Haibane Renmei

"Haibane Renmei" is on my Top5 'Best Anime Ever' list. It got there instantly, and remains even though I'm continuously filling my DVD shelf with new titles as they come out. And it's been there for some time. Why? Hm... let's talk about that for a moment.

First of, it's a journey. Don't be unprepared, this isn't something You watch as a Sunday Timewaster. In short - it's deep, entertaining and full of... well, me. And you. And everyone else.

At first, some may think it's about the main character and the events that unfold in regard to her. Then, it quickly becomes a psychological tale about a community, centered around Charcoal and Feathers Federation. But soon afterwards you lose track of things and just watch...

This anime becomes your mirror. I know - it may sound almost impossible, but that's the way it is. It has its own storyline and characters, granted, but it really talks about human emotions, the way we react to those emotions and events, and finally - how, and why we interact with each other. I won't say more.

It's not just a ride, it's a journey deep into yourself, into that dark room psychologists and psychiatrists always tell you to open. This title slams the door open and drags whatever's inside - out. By definition, this journey must be made alone...

... and it must be made, even if only to know - why.

After watching Haibane Renmei early this year, I thought it was a bit different than Yoshitoshi Abes other works, (like Lain, which is a bit of a puzzler). This series (Haibane Renmei) has an air of sadness to it, but also moments of happiness and joy, and doesn't mess around to much with your head.

I really enjoyed it and would watch it several more times, enjoying it as much as the first. The ending had me virtually in tears, it really was perfect. If you're gonna purchase any anime on DVD in the future, this one should be next on your list. No doubt about that. This one makes the top of my favourite list without problems.

Haibane Renmei I usually don't like TV-series. I also don't really like anime, except for the films of Miyazaki. But Haibane Renmei is hard to classify as a standard anime. There's no flying limbs, nor any immature humor and attempts at getting you to look up girls skirts. Men who look like women and have stupid hair are also wonderfully absent. I might seem a bit biased here, but this is my impression of anime, and I've seen quite a bit randomly or through friends. On the surface Haibane Renmei seems like a fairly simple drama. This is because it's the impression the series tries to give us. On the first couple of episodes, there is an underlying uncertainty and darkness. As the series progresses in its 13 episode span, it becomes deeper and more thought provoking. It never spells out things clearly to the audience, and never answers all our questions. It remains wonderfully subtle, and after I finished watching it I thought about the series and its themes for several days.

The series is set in a small town surrounded by high walls. In the city, together with human people live angelic like creatures called the Haibane, who are not allowed to leave the city. As the series starts, we see the birth of a new Haibane, Rakka, who is named after the dream she had while being born. Like all Haibane, she cannot remember her past or where she comes from. The series spends most its time exploring her living with her new Haibane friends. We are also introduced to them as the series starts. One problem with series is that they have very shallow characters, but not Haibane Renmei. The characters here feel painfully real and sincere. The series also explores several of the supporting characters, giving them all an amount of depth. This is also connected to the wonderful character design, and immediately as we see the visually we can assume what kind of characters they are. But the designs are not overdone, and they all reveal in time a certain amount of layers and depth.

The animation isn't as high quality as some other popular anime, however, the backgrounds look beautiful and show great detail and artistry. The music also needs mention, using wonderful strings and soft acoustic guitars, as well as some beautiful piano work. Haibane Renmei spends a surprising amount of time layering and building its themes and symbolism. It takes situations that are common to us, but puts it into a slightly supernatural setting. And although all the main characters have wings and halos, they always seem extremely grounded and realistic. The series go through several moods and emotions, but always make it heartfelt. When the characters are happy, we feel happy, and when they are sad, we feel sad. But it avoids becoming melodramatic nor over the top. Some of the series saddest parts will truly sting your heart, unless you're made of stone.

For a series that takes such a serious tone, Haibane Renmei gracefully avoids such series greatest clichés. The symbolism is subtle and layered, but never seems overdone. There are truly intense moments, but the series also takes several moments to sit back and let the audience reflect, showing wonderful imagery of the landscape with beautiful music in the background. The themes are universal, but I'll not list them, in fear of spoiling the series for people who hasn't seen it. Make sure not to read too much about the story and what happens, and rather let the series unfold without knowing what might happen.

Haibane Renmei is probably one of the finest audio-visual experiences I've had. Not many have seen it, which is sad, as it's so universal and could be enjoyed by so many people. I would recommend it to anyone, it could even work for ten year old kids and older. Although it's layered, it's never overtly complicated. Although it never answers many of our questions, it still isn't surreal and hard to penetrate. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend you go out and get it as soon as possible.

What I see in the show, is the great, great, GREAT animation and artwork of Yoshitoshi ABe. its not to show off what anime really is to people surrounded by Pokémon or dragonballZ...but to show off how well ABe can build characters and towns and an entire world with so many differences that it would astound the minds of "hit" movie watchers.

Its not mass marketed for everyone. I would relate it to movies like SLC punk, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Chungking Express, and Requiem for a Dream. They all try and challenge you to see the deep meanings behind the screen.

Music. Music can make or break a movie, and if it makes it, it either builds it up, or points it in a direction you didn't see before. The music in Haibane Renmei made it and it built up big time. The music gives it a deep RPG feeling, without the tedious and repetitive battles.

final opinion: not everyone will want to watch it, but having it in your collection is the anime version of having a 1830's bottle of wine in your wine cellar.

Sick of stereotypical anime? No need for big robots, big chests, lots of yelling and immature humor? Check out Haibane Renmei. In my opinion, it's in a class by itself.

HR begins with a young girl 'hatching' from a cocoon, unable to remember her name, her life, or anything else. She is greeted by 5 other females (looking to be between 10 and 25) who have wings and a halo. She is given a name, based on her dream in the cocoon (Rakka, which means "falling), as are the others. Soon she grows wings and is given a halo as well. The winged creatures are called "Haibane."

The first 5 or so episodes are intentionally slow going, as we are given a view of Rakka's adjustment to life as a Haibane. However, as slow going as they are, the episodes are very engaging. By episode 6, Rakka suffers a major loss, as she spends the rest of the series dealing with the loss and trying to answer the question: What are the Haibane?

This series was created by the same person who created Serial Experiments: Lain. Rakka even looks a little like Lain. However, HR is a bit more straight-forward than Lain. It is an especally quiet series, the use of classical and baroque music add to the feel of the show. We're told a little about the Haibane, the rules they must follow, and the world they live in.

The animation is intentionally not very flashy, however it is detailed and quite immaculate. We get the feeling that the Haibane live in a quaint little town which hasn't changed much over the years. The show is much the same in its feel of timelessness. It could take place now, 100 years ago, or even 100 years from now.

In short, this is a show to show off to non-anime fans who have stereotyped all of it as either Pokemon or porn. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a trend...