The Garden of Sinners: A Study in Murder Part 1

Plot

Mikiya first meets Shiki in a white kimono during a snowing day. Later on, at the high school freshmen ceremony, Mikiya sees Shiki in the crowd and chases after her, introducing himself to her. At night, Shiki stumbles onto a fresh corpse of someone killed in a traffic accident, the blood still flowing. Kneeling, she applies the blood on her lips as lipstick and smiles. At school the next day, Mikiya discusses Shikis choice of dress, a kimono, stating that it must be cold. Shiki replies that she will simply wear something over it when it gets colder, and Mikiya suggests a jacket. Shiki later on takes Mikiyas suggestion and buys her trademark red leather jacket. At night, a man stumbles as he runs in fear from an unseen attacker, who kills him brutally with a knife. The next day, Mikiya tells Shiki about the murder, saying he has an inside source as the murder is not on the news yet but Shiki is displeased that Mikiya is talking about something like that during lunch.

The police discover the fourth corpse, the school reacts to the news by prohibiting all after school activities. Shiki is one of the few people left in the school by this time, but bumps into someone she does not know, who reprimands her by asking her if four times isnt too much, even if she is irritated. Shiki refuses to reply. It is raining outside, and as Shiki waits at the entrance, Mikiya comes up behind her and offers her an umbrella. Startled, Shiki refuses, saying she has someone coming to pick her up. The two wait there in silence, until Shiki can no longer stand it and suddenly asks Mikiya where he was the whole time, and he replies saying that he was in holding a farewell party for an upperclassman, Lio Shirazumi, that was dropping out of school because he found something to do. Mikiya invited Shiki as well, but Shiki did not think he was serious. At night, Shiki finds the fifth corpse, but simply remarks "the fifth one" emotionally.

Shiki has a duel with her father, using real katanas, but loses. Her servant, Akitaka, remarks that Shiki is the real successor of the family, over her male brother, an unusual move as the male is the successor in traditional Japanese families. This is because only Shiki inherited the special multiple personality of the Ryogi family who in her case, is male and Shiki wraps herself in bandages to hide her femininity. During lunch break, Mikiyas friend from the judo club, Gakuto, quizzes him about the rumor that he is going out with Shiki. He admits that he does like her, but they are only friends. Later on, Mikiya finds a letter in his desk from Shiki asking him out on a date. Shiki shows up, but talks and behaves in a boyish manner, leaving Mikiya confused. Over a meal, SHIKI, the male personality, writes out two different spellings, Shiki (?) and SHIKI (?), and explains that he is the rebellious impulse of Shiki, but lately they have been out of sync, whatever Shiki likes, SHIKI does not, and vice versa.

Mikiya has dinner with his cousin, Daisuke, who is a detective and is investigating the recent murders. He reveals that they have obtained a recent clue, Mikiyas school emblem was found at the latest murder scene. After school, SHIKI has a frank talk with Mikiya, warning him that Shiki will try to kill anything that opens up her isolation with the world. The next day, Mikiya still offers to eat lunch with Shiki, leaving her perplexed. At lunch, Mikiya notices a bandaged injury on Shikis left arm, who admits that she got it during the last killing. Mikiya doesnt believe her, but Shiki warns him again that if he doesnt back off, she will probably end up killing him. Mikiya once again has Daisuke over for dinner, who reveals that they found the killers skin underneath the victims fingernails, and that the killer probably has an injury around the elbow, the location that Shiki had bandaged. Panicking, Mikiya dashes out to Shikis mansion in the bamboo grove, but Shiki is apparently not in. While walking around in the grove, Mikiya finds Shiki, drenched in blood in front of a fresh headless corpse spurting blood. As the blood splatters onto Shiki standing there in a trance, Shiki turns and smiles at Mikiya. Walking up to the terrified Mikiya, Shiki smiles and says "Be careful Kokuto-kun. A terrible premonition tends to attract a terrible reality."

After the cops find the crime scene, Mikiya pretends to not have seen anybody, but secretly goes back to keep watch on Shikis house every night, and is easily spotted by Akitaka as he does not do a very good job of keeping hidden. This keeps up until Shiki loses her patience and has another talk with Mikiya, who still refuses to believe she is the killer, and she then asks him if he will be coming tonight. That night, Mikiya is still keeping watch, when Shiki in a blood red kimono shows up in the rain, and chases him while slashing wildly with her knife. Shiki chases Mikiya to the road just outside the bamboo grove, where Mikiya falls and Shiki straddles him, holding a knife to his throat. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Shiki asks Kokuto to say something, who can only reply with "I dont want to die.". Shiki smiles warmly and replies that she wants to kill him. Screeching tires are heard, and the scene switches to June 1998 where Mikiya has started working for Touko, and visits the comatose Shiki in the hospital with flowers, stating that he has always believed in her.

Cast