I was going to do GTO, but I have to rewatch it. Instead, I’m going to review Haibane Renmei, and I’m going to do it with only a small portion of the screen visible, since my laptop screen seems to have something wrong with it, maybe the ribbon cable.
This is an amazing anime, and I can’t believe how many years it took me to discover it! Being a fan of Serial Experiments Lain, you’d think that I’d have jumped right into this one. Oh well, better late than never, eh?
Plot: Again, this is another anime where it’s hard to give away much information without completely spoiling the plot. Well, here we go. A girl who appears to be in her mid-teens dreams of falling from the sky. Unfortunately, the dream ends before we can se the rest of it. Anyway, she wakes up inside of a cocoon that’s filled with water, and when it hatches, she finds herself living in a home amongst the Haibane, who appear to be humans with wings and halos. She herself is now a Haibane with no memory of her past or her name, and we follow the story through her eyes.
She learns that she is in the town of Guri and lives in Old Home, an empty boarding school set aside for Haibane. The Haibane are forced to live simple lives; they can’t have anything new, must work, but they can’t make money; they must also not get too friendly with the townsfolk, and the townsfolk aren’t supposed to involve themselves much in the Haibane’s lives. There seem to be a few exceptions and friendships between townsfolk and Haibane, but the general rule is that they are separate but equal. Well, not really, since the Haibane must be insanely humble at all times, but you get the idea. They coexist is what I’m trying to say.
Artwork: It’s simply gorgeous, yet very simple. If you’re familiar with the series Serial Experiments Lain, then you know what to expect. The characters are all drawn with a simplicity that makes them very appealing. Likewise, the scenery used and the color pallet all reflect the simple life that the Haibane are made to live. The atmosphere is a welcome one, though there’s still plenty of mystery.
Animation: I’m working through the series my second time through, and I’m surprised at how good the animation is! Very few things are repeated, and everything was done flawlessly. I thought Kuu was a little over the top, but that was a reflection of character.
This is a show where not a lot happens, particularly in the sense that characters don’t fight, or even seem to have much urgency at all. As such, there’s not a lot of really interesting things to animate, and sometimes things appear slower than they should. I’m thinking of the fireworks scene, in which I thought the animation could have been a little better, particularly since the scene was of some real significance.
However, the animators take time to make even the smallest, most seemingly insignificant actions and sequences a masterpiece, and since the story doesn’t delve much into the lives of other Haibane aside from Rakka and Reki, the animators make hints at the personalities and thoughts of the other characters by animating them perfectly. Their expressions have as much significance as their dialogue, and their dialogue can be deceiving!
Action: There’s some mild conflict, but no physical fighting at all. This isn’t Naruto, it’s a story of forgiveness, repentance, and all that good stuff. I know, Trigun did it with a lot of action, but that’s just not appropriate for this story. I’m pretty certain that Guri has the lowest crime rate in the world!
Music: Imagine a dark, watery abyss with only a vague touch of light shining through the top. There’s an audible splash and a flock of crows take flight. A girl falls through the sky, apparently unafraid and the song “Ailes Grises” begins to play. It’s a sad, haunting melody that starts the show up, and the music never fails after this. It doesn’t score the epic points that Escaflowne does, but the music is some of the best I’ve ever heard in an anime. In fact, I’m listening to the OST as I write this (in .flac format to boot!)! I’m on a track called “Wondering” which is a vocal song sung in English. I’m pretty sure I didn’t hear this one in the series, but who knows. It reminds me of “Home and the Heartland” from Riverdance.
The music tends to alternate from sad and lonely to somewhat perky, although it never really loses that melancholy feeling ot it, thus connecting all the tracks. I think it’s the only anime OST I can listen to straight through without skipping atrack, except for, of course, the multitude of Escaflowne CDs! There’s just not enough to say about the music; it definitely seems to do much more than set the mood for a particular scene.
Character Development: Admittedly, this is a tough one, since none of the Haibane can remember their pasts. They are like clean slates, and by the time the series starts, many of them have hit the point where they don’t need to develop much, particularly since it seems that there really isn’t much around to challenge them in a way that would require growth or self reflection, save for what’s required to take the Day of Flight. Thus, only two characters are ever given much time to develop, but it’s well worth the wait. They are interesting characters, and I can’t give much away without completely spoiling the plot, or at least, a clue to how the Haibane arrive. Let’s just say that there’s one instance in which everything you thought you knew will be turned upside down.
Tone: Some have described this anime as being sad, but I’d call it happy. However, each episode left me feeling melancholy, which isn’t something most shows, movies, etc. manage to do. I didn’t ever feel sad, and many times I felt happy (not in an excited way), but the melancholy would always be present. If you’re looking for a humorous show, then this isn’t it. If you’re looking for something that will warp your mind, it’s not as extreme, or confusing, as Serial Experiments Lain, but it does provide food for thought (someone on the Christian Anime Alliance forums managed to make an entire Sunday School lesson plan out of it, though it doesn’t depict a single religion or theology, according to its creator).
Episode Flow: If it weren’t for the fact that the seasons change and the characters speak of the months changing, this anime could be mistaken for an animated soap opera! It has an almost slice of life feel to it, and everything is joined together very nicely.
Dubbing: It is my impression that they tried really hard to find actors who could match the Japanese voices, and the translation isn’t too bad. I didn’t care for the line delivery, but I seldom do. All in all, it’s not too bad, and it sure surpasses a whole lot of other dubs.
Language and Content: As far as language goes, there’s some mild swearing, most of it being heard in one episode that had a lot of Kana in it. However, the dialogue is very tame. As far as content goes, the wing emergence scene in the first episode may shock some, but it’s not too bad, either, and it’s the only scene like it in the entire series.
There are some weighty themes, such as depression and suicide, that may not be suitable for younger audiences, and Rakka appears nude in the opening sequence of every episode, although you can’t see anything private.
Villains: Every good story needs a bad guy, right/ No, not really, since the only bad guy in this show is the characters’ own inner demons. No evil overlords, no homicidal maniacs, no nothing. It’s better this way.
Recommended?Without hesitation! This is an amazing anime – a masterpiece in itself – that everyone should see at some point in time. I mean, it’s got great characters, great music, and nice artwork, not to mention an intriguing story once you get into the swing of things.
