Review of Haibane Renmei

Hmmm... How to open up a review on Haibane Renmei? I thought a lot about it but I just couldn't write anything besides "Do you wanna see a smoking Angel?". So, here is an analogy which I think is the best explanation of the show. Fairy Tales. Yes, those stories your parents or grandparents used to tell you when you were little. Or you would read them up in a book. "Once upon a time, in a world far far away, there lived..." that's how they started. We are given an introduction to the world. Then, there would be a hero or heroine and he or shewould go on a physical or a spiritual journey in that world. There would be some ups and downs and there would be a happy ending with a lesson and the end. Haibane Renmei is set up kind of like a fairy tale.

We are introduced to these mysterious creatures called Haibane. They look just like human beings except that they have a set of small wings and a glowing halo above their heads. The Haibane are born from a cocoon that starts from the size of a dandelion puff. They can be born as a kid or as an adolescent. While in that cocoon, they have a dream and what they experience in that dream determines their name afterwards. Their wings grow within two or three days after they are born and the Halo on their head is given to them by their fellow Haibane. They live in an abandoned building named Old Home on the outskirts of this town named Gile which is inhabited by humans. The town is surrounded by these giant walls. The Haibane or the humans are not allowed to go outside these walls for some reason. They can only use things that humans do not need. So, they wear used clothes from thrift shops and live in an abandoned building. The Haibane are not allowed to use the human currency i.e., money. Instead, they use the Haibane Notebook of the Haibane Renmei. Haibane Renmei is an organisation that takes care of the Haibane.
All Haibane are born with an amnesia. They don't remember who they are, where they are from, or why they are born as a Haibane. The only thing they have is that dream they had in the cocoon. The story follows Rakka, who dreamt of falling from the sky (hence the name), as she goes around spending her new life as a Haibane.

The whole concept of the show is very unique, imaginative and interesting. The way the show portrays its world makes it seem very realistic. There is a tremendous amount of effort put into the construction of this world. Like how the Haibane can't talk to the Toga or even little things like they make covers for their wings to keep them from cold in the winter or how Rakka slowly gets used to accepting the wings as a part of her body. The whole story is contained in this isolated world surrounded by giant, impenetrable walls and the anime absolutely refuses to give us any clue as to what lies outside this world. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered and it will bother you. But the main part of the story does not depend on any of those missing pieces. Also, I believe that leaving those questions unanswered makes it more realistic. I mean, we don't know a lot things in our own real world. Just like us humans, the Haibane don't know who they really are or why they exist. Or like how the world the Haibane can observe is limited by those walls in the same way we can't observe anything beyond the observable universe (in principle. I don't want a scientific debate, so lets leave it at that.)
The show is paced very well. There is this natural flow that is maintained from the beginning to the end. It never seems too slow or rushed. The story progresses in a swift manner while the characters develop like a blooming flower. The show gets a bit dark sometimes but isn't overloaded with philosophy or goes deep into the psychological realm. Instead, it gives this warm and serene feeling most of the time. So if you are into fast paced action stories, you are not going to like it. It ends on a happy note with the message of acceptance and moving on. Though the meanings depend on ones own interpretation.

The animation of the show blends perfectly with the realistic world the story presents. There are no big round shiny eyes or light reflecting off of character's body. The Halos and the wings are not glorified. The character designs are realistic and the expressions are done nicely. Since, the Haibane can only use things that humans do not need, the animation has this old worn out look in its environment. This blends in perfectly with the soundtracks. The soundtracks consist of beautiful, calm music with several violin, piano and harmonica pieces. These pieces are played in moderate volume in the background and aren't distracting. The opening and ending are worth listening to on their own. I loved the music in this show.

This was something unique and quite an interesting experience. It is nothing flashy like a firework or puzzling like a rubik's cube. Rather, it is like watching a sunset on an evening; calm and beautiful.