Review of Haibane Renmei

"Simplicity is underrated" ...is what I initially thought when I started watching Haibane Renmei. It made me appreciate a show for purely being a show, a theatrical performance, with no cheap tricks, no audiovisual confetti, nothing of supplementary nature, for the setting and the actors alone are enough (and should always be enough) to convey what this show wants to tell - and it is something powerful enough to make it worth a watch, in spite of its outdated characteristics. The first thing one would argue about is the story of Haibane Renmei, something that, even by the end, remains oddly mystical. But alas, you will surelycome to realize that the imaginary story of the Haibane, like any other story, is redundant. The questions about life, oneself, the world, are the same. They are voiced by human beings, consumed by the innate desire of having someone care about them. Haibane Renmei has two great self-insert characters, and the show wants you to find yourself in one of them. Does the nature of their world really matter? No, it is their circumstances that matter. It is only the means by which their circumstances come to be that change.

If this anime is worth your time for one thing, it is the themes. It gives voice to your fears. Is it the fear of death? Of losing someone? Of being alone? Of being hated? The outsider? Haibane Renmei manages to portray these themes through its characters in a methodical, paced manner, without ever underestimating their gravity, and ever more, the sheer importance of giving an answer, a solution to them. You can find actual tension in this anime (the final climax is something to behold), because importance is only given to the scenes that deserve it, and even then, without ever inflating or disrespecting the underlying character or narrative. I would really love it if shows took an example of Haibane Renmei. The value of respect and simplicity are so painfully underrated.

If I could, I'd give this anime a 7.5, and I have "mixed feelings" for it exactly because it fits the description of "some will like this, but others will not". It is kind of a niche show, being an old, slow slice of life with quite subpar graphics (though one should NOT underestimate its artistic value, both in visuals and music). The ambiguous and unresolved nature of the overarching story and world might also leave one unsatisfied. But this anime is without a doubt, made for those who will find themselves in it. For those who'll be asking the same questions, and longing for the same answers. And the journey of exploring them here is a beautiful, yet terrifying one. If there is one thing I will remember Haibane Renmei for, it will be the depth and understanding with which it handles its characters. Because to an extent, it is the same understanding which it shows to you... the one who really matters.