Finally, someone managed to make a just adaptation of Nasu's work.

This is my first review. I probably picked the wrong title to begin with. As I tried to view each movie separately, and all seven together, the review became longer than I've expected, fast. Still, I didn't want the time I spent writing it to go to waste so I posted it as is. I genuinely hope for your patronage.

Production Values (animation quality, seiyuu work)
As a theatrical release, Kara no Kyoukai had more than decent funding and it's creators definitely knew how to use that money.
Visuals perfectly mix 2d and 3d imagery for a captivating new view of the Nasuverse with its dystopian cityscapes and gory action scenes. Animation is fluid and the picture remains clear and highly detailed all the time, and that goes up to the level of unrivaled brilliance when the action kicks in. This is the only ufotable work I've seen thus far but it prompted me to acquaint myself more closely with the studio despite sometimes mediocre ratings of the shows they've worked on, if just for the eye-candy.
From camera angles to subtle foreshadowing and even trivia bits (I especially liked the news report in the first movie which depicted the events of the third), direction is top notch most of the time and remains consistent despite each movie having a different director. Is it a hint to Nasu's involvement, or the result ofOota Katsushi's supervision, or, maybe, some other factors, remains unknown. Anyway, the end result deserves high praise.
Voice acting was great in general but several seiyuu deserve a separate mention. Firstly, from the nihilistic front of a blood knight to the femininity and kindness of the inner monologue in the final movie, and on to the completely detached, hollow third personality that surfaced in her fight with Araya Souren,Sakamoto Maaya does a perfect job depicting Shiki's character. Secondly, the deranged psychopath, Shirazumi Lio, neatly balances Shiki's coldness withHoshi Souichirou's hot-blooded performance.Noto Mamiko creates an unusually gentle kind of blood thirst for the local yandere, Asagami Fujino. Kokutou Azaka manages to lighten the mood just by speaking, thanks toFujimura Ayumi's energetic voice. Lastly,Nakata Jouji remains his usual self in the role of Araya Souren.

Style (art, sound&music, atmosphere)
Takeuchi Takashi is a genius. While fairly simple, his character designs are among the most memorable. And my opinion of him gets only better after seeing Ryougi Shiki's eyes (the usual gray, not the mystic ones).
Then there's the background art. Despite the dominance of dark tones, the locations tend to be highly detailed and they stay that way in the most intense fights when the camera jumps all over the place. The cityscapes are gorgeous enough to count as scenery porn despite their gloominess.
Then, there'sYuki Kajiura's musical score. As her fan, I am fairly biased, but I will still say this. BGM creates the atmosphere all on its own, with the visuals often only contributing to a small portion of the general mood; a 6ch sound system is highly recommended.
There are some things I didn't like about the style, though. Many features abide by the Rule of Cool. Not that it's a bad thing, but it gets annoying. First of all, Shiki's mystic eyes. Yes, it's a great visual cue and all, but as they're permanently active, it is also misleading. Then, there's the gore. Blood is good, but when it gushes in a fountain out of a walking dead, it isn't convincing. The thing I found most annoying was the excess audible sharpness of Shiki's knife. These are all small details which don't ruin the bigger picture and can be easily ignored. Still, it can be a nuisance.

Story (you may want to skip this part as I tried to get a bit of focus on every movie...)
I hate it when Nasu goes for a bittersweet ending. He's too damn good at it!
The story was great, if somewhat closed in its own little world. There are two main storylines in the series. One is about Araya Souren's scheme to reach the Origin. The plan involves Ryougi Shiki and her unique ability. The second is a more personal story involving Shiki's relationship with Kokutou Mikiya, an ordinary guy who dares to intrude into her world and her personal space.

"I thought they'd notice me if I called to them and made them aware..."
"Overlooking View" is about a blind girl floating in the sky. She just wishes to enjoy the scenery but soon after that wish is granted, it becomes clear that simply watching is not enough. Her suggestion and her loneliness leads to several suicides. Ryougi Shiki doesn't particularly care about the victims but when the girl tries to take Mikiya she cannot ignore it anymore...
Can seem really confusing to those not familiar with the Nasuverse, and even to those familiar with it, due to the absence of many inner monologues. Still, Kirie's story was nicely transmitted from the novels.

"I don't want to die."
She smiles.
"I want to kill you."
"Murder Study (part 1)" takes place in 1995, three years prior to the main story. Shiki and Mikiya are classmates. The unwanted attention awakes a new emotion inside both Shikis. At the same time, a murderer appears on the streets. Several clues lead Mikiya to a conclusion he doesn't want to believe in.
My first thought after watching this was, "What's the point of the first movie?" This volume properly introduces the two main characters and establishes the second storyline, mentioned above.

To be alive means to be hurt.
"Remaining Sense of Pain" follows the story of Asagami Fujino, a girl who's insensitive to pain. That trait makes her unable to feel alive. When she finally regains her ability to feel, her long lost powers start to reawaken, stronger than ever before. An unfortunate turn of events leads her down the path of a murderer. Shiki sees no justification for indiscriminate killing and, thus, cannot allow Fujino do as she pleases.
My personal favorite, this movie features more fan disservice than the other episodes, and I consider it the most twisted (no pun intended). Well, I like it more because of the showdown between Asagami and Ryougi. Fujinon being the most powerful esper on Earth gives it an even more epic feel.

The existence called Ryougi SHIKI that existed within Ryougi Shiki has disappeared without a trace.
"Void Shrine".After a long sleep, Ryougi Shiki awakens. Yet, the world she left two years ago is different from now. This world is filled with death. In this world, Shiki is all alone. In this world, she cannot identify herself as the Ryougi Shiki that she was before. Can she find the strength to live on in this world of desperation where even the overflowing thoughts of the dead want to violate her?
I probably went overboard with that description. It sounds angsty, but the movie is more Nasu's technobabble than anything else. The visuals do tend to get dramatic, and there is proper character development. Generally, that side of things wasn't as good as in the second movie, mostly due to the missing inner monologues from the novel.

I just can't tolerate your existence.
In"Paradox Spiral", Araya Souren's plan nears completion. The final piece takes its place on the board, and Shiki is lead into a trap. How can someone escape from inside a barrier that can stop even the counter-force? Deep within Shiki, the Spiral of Origin starts to awaken...
I couldn't help myself. While the scriptwriters did a great job (that's an understatement - esp. when we recall that "There is no Tsukihime anime") cutting out most mentions of the Counter-Force in this movie, they did turn Cornelius Alba into a typical villain with no role except doing nasty things with Touko's head. I didn't like that as a fan but I can understand where the producers were coming from and, thus, I applaud them on doing it right.

I, Azaka Kokutou, am a 16-year old magus apprentice.
"Oblivion Recorder" is centered around Mkiya's younger sister. Fairies start to attack people at Reien academy and Azaka is tasked with detection and elimination of the culprit. By Touko's judgment, Shiki infiltrates the academy to become Azaka's eyes, as normal humans are unable to see the fairies. That judgment proves to be lucky because when God's Word is involved, things never are what they seem to be.
As I generally like incest themes in fiction, and personally Azaka, I don't mind the changes that I heard were made. The movie has a stronger feel of a side-story than the novel was, and Kurogiri flat out loses all of his backstory. While I didn't like that bit, the "lighter and fluffier" mood of this volume made it a nice breather between two key episodes.

So my story ends here.
"Murder Study (Part 2)". The murders from three years ago resume and Shiki suddenly disappears from her home. Mikiya starts investigating these events and finally uncovers the truth about the killer, and about Shiki.
The final movie had some really unexpected twists. Shiki's character development (or, rather, disclosure) is the highlight of this movie. Her misleading front, incomprehensible desires and unique moral code lead the viewer to the wrong conclusions about her personality, despite the many hints that were scattered around. This episode finally makes things clear, from beginning to end.

Kara no Kyoukai has this unique trait where each episode can be viewed as a separate story (considering the intervals between the releases, many people probably watched them like this), and still be satisfying. Yet, viewing them as a build up for the series' finale is the correct way.
In general, the story is great in every aspect, though not perfect. Due to the left out material from the books, some shortcuts were taken and that leads to a lack of depth in some points. "It doesn't count if you kill someone inhuman like Araya" sounds like a lame excuse for keeping Shiki innocent, unless you know what really happened back then.

Character
Among the shortcomings of any adaptation is the need to cut things out of the original. This often leads to some characters turning into mere shadows of their previous selves. Kara no Kyoukai isn't exempt from this rule, either. Among the most prominent examples are Kornelius Alba and Kurogiri Satsuki. While the latter gave subtle hints of a distinct personality despite losing all of his backstory, the former was practically defined by his hatred for Touko (he was that way in the novels, too, but they gave him more depth). I have to admit that this was inevitable in their case but even Araya Souren lost a part of himself, even though it wasn't that major.
Ryougi Shiki, on the other hand, gets enough development to last for a lifetime, as far as other characters are concerned. She starts off as a rather typical blood knight, and the second and third movies confuse us further as to which of the two personalities is dead. The fourth gives us an answer but arouses new questions. Finally, the reasons behind her behavior are fully explained only in the seventh episode, though it's possible to deduct them much earlier. While the reveal might (or might not, your mileage may vary) tone down her level of badass, it makes her character wholesome, proves her as a complete human instead of a hollow container for her eyes.
Another character with a lot of development is Enjou Tomoe. His origin is "worthlessness" and I share the viewpoint that Araya was correct. Still, seeing him react,think and change through the course of the movie makes him real enough to believe his final words, "I was here."
Among others, I'd like to point out Kokutou Mikiya. While not having much development per se (except for episode 2), he has a certain depth achieved through his high moral and his influence on Shiki.

Value
As a Nasu work, this title is not for everyone. While it is toned down, the movies contain a fair amount of in-universe technobabble. Basic knowledge of the Nasuverse is recommended for pleasant viewing.
I have already rewatched all the movies once before the seventh came out, and plan on watching it again in the near future. Heck, I'm sure I would want to show it to my kids in the future. I am a Type-Lunatic, though, so I am biased. Even taking that into account, Kara no Kyoukai has high rewatchability, if you liked it the first time around. Some parts have to be rewatched simply to be understood. While that can be considered a minus, I think differently.
I know I'll buy this if it ever comes out in my country (which I doubt), and this time, being a fan doesn't count - I haven't bought any Type-Moon merchandise thus far.
Additionally, this show deals with many psychological issues. If you are interested in borderline psychology, Kara no Kyoukai was made for you. If you are a moral relativist, Kara no Kyoukai was made for you. If you don't like gore and violence, and the themes the movies deal with, you still might want to check it out for its sheer beauty.

Enjoyment
All that was needed has already been said somewhere in the review. The only thing that I might add is that I would like a bit more of sibling love but that's impossible unless Mikiya hits his head really hard.
As a conclusion, this is the kind of anime I like. With an engaging, unpredictable yet logical storyline, unordinary characters and dominant gray morality, Kara no Kyoukai takes its seat in my all-time favorites and will remain there for a long time.