"Hmm…" Daniel stared intently at the cinema screen, his legs shaking uncontrollably.
As someone who prided himself on being the ultimate expert on the Porter's works, losing a debate about them was intolerable! He was determined to reclaim his reputation as the ultimate manga reviewer, Daniel.
That's right; this man was Daniel.
After watching "Kara no Kyoukai" this morning, he couldn't resist discussing the film on a forum. Unexpectedly, someone matched his knowledge and even outdid him in some areas, detailing various elements from the film to support their points.
As someone who considered himself the ultimate expert on the Porter's works, Daniel couldn't let it go. He debated fiercely, even watching the film again in the afternoon to bolster his arguments.
But then, his opponent mentioned a hidden mastermind behind everything.
What? Where? Daniel hadn't seen any mastermind. The opponent said there was an important scene after the credits.
So, here he was, watching the film for the third time that day.
On the screen, Kirie Fujou, who had been lying in a hospital bed, left the hospital in a wheelchair, struggled to stand up on top of a building, and jumped off.
At that moment, a smile appeared on her face.
After lying in bed for so long, this time…
"I can finally fly…"
But as the scenery around her changed rapidly, she remembered an event from not long ago.
A man with a grim expression, tall and robust, without even a sound of footsteps, and barely any presence, had come to her and asked a question that moved her: "I can fulfill your wish for a free body. Do you want it?"
Since that day, her long-cherished dream and constant nightmare had become a reality.
So…
"Who are you?" she murmured as she fell heavily to the ground, ending her miserable life.
Li Yun's eyes widened.
He hadn't expected Kirie's final outcome to be like this!
But the movie still wasn't over. The scene of onlookers around Kirie's body zoomed out and transitioned to a TV screen showing a news report of her death.
The man from Kirie's memory was sitting on a sofa, watching the news.
In front of him were three chess pieces.
"A double body floating with death, someone who feels joy from touching death, and someone who avoids death to awaken self-origin…" he muttered, pushing over one of the chess pieces. "One piece has served its purpose. Two more to go?"
The movie ended there.
The first day's box office numbers quickly came in: 51 million yuan.
Though not as high as "Your Name," it was important to note that "Your Name" had a manga boost and didn't face the obstruction from the Big Five cinema chains. Despite nearly half the theaters not showing "Kara no Kyoukai," it still achieved 51 million, with audience reviews mostly rating it as "good" or higher. This indicated that the film had great potential for success.
Online discussions about "Kara no Kyoukai" increased.
"Shiki is so cool!! Totally badass!"
"I have to say, the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception ability is really overpowered. How does the Porter come up with these ideas?"
"Exactly, even a ghost attached to her can be killed. I wonder if she could kill viruses inside her too."
Aside from discussing the Mystic Eyes and Shiki Ryogi, the end credits scene was the most talked about topic.
End credits scenes weren't new, often appearing in series movies to keep the audience engaged till the end credits rolled and to hint at the next installment.
"Hey, who stayed for the end credits scene? If it weren't for the three-time viewer next to me, I would've missed it!"
"What? There's an end credits scene?"
"Yes, there is. I saw some people sitting and waiting, and the end credits music was nice, so I stayed and got a surprise!"
"I've always stayed till the end since many series movies have end credits scenes. This one was clearly a series, given the title."
"But isn't the key point the man at the end? And what he said about the chess pieces, 'a double body floating with death,' must refer to Kirie, right? And from her memory, it's clear this man gave her that ability."
"Man, I suddenly can't wait for the next movie."
Ren's carefully crafted end credits scene indeed captured the audience's attention.
Everyone guessed that the "double body floating with death" referred to Kirie.
But who were "someone who feels joy from touching death" and "someone who avoids death to awaken self-origin"?
Even though the last two pieces were unknown, viewers deduced that "Kara no Kyoukai" would have three to four parts.
The first three movies would probably involve defeating the three chess pieces, with the final one tackling the mastermind or the last chess piece and the mastermind together.
With limited information, online speculations and analyses increased, further boosting the movie's popularity.
On the seventh day of release, "Because of Luck, All Misfortunes Turn to Fortunes" by Jiarong had grossed 1.32 billion yuan, leading the New Year box office rankings.
Second place went to "I'm Really Not a Hero" by Longxiang, with a cumulative box office of 1.07 billion yuan.
Most movies start winding down after seven days due to declining box office numbers.
But "Kara no Kyoukai" was different. Despite a cumulative box office of only 680 million yuan, ranking 11th, its daily box office hadn't significantly declined and was steadily increasing.
While most other movies had average occupancy rates below 50%, "Kara no Kyoukai" maintained above 90%.
Theaters weren't foolish; they knew that increasing screenings for this film would make them more money. Consequently, "Kara no Kyoukai" would see an increase in screening rates.
Higher screening rates would compensate for the box office losses caused by the Big Five cinema chains. With its current momentum, the movie could continue running for another two months, ensuring a good final box office performance. Although reaching the top five would be challenging, it wasn't impossible.
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Kara No Kyoukai = Garden of Sinners
For 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/angelictranslating