Haibane Renmei: anime review

Title: Haibane Renmei
Genre: fantasy, drama
Released date: 9 October 2002 – 18 December 2002
Episode: 13
Director: Tomokazu Tokoro
Animated by: Radix Studio
Comment: Created by Yoshitoshi Abe whose other works include Serial Experiment Lain, Haibane Renmei is one of those anime that reminds me how much I love anime and why I keep watching them. Haibane Renmei sets in a totally fictional world where the Haibanes, humanoid creature with wings and halo, live among human in a town surrounded by impenetrable wall. The Haibanes’ life cycles are different from humans’; they are born, fully grown and with no memory of their past lives, from cocoons which fall from the sky. Soon, they grow wings and receives their hand made halos. They live and work with human until the day of flight comes and they fly away, beyond the walls. The anime tells the stories of this imagined world as if it is something completely normal and therefore most of the symbols and riddles are, without clear explanation, continually piled up in the viewer’s heads. The viewers have to interpret all these symbols by themselves which makes this anime even more interesting. In my opinion, I think the Haibanes are people who committed suicide and sent to this enclosed world to realize their sins. The intense drama is another highlight of Haibane Renmei. It is mostly about rediscovering and forgiving oneself. The animation and backgroud are beautiful and serene. The original score which is mostly piano is really beautiful and easing. Conclusion: Except action sequence, Haibane Renmei has everything that makes one great anime: heart, brain and imagination.
Rating: A