ryougi household? Like, do they sit down and enjoy meals together as a family?

English Japanese Q: How are relations in the Ryougi household? Like, do they sit down and enjoy meals together as a family? Takeuchi: …Probably not. Nasu: The Ryougi household still observes the old Japanese dining traditions. In ancient Japan, hierarchical relationships were made readily apparent even within families. A dining table where everybody sat down and ate as equals would be unheard of. Rather, each individual is given their own table that indicates their status. Ｑ：両儀家の家族仲はどんな感じなのですか？家族団らんでご飯を食べたりするの？ 武：いや、普通に考えたらねーだろ、あの家でそういうのは。 奈：膳のシステムがまだ生きてるのかも知れませんねー。 昔の日本は家族であっても上下関係がはっきり決まっていて、みんな平等にご飯を食べる「食卓」というものがありませんでしたから。 膳というのは一人一人に与えられた「身分を表す食卓」と思いねえ。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: The Ryougi mansion is really huge. How many people live there? They must have a lot of servants, right?

English Japanese Q: The Ryougi mansion is really huge. How many people live there? They must have a lot of servants, right? Takeuchi: Well to start with, there’s the beautiful mother. Nasu: Though, regrettably, there aren’t any twin maids and the elder brother is off living on his own. As for servants, I guess there are about 20 if you include the young ones. Ｑ：とっても大きな両儀邸ですが、何人くらいが住んでいるんですか？ やっぱりお手伝いさんとかが沢山いるんですか？ 武：とりあえず、美人のお母さんがいます。 奈：残念ながら双子の使用人はいません。出番のない兄貴は離れでくさってます。……使用人、若衆あわせて二十人ぐらいでしょうか。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: I noticed that there’s a bamboo grove near the Ryougi mansion. In the spring, do they ever do things like hunting bamboo shoots together as a family?

English Japanese Q: I noticed that there’s a bamboo grove near the Ryougi mansion. In the spring, do they ever do things like hunting bamboo shoots together as a family? Takeuchi: …Probably not. Nasu: But they at least go on walks, for sure! Though it’s really just Papa Ryougi and Mama Ryougi. Occasionally, Shiki will see them spending time together out there from her room. Ｑ：両儀邸の傍にある竹林が気になります。やはり、春になると一家揃って竹の子狩りとかしているのですか？ 武：いやだから、普通に考えたらないだろ、それ。 奈：でも散歩ぐらいはするよ、きっと！両儀父と両儀母の組み合わせだけだろうけど。 式はたまに、そういう両親を部屋から見かけたりしているんですよ。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Can Shiki and SHIKI communicate with each other?

English Japanese Q: Can Shiki and SHIKI communicate with each other? Nasu: They can’t talk, but they can both understand what the other is feeling. When one comes out it’s like the other goes to sleep, and at the moment they switch they feel each other’s desires, basically. So after SHIKI enjoyed eating at McDonald’s, Shiki was grumbling about it. “What’d you have to go and do that for? …In the first place, I wanted to do it…” Takeuchi: All the me’s inside of me are always holding Me Court. There’s a defendant me, a lawyer me, even a prosecutor, judge, and spectator me. Nasu: So you’re a total scatterbrain. Got it. Ｑ：式と織は、お互いで意思疎通をすることはできるのですか？ 奈：会話はできませんが、お互い、何を感じているかは分かります。 一方が表に出ている時、もう一方は眠っているようなものなので、切り替わった時にがが一っと式（織）の想いを認識する、みたいな。 んで、「あんな事しやがって。……だいたい、アレはわたしがしたかったのに……」 とマックでエンジョイした織にぐじぐじ文句をいう式さん、とかどうだろう。 武：俺は自分内全員自分会議をよく行います。 被告自分、弁護士自分、検察裁判官傍聴人全員自分、みたいな。 奈：完全に迷走状態ですね。分かります。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: I couldn't help but worry about Mr. Akitaka. What kind of person is he, anyway?

English Japanese Q: I couldn't help but worry about Mr. Akitaka. What kind of person is he, anyway? Takeuchi: I heard he's a former Yakuza. Nasu: Former, huh? I don't know about that… Takeuchi: I-I wonder what he's doing now! Nasu: They say he's a butler. I imagine he's entrusted with handling all the household affairs. Ｑ：秋隆さんのことが気になってしかたありません。彼はいったいどういう人なんですか？ 武：元ヤクザという話を聞いたことがあるぜ。 奈：元っつ一か……元っつ一か…… 武：い、今は何やってる人なのかな！ 奈：だから家令だって。家の事を任された執事と思いねえ。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Is Daisuke a good detective? Does he ever get to gather a bunch of people in a room and declare that one of them is the culprit?

English Japanese Q: Is Daisuke a good detective? Does he ever get to gather a bunch of people in a room and declare that one of them is the culprit? Takeuchi: He's the type of guy that will never get promoted regardless of his talent. Nasu: He's a great detective, but a terrible police officer. The police force places great value on respecting the hierarchy, so his chances of promotion were destroyed the moment he asked "Why on earth should I have to clear something like who I'm gonna marry with my superiors!?" Takeuchi: Stuck in a hierarchical organization beyond all imagination… and yet, able to talk so casually about marriage. Even Daisuke has a story, huh? Ｑ：大輔さんは、刑事として優秀なのでしょうか？「犯人はこの中にいます！」的な解決をしたりするのですか？ 武：優秀かどうかは兎も角、生涯出世は出来ないタイプではありそう。 奈：刑事としては優秀だけど、警察官としては不向き。 縦社会である警察で"結婚相手を決めるのにど一して上の顔色うかがわないといけねえのよと言った時点で彼の出世の道は断たれたのであった。 武：想像を絶する縦社会……そして何気なく語られる結婚云々。大輔にだって物語はあるのです。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Is Mikiya popular with the girls at school?

English Japanese Q: Is Mikiya popular with the girls at school? Takeuchi: That guy… he’ll blossom into a true lady-killer in about three years or so. Nasu: He’ll be a laid-back, terrifying twenty-year-old lady-killer. Without a doubt, those cool, composed gestures will spell instant death for women that crave stability. Ｑ：幹也は学校では女生徒にモテてたりしたのですか？ 武：彼が本格的に女殺しになるには、あと三年の熟成期間を待たねばならなかった。 奈：遅いような、恐ろしいような……二十歳で女殺しですか。 そのゆったりとした仕草に、足場をほしがってる女性はクリティカルヒット（即死）なワケです。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Daisuke often discussed various aspects of the case he was working with Mikiya. I have to ask, has Mikiya been the real brains of the operation all this time?

English Japanese Q: Daisuke often discussed various aspects of the case he was working with Mikiya. I have to ask, has Mikiya been the real brains of the operation all this time? Takeuchi: I’m sorry, Uncle! Nasu: All right, now that Daisuke is asleep, the Great Reasoning begins! …Anyway, it’s not like they have logic battles at the scene of the crime or anything, but occasionally Daisuke likes to hear what Mikiya has to say as a third party observer. Ｑ：事件のことを幹也に色々と話していた大輔さんですが、幹也はひょっとして今まで大輔さんのブレーン的なことをやってたんですか？ 武：おっちゃん、ごめん！ 奈：でた、眠りの大輔、名推理の始まりや！……と、現場で推理合戦する事はありませんが、たまに第三者の意見として聞いていたようです。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What do Mikiya’s parents think of the fact that he leaves every night to go to Ryougi’s house?

English Japanese Q: What do Mikiya’s parents think of the fact that he leaves every night to go to Ryougi’s house? Takeuchi: Oddly enough they never noticed. You know, I actually snuck out at night to go have fun a lot myself, when I was younger. Nasu: My family was pretty laid back in that regard. Like, ”You’re going out? Well, if you’re not back by midnight be quiet when you come in, you don’t want to wake your father.” But still, doing it every night would have been a bit much. *laugh* Ｑ：両儀家に通っていて毎晩いない幹也を、両親はどう思っていたの？ 武：いや、意外と気がつきませんよ、こういうの。俺も夜中抜け出して遊びにいったなあ。 奈：うちもそのあたりはオープンだったなあ。 「でかけるの？十二時までには帰ってきなさいね、あと帰ってくる時は静かに。 寝てるお父さんを起こしちゃダメよ」みたいな。でも、さすがに毎日はきっついなあ（笑）。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Who's the one that washes all the blood splatter off of Shiki's kimonos?
English Japanese Q: Who's the one that washes all the blood splatter off of Shiki's kimonos? Nasu: All those sorts of troublesome tasks are handled by… Takeuchi: It's the super-butler, Akitaka. Obviously. Ｑ：式の返り血をついた着物を洗うのは誰なんですか？ 奈：その手の面倒なコトは全て…… 武：スーパー執事?秋隆さんですね。分かります。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Did Shiki's father ever get mad at her for staying out late every night? I was a little worried because he seems like a pretty strict guy.

English Japanese Q: Did Shiki's father ever get mad at her for staying out late every night? I was a little worried because he seems like a pretty strict guy. Takeuchi: H-Hooooney! Has Shiki still not come home!? It's already 5 minutes and 20 seconds past the 6 o'clock curfew! Nasu: If she had a family like that, Shiki would definitely be a more cheerful person. *laugh* Ｑ：毎晩遅くに出歩いていた式をお父さんは怒ったりしなかったのですか？ 厳しそうな方なので、ちょっと気になります。 武：ちょ…母さあ一ん！式はまだ帰っていないのか？ もう門限の6時を5分と20秒も過ぎているじゃないかっ！ 奈：そんな家庭だったら式はもっと明るくなってる（笑）。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was Azaka doing during “A Study in Murder (Part 1)”?
English Japanese Q: What was Azaka doing during “A Study in Murder (Part 1) ”? Nasu: She was adopted into a relative’s family, and was biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to launch her Brother Conquering Campaign. Takeuchi: See you in the next life, Elder Brother. Ｑ：「殺人考察（前）」の頃、鮮花は何をしていたんですか？ 奈：親戚の養子になって、兄を攻略しようと牙を研いでました。 武：兄君、また来世。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was Touko doing during “A Study in Murder (Part 1)”?
English Japanese Q: What was Touko doing during “A Study in Murder (Part 1)”? Nasu: She was traveling all over Japan looking for a comfortable hideout. Takeuchi: It was the “Almost Blowing Up a Hot Springs Resort” chapter of Touko’s wanderings. Ｑ：「殺人考察（前）」の頃、橙子さんは何をしていたんですか？ 奈：日本横断、津々浦々で居心地のいいアジトを探してました。 武：橙子ぶらり旅、温泉爆破危機一髪。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was the reporter that read the news in Chapter 1 doing during "A Study in Murder (Part 1)"?

English Japanese Q: What was the reporter that read the news in Chapter 1 doing during "A Study in Murder (Part 1)"? Nasu: He was working hard on the variety show circuit, doing things like participating in a polar bear plunge with other entertainers, bombing on stage, and going to the Amazon, all for the sake of one day becoming a famous newscaster. Takeuchi: These questions are starting to drift off topic a bit… Ｑ：「殺人考察（前）」の頃、第1章でニュースを読んでいたレポーターは何をしていたんですか？ 奈：バラエティ番組で芸人といっしょに冬の川に落ちたりステージごと爆破されたりアマゾンに行ったりしながら、いつかキャスターの星になるのよ！と頑張ってました。 武：ていうか、流石に関係なさ過ぎないか、この質問…

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was the relationship between Mikiya and Shirazumi Lio like?

English Japanese Q: What was the relationship between Mikiya and Shirazumi Lio like? Nasu: They had a simple senior/junior relationship. Though to Mikiya it was a perfectly normal acquaintanceship, to Shirazumi it was an unbelievable friendship. Or to put it another way, it was an unrequited love. Takeuchi: Shirazumi didn’t have any friends? Nasu: Going by his standards, the only person you could call his friend was Kokutou. Well, he’s a fastidious misanthrope by nature, so it stands to reason he wouldn’t have many friends. He hates both men and women alike. As for why Shiki was an exception, it’s because she was neither. Ｑ：幹也と白純里緒は、どのくらい仲がよかったんですか？ 奈：単純に先輩?後輩の仲。幹也としてはいたって普通の付き合いでしたが、白純先輩にとっては我が目を疑うぐらいの友情。 ある意味、白い人の片思いみたいなもんです。 武：白純って友達いなかったの？ 奈：彼の基準で友人と呼べる人は黒桐だけ、とお思いください。 もともと人間嫌いで男も女も嫌いな、潔癖性な人だったので。 式がどうして例外かは、そりゃあどっちでもなかったから、という事で。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Would Shiki and SHIKI get along?

Q: Would Shiki and SHIKI get along? Nasu: Allow me to answer with a hypothetical. Suppose I made a clone of myself. As long as I play all the games and he does all the work, that's perfect. I'm happy, the staff is happy, everybody wins. But, is that really what would happen? What would you do if the only result is that I beat twice as many games in the same amount of time? Takeuchi: Well, first of all I think I'd kill you, hahaha. Nasu: …Umm… Anyway, what I was trying to say is that having to deal with yourself would probably be really exhausting for anyone.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: How did Shiki usually pass the time at home? Did she just practice sword drills all day or what?
Q: How did Shiki usually pass the time at home? Did she just practice sword drills all day or what? Nasu: She received grueling lessons in Japanese harp, flower arrangement, calligraphy, swordsmanship, jujutsu, and dance. And she studied cooking as a hobby. Takeuchi: Hmm, hmm, I see. …Grueling? Nasu: Grueling.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “A Study in Murder (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Was Mikiya nervous the night before his date? When I imagine him furiously making plans about what to do… ah, I think I might fall in love!

Q: Was Mikiya nervous the night before his date? When I imagine him furiously making plans about what to do… ah, I think I might fall in love! Nasu: He was super-nervous. I bet he able to sleep at all that night. Near the end he almost broke down and called Azaka for advice, but his pride as a man wouldn’t let him… If it were a visual novel, this would have definitely been a decision point! Takeuchi: Like, if you made the phone call, Azaka would drop everything and rush in from the countryside to butt in on the date—!? Nasu: Without a doubt, this was a pivotal moment…!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 2: “Murder Speculation (Part 1)” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Are Shiki’s kimonos high-class goods? Did she choose the cloth and have them custom made?

Q: Are Shiki’s kimonos high-class goods? Did she choose the cloth and have them custom made? Nasu: She can’t actually distinguish between different types, but because she’s been in contact with nothing but high-class goods her entire life she can at least tell the difference between “good” and “bad”. At the kimono fabrics shop, she’ll pick out a material without hesitation and leave, at which point Akitaka will look at the price only to find that it costs as much as he makes in two months! Takeuchi: Well, it’s partly because kimonos are expensive, right? I bet she also has a lot of hand-me-downs from her mother.

Chapter 3 – "Remaining Sense of Pain"

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was your favorite scene in Chapter 3?

Q: What was your favorite scene in Chapter 3?   Nasu: To put it bluntly, I loved the scene where Shiki poses dramatically and says the "Even if it's God…" line. As for the scene with the most unexpected impact, it was when we got to see Touko with her hair down because she didn't think she'd have any more visitors that night. Takeuchi: Yeah, the faceoff on the bridge was the best. A super royal road of romance. You can't help but get fired up! Nasu: And just purely by animation quality, the bridge collapse scene was awesome. Though it was so well done I couldn't help but think it looked more dangerous than impressive. *laugh*

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: When did Azaka become Touko’s apprentice?

Q: When did Azaka become Touko’s apprentice?   Nasu: Since she formally became Touko’s apprentice after Shiki woke up, that would be sometime around June or July of 1998. But, Touko and Azaka had already met before then. While Azaka was still living at her relatives’ house, a series of strange incidents occurred, and Touko was the one that got to the bottom of it. As the daughter of the house, Azaka got dragged cooperating with the investigation. Though at that stage, probably neither of them would have guessed that they would eventually become master and apprentice! By the way, when Kokutō first came to Touko’s office, she had no idea he was Azaka’s older brother. As for why, it’s because—— Takeuchi: Hey, hey, is it really okay if you go and spoil things like that? Nasu: I-Is that bad? It’s bad, isn’t it? Then, someday when you least expect it I’ll go ahead and blab it out… Takeuchi: You’re being irresponsible again…

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Did Fujino and Azaka’s friendship start when they entered high school?

Q: Did Fujino and Azaka’s friendship start when they entered high school?   Nasu: That’s right. They knew each other from Reien Academy. They were both outsiders because they didn’t enter Reien until high school, so they ended up becoming friends. Takeuchi: I see. So that’s why Fujino didn’t know that Mikiya was Azaka’s older brother, huh? Nasu: You got it! If she had known, the scenario would have forked off onto a completely different route. The final confrontation would have changed to Combustion versus Distortion. Yeah, Reien Girl’s Academy would be completely obliterated!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Shiki and Azaka's banter was really interesting. So I want to know, what does Shiki think of her?

Q: Shiki and Azaka's banter was really interesting. So I want to know, what does Shiki think of her?   Nasu: She thinks she's an interesting person. And, she's a person she doesn't have to worry about. Or to put it another way, Shiki really likes Azaka as a female friend. And, Azaka really, really hates Shiki. Takeuchi: Mmm. Somehow, I feel like I've seen that kind of relationship somewhere before. I wanna say… the fickle vampire and flat-chested little sister? Nasu: Ah. That's actually pretty close. The fact that both little sisters are thinking something along the lines of, "Even though I want to hate her, it's no good if she ends up liking me… Could it be that if big brother wasn't a factor, I might actually like this person too?" is particularly similar.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What kind of compensation does Shiki receive when she takes on Touko’s requests?

Q: What kind of compensation does Shiki receive when she takes on Touko’s requests?   Nasu: Basically, Shiki is satisfied as long as she gets to at least temporarily sate her murderous impulse. However, in cases like Fujino’s where the target is captured alive, or where the target to be killed is something formless like a spirit, it seems Shiki is left feeling somewhat unsatisfied. When that happens, Touko will usually give her an upgrade to her artificial arm, or maybe a rare knife to stop her sulking. Takeuchi: An artificial arm? 1,000,000 yen. An antique knife? 500,000 yen. The murderous impulse she felt that day? Priceless.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Was Mikiya able to keep his cool even when Fujino stayed the night in his apartment?

Q: Was Mikiya able to keep his cool even when Fujino stayed the night in his apartment? Nasu: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that boy has the patience of a saint! It’s abnormal! …Well, he had to step outside to cool his head when she took a shower, but still. Takeuchi: In the original book, didn’t he excuse himself to go buy cigarettes, even though he doesn’t actually smoke? Nasu: That was also out of concern for Fujino. Seems like the poor guy really was nervous, huh? Takeuchi: Ah… just once, I’d like to be able to come off cool under pressure like that, you know…?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Why did the ID cards Shiki received have “Araya Souren” as the name?
Q: Why did the ID cards Shiki received have “Araya Souren” as the name?   Takeuchi: I wondered that too. It made it seem like Araya must have already had his fingers in everything that happened, even then. Nasu: I wasn’t trying to imply that at all! …Just think of it as a random coincidence. Blame the Counter Force or something.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: By the end, Fujino was able to bend an entire bridge. But, is there anything that even she can’t bend?

Q: By the end, Fujino was able to bend an entire bridge. But, is there anything that even she can’t bend? Nasu: In Fujinon’s world, things she thinks of as “unbendable” won’t bend. Since I already talked about it in the Chapter 3 Pamphlet Interview, I’ll leave it at that. Takeuchi: So then, what’s something that won’t bend in Fujinon’s world? Nasu: Come on, that’s so obvious! Doesn’t it go without saying that it’s that guy she met at the interscholastic field day in middle school!?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Does Garan no Dou get mail service, even though it’s covered in a Domain that makes people avoid it? And for that matter, what about water and electricity? Are utility workers able to check the meters?

Q: Does Garan no Dou get mail service, even though it’s covered in a Domain that makes people avoid it? And for that matter, what about water and electricity? Are utility workers able to check the meters? Nasu: Surprisingly, all of that stuff runs just fine. It’s because even though it repels unwanted visitors, it also has to maintain its existence as a legitimate business. Takeuchi: I suppose that’s the difference between a magus living in the modern age and a magus hiding away in the modern age.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: So, Touko spent all her money ordering that “Ouija Board” thing, but… what’s a Ouija Board, anyway?

Q: So, Touko spent all her money ordering that “Ouija Board” thing, but… what’s a Ouija Board, anyway?   Nasu: It’s a tool for communicating with spirits. By using a pendulum with the board, it supposedly allows you to magically converse with the dead. It’s similar in concept to the practice of table-turning. It was created in Victorian England (1848~1886), but you can buy them online even today. Umm… don’t actually do that, though. Takeuchi: So did Touko actually intend to have fun trying to talk to spirits? Nasu: Nah, she mostly just bought it because she thought it would look good in her office. Or, maybe she intends to use it as one of the 38 instant-kill weapons carried by the Mecha-Mikiya that she’s bound to make sooner or later. Takeuchi: Touko’s pretty… unfettered, huh?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What is Café Ahnenerbe’s specialty?
Q: What is Café Ahnenerbe’s specialty? Takeuchi: Without a doubt, it’s the blueberry pie. Nasu: Basically, you can’t go wrong with the pie. The shop owner bakes as a hobby, so he’s always experimenting with new and whimsical flavors.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: The Reien Girl's Academy uniform is supposed to be pretty popular among the fashion elite. Was it created by a famous designer or something?

Q: The Reien Girl's Academy uniform is supposed to be pretty popular among the fashion elite. Was it created by a famous designer or something? Takeuchi: Rather than that, doesn't it seem more like it was designed a long time ago and never changed since? It's that obstinate feeling that catches hold of the heart of mania. Nasu: It has a pious air about it that seems tailor-made to tickle the fancy of those with twisted minds!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: How many cars does Touko own? And does she really have an ATV…?

Q: How many cars does Touko own? And does she really have an ATV…? Nasu: She’s a speed freak, that one. In her underground garage, she has four cars, two motorcycles, and what looks to be an honest-to-god reciprocating engine propeller plane. Of course, the original ending involved using that plane to escape after defeating the Demon God. Takeuchi: Too bad we couldn’t use it. But hey, devils never cry, right?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Is Kokutou’s ability to find lost objects an extension of his natural constitution?

Q: Is Kokutou’s ability to find lost objects an extension of his natural constitution?   Nasu: It’s in his nature. Or rather, he’s too sincere for his own good. It’s almost a kind of stubbornness, in a way. Takeuchi: So then was that almost-stalking event from Chapter 2 another one of his natural abilities? Nasu: This again? Didn’t you bring it up in the last Q&A, too? Anyway, yes, it was his natural ability. I mean, if it was you, do you think you’d have it in you to stake out a Yakuza stronghold for days upon days for the sake of someone you fell in love with!? That’s crazy!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: When Kokutou and Fujino met in junior high school, what kind of gathering were they at? Was Fujino a participant in some kind of sporting event?

Q: When Kokutou and Fujino met in junior high school, what kind of gathering were they at? Was Fujino a participant in some kind of sporting event? Nasu: It was an interscholastic field day. Sort of like a big rally to promote a sense of community between different schools, I guess? Around six of the city’s junior high schools participated in the competition. Needless to say, it was mainly track and field events. Since Kokutou’s athletic ability was poor, he was given administrative duties instead of being chosen as a participant. Specifically, he was put on the health detail, which is why he took care of the injured Fujino even though she was a student from another school. Takeuchi: Geez, with a job like that Mikiya must have been tripping flags with girls left and right that day without even realizing it.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: I read that after the incident, Asagami Fujino lost her vision. Will she ever be truly saved, or is she doomed to suffer in some way forever…?

Q: I read that after the incident, Asagami Fujino lost her vision. Will she ever be truly saved, or is she doomed to suffer in some way forever…? Nasu: That’s her crime and her punishment. But she didn’t completely lose her vision, you know, just her eyesight. Or maybe, her eyesight became extremely poor would be a better way to say it. As for whether or not she’s able to adjust to it, you can catch a glimpse of that in Chapter 6 of the original work. Anyway, if we’re talking about Fujino’s “Happy End”, that already happened at the beginning of Chapter 3 when she met Mikiya and walked home with him. You could say she was saved right then, since that conversation was the only thing she ever wanted. As far as Fujino is concerned, it would have been fine if her story ended right there. Takeuchi: Ah. So that’s the reason she smiled then? Nasu: Still, it was ultimately just a “Consolation Happy End”. The divergence point for the best ending had already passed three years prior.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: So Fujino’s father forcibly induced her insensitivity to pain in order to suppress her power, but why? Didn’t the Asagami family want to pass on unusual abilities to their descendants just like the Ryougi family?

Q: So Fujino’s father forcibly induced her insensitivity to pain in order to suppress her power, but why? Didn’t the Asagami family want to pass on unusual abilities to their descendants just like the Ryougi family? Nasu: That era has long since passed. Though the Ryougis have been very successful economically, the Asagamis have been defunct for quite some time. Probably, Fujino’s father realized that their family no longer had any reason to exist shortly before their collapse. In the modern era, nobody wants people with unusual abilities anymore, so there is no need to pass them on. Rather, they should be eliminated. That’s what he decided. Takeuchi: But that’s not right at all. If they had opened the Twist Shop FUJINON, they could have taken the world by storm! They’d open stuck-on bottle caps, moonlight as rubber rollers, and make sculptures for the Hakone Open-Air Museum! Nasu: Hahaha. That’s a pretty niche place to work, huh?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: The scene where Fujino calls out to Mikiya in the rubble of the collapsed Broad Bridge was just too moving. Somehow or another, I demand you give him to her…!

Q: The scene where Fujino calls out to Mikiya in the rubble of the collapsed Broad Bridge was just too moving. Somehow or another, I demand you give him to her…! Takeuchi: Eh? That monologue was directed at Mikiya? Nasu: Not quite. For the sake of time and so as to not overcomplicate the message, the movie version focused mostly on memories of Mikiya during that scene. But the actual intent was a little different. The “I want to keep thinking” she said then was actually referring to her entire life up to that point, including her current state of feeling alive, and the state of numbness she’d lived in up until then… man, when you put it into words it really sounds kind of stupid. Anyway, it was pretty similar to Kirie’s situation in Chapter 1.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: I really want a Reien Girl's Academy uniform. Can't I buy one somewhere?
Q: I really want a Reien Girl's Academy uniform. Can't I buy one somewhere? Nasu: In the midst of a barrage of serious questions, the Steel Savior makes its appearance! I really want a Reien uniform, too, you know. Or rather, I want to find a bride to wear it for me! 2D is okay! Takeuchi: That doesn't really answer the question, though…

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: That shithead Minato Keita never really had his story resolved. Does he ever receive divine retribution for his sins?
Q: That shithead Minato Keita never really had his story resolved. Does he ever receive divine retribution for his sins? Nasu: Well, as Kokutou would put it, simply having to continue living after everything that happened is punishment enough. Takeuchi: But let's say his penis got torn off in some kind of accident, too. Just because. Nasu: It hurts just hearing you say it!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Since Shiki can even kill diseases, how about a spinoff where she changes jobs and becomes a doctor?

Q: Since Shiki can even kill diseases, how about a spinoff where she changes jobs and becomes a doctor? Takeuchi: Another spinoff!? Nasu: Her rival will be the heretical priest that removes tumors without a scalpel, Kotomine BEAUTIFUL. …But wait, doesn't that mean that George is the final boss again!? Takeuchi: On the other hand, a doctor that can kill diseases just by looking at them doesn't make for a very interesting story.

Chapter 4 – "The Hollow Shrine"

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was your favorite scene in Chapter 4?
Q: What was your favorite scene in Chapter 4? <Rocky> Takeuchi: The scene where the bandages came undone. The long-haired Shiki is no mere beauty, she exceeds perfection. Nasu: Mine was when Mikiya was humming "Singing in the Rain". Director Takiguchi faced the bar set by Chapter 2 and rose to the challenge! It exceeded even my wildest expectations as the original author.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: We saw that Touko is a certified speech therapist, but does she have any other certifications in addition to that?

Q: We saw that Touko is a certified speech therapist, but does she have any other certifications in addition to that? <Lemon> Nasu: Ah, certifications… certifications… haha… (He has a faraway look in his eyes.) Well, it’s like this. Touko said it, too, that a certification isn’t really proof of anything, it’s just a scrap of paper. Likewise, as long as you’ve actually got the skills to back it up, things like licenses or certifications are completely unnecessary… Takeuchi: In short, all of her certifications are forgeries. Nasu: Right. Though, to answer seriously… if we go by categories, she’s qualified in Medical Treatment, Construction, Business, and Information Gathering.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was the “Runic Protection” that Touko talked about?
Q: What was the “Runic Protection” that Touko talked about? <Yellow> Nasu: It kept spiritual bodies from invading. As long as the rune stone was present, the stray worldly desires drifting around the hospital were unable to enter Shiki’s room.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: It seems as though Kirie’s father and Araya were acquainted somehow, but what sort of relationship did they have, specifically?

Q: It seems as though Kirie’s father and Araya were acquainted somehow, but what sort of relationship did they have, specifically? <Sky Blue> Nasu: Saying that he was an acquaintance of her father was just a little white lie. He needed a pretense to take over handling the payment of Kirie’s hospital bills after her family died. His face might be scary, but Araya really was Kirie’s secret guardian angel. Takeuchi: What a great guy… Nasu: Preparing for everything is the secret to victory. Well, even Araya’s great efforts couldn’t account for Shiki falling in love with a normal person, or the loss of the first person he scouted, or finally, in Chapter 5, that utterly worthless guy who… whoops! I’ve said too much.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: After Touko cast her spell on the corpse, she mentioned something about the “ᚨ (Ansuz)” being too weak. What’s an Ansuz?

Q: After Touko cast her spell on the corpse, she mentioned something about the “ᚨ (Ansuz)” being too weak. What’s an Ansuz? <Dango> Takeuchi: Oh, that. Just Google it! Nasu: Though the precise meaning of each rune varies depending on the magus, Ansuz is generally used for “Combustion”. …Well, that’s the rule in Kara no Kyōkai, anyway. The maximum effect of Ansuz is actually “to make known”. Aside from that, according to Miwa Kiyomune-sensei, Dagaz and Ehwaz are also very popular choices as fire-type runes! Takeuchi: You should Google Miwa Kiyomune-sensei, too!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was the “Bizarre Incident” that led to Azaka becoming Touko’s apprentice?
Q: What was the “Bizarre Incident” that led to Azaka becoming Touko’s apprentice? <ID> Nasu: I’ll tell you some day, but for now it’s a secret. As far as theme, think Edogawa or Yokomizo. Takeuchi: So she found Azaka in a lake, upside down with her legs sticking out of the water. Nasu: …Azaka isn’t dead. Though actually, aside from that you’re not far off. Takeuchi: Wha… I guessed right!?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Mikiya accompanied Shiki when she was transported to the hospital. Afterward, was he interrogated by members of the Ryougi household?

Q: Mikiya accompanied Shiki when she was transported to the hospital. Afterward, was he interrogated by members of the Ryougi household? <Ranma> Takeuchi: What a scary question. Mikiya… right until the very end… you wouldn't give them your name… Nasu: Mikiya really is insane! If it was me, I'd end up throwing up as soon as I was caught. …Setting that aside, Shiki's parents had already heard from Akitaka that Shiki was acting strangely. Even if they didn't know all the details, they at least understood that their daughter was the one causing trouble.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: You’ve mentioned that Shiki’s brother is living away from home and that he’s ineligible to be the Ryougi heir, but I want to know, what kind of person is he?
Q: You’ve mentioned that Shiki’s brother is living away from home and that he’s ineligible to be the Ryougi heir, but I want to know, what kind of person is he? <Kyō> Nasu: Sort of Gackt-like. Takeuchi: Shibuya… Public Hall… Nasu: I wonder if there’s even a single person that will understand this…

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Shiki’s mom is incredibly beautiful. I’m actually envious of Shiki’s dad. Tell me, how did those two meet and fall in love?

Q: Shiki’s mom is incredibly beautiful. I’m actually envious of Shiki’s dad. Tell me, how did those two meet and fall in love? <Humanity> Nasu: Shiki’s mom was an aloof beauty that had a certain elegance like the setting sun. Shiki’s dad was a leader in the reviled 23 Districts Gang (and also the cheerleading captain). Eventually, in order to protect Shiki’s mom, who was being harassed by a group of delinquents, Shiki’s dad started silently walking her home every day. And after that… Well? What do you think? No good? Takeuchi: There have been a lot of questions about Shiki’s mom. Everybody must have felt a pretty big impact from her. Well, I had a pretty big impact, too. Also, self-reflection. She isn’t something you should cram your dreams into.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was Araya doing while he worked at the hospital where Shiki was staying? Was he going around making strange, enticing offers to everybody he ran into?

Q: What was Araya doing while he worked at the hospital where Shiki was staying? Was he going around making strange, enticing offers to everybody he ran into? <Hirai> Takeuchi: That guy really works hard, huh? With so many irons in the fire it’s a wonder he could keep track of it all! Nasu: Since he was probably using an artificial body designed for passing as a doctor, he might have actually been a little bit sociable! And he worked in the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine. Takeuchi: There it is! Dr. Araya’s Origin Therapy! They say it can destroy a person’s troubles together with their personality! Nasu: Improving a person’s character with drugs or wiping away their earthly passions with sermons are both strictly forbidden by the law.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Tell me about the amazing backstory of the old man that attacked Shiki!

Q: Tell me about the amazing backstory of the old man that attacked Shiki! <Neuta> Takeuchi: You mean that flashy walking corpse, right? Nasu: He was a charismatic Cyber DJ. …That's a lie. Actually, the only reason he had such a unique character design is so that the audience would immediately understand that the corpse that was wheeled in at the beginning and the corpse that attacked Shiki are the same. It was the production staff's idea, so give them a hand for their thoughtfulness, okay?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Was Shiki's refined palate able to endure eating hospital food, or did she go hungry while she was there?

Q: Was Shiki's refined palate able to endure eating hospital food, or did she go hungry while she was there? <Mokkun> Nasu: Naturally, they brought in the head chef employed by the Ryougi household to cook all her meals. …Okay, that's a lie. At the time, Shiki was so out of it that she didn't care about her meals. Takeuchi: …Disgusting… Can I really eat… this kind of thing…? *Choke* Nasu: Didn't care "about", not didn't care "for". She was deeply shaken, so it was like she was floating through everything she did.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Why was Touko being so sincere toward Shiki at the end, saying things like “To be hollow means you can be filled without limit, right?” and other stuff like that? Did something that happened tug at her heartstrings?

Q: Why was Touko being so sincere toward Shiki at the end, saying things like “To be hollow means you can be filled without limit, right?” and other stuff like that? Did something that happened tug at her heartstrings? <Sacchin Route Whar?> Nasu: It’s because she could feel Shiki’s unvoiced wish to live a normal life despite being endowed with a power that encroaches on the domain of God. Afterward, she took up molding Shiki as a hobby. Oh, and as for the Sacchin Route, please wait a while longer. Takeuchi: Sacchin has nothing to do with this!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Shiki can see the death of everything with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, but is there any kind of risk involved?

English Japanese Q: Shiki can see the death of everything with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, but is there any kind of risk involved? <Ramza> Nasu: None at all. Hey, wait a minute… this character is invincible! But looking at death for too long does make her uncomfortable, just from the sheer strangeness of it. If you watched Chapter 4, you should understand what I mean. Takeuchi: There's no stress on her brain or anything like that? Even though in Tsukihime it was almost enough to shatter that Shiki's psyche… Nasu: To begin with, Tsukihime's Shiki was never supposed to be an ability user of that caliber. His talent was only at the level of Pure Eyes. Kara no Kyoukai's Shiki, on the other hand, is the greatest masterpiece of the Ryougi clan, the "shell" that they had been cultivating for hundreds of years. Her potential alone is already almost cheating. On top of that, because she connected to "there" and learnt the concept of death while she was still comatose, it comes as easily to her as breathing. Q. 式は直死の魔眼で万物の死を視れるわけですが、それにリスクはないのですか？ 奈：実はない。なんという……無敵キャラ！でもアレを視続ける事がどれほど奇怪で気持ち悪くなる事か、四章を観た君なら分かるはず。 武：脳にかかる負担とかはないの？　月姫では人格崩壊直前まで行ってたけど…… 奈：月姫の志貴はもともとそこまで異能な人たちじゃなかったでしょ。あって浄眼レベル。 式はほら、両儀の人たちが何百年とかけて培ってきた「殻」の最高傑作だから…… もう性能自体がチートなのです。アレに繋がっていて、かつ、昏睡している時に死の概念を学んだのですから、もう呼吸をするが如しですよ。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was Mikiya doing while Touko was looking for the hospital Shiki was staying at? <Riverstone>
Q: What was Mikiya doing while Touko was looking for the hospital Shiki was staying at? <Riverstone> Takeuchi: He was standing in front of her hospital room, perfectly silent. What a creeper. Nasu: That wasn't Mikiya, that was just a common criminal! Anyway, if you want to know more about this part, you should read the original novel. After all, he who does not work, neither shall he eat.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: How strong is Touko’s rune magecraft?

English Japanese Q: How strong is Touko’s rune magecraft? <Dawn> Takeuchi: Whoa, this person has a super-suspicious look in their eyes. Shhh! She’s just some good-for-nothing? I can’t say that! Nasu: Touko’s rune magecraft… hmm, honestly it’s not very strong. Her real talents lie in doll-making, and to a lesser extent biological modification. Q. 橙子さんのルーン魔術はどのくらい強いんですか？ 武：やべえ、この人、超疑惑の眼差し。しぃーっ！ 奈：橙子のルーン魔術は……んー、実はあんまり強くない。 彼女の本領は人形造りと、ちょっとして生体改造なのですから。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Since the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" ability wouldn't disappear even if Shiki gouged out her eyes, does that mean that she could still "see" things if she went blind?
Q: Since the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" ability wouldn't disappear even if Shiki gouged out her eyes, does that mean that she could still "see" things if she went blind? <Kōki> Nasu: It's death "perception", not death "sight". Even if she completely lost the ability to see, she'd still be able to grasp the concept of death. Takeuchi: Basically, she's not seeing death with her eyes alone.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Did Mikiya ever fool around with the sleeping Shiki during his weekly visits?

Q: Did Mikiya ever fool around with the sleeping Shiki during his weekly visits? <Yamacchi> Takeuchi: So you want to know, like, whether or not he ever smelled her hair or something? Nasu: Even though he knows that if he ever so much as touched her the super-butler would immediately crash into the room through the window, ready to take him down? It'd never happen. Takeuchi: I see. But, what if he just smelled her hair? What if he only went that far? What about that, huh, Kinoko!? Nasu: Calm down, Takeuchi. I've been thinking this since Chapter 1, but… you won't be happy unless you can turn Mikiya into a pervert, will you?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Touko’s personality changes when she puts on glasses. If she put on sunglasses, what kind of personality would she have?
Q: Touko’s personality changes when she puts on glasses. If she put on sunglasses, what kind of personality would she have? <Boruboru> Nasu: I never thought of that. Takeuchi: She’d turn into one of those cute weirdo characters with a nonsensical verbal tic. Here, Shiki, take this! Believe it! Nasu: I never thought of that either.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: When Shiki was attacked by ghosts in the hospital, was that because it’s a place that naturally attracts that sort of thing? Or, was it Araya’s doing?

Q: When Shiki was attacked by ghosts in the hospital, was that because it’s a place that naturally attracts that sort of thing? Or, was it Araya’s doing? <Path of Carnage> Nasu: Of course, it’s all Araya’s fault. The American subprime crisis and the fact that DDD Volume 3 still isn’t on sale are both Araya’s fault too. Look, I’ve got the evidence right here. Araya Souren’s name is right here on the imprint at the back of DDD Volume 2…!! Takeuchi: DDD not coming out is probably about 80% because of your own procrastination, though. You’re blaming Araya too much. Nasu: Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! (He’s running away…)

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: I instantly fell in love when I saw Shiki in her hospital nightgown, is that okay?

Q: I instantly fell in love when I saw Shiki in her hospital nightgown, is that okay? <Nakanaka> Nasu: It's okay. Because, if Mr. Nakaka is insane, that means I'm insane too. And could two insane people be having this conversation? Exactly. Takeuchi: …You're supposed to be sane…? *bewildered stare* Nasu: I'm always running at 200% sanity! It's a nonstop climax! Takeuchi: Yeah, that's just because you're all turned around.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Shiki wouldn't let anybody else cut her hair while she was checked into the hospital, but is that how she's always done it?

Q: Shiki wouldn't let anybody else cut her hair while she was checked into the hospital, but is that how she's always done it? <Miimii> Takeuchi: The rumored "Far-away Nii-chan" used to do it for her. In fact, it was his single, solitary job. Nasu: Sounds great, somebody sign me up… Takeuchi: If you're even a millimeter off the mark it means you're gonna get punished, though, right? Nasu: Hahahahaha. But that's what I want.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Shiki has excellent motor skills for having just woken up from a coma. Is that a natural ability?

English Japanese Q: Shiki has excellent motor skills for having just woken up from a coma. Is that a natural ability? <Cherry Blossom> Nasu: It's a combination of the physical skills she's had pounded into her since infancy and her own naturally good instincts. Takeuchi: …Hmm, but wait. It was also partly because of the massage therapy she received while she was in the coma, right? And don't forget, the way she was moving those first several days after waking up was kind of… Nasu: It's Shiki, so you know she must have undergone an unbelievably strenuous rehabilitation program! Like, half a day of hellish exercises, followed by half a day of lying on her bed, wallowing in ennui! Q. 昏睡から醒めたばかりでも運動神経抜群な式さん。あれは、天性の能力なのでしょうか？ 奈：幼少の頃よりたたき込まれた身体機能＋天性の勘の良さって事で。 武：……んー、でもなあ。昏睡中もマッサージしてたからって目覚めて数日であの動きは…… 奈：式の事だから、ものすごい勢いでリハビリしてたんですよ！一日の半分は地獄リハビリ、半分は部屋でアンニュイ、みたいな！

Chapter 5 – "Paradox Spiral"

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was your favorite scene in Chapter 5?

Q: What was your favorite scene in Chapter 5? Takeuchi: The scene where Tomoe returns to his true home. There's a whole mountain of other scenes that are good, but that one stands out because to me, the quality of Chapter 5 comes from Tomoe's portrayal. Nasu: A lot of high-level things happened in Chapter 5, but the scene that really gave me chills was when Shiki was reviving in the elevator just before the final battle. No matter how often I watch it, that heavy bass and torrent of film gets me every time. And I have to give Director Hirao a hand for slipping in that clip from the final chapter, that was a brilliant touch.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What did Tomoe do for meals while he stayed over at Shiki’s place? Don’t tell me… he was eating Häagen-Dazs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…?

Q: What did Tomoe do for meals while he stayed over at Shiki’s place? Don’t tell me… he was eating Häagen-Dazs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…? <Alaya Shiki> Takeuchi: The pile of questions we got about this is just as big as the pile of Häagen-Dazs cartons itself. Or rather, instead of “questions” we should say “in-depth investigations”. Nasu: Please understand, this was all production’s doing. …Is what I’d like to say, but I practically live off ice cream myself. And I even know of one director that can go three days on nothing but canned coffee!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What kind of relationship did Touko and Araya have in the past?
Q: What kind of relationship did Touko and Araya have in the past? <White Sleep> Nasu: They were students under the same master. They took interest in each other as fellow countrymen… or not. Actually, it started off with them exchanging views as two people with similar ideals. Though their paths differed, their relationship was that of rivals aiming toward the same goal.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Azaka is so cute I can’t stand it! Please, tell me how I can shift her affections from her brother to me!

Q: Azaka is so cute I can’t stand it! Please, tell me how I can shift her affections from her brother to me! <Daybreak Soirée> Nasu: …That’s a hard question, but I’ll give it my best shot. First, I think Azaka has a weakness for older men. And it seems she also likes black hair and glasses. What else, what else… ah, right. You need to acquire an “If I do that, my life as a human is over!” kind of quality that nobody else has. But it has to be something that’s taboo, not illegal. Takeuchi: Basically, he’s saying you have to become Mikiya.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Did Alba have a thing for Touko?
Q: Did Alba have a thing for Touko? <Tiny Mustache> Takeuchi: Yeah. He’s quite the yandere, that guy. Nasu: Before that, though, he probably wanted to be acknowledged. The London-era Alba was always popping in to Touko’s research laboratory just to gossip and brag about himself. Takeuchi: What an annoying personality…!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Will it be possible to repair the antique katana now that it’s broken?
Q: Will it be possible to repair the antique katana now that it’s broken? <Yasunosuke> Nasu: Even if it was reforged, the years it had accumulated before would be lost. Takeuchi: A lot of people asked this question. Since I thought it was going to be Shiki’s final weapon, too, I was pretty shocked when it broke almost as soon as it finally appeared! Nasu: That’s how ultimate weapons should be.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: When all’s said and done, what was the Root that Araya sought?

Q: When all’s said and done, what was the Root that Araya sought? <Canon> Nasu: The end of history, and a record of humanity’s merit. Which is to say, it’s the “observation of everything, from start to finish”. Takeuchi: Hmm… It’s the same with novels, manga, and anime, right? If you don’t read or watch all the way to the end, you can’t properly evaluate the work. Nasu: That’s putting it too plainly, but you have the gist of it. Only, there’s no guarantee an individual will reach that “end”…

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Even though Kokutou got his license, it doesn’t seem like he’ll get a chance to use it. Could it be that he’ll just end up as Miss Touko’s driver?

Q: Even though Kokutou got his license, it doesn’t seem like he’ll get a chance to use it. Could it be that he’ll just end up as Miss Touko’s driver? <MAKI> Nasu: That’s not fair! From here on out he takes Shiki along on lots of trips to hot spring resorts and things. But, because he’s an overly safe driver, Shiki always ends up frustrated by the time they finally arrive at the inn. Takeuchi: Wow, that’s really lovey-dovey, huh! Even though I already knew about it. Nasu: When the movie version comes out, it’ll be twice as lovey-dovey as it is in my head. Rakkyo, love UP!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Even though Touko said she has no interest in aggressive acts, how would you rank her simply in terms of combat strength?

Q: Even though Touko said she has no interest in aggressive acts, how would you rank her simply in terms of combat strength? <R1> Takeuchi: You know, a long time ago she was actually quite the little hell-raiser. Once, she even blew up a stolen motorcycle with runes. Nasu: Setting the past aside, at the time of Rakkyo she’s weaker than Azaka. But hey, this person—or should I say, mass-produced robot… she might have a battle-ready Super Touko Unit stashed away somewhere, yeah…?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Is there any way to call Touko “Dirty Red” and not get killed? …Ah! I just stepped on a land mine!
Q: Is there any way to call Touko “Dirty Red” and not get killed? …Ah! I just stepped on a land mine! <Mojio> Nasu: If Touko can learn the concept of yandere, you might have a slim chance. Takeuchi: Why, you… You called me “Dirty Red”…!! I’ll never forgive you…!! (Event Flag Set) Nasu: That’s a death flag.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: When I see the cute, lovey-dovey Shiki that comes out at the end of each episode, I can't stop smiling! What should I do?
Q: When I see the cute, lovey-dovey Shiki that comes out at the end of each episode, I can't stop smiling! What should I do? <EDGE> Takeuchi: When the production staff sees everybody smiling, they can't stop smiling either! Nasu: Such a spiral is too terrible for words! *Cries* Takeuchi: The Final Cute Shiki is already becoming a Ufotable tradition.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: How big is the difference in strength between Shiki when she's wielding a katana, and Shiki when she's wielding a knife?

English Japanese Q: How big is the difference in strength between Shiki when she's wielding a katana, and Shiki when she's wielding a knife? <Seiya> Nasu: The difference is enough that if there was a Rakkyo Warriors game, Katana Shiki would be the player and Knife Shiki would be the opponent. Takeuchi: Amazing!! Umm… It is amazing, right? Nasu: Let's take the fight scene from the middle of Chapter 5 as a convenient example. In this scenario, Shiki would be "Katana Shiki", and all the apartment residents would be "Knife Shiki". Q. 式が刀を持った時は、ナイフを持った時と比べてどの程度強くなるのでしょうか？ 奈：ナイフ式相手に、刀式がらっきょ無双できるぐらい違います。 武：すげえ！！…の、か？ 奈：もっと身近な例で言うと、五章中盤の華、マンションでの戦闘シーンでの式が「刀式」、住人の皆さんが「ナイフ式」。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: This is just a sudden thought, but is there anybody that Touko likes? Or maybe, somebody that she liked in the past?

Q: This is just a sudden thought, but is there anybody that Touko likes? Or maybe, somebody that she liked in the past? <MADLAX> Takeuchi: At the very least, Kinoko loves Touko. Nasu: Whenever I fall in love it’s always a one-way crush, hahaha. Somebody needs to hurry up and invent the Matrix. Now, to give a real answer, she doesn’t have anything serious going on at the moment. Though it seems that when she was still living in Misaki there was one guy she might have been really interested in.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: I love love love Alba so much I’m going crazy! What’s his most favorite food in the whole wide world?

Q: I love love love Alba so much I’m going crazy! What’s his most favorite food in the whole wide world? <Sucocchi> Takeuchi: Everybody loves Alba! Of course, his favourite food is chocola- *PUNCHED* Nasu: It’s actually the casual homemade food (an Aozaki sisters specialty!) that Touko cooked long, long ago. The dish was “Pizza Crackers”. According to Touko, making them for Alba was the biggest mistake of her life.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What’s that red loser Cornelius Alba’s origin?
English Japanese Q: What’s that red loser Cornelius Alba’s origin? <Miya Jōsōji> Takeuchi: Everybody loves Alba! Of course, his origin is chocola- *PUNCHED* Nasu: The socially-awkward mushroom is going to answer this one seriously, it’s “Refutation”. Q. アルバの起源は何？ 奈：反証。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: You've probably gotten this question a lot, but… "Does Shiki normally wear a bra?" I couldn't help but notice that when Tomoe was doing the laundry, it was all underwear…

Q: You've probably gotten this question a lot, but… "Does Shiki normally wear a bra?" I couldn't help but notice that when Tomoe was doing the laundry, it was all underwear… <Galan no Du> Takeuchi: I just wanna say, that pen name is too awesome. GALAN no DU!  Nasu: In other words… don't rely on the original author! *punch*  Takeuchi: Hah, like from the end of the s-CRY-ed manga. I get it.  Nasu: Anyway, about your question, that was just for the movie version. But what's the fuss all about? As a youth, you shouldn't want to experience that kind of cohabitating lifestyle anyway!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Why did Alba’s appearance change so much from his original design?

Q: Why did Alba’s appearance change so much from his original design? <Bache> Takeuchi: It’s because that original design was decisively rejected by Nasu. Or rather, even in Plus Period I’m pretty sure it was noted as a rejected design. Nasu: From the start, I wanted him to have a coat that, while it could plausibly exist in reality, would make people’s heads turn if you wore it to town. Also, he had to have a silk hat and walking stick, that was non-negotiable. The fact that his German Shepherd didn’t come along is disappointing, though.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Shiki's kicks are great. I want to know what other techniques she's mastered. And, if it's possible, I'd like her to hit me with a Shining Wizard or a Frankensteiner.

Q: Shiki's kicks are great. I want to know what other techniques she's mastered. And, if it's possible, I'd like her to hit me with a Shining Wizard or a Frankensteiner. <Enjō Nomoya> Nasu: Since the basis of her techniques is the Nyanko-style triple turn in the air, she's particularly skilled at moves that involve jumping toward huge opponents to defeat them. When she's lying in bed, she secretly dreams of trying out flying reverse armbars and other moves like that. Takeuchi: She did spin a lot more than usual in Chapter 5.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: How did a young man of Tomoe’s age manage to keep his cool while living under one roof with the girl that he liked? What was his secret?
Q: How did a young man of Tomoe’s age manage to keep his cool while living under one roof with the girl that he liked? What was his secret? <shen> Nasu: As far as Tomoe is concerned… that’s easy. It’s just that he loved her too much. Takeuchi: He must have realized that some things are beautiful because they cannot be obtained.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Could Araya Souren's Domains even stop a skirt that got blown up by the wind? If so, I'd like to work hard and acquire that ability.

Q: Could Araya Souren's Domains even stop a skirt that got blown up by the wind? If so, I'd like to work hard and acquire that ability. <Silver Noyuki> Takeuchi: Nice! That's a very magus-like way of thinking. Even though there should be plenty of easier methods to achieve your goal, you would dare to do something as outrageous as creating a Domain. You're going to be a real heavyweight someday. Nasu: I've walked this path ahead of you, Silver Noyuki…! This idea you have of stopping skirts… is futile! In the first place, if skirts were to disappear from our society completely… what then!? Takeuchi: What a foolish way of thinking! Just being able to see what isn't supposed to be seen, that's good enough!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: At the very end, Shiki skillfully obtained the key to Mikiya’s apartment. Though I think it would be wonderful if she occasionally lets herself in, spiritedly cooks up a meal, and then waits for Mikiya to come back, how will the key actually be used?

Q: At the very end, Shiki skillfully obtained the key to Mikiya’s apartment. Though I think it would be wonderful if she occasionally lets herself in, spiritedly cooks up a meal, and then waits for Mikiya to come back, how will the key actually be used? <Snowy Night> Nasu: Beeeeeep. Attention, attention, this is an official announcement. The aforementioned scenario has been formally adopted by Nasu Kinoko’s brain. Later, Mr. Takeuchi will illustrate it. Takeuchi: If I draw it, though, won’t it become such an embarrassingly sugary-sweet episode that you won’t even be able to look directly at it? Nasu: That’s exactly what I want. Batter up!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Does the cat have a name?

Q: Does the cat have a name? <Tears of the Lamb> Takeuchi: Its name is Chihaya. Nasu: Isn't that your cat's name? …Speaking of which, I thought you said you were going to get two kittens and name them Hisui and Kohaku, you… you backstabber! I named my Roomba "Aigis", you know. Takeuchi: (This guy… Did he really give such an embarrassing name to an automatic vacuum…?) Nasu: But, she was kind of a clumsy girl. She was always starting up by herself, and running out of batteries, and in the end she got sent off for repairs and never came back.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: So, about the photo that appeared near the middle of the movie. I recognized Souren and Alba, but who was that person standing in the middle?
Q: So, about the photo that appeared near the middle of the movie. I recognized Souren and Alba, but who was that person standing in the middle? <ARIA> Takeuchi: T-Toukooo!! They're saying you look so different they can't recognize you!! Nasu: I guess she went through too many minor model changes over the years, huh?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Alba was finished off without a climax in the movie, in terms of pure ability as a magus, how strong is he?

English Japanese Q: Alba was finished off without a climax in the movie, in terms of pure ability as a magus, how strong is he? <FEN> Nasu: In terms of pure attacking power, Alba is at the high end amongst the magi to ever appear in the stories of Type Moon. Well... his compatibility with Kayneth is kind of bad. To put in terms of fighting games, it is kind of like spamming Super Moves at will. Takeuchi: Whoa, what an annoying power. Q. 結局見せ場無しでやられてしまったアルバですが、純粋に魔術師として見るなら、彼はどれぐ らい強かったのでしょうか？ 奈：単純な攻撃力でいうと、実のところ、タイプムーン伝奇で出てきた魔術師の中でも上位です。 ケイネスとは相性悪いですが……そうですね、格闘ゲームでいうなら超必殺技打ち放題、みたい な性能でしょうか。 武：うわぁ、超嫌われそうな性能。

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Am I right in thinking that Tomoe wouldn't be recognized as a member of the opposite sex by Shiki no matter what happened? Also, please give me Fujinon!

Q: Am I right in thinking that Tomoe wouldn't be recognized as a member of the opposite sex by Shiki no matter what happened? Also, please give me Fujinon! <A Certain Famous Strawberry Ice Cream> Nasu: Totally wrong! After all, Tomoe is a girl, right? So if Shiki were to become a boy, see, Tomoe would be properly recognized as a member of the—―Hey, put that down! What are you doing!? Let me go! Takeuchi: Shiki is a real stud, huh? Nasu: Incidentally, Fujinon has already returned to Planet Boobies, so giving her to you is beyond my power… Please, forgive us our worthlessness…

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: In Chapter 5, Araya Souren said his origin was “Stillness”. What are Mr. Takeuchi and Mr. Nasu’s origins?
Q: In Chapter 5, Araya Souren said his origin was “Stillness”. What are Mr. Takeuchi and Mr. Nasu’s origins? <KTO> Nasu: Mine is “Games”. Takeuchi: An instant answer!? This guy… He didn’t even have to think about it…!

Chapter 6 – "Oblivion Recorder"

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: When and how did Kurogiri Satsuki master the Unified Language?

Q: When and how did Kurogiri Satsuki master the Unified Language? <The 9th Servant> Nasu: When he was kidnapped by fairies, it’s safe to assume they tampered with him in various ways. Kind of like Shocker from Kamen Rider. Takeuchi: Kurogiri Satsuki is a modified human. He was altered by fairies as a child, and became a thirty-year-old with a proclivity for dreaming! Nasu: Oh, I wish somebody would alter me!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Was there some kind of ulterior motive to having Seo Shizune appear in this version? It’s making me anticipate further developments…

Q: Was there some kind of ulterior motive to having Seo Shizune appear in this version? It’s making me anticipate further developments… <karl> Nasu: All I’d heard was that there was just going to be a glimpse of her at the end. I never expected her to actually have lines. Takeuchi: Wasn’t it decided relatively early on that, since her character design was finished, she absolutely had to make an appearance even if she didn’t say anything?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: In your opinion, what was the most "infatuating" scene in Chapter 6?
Q: In your opinion, what was the most "infatuating" scene in Chapter 6? <karl> Nasu: It has to be the scenes from Azaka's childhood. Takeuchi: For me, it's the last action scene. When the magic circuits shot out from Azaka's glove and up her arm, I got chills.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Touko is an academy graduate now, but when she was still a student how were her grades and conduct?

Q: Touko is an academy graduate now, but when she was still a student how were her grades and conduct?<shen> Nasu: With her bright and cheerful personality, excellent grades, and ability to deftly handle both serious matters and American jokes, she was one of the three shining stars of the dorm. …Well, kidding aside, Glasses Touko happily enjoyed her time as a high school student. Takeuchi: Now I want to know about the other two stars…

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: As the language of the world, the Tongue of Babel is supposed to influence the world itself. What kind of enchantment was cast on Azaka's Walkman to let it dispel that effect? Was it a product of Kurogiri's research left behind at the Association?

Q: As the language of the world, the Tongue of Babel is supposed to influence the world itself. What kind of enchantment was cast on Azaka's Walkman to let it dispel that effect? Was it a product of Kurogiri's research left behind at the Association? <Uzawa Akira> Nasu: They never mentioned anything about a "Tongue of Babel" in the movie version! …I'd appreciate it if you could just close your eyes and plug your ears at that part.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Tell the truth, are you on Team Shiki? Or Team Azaka?
Q: Tell the truth, are you on Team Shiki? Or Team Azaka? <Maitake> Nasu: I'm on Team "Shiki/Azaka Marriage". Takeuchi: Neither of them have blonde hair, so… Nasu: In other words, you're on Team Lio?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Please, I beg of you, reveal the secret history of the Reien Girl's Academy uniform!

Q: Please, I beg of you, reveal the secret history of the Reien Girl's Academy uniform! <Tora Kaburi> Takeuchi: Okay, but it's a trifle long. We'll have to start from the part where Sister Riesbyfe was caught up in the events of the Holy G…irl's Uniform War created to decide the ultimate uniform. Nasu: Right. And after that, things turned out the way they did, for various reasons. Takeuchi: …Too fast! Nasu: At that time, the frontrunners were the John Bull magus (of a lineage renowned for their ability to grasp failure from the jaws of victory) and the Maid Servant. If they had won, the Reien Academy uniform would be——

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: How is Shiki’s academic ability? If you compared her to Mikiya, which one would come out on top?
Q: How is Shiki’s academic ability? If you compared her to Mikiya, which one would come out on top? <Orikaze> Nasu: Just going by basic specs, Shiki is superior. But, since she’s so apathetic her performance ends up more or less average. Motivation is a talent, too. Takeuchi: Such profound words.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Which of the Reien girls is your type? (Multiple answers allowed)

Q: Which of the Reien girls is your type? (Multiple answers allowed) <karl> Nasu: Seo is the best. Takeuchi: It used to be Fujino, but for various reasons it's Shiki now. Nasu: But, the "That's good, very good!" in movie version has a certain charm as well. Takeuchi: I looove the person inside Miss "Very Good"!! Nasu: Come on, man, have some respect. (TN: Takeuchi is talking about the voice actress.)

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What is Kurogiri Satsuki’s origin?
English Japanese Q: What is Kurogiri Satsuki’s origin? <Mafty> Nasu: Nostalgia. Takeuchi: You can’t return to the forest of cats. Nasu: Ah, good one. But if we’re bringing up Taniyama Hiroko, I’d have to recommend “elfin”. Q:玄霧皐月の起源は何？ 奈須: 望郷

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: After the case was wrapped up, Shizune offered words of gratitude to Azaka. Could it be that she had foreseen everything that happened?

Q: After the case was wrapped up, Shizune offered words of gratitude to Azaka. Could it be that she had foreseen everything that happened? <Willow> Nasu: She had been able to see that Azaka would solve a case during the break, at least, even if she didn’t know the details. Takeuchi: I see what you did there! Nasu: That reasoning falls apart at the end, stop it. (TN: I think they just devolved into throwing around quotes from Trick at the end…)

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: I can't get Ōji's "That's good, very good!" out of my head… Please, do something!
Q: I can't get Ōji's "That's good, very good!" out of my head… Please, do something! <Tomato> Takeuchi: There's nothing we can do about that. Nasu: I want you to make "That's good, very good!" into your ringtone. "Kinoko, you're way past the deadline!" "That's good, very good!" Takeuchi: That's not good at all!!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Do you have any memories that you'd like to return to oblivion?

Q: Do you have any memories that you'd like to return to oblivion? <noir> Takeuchi: It'd be easier to list the things I don't want to forget. I've lived a shameful life. Nasu: All of my memories relating to the Mitarai Kiyoshi series, the Manor series, and the Yōkai series. That way I can read them again as if it was the first time! Takeuchi: Hey, Mushroom. Wasn't the question about whether or not there's anything you'd like to forget? Nasu: Eh, close enough. It's fine. (TN: The items in Nasu's list are all long-running Japanese mystery novel series)

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Please tell me a bit of the legend of Touko's time as a student.
Q: Please tell me a bit of the legend of Touko's time as a student. < Uzawa Akira > Nasu: One time, she caused a hurricane just by winking. Takeuchi: One time, she made a pitcher shit himself by standing in the on-deck circle! Nasu: At her prime, she even made Mashin Eiichirō drop dead just by putting on her glasses in the morning.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Settle it once and for all, who has the bigger breasts? Shiki or Azaka?
Q: Settle it once and for all, who has the bigger breasts? Shiki or Azaka? <Tamio> Takeuchi: Looking at my notes, I have Shiki marked as "miniscule" and Azaka marked as "normal". Nasu: …Huh? Wasn't Shiki's chest pretty decent on that one bath towel print? Takeuchi: …There's a rumor that they've gotten bigger recently.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Does Azaka have a complex?
Q: Does Azaka have a complex? <Raku> Nasu: There was that bloody New Year at the beginning of Chapter 6. Ah, wait, but wasn't that more of a trauma? Hmm. She must have been a troubled child, back then. Takeuchi: If it was something like not being able to ride a bike, that would be cute. Nasu: …*Gulp*. Are you a god?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Is Shiki a dog lover?
Q: Is Shiki a dog lover? <NUA> Nasu: It seems she doesn’t hate them. Though it might be more accurate to say she likes them for their personality, and not just for being dogs. Takeuchi: They probably just remind her of Mikiya. Because he’s “Puppy-kun”, right? Nasu: Hahaha, you’re still obsessed with that, huh?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Where does Touko go to buy tools related to magecraft?

Q: Where does Touko go to buy tools related to magecraft? <Yururi> Nasu: She orders everything from Dark Amazon, the giant organization seeking a monopoly on distribution in the magic world. Even the bigwigs at the Association are beginning feeling a sense of impending crisis at the way they’re gobbling up markets for magical items one after another. Takeuchi: And the way they gather so much personal information on magi that shop with them is pretty nasty, too. Nasu: “Look, this Aozaki Touko customer buys everything the Good Smile Company releases! HAHAHAHA, she’s a goddamn lolicon!” …Like that?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: When God’s Word gives a command, how long do the effects last?
Q: When God’s Word gives a command, how long do the effects last? <Alaya Shiki> Nasu: It varies depending on the time and effort he puts into it, but basically about a day. Takeuchi: Got it. So the effect is about the same as when you say “I’ll work hard starting tomorrow!” Nasu: Even a hypnotic suggestion couldn’t make me do that.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Young Azaka is too cute! Give her to me, I don't care how! Twintails are the best! Big Bro Takashi is the best! Thank you so, so much!

Q: Young Azaka is too cute!! Give her to me, I don't care how!! Twintails are the best!! Big Bro Takashi is the best!! Thank you so, so much!! <Kyonpechi> Takeuchi: The concept for Young Azaka was "a perfect, doll-like beauty". But hey. Even though a lot of people keep telling us to hand her over, that's… not really a question, is it? Nasu: That's right. …And in the first place, it's completely impossible for us to resolve such anguish. Because, if you're talking about Young Azaka, she's right here next to me, and Takeuchi: There, there. That's quite enough.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Does the Seo Shizune that appeared briefly in Chapter 6 also have “that” hobby, just like Seo Akira? She does, right!?
Q: Does the Seo Shizune that appeared briefly in Chapter 6 also have “that” hobby, just like Seo Akira? She does, right!? <Very Goooooooood!> Nasu: She works on it passionately! Takeuchi: And with enthusiasm alone, she’s able to…

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Seeing as how Shiki wasn't able to kill words, I'd like to know, how far does her capability to understand death actually extend?

Q: Seeing as how Shiki wasn't able to kill words, I'd like to know, how far does her capability to understand death actually extend? <The Red Loser Isn't a Loser!> Nasu: Well, it's just a rule of thumb, but if it's the normal Shiki then she can kill everything that physically decays. The thing with words is that she doesn't regard their death as "decay" but rather "fading into oblivion". Takeuchi: Ah, so it's a problem of recognition, then. Nasu: Of course, that realm of recognition is already no problem at all for the inhuman Miss " ".

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: While Shiki was working undercover in Reien Academy, she wore the school's uniform. Now, this is just a stray thought, but… did she wear a uniform in middle school, too? …It's just a thought!
Q: While Shiki was working undercover in Reien Academy, she wore the school's uniform. Now, this is just a stray thought, but… did she wear a uniform in middle school, too? …It's just a thought! <One That Lives In The Boundary> Nasu: …Shit. I'm trying to imagine it, and every factor about that is a winner… Takeuchi: If it was a pitch-black sailor fuku… yeah, that'd be great

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: How much destructive power was contained in Azaka’s final axe kick?
Q: How much destructive power was contained in Azaka’s final axe kick? <Kara Kyo> Nasu: 10 Albas. Takeuchi: 30000 Neco-punches. It’s enough to punch right through the Comiket catalog. Nasu: Couldn’t that could kill somebody!?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What’s the name of the move Azaka used to defeat the giant fairy?
Q: What’s the name of the move Azaka used to defeat the giant fairy? <Erupting Burning Azaka Finger> Takeuchi: Exploding Fairy Punch! Nasu: It wasn’t really a punch, though. I’d say it was more of a… fortissimo. Takeuchi: Exploding Fairy Fortissimo! Nasu: That sounds like some kind of Visual Kei song

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: After the case was wrapped up, what did Shiki do with her Reien Academy uniform?

Q: After the case was wrapped up, what did Shiki do with her Reien Academy uniform? <Sanda> Takeuchi: A whole lot of people asked this one. Though I can’t imagine why… Nasu: The almighty butler Akitaka was entrusted with its safekeeping! Takeuchi: I can’t tell whether I should be happy about that answer or not. Nasu: In several years, he’ll quietly and discreetly pass it on to Mikiya. Akitaka is such a gallant guy!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of that person that returned to Planet Boobies. Did she come back to boost ratings after there was nothing but flat chests for so long?
Q: I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of that person that returned to Planet Boobies. Did she come back to boost ratings after there was nothing but flat chests for so long? <Please Don't Delay Chapter 7> Nasu: Such an idea never crossed my mind. Takeuchi: Miss "Very Good" is also flat chested. …Huh? She got bigger in the anime?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 6: “Oblivion Recorder” Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What kind of fairies are there around Mr. Nasu and Mr. Takeuchi
Q: What kind of fairies are there around Mr. Nasu and Mr. Takeuchi? <Tuna Mayo> Takeuchi: Late at night, a mushroom-type fairy that does nothing but play games appears in the office. Nasu: That fairy works tirelessly when he’s at home, you know. Or should I say, gaming time is both subtle and complex, so stop saying those kind of things. Takeuchi: If you say so.

Chapter 7 – "A Study in Murder (Part 2)"

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Congratulations on completing Kara no Kyoukai. It seems like only yesterday the first movie was coming out in theaters. How do you feel now that it's all over? And please say it like Araya.

Q: Congratulations on completing Kara no Kyoukai. It seems like only yesterday the first movie was coming out in theaters. How do you feel now that it's all over? And please say it like Araya. <Strawberry Baron> Takeuchi: What an unreasonable person. Though I don't hate the idea. Which is to say, I'm giving the floor to Nasu! Nasu: Ambition is a flower that never blooms. There is no end. That obsession will persist until the last star in the sky flickers and dies. Takeuchi: Okay. I have no idea what you just said. Nasu: Therefore, even if the work ends, our suffering and delusions won't end until we die… would be the gist of it.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What was your number one favorite scene in Chapter 7? Please say it was the part just before Shiki killed the lunging Lio.

Q: What was your number one favorite scene in Chapter 7? Please say it was the part just before Shiki killed the lunging Lio. <shen> Takeuchi: Oh, wow, this is hard. There were so many visually stunning scenes this time. But if I had to choose, I guess it would be when Shiki fought Lio in the back alley? Nasu: Ah, the background music in that scene was good, too. Everything from the way he made his entrance on had a real circus-like quality to it. On the other hand, my favorite scene was when Lio got hacked apart at the end. It was a transient one-minute climax.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Why did you decide to make Shiki wear kimonos all the time?

Q: Why did you decide to make Shiki wear kimonos all the time? Nasu: Since her internal concept was "interconnected opposites", I wanted to make her external appearance a combination of two different elements to match that. In other words, a fusion of Japanese and Western styles. And I thought that lace-up boots with a kimono look good together. It's what the waitresses at Bashamichi wear. Takeuchi: I guess instead of "Taishō Roman" you could say her style is "Taishō Modern". In fact, when I was in Shinjuku the other day, I actually saw somebody wearing boots with Japanese-style clothing. Nasu: By the way, Bashamichi is a high-concept family restaurant. If you're a sophisticated person, I highly recommend it.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What happened to all that saliva? Did Shiki kill it? Or did it evaporate on its own?

Q: What happened to all that saliva? Did Shiki kill it? Or did it evaporate on its own? <Aquablue> Nasu: It evaporated. …Well, it was mostly just something added to the movie version to show that the saliva was incredibly hot. Takeuchi: Narratively, it was supposed to explain why Shiki recovered so fast: the heat from the saliva induced perspiration, lessening the effect of the narcotics in her system. As a scene, though, I think the evaporation of the saliva represented Shiki's purity being impossible for anybody to taint. Or at least, that's what it meant to me.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Lio wanted to make people like himself using the Bloodchips, but does the blood of somebody with an awakened origin really have the ability to awaken the origin of others?

Q: Lio wanted to make people like himself using the Bloodchips, but does the blood of somebody with an awakened origin really have the ability to awaken the origin of others? <Kyonpechi> Nasu: Nope. That was all Lio's delusions. The narcotics in the cocktail were still dangerous, though. Takeuchi: It had narcotic ingredients? Nasu: Yes. The cannabis is treated as an as-of-yet unanalyzed narcotic in the era of the work. It was used in the novel as a way to demonstrate Mikiya's encyclopedic knowledge. …It was a long time ago, okay?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: This might be a stupid question, but was the reason that killing Araya didn't count as murder because he was ultimately a human(?) that existed "outside the boundary"?

Q: This might be a stupid question, but was the reason that killing Araya didn't count as murder because he was ultimately a human(?) that existed "outside the boundary"? <Tomomaro> Nasu: There's no one who deserves to be killed. Takeuchi: That's so whitewashed it's blinding. I'm tired of listening to your theoretical ideals. Nasu: Anyway, magi don't count. Or should I say, Araya might as well be a monster. He's a living dead person. Even if you kill a dead person, it's not like that's a crime… wait, wouldn't that be desecration of a corpse…?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What is Shiki's best feature, in your opinion?
Q: What is Shiki's best feature, in your opinion? <Iwao> Takeuchi: Oh, that… It's gotta be her voice! Nasu: He said it! This guy right here, he really said it! Takeuchi: Other than that… hmm… maybe her singing? Nasu: He's still doing it! He's just talking about the person "inside" the character!! … As for myself, I dispassionately recommend her cat-like, rabbit-like, girlish aspects.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What will Touko do after she leaves Mifune?

Q: What will Touko do after she leaves Mifune? <Naked Eyes of Death Perception> Takeuchi: This was probably the most-asked question this time around. As expected, people are curious. Nasu: I don't know what she'll do next, but way, way down the line she ends up working as some kind of doctor in an orbiting satellite. Takeuchi: She's practically immortal since she can change bodies, right? Is it possible for her to make a baby? Nasu: You mean, like, a Touko Mark VII?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: After Touko leaves, who will teach Azaka magecraft?

Q: After Touko leaves, who will teach Azaka magecraft? <its> Nasu: She'll get homework in the mail from Touko. If she takes an interest in it, I think she'll be able to be dispatched as Touko's head apprentice someday. But then again, Azaka doesn't have a reason to study magecraft anymore, right…? Takeuchi: When she becomes an adult, she'll be able to say things like "You know, as a girl I was able to use magic." There's a certain amount of elegance in that.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: When Shiki was a little girl, she called her brother "Big Brother". What does she call him now?
Q: When Shiki was a little girl, she called her brother "Big Brother". What does she call him now? <Chien> Nasu: NEET. Takeuchi: How cruel!! Just now, the fans fell over in shock! Anyway, while we're on the topic of her brother, people also wanted to know if he's got a job… Nasu: Nope. Since he'll be the successor if something horrible happens to Shiki, he's being taken care of, in a sense.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Shiki's chest was jiggly, huh? If you were to compare her to Touko, which of them would be jigglier? I can't decide at all.

Q: Shiki's chest was jiggly, huh? If you were to compare her to Touko, which of them would be jigglier? I can't decide at all. <Ryūshū> Takeuchi: It seems der Führer was quite interested in Shiki's chest. There were a lot of questions this time regarding her size and proportions. Nasu: I'm interested, too. Teach me, Takashi-sensei! Takeuchi: Eh? Well, okay, if you insist. If Shiki is a jiggle, then Touko is definitely a wobble. Nasu: I don't want to hear that!! As far as Boobie Aliens go, Fujino is enough! (That's just talking about Kara no Kyōkai, though…)

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: The scenes after Shiki was captured by Shirazumi Lio all seemed much more erotic than what happened in the original novel. Is that the sort of thing you two are into? Or was it the interest of the production staff, instead?

Q: The scenes after Shiki was captured by Shirazumi Lio all seemed much more erotic than what happened in the original novel. Is that the sort of thing you two are into? Or was it the interest of the production staff, instead? <iichan> Takeuchi: Rather than their interest, you should call it their "crowning achievement". A heart-throbbing NTR-ish masterpiece. Nasu: When I was watching that scene I just kept thinking, "Shit, can't that Mikiya bastard just die already!?" Anyway, here's some trivia. If you printed off the image of that collapsed Shiki, it would be bigger than a tatami. Instead of a body pillow, it'd be a body mat. Takeuchi: A body mat? Somehow… that's kind of cool, actually. I can… die in peace now. Nasu: Great works are only accomplished with a bit of madness.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What're you gonna do now??

Q: What're you gonna do now?? Takeuchi: Even though this is the last one, people still sent this kind of meaningless question... Nasu: If I'm not mistaken, I'll be saving the world with Ms. Lightning. (In the latter half of December.) Takeuchi: He's really excited about a certain mega-blockbuster RPG! Nasu: Hey! Not playing such a high-budget game would be sacrilegious. If nobody bought them, they'd stop making such extravagant Japanese RPGs altogether, you know!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: I've completely fallen for that beautiful, mature lady drug dealer. Is there anything interesting you can tell me about her?
Q: I've completely fallen for that beautiful, mature lady drug dealer. Is there anything interesting you can tell me about her? <Nightglow> Nasu: That cool big sis transmigrated into the Otoko (Neko) from Fate/hollow ataraxia. Takeuchi: Eh? Then Ms. Neko is mixed with a monster? Nasu: Seems there was a fusion error, and she ended up combined with a cat. Takeuchi: T-The ultimate lifeform…!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: (I bet a lot of people thought the same thing, but…) I really, really want to celebrate everyone's birthday. I'm sure my dear senseis must understand my desires, so please tell me what they are! Or at the very least, tell me Shiki and Mikiya's…

Q: (I bet a lot of people thought the same thing, but…) I really, really want to celebrate everyone's birthday. I'm sure my dear senseis must understand my desires, so please tell me what they are! Or at the very least, tell me Shiki and Mikiya's… <Shiki and Mikiya's Classmate Y> Nasu: Shiki's birthday is February 17. Mikiya's is December 20. Takeuchi: Somehow, those dates have an "Ah, so that's how it is!" kind of feel to them. Nasu: It's because they were both born in the winter.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Is there anything Lio could have done to get with Shiki?
Q: Is there anything Lio could have done to get with Shiki? <Jungle Detective> Takeuchi: That's like asking if you can have a marriage to a 2D girl officially recognized by a court of law. Totally, utterly hopeless. Nasu: Regretfully, that Adventure Log has vanished!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What is the name of Shiki's older brother?

Q: What is the name of Shiki's older brother? Takeuchi: Ryougi Utsukushiibitsu. Nasu: Serious answer: Ryougi Kaname. Takeuchi: I got totally ignored! Nasu: By the way, Utsukushiibitsu was the name of a member of a certain band from the golden age of Visual Kei. It's true. When I remember the way girls at live shows would scream out things like "Kyaaah, Ibitsuuu!" and "Utsukushiii!", almost fainting, I can't help but think Japan isn't that bad after all. (TN: The band he's talking about is called Deshabillz.)

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Were there any scenes that made you think, "Wow, they made this part just for me!"?
Q: Were there any scenes that made you think, "Wow, they made this part just for me!"? <Koyonaku> Takeuchi: The scene with Gakuto eating cup ramen. It looked really, really delicious. Nasu: The chase through the rain. Even though she was running like a girl, Shiki was still that much faster than Mikiya. Her stats must be really high!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Mikiya said he didn't want to be "special", but isn't he already "special" to Shiki?
Q: Mikiya said he didn't want to be "special", but isn't he already "special" to Shiki? <BigBroGeorge> Nasu: Putting it into words ruins it, George. Takeuchi: "What does it mean to be special?"...That's one of the themes of Kara no Kyoukai. For example, something that's special to me would be...blonde hair. Nasu: You just got swept away in a really tiny direction!

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What would happen if Mr. Nasu's origin of "Games" was awakened?

Q: What would happen if Mr. Nasu's origin of "Games" was awakened? <NUA> Takeuchi: He'd spend all day every day playing games, until finally merely playing games would no longer be enough to satisfy him, at which point he would start making games himself as well. Nasu: Umm, isn't that just how things are now? I guess I've been awakened! Takeuchi: But, that heavenly state wouldn't last long. Eventually he would lose interest in playing games entirely, becoming an ogre with nothing more than a single-minded drive to make games. Nasu: H-Hey, you're saying some scary stuff!! If I can't enjoy games, then there's no meaning in making them, you know!?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: What happened to Mikiya, after Touko left on her journey and thrust him headlong into the road of unemployment? Could it be, he secured a permanent position in the Ryougi Group right off the bat!?

Q: What happened to Mikiya, after Touko left on her journey and thrust him headlong into the road of unemployment? Could it be, he secured a permanent position in the Ryougi Group right off the bat!? <Chidori> Takeuchi: A lot of people asked about this, too. "Did he become a NEET? Did he become a shut-in?" …Seems people don't have a very high opinion of him. Nasu: He basically has two choices. The first is making the best use of his talents, finding employment at an honest company, and honestly working his way up the corporate ladder. The second is entering one of the accounting personnel starved companies affiliated with the Ryougi Group, where he would strike out on his own, eventually becoming one of Papa Ryougi's most trusted Fixers. I'll leave it up to the fans. Which one do you guys think he should do? Takeuchi: Wait a minute, isn't this an important decision?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: So, Shiki. Can she hold her booze or is she a lightweight? Personally, I think it would be cute if she could drink sake but thought foreign liquor smelled bad, and got stinking drunk after just one glass, but what about you? Tipsy girls are pretty great, right!? Ah, but of course, no drinking until you're twenty!

Q: So, Shiki. Can she hold her booze or is she a lightweight? Personally, I think it would be cute if she could drink sake but thought foreign liquor smelled bad, and got stinking drunk after just one glass, but what about you? Tipsy girls are pretty great, right!? Ah, but of course, no drinking until you're twenty! <Nichiru> Nasu: This one gave me pause. Mysteriously, it seems the thought of Shiki drinking alcohol had never crossed my mind… I wonder why? Maybe it's because I already imagined Seo as a drinker? Takeuchi: Well, she has a very Japanese air about her, so I guess she probably drinks sake, right? Nasu: If she was so weak to liquor that she lost all power in her arms and legs just from a sip, I'd probably die. From the moe. And Lio wouldn't have to use some kind of strange medicine, then, when sake would work just as well! Takeuchi: What!?

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Kokutou was force-fed a lethal dose of that drug by Lio, and then still did his best to rush to Ryougi's side. After all that, was his body okay?

Q: Kokutou was force-fed a lethal dose of that drug by Lio, and then still did his best to rush to Ryougi's side. After all that, was his body okay? <Humanity> Nasu: As far as the drug is concerned, it required over three months of recovery. Plus, he can't even run anymore. But the worst of it was the mental damage. Takeuchi: Mental damage? Like, "I've… been tarnished…!", or something? Nasu: Please refer back to the scene from the middle act of the movie where Mikiya tries the drug and chugs water out of a plastic bottle.

[v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets Q: Holding dreams of the future and memories of the past in their heart, two men stand on the threshold of a new adventure. As you set off side by side on this eternal path, please leave us with your parting words.

Q: Holding dreams of the future and memories of the past in their heart, two men stand on the threshold of a new adventure. As you set off side by side on this eternal path, please leave us with your parting words. <Yomousa> Nasu: We'll never come to this kind of place (TM) again. Takeuchi: Hey, hey, are you a jailor or something? Nasu: Okay, for real now. "Let's write a happy story together." Takeuchi: "To the next 10 years." Nasu: That's all for now!

The Garden of Sinners Visual Chronicle English Translation

[v] The Garden of Sinners Visual Chronicle English Translation

the Garden of sinners Visual Chronicle English Translation Please note: The page number preceding the English translated text corresponds to the respective page number from the Deluxe Visual Chronicle Book. Page 4 Message from KINOKO NASU / the author This is the final boxset for the Garden of sinners, which began as an unprecedented endeavor, a seven-part theatrical series. The original on which it was based, the Garden of sinners, was buried as a "collectors' edition." In a glorious black coffin unbefitting a novel. In my mind, the Garden of sinners had, at that point, gone out of my reach, but years later, thanks to the talent of numerous staff members, it has now come back to life. I hope that you come to see this Blu-ray Disc Box as the same thing as that novel box, and that you continue to love it for many years to come. As someone who could do no more than watch over the stormy and miraculous production process, that's all I can really say to you. That was truly a stimulating three years for me. Now it's already receded into the past, and all I can do is look back on all the excitement and regrets, but I know that that period of my life will live on in my heart, and never fade away. My heartfelt thanks to this era that I live in, to all staff members, and to you, who offered me moral support. ~ KINOKO NASU Please note: The following (P26-29) is an interview between the Garden of sinners Co-creators Takashi Takeuchi (Character Concept) and Kinoko Nasu (Original Story) along with Voice Actress Maaya Sakamoto (Shiki Ryougi). The three provide insight and introspection to the novels and the theatrical chapters, as well as reflect back upon their experiences during the movies' various production stages. ■The Roots of the Garden of sinners Takashi Takeuchi: Around the time that the Garden of sinners was written, Nasu had long been involved in a table-talk RPG with his friends, serving as its game-master. A typical TRPG is like the "Record of Lodoss War" game, where players gather and chat amongst each other during gameplay. He'd been at it practically every week, so I'm sure it was pretty intense. At the time, the Internet was really starting to take off as a medium for releasing new work, and I'd been thinking that I'd like to do something myself. I thought, "Maybe I can do something with Nasu" and asked him to come aboard. That's what started the ball rolling. I think we both really wanted to do something new. Kinoko Nasu: Takeuchi was a man of action, but I was pretty timid about the whole thing. Back then, I really had an aversion to the thought of releasing my work on a website. For one thing, I wanted people to read my work on paper, and for another, I didn't like the fact that unlike artwork, there were no clear-cut lines regarding copyright. Whatever you wrote could be easily copied and pasted, and there was a risk that your material could show up elsewhere. That really scared me. And so at first I was resistant to the idea, but Takeuchi was so positive about it, telling me, "I hear you, but we've got to do something, or we'll never move forward." So he talked me into it, and I decided to forget about the bottom line and just do what I wanted to do. Takeuchi: Back then, we used to show our work among friends. We thought that if we ever wanted the public to see it, our only option would be to go professional. But it's just so hard to get your foot in the door as a professional, and it doesn't always work out. So I thought that by releasing our work on the Internet, we could a find a way to get by without going pro, and without confining ourselves to our circle of friends - sort of the middle ground. And I thought it would give Nasu a brand-new outlet for his creativity. Nasu: Well, it did provide me with an opportunity, but my initial motivation was just to do only what I wanted to do, so for me, 50% of it was self-gratification, nothing more. But by the time I'd written the third chapter, my focus had shifted from self-gratification; I found myself in a different mode, that is, I was now conscious that this project could very well be the sum of everything I'd done till that point. And from that moment on, I stopped looking at the project as just something we were uploading to test the waters - I suddenly felt that I had to give it my all, so I started pushing myself to. Maaya Sakamoto: So you didn't feel that way until midway through the series? Nasu: When I wrote the third chapter, I felt as if I'd achieved a kind of balance. There was still that element of me doing it for my own amusement until the second chapter. But when I got to the third chapter, I thought, "This is something I can probably recommend to others with confidence. If I can keep this up until the very end, then it will probably become meaningful in some way." And so I prepared myself for the task. Sakamoto: I see. So Mr. Takcuchi, did you sometimes take on the role of editor for what Mr. Nasu had written? Were there times when you had to ask him, "What's the meaning of this scene?" or "Don't you think we should do it this way?" Takeuchi: Before we launched the project, I did make certain suggestions, such as "Since we're having people read it on the web, let's try to release something on a somewhat regular basis." And although in my mind, we were going to go with a detailed, short piece, he told me that he wanted to do a series called the Garden of sinners. Once we'd settled on that, I would say things like, "If the storyline's too heavy, it won't be easy to read, so let's keep it short." Aside from that, I think I may have advised him to keep the title simple, but as for the content itself, I was really just waiting around for what he had written. And the thing is, even though I'd told him to keep it short, what he turned in was of epic proportions, right from Chapter One! (laughs) But of course, I found myself hooked on the storyline from the very start. It was like a one-man show featuring the talents of the novelist Kinoko Nasu. Nasu: Still, you can't get around the fact that print media doesn't fare well on the Internet. You can have 10 visitors, but nine of them won't read your story. I know that for Takeuchi, that was a source of frustration. So after the web series ended, he said to me, "If we can't get any accolades after having written something this good, then let's go where we'll get some recognition." Takeuchi: It was a lot tougher than we'd thought to get people to read a novel on the Internet, and not being able to overcome those barriers made the whole venture a bitter failure for us. We did end up producing it as a physical book at comic markets and events like Comitia, but I couldn't shrug off the feeling that far more people should be reading it. So I began to think strategically and hit upon the idea of creating a game for TYPE-MOON, a doujin circle for reading what Nasu had written. Nasu: There are so many different kinds of talent in this world, but the talent for creating something and the talent for making people appreciate those creations are two different things. And I probably lacked the latter. Or maybe I should say that I wasn't focusing on that aspect. I was just being stubborn, rationalizing that: "As long as you write something exceptional, there's no way that people won't flock to it." I'm still that way today. But then Takeuchi told me, "That's not enough. You've got to make an effort to get the word out about your work." And so we embarked on a project to create a doujin software called Tsukihime. And it actually took off, and this led to our end-users realizing, "Hey, this guy's written a novel, too!" And that's how people came to know about the Garden of Sinners. Takeuchi: Unlike my experience with the Garden of sinners, when we were creating the game, I ended up doing a significant amount of editing, to ensure that we'd get a lot of readers. I threw out a lot of suggestions, such as "Let's change the setting to something more easily understandable," or "Let's just get rid of this whole section." In the end, most of them worked out, so I think it was good for the project. Sakamoto: You two seem to have such a great rapport. It's like you're in a band! (laughs) I think relationships always work the best when you each have something the other doesn't. But aside from complementing each other, do you also have any similarities? Such as liking the same kind of titles. Takeuchi: Well, being that we've known each other since junior high, we've both been pretty much moved and influenced by the same things. Needless to say, we tend to be drawn to the same kind of thing, but I think it's less a matter of sharing the same sensibilities than sharing common perceptions. You know, like when you say, "Hey, that's just like how we felt that day," and the other one says, "Hey, you're right." Nasu: Takeuchi's thing is manga, mine is novels; we'd each been working hard in our respective genres. After we created that first game, we discovered how fun and rewarding it could be to work on something together, and we'd decided to just focus on the game, exclusively...but then the Garden of sinners began to draw praise here and there, and then a Kodansha editor Mr. Katsushi Ohta actually pursued us for more than four years (laughs), so we ended up releasing it in book form. The truth is, though, that when we created that game, I'd told myself, "Now that I've claimed my spot in the gaming industry, I'll drop novel-writing and become a game writer." Takeuchi: For Nasu, it was a matter of pride. But the reason we created the game in the first place was to encourage people to read the Garden of sinners. It's typical of Nasu to be so stoic about it, but for him to reject his identity as a novelist would be to make the most fundamental part of him, his standing, a precarious one. That's why I want him to go on writing novels. Nasu: Out of all the forms of entertainment we have, the novel is unique in that all you need is one author, and everything gets done. And that's why a novelist will get consumed by his own ideas and values, and balk at changing them. As you can probably tell from the nature of my work, I'm the obstinate type myself, but since I have my best friend to tell me to grow up, I think I've been able to balance it all out. Sakamoto: That's amazing! It's like Mr. Takeuchi is Mr. Nasu's producer. You make such an incredible team. Nasu: Still, I wrote the Garden of sinners at a time when I was really obstinate. Garden of sinners was written by a twenty-something author who felt he only needed his own beliefs. So it may be somewhat heavy, but that's also why I think it's meaningful as a project. ■the Garden of sinners (Theatrical Version) is launched Nasu: Come to think of it, the internet project you're doing with Mr. Ohta —"Maaya Sakamoto's Full Moon Dramatic Reading Hall"— is recorded at the same studio where we held the Garden of sinners auditions. The other day I saw you, when I stopped by the studio. Sakamoto: That's right, that's right. Oh, and I just remembered this now, but for the Garden of sinners, I auditioned not only for Shiki, but for Azaka as well. Nasu: Right, right. Sakamoto: Looking back, I have no idea what possessed me to audition for Azaka. (laughs) Now that I think about it, all I can say is that it was so not me. But I guess back then, I still had the image of someone who played younger sisters, or vivacious young girls. Actually, Shiki wasn't the kind of role I usually took, being such a cool-headed character. But I did sense that the Shiki type of character was a good fit for me. even before the Garden of sinners. So during my audition, I was able to play Shiki just the way I wanted, the way that I saw her in my mind. So when I heard that I'd gotten the role, I was pretty surprised...it made me happy that my own perception of the character had been so well received. Nasu: I thought it would be good to have a newness to Shiki's image. I discussed what we should do with the producers, Mr. Iwakami from Aniplex, and Mr. Kondo from ufotable, and as soon as we heard your voice Mr. Iwakami-san and I both said, "Yes! This is the one, don't you think?" We couldn't praise you enough. It was exactly how we'd imagined Shiki would sound, and also, we all felt that the actress's own expressiveness was coming through. As it turned out, during that meeting we said, "OK, we're going with Ms. Sakamoto. End of discussion." And when I got back to the office and told Takeuchi, he was thrilled. (laughs) Takeuchi: Well, of course, since I thought that Maaya Sakamoto was as unattainable as the sun or moon. Sakamoto: I appreciate your saying that! (laughs) Nasu: At the time, you were voicing the character Aigis in a game called Persona 3. So Takeuchi and I were like, "If Ms. Sakamoto's willing to take on game roles too, then we might as well ask her, right?" And we approached you about auditioning, and you said OK. Takeuchi: Come to think of it, the first time Ms. Sakamoto voiced Shiki for us was in the TYPE-MOON drama CD "A Day at Ahnenerbe." Sakamoto: That's right... (laughs) Nasu: Oh, that was pretty unreasonable of us. Forgive us! Sakamoto: Well, it was. (laughs) I was summoned to appear in a drama CD before we'd even started recording the movie itself. Nasu: Since we'd gotten the go-ahead to do the movie, we had you appear in the drama CD before the movie. And it wasn't even the Garden of sinners, but a drama featuring a TYPE-MOON all-star cast, so I can only imagine how difficult it must've been for you to nail down your character... Sakamoto: I was worried that I might destroy everyone's image of Shiki. Takeuchi: Oh, no, that was the point where we knew without a doubt. We were marveling at your performance: "Amazing...She's perfect!" Nasu: Since this was well before the theatrical version kicked into high gear, we asked you to do the drama CD so that you could get a feel for your character. So compared to the current Shiki, that earlier one seemed more upbeat. Even so, we were certain that you were on the right track. Sakamoto: Shiki was a breath of fresh air for me, a type of character I'd never encountered before. That's precisely why she intrigued me, and why I was so into taking on the challenge of voicing her. When I saw the promotions for the theatrical version, I got a real sense of how much it was being eagerly anticipated by the fans of the original novels, and that in turn became a source of pressure for me: "Wow, I've been given an epic role!" Back then, I'm sure there were a lot of people who couldn't imagine me voicing Shiki, and I remember people being surprised that I was doing it. the Garden of sinners fans have such a profound affection for the original novels, after all, so I think there were a lot of people who were living in dread right up until Chapter One was released. Everyone has their own image of what Shiki's voice should sound like in their minds. There are tens of thousands of "right answers," yet everyone hopes that the actual voice will be at least a little close to what they have in mind. So at first I was pretty apprehensive about how they'd take my performance. Nasu: But the opinion of the fans who saw Chapter One - of course, most of them said that the movie itself was very good, but about the same number of fans said that, "Ms. Sakamoto's voice was a better match than I'd imagined." I'm sure everyone had their own image in their head until they actually heard you, but as far as your acting was concerned, I'd say that everyone embraced you: "This is, without question, Shiki." Sakamoto: But for some reason, I never had any misgivings about the role. I'm an avid reader, and as far as novels go I always know without a doubt whether a book is for me or not. So normally, a novel would be the most difficult genre for me to take on. But in the case of the Garden of sinners, after passing my audition, I took the time to settle down and read the original novel, and it was amazing how quickly I found myself "immersed" in the storyline. Many of the motifs in the novel are fantasy-oriented, and yet the story never came off as unrealistic. I could totally relate to it and found it very close to my heart. For example, the book discussed the reasons why it's wrong to kill other people, and showed a world in which "boy meets girl" was repeated over and over. So for me, the most basic messages, the simplest messages that anyone would want to infuse their work of art with could all be found in this long novel. Nasu: You're embarrassing me, but thank you very much. As I mentioned earlier, I wrote the Garden of sinners based upon my own beliefs; perhaps it was because of my youth, but I made a conscious effort to include a good number of prose poem-like passages. I guess I wanted to describe what was happening as poetically as possible. Maybe that's why it ended up slipping right into your heart like that. Sakamoto: Normally, there wouldn't be an outlet for expressing what you want, as much as you want. Because the older you get, and the more you come to understand what your job is, the more you find yourself trying to live up to someone's expectations, or do whatever is most appropriate - that becomes your priority. But I'm sure that you wrote the Garden of sinners just for yourself...and I mean that in a positive way. It may sound egotistical, but I realized that doing something just for yourself actually shows that you have a burning energy that can find its way into people's hearts. I certainly think that this novel has the energy of something that was "created without any restrictions." Nasu: Well, you're absolutely right. Even I'm taken aback by my own fervor at that age. Sakamoto: It made me think, "So there are books like this in the world; are there any other books out there that make this kind of argument?" Being a performer and singer, as well as someone who writes herself, it's reassuring to know that there are creators like you, and it really struck a chord in me. Even so, I found nothing mysterious about Shiki. There was no reason for me to wonder, "Why did Shiki say that?" That's why even though there was always an interval between each recording session, and I had to return to the role of Shiki after months of hiatus, I never had any misgivings. I may have had some questions about the script, like "What is she feeling right now?" but as soon as I looked at the novel, I'd find my answer: "Oh, right, I see." I could sense that Shiki and I had become one, so much that even if we recorded every single scene one after the other, as Shiki, SHIKI, or the early Shiki, I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought. It's rare to come across such a role as that, and I found it to be a unique experience. Nasu: About the recording sessions, I thought that Shiki and Mikiya were spot-on from Chapter Three onward. You would turn in your best performances even without our prodding. In that sense, we could really count on you, as the guest actors for each chapter would come in and adjust to this unwavering world that you two had created. Sakamoto: That's why, to be honest, since I'd fallen so completely for the world depicted in the novel, I was totally looking at it from a fan's point of view. I was even thinking, "How are they going to turn this into a movie? Is the movie going to live up to my expectations?" (laughs) So when Chapter One was finished and I saw it for the first time, it couldn't have been more thrilling for me. Like, "I see!" The novel had been sublimated into entertainment and yet, it seemed as though nothing was being compromised; when I saw the film, I thought, "This is what happens when grownups get serious about something!" Or should I say, "They're serious about bringing this world to the big screen!" (laughs) Nasu: During the recording sessions, the film wasn't yet complete - there was no color, and so on. So even though we knew what shape the film was going to take, all of us — except for those at ufotable, who had the full picture — were pretty nervous. So I think we were even more surprised at the screening than our viewers. Like, "Hey! Hold on, this is really amazing!" (laughs) I don't think I've ever felt the same kind of excitement as I did that day. I remember that Chapter One was released just when we were recording Chapter Two, and we went up on the stage to speak to the viewers right after we were done recording. After that, there was a toast, but the whole staff was unbelievably pumped up (laughs). Sakamoto: Yes, it was crazy. Nasu: After seeing the film in its finished form, we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves at the party, knowing that we were set. To put it the other way around, until then we were probably apprehensive, wondering how we were going to make a movie out of that novel. ■ Shiki Ryougi as played by Maaya Sakamoto Takeuchi: Since Nasu always gives his worldview a strong backbone, I think it's significant that Ms. Sakamoto felt no qualms about the character, as she mentioned earlier. The book really allows you to immerse yourself deeply. Just as Ms. Sakamoto was able to read it while deeply immersed in its world, numerous other readers were able to do the same. And that's probably why everyone had their own respective the Garden of sinners built up inside them. I'm sure there are many kinds of authors, but Nasu is the kind whose readers are able to let their own personal worldviews take root within. In other words, he allows his readers a lot of leeway. Normally, an exceptional script would be clear about how the finished product should be; it should be like a blueprint, for example indicating things like "this character should have this kind of face, and have that actor's voice." But in Nasu's case, readers are invited to add their own take to the finished product, creating their own respective "right answers." Sakamoto: I can see that. Takeuchi: When I read and think, "This is it!" it makes me feel as though I'm eliciting the answer on my own, and this makes it all the more fun for me to create the visuals. There's no sense that I'm being made to draw - I do it because I want to draw. I really enjoy reading a passage and thinking, "This is how it should be!" and transfer the image in my mind to the page. The same was true for the theatrical version of the Garden of sinners, and when I saw the movie, it occurred to me that we didn't just visualize the book, just the way it was written. For example, if you look at the Fujou Building in Chapter One; although it was just a single building in the novel, we turned it into massive ruins for the movie. That gave me more of a jolt than anything else, but the impression it gave me couldn't have been more in keeping with the Garden of sinners. That was a significant point regarding Chapter One. Sakamoto: Yes, you're right. Takeuchi: As Gen Urobuchi said, the movie would have fallen short if we'd only visualized Nasu's book as is. In the novel, the Fujou Building was a single building, but I think that the director was well aware that there was much more to our image of the Fujou Building, as readers. It's not so much that making it a cluster of high-rises was the right answer, but probably more along the lines of that being one of the right answers. Either way, the director, Aoki-san, did quite a remarkable job of creating visuals for what Nasu had indicated on the written page. And personally, I'd like to emulate him in that sense when I work on future TYPE-MOON projects. You can't say, "Turning a single high-rise into a cluster of buildings? That's not going to fly." You've got to look at it this way: "What is this passage trying to convey?" Nasu: Of all of the novels, Chapter One involved the most snap decisions...or maybe I should say it was a series of trial-and-error, so there was a real need for us to make some fundamental revisions for the movie. I can't thank Mr. Aoki (director of Chapter One) and the ufotable team enough for all that they did to raise it up to such a high level of entertainment. Also, with the novels, the content changes by chapter, so you can't just go out and create the same kind of entertainment for Chapter Two onward as you did with Chapter One. Chapter Two was subdued, but there's no way to change that storyline. I did think it would be boring to just turn it into a movie. So at the meeting we decided that the best thing to do would be to "believe in our viewers for Chapter Two and give them a story with nothing flamboyant, just a quiet, contemplative piece." But I was still worried that our viewers might not understand the ebb and flow of each chapter. In the end, of course, they responded just as I'd hoped. Takeuchi: The opening visuals for Chapter Two are gorgeous-looking. Nasu: Unlike Chapter One, it starts out with a shot of a beautiful shore. From the start, you can see our intention to create different visuals for all seven chapters. Sakamoto: I love it. I like all of the chapters, but the contemplative nature of Chapters Two and Four are especially my favorites. In particular, it really struck me how after all of the sweeping drama and passion of Chapter One, Chapter Two cooled you down in such a seamless fashion. Also for me, the Garden of sinners is Mikiya's and Shiki's story. It seemed as though this incredible world was expanding just for the sake of their story; I really believe that it was because of Chapter Two that we were able to make the transition to the next chapters, Three and Four. Nasu: True, this chapter is all about Mikiya's and Shiki's world. Sakamoto: It was very rewarding for me as a performer, switching back and forth between Shiki and SHIKI. There was also a lot of dialogue that really resonated with me, and some scenes were like being in a play. Especially that scene where Mikiya and Shiki are talking in the classroom at sunset; it was such an intense scene that I could feel my body and skin tingling throughout the performance. That was quite memorable. Also, I was struck by Shiki's line to Mikiya at the commencement ceremony: "Who are you?" It's a crucial scene, in which Shiki makes her first appearance in the world of the Garden of sinners, so I thought I should be careful with my delivery, but during the recording session, the director never said a word. So the whole time I was thinking, "Are you sure this is what you want?!" (laughs) Nasu: Mr. Nonaka (director of Chapter Two) is a very quiet person. Even if you ask him during recording sessions, "What do you think, Mr. Nonaka?" he's like, "Oh, we're good now." (laughs) Sakamoto: I was thinking, "Well, this is my take on it, but is everyone else okay with it?" but since we just kept on recording without him saying anything, I thought it must have meant that things were fine, but I was a little nervous. Nasu: Well, but you were actually perfect. (laughs) Sakamoto: In this series, a character's lines aren't always necessarily the truth. "This isn't what I'm thinking, but that's how I put it into words"; "I haven't said all that I want to say" or "You can't really tell who she's actually talking about." There were a lot of omissions like that. Nasu: There are quite a lot of instances of "This is what I'm saying, but I actually mean the opposite." I thought that it wouldn't be very clear to the voice actors, so I decided to attend every recording session. I know it's hard to pick up on subtle nuances, so I thought it would save time to have the writer himself see the recording process, and explain the meanings of certain lines then and there. But at the sessions, I never once pointed out that "You're saying this, but you actually mean the opposite." I found that incredible. It really surprised me. Sakamoto: Since it's not as if we just say what's written in the script, it's really hard to find a way to convey those nuances. I think that the Garden of sinners provided me with the most difficult homework ever. I especially found Chapter Two to be the most Japanese in style. It felt like a Japanese film. There was a lot left unsaid, a lot of significant beats, and it left a lot unexplained in the dialogue. Nasu: Actually, at the first meeting for Chapter Two, we discussed the fact that, if we were to compare it to a Japanese film, it would be close in atmosphere to the director Kiyoshi Kurosawa's CURE. Simply bringing over that same atmosphere would definitely be too scary, but we did want to convey a convincing sense of fear within the flow of the story itself, while not doing anything too showy, like scaring the audience with loud noises or using threatening camera angles. And we wanted to keep the atmosphere transparent. So we wanted someone with a down-to-earth approach to directing, and we turned to Mr. Nonaka for Chapter Two. We decided on directors for each chapter according to their areas of expertise; for example, for Chapter Five, with its acrobatic structure and frenzied storyline, we turned to the edgier Mr. Hirao. ■The end of the first theatrical phase Sakamoto: The first phase of the theatrical release of the Garden of sinners went up to the next episode, Chapter Three. After Chapter Three, we sort of went on hiatus unintentionally. (laughs) Nasu: The release was delayed for a month. But let's not talk about that anymore. (laughs) Chapter Three, which was directed by Mr. Obunai, was bursting with spectacular visuals, featured charismatic characters, and had a lot of action scenes. It was emotionally appealing for viewers. Takeuchi: It has storyline characteristics similar to those found in shonen manga. Nasu: In Chapter Three of the novel, I was able to consolidate the entertainment and mystery elements, along with what I myself wanted to do, so as I said before, it became a good index for the Garden of sinners. I thought it was a story that readers would naturally find themselves drawn into. On the other hand, I didn't think the mystery elements could be visualized, so we cut them all out of the theatrical version. After making those cuts, I realized that we were left with a pretty straightforward story and I thought, "That was a bad move... But oh well!" (laughs) Takeuchi: But in the movie, the scene where the bridge collapses was really dynamic. Like the Fujou Building in Chapter One, I was curious as to how it would translate to film and I found myself surprised: "So that's how it turned out." Sakamoto: It's like a Hollywood movie, don't you think? Takeuchi: In the book, there was really only a rather brief description of the destruction of the bridge. In the film version, it became a spectacle, like "BOOM!" I was really impressed. (laughs) It was just too cool. I couldn't believe how intense that scene was. Nasu: What you can depict in just a single line on paper can turn into a visual spectacle. After the Garden of sinners, I was working on a game when I was told, "We can only provide you with 20 backgrounds." At first I thought, "What kind of story do you expect me to come up with if you're only giving me 20 scenes?" But later on, I realized that I was thinking in terms of "film production costs." Since then, I've tried to be vigilant about how much artwork I'm going to need for games, but I had no such perception when I was writing the Garden of sinners.... When they were creating the visuals for the bridge scene in Chapter Three, I thought, "This is harsh, it's really a lot of work adapting a novel to the big screen." Sakamoto: Oh, I see! Nasu: About the guest character Fujino, as someone who can feel nothing, due to the loss of her sense of pain, she's like a counterpart to Shiki, who has no sense of being alive. Compared to Chapters One and Two, which were more in the "only readers who get it are welcome" vein, Chapter Three should be more accessible, making readers think, "Oh, so that's what that's all about," regarding Shiki's issues. I think it served as a good conclusion to the first half of the seven-chapter series. I also wanted to depict Fujino as a girl who was a good match for Shiki. I'd wanted to explore the issue of insensitivity to pain before I started writing the Garden of sinners, so it was like a last resort, which I had up my sleeve for quite a while. Sakamoto: But not just in the case of Mamiko Noto, who played Fujino, all of the voice talent seems to have slid comfortably into their roles; it makes you wonder just how they did the casting for this project. Until the Garden of sinners, I never really had the chance to work with Mamiko, but in the scene where Mamiko and I — as Fujino and Shiki — battled it out verbally, it felt so natural for the two of us to be facing off like that. So when we were done, we found that we'd bonded in a strange way, like we were "comrades." We gripped each other's hands as if to say "Thanks!" - that's how intense that recording session was. I think that in many ways, Shiki felt that Fujino had the upper hand over her. She was completely different from herself, but that difference was precisely why she harbored this inexplicable sense of not being able to recognize her. Nasu: Regarding the difference between Shiki and Fujino, when Mr. Kondo said to me, "I don't understand the meaning of what Shiki says to Mikiya after the battle," I answered, "Fujino kills for the sake of killing, but Shiki kills in order to live." Meaning that deep down inside, Shiki does have the desire to live a normal life. To give you a crude metaphor, it's like the dilemma of having to kill and eat animals in order to live. On the other hand, Fujino is nothing like that; she's been going on killing sprees as a way to avoid reality because she has no desire to live a normal life. In the end, Shiki realizes this about Fujino and is relieved; that's why she has the following epiphany: "I thought I was a beast like Fujino, but at the very root of my being, I have the desire (even if it's never fulfilled) to be with Mikiya." After losing SHIKI and regaining consciousness, Shiki has been full of self-loathing, but then she realizes that she still has someone she can lean on, and that's why she smiles here. ...That's what I explained to Mr. Kondo and he said, "Well, I never would've known if you hadn't told me!" (laughs) Sakamoto: That's why we were given a glimpse of the Shiki we never got to see in Chapter One or Chapter Two. I think Chapter Three is the one in which Shiki finally shows us the passion she never lets surface. So it was a little different playing her in Chapter Three, and when at the very end there's only Mikiya and Shiki in the scene, you realize that this is how this project is going to end, with these two. I really like the way she smiles in that scene. After waging that violent battle, and giving Mikiya such an adorable smile at the end...well, for a second, I don't think I'd know what to do myself. (laughs) I'd be like, "Is it okay for Shiki to be this sweet?" Nasu: Initially, I wasn't going to have Shiki smile like that in the final scene. (laughs) The fact is, a powerful smile like that is quite disarming, but it's a good visual and she looks strong. I thought it was the kind of expression we could only get away with in the theatrical version, so I gave it the go-ahead. But perhaps you'll notice that it's not a refreshing kind of smile. We needed something somewhat ephemeral, and yet it had to be a strong smile to close out the movie, so that's what we ended up with. Sakamoto: It turned out to be a good scene, don't you think? I think it was amazing. ■ And on to Phase Two Nasu: Next up is Chapter Four, the first episode of Phase Two. Chapter Four...was simply magnificent. Sakamoto: Yes, it was. Takeuchi: Chapter Four really has an exquisite balance to it. At the end, there's Shiki's awakening scene. I think it qualifies as solid entertainment as well. The opening scene in the hospital was pretty intense, too. Nasu: If you want to know what a hassle it was to create that scene where Shiki's being carted into the hospital... Every time I ran into Mr. Kondo he'd tell me, "This is where I'm all stiff, this is how much effort it's taking, this is how far we're going to achieve results." (laughs) Sakamoto: I really liked the novel for Chapter Four. There were so many memorable lines. But at first, I couldn't imagine how you could make a whole movie out of this one chapter. When I saw the finished film, I could see that it moved at a good pace, and there was intensity, and I was really surprised: "Wow, they've made it into such a spectacular piece of entertainment!" Also, you really start liking Touko. "You're giving up and running away? Go, Touko!" Nasu: On one level, Chapter Four was the story of Shiki's awakening, but at the same time it's also Touko's story. Until now, we'd seen her as cynical, but here we discover that she's a good person at heart, or at least that she's not evil. Sakamoto: Also, the scene at the end where Shiki awakens and goes into battle was so exciting. Nasu: When Takeuchi saw that scene, he said, "Shiki with long hair is too perfect for words!" (laughs) Takeuchi: That was pretty amazing. Like when she removed her bandages. Sakamoto: The part where she cuts off her hair...that was really cool! Nasu: But Takeuchi was like, "Don't cut it off! Leave it long!" (laughs) Takeuchi: Actually, the long-haired version of Shiki was a link to the creation of "that" character in "Future Gospel." Nasu: What, you mean that was what inspired you? I see! Anyway, Phase Two turned out to be a great two-episode series, with two contrasting chapters - Mr. Takiguchi's Chapter Four and Mr. Hirao's Chapter Five. Because of the timing for their release, Phase Two only contained Chapter Four and Chapter Five, but I'm really fond of Chapter Five. There are a lot of differences with the novel, and actually, out of all seven chapters, it's the only one that I find somewhat strange compared to the novel, or should I say it's the one film that resoundingly emphasizes my ego. So I think there may be some readers who wanted the film to stay faithful to the novel, but I thought it was a film that could stand alone and sparkle, that its strangeness, or perhaps its extremeness was most appropriate for Chapter Five. Takeuchi: Normally, you'd think that if we were going to make a theatrical version of the Garden of sinners, we could've gotten by if we just made a film of Chapter Five. That's how much it stood out from the others, from Chapters One through Four; it could definitely stand on its own. Nasu: There's a definite philosophical undercurrent throughout the entire film. The opening scene, where Tomoe stabs his mother and is escaping down the hall of the apartment complex, is shown from an extremely objective point of view. Chapter Five is just very surreal overall. But then there's also the director Mr. Hirao's unique solidness, so that you never feel that it's surreal. Takeuchi: Chapter Five has that "This is the Garden of sinners" feel to it, in a different way that Chapter One does. Nasu: Right, if we were to depict the Garden of sinners seriously, like a romantic novel, this is probably how it would turn out. But doing all seven of the chapters in this style wouldn't have worked. This is what makes it so the Garden of sinners-esque. Sakamoto: Having each of the directors bring their respective styles to the table was certainly an interesting idea. But something occurred to me while we were working on Chapter Five. When I received the script for Chapter Five, I had to re-read it over and over just to figure out where the scenes transitioned, and when the timeline shifted. I had no idea how it would be portrayed on film, but when I saw the finished film, I thought, "So he wrote this with this structure in his head! Amazing!" Tomoe was one of my favorite characters, so I was also looking forward to see how he'd be portrayed. Takeuchi: When you first see him, the character Tomoe allows viewers to relate to him. I think that's one aspect that sets Chapter Five apart from the others. Nasu: Unlike the previous chapters, it's not about Mikiya and Shiki - it's about Tomoe and Souren Araya, so that might have given it a sense of uniqueness. Sakamoto: Also, Shiki's battle scene is incredible. Shiki's too powerful to be true! I remember there were no visuals whatsoever when we recorded that scene. (laughs) I had no idea what I was doing, and later when I saw the film, I thought, "Wow, that's amazing! I didn't know Shiki was moving around that much!" (everyone bursts into laughter) But my favorite scene from this movie is at the end - the conversation between Araya and Touko. Both their acting and their lines were just incredible. I got the feeling that we'd have a really tight ending for this series. Nasu: For some reason, no one's really brought this up, even though she's appeared in all seven of the chapters, but Takako Honda's acting (as Touko Aozaki) is impeccable every time. Since she's famous for dubbing foreign actors, it was something of a gamble to feature that calm voice in the Garden of sinners, but she was simply amazing. Touko is the least realistic of the characters, and yet she played her as a grounded person. Sakamoto: For this chapter, it seemed to me that Tomoe was doing most of the talking. There are a lot of Tomoe/Shiki conversations, but since it's always been Mikiya and Shiki talking in the previous chapters, having Shiki suddenly talk only to Tomoe just shows how out of sync they are, in terms of what Tomoe's saying and what Shiki's saying. (laughs) There's just no conversation where they're on the same page. Nasu: That's true. Those two are fundamentally on different wavelengths. (laughs) Sakamoto: Really, when Shiki starts talking it has absolutely nothing to do with what Tomoe just said. And there's over an hour's worth of those out-of-sync conversations! (laughs) But after doing those scenes, I realized that Shiki and Mikiya's relationship must be really special. Tomoe's a good guy, but Shiki's off living in an entirely different world. I'm sure this was planned from the start, but at the end, when you see Shiki speaking with Mikiya, you can tell what kind of relationship they have, compared to what she had with Tomoe. But the more you watch, the sadder it gets. Tomoe is really a sort of foreign object. I felt that he was a foreign object that had entered the Garden of sinners world. He's unlike any of the other characters who appeared in previous episodes. That might also be due to the atmosphere given off by Mr. Tetsuya Kakihara (the voice for Tomoe). Nasu: Mr. Kakihara's voice is just a bit higher in quality than the rest of the cast. Because of that, we were able to give the impression that Tomoe wasn't like the characters in the other chapters. He was a newcomer who made his first appearance in Chapter Five, or should I say he was a brand-new entity in the Garden of sinners world. You called him a foreign object, Ms. Sakamoto, but actually he's... Sakamoto: Yes, he's the opposite. But since I always take Shiki's viewpoint, I can't help but see him as a foreign object. Nasu: That's right. It's exactly the way you just described it. Sakamoto: Combined with the surrealistic direction of Chapter Five, I thought he was a fresh existence. Nasu: At first, Tomoe comes off as the kind of character who you think can't pick up on subtext. But in the scene where he's telling Mikiya goodbye, viewers realize, "Hey, he's just like us, he's a normal person." To put it the other way, as someone who's completely ordinary, yet can converse with Shiki and have a relationship with her...well, Mikiya is actually the strangest of them all. (laughs) Sakamoto: I know, that boy is definitely abnormal. (laughs) ■Completion of all seven chapters, and on to the future Nasu: Chapter Six was another episode with a lot of ebb and flow, and it was something of a breather. Sakamoto: Oh, I thought it was another fun chapter. Nasu: First and foremost, this chapter shows how cute Azaka is, so we decided to grant extraterritorial rights and carte blanche to the director, and turned to ufotable's No. 1 "cute girl" director, Mr. Miura. Sakamoto: Extraterritorial rights! (laughs) Nasu: Ayumi Fujimura, who played Azaka, had worked with us on the Garden of sinners web radio show. Since the Garden of sinners ended up being a longer-term project than what we'd originally envisioned, she was a tireless, unsung hero for us, working behind the scenes. She would communicate with our audience over the radio, even when we weren't releasing anything, and drummed up a lot of anticipation, so they could look forward to the release dates. I can't thank her enough. Sakamoto: Ms. Fujimura is such a serious actor. When she first set foot in the studio, you could tell that she'd already prepared on her own, extensively, to build the Azaka character on her own. That aspect was really in sync with Azaka herself. She's younger than me, so I really came to see her as a kid sister. When we started recording Chapter Six, in which Azaka was finally featured, you could see that from the start, Ms. Fujimura was totally pumped up about it, so the scene where Azaka's being a straight arrow and Shiki's like "Calm down, now" and they're sitting together at a table...that made me think, "Isn't this what Shiki's feeling?" It's like Shiki's really so fond of Azaka that she can't help herself. Azaka may view Shiki as her rival, but Shiki's probably feeling all big-sisterly. That's the feeling that I got. Nasu: From Chapter One, Ms. Fujimura would show up at the studio in the morning, even if she had no lines. She's really diligent. Sakamoto: But just when I was thinking that Chapter Six was going to take a different turn from the other chapters, which were all packed with emotion, I found myself surprised at the screening. It might have been just the women, but that last scene, where Azaka's delivering her monologue about her feelings for her big brother, really brought everyone to tears. During the screening, the members of Kalafina were sitting in front of me, but after the film was over we were like, "I actually cried!" "I know, I know!" For girls, there may be something about Azaka that tugs at our hearts, like "Azaka...how painfully sad!" You start to think that maybe Azaka's the one you should pity the most and it makes you tear up. Also, from Chapter Six, I'll never forget Misaya's "Very well!" (laugh) Nasu: Yes, that "Very well!" of Ms. (Nana) Mizuki's was beyond anything we'd imagined. (laughs) Sakamoto: Really, it was awesome to hear. Nasu: I know. We didn't think it would be that manic. So in the studio, we were all gushing about it: "Amazing! Incredible!" Takeuchi: There was no "Very well!" in the novel, was there? Nasu: No, no. When we were discussing how to establish Misaya's character after abridging the novel for the movie, Mr. Hiramatsu, the screenwriter, asked me, "In your mind, Mr. Nasu, is Misaya a well-bred young lady?" and I answered, "Hmm, well...'Very well!'" Everyone: What?! (laughs) Nasu: So then we decided to have her say that and when I saw the finished script I said, "Mr. Hiramatsu, you're making her say it too much!" (laughs) Sakamoto: I love it when she says, "Very well, Ms. Kokutou!" I just adore hearing that "Ms. Kokutou" after the "Very well." (laughs) And moving on to Chapter Seven, the last chapter, we can't really convey much about it in the short time that we have. Nasu: That's a very strong statement. (laughs) Sakamoto: Well, it was like a general mobilization by the director...the fact that everyone from the previous chapters had gathered once more to make the final chapter really seemed to fire everyone up. I was really impressed by the whole atmosphere. There was a real sense that it was a team effort, for those of us who were involved in making this film. And even though everyone was a full-fledged, adult professional, it was all so uplifting to be working together, as if it were like a club for college students. And everyone seemed like a "grown-up kid" doing what they wanted. That was true of both the staff and cast, but the thing was, it seemed like one last compilation before graduation - that was what making Chapter Seven was like, and I could see that it was a work of passion. Nasu: Based on the quality we'd maintained through Chapter Six, I could feel everyone's enthusiasm for doing everything we possibly could in this genre, since this was going to be our final compilation. And as a result, we ended up with a 2-hour movie - "Huh, what are you talking about?" That's what happened. (laughs) But as for the cast, while watching the recording sessions I could feel the intensity through the glass window. For the previous chapters, the staff was always double-checking scripts or talking during the recording sessions, but in the case of Chapter Seven, everyone was completely silent and tense. Sakamoto: The impact of Rio (Shirazumi), played by Soichiro Hoshi, was tremendous during the recording. I was completely blown away. All I could do was sigh in amazement. (laughs) Nasu: Before recording started, Hoshi-san wasn't the least bit nervous. I don't remember who it was, but someone said, "Rio is transforming into a beast, but he has to remain a 'pretty boy' till the end." Unlike Souren Araya in Chapter Five, he shouldn't be like a Big Boss, but at the same time he shouldn't seem like a low-level boss, either. "What I liked about Mr. Hoshi's performance was that even as his voice became more beast-like, he never lost that 'pretty boy' quality." When I heard that comment, I thought, "Right, I see." In the novel, Rio was someone I wanted to sympathize with; he was someone I really hated and he was someone I wanted to know more about; he was a very mysterious character. The Rio that Mr. Hoshi portrayed captured the essence of the character at the very end, and so Rio's lines really brought me to tears. The scene where he's confronting Mikiya...You could tell that part of him wanted to cry out, "Help me" while another part of him was warning, "Stay away from me" and it was just unbearable for me to watch him in conflict like that. I wanted to cry over Mikiya's and Shiki's lines at the end, but I wound up crying over Rio's lines in the preceding scenes. Takeuchi: There was no flashy action or crumbling bridges in Chapter Seven, but it still had the greatest visual impact of all of the chapters. Nasu: When you get right down to it, Chapter Seven is pretty drab. There are only scenes of the city and the factory. I'm impressed that we were still able to make a film of this scale despite its drabness. The visuals and music for Chapter Seven were all, without exception, dignified and splendid. The music throughout the entire series — by Ms. Yuki Kajiura and Kalafina — was so amazing that I couldn't imagine anyone else taking over. They didn't just make music to be played in the background - I got a strong sense that they were trying to create a kind of synergy between the visuals and the music to maximize the effect of the movie. So as you might expect, each song matches each scene perfectly. Initially, I was surprised that they were going to use seven different theme songs, one apiece for each chapter, but now I'm really glad that they did it that way. Sakamoto: When work on Chapter Seven ended. I felt a strange mixture of sadness and a sense of achievement. While I was playing Shiki, even if there was some downtime until the next recording session, I could look forward to receiving the next script and thinking, "I wonder what kind of film they're going to make next?" I really feel as though this project was always close to me, not just during those times. I'm really glad to have been involved in a project that was made with such care, taking so much time. When it was over, I was as moved as if I'd just graduated from school. And then I somehow felt some closure. That's why, when we recorded the Final Chapter, I felt that I was able to overlook the progression of all seven chapters. And that may be why it was easy for me to portray Shiki's new personality, which appeared in the Final Chapter. Takeuchi: It's the same for any production site, particularly whenever production drags on longer than planned - the things that sustain your motivation are perseverance and love, and also tension. At first, you're able to move at a certain speed, but as you grow more exhausted, it gets harder and harder to keep moving at the same pace as you'd originally planned, the Garden of sinners ended up taking a lot longer than we'd estimated, but the reason why we were all able to keep up our pace till the end was because we had a staff that had perseverance and love. Not just the production staff, but also everyone from the producers to the cast, to the advertising/PR staff - everyone had love and respect for the project, and nothing was more reassuring to me than that. In that sense, I really think the Garden of sinners production was blessed. It's a shame that such a happy time has to come to an end, but I hope that we can treasure all of the many connections we made throughout the series, and move on to accomplish something new. Nasu: When all seven chapters were done, I felt sad too: "So it's over now." Nevertheless, I was happy that the series was finished. It was because I was able to say to myself, "It ended well, I have no regrets," that after some time had gone by, I could think, "Let me look back on that project" and work on the Epilogue. If I'd written the Final Chapter right after Chapter Seven, I don't think I could've achieved the same level of farsightedness. I really think we were blessed with timing and opportunities with the Garden of sinners, right until the very end. It took a long time, but at the same time everything worked out. When I first wrote the novels, I'd already reached a resolution within myself regarding the project, and it was basically over as far as Kinoko Nasu was concerned. I only thought it would become "something I did a long time ago." Now that we're done with the theatrical version, I look upon it as "a project that will remain in my heart forever." For example, when I make something like "A Day at Ahnenerbe," it's reassuring to know that I always have, as a matter of course, the characters from the Garden of sinners inside me. Although it did come to an end once inside my head, as part of the TYPE-MOON project, I can go on adding Shiki Ryougi to future projects. And I think that's the ultimate result for the title, for the staff, and for all of the users who loved the Garden of sinners. Page 30 Message from HIKARU KONDO / president of ufotable the Garden of sinners (Theatrical Version) was produced by a studio named ufotable, during a crucial, once-in-a-lifetime period. You could call it the accumulation of time during which a child climbs the stairway to adulthood, chapter by chapter. For that reason, it would be difficult for us to remake it if we were asked to do so. It was only made possible because of that timing. We were able to set aside all production conditions and schedules, and all complexities, to focus solely on making the Garden of sinners an exceptional film. And the pace only got faster with each chapter. The air that flows inside these visuals only existed during this time, and it will live on forever inside this Blu-ray Disc Box. The conflicting emotions, "I have to grow up" and "I want to stay the way I am" will never go away, no matter how old you are. ~ ufotable President Hikaru Kondo Page 47 the Art Works of Takashi TAKEUCHI Blu-ray Disc Box Cover Art / finishing: Hirokazu Koyama This is the long-awaited Blu-ray Box set release. Not only is the artwork for this box set the last stop of the Garden of sinners movie project, I also wanted it to be a sort of recap for the entire series. It didn't take long to decide on Shiki as the central character, but I took a long time picking who should be positioned behind her and also on the layout. I also agonized over the final look, but when I placed the Spiral of Origin in the center of the illustration, I felt as though everything had come into sharp focus. I take my hat off to the color-setting and finishing by Hirokazu Koyama, who managed to bring out the finalized version from my rough color-setting guidelines. Theatrical Announcement Key Art #1 / finishing: Hirokazu Koyama An illustration created for the first announcement of the theatrical version. It's a simple design, centering on the characters and it also draws upon the unique images of the story. The image of Shiki thrusting the knife towards the sky was one of the first that came to my mind, and I later created five to six more rough drafts, but this layout turned out to be the most powerful. Those are Death Lines racing across the sky. This is the only drawing featuring the Death Lines. All of the teaser visuals, starting with this announcement, were color-set/ finished by Hirokazu Koyama. Theatrical Announcement Key Art #2 / finishing: Hirokazu Koyama This was the illustration that introduced Touko's redesign. In the first one, she seemed quite sharp, so this time I decided to draw on the Garden of sinners' youth novel-like qualities and expose that side of her. Since I was clear about the concept, I had no qualms while working on the drafts. The composition is simple, but it's finished with soft hues and I feel that it reflects Shiki's image of melting into the sky. I couldn't have asked for better timing to redesign Touko. Theatrical Announcement Key Art #3 / finishing: Hirokazu Koyama This is a bona fide "key visual for a movie called the Garden of sinners." The concept is straightforward and romantic, the Garden of sinners brings to mind back alleys and blood, so right away I decided to use that as a base. I think I made about 10 drafts. There were mixed opinions among the staff, so the producer, Mr. Iwakami (producer), chose this one. Personally, I had another one in mind, but now that I look over it again I find it a bit too frenetic, so I think the right choice was made. Theatrical Announcement Key Art #4 / finishing: Hirokazu Koyama The concept is the same as for No. 3 - a "royal road of occult" concept. But this one is more active. It's also known as "the Garden of sinners - Fierce Battle Version." As for colors, I had them go with red as the main hue, to counter the blue of No. 3. Mr. Kondo of ufotable commanded me to have Alba pose with his finger to his lip, and it matches the scene in the movie where he makes his first appearance. During the draft stages, I contemplated putting Touko and Azaka in there as well, but it ended up being one of the rare illustrations with Shiki as the lone female. Theatrical Announcement Key Art #5 / finishing: Hirokazu Koyama This was used as the key visual for Phase Three. I hadn't planned to draw something like this, so at first I was quite reluctant, but I did it after Mr. Iwakami talked me into it. The gorgeous, golden location and the white kimono-clad Shiki was a motif that I'd been drawing since the doujin version. Since it depicted my image of the end of the Garden of sinners, I feel quite attached to it. Although it was an unplanned visual, it's become my favorite of all the Garden of sinners illustrations. "Thanatos." Limited DVD Art / finishing: MORIYA For the DVD artwork, the concept was single characters. Needless to say, the first one depicted Shiki. Before starting work on Volume One, I had a rough idea of the overall image, but what I had in mind at the time was "Volume One: Shiki", "Volume Two: SHIKI", "Volume Three: Fujino", "Volume Four: Mikiya", "Volume Five: Touko", "Volume Six: Azaka", "Volume Seven: Shiki (kimono)." Since we were going to include illustrated postcards, I thought I might as well create slightly different versions. It was a lot of fun to think about, since a lot of the characters have dual personalities. But this would come back to haunt me later on... "...and nothing heart." Limited DVD Art / finishing: MORIYA This is Shiki as a high school student. The variation was SHIKI, smiling in the rain of blood. I believe I was able to encompass pretty much everything that I had in mind, including the variation with SHIKI. For DVD artwork, I draw the most significant scene of the volume. The bamboo forest background in Chapter Two was beautiful and left a deep impression on me. As a film, I found Chapter Two to have a different tone than that of Chapter One, perhaps because each chapter is helmed by a different director, but in watching the films, I felt that this influenced the diversity of the Garden of sinners. "ever cry, never life." Limited DVD Art / finishing: MORIYA I remember having a hard time working on the layout for this. If you go by scene, there's no way you can omit Broad Bridge, but in the movie, they didn't really battle it out on the bridge for that long. Also, I agonized a lot over Fujino. My personal concept of Fujino was too strong, and I couldn't stop drawing her the same way every time. The more I drew, the worse it became, which you might be able to tell by looking. (sweat beads forming) The variation was the power activation version. Those eyes, distorted by suffering, and those lips twisting with joy are Fujino staples. "garan-no-dou." Limited DVD Art / finishing: MORIYA Garan no Dou and Touko. The initial design featured Mikiya, but I thought it would be better to use a female character, and after all, the title of Chapter Four was garan-no-dou... And so it got changed. And that was another thing that later came back to haunt me.... The variation was Touko without her glasses, under a rainy sky. Since this character represents duality, it was a no-brainer. As the rainy scene in the movie left a deep impression on me, I was eager to use the rainy variation. I'm quite attached to the change in atmosphere in the background. "Paradox Paradigm." Limited DVD Art / finishing: TYPE-MOON Abandoning my initial design, I used Touko in Volume Four, so for this volume I thought I'd look at the visuals and choose the most significant scene... How naive of me. But my eyes kept straying, as I was unable to narrow down the scenes that best represented Chapter Five, and I found myself hopelessly lost. What I drew either looked too similar to something I'd drawn earlier for the paperback version, or was just an attempt to escape it, or was only an attempt to bring out the essence of Chapter Five, so I had trouble with both the line art and the color setting, and even after the color-setting was done I remember having a lot of trouble. "Fairy Tale." Limited DVD Art / finishing: Sidzuki Morii The peerless Azaka. Unlike Volume Five, I had no problems finishing the line art. Starting with this volume, the painting was handled by another team. Even so... For some reason, every time I draw Azaka, her hair seems to get longer... The variation I used was Azaka playing with the fairies. Some people thought I should use this smiling Azaka as the main illustration, but I decided that I should go with the image of Azaka from the movie. I'm rather fond of the design of Azaka's gloves. "...not nothing heart." Limited DVD Art / finishing: TYPE-MOON Volume Seven was the hardest of all. This volume... I suffered a lot. Since it was a staple of the final volume to feature "a golden meadow and Shiki clad in a kimono," my first design would've had me set to do just that. But since I'd already used that motif, I had to choose something else from the movie, just as I had with Chapter Five. And also just as I had to do with Chapter Five, I found myself straying off the path. I produced the most rough drafts of my career - 16. But all that suffering won me pretty good reviews, so I patted myself on the back. Theatrical Program Book Exclusive Art / finishing: Chihiro Aikura For each pamphlet, I had been submitting illustrations and lame writing that was supposed to pass as a column, but we switched gears a bit for Chapter Seven. The concept was a teaser for the Final Chapter. Some people grumbled: "After ending Chapter Seven on such a beautiful note, what's the point of adding a promo for the next chapter?" So I suggested that we do it with the pamphlet instead. I used the "final performance" image, the golden background and white kimono, as my motif. I wish I'd given her a more mysterious expression... Page 48 The Art Works of Tomonori SUDO (Comments by Tomonori SUDO / Character Designer & Animation Director) "Thanatos." Poster Image / background: Nobutaka Ike / finishing: ufotable Regarding the key visuals for the Garden of sinners, I match them to the characteristics of each chapter, rather than the series as a whole. For the first episode, Chapter One, I wanted to include the following: "night"/"moon"/"knife"/"overlooking view of the city". And that's how I ended up with this design. Most of it is hidden behind the characters, but since the background art is so gorgeous, I wouldn't mind showing a version with just the background. "...and nothing heart." Poster Image / background: Nobutaka Ike / finishing: ufotable For Chapter Two, I wanted to depict "sunset"/"school days"/"atmosphere", which is how I ended up with this layout. I have to say that it took a lot of courage for me to use a long shot as a key visual for animation. I do think it's important to have such gumption at times, but... Again, I have to thank Mr. Ike for his beautiful background art. And I'm also grateful to all those who approved of this layout image. Thank you very much. "ever cry, never life." Poster Image / background: Kazuo Ogura / finishing: ufotable Switching gears from Chapter Two, I created a key visual heavily featuring the characters. Fujino is a personal favorite of mine. For Chapter Three, I used "rain" as my theme. There are many ways to interpret this, but it seemed to Fujino that the rain, which had been falling steadily for a long time, had stopped for a moment, giving way to sun. But the weather is always changing. That's when I wondered, "What's Fujino going to do?" and I ended up with this illustration. I really enjoyed the thought process that went along with creating this design, even if the content itself wasn't fun. "garan-no-dou." Poster Image / background: Kazuo Fbisawa / finishing: ufotable For Chapter Four, instead of plucking a key visual from a certain scene, I created a collage-like visual. I found it very difficult to express this chapter in art. I wanted to somehow depict Chapter Four in one sheet, but since I had such a generalized impression of it, it was quite a chore to turn it into art. That's why I really respect the director, Mr. Takiguchi, who was able to bring Chapter Four together as this amazing movie. I hope I'll become a nice middle-ager like him in 10 years (laughs). "Paradox Paradigm" Poster Image/ background: Nobutaka Ike/ finishing: ufotable I had a lot of trouble coming up with the key visual for Chapter Five. You could call it a difficult birth. In the end, I created a layout with Tomoe running toward Ogawa Mansion in the center, sandwiched between Araya and Shiki. The fact that Araya is slightly twisting something in his hand was not really noticed by many, but is actually quite significant. The finishing exceeded my expectations, and I found myself in awe of Mr. Terao's fantastic work as a director of photography. "Fairy Tale." Poster Image / background: Koji Eto / finishing: ufotable The theme for Chapter Six was, in terms of TV dramas, a "buddy drama" like "Aibou (Partners)." So while I did have some idea of what I was supposed to do, when I'd actually drawn it I found that the juxtaposition of Shiki and Azaka worked even better than I'd imagined. But the two people in the background are clearly the villains of the story. I don't know about inserting spoilers in a key visual... (laughs) "...not nothing heart." Poster Image / background: Koji Eto / finishing: ufotable I had trouble with the key visual for Chapter Seven, as it was the last chapter. I didn't know whether or not to include Rio Shirazumi... I like Rio as a character, but I decided to go with just Shiki and Kokutou for Chapter Seven. After all, Rio had so much impact in the movie that I'm sure everyone had enough of him. (laughs) What you're seeing here is the last scene, but now that I look at it I see that Mikiya's wearing his glasses. That's not right... I'm so sorry. "Remix" Poster Image / finishing: ufotable I thought I'd used a new scene from the film, but somewhere along the way it turned into the key visual for the release of the Remix. You can appreciate the wonders of technology, thanks to the Digital Department. "Thanatos." DVD Cover Art / background: Nobutaka Ike / finishing: ufotable Unlike the key visual for the theatrical version, the DVD cover art is created after production for the film ends, so sometimes I come up with a new image. In the case of Chapter One, the battle scene with Kirie left a deep impression, so I came up with this illustration. As always, the processing by Mr. Terao is awesome. "...and nothing heart." DVD Cover Art / background: Mami Saito / finishing: ufotable I thought I'd create such warm-hued cover art, and using this much pink, only for Chapter Two. The cherry blossoms signify "a beginning." In terms of timeline as well, this story is "the beginning." I did struggle over whether or not to include Kokutou, but in the end, I opted to use Shiki and SHIKI as my main images. "ever cry, never life." DVD Cover Art / background: Kazuo Ogura / finishing: ufotable Here, I drew Fujino in a way that made me want to display her next to Shiki from the cover art for Chapter One. It seems to me that somehow, whenever I draw characters, they always look scarier, but I had a lot of fun drawing this deranged-looking Fujino. "garan-no-dou." DVD Cover Art / background: Kazuo Ebisawa / finishing: ufotable For Chapter Four, I used a collage-like layout, just as I had with the key visual. To be precise, I made a collage of each situation from the movie. I really wanted to use Touko as my main image, but in that case maybe I should've placed her in the top half? Layouts are really tough. "Paradox Paradigm" DVD Cover Art / background: Miho Sugiura / finishing: ufotable My themes were "keys" and "doors." It's a complete collage layout. From the start, I thought of using Tomoe as my main image. I believe Tomoe is a beloved character. But now that I look at it, it seems as if Alba's the most dominant of the characters. Even though the rest are cool and collected, it looks like he's the only one all fired up... "Fairy Tale." DVD Cover Art / background: Koji Eto / finishing: ufotable I thought I'd try to create a layout like a conventional school anime. You can see that I was a bit playful, scattering books around the room, and so on. "Brainwashed Detective" (Hisui?), "Ghost Cat Holmes" (Neko Arc?), etc. And this might be a minor detail, but Shiki and the dog's eyes are on the abandoned fairies, while Azaka's gaze is slightly off. I wonder if you've noticed that? "...not nothing heart." DVD Cover Art / background: Koji Eto / finishing: ufotable For this one, I tried to focus on the atmosphere. But layouts that turn out well as posters, such as those for live-action films, don't really fare as well when they're converted to illustrations, and so I still have some regrets, such as "I think I left too much dead space..." I was able to incorporate the "Shiki and Mikiya's story" theme, but I also found my own theme, to improve my skills. "the Garden of sinners." DVD Cover Art / background: Koji Eto / finishing: ufotable The theme for this was "invitation." The mysterious background art is laid out like a Yin-Yang chart. The pattern for Shiki's kimono was transposed by the Digital Department. It's very beautiful and looks incredible. They used this same technique on moving images in the Final Chapter as well, so I have nothing but respect for them. Good job! © KINOKO NASU / Kodansha. Aniplex. Notes, ufotable ANZX-3921 - 3928 NOT FOR SALE.

the garden of sinners recalled out summer booklet

[v] the garden of sinners recalled out summer booklet - Q & A with Kinoko Nasu & Takeshi Takeuchi: Q: Does Mana have any special talents? Like her mother's disturbing power and her father's special ability?
Q: Does Mana have any special talents? Like her mother's disturbing power and her father's special ability? Nasu: No special power is the greatest special power ~. Humans who solve problems with Mystic Eyes and special abilities don't deserve praises. Takeuchi: You don't have the right to say that. (laughs) Nasu: If an ability can be described in words, then that means it has a limit~.