Review of Haibane Renmei

Haibane Renmei. It's pretty good. Story: The story is fairly straightforward. For the most part, Haibane Renmei a relaxing slice of life in an idyllic town. Exactly why the characters are in this place is never explained, but it becomes fairly obvious once you get into the show. Character: This is one of my main issues with Haibane Renmei. Well, there's nothing particularly wrong with the show's characters - it's just that there's not enough of it. The show leans so heavily on two characters that it barely explores the rest of the cast. While you start to like all of them and get a sense for their personalities,you never get a glimpse into their actual struggles in a show where that's the whole focus. However, the two characters the show does explore are interesting, and all the characters are consistent.

Art:

While Haibane Renmei's art looks aged, I think that actually works to its advantage. It adds to the calm, rustic, atmosphere that the show is going for. One of the things I appreciate the most about this show is the facial expression. The animators managed to show a wide variety of them, and the show does not overexaggerate like a lot of other anime.

Sound:

One of the first things you'll notice when watching this show is that there is a lot of ambient audio and little music. This is a nice fit for the show, because there are few scenes that are exceedingly dramatic. Instead, the show is more of a peek into the day-to-day lives of the characters as their inner struggles play out. Also, the English dub was on the better end of dubs I've listened to. It felt like the voice actors put genuine effort into it.

Enjoyment:

Haibane Renmei has few edge-of-your-seat moments or cliffhangers. Instead, most of the show consists of characters going to the same places and dealing with their same struggles as before. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but you will want to pace this show out instead of watching it all at once. At the same time, this show is incredibly relaxing. If you you're an art appreciator, then you might find some good escapism in it. It's also a very good show to watch right before you fall asleep, because you do not have to pay very close attention to understand what is going on.

While I appreciated Haibane Renmei, I would suggest watching Angel Beats instead, because it executes a similar concept slightly better. However, if you have already seen Angel Beats and enjoyed it, you would probably enjoy Haibane Renmei as well.