About Kara no Kyoukai

Afterwards, the series gained wide attention through merchandises like the drama CD, and on June 8, 2004 the story was republished as the commerical edition by Koudansha (講談社). On the same day, 5,000 copies of the limited collection edition were sold for a high price of 9,800 yen, but were sold out merely two hours after pre-order started -- this immediately hit the headlines. In the end, the normal and collection editions combined had sold about 500,000 copies. The commercial edition was about the same in content as the doujinshi edition, but with slight differences in punctuation or word usage due to more detailed revision and editing.

The protagonist Shiki Ryougi (両儀式) possesses the same power as Tsukihime (月姫)'s Shiki Tohno (遠野志貴). Touko Aozaki (蒼崎橙子), one side character in Kara no Kyoukai, is the sister of Tsukihime's Aoko Aozaki (蒼崎青子). So the two stories are regarded as having the same world view.

The series is nicknamed "Rakkyo." It is a common debate whether the series should be regarded a light novel or not.

Just as a piece of trivia the title "Kara no Kyoukai" roughly translates into "the boundary of emptiness/nothingness".

Characters

• Shiki Ryougi (両儀式)

Reviving from a two-year coma after an incident, she gains the ability to see the "death" of all things (Chokushi no Magan, 直死の魔眼). Before her coma, there were two personalities within her: the feminine character Shiki (式), and the masculine character SHIKI (織). However, because of the accident, the masculine SHIKI (織) was annihilated. Her masculine tone (for example, calling herself "ore") is an attempt to supplement the spiritually dead SHIKI (織)'s personality. In her attempts to have an actual feel of 'living,' as she no longer feels alive due to her loss of SHIKI (織), she throws herself into high-risk battles involving the supernatural. She commonly wears Japanese clothing, and in cold seasons she wears a leather jumper on top. With an optimistic heart she does not seem to be bothered by the "lines of death" (although she tried to crush her eyes in when she first saw the lines of death), and she puts away the "Magan killer (魔眼殺し)" spectacles that Touko has specially made for her.

• By the way, according to official settings, Shiki Ryougi is mutiple levels more skillful in using "Chokushi no Magan" compared to Shiki Tohno (遠野志貴) of Tsukihime (月姫) (to be exact, the main character of Tsukihime). Shiki Ryougi can be considered the base blueprint to Shiki Tohno/Nanaya, as Kara no Kyoukai was written before Tsukihime was created.

• Mikiya Kokutou (黒桐幹也)

He was originally in the same class as Shiki, and is now working at "Garan no Dou" (伽藍の洞), the workshop of puppet-maker Touko Aozaki. Shiki prefers to call him "Kokuto-." He is just an ordinary young man, but when it comes to "searching for things," he is unbelievably talented (for example, when he heard of rumors about Touko and wanted to meet her, he reached "Garan no Dou" after searching for her, despite the spells cast by Touko around the workshop). In fact, he met Shiki once before their 'first' encounter at school, but Shiki did not remember. He greatly admires Shiki.

• Mikiya Kokuto seems be highly similar in appearance, and somewhat in personality, to Shiki Tohno (遠野志貴) of Tsukihime (月姫).

• Touko Aozaki (蒼崎燈子)

The owner of "Garan no Dou." A puppet-maker on surface, she is actually a Mahou-tsukai (魔法使い) - turned - Majutsushi (魔術師), and can use Majutsu in rune languages. She casts a spell around a ruined building to make it undetectable to the consciousness, and turned it into her residence and workshop. A heavy smoker, she always has a cigarette between her lips. According to her younger sister Aoko, she "looks like an educated mom with spectacles and a cigarette." Flat-chested in Kokutou's personal opinion.

• The elder sister of Aoko Aozaki (蒼崎青子) the Mahou-tsukai in Tsukihime. She killed her grandfather and teacher, because he gave the title of Aozaki Family Head to her younger sister instead of her. The sisters' relationship is rather disastrous (in fact, her Tsukaima (使い魔, lit. magical servant) was destroyed by her younger sister). Compared to her sister, who knows nothing but destruction, her level as a Majitsushi is top class. The Majutsu Association (魔術協会) recognized her formidable power by dubbing her with the color "Tou" (橙, orange) which is close to the three primary colors. However, her most desired color, "Blue," has been claimed by her sister, and she was often mocked due to this. Whoever called her "Scarred Red" was exterminated (without exception, as claimed in the main story of "Kara no Kyoukai"--) Her skills are so formidable that the Association has declared for her abilities (as a top ranked puppet-maker) to be sealed under the Seal Order(封印指定), so now she is hiding herself from the Association. Her hobby is to get money from the Association in her younger sister's name to go shopping.

• She also makes an appearance at Kinoko Nasu's "Mahou-tsukai no Yoru" (魔法使いの夜, Mahou-tsukai's Night). Also, in TYPE-MOON's legendary game "Fate/stay night," although she is not named, there is a bit in the story about a puppet-maker who receives the Seal Order. In the "Melty Blood" series Aoko complains about someone using her name to get money. Also, she is among the few who can make the item "Magan Killer (魔眼殺し)," which appears in both "Tsukihime" and "Fate/Stay Night" (However, in the main story of "Fate/stay Night" there is no mentioning who is the creator behind the spectacles).

• Azaka Kokutou (黒桐鮮花)

Mikiya's younger sister who loves Mikiya. Due to rivality against Shiki she became an apprentice Majitsushi under Touko. She is money-centered and highly calculating. Her only mastered skill is the "Ignition" magic. When using her skill, she wears gloves made of fiery lizard's skin (火蜥蜴の手袋) received from Touko.

• Just like the "elder brothers," Azaka is similar in appearance and abilities to Akiha Tohno (遠野秋葉) in "Tsukihime" (another 'blueprint' character). The difference in their abilities is that Azaki's "ignition" is simply to induce burning, while Akiha's "plundering" is to take in and control outside heat. However, in appearance, the two look the same. The decisive difference: 'breasts.'