The Garden of Sinners: Overlooking View

The girls are being manipulated by Kirie Fujou, a terminally ill woman who uses astral projection to lure them to the building. She possesses them with her spiritual power, driving them to commit suicide. This explains why none of the victims left suicide notes, they weren't making autonomous decisions.

The lack of suicide notes is mentioned early as the first unusual detail that clues Garan no Dou into something supernatural.

Mikiya is possessed by Kirie Fujou, who becomes infatuated with him. During possession, she uses his body to get closer to him, which causes severe physical and spiritual damage. This possession leaves Mikiya in a coma until after Kirie's death breaks the connection.

Tōko suspects early on that Mikiya's condition is tied to the supernatural forces behind the suicides.

Kirie uses astral projection to separate her spirit from her terminally ill body. Her projection leaves the hospital, finds vulnerable high school girls, and possesses them. Through possession, she forces these girls to come to the Fujō Building and jump. The ghostly figures Shiki sees are Kirie's projection plus the spiritual remnants of her victims.

Shiki witnesses nine ghostly figures, the projection plus eight victims, hovering above the building.

Shiki possesses the ability to see and interact with supernatural entities. She can perceive ghosts and has the combat capability to destroy them. She also has a prosthetic arm enhanced with supernatural properties, which is damaged during her first confrontation with the ghosts at the Fujō Building.

Shiki's quiet life hides her extraordinary capabilities, which only emerge when she faces the supernatural threat.

Garan no Dou, also called the Hollow Shrine, is a detective agency specializing in paranormal cases. Run by Touko Aozaki, it investigates supernatural incidents that police cannot handle. Shiki and Mikiya work with the agency, and Shiki uses it as a base while investigating the Fujō Building suicides.

The agency is introduced when Shiki discusses the unusual suicide cases with Touko.

Kirie's entire existence centers on her astral projection because her physical body is terminally ill and confined to a hospital. Once Shiki destroys her projection, Kirie loses the only means she has of experiencing freedom and connection with others. With nothing left to live for and having lost the ability to reach out to people, she chooses to end her life at the Fujō Building.

Kirie confesses that her loneliness from her illness drove her to manipulate others, seeking any form of connection.

The final ghost is Kirie's main astral projection, the most powerful of the spirits. When Shiki destroys it, the ghost's last act is to curse her, trying to drag Shiki into the same fate as the other victims. This curse represents Kirie's final, desperate attempt at causing harm before being defeated.

The ghost's curse mirrors the pattern of suicides that Kirie has been orchestrating throughout the film.

Shiki and Mikiya share a close, comfortable friendship that hints at romantic potential. Mikiya regularly visits Shiki at her apartment, bringing her small treats like strawberry ice cream. Their interactions are warm and teasing. After Mikiya awakens from his coma, the dynamic resumes with Shiki blushing at his return, suggesting deepening feelings.

The opening scene establishes their easy rapport and Kirie's interest in Mikiya stems from observing their relationship.

Shiki destroys the final ghost, Kirie's main astral projection, by stabbing it in the abdomen, likely targeting the core of its spiritual form. This method effectively banishes the projection, which is why Kirie subsequently loses her connection to the living world and decides to die.

Earlier, Shiki damages her prosthetic arm fighting the ghosts, showing the physical toll of these encounters.

In the post-credits scene, Touko walks near the Fujō Building with Azaka Kokutō and remarks that Kirie probably could not fly that day. This refers to Kirie's inability to use her astral projection to escape after her main projection is destroyed, it implies she couldn't save herself or achieve the freedom she sought through the suicides.

The final ghost's curse and Kirie's desire to 'fly' connect to this closing remark about her grounded, trapped existence.

Kirie becomes infatuated with Mikiya after observing him with Shiki. Her extreme loneliness from terminal illness makes her desperate for human connection. She possesses Mikiya specifically to be closer to him, which causes his coma. Her obsession stems from her inability to form genuine relationships due to her condition.

The observation of Shiki and Mikiya's friendship is what draws Kirie's attention to him.