Michael is Low on Hit Points
The 7th installment of Kara no Kyoukai is a slight blemish on an otherwise perfect series of films
- Posted May 19th, 2010 at 10:08 PM ET
- Subjects Kara no Kyoukai
- Tags impressions
- Image sources
1- Kara no Kyoukai [Moe Imouto] - Video searches
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Kara no Kyoukai nails atmosphere, opens up an intriguing meta-verse, keeps your brain active, offers compelling characters, action, magic, scenarios, and how could I possible not mention that it looks pretty as all get out and sounds of... well, Kajiura Yuki and Kalafina. Commends to animation studio ufotable, original author Nasu Kinoko and illustrator Takeuchi Takashi, the whole crew, and everything here is absolutely perfect, so we're about done here...
Not quite. As much as I would love to say the KnK series of films came out perfect, and as much as I should say the following because they were so damn close to perfect, I've got issues with film 7: Murder Speculation (part 2). It's the only film in the series that I have issues with (fanboy maybe?).
First time through, before the series was concluded, waiting so patiently (lie) for film 7, my own distorted visions of how it would deliver was kind of a loaded setup: it would be the best of the bunch. Turns out Paradox Spiral wasn't getting topped. Maybe the high anticipation and astronomical expectations twisted my perception?
Yesterday I rewatched the entire series (because somedays you really just got to marathon the hell out of some great anime) and while I was much less harsh on it this second time through, coming to like it quite a bit more, a few things still don't sit well with me, making it still the weakest out of all 7 offerings.
The rest of this post contains spoilers
The whole "I'll never forgive you if you kill him" ordeal just feels a bit off all the way through. Mikiya doesn't want Shiki to get twisted by her first murder; got it. But Araya Souren not counting and being swept under the rug feels like such a cop out, even if it does have some logic behind it. Also, sometimes the bad end is so obviously unavoidable and things will go down whether you want them to or not (see: the actual, unavoidable results). Don't kill? Whatever, but don't just give yourself up to him; slice him up and call an ambulance / police before he has a chance to croak. I certainly know what they were going for here, but the execution just feels off, the final scene drags on, and things just begin to pile up with bad point after bad point:
1. Shiki just gives up.
2. That slobber scene is too much. Disgusting. YMMV.
3. Mikiya gets drugged and stabbed twice (for no reason, since it never should have even come to this).
4. Shiki gnaws her thumb off for symbolism over utility / sense.
5. After going through all that shit, embracing her to soothe her emotional distress, FUCKING KISS HER MIKIYA! A hug!? That's it!?
6. Mikiya has a chance to finally look manly with an eyepatch... and he flops with the emo cut! Not only that, but it plain looks off, lopsided, the first visual detail ufotable botched, all because Shiki didn't kill Lio right off the bat. See how this shit piles up!
I don't know. I'm certainly doing a shitty job making my case here. It's hard to pin down what's really wrong here, especially since careful attention and proper interpretation is key to appreciating Kara no Kyoukai. But the whole finale of the series just feels so...? off? wrong? meh? Somebody tell me what I ought to know please.
Random tidbit on Paradox Spiral
Feels like the climax. Hits with the emotional weight of a finale. Watching all 7 films in one day, going by momentum, it feels like the series ended at the conclusion of 5. Of course it didn't -- we still have themes to cover -- but it feels that way. Is this a bad thing?
The good in it I found was that with other series, when they're over... well, they're over. Duh. With KnK, it feels like it's over, but then you get a nice piece of moe omake (6) and one more serious, plot centric film (7). So that thirst for more once a series is over... you get that quenched in KnK. Just a little random makes-sense-in-a-sort-of-backwards-kind-of-way thing I felt.
1 Glo
"Mikiya has a chance to finally look manly with an eyepatch... and he flops with the emo cut!"
Exactly: http://glothelegend.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/kara-no-kyoukai-is-great-but/
I feel like the whole: "I can't let her kill someone because it will make her bad" is just stupid as a plot device. That was pretty much the entire cause of the movie. That being said, I still enjoyed this movie and all of the others. Awesome stuff.
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Glo
I wouldn't designate the murder conundrum solely as a plot device, as I feel that it was one of the bigger themes of the story. However, I don't think they did all that well with that for the climax of movie 7. I'm cool with the concept, I just feel the execution came up a wee bit short.
But like you said, I still enjoyed 7, and will absolutely gush on and on about the film series as a whole.
2 Martin
A quick warning here: long comment is looong. This is one of my all time fave series, so I can't hold back on talking about it at length.
The trouble with movies like this is that even a minor flaw is really obvious because everything else is SO BLOODY GOOD. Personally, the sixth film was the weakest for me but my doubts over the seventh were softened a bit by the fact that it's one part of a series. I like your list...
#1: yeah, it's hard to explain away. The message was muddied a bit and could've been handled better.
#2: urgh...yeah, CGI slobber==not good. This is the biggest villain of the piece aside from Araya, but he was a little overdone. Not to a Canaan-esque degree, but excessively theatrical at times nonetheless. But for the love of God, cut out the slobber. Really.
#3: why did the drug overdose not kill him? Unless it was his experimenting with it earlier on in the film (the bit before he winds up at his buddy's flat on the come-down) that conferred resistance? I had to suspend my disbelief a bit since Mikiya is a lover, not a fighter. Going all Terminator on us was stretching the POWER OF LOVE idea somewhat.
#4: I took this as artistic licence! "symbolism over utility / sense" is something that Nasu is truly fond of and since it looks so awesome I can often forgive him. I didn't mind that bit too much. It was her prosthetic hand anyway, so she could get the Aozaki Custom Shop to knock a replacement together anyway.
#5: Biggest. Tease. Ever. I know their relationship is based on an understated, unspoken understanding...but come on! Was it too much to ask?! ;_;
#6: he doesn't look as cool as Ginko from Mushishi, who raised the bar of One Eyed Awesome Characters pretty high.
My personal list would be:
#1: who was the girl on the street? A prostitue? Someone important? Or not?
#2: who was the girl who could see into the future (mentioned in the final after-credits scene)?
#3: What was Touko on about when she mentioned moving out? I figured she was taking Azaka's education elsewhere, but I'm not sure what else we're supposed to deduce from this.
#4 the portrayal of drug use wasn't very realistic. Granted, I've seen how people react to acid and/or marijuana IRL and perhaps the writers haven't but...I got it into my head that Lio's Origin of Consumption was awakened by a bout of supernatural-strength "munchies". I couldn't take him seriously after that.
Okay, I'm done with my little whine. Perhaps it was the fact that it's the last one that had me longing for nothing less than perfection. I think 'disappointment' is too strong a word to use since it is a very good film overall, but it still didn't *quite* meet my expectations.
It'll be interesting to see what they do with the bonus chapter...I'm reluctant to raise my hopes too high but even the end of the seventh film didn't feel like a satisfactory enough conclusion for me. Perhaps the flaws we saw in this film were part of the source material, but the fact that the English translation of the novel is STILL in licencing limbo is the thing that's the most upsetting for me. Unless I'm over-estimating how popular it would be internationally...
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Martin
This is one of my favorite anime series too, and I hope it doesn't sound like I'm ragging on film 7 too much, because it's just as you say: the minor flaws stand out amongst the perfection of everything else.
First off, I'll handle your responses to my list:
#3: I would guestimate that the drug overdose wouldn't be fatal instantly, which would give him (short) time to seek treatment (for his eye and leg too). But I don't know jack shit about drugs. Good of you to bring this up, as I had forgotten that this had really bugged me the first time through (I kinda just let it slide during the second viewing).
#4 would've never bugged me if other things about this whole scene didn't feel off. I think it just comes as a bit of a shock because that would be the last way I would ever think of for trying to escape handcuffs.
#5: ufotable teasing the kiss hurt the most, because dammit, the shot framing and the setup just screamed that they were about to go at it.
#6: Yes! Ginko does rock a similar hairstyle, doesn't he? And he certainly made it work, so why does Mikiya flop here so badly?
On to your own list:
#1: I'm pretty sure she was just a dealer. Her design certainly made it seem like she was more than just a bit player, and that certainly bugged me the first time through. Unless she actually is someone more important and I'm just a fool...
#2: According to Wikipedia, she's Azaka's roommate (I guess the one with the dog?), who I see from a quick google search glance appears during the epilogue section of the novel. So we may see more of her yet... I think?
#3: I take it -- with her "profession" and all -- that Touko never settles down in one place too long. What she meant is that she was moving on, moving away, and leaving Mikiya and Shiki. Sayonara.
#4: Lio's origin was awoken by Souren. Lio was just using his blood to increase drug potency and hopefully make someone else as demented as him. In other words, those drugs would never awaken other's origins or give them abilities, it would only fuck them up mentally to make new "friends" for him.
What hurts the 7th film the most might be what you said: that it was the 7th and final film of such a perfect series. And it is weird how I too feel "disappointed" but not disappointed (it was a good film, after all).
I wonder when we'll get more news on the epilogue. And I think Del Ray and Faust have given up bringing the KnK novels over to the U.S., so maybe someone else can pick it up now?
3 Hellomotto
I've seen the first six films, and they were pretty good. However, the sixth one was a low point for me, compared to the rather long yet totally awesome fifth movie.
To be honest, I don't want to read this post due to spoilers. If it's as bad as you say, however, then I will be very disappointed. T-T
(By the way, glad to have you back!)
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Hellomotto
I really don't want to deter anyone from appreciating and even loving the 7th film. I do think it is, overall, quite decent and, in some areas and moments, extraordinary. What I'm really harping on are certain... annoyances, if you will, that hamper what should be a fine film for me. If it seems like I'm making it out to be a bad film, it isn't. I'm just being picky, that's all.
On another note, it's good to be back with a more laid-back pace, let it come as it may. Thanks. How are you liking blogging now that you're over at Sea Slugs?
4 Hellomotto
Hmmm, I know that feeling. The general film overall may be very good, but those small details get in the way of your enjoyment. And pickiness is necessary when viewing a film; one should never apologize for being fastidious. =D
Blogging at SSAB is probably one of the greater pleasures in life. I love being apart of the community too.
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Hellomotto
I just feel a bit insincere in that I wanted to post about Kara no Kyoukai after a second watch-through (one that was very entertaining and full of enjoyment) and I came away with a negative leaning post.
Though right afterwards, it looks like digitalboy did the whole fanboying thing quite well. So yeah: Kara no Kyoukai rules!