Haibane Renmei, ep. 01-04

[oyceter]

This is a dreamy and odd little series. The Haibane (literally "charcoal feathers") are a group of teenaged girls/young women and kids who have small haloes and grey wings. The young women are called the Older Feathers and the kids are the Young Feathers. We're introduced to them via a girl falling from the sky; later, we see her hatching out of a cocoon.

The premise sounds bizarre, but the series itself is actually not cracktastic at all so far. So far, it's about the newest member of the Haibane, Rakka, figuring out the strange rules of her existence. The town the Haibane live in is one of those vaguely 19th-century European places, a la Miyazaki. It's small and comfortable, and while the Haibane don't quite belong to the town, they are generally looked at kindly by the townspeople.

There's also a mysterious group called the Haibane Renmei, who somehow enable the Haibane to live in the town.

There are some hints at a greater mystery: where do the Haibane come from? Who were they before becoming Haibane? What exactly is the Haibane Renmei and what does it do? And what is up with the crow imagery?

But mostly, I am just relaxing and enjoying watching the Haibane interact and watching their quiet and small little world.

Comments

[rayechu.livejournal.com]

Did all of the girls have grey wings? I don't remember because it has been a really long time since I have seen the series. Sadly, I know a long time ago someone reviewed the series and said it reminded them of a book and I was an idiot and never wrote the title of the book down.

[fireriven.livejournal.com]

Harboiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami. Abe has admitted getting some of his inspiration for the Haibane town from Murakami's book. Or was that the other way around? ::goes off to look::

[fireriven.livejournal.com]

Just to follow-up: ABe has stated that Murakami's novel inspired him. According to Wikipedia, this information comes from an interview with ABe featured in Animerica magazine.

I've read both Murakami's Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Both novels seem to have ABe weaving haunting echoes through his Haibane Renmei series.

[rayechu.livejournal.com]

I don't know if that was it or not, but it has good reviews on Librarything and amazon so I ordered it from my library. Thank you!

[oyceter]

I think they all have grey wings. It doesn't look like it in the anime, but whenever the characters talk about it, they say the wings are grey.

I think the book is also called Haibane Renmei? I'm sure you could probably find it on Google.

[rayechu.livejournal.com]

OKay. I was remembering them as white, but not a super sparking white. Like I said, it has been a while since I watched it though.

[fireriven.livejournal.com]

I very much love this lovely and haunting anime series. I'll be interested to see your thoughts on the series unfold: there's a lot to think about.

Isn't the soundtrack to the series beautiful?

[oyceter]

I'm looking forward to it! It's very strange but also very calming. I picked it up again because rachelmanija said early Honey and Clover episodes reminded her of this series.

The music and the animation are both gorgeous! I especially love the theme songs at the beginning and the end.

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

I really liked Haibane Renmei; it was quite sad, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Interesting... I didn't find it sad, but we probably can't discuss why you did and I didn't without spoilers, so let's postpone that till later.

[(Anonymous)]

Sure! Once our esteemed hostess gets caught up?

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

whoops, that other comment is from me...

[thomasyan.livejournal.com]

You didn't find it sad!? Did I know that? I eagerly await the forthcoming discussion.

oyceter, I am so glad you are watching this series. It is one of my favorites.

[oyceter]

Huh. Now I'm curious...

I'm really glad I'm watching it! I've missed having a good anime series -- I like Romeo x Juliet, but I haven't glomped onto it like I did with Honey and Clover.

Come to think of it, Haibane Renmei actually reminds me a little of Gunslinger Girl. It's the potential icky premise + delicate execution + sense of unsolved mysteries. But I may just be wildly trying to find comparisons!

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I would call it wistful and haunting more than sad.

[thomasyan.livejournal.com]

Ah. I had wondered if maybe you were thinking it was more bittersweet than sad. I expect the discussion to help clarify for myself how I rate it along the sad, bittersweet, wistful, and haunting axes....

This is probably my favorite ABe anime. Lain started off great and had some terrific music, but fizzled in the end. Niea_7 was good slice-of-life but was offensive in parts and had semi-pointless aliens, which detracted from it. I've seen only the first episode of Texnolyze (sp?), and found it so confusing as to be offputting. Maybe I'll give it another chance some day.

But Haibane Renmei is just about perfect.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

I heart Haibane Renmei. I not only find it oddly calming and serene, but also emotionally cathartic in a lot of ways. My wife and I were just discussing re-watching it soon. I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip through the show.

[oyceter]

Yay! I am looking forward to it.