Haibane Renmei

What does death have in store for us?

The easiest way to explain Haibane are to call them Angels, for wings and halo together undisputably helps to form the image of an angel.As if to support that, Haibane are considered to be ones who have been blessed by god.Nobody knows where Haibane comes from, nor do they know where they take off to.They might be the reincarnations of dead people.Haibane are beings whose very existence is a big question mark.The everyday lives of such unique and blessed beings is such a tempting and cute topic, but if that's the assumption one forms before watching the series, they'd either end up being disappointed, or surprised.Haibane Renmei is a show that offers quite the unexpcted content from the first impression.

Much like the ashen colour of the wings of the Haibane, the series is neither white nor black, but deep grey.The blessed beings are said to be protected by the walls of the city, they're not to even touch the wall, let alone go beyond them.They'yre given second hand items to use.These are rules a Haibane should follow.The human side see this optimistically.The Haibane, however, are always searching for the reasons.What exists beyond the walls?Why shouldn't they ever go out? Nobody knows, or rather, nobody explains.The peaceful life beyondthe walls, however, does not necessarily help everyone.Rakka, for one, is troubled by the overwhelming peace which is too much for her belief that she's a sinful being, and Rekki is practically chained to the life inside walls.What appears to be a good life helps them only little.For the Haibane who do not have past memories, what few they remember or experience is all they have.Even the seemingly ridiculous notion of being sinful for not being able to remember their dream while in the coccoon is important to them, as the dream itself gives them an identity.Thus the limited life inside the walls are psychologically taxing on them, only the degree varies for individual.Birds, who are the most free, being synonymous with their lost things is much ironical and beautiful in that regard.The lost memories are free, while what they still have is chained.The Haibane are thus troubled, everyone in their own way.Rekki is weighed down by the guilt and regret of her past actions, Rakka can't totally fit into the world.They all want some form of hope, which is hard to obtain.Even in the end, all it reaches is a form of half baked happiness for them.The resulting internal chaos of all this is cumulative.Even Rakka's feeling that the very existence of her should be erased from the world feels right sometimes that its sense of reality is shocking.The abyss inside them is not visible to the outside, but is darker and deeper than anything else.The Haibane are seeking answers to questions and salvation which doesn't exist to begin with.

That said, what makes Haibane Renmei special is not just the intense feelings, but the narrative structure as well.Intensity is often conveyed by using psychological, narrative or visual chaos, for which anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Serial Experiments Lain and FLCL are some fine examples.Haibane Renmei, however, is different.It uses the simplest of narration methods and forms a simple structure anyone can understand.Still there's much beyond surface level, but the approach taken is linear yet effective.Another thing, which can arguably be a good or bad thing, is the enigmatic nature of everything.Except for the bare minimum that concerned the daily lives and the past of the Haibane, everything is left unsaid.Nothing can be said about what kind of existence Haibane are, nor do they bother to explain what the Haibane Renmei is.Much about the walls, temple, world outside, or even the fate of the Haibane that have taken flight is unknown.One can argue that this is a plothole, but a much better explanation should be that the anime focuses on 'now'.The process is thus much smoother, and the possible chaotic nature is controlled.Much is left ambiguous and for the audience to think.

Haibane Renmei is not the first or only anime to deal with such a theme.What makes it intriguing is the way it forces the watcher to think about the past, present and future by revealing the simplest and truest of life's problems and worries.The theme and narration completely overshadows the beautifully done technical side, which does not happen very often.However, owing to its quality, it might probably appear in lists such as "Elite Anime" more often than not.I would be more than happy to call it such, but that would also make me redefine the word elite at the same time.In the end, it is yet another beautifully done brilliant anime which is often underappreciated and delivered unnecessary criticism.The anime, in truth, explores the delicate minds and makes you think seriously about even the simplest of things, and is an unmissable watch for everyone who is into stuff like that.