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Kara no Kyoukai thoughts thread so I can get this out of my system
I was originally going to compare the novels and movies but ultimately the movies are great adaptations that understand the essence of what Kara no Kyoukai is about and any minor nitpicks are made up for through the fantastic production.
One thing that I& #39;ve seen float around a lot about KnK is that it& #39;s pretentious, which while I think is a fair take to an extent isn& #39;t something I can agree on. The way Kara No Kyoukai tries to convey its message can certainly come off as pretentious, but I do still believe that..
it has something genuine to say. It all starts off with the first movie, which I thought was always weird introduction to the story. But Fukan Fuukei establishes a very important concept: The idea of "floating" and the corresponding flying and falling. Which is...
essentially a metaphor for being alive (flying), dead (falling) or in a state where one is technically alive, but not truly feeling like they are living, for example going through hardship and not getting the most out of what life has to offer. (floating).
This metaphor directly applies to the first movie& #39;s antagonist, Kirie Fujo, who is confined to her bed entirely without any family or anyone to keep her company, she feels as though she has no reason for living, and the only way she can feel alive is by..
comitting murder until Shiki stops her and she chooses to completely fall. Now, this concept of "floating" is crucial, as it is reflected through most antagonists and various other characters such as Enjou in KnK.
Fujino is another very clear case of that. This concept of "floating" later gets expanded into the namesake of the story, the Boundary of emptiness, which is essentially the same idea.
Either we break out of our Boundary, confront death through murder or suicide, or we fill our emptiness to live. Shiki is of course the very center to convey this concept and its message. During her upbringing she was only confronted with the idea of murder...
through her second personality, SHIKI. Which led her to become antisocial and distant from others, but still feeling lonely, SHIKI was all she had. And so all she knew was murder, although she was still "floating" and empty.
Until Kokuto enters her life, which gave her hope to live a normal and actual life, away from death. He as a person is crucial to the story as he is what all these characters like Fujo, Fujino, Leo and Shiki need. Perhaps someone ordinary, but someone they can find salvation in.
That& #39;s what I believe Kara No Kyoukai is about, at least. That we as humans need others. That despite our hardships and conditions, we can find salvation in other people and fill our emptiness.
