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Anime Review - entered 2004-05-16, at 22:09:41 by PotBelliedCow

Haibane Renmei
Japanese Title: Haibane Renmei
Subtitle Charcoal Feather Federation
Distributor: Pioneer/Geneon

Age (Max=21)

Overall Rating

9 / 10

Violence

1 / 10

Language

2 / 10

Sexual Content

0 / 10

Nudity

1 / 10

Bad Religion

1 / 10

Image

Genre
Drama,Fantasy

Main Review
Haibane Renmei is a series by Yoshitoshi ABe, the artist who gave you Serial Experiments Lain, Niea_7, and most recently, Technolyze. The series takes place in a town called Glie, where both normal people and beings called Haibane live. Haibane are creatures that look like humans, but they have wings and haloes. They are hatched from eggs, and when they are "born," they often don't look like babies. Rakka, our main character, was teenager when she was first hatched. Also, Haibane cannot own new things, they can only use second hand items. They must have jobs, and lastly, all Haibane must always obey the Haibane Renmei, a committee of elders whose sole purpose is to take care of the Haibane. Now, the story: we see through the eyes of Rakka (meaning "to fall"), a newborn Haibane who finds herself in this mysterious town. For thirteen episodes, Rakka wonders about being a Haibane, the town of Glie, and the Wall--a high stone barrier that surrounds Glie. Nobody can go past the Wall. Those who do can never return. Rakka meets the other Haibane of Old Home, an old school dormitory that is now inhabited by Haibane: -Reki has been a Haibane for 7 years. Newborn Haibane are named after the dream they have while they are still in their eggs: Reki means "little stones," since she dreamt of walking down a stone path. Reki is an artist, and as a job she takes care of the younger Haibane of Old Home. -Nemu has been a Haibane the longest: 9 years. Nemu means "to sleep" since, believe it or not, she dreamt she was sleeping. I'm not kidding. Nemu is Reki's best friend, and she works at the library. Personally, my favorite character. -Hikari is a fourth year Haibane. She works at the bakery and has a very twisted sense of humor. She tends to bicker a lot with Kana. Her name means "light." -Kana is a third year Haibane. I never figured out she was a girl until a good deal into a series. Her names means "fish" since she dreamed she was swimming in her dream. She works as the clockmaster's apprentice. -Kuu is the youngest of the Haibane (2 years) besides Rakka. I was confused of her gender as well. She's small for her size, but she's got a heart to make up for it. She befriends Rakka at first. Her name means "sky" since she imagined she was flying in her dream. Now, the review: I found this series to be deeply moving. There's no sex, no violence, nothing that makes an anime "interesting." It was rather the character development that drew me in, how Rakka transforms throughout the series. The plot seems simple in the outside, but after thirteen episodes, it left me questioning about life, death, and friendship--perhaps you can say, spiritually moving. But be warned: the plot is SLOW. The story doesn't start up until the sixth episode. Still, despite that, it's nice to stare at the lovely visuals because after all, Haibane was made by ABe. Soft palettes dominate the town of Glie, and the visuals alone can be the reason for a second viewing. I rated this anime as a 13+ because that was the offical rating on the label. However, I let my ten-year-old sisters watch it (fast forwarding through the wing sprouting part) and they were fine. Their favorite character is Nemu, the sleeping wonder. But besides that, younger (patient) viewers may find the characters quite intriguing. For older viewers, though, there's a good layer of symbolism underneath it all. If you have patience, a free evening, and a bowl of popcorn, give Haibane a try.

Comments

Music
The composition and arrangement of the score is by Kow Otani. I personally own Hanenone, the soundtrack of Haibane Renmei, and it is amazing. "Free Bird," the opening theme of Haibane Renmei, is an orchestral arrangement and a very hummable tune. The songs throughout the series are subtle, but present. The most fitting that comes to mind is a simple piano piece, "Ailes Grises," that is played while Rakka is dreaming. Even if you're not an anime fan, the soundtrack is still worthy to listen to.

Sub vs Dub
Usually, the sub is always better than the dub, but the dub for Haibane is actually good. Carrie White, the English voice actor for Rakka, is frighteningly similar to Hirohashi Ryou, the Japanese voice actor. I can't really choose the sub above the dub, or vise versa. Both are worth listening to.

Manga
Haibane Renmei started out as a doujinshi by Yoshitoshi ABe and has not been released domestically. Translated versions can be found at http://www.pinoyotaku.com/haibane/

Related Movies

Violence Details
Contrary to many anime out today, Haibane Renmei contains very little graphic violence. The only part considered violent would be a moment in episode 1 in which Rakka's wings sprout out of her back. This scene contains a good bit of blood, but it is all in a tasteful, artistic manner. There is another part near the end of the series which contains some blood as well, but there is nothing too queasy at all.

Language Details
Barely any language here. Reki and Kana occasionally use the D word throughout the series, but nothing too bad.

Nudity Details
The only nudity that's contained in this series is at the end credits, when Rakka is in her egg state. This however, is tasteful and not revealing.

Sexual Content Details
No bed scenes or sexual fan service...this is where you whisper a quiet "wow." Be warned, though, since some fans of the series claim that there is some shoujo-ai, considering that most of the characters are female. But really, if there are any sexual overtones, they seem to be at the very end. However, the relationships of Haibane Renmei seem to be nothing more than close friendships, and as long as you don't go on the Internet seeking out Haibane shoujo-ai, you'll be fine.

Religious Material Details
The only objectionable religious content is the fact that Yoshitoshi ABe used angel figures for his characters. This can support Christianity or object to it, it all rather depends on your own thoughts of Haibane. Still, that should not keep you away from this series.

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