Review of Haibane Renmei

Warning: spoilers ahead So I was on MAL and was just browsing through anime, clicking randomly on links until I stumbled upon this. To me, this anime is one of those hidden gems you see every now and then, comparable to Bokurano in terms of underrated goodness. Plot: 8/10 As much as I loved this anime, I cannot in good conscience give it a 10/10. There are too many questions that needed answers. Don't get me wrong, that was actually one of the things I loved about it. For example, We never learn what was up with the bird other than a few hints. We never learnanything about Reki's dream besides the fact she probably died by being hit by a train and was unwilling to ask for help. But there were something I think should have gotten answered that didn't, in particular the inside of the walls. It's mentioned that things live there, and that's why you need to wear that robe when you're picking the leaves. But we never learn what things live down there or why you shouldn't take off the robe. We are also treated to that scene where Rakka finds that glowing panel covered in leaves at the end of the walls in episode 11. There's no explanation given, and it felt like the author put it in but then couldn't think of what it actually was or did. Seeing as how this was made by the same guy who did Serial Experiments Lain, I should not have been too surprised about that. Regardless, the story was pretty great and kept me watching, wanting to know more.

Another thing to note about the plot is that it very slow paced. This is a slice of life show, showing the daily lives of these girls, while slowly revealing more and more about this world they live in through the eyes of Rakka. It was actually pretty geniusly done, showing the audience the world through somebody who has never been there before. That way there's an excuse for the characters to deliver exposition to the audience while not breaking their suspension of disbelief. It feels like a natural part of the plot. This might be something that puts people off, but to a fan of slice of life like me, it was the perfect blend of relaxing and fascinating. It's not often you find a show that is both slice of life and full of plot at the same time.

Characters: 10/10
This is where the show really shines. All of the characters are interesting and developed. They are not one-dimensional cutouts. They have thoughts and feelings that feel real, desires and motivations that make sense. Even the side characters who only show up for a few episodes feel real enough to be actual people. I don't want to make this too long so I'm not going to talk about all of them. Someone who deserves mention, however, is Reki. Her story is one of the most tragic and she is one of the most developed and interesting characters. Her motivations for doing what she does are realistic and sympathetic. Even when she hurts the people around her, you can't help but feel bad for her, since you know it isn't out of ill will. She genuinely cares about people, but every time she trusts them they end up dying or leaving her. In a way she almost reminds me of Sayaka Miki, although I'm probably alone in that...

Art: 9/10
There isn't much to say about the art. It's very simple, but appealing to look at. It's the same art style as Lain, which I also liked. The simple character designs fit the tone of the story and the animation is smooth. At least to me it is.

Sound: 9/10
The music in this series is breathtaking. That's the only word I can use to describe it. Every track is memorable and perfectly fits the scene. One of the ways I decide how much I love the music in a show is by whether or not I can listen to it all by itself. The Haibane Renmei soundtrack is one of those. There are some scenes where I feel like there was music when there didn't need to be, like the scene where Kana is showing Rakka the inside of the clock she's trying to fix, but it's not a big deal and didn't ruin the show for me.

Overall, Haibane Renmei is one of the better shows I have watched to date. I have seen many, many anime over the course of my lifetime and this is one of the ones that left me speechless after finishing the final episode. There have been a few others where, after it ended, I just sort of stared at my screen for a few minutes in awe. If I were grading this anime solely on my enjoyment of the series, it would have a 10/10 easily. However, there were flaws that I couldn't ignore, which brought the score down to a 9. I recommend watching this series, it truly is an underrated masterpiece.