Anime Review: Haibane Renmei
Article written by: Rose

How This Story Unfolds. . .

As if waking from a dream, a nameless young girl finds herself plummeting through the sky. She has no memory of who she is, or where she came from -- but even though she's falling through the air at a furious rate, she seems strangely detached and not afraid. That is, until she sees the ground rushing up at her...

This mysterious young woman finds herself in a town, filled with people who appear to have wings and halos. Apparently, she had broken out of a cocoon, to land in a strange place called "Old Home". Though she's still very confused, a girl named Reki tells her that the people who live there are called "Haibane" -- and like the girl, no one ever knew who they were before coming to Old Home. They ask the girl about the dream she had, and when she tells them about falling, they name her "Rakka". Rakka has many questions about the Haibane, but Reki is unable to answer them.

Rakka is then presented with a halo of her own; but it proves to be troublesome and refuses to stick into place. Though no one was really sure what the Haibane were, it was clear that something had happened -- were they even human? And along with the halo, Rakka sprouts wings -- a painful process that she endured, with the help of Reki. With her wings and halo, Rakka is plagued with questions and a dreadful longing to go home, even if she couldn't remember where she came from.

And now, the story is set. Rakka finds herself in a strange new world of angels, where she's not even sure if they are among the living anymore. Her own wings, having sprouted from her own body seem to have become a real part of her body. Who were the Haibane, and how did she get to Old Home? And how did she grow wings? So many questions...

Thoughts on the Series

Haibane Renmei is a series that seems to pull you in, the minute it starts. It doesn't bother with the preamble of introducing the protagonist; in fact, she doesn't know who she is either, so it's like the audience and the protagonist are on the same page. The beginning is absolutely beautiful -- the dream of Rakka falling from the sky, cradling the raven in her arms was such a great scene. If those first moments were any gauge of this series, Haibane Renmei seems like a good, thought-provoking series. The artwork and mood of Haibane Renmei will be familiar to those who have watched Serial Experiments Lain -- this series was the creation of Yoshitoshi Abe. A seemingly everyday tale with a twist is the specialty of this particular manga artist.

For the most part, this is a serious series, so you won't find gags or perverted jokes here. The characters and the settings are simply drawn and designed, lending a sort of realism to the cast and surroundings. The characters aren't busty or blindingly beautiful, and I found that refreshing. By the end of the first episode, you'll be left with questions and you'll want to watch more of this series. I've always been somewhat fascinated with the thought of life after death (that's assuming that the Haibane are dead) and I'm interested to see how this series will play out.

Other Information

This series began airing in October 2002, and is based on the doujinshi by Yoshitoshi Abe (Serial Experiments Lain). It is currently licensed by Pioneer, and runs a total of 13 episodes, approximately 30 minutes each.

Looking for more information on this series?
-- Sekai no Hajimari -- A Haibane Renmei fanpage (general info)
-- Greywing (general info)
-- Within the Wall (general info)
-- Old Home (general info)