Review of Haibane Renmei

"What? Haibane Renmei only a 6 out of 10? Nail this guy on the cross!" It's still a positive score. Deal with it! Yeah, I already can tell I will make a people get angry for only giving Haibane Renmei only a 6'. Let me hear me out: Story: 4/10 (Bad) Let's be real; nothing really happends besides getting bombard by symbolism of our own expierences as a human being in modern times in the first half of the anime. Those first few episodes are spent with Rakka being born, the pains and confusion of growing up while followed being forced of trying to find a job andfitting in society. You're not supposed to ask questions or talk to the higher order, unless they acknowledge you. You only has to follow the rules in the world you're living in. Seems way to familiar to me in our expierence as a human being in the 21th century, isn't it? If you can't agree with me and/or you don't see the resemblance, I'm very sorry to tell you, but you're living a lie. Of course, this is considered a slice of life-show, so that's sort of the point there's not much story to begin with, but iether way, I really had trouble to stomach those first episodes. Maybe it's because I mainly watch anime to try to escape from reality and I'm already aware life's cruel. Once the first episodes are over it's you will get hit by the doubts that reality isn't real and you are just here just to suffer by anger & grief and you're worthless once you reach the half in the show. Only after that the ball starts rolling, the anime starts becoming more bearable to watch to let's say around episode 7. But at that point I just started to loose my intrest in the charather Rakka and wanted more screentime for Reki instead because I felt much more relateable to her in the long run. I'll try to explain it better when we get further into the charathers.

Art-style: 7/10 (Good)
For an anime that's has come out in 2002, it's done darn pretty good for it's time! I'm not very familiar with works of Studio Radix, but I guess you can safely tell this anime will be the best production Studio Radix ever did & ever will since the studio is no more. It's just a bit of a shame of the hideous CGI windmills. Why does almost every modern anime needs to have bad CGI? Still, I really do think the best main selling point for this anime would be the art-style hands down. But for that you kinda have to credit Abe Yoshitoshi aswell.

Sound: 6/10 (Fine)
I really have't much complains with the voice acting or the other sounds like the cawing of the crows used in the anime. It's just that, well, maybe I did felt there was even a lack of sound and music used in this anime at times. Maybe it's just me the sound department felt a bit blank. Or am I wrong? I don't know. There really felt something lacking soundwise and it was bothering me in some sort or another...

Charathers: 6/10 (Fine)
After the decent voice-acting for the charathers, the charathers in general really are fine. You basicly get to follow a confused and insecure Raka that felt for me it's just felt she's just Lain from 'Serial Experiments Lain' that died and can't remember anything what happend (without spoiling SEL itself) or her dream when she was in her cocoon that now gets protection & care by an older Haibane named Reki that way smokes too much and basicly feels like the older sister archetype. It's just a bit of a shame you barely get to know all the other Haibane. Those side charathers really felt like they only exist as a filler charather and nothing else. Kind of a shame in my opinion. Reki however, well I think I can relate to her the most. I mean; who doesn't get scared of being left alone, but you just know it will happen over and over again every time to meet someone new enters your life. Sure, I did reconized Raka's fear of being useless aswell in my very own life, but in the long run I think I can relate the most to Reki.

Enjoyment: 5/10 (Average)
The enjoyment is for sure a mixed bag between boredom & enjoyment. Maybe it's because of all the quite obvious religous references you get shoved through your throat as someone that has started to be skeptic about religion when I was around 12 years old. This show is meant to have an open interpretation and I can agree on that aspect, but for me in some sort of another it just felt like a whole mixure of typical modern human despair coated with religous references. I get it. We all suffer in some sort or another. It's nothing new for me. That's life. Life IS suffering and you can't do anything about it! It's up to you to find a way to deal with it. Just like a quote in the anime reflects it very well that's worth mentioning that I really did liked:

Rakka: “We Haibane just appear suddenly and soon we disappear. What’s the meaning of our brief existence?”
Reki: “I believe there is meaning. You just have to find it.”

Overall: 6/10 (Fine)
So either way, I do give this show a humble 6 out of 10 just because I don't really want to be harsh, but in the mean time the problems I had during watching this anime I don't really want to ignore iether without trying to sound like an asshole. Maybe it's because I'm already at a later stage of life and I already a bit more used to all the human despair I'm expierencing myself, heh. I do however understand there are a lot of people why they would adore this anime, but I also can understand that some people doesn't really like this anime eiter. Oh well, atleast I hope you as a reader don't want to nail me on a cross or stone me to death for being a sinner or what not.