Haibane Renmei

I first got into the anime scene in 2005, when I was 12 years old, but at that time, I hadn't gotten into the habit of finishing shows. I would just watch any episode of an anime I could find and that was it, often leaving them unfinished due to other obligations, like school or helping around the house. It wasn't until the early 2010s that I started getting into watching more anime and actually finishing them depending on what I was into at the time. Over time, I began to cultivate my tastes and figure out which anime I liked and which ones I didn't. I even gave some shows that I didn't think I'd like a chance, and I found some real diamonds in the rough. But there are some anime where people absolutely rave about them and get showered with nothing but positive reviews. One of those anime is Haibane Renmei, a show that, if you told my 12-year-old self I'd watch and consider one of my favorite anime ever, she'd probably call you crazy. I honestly wouldn't have touched something like this if not for a former blogger I followed praising it to high heaven. And honestly, I can totally see why he, and other people I know of, loved it. Not gonna lie, Haibane Renmei is one of my favorite anime of all time.

The premise goes as follows: In a mysterious, walled town called Glie, winged people known as Haibane co-exist among normal humans. Haibane are born from cocoons, wear halos, their grey wings are small and flightless, and are not allowed to leave Glie for any reason, as only the Federation is able to do that. One such Haibane, Rakka, is born in a decrepit boarding house called Old Home, inhabited by other female Haibane who help her out and teach her the ways of Glie. Every Haibane is expected to work in Glie and contribute, meet various people, and look inward until they learn to understand and accept themselves. But although Rakka is happy with her new life, she is constantly plagued with questions: What was her life like before she came to Glie? Does she even deserve to be here? Haibane Renmei focuses on her journey as she interacts with others and even helps them understand themselves.

One thing is to be made very clear: If you're looking for a fast-paced anime with high octane action, explosions, loud characters, and a grand, sprawling plot that gets bigger and bigger as it goes on, this is absolutely not the show for you. Haibane Renmei is very clearly meant to be a grounded, down-to-earth, spiritual slice-of-life story and a deep character study, where the characters learn the ins and outs of the town they live in, the rules it establishes, and the things they themselves learn from being in Glie. Plus, the anime restrains its scope to just one location, and does intentionally leave some things unexplained, such as what the walls exactly are, what the Federation really is, and some minor details, with the creator, Yoshitoshi Abe, going on record saying that he did that on purpose, so fans could conjure up their own theories and let their imaginations run wild. Basically, Haibane Renmei is a show that respects its audience, knows what it wants to be, and doesn't try to bite off more than it can chew (Take note, Sonny Boy).

With the story being so subdued and down-to-earth, the animation obviously reflects this. As far as animation goes, Haibane Renmei isn't the best looking show out there, with half of it just being still images of the characters talking, and half of it being basic movements like running or walking. But that doesn't necessarily mean its art style or animation is outright bad. The muted colors and washed out appearance give the anime a very rustic look, fitting for how old and antiquated the town of Glie and everything in it is. The backgrounds are all very well painted and well drawn, the characters have unique, grounded designs, and the anime makes great use of lighting and expressive composition, letting the animation say more than the characters themselves do on occasion. But you're not going to find super bright colors that pop right off the screen. The soundtrack is also very subdued but fitting for the show's atmosphere and themes, with heavy usage of soft piano pieces, religious-sounding chamber music, and even...low-key accordions? But the soundtrack strikes a good balance between being both whimsical and somber when the atmosphere calls for it, and some BGMs sound like straight-up 8-bit music you'd find on an NES game. Not even kidding.

But the real heart and soul of the series is the cast of characters. Now, because the anime deliberately refuses to go deep into their backstories, viewers will probably find them dull at first. But over the course of 13 episodes, viewers gradually get to know each character, their strengths, flaws, skillsets, and how they go about their day and interact with the world around them, and none of them really fit neatly into the typical anime archetypes. The characters of Haibane Renmei all feel like people you'd meet on the street, and their struggles and growth are all portrayed with earnest realism. This is an anime that takes nothing for granted, especially in regards to the main two characters, Rakka and Reki, who grow and change throughout the show, and the anime really goes out of its way to make you care about them. I don't expect every single character in a medium to have layers upon layers of depth, just enough to make me want to care about them and root for them, even as they go about their daily lives and work to come to terms with their own issues, and in my opinion, Haibane Renmei absolutely hit a home run with its ensemble.

Honestly, I can't really think of any real flaws that Haibane Renmei as a show has. I have no issue with certain aspects being left unexplained, as Haibane Renmei focused only on the things that mattered and delivered on those aspects. I had no problem with the slice-of-life parts, as even though they're not as deep and emotional as the series' second half, I thought they served their purpose well and actually made me care about the Haibane and the world they live in. But I can definitely see people getting bored with the series' slow pace, religious themes, refusal to answer questions, and lack of action. I know I probably would have, had I seen it when I was a younger kid. Or put off by the gory presentation of Rakka's wings growing out in the first episode, but that's the only bloody scene in the entire show, and nothing else like that happens afterward. Fans of the series have conjured up all kinds of theories as to what the Haibane are, what the town is, and so on, and while I don't mind letting my imagination run wild in regards to the show's lingering mysteries, I'm still perfectly satisfied with Haibane Renmei as is. Seriously, it says a lot that most anime nowadays think boiler-plate isekai, over-the-top non-stop action, non-stop nudity, and power fantasies are a good substitute for actual substance, conflict, and interesting and relatable characters that you can actually care about.

All in all, Haibane Renmei is an amazing anime that absolutely deserves its status as a revered classic, and there is no excuse for you to not check it out.