Oh yes! YES! This is one of the best TYPEMOON anime adaptation so far. I absolutely spellbound from first minute to the end. It is that awesome. Watching 2 predators sizing up each other and kill out of sheer instinct is powerful and invoking sense of awe. It is like looking at tigers, you knew they are dangerous but due to their nature, they are beautiful. The look, the functional elegance and purpose is concepts worthy to behold itself. This anime movie succeded to create this emotional raw in spades.
Long live TYPEMOON, long live Kinoko Nasu!
The infamous duel on the bridge during stormy night. This whole sequence may not be action packed in fast and furious manner but it is masterfully done. The accompanying music absolutely wonderful in this scene. Theatrical but hell it works. It is setup for an epic fight.
Fujino was looking for her inner peace, not realising in that process she found her calling despite her vehement denials about her true nature when Shiki points it out. Her superego is denying her id which causes her instability. But when her id is out, she found her true comfort as a killer. Hence Shiki's attraction to her and vice versa which at the same time hating each other. According to creditable sources, Fujino is personal favourite of Kinoko Nasu, the author of TYPEMOON.
Her smiles are creepy yet understandable. It is her own version of enigmatic Mona Lisa smile. In few scenes, her character came across as scary due to lack of empathy but yet pitiful due to misguided protection from her parents. Noto Namiko did Fujino's internal anguish and sheer dark impulse of murderous joy characterization at the flip of the coin very well.
First strike, Shiki's battle experience manifested in places she choose to fight Fujino.
Smug, confident Fujino as she appears to have an upper hand. The difference between her and Shiki despite being in the same category of people is Fujino enjoys breaking things whereas Shiki is looking for a good fight.
Shiki prepared last strike as she find out the nature of Asagami killing power. The final coup de grace. Which leads to...
I can kill anything alive, even God. What a line, what a line indeed.
The music, sound and voice acting are top notch. The characters became very alive due to good dialogue especially Fujino and Shiki. This is good example of grim and brutal story well done in anime format, not talking intensive; just show-the-story type of movie. I honestly consider this one of the superior anime movie due to sheer poetry of movement, a kind of
zankoku bi or beautiful cruelty which is unique in Japanese culture. The pacing was done well and ufotable take pains to make it digestible as the source material is highly detailed during the investigation scenes (to some readers of novel, it came across as plodding). Mikiya came across as thoughtful and humane person, in this movie you can see why he is well liked by people. Despite the overwhelming darkness in the movie, his humanity shines like a beacon of hope in largely bleak setting.
It is masterpiece, absolutely masterful anime movie. Great to have this on DVD.
Trailer is
here.
