Haibane Renmei

Born from a cocoon in the village of Old Home, a young Haibane—a being with a halo and small gray wings—awakens to a world she does not understand without memories of her past. Named Rakka for the dream of falling she had while inside the cocoon, she soon becomes accustomed to life in the strange town. However, there are strict rules for the Haibane, such as being forbidden to leave the village or go near the walls surrounding it. These, along with mysterious disappearances of their kind on their "Day of Flight," begin to unsettle Rakka and the others since they know almost nothing about their own kind.

As Rakka and the other Haibane live their lives with no memories of the past, they try to break free from their former pain and ultimately find salvation.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Reki Main

Noda, Junko Japanese

Rakka Main

Hirohashi, Ryou Japanese

Kana Supporting

Miyajima, Eri Japanese

Kuu Supporting

Yajima, Akiko Japanese

Nemu Supporting

Murai, Kazusa Japanese

Hikari Supporting

Orikasa, Fumiko Japanese

The Communicator Supporting

Ooki, Tamio Japanese

Kuramori Supporting

Hisakawa, Aya Japanese

Hyouko Supporting

Suzuki, Chihiro Japanese

Midori Supporting

Mizuno, Manabi Japanese

Ueda, Yasuyuki Producer

Iwatani, Yoshinobu Producer

Haruna, Go Producer

Gotou, Hideki Producer

Reviews

Jun 11, 2025

rinbeeby

Recommended

Haibane Renmei is an example of amazing worldbuilding taking place in a setting that looks similar to what we're familiar with, but still unique in mysterious in so many cool ways. the pacing was so perfect, revealing little hints about what is going on in the first episodes, and then more comes flooding at you in the second half. i think it left the perfect amount of stuff left unknown.

the characters are all believable and behave in realistic ways for the most part. you become so attached to them so fast. i cried so much!!!

the opening/ending songs and the ost are all so beautiful ... and powerful. and the art is so charming, and the designs are cool and unique. and the story is satisfying til the end, and sums up nice and good.

such a good watch. and it's so short!! watch it!

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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May 11, 2025

UnHappyArt_55

Mixed Feelings

A group of angelic beings are born from cocoons with no memory of their previous lives in a strange walled city. This series has a lot of great aspects. It has an interesting premise, very good animation, and excellent music. It's everything to be less than excellent. I really wanted to love this series, but it has issues that prevented me from doing so.

The world-building we see is interesting, but quite lacking. It just feels like they missed some great opportunities. But this wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for my main gripe: the plot is very thin.

Several episodes feel like they're ... just there for the sake of it. I enjoyed the first two, which did a great job of establishing the story, but after that, it stagnates for a while.

It's not until the final episodes that the plot livens up again, with the subplot centered on Rakka and Reki's struggle to free themselves from sin, and there are some interesting philosophical commentaries, but even so, it's pretty bland.

The two main protagonists, Rakka and Reki, are well-written, but the rest of the characters are rather flat. None of them have any characterization, save perhaps for a personality trait.

In short, good animation, decent world-building, little plot or characterization, and too many missed opportunities.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Apr 25, 2025

svvemur

Not Recommended

Strengths:
- Beautiful watercolor-style artwork and memorable soundtrack
- Attempts to tackle mature emotional themes
- Creates an initially intriguing mysterious atmosphere

Critical Flaws:
- The show's numerous mysteries and symbolic elements remain frustratingly unexplained, feeling more like artificial depth than meaningful storytelling
- Significant pacing issues, with roughly half the series spent on slice-of-life episodes that don't contribute to the main narrative
- Character motivations, particularly regarding the central themes of guilt and redemption, lack proper establishment or development
- World-building is inconsistent, with rules and authority figures that operate arbitrarily rather than logically
... - The fantasy setting ultimately feels superfluous to the story being told
- Critical character development feels rushed and unearned, especially in the finale


Recommended for: Viewers who prioritize mood and atmosphere over narrative coherence and resolution. Those seeking clear answers or well-developed character arcs may want to look elsewhere.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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	Poll: Haibane Renmei Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) jacobpaige - Apr 24, 2008	286 replies	by rks64 »» Jun 20, 1:20 AM
	Poll: Haibane Renmei Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Ria- - Aug 12, 2008	56 replies	by Blackpenredpen »» May 31, 5:03 AM
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	Poll: Haibane Renmei Episode 10 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Ria- - Aug 6, 2008	56 replies	by Blackpenredpen »» May 31, 4:08 AM
	Poll: Haibane Renmei Episode 9 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Ria- - Aug 6, 2008	52 replies	by Blackpenredpen »» May 30, 11:24 PM

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