Alternate titles: Kyoukai no Kanata, That New KyoAni Show, Moe Moe Blood Magic, Squishy Demon Slayers
Light Novel Adaptation by Kyoto Animation
Simulcast on Crunchyroll

Premise: A half-demon boy meets the last survivor of a demon-hunting clan. They fight crime demons.

Iro’s Verdict: Pushing the Boundaries of my Patience

Is it too much to ask for something different? Despite the hype leading up to KyoAni’s first ostensible action show in recent memory, it just feels like more of the same. Akihito fits the dreadfully boring mold of the exasperated, sigh-y protagonist, while Mirai is a typical clumsy cute girl right out of K-On!. An over-reliance on snarkily observing genre conventions only drags down the already generic dialogue. Someone needs to tell Kyoani that smooth animation and decent action scenes aren’t enough to make up for lacking plot and characters. It’s a bit early to dismiss Beyond the Boundary just yet, but I’m not exactly filled with confidence at this point.

Zigg’s Verdict: Too True to Form

I came into this prepared to give KyoAni all the slack in the world to prove themselves, but ultimately i was left extremely underwhelmed by what they served up. Beyond the intriguing cold open there’s simply no attempt to generate any sort of atmosphere or aura to surround the show. Instead KyoAni fall back on their tried and tested stereotypes – cute, clumsy girl, exasperated straight man – at the expense of me being able to take it seriously. While I appreciate the attempt at avoiding an exposition dump as well, the character introduction is rather clumsy. And yes it’s gorgeous, but not very artistically ambitious – they’re just drowning everything in super dramatic lighting as usual. But the slick chase reminds me I’m looking forward to seeing how they handle the action. Not an especially promising start though.

Lifesong’s Verdict: Moe Moe Dark Fantasy Kyun?

We are hit with a strong wave of artistic dissonance right off the bat before this anime launches into the cute daily life of an immortal and his would be serial killer… if she could kill him, that whole immortal thing kind of gets in the way. I went into this pretty hyped and I wasn’t let down. The first episode left me with more questions than answers, but it did so in a way that setup the events to come. I’m in, can’t wait for more.

Gee’s Verdict: Flat

As the Glorio blog’s resident KyoAni skeptic, I was actually quite interested in Beyond the Boundary. Combining KyoAni’s money with a slick action story seemed like something I could get behind. So it’s quite a shame that it decides to start off by imitating every other KyoAni show that’s preceded it. Cutesy clumsy girl with self esteem issues, meta-talking sassy girl, straitlaced protagonist who’s actually an okay guy, etc. It’s the kind of shit we’ve all seen a dozen times, and throwing in some admittedly nice action scenes isn’t going to fix that. I can endure a lot for the sake of good animation, but not boring characters. I think the highlight of this episode was older ponytail lady. Who doesn’t love a sexy older woman in a ponytail who isn’t afraid to kick the shit out of some demons? Is that going to be enough to keep me watching? That’ll depend on how the rest of this season’s offerings stack up.

Marlin’s Verdict: Just the Right Mix

I for one was a fan of this juxtaposition of cutesy comedy styling and a grim overarching world. Having you average moe KyoAni girl go and stab some dude in the chest is a great way to set your anime apart from the pack. I didn’t mind the characterization either. KyoAni shows usually are enjoyable due to their characters more than their story, so establishing their likeability now is a good way to keep me coming back. The chase scene was probably my favorite part of the episode. From the snarky one liners by our protagonist to the dogged but clumsy antics of the heroine, it was a good bit of fun before getting into darker waters. It shows just how little experience these two have with this fantasy world they’ve been forced into, and how much they have to learn as the show goes on. Some may have a problem with this vibe, but I embrace it.

Jel’s Verdict: Between Two Worlds

On one hand, Beyond the Boundary is about a world with powerful spirit warrior clans hunting monsters for glory and profit. On the other hand that world is, for all intents and purposes, modern day Japan. This being anime, that means super cute MOE girls and hole in the wall school clubs with nonchalant protagonists. Mirai herself is the perfect example of the weird dichotomy, spinning and flipping through fighting stances in one scene and clumsily tripping over a broom the next.

Should the series manage to get its two world working together, Beyond the Boundary could be great. I’m not sure this episode really succeeded though, so I’m going to need to see more to be convinced. I do love the general openness of the characters, particularly the acid tongued childhood friend delivering the promise of conspiracy and danger. I’m looking forward to more, but the show has some work to do.