Mobius ring

Mobius link

「空の境界 未来福音」 (Kara no Kyoukai Mirai Fukuin)
“The Garden of sinners/recalled out summer: Future Blessing”

Kara no Kyoukai returns for one last (?) hurrah, and it ends up being every bit the Garden of Sinners many of us have come to love. Scrumptious visuals from ufotable highlight another fitting soundtrack from Kajiura Yuki, the supernatural mystery elements return in full force along with a few characters from the original heptology. The action doesn’t quite live up to some of the previous iterations, but it wasn’t really needed here, and its absence allows the Mirai Fukuin to really serve its purpose as the final, character oriented topping on the Kara no Kyoukai cake. And what a superb topping it ends up.

Mobius ring

The first part, Mobius ring, ends up totaling about two-thirds of the movie’s run time. This side story brings us the supernatural power of foresight (alternatively future sight), which ends up being divided into two types:

  • Prediction – essentially advanced information processing, this involves seeing a possible future that will come to pass should things stay as they are.
  • Evaluation – the act of building up a future, this involves manipulating events to eliminate all possible futures except the one that you see or want to happen.
  • Character-wise, the mad bomber known as Kamemura Mitsuru ends up falling into the latter and Shizune Seo, formerly introduced as Azaka’s roommate in Oblivion Recording, ends up possessing the former ability. What results are the tangling of two separate, but related stories in the meetings of Seo x Kokutou and Mitsuru x Shiki, and it’s something that—aside from being superbly weaved together—ends up highlighting what I feel has been an ongoing theme of the series: a focus on the duality of all things.

    We saw it previously already in regards to the personality split between Shiki and SHIKI, we saw it again in Overlooking View in the contrast between flying and falling, and we saw it in Paradox Spiral’s reference to the counter force and the spiral motif in general. With the contrast here between both types of foresight and the obvious difference in how our two main users have chosen to use their powers—one chose not to act believing the future is set in stone and the other chose to act because they believed there was no way they could fail, it’s quite obvious that this theme of duality continues in Mirai Fukuin, and it’s something that ends up powering the entire story line here.

    Because if there’s one thing that’s true, there’s almost always a give and take behind something. It certainly sounds great to have foresight, but at the same time, it has to be noted that there are drawbacks within it too. Just as even the power of immortality has its drawbacks—you’ll eventually be left watching everyone you knew pass you by—foresight has it too, and here it involves the fact that after awhile, the act of living isn’t so much living as it is merely following down a path already set for you. Needless to say, life can get extremely tedious (or even pointless) if you know everything that’s coming, and it’s a notion that ends up being highlighted by this first part in particular.

    Perspective goes a long way however, and I for one ended up loved how all the thematic duality ends up being tempered by an emphasis on this fact. Because even if something seems to have drawbacks that far outweigh its benefits, the fact remains that how you use it and how you view your circumstances go a long way. Just as Seo ends up finding out that there’s a silver lining to her abilities, Mitsuru realizes that he could’ve used his powers like the Mother of Mifune did—in a positive way rather than merely as a “mechanical bomber man with no hope or disdain for the future.” Suffice to say, Mirai Fukuin clearly had a thematic message to send, and it sent it quite clearly with how it did things here. At the same time, it wrapped things together by filling in the blanks behind Seo’s storyline, added some worthwhile development our main cast, and set things for the second part while it was at it…

    Mobius link

    Finishing up things here is the mobius link part of the movie, and fittingly, this part ends up quite straight forward. It’s essentially where the toppings are complete, and really, I don’t think there’s a better way to end the series with a glimpse into how things turned out after everything was said and done. Ryougi Mana ends up every bit as awesome—she takes quite after her mother—as I expected her to be, and there’s something to be said about seeing Mitsuru end up in debt to a gang run by Shiki of all people.

    The reappearance of a powerless Mother of Mifune is where things are really brought full circle though—SHIKI, Shiki, and Mana all visited her on separate occasions—and it’s a notion highlighted further by how Mitsuru’s life has changed since his bomber days. Not only did he end up living a life of failures since—ironic considering how successful he was until then—he’s of the belief that it’s better to build something than to break it down, and everything here ends up linking (now you see why they named it mobius link) up to the first part in some shape or form. Ultimately, it’s great when a series is able to weave such a story together, and the bottom line is Mirai Fukuin does a darn good job of it all. It may be the end of one of my personal favorite series, but the way they did things here makes it easier to accept by far. And well, there’s nothing else really to say here aside from:

    Why do you keep telling fortunes? Now that you can’t see the future, you can take it easy!
    I guess… it’s because helping other people is the only way I can use this power.

    Full-length images: 008, 020, 047, 126, 129.

     

    Author’s Notes:

  • For those of you interested, they recently released an artbook with a little bit of art (also includes a fold-out poster and a short manga) from all the Kara no Kyoukai movies. I’ve uploaded some pictures here. Additional pictures/info here.
  • Due to the length of this post, extra chorus will be posted separately at a later date (assuming I find the time).
  •  

    Epilogue:

     

    ED Sequence

    ED: 「アレルヤ」 (Areruya) by Kalafina

    60 Comments

    1. I deny the fact that this might be last time we see Kara no Kyoukai… DAMMIT WHY??????? MORE! MORE!!! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!!!

      But in all respects mama Shiki looked awesome XD

      DaBanzaiFish
    2. kara no kyokai is my kind of anime; out of curiosity, what is everyone’s favorite entry in the serious; mine is murder speculation part 2 just because of how much catharsis it had for both Shiki and Kokuto

      sonicsenryaku
        1. That’s actually my third favorite of the series but i can see why that would be someone’s favorite; it was the moment in the series that i said to myself that this series was definitely a keeper. I usually expect fans of this series to say that paradox spiral was their favorite

          sonicsenryaku
      1. Number 5 (Paradox Spiral) is probably my favorite followed closely by Murder Speculation Part 2. About the only movie I thought was weak was the 6th. All the rest were awesome.

        I love these movies so much .. such an awesome soundtrack, great visuals, and awesome characters!

        Scruffy
    3. Wait wait wait wait WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      There’s another one? How did this manage to pass me by?

      Somebody hit me for my insolence! I apologize Lord Nasu, I’ll never do it again!

      Google searching at the speed of light.

      Kuntzy
        1. Ahaha, gomen gomen. I have no idea how that happened. Almost the same thing happened with Little Busters Ex (granted I actually knew that one was coming, I just forgot about it).

          I was just surfing the web earlier today all like -_- and then I come to RC and see Enzo’s post and then I was like O_O.

          Oh well, 13 more minutes on the download then I can partake in its glory.

          Kuntzy
    4. I had two major thoughts going through my head during this movie.

      1. Hahaha, Mikiya. Just go be the protagonist of a harem story for God’s sake.

      2. Holy sh*t, Mana. Hauuuu, Omochikaeri! I want to adopt her so bad.

      Seriously now though, this pretty much blew me away. I didn’t really think there was really anything more that needed to be told in the Kara no Kyoukai series as Satsujin Kousatsu part 2 was a really great place to leave off (epilogue notwithstanding). This seriously worked though as it kind of brought together most of the movies and added a bit more to them. SHIKI’s little scene at the end was especially nice.

      One thing that interested me quite a bit though was during the scene when Mana was talking to Mother of Mifune, she clearly addresses Mikiya as her papa but then she tells MoM that her otou-sama thanks her. Add that to the fact that she at first mentions her mother but then switches to her father, coupled with MoM’s reaction… it probably means that Mana is aware of SHIKI in some way. I wouldn’t be surprised if Shiki told her about it at one point, but how would she really have known that SHIKI saw MoM at one point. Shiki herself didn’t seem aware of that fact during their meeting when asked about the possibility of meeting before. Makes me wonder if SHIKI might have come back at some point in time.

      Kuntzy
    5. Man I can totally see Mana eventually growing up to be as hot as her mother. But the scene where she asked the Mother of Mifune whether she’ll end up with her dad threw me off initially, until I realised she meant SHIKI rather than Mikiya. A shame that Mikiya’s adult version isn’t shown. What actually happened to Aozaki though? Mobius Link seems to show that Shiki took over the building and turned it into her gang-related activities. (I never realised that the daughter of an old and prestigious family would turn to yakuza)
      Overall it was a really fun ride. If only they could extend Mobius Link even more.

      Karl
      1. Touko decided to move from Mifune-city in the end of the last movie. She’s Seal Designated by Clock Tower, so it’s no wonder why she would need a new place to hide at.
        And (as was mentioned by one of the Nasu’s interviews) since her absence Mikiya needed new job, so he turned to Ryougi’s dad, eventually becoming one of his trusted hands. I guess he and Shiki completely inherited family business.

        And I mean come on! Ryogis once were Demon Hunters! But later decided to become normal humans. What else should former vampire slayers do? Let ’em have fun being Yakuzas XD
        Besides I doubt their gang could be really this bad, having Mikiya as the Head – the guy, whose Origin is “one that will never hurt others, more so than anyone else”.

        W.P
      2. Aozaki goes wandering at the end of the 7th movie. She makes it clear that she never stays in one spot too long.

        I’m not really sure if Shiki’s group are actually Yakuza but her family is pretty nuts after all. Her grandfather was an assassin and she was intentionally raised to promote the SHIKI / Shiki split so that she could be a perfect assassin as well. They’d certianly be a scary group to be involved with!!

        Scruffy
    6. Perfectly executed. I’m really going to miss this series, as much as I’m looking forward for another installment (but maybe I just wanted to see more adorable Mana).

      tsukioniisan
    7. I’ve never heard of this series until now. Is this movie a retelling of the entire series, or is an entirely new story or continuation of where the anime series may have left off?

      ThatGuy31907
    8. This review came up after I’d watch the film! hehe. Unexpectedly, it was a feel good film throughout. I’m just kind of sad to realize that this was the end of the whole series. Maybe one day, Nasu will write a new series for a grown up Mana! You never know…

      xe7en
    9. one hell of a love story but i might add Mana isn’t enough , considering what Mikiya and shiki have been through i ,they need to have more kids together lol so this is Seo , her prediction is quite accurate but she miss the part where Mikiya didn’t survive, shiki is such a trouble magnet and unintentional stalker, her six-sense really is troublesome and useful at the same time.

      PeTdo
    10. I am slightly hesitant to say this, but this may very well be my favorite anime series. Each and every movie struck me in some or other way, and this one was no exception. Despite the fact that it may be missing some of the suspense, thrill and violence we were accustomed to see in the previous movies, I’d like to think of this final part as the calm after the storm we’ve been spectating in the past episodes. There’s no telling how much I’ll miss this series, even though it seems ufotable’s planning on re-releasing each part in 3D format (correct this if wrong).

      There is one thing that got me hyped up during this last two parts, which was the change of art. Although I don’t know exact names, Mirai Fukuin’s drawing style not only differed from previous installments, but I noticed that it resembled that of promo artworks of Tsukihime’s remake, and in some ways, to Mahoyo’s designs. Is anyone willing to clear my doubts with some names?

      In any case, excellent review.

      manudom91
    11. This was one heck of a ride! If only Nasu would make a sequel involving Mana and Mitsuru! One thing that sort of threw me off was that Mitsuru’s voice was still the same even after 10 years. Wouldn’t a 14 years old undergo voice change during puberty?

      Asmalti
    12. This movie is epic. Period. Anyone knows the song being played when SHIKI was having her fortune told? And what did Shiki meant when she said ‘Whats with you?’ after she properly met Mitsuru for the first time? She didn’t expect him to lose his right eye?

      Ratata
    13. The MikiyaxSeo part reminded me of Tsukihime Plus+Disc SeoxShiki meeting where both Seos do similar things – calling out to strangers on a crowded street – and they end up talking a bunch at a cafe… eating a pie 🙂

      KJ
    14. Been a while since I commented here on RandomC as most days I’ve just been floating around lurking through every season’s blog posts. Kara no Kyoukai was the series that brought me here when I stumbled on the site for having the 7th film (Murder Speculation Part 2) win as the year’s Best Movie (my personal favorite for its smartly intricate character development/interconnections with Movie 5 coming second for its masterful direction/cinematography). I should say I’m a huge fan of the series though I guess my avatar kinda makes that pretty obvious. ^_^;

      Arguably Type-Moon’s greatest work/masterpiece and Ufotable especially deserves a lot of credit for these great films. I honestly can’t believe this series is over. =(

      ronri
    15. Ah, Shiki, I’ve fallen for you all over again. As gorgeous as adult Shiki is, there’s just something about her badassness with her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception that’s just as awesome, so it was great to see it used again, if only briefly.

      And Mana is just so adorable.

      HalfDemonInuyasha
    16. Time to say good bye to one of the greatest series I have the privilege of viewing. Kara No Kyokai may not be as popular as the Fate series, but it sure hell deserves a standing ovation

      Ginobi47
    17. One of my favourite anime movie series ended and it could have been capped off even better. Every element that makes up for the narrative style of the movie was present all around, and the tone of sentimentality and fleeting catharsis brought about by the impending farewell to the story was a bit of a refreshing shift for the more cryptic and mysterious tone of at least the first few movies.

      Absolutely can’t wait to see what Ufotable has in store for their personal iteration of Fate/Stay Night.

      KingofConquerors
    18. I will be waiting for the extra chorus post. For a while, my interest in Kara no Kyōkai waned, but watching Future Gospel and extra chorus made me remember why I liked it so much.

      cshin9
    19. A very long time since I came here last time and hell! I was late to check this out even I am a huge fan of Kara no Kyoukai and the Fate franchise!

      So, that’s it. I really like this story, even it’s a little too bloody and disturbing from time to time. Still, compare to shows like ‘High school of the Dead’, the violence in Kara no kyoukai has substance. That’s why it is fine by me.

      Back to the story, I love the characters, everyone of them. It is a little pity that we didn’t get to see between Asaka (Mikiya’s sister) and Shiki, who is stronger. The two new characters appeared in this finale episodes are nice, too. Unfortunately, they didn’t get enough screen time to fully develop. So, by the end of the story I felt kind of unsatisfying. I would like to see how is Mikiya after he married Shiki and has a daughter; I would like to see more of the ‘live as a wife and a gangster’ side of Shiki. I even want to know what has Touko and Asaka, and other characters become.

      I hope they will make an ova to cover these, if they were covered in the novel, that is.

      By the way, does anybody got a feeling that the new character, the BOMBER-MAN, looks kind of similiar to ACCELERATOR in ‘A Certain Magical Index’?

      Finally, ‘Kara no Kyoukai’ is just one damn good story. And DAMN! I’M TWO MONTHS LATE! IT’S REALLY TOO LATE FOR SUCH A MASTERPIECE!!!!!!!!!!!!

      P.S.
      For those who want more of Kara no Kyoukai, check out the extra episode of this movie: the extra chorus. It covered some of the stories of other characters, especially Fujino and Shizune Seo.

      TOMA

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