Review of Haibane Renmei

I have a tradition to sink a little bit in the premise, themes, setting and plot of the movie I am going to watch as if I was first asking for a draft. I need to know if I can find something that's in tune with my current obsessions and moods. That's priority. I don't watch something that's not in tune with my current mental states and interests. Haibane Renmei, evidently, needed to wait more than 8 years for my attention, but it got it when I was looking for something of its kind. Anime's mood and mine matched, and so I decided to giveit a try. And when I give series a try, I am obliged to watch it full. I expected unique atmosphere, high-quality music and subtle symbolism. I wanted emotions over action, with addition of mystery and melancholy.

I noted that the narrative is very conscious. It doesn't have fillers, but it is built in a specific way as if it was developing along with the characters. One of two main characters, Rakka, is learning about the world along with the viewers, driving the plot. She is innocent and ignorant of the darker side of her reality through the first few episodes and then she is steadily realizing that the world she is in is not really careless utopia but there is a mystery hidden in it and it is closely connected to every Haibane as if there was an obligation to achieve something. You could divide the plot in two parts: one in which Rakka learns about Glie and doesn't realize its hidden drama ( you can explore the world with Rakka and see its daily life not worrying about anything too much ) and another one in which innocence breaks down and each Haibane must face more complicated reality of their existence ( the story gets more serious and resolving ). I found storytelling clever and well-paced. It is evident to me that creators didn't compromize their vision but delivered quite exactly what they wanted, from beginning to end. Nothing feels forced or ''serviced'' to me.

There is something realistic about characters. Rakka's emotional reactions, curiosity and doubts are quite the opposite of predictable, flawless, fearless heroes who are cynical and nihilistic in regards to their pains and problems and tend to laugh it off or take revenge, spreading havoc everywhere. Where many productions resort to this type of action, this anime resorts to specific kind of existentialism. Characters must work out what they are, why they are not free and why they intuitively feel there is something wrong or unfinished about their lives. This adds a lot of authenticity to a fictional world of Glie. Watching it from Rakka's perspective is very believable for me, and very human despite halos and wings. I also noticed that there is a lot happening on the faces of characters. Faces are not frozen but do show a lot off, purposefully.

I cannot agree with those who claim that music in this series is average or nothing special. I was quick to recognize that music was composed by Kow Otani. I know he is very talented for I heard his work in Shadow of Colossus. As a fan of movie and instrumental music, I am always listening to soundtrack if I find it somehow memorable. In case of Haibane Renmei, I identified at least seven songs which I can listen to many times. Here they go: ''Breath of a Germ'', ''Rustle'', ''Ethereal Remains'', ''To The Town'', ''Bitter Cry'', ''Nightmare/Parting/Loss'', ''Irreplaceable Warmth''. Try out these compositions and you shall see that music is very solid at least.

The art style is class in itself, because it is not about woo and not about special effects. It is distinct and ''works in background'' to create a unique atmosphere which this anime has. This art style resonated with me very much. It is yet another example that there is a deliberate style chosen for this anime, not that creators lacked imagination and couldn't do something more spectacular. There is a lot of detail as well. If you watch closely the scenes that take place in the town, you can see that nothing is put randomly, but every part of the surrounding is logically fitted and meaningful. I spotted this while watching in slow-motion.

To summarize, this anime feels like a work of art because of sensible way in which it presents characters, distinct art style that creates a unique mood, plot which is structured in clever way and subtly conveys universal themes and music which is beautiful and emotional ( a lot of piano and violins ). Because of the manner in which this story is told, you are almost forced to interpret in on your own and think about it afterwards. If not for reasons mentioned earlier, this one feature makes Haibane Renmei a work of art, not just a one more TV production. I highly recommend Haibane Renmei - it was something more than I expected and this ''more'' makes it so special to me. It is outstanding, it is timeless, it is unique, it is symbolic, it is universal.