Review of Haibane Renmei

First off, the short review: Story - 6: Already done before, troublesome religious element (see full review for an explanation of this), but still very solidly constructed, and touching at times. Art - 8: Pretty fantastic use of watercolor. Not technically amazing, but artistically it's pretty darn good. Sound - 8: I love the opening and closing songs. The soundtrack is a little bit less impressive, but the series knows how to use silence to good effect. Character - 8: Two of the characters have surprising depth, the rest don't. Great character designs. Enjoyment - 7: It's a very calm and peaceful show that might frustrate you with its slowness,however patience is rewarded.
Overall: 37/50 = 7.4.
I tend to rate lower than other reviewers, so my score might be the equivalent of an 8.

I am somewhat sympathetic to the raving reviews of this anime, however I think a big part of it is just that it hit a sweet spot, not that it was as great as it's built up to be. What I mean is that it provides a lot of what is lacking in most anime, and for this it gets built up a little higher then it deserves. Yes, it has discarded the flash and dazzle, and made a calm tranquil ambiance, filled with mystery and intrigue, it tells a story directly from the heart, patiently and filled with wisdom. But as much as it blatantly appeals to a more sophisticated audience, it comes across as somewhat pointless.

It tells two stories of human nature, both of losing one’s way and finding it again. The story of Reki was particularly touching, with her perfectly executed self-hatred giving way to a message on how we can never live by ourselves. It doesn't tell anything new, it's an age old theme told time and time again, and already told better by a more famous anime (*cough* evangelion *cough*).

However, in the end the inclusion of religious symbolism is what really hurt this anime for me. Hundreds of reviewers will tell you that this wasn't a religious anime. That's not quite true. It doesn't preach someone's interpretation of someone else's holy words, but the concepts and sentiments it conveys are classically religious. It preaches what is a sin and what isn't, it invokes god (no, they don't literally say “god,” but it's really obvious who represents god), it creates an idealized world as a manifestation of Christian sentiments. This troublesome religious message from the man who brought us Serial Experiments Lain sort of weakened the show for me.

It's not particularly clever, but it says what it has to say in a very effective manner. Just for execution alone this anime deserves props. The characters were all believable, the animation and music were terrifically dreamy. In the end, it was a show worth watching, but I prefer Serial Experiments Lain, a less direct and less preachy show by the same creator.