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

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

Plot

Story and Settings

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

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

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

Both the light novel and the films are depicted in anachronical order with each chapter/film serving as part of one collective narrative.

Themes

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

Media

Light novels

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

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

Manga

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

Drama CD

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

Anime films

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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