Naturally, I was really looking forward to this OVA because of my love for the all seven movies of Kara no Kyoukai. Truth be told, I have no idea what Epilogue is all about but that's what so exciting about it: the unknown. I trust ufotable to bring me joy with this OVA, just like they did so many times before with the previous movies.
My heart is beating so fast right now in anticipation. I have missed Mikiya and Shiki badly since the
Boukyaku Rokuon.
(c) mocaThe scene in Epilogue would be very familiar if you have seen all Kara no Kyoukai movies starting with Mikiya walking up the hill in a snowy day to see (the other side of) Shiki by the side of the hill looking down at the snow covered town below. It was heart warming for me personally but I have always been so biased when it comes to this show.
The both of them had a pretty deep conversation about Shiki in particular, of the Shiki that is in the middle of SHIKI and Shiki. I dunno if this made sense to anyone who have no fucking clue about the story but that's how it goes. So Chester, go watch the movies before you complained about it. They also talked about personalities. Shiki presented some very interesting views about them. Her analogy: she's a box and without Shiki as a software, she would just sit there not living. It was pretty deep and cool stuff. It allows Mikiya to learn of Shiki true self, that the soul came later and Shiki Ryogi is nothingness. Because it was a void, it tendency was to hope for death of all things.
Shiki gave Mikiya a chance to ask and wish for anything but my Mikiya declined the offer. He could have asked her to return his left eye back to normal but he didn't. I love the fact that he's still so understanding of the real Shiki. It made me believe in love. It sound cliche as fuck but every time I watch Kara no Kyoukai, I really feel like I want to fall in love and be content with it. That's why this movie has inspired so many of my stories before.
Towards the end, she said something that hit me straight in the face: about Mikiya being lonely. That got me thinking real hard. Even though my personality is the opposite of Mikiya, we have both chose to live our life by picking the most lonely path out there, even though it might not seems so. I'm not gonna lie, that kinda scared the bejeebus out of me =|
Then again, Kara no Kyoukai always managed to do that to me.
As usual, the story is moving on at it own slow pace. No action and lots of talking. Might not be my favorite but it presents a good deal of a better understanding of Shiki as a person. Insignificantly, it also slightly touched the topic of romance between Shiki and Mikiya. It was done subtly which is brilliant in my opinion. Blatant shit can only goes so far.
ufotable still did a good job with the arts and animation of this OVA. Nothing was spared. I love all the details and the camera angles that were used throughout the OVA. That was some serious shit. Kenichi and Maaya were brilliant as always. Both managed to hold tightly to what makes these two characters so endearing to the viewers. The BGM was exceptional, it only heightens the good experience of watching this OVA. Too bad that it is only 30 minutes in length. I obviously want more.
This OVA is not recommended to anyone who hasn't watch the movies first because you'll find the facts extremely boring and lengthy. To those who love the series, this one is a must see. Epilogue made my weekend :)
arts & animation 10/10
story 8/10
characters 10/10
sound 10/10
enjoyment 9/10
overall 9/10