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Kyoto Animation Streams 2nd Beyond the Boundary: Idol Trial Short

Kyoto Animation began streaming the second anime short for the Beyond the Boundary television anime on Monday.

In the short, this time Shizuku Ninomiya (voiced by Akeno Watanabe) is on trial for being “painful to watch.” The four girls give the evidence of this charge by showing various photos. In the first, Shizuku was told that she looked like a teenager when she wore a certain dress by a store clerk, and although she denied it, in her mind, she accepted the compliment as truth. In the second photo, at a group date, Shizuku puts a lot of strength into holding her posture, knowing men will be looking.

Finally, after the girls do their judgment dance, Shizuku is given the punishment of dressing in a female high school uniform. The four girls comment that it is painful to look at her, as it appears she is cosplaying. Shizuku finally gives in, crying that she is sixteen years old.

The ending theme of the short is “Poppy no Kaeri Michi” (The Road Home Filled With Poppies) by Yuri Yamaoka (voice of Ai).

There are three shorts scheduled, with the next premiering on December 16. They are not tied to the story of the television anime, and have the following premise: As long as evil is rampant in this world, four "angels" will judge your sins.

The dark fantasy story of the main Beyond the Boundary anime follows a high school second-year student named Akihito Kanbara (KENN). Although the boy appears human, he is half Yōmu and invulnerable to wounds because he can heal quickly. One day, Akihito meets first-year student Mirai Kuriyama (Risa Taneda) when it seems she is about to jump from the school rooftop. Mirai is isolated because of her ability to manipulate blood, which is unique even among the Under World Warriors. Disturbing events begin to unfold after Akihito saves Mirai.

Taichi Ishidate (episodes of Clannad After Story, Hyōka, K-ON) is directing the anime at Kyoto Animation, and Jukki Hanada (Gakuen Alice, Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai!, Steins;Gate) is in charge of the series scripts. Miku Kadowaki (The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-ON! movie animation director) is designing the characters.

The anime premiered in Japan last month, and Crunchyroll is streaming the anime into several countries as it airs. Sentai Filmworks also announced last month that it licensed the anime for North America.

Nagomu Torii's original Kyōkai no Kanata light novel received an honorable mention in the novel category of the Kyoto Animation Award program in 2011. The studio released the first volume last year, and the second volume shipped in April.

Images © Nagomu Torii, Kyoto Animation/Beyond the Boundary Production Committee