2022 marked the 15th anniversary ofKara no Kyoukai, orGarden of Sinners, a Kinoko Nasu series set in the universe ofFate/Stay NightandFate/Grand Order. Ufotable, the studio behind the acclaimed film adaptations, announced they would be celebrating with a new project, but they never quite elaborated on what this meant, leaving fans to wonder.
The announcement came on July 05, 2025, exactly 15 years after the release ofGarden of Sinners’ first film,Overlooking View (Thanatos.), in 2007. Fans have speculated up and down what this celebration might entail, careful the temper expectations to not over-hype what has already been described by Ufotable as “small.”
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A Year-Long Affair
Turns out, it’s not entirely a mystery, and in fact,Ufotable has already unveiled the first partof a five-part celebration planned to be released throughout 2023. And it all started on February 17, the birthday ofGarden of Sinners' protagonist, Ryougi Shiki. Ufotable released a new illustration of Ryougi, sold new merchandise through their store, and held a live stream of the soundtrack set against background art stills.
This isn’t actually the first time that Ufotable has done this, as they sold a different illustration and streamed the soundtrack on her birthday in 2022 as well. It might not seem like a huge celebration, though it’s interesting to note that over the last year, Ufotable has been a lot more active on its official YouTube channel.
In particular,they re-uploaded high-definition trailersof all theGarden of Sinnersfilms for Shiki’s birthday in 2022. It makes one wonder what other content Ufotable might upload or stream for the anniversary. The next four are still a mystery, but according to the site, the next one is “scheduled for spring.” so fans ought to find out soon enough.
What Might Come Next?
Going off of the first event, it very well could be more key visuals, merchandise, and live streams, perhaps released to celebrate the anniversaries of individual films, or other characters' birthdays. The fourth film, The Hollow Shrine, was released on July 17, 2025, and Fujino Asagami, another major character, has a birthday on May 20th.
With Ufotable’s increased presence on YouTube, another possibility is the release of new behind-the-scenes materials, similar to whatthey’ve published regardingFateorDemon Slayer. Beyond giving insight into the animation process, this would be a great opportunity for interviews with the cast and crew to talk about the franchise and their memories of it.
A side effect of Ufotable’s increased activity online is that it has stirred up the rumor mill. When they uploaded their openings from the PSP port of theFate/Stay Nightvisual novel, people suspected that it might mean a release of the VN in the West. Others thought it meant a new adaptation of theFateRoute was imminent. WithGarden of Sinners, fans have hoped that a new animated project might be in the works.
What It (Likely) Won’t Be
Fans should likely prepare themselves for disappointment if they think that there might bea new film or an OVAwaiting at the end of the year, as delightful as that would be. All the language used by the studio to hype up this celebration has been very specific to stress that these are “a few small events” meant to reflect on the series.
However, it is true that there was a story in the series that was never adapted, that being the bonus chapterFinal Record, a bonus story written for the theatrical release ofFuture Gospelin 2013. It’s also worth noting that September 28 will mark 10 years since the theatrical release of Future Gospel, so if ever there was a time for it to get announced, this fall would be perfect. Fan translations have circulated for years since, but it’s never received the Ufotable treatment
It’s not hard to imagine why.Garden of Sinnershas a fairly perfect ending, albeit one that is told out of order, like most of its series. The seventh and “final” film came out in 2009, before receiving a lengthy and lore-dense epilogue OVA in 2011 that offered a lot of closure. Finally, 2013’sFuture Gospelfelt like a true send-off, reuniting with the cast for a new story and even showing what the future looked like for these characters and their successors.
It all felt very complete, and the trouble withFinal Recordis that it’s something of a dark story even byGarden of Sinners’ standards. Without spoiling it, it feels “final” in a very different way, and while it would certainly be interesting and no doubt a blast, it could be received as somewhat of a downer ending.Especially if the announcement/releaseof a hypothetical film is capping off a loving, year-long celebration of the franchise.
With that said, that is just twisted and bold enough that it’s sorta commendable, keeping in tradition with Kinoko Nasu’s roots as a writer of dark modern fantasy. Whatever Ufotable ends up doing to celebrate 15 years, there has never been a better chance to watch (or rewatch)Garden of Sinners, to see what the hype is about, and to prepare for what might come next.
