Haibane Renmei

Being on every "recommended anime" picture list originating from 4chan or reddit, a lot of people say to watch this anime even though its not for everyone and evidently, not for me.

Story:
The first three episodes were cool and I thought they were the introduction, but it turns out HALF of the series is the introduction. I was super hyped starting this show after hearing about it and having it relate to Serial Experiments Lain (worked on by the same guy but not necessarily in a major way IIRC) but it was a major letdown that the story had a great setting without any movement ... with the characters.

Art:
It's got that "early 2000's" feel. Concept art is similar to SEL in style (just look them both up) This and the music kept me going.

Sound:
The music is so good, I've listened to it for weeks after I finished the show. Blue Flow is eerily nostalgic for me and brings warm feelings with the other background music doing the same.

Characters:
Characters aren't really touched upon other than Reki and Rakka who are the main focus of the show. Often times the characters seem flat and I couldn't care less what happens to them because I don't know enough about them even if they aren't the main focus of the show.

Enjoyment:
The last two episodes made it worth it, but its not worth dragging through the rest of them, trust me, I have done this. Stop at episode 4 if you don't like it. The show is essentially a framework for your own interpretation; they give you the mold to the show, you have to come up with everything else, like what do the festive nut colors represent other than the two explained? or why does the wall do what it does? or how did the regular people get there? The show never touches upon this because its too focused on its characters, and by characters I mean Reki and Rakka and NO ONE ELSE.

Overall:
I'm probably gonna get torn a new one for this review, but its as honest as I could get and sure, its been awhile but I wrote this without looking anything up to refresh myself. Again, this isn't for everyone. I expected a fantasy show and got a slice of life with characters who have wings instead.

(This is a spoiler-free review adapted for this site)

[Synopsis]: After dreaming of falling through the sky, Rakka (Hirohashi, Ryou) awakens inside a large cocoon from which she is soon birthed. Once emerged, she meets several winged beings adorned with halos called Haibane who welcome her to their abode: Old Home. Rakka’s own wings grow soon after and she joins the Haibane in their daily routines and lifestyle however she wonders about the nature of the Haibane and at the distant wall that blocks off and surrounds their town of Glie from which none of them are allowed to venture near or beyond.

[Characters]:

Haibane Renmei has a ... fairly small cast of characters, mostly consisting of the resident Haibane of Old Home and the townspeople of Glie and of them Rakka and Reki are by far the most important within the narrative with the exception of perhaps the mysterious ‘Communicator’.

The majority of the Haibane are friendly to Rakka and each have their own personalities and vocations however beyond that they are mostly flat characters and are given an appropriate amount of attention in accordance with this. The townspeople are similarly underdeveloped simply because they don’t serve any great purpose and none are particularly memorable except for perhaps the store clerk from which the Haibane buy their clothes.

Rakka, the newborn Haibane and the protagonist of the show, is cheerful and friendly and quickly warms up to her fellow Haibane and much of the story is centered upon her drama and her adjustment to her new lifestyle. While she is happy living with her friends and the people of Glie, she is also inquisitive and in this way often ends up voicing many of the viewer’s questions pertaining to the wall that surrounds the town and the enigmatic Toga people. Because of this and her ignorance of the world she serves well as both a means to introduce the world and as an investigative force.

Reki, Rakka’s closest friend and fellow Haibane, is older than her by a few years and has lived in Old Home for some time – she is familiar with the routine of everything and watches after the young Haibane called the ‘Young Feathers’. While her vocation as a Haibane is to look after the children, she shows a similar kind of affection towards Rakka and cares for her when she falls ill. As she is the second oldest Haibane living in Old Home, she is reliable and helpful however she has her own share of demons and her past makes up the rest of the show that doesn’t immediately concern Rakka herself.

[Art/Animation]:

The art does a good job of visually executing Haibane Renmei’s beautiful town and countryside setting and matches its aesthetics well with each other to form a consistent portrayal of the world and characters. The character designs are simple but different enough from each other that they are each distinct in their subdued approach; they fit well within the environment of the show and even with such fantastical traits as wings and halos they feel at home. The animation was no great triumph though it did not feel like it needed to be and worked well at the technical level it was implemented at with the occasional scene sporting higher frame-rates that looked good. I would not list the art and the character designs as an actively positive influence on my perception of the show however they worked well for what they needed to do and I have no negative comments concerning the art or animation which were consistent. Some scenes had particularly good execution such as the growth of Rakka’s wings.

[Story]:

Haibane Renmei’s story starts off as a bit of a slow burn as it takes time to introduce the viewer to each of the Haibane and the few townsfolk of note while also situating Rakka within the context of her newfound identity. There is nothing exceptional about this approach however I think it is important that this route was used in that it allows the viewer to slowly establish their own opinion of what the Haibane are and what the implications of the world are as they are unveiled. This kind of thinking is I think the greatest fruit that Haibane Renmei can bear – the show, by way of its fantastic and mysterious premise and setting, raises a great many questions concerning both the characters and the world they live in however chooses to avoid answering most of them.

One’s enjoyment of the show will most likely hinge on whether or not they believe that the show worked well in it’s open-endedness or if it should have instead outright explained itself. Those of the latter persuasion may find that the show felt under-investigated however it is from this same vagueness and mystery where the benefit of interpretation comes into play – by leaving many of its questions and circumstances shrouded in mystery it forces the viewer, at some level, to fabricate their own implications and meanings behind certain exchanges and happenings within the world and between the characters. This will be the greatest differing perspective between each viewer and so those who enjoy critically thinking about the significance of things within their shows will probably be attracted to the narrative style of Hanbane Renmei.

The story itself is good enough however most of the characters were uninteresting beyond their basic traits and the events that transpire are infrequent and rarely of great consequence. I feel the real triumph of the show is in its extraordinarily compelling world. The narrative concerns itself most primarily with the dramas of Rakka and Reki however in its exploration of those characters crafts an incredible world around them which I ultimately found more interesting and enjoyable than any of the characters. The nature of the Haibane is fascinating as well as the walls that surround Glie and the seldom mentioned Toga who can venture out beyond the wall but do not communicate what they know with the town’s inhabitants or the Haibane. What lies beyond the wall, what the Haibane are, and why everything is the way it is are all questions both Rakka and the viewer dearly want answered as their mysterious presentation is incredibly appealing and, in my opinion, the strongest part of the Haibane Renmei.

The story avoids the eeriness of Abe Yoshitoshi’s other famously adapted work: Serial Experiments Lain however features its fair share of darkness within the slice of life framework of the Haibane lifestyle. Additionally, without the directing influence of Nakamura Ryuutarou, the exploration of the characters and the pacing of the story are fare more straightforward in comparison to Lain even while being shrouded in mystery. I think that Haibane Renmei is probably the more digestible of Abe’s adapted works.

[Music]:

Alongside the world setting, I would say that the music of Haibane Renmei is the second strongest element of the show. While hardly any of the scenes lend themselves explicitly to a music-centric presentation and most of the soundtrack is comprised of ‘background music,’ I think the music is a powerful element within the show. I found it was somewhat reminiscent of Otani Kou’s later work in Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita however with a bit more of a flare for the dramatic and the melancholy. While the music rarely takes center-stage within the show, its success in establishing the tone in the initial parts of the show as well as its felicitous presence in juxtaposition to the characters and the world is hard to ignore and is an exemplary implantation of advantageous background music.

[Final Thoughts and Rating]:

I liked the show to the degree that I did almost entirely because of the world and the way in which it was skillfully presented and so by nature of the show opting not to answer some of the key questions in regards to those things, I felt the show fell short for me despite the elements that I enjoyed. I don’t think that this was a failure on the part of the creators of the show but rather that I am the potential byproduct of the approach they decided to use when addressing the show. It is a dangerous notion to leave a good deal of information up in the air and unspoken for because, for those that become sufficiently attached to those things, the show then fails to capitalize on what they found appealing and becomes ultimately less enjoyable without ever doing anything explicitly wrong.

Rating: 6

I gave Haibane Renmei a 6 because, while I found some aspects of the show incredibly interesting and compelling, the other areas of the show weren’t able to compensate for the lack of explanation that the end of the show was begging for. The story of Rakka and Reki is good and I don’t think that it falls short by itself however, after being presented with so many alluring concepts and ideas, to see those fizzle out while their story fails to absolutely blow me away is where the show takes the hits necessary to bring it down to a 6 for me. It was enjoyable and certainly worth the watch however I can’t quite bring myself to call it ‘good’ as the parts of the show that had the potential to be especially satisfying in their clarification were non-present and left to interpretation.

[Recommendations]:

I would recommend Haibane Renmei to anyone interesting in shows with good world building – the setting is not overly complicated or even that fantastical however the way it presents itself in minimalist quality very quickly poses interesting questions that advance the level of world building past what it might normally exhibit. The initial parts of the show are done in a slice of life style and the latter parts exhibit good drama and interesting events and so I would recommend the show for both of those reasons to those interested in those story elements.

(Read as: A lot of people)Everyone here hates SAO and others that I liked and loves Haibane Renmei, so I figured I'd be "That guy," because I really don't understand what's so great about it.

Basically, the Haibane Renmei are people with angelic appearances, and the story focuses on one who can't remember a thing about herself; she dreams of falling from the sky and wakes up in a cocoon where she's greeted by the Haibane Renmei, and is given a background of where she is and how everything works there.

The story doesn't have a bad idea. Why are they there? Just who are the Haibane ... Renmei? How do people end up in these cocoons? Unfortunately, questions like that aren't really directly addressed. Everything is inferred, based on key points in the show. Either that, or it's just blatantly stated something along the lines of "Nobody knows why." So many things about where they are, why, and so on are just left unanswered. I'll admit, I do like when things are left to the imagination, but the entirety of the show shouldn't be.

The characters aren't terrible. However, I feel like try really try to make irrelevant characters look important, and it takes time away from giving much needed background on the important characters. I will admit a lot of characters are dynamic, and play vital roles in the plot, but they could've been done better.

The artwork, frankly, is probably the least visually appealing I've seen. It doesn't look smooth, and the details on things are insignificant. The music falls in t same category as the art, I really wanted to skip the op every episode but I couldn't bring myself to do it solely for moral reasons. The background music wasn't bad though, however, it wasn't the best.

Now, for the enjoyment level... Even those who love this anime will tell you, IT CAN BE VERY BORING. If I didn't force myself to finish everything I started, I would've dropped it. There is just about zero plot progression until episode ~8, and it feels like a chore to finish. I do understand what they're trying to accomplish with it, I did get the parts that are supposed to be beautiful and moving, but it wasn't saving face for the rest of the show. I didn't hate it, but I'll definitely not rewatch it.

I'd recommend this to someone who wants to feel like they're watching one of those books they give you in high school that everyone talks about, so you start reading and then spend 2 hours on a chapter because you just give up. I'm sure there's worse anime out there, but there's certainly better. Sorry to everyone who watches this and prides it religiously, but I just can't.

Sorry to kill your day if you love this one, and I'd certainly recommend it to some, but it really isn't for most. Thanks for reading, see ya~

Yoshitoshi Abe's cryptic world of fallen angels makes a strong case for flexible Christianity or rather uses the references (seven deadly sins) to establish a mindset and possible counterarguments. It's impossible to overlook the religious similarities, although it wouldn't be far-fetched to argue that wings and halos are merely popular designs, more so than biblical analogies, especially given the non-religious disposition rampant in its finale. The town of Glie is home to reborn individuals, hatching out of cocoons with nothing but a faint memory of a unique dream that would soon become the inspiration for their new name. They are confined to massive walls and ... subjected to work until their time has come, in which they take flight. The specifics of that phenomenon are unimportant, even to the viewer because achieving that privilege is a cruel series of unknowns that must be deciphered in a personalized manner. I'm hesitant to praise the worldbuilding considering it's limited to speculation regarding the outside, but the theories it encourages, albeit with obvious metaphors, benefit the long-term appeal of a story too quiet for genuine emotional parallels to humans.

Haibane Renmei is rightfully contemplative, and in fact, it regularly holds itself to this standard at the height of its philosophical offerings. There is seemingly no real issue with its approach, yet this style parses stagnant information until it can successfully arrive at the desired conclusion. It is of course partially intentional, prioritizing allusions over explicitly clearing the mystery to invite the viewer into a limbo of questions. Avoiding the subject at hand without losing our immediate attention is a difficult mechanic, and Abe's script isn't up to the task more often than not. He concatenates serious social factors tormenting youth, such as inexplicable mental situations and self-harm to name the most prominent motifs. Both of which become conflicts in the latter half, while the introductory phase is spent wandering around the small town and hinting at on-the-nose symbolism. Most of this functions to a satisfactory degree if not for the largely hollow cast posing a liability, preventing the narrative from expanding on the plight of sins being inescapable scars, even in reincarnation.

Location is easily the show's most enticing "character", harboring the bulk of visual storytelling, but also not limited to the setting. A murder of intelligent crows traveling over sentient walls, the bloody birth of a curse, all metaphorically effective. The production struggles to consistently visualize the ethereal feel, frequently declining into smeared shading or a blur, although it's worth noting the DVD's original resolution doesn't have much to work with. There are instances of it developing surreal implications, sharply negating devotion to unstained righteousness as the be-all and end-all of human existence. Haibane Renmei's interpretation of the nature of repentance is salvation from the need for salvation itself, and aside from the sometimes questionable sound mixing, the score combines folk instrumental pieces with a beautiful choir. Purgatory is a demoralizing pretense for forgiveness, an imprisoning force for those who believe.

It's a cute little anime, not unenjoyable, but slow and kinda boring. It has a cool storyline that takes forever to pick up, and then the anime ends just as it seems like it's about to get into the interesting stuff. This world, this story, it has so much potential (potential that is perhaps explored in the manga assuming there is one) It could be so interesting, but it's not. It leaves all sorts of questions unanswered, and focuses mostly on the happy go lucky slice of life aspect more than the super interesting story that it could very very easily have and almost does.

Ah, my first review... This anime was recommended to me as a serious anime. I had good expectations for this anime, but I was quite let down. What was a supposedly serious anime turned out to be a slice of life anime.

STORY

The story, if there really is one, seems to just focus on everyone's daily life, with Rakka trying to find her own place in the town. There's nothing wrong with this. However, there were a lot things left unsolved. For example, we never find out what is behind that giant wall, or why the Toga are the only ones allowed to go out of ... the wall, or who Rakka was before she became a Haibanel. They never explain it fully, so that's disappointing. Another point is that there is hardly any conflict. Sometimes, we'll see Reki arguing with the Abandoned Factory Haibane. I suppose the main conflict is between Reki and Rakka near the end of the series. Also, the ending wasn't satisfying, as it feels like a beginning to something else.

ART

The art style was quite simple. The scenery was pretty but plain. Even the characters were drawn plainly. So that's all I'll say on the art.

SOUND

The music was very beautiful. The opening had a European touch to it. The background music was simply beautiful and fit the mood of the show well. The ending, however, sounded really creepy to me, and I'm not saying that because Halloween is 2 weeks away. But yeah, other than the ending, the music in the show was pretty good.

CHARACTER

Okay, the characters made the show more than the story did. We see a lot of Haibane, each with different designs and personalities. But they all fell into a stereotype: Hikari the best friend type, Kana the tomboy type, Reki the big sis type, etc. As nice as it is to see a variety of characters, we see very little development. The only development I saw was with Rakka and Reki. Due to this, I just couldn't get a good attachment to the characters.

ENJOYMENT

I did enjoy this, but I just couldn't enjoy it fully. The anime was so slow and drawn out with no real conflict, so it was hard to really get into it.

OVERALL

Haibane Renmei is a anime that leaves too many things unanswered. Some people are fine with that, and others, like myself, are not. This was one of the slowest animes I've ever watched. You'd think 13 episodes would mean a rushed anime, but nope. It's just a slow anime with no real plot until the last 2 or 3 episodes. This anime isn't for everyone, so you can watch it and see for yourself. And, uh, yeah. That's pretty much it. Have a nice day or night! :)

Notice: This show is labelled as "Mixed Feelings" due to its lack of a traditional plot, over-focus on dialogue, lack of action and missing narrative threats such as villains or world-ending events that must be dealt with.
These factors may turn off the average anime watcher, so you've been warned beforehand. That being said, let the review begin!

Atmosphere & Setting:
If I had to use one word to describe the feeling of the atmosphere and world, it would be sublime.
Haibane Renmei takes place in what looks to be a fantasy 19th-ish-century European-looking village surrounded by massive walls, where the main cast of Haibane (The angel-looking characters) ... exist alongside the humans. They live in an abandoned building called Old Home, take up charity work, and live without the use of money in a society that tolerates them and views them as good luck charms.
The rest of the world lore is a mystery, as even the village's residents don't know what is beyond their walls, nor are they permitted to attempt to scale them or leave the city through them, almost as if the village itself is a jail or purgatory of sorts.

Animation & Art:
This is where the series struggles the most. It's not well-animated most of the time, but that is understandable for an anime made in 2002. Despite that, the anime is beautiful, and the art style is unique as it was drawn by Yoshitoshi Abe, who also worked on Serial Experiments Lain and Texhnolyze. Basically, this means you're in for an artistic adventure with trippy visuals and breathtaking scenes, even if the animation isn't up to par with today's standards and looks dated.

Characters:
The show revolves around six main characters, whose names will be withheld for spoiler warnings.
The character writing is the peak of this series and what makes it so great. Each character is unique and feels human rather than anime archetypes/cliches. All of the main cast members have their own motivations, and some shift drastically as the story slowly unravels itself in terms of positive and negative developments.
Character progression is one of Haibane Renmei's biggest strengths. The story lives and dies based on how well-written its characters are—and man, they are written well!
You could argue that this anime more or less focuses on its characters rather than the external world, so it's very much an "introverted" anime, as it involves a lot of introspection and reflection rather than action.

Philosophy & Story (without spoilers):
Haibane Renmei is a profoundly symbolic anime that focuses on the meaning of life, suffering, and reaching atonement in a world with few to no answers with significant religious undertones.
It's an amalgamation of character case studies focused on their daily trials and tribulations, heavy injections of nihilistic depression, and existential crises regarding death/rebirth, with a significant focus on Arthur Schopenhauer's Hedgehog's Dilemma.
This is because many of the conflicts within the show stem from the inability to connect to other Haibane and Humans alike.
Additionally, Carl Jung's and Sigmund Freud's dream theories/concepts would be a good match for such a series, as dreams and dismantling their meanings play a large portion of the plot for various reasons.

Music:
The series' music is atmospheric and sometimes isn't present during conversations; however, this doesn't mean the soundtrack is terrible by any metrics, as many of the composed songs for this series are beautiful and play when appropriate. The intro and outro are pretty well done as they symbolically represent the show and what to expect from it without giving away too much.

Conclusion:
Haibane Renmei is a symbolic masterpiece and a worthwhile anime for anyone interested in philosophy, psychology and religion. However, it's not an anime for everyone and has its fair share of problems, such as slow pacing and a lack of external conflict, such as a main villain or bad people. So, with that being said, I'm going to list a few scores here that will differ depending on what you're looking for.

8/10 to 10/10 for anyone interested in philosophy, psychology, or religion, as the series is amazing in these areas.
6/10 to 7/10 for those of you who want an anime with an interesting story and well-written characters.
5/10 and under if you want an action-packed anime with a traditional story structure, following a narrative in which the main cast of characters defeats an evil or something threatening world.

This anime isn't for everyone, and it is divisive as it challenges the norms of the industry even for its time.

I'm going to be brutally honest with this review, but I'll start with a few caveats. For one, I watched the whole thing. For two, there was a fair amount about this anime that I really did like and enjoy. And lastly, it did EXACTLY what it set out to do, and did it as well as could be expected.

I just wish I had known more about this freaking thing when I started watching, because I was bored OUT OF MY MIND all the way until somewhere halfway through all 13 extremely long episodes.

Because this is a story about redemption, forgiveness, and sin. Don't ... be fooled into thinking this is an awesome anime about angels. Nobody has super-powers. Nobody flies. Their wings never get any bigger. The main character can't even run properly.

And don't get me started about the main character. I wanted to kill her. I hated her with a passion that anime rarely evokes from me. She was so pathetic and awful and moronic that I just wanted to reach through the screen and strangle her. The other characters weren't any better, but at least they didn't evoke such levels of disgust and fury from me.

I really probably wouldn't have had such intensely negative feelings about her (and to a lesser degree the others) if I had known some of the things I know now about many of the characters' "pasts". Suffice it to say that they're as far from perfect as you can get while wearing a halo around your head. These are the people who have really screwed up at life, and are being given a second chance to do right by themselves.

For the first half of the anime, this was a very strong and opinionated 2 out of 10 anime. By the end I was feeling it actually worth of the 8 out of 10 that it's rated on this site. I took a modest average of that and came up with 6 *fair* for this anime because of many of the following reasons:

The story was excruciatingly slow and boring 99% of the time, the art and animation was inconsistent and out of date, the sound was just a bunch of extremely sad and jarring off-key piano music meant to make you feel sad and tense, the characters were beyond awful (although they finished strong on that note), and ultimately I have no idea how or why I was able to push through to finish this thing considering my enjoyment was on the level of self-harm during the first half.

So yea. 6.

Watch it if it's rainy out and you have half a day to yourself to eat and fuck off and scream at the screen.

“Haibane Renmei” is what happens when a solid idea is held down by heavy handed writing.

First things first. I know this show has a lot of symbolism and uses it with varying success. I don't intend to showcase or explain them. There are a lot of people who already did that and far better than I could ever have. Even more that clearly have no idea what they are talking about and only want to feel special. What I will concentrate on is the writing. The story, the plot, and the holes. I believe that even when using symbolism the writer should integrate it ... into the story to create a solid internal logic for everyone, and everything involved in the creation. Otherwise You are stuck with a medium that demands from the viewer to turn off thinking to make sense. Of course You can always concentrate on just the symbolic parts, or just the plot parts but I was never good at that.

I will be talking about “plot” and “story”. Many people use those terms interchangeably. I’m not one of those people, so to make sure everyone is on the same page…
I use the definitions for “plot” and “story” as Lisa Cron describes them:
“What happens in the story is the PLOT, the surface events.”
“STORY is about how the things that happen affect someone in pursuit of a difficult goal, and how that person changes internally as a result”.

“Haibane Renmei” is a slice of life fantasy with more mysteries than answers. It’s split into two “sections”. The first one is plot heavy and story light and it introduces the world, its rules and inhabitants. It’s slow and You could make an argument that it overstays its welcome because most things that happen later don’t really involve most presented cast members. The second part is story heavy. There are two stories in “Haibane Renmei”. One of Rakka and the other one of Reki. Speaking of, it’s time to introduce the cast aka the only two that really matter:

Rakka - a newborn Haibane (creature with small ash grey wings, but apart from that resembles humans). She’s our gateway into the anime and it is through her eyes we see 90% of the plot and story. Unlike most of her companions she contemplates her life before this one and wonders who she was sometimes. As a main character… She's awful. She doesn’t have a goal, dream hell all she has is a bunch of side quests. It’s fine in the first half when she’s adjusting to the new environment but it lasts for the whole of the show. She doesn’t ask questions, she doesn’t test boundaries or even try to rebel against rules that are practically forced on her. She just rolls with it like a good little NPC. Even Bethesda’s NPC go off script sometimes. Yes, she gets her moment to shine later, much later in the show when she is determined to help Reki but even that is lazily written and resolved almost immediately. Everything is handed to her. Need info on Reki? She will be told about her from others or find her diary. Need a way to help Reki? No problem, the old wise-man asshole character, who has no problem in leaving a wounded girl in the cold, will give it to her. Apart from resolving her own story she earns very little. Her and Reki’s stories are very similar. They both seek forgiveness (maybe redemption) for something they don’t even remember. The rules of the world are really fucked up in this regard. Oh, You don’t remember Your sin? Yeah… good luck with the whole redemption thing. The difference is Rakka is playing on easy mode. She has help in her journey in the form of a bird. It is implied, and even stated by Rakka, that this bird might be someone from her previous life. That does cheapen the whole process a bit, but thanks to the overall theme of the show not by much and it does give Rakka the “idea” to be this kind of “bird” for Reki.

Reki - The most interesting and well written (well written for this show, that does not mean good in general) character. She’s the intriguing, wild aunt archetype. She cares for others but doesn’t show it unless there is an emergency. She has a tragic backstory because in a show with life, death, rebirth, sin and salvation symbolism we need someone who was fucked more than the rest of the cast. She’s the one who discovers Rakka’s cocoon and becomes a mentor figure for her. A bit of a strange writing decision was made when it comes to her cocoon dream. It’s stated that she can’t remember it, but she does remember fragments of it and has a recurring nightmare that could or could not be related (foreshadowing much?). That’s not the same thing as not remembering but the show needed something to give her, her name and it went with this lazy way. Shame. Her past haunts her and is the main reason for her almost demise but is saved by Rakka in one of the most “we need her saved but have no idea how to do it organically” I have ever seen.

There are three things that work to this shows’ detriment. Those being A slow start, lack of subtlety and a metric shit ton of bullshit logic. And don’t give me that “It’s symbolic” bullshit defence. If things happen only because they have to and not because of shows and characters internal logic it’s bullshit writing.

This show has only 13 episodes. About 6, and some of the 7th, of those are focused on plot, world building and character introductions than anything else. There are moments when a story rears its head but it’s not exactly much and it’s almost all just setups. The problem with world building is that it sets up questions that never get answered. You just have to accept the fact that pretty obvious questions that would be asked by anyone with an IQ above room temperature are just too much for our protagonist, or anyone else for that matter. Everyone just follows the rules.

One of the strangest things that never get resolved are the haloes themselves. Why do they even have them? Haibane aren’t born with them. They are man, or rather haibane made and given to the person. They get wings in an organic (both literally and figuratively) way, they literally sprout out of their back. So why the halos? It’s not for identification, wings are enough for that. They don’t seem to be a tool for control. They are just there. Probably to compliment the wings aesthetic. Also why did Kuu’s (and later Reki’s) halo start to disappear? Was it connected to his “day of flight”? Probably. But why would it disappear as a response to Kuu’s mental or physical state? Why was the halo left behind after Kuus’ disappearance if it was disappearing moments earlier? It’s just so damn annoying, there is no logic to it.

Another thing that’s either rushed, or the writer just didn’t give a damn about logic, is the fact that Rakka, despite hatching just a day before, scolds Hikari about using the halo mould to make bread. Why? Because her halo was the last one made with it? She doesn’t know that for sure and even if, so what? Does that make any difference? She doesn’t have the grasp on the world and rules yet, why would she care about that? It would be different if she had an info dump about haloes, their function and importance, but she doesn’t. For all she knows, at that point in time, the halos might as well be made using normal kitchen appliances and methods. There is no reason for her to have that reaction. It’s done for a cheap joke and to imitate intimacy between them.

Calling this show subtle is like calling Little Boy a farming tool or DOOM a parenting manual. There is very little in this show that I would call subtle. I would even say that this show goes out of its way to make sure You see everything, hear everything and get a solid dose of foreshadowing even if it’s Your first time watching it.

In one of the first episodes Rakka finds Reki on the floor with a clearly scared face. Instead of letting the viewer draw his own conclusions the show serves us a pathetic moment when Reki verbalises (to an empty room mind You) that it’s all the fault of a recurring dream. Why? It’s clear that something is wrong. Why give it away just seconds after setting up a mystery? She does that by speaking to herself after Rekka leaves. It would be less insulting if she just said it to her but that would make too much sense I guess. There is no logical reason for that. It’s just for the viewer to make sure they don’t miss the foreshadowing.

The same was done when Kuu’s halo started disappearing. We had a repetition of just about 3 seconds when that happened with a zoom in for each loop. Why? Do the creators think that little about the viewers?

Unfortunately a lot of the show follows the “And then…” method of writing and not “Because of…”. It makes a lot of both plot and story points seem disconnected and held together with spit and the almighty “the plot demands it” commandment. It’s still an interesting show to watch, just not if You care about logic.

In the end the main focus are the internal elements of Rakka and Reki. The plot points serve their stories and, in this regard at least, they are passable. Yes, they can be (and often are) dumb and make little sense but they at least push the stories forward. This is something I can actually appreciate and commend. The internal struggles of both girls are interesting enough for me to even excuse tha dumb internal monologue that pretends to be deeper than it is, because I actually see how they struggle with their fates and thoughts. That alone is the reason I would say You won’t waste Your time watching this show.

i typed top 10 philosophical anime, this name came up so i thought let's give it a shot
i'm not sure this is the case but it seems like this anime is inspired by Martin Heidegger
there were themes of "thrownness or falling in the world", "anxiety from existing", "care", "guilt",...
it can't be a coincidence, the Haibane is a symbol of Dasein
the anime captures the theme okay but unfortunately the story isn't that great because the dialogues are trash, it the same old unnatural conversations you hear when empty characters talk, "i believe in reki", "reki is reki, isn't it reki?!!"

again, you can get tricked by thinking ... this anime is great because it has philosophical topics but it is a fucking ANIME
the priority is story-telling, it's character development, which we don't really have in this anime

the guilt rakka feels isn't really felt by us about existing and being useless, rakka is a horrible character, an actual NPC, nothing interesting about her, the only character worth mentioning is Reki, but even she didn't do a great job, it was just okay

this anime reminded me of "Shinsekai yori", in that anime characters got "developed" based on survival, you knew them by how they "reacted", but ultimately they were empty and all of them were the same personality, they are what writers call "character type", you don't see a human, you see a "type", like "angry dude" or "yandere",...

this anime suffers the same thing, the characters are just types, they don't have actual human conversation or reaction

it's funny because before this anime i read Tolstoy's opinion on good art and he mentions that using the world or history of a country that your characters are in, is a form of cheating
for example, if i write a book where the MC lives in Ottoman Empire and instead of focusing on my story, i start by describing how Ottoman culture was back then, i'm cheating, i'm using history to keep you entertained, and this will keep you entertained but not because of my story but because of Ottoman history, it's cheating
the same thing happens more or less in this story
there is this weird wall and how you shouldn't touch it, how you shouldn't talk to those plague mask guys (which the anime never explained why)
these are fascinating world buildings but how do they help with character development, or even the plot?
well, they don't
did the walls have to exist for the story to function? these are random facts that are thrown at us

overall i was watching this bored all the way till the end but it wasn't bad enough for me to drop it

i wanted to give it a 5 but because of trying to be philosophical, i give a 6

"Simplicity is underrated"

...is what I initially thought when I started watching Haibane Renmei. It made me appreciate a show for purely being a show, a theatrical performance, with no cheap tricks, no audiovisual confetti, nothing of supplementary nature, for the setting and the actors alone are enough (and should always be enough) to convey what this show wants to tell - and it is something powerful enough to make it worth a watch, in spite of its outdated characteristics.

The first thing one would argue about is the story of Haibane Renmei, something that, even by the end, remains oddly mystical. But alas, you will surely ... come to realize that the imaginary story of the Haibane, like any other story, is redundant. The questions about life, oneself, the world, are the same. They are voiced by human beings, consumed by the innate desire of having someone care about them. Haibane Renmei has two great self-insert characters, and the show wants you to find yourself in one of them. Does the nature of their world really matter? No, it is their circumstances that matter. It is only the means by which their circumstances come to be that change.

If this anime is worth your time for one thing, it is the themes. It gives voice to your fears. Is it the fear of death? Of losing someone? Of being alone? Of being hated? The outsider? Haibane Renmei manages to portray these themes through its characters in a methodical, paced manner, without ever underestimating their gravity, and ever more, the sheer importance of giving an answer, a solution to them. You can find actual tension in this anime (the final climax is something to behold), because importance is only given to the scenes that deserve it, and even then, without ever inflating or disrespecting the underlying character or narrative. I would really love it if shows took an example of Haibane Renmei. The value of respect and simplicity are so painfully underrated.

If I could, I'd give this anime a 7.5, and I have "mixed feelings" for it exactly because it fits the description of "some will like this, but others will not". It is kind of a niche show, being an old, slow slice of life with quite subpar graphics (though one should NOT underestimate its artistic value, both in visuals and music). The ambiguous and unresolved nature of the overarching story and world might also leave one unsatisfied. But this anime is without a doubt, made for those who will find themselves in it. For those who'll be asking the same questions, and longing for the same answers. And the journey of exploring them here is a beautiful, yet terrifying one. If there is one thing I will remember Haibane Renmei for, it will be the depth and understanding with which it handles its characters. Because to an extent, it is the same understanding which it shows to you... the one who really matters.

This anime is a good example of something that has it all but fails to follow through. If there was one more season with a lot more explanation I would have given this a 9 or 10. The world is intriguing and mysterious but so peaceful. The characters grow through the series and relationships show complexity and depth, or at least start to head that way.

But in the end I feel like there was a lot of potential that wasn't realized and all the questions I had that kept me watching were never actually answered. There are so many ... fantastic reviews and this came highly recommended, maybe I expected more.

Haibane Renmei is an interesting one. It's one of those shows in which I could easily see its appeal, yet I did not enjoy it that much. In the following review, I'll attempt to articulate my thoughts on the show.

Our story starts with a girl, unnamed at this time, falling gracefully through the sky. She seems sleepy, her memories clouded, when a black crow appears and tugs at her feet, attempting to pull her upwards. However, the crow toils in vain, and the girl tells it that she's fine and that it should give up its endeavor. It does, and she continues to fall slowly ... towards an unknown land....

If that seemed confusing to you, don't worry. I thought so too at first. Everything in this show is very symbolic, and if that isn't your cup of tea, then I would not recommend this show for you. However, if you do like symbolism, then keep reading. This show just might be perfect for you.

Our story continues when a woman with angel wings and a halo named Reki finds a large cocoon in one of the rooms of the place in which she is living. She excitedly gathers some of the other residents of her home, all of whom have similar wings and halos. After some waiting, the egg hatches, and out comes the girl from the first scene. The winged people awaiting her rejoice, and after the girl gains consciousness, she is taken to a place where she can rest. It is explained to her that she is a Haibane, a person who knows nothing of his or her past and has wings and a halo. Shortly thereafter, the girl sprouts her wings and is given a halo, which was made using some sort of device. Finally, the girl is asked what happened during her dream (every Haibane has a dream before being born), and the girl is named Rakka based on the events of her dream (as is for all Haibane).

Most of the first half of Haibane Renmei is world-building through Rakka’s eyes. Firstly, it is established that all of the Haibane remember nothing of their past lives, only that they each committed some grave sin or sins in that life. Secondly, it is explained to her that all the Haibane live in a relatively small land, enclosed by walls. Within these walls are a few forests, a central town, and two building complexes, each of which house Haibane. Rakka then learns that every Haibane takes up an unpaid job in the central town, which is full of regular, non-Haibane people, and this job permits a Haibane to keep dwelling in his or her home. If you’re wondering who enforces these rules, well that would be the Haibane Renmei (*roll credits*), a mysterious organization that keeps the Haibane in check and are the only people who leave the walls. The only exception to this is when one of Haibane is finally redeemed of his or her sins, a situation in which that Haibane will leave the walls permanently.

Rakka learns more things as the story progresses, and the second half of the show focuses on a dramatic arc following Rakka and another character, Reki, where more things are revealed about the Haibane.

However, I’ve explained enough background, so now I can begin talking about the story as a whole. Like I said before, everything is very symbolic, and all the symbolism is very much based on Christian concepts, mainly the concepts of sin and redemption. Here's the problem, though. All of this symbolism is too vague. It is never explained (through dialogue or any other form of clever exposition) what any of it means. You're just sort of expected to use your imagination to postulate what it could all mean. This central problem reaches out into every other aspect of the show's overall narrative as well, tying in with the technical problems of its story and characters.

Firstly, the story is incomplete. It’s true that Reki, arguably the show’s actual protagonist, goes through a complete character arc, but that’s it. The setting is never explained. One of the questions I had throughout the entire series was the purpose of the regular people in the town, since if this world is a sort of purgatory for the Haibane, which is what I suspect, why are there regular people? The existence of the Haibane themselves is never explained. Why are they in this purgatory? Because of God? What makes these Haibane so special and different than the non-Haibane people? Some of my questions throughout the show were answered through subtlety and symbolism, which is great storytelling, but others were either barely implied or just flat-out not answered.

Having a story about dealing with sin and redemption is cool and refreshing in a sometimes substance-dry medium such as anime, but if the characters are thrown into an unexplained world through unexplained means and can’t even fully remember their sins, then I sort of fail to see the point.

This left me with a level of dissatisfaction when the show was over. I’m fine with shows having open-ended endings where the story may not be fully complete or where certain things are left unexplained, perhaps for the viewers to interpret themselves, but Haibane Renmei, in my opinion, goes too far. In fact, all of the show’s characters besides Reki seem quite inconsequential to the plot, and this brings me to my next main criticism of the show.

Secondly, the characters, besides Reki, are subpar. When I say subpar, I don't mean that they’re bad or even unlikeable. Most of them aren't that cliché and seem like real people with tangible desires. However, they’re subpar compared to Reki, who, as I mentioned before, has a solid character arc and development. Even Rakka, the character with the most screentime, is nothing more than an expository device that is used to reveal elements of the story through her perspective. She does have some significance in Reki’s character arc in the later part of the series, but that’s about it. The side characters are used similarly. They feel like different examples of Haibane and nothing more, having almost no significance towards the plot of the show. They could have been better fleshed out, perhaps by revealing their backstories and past sins, but the show basically reveals nothing about their pasts; after all, it barely reveals anything about the pasts of Rakka and Reki. This is my man problem with the show, and it, along with the story’s excessive open-endedness, somewhat spoiled my enjoyment of the series.

Now, in terms of the animation, I'd say that it was sufficient most of the time. Occasionally, it would either look quite nice or quite horrid. As far as sound goes, this is honestly my favorite part of the show as a whole. I really had no problems with it, and it added to the serene atmosphere that the show was going for.

Before getting to the conclusion, another miscellaneous problem I have is that the show is a quite boring. I’m fine with slow slice-of-life shows and stories where things are revealed slowly, but the fact that I wasn't particularly into the show’s method of exploring its themes just made most scenes pretty boring, especially in the earlier episodes of the series, where there wasn’t really any direction in the plot at all yet.

So, with all this in mind, I'll conclude by saying that Haibane Renmei is simply a title that, although it tried to be ambitious, relies too much on the interpretation of the viewer at the end of the day. When thinking about the show for long periods of time without the realization that it was pretty much just being vague for the sake of doing so, mental gymnastics can run rampant in one's mind, creating clever and interesting theories that the show does not deserve. If Haibane Renmei wants to be compelling and "2deep4me," it needs to finish the job.

Haibane Renmei was all right.


I honestly feel like I should leave it at that, why complicate things...?

I guess maybe I felt like Haibane Renmei was trying so very hard not to offend me.. but to be honest I guess it kind of did.. it seemed kind of straightforward in some ways

Characters on a journey? Check.
Destination unknown? Mega check.
Trials and tribulations? Check.
...
But where is this journey, who are the characters? Where are they going? Well the answer is Rakka and Rekki, the women of the Old Home, a place in some kind of unclearly defined countryside or other surrounded by a wall, with angelic wings sprouting behind them. They do tasks for the local village and their mysterious elder-type figures known as the Tohka.

So, translated, that's angelic aspiring super good aspiring angelic people doing tasks in a giant house for their elder-type masters who control every aspect of their lives.

Ok, still not getting it??

This is basically just a heavily masked story of majordomo control complex! It doesn't really have anything to do with where these people are going, it's just intended to affirm the notion that there really isn't anything in the world these angelic female people should care about, and that obedience to the masked elder-type Tohka is of the highest and most extreme importance.

Yep, if you look closely the themes of Haibane Renmei are arch-conservative in nature and hence it can all be really quite boring. I'm not going to spoil the story by hopefully saying it doesn't really go anywhere beyond those points. It's an affirmation of the safe space, but it's told with such incredible force that if you weren't paying attention you might not notice it.

As is, I can't say I couldn't stand it because that's not true at all, but I thought it would be more fun based on the things I saw about it.

Fever dream of a show. Watched on a whim, took me so long to finish because this show is hard to get through without falling asleep at times. (Hear me out...) Something about early 2000's shows is just so eerily sleep-craving, like the silent and sparse OST's, the lifeless animation, and general dark gloomy vibes just puts me right to bed. The plot is a slugfest if you couldn't guess, and takes 6 (SIX!) whole episodes for ANYTHING and I mean ANYTHING interesting to happen. I love a beautifully drawn anime just as much as the next guy, but when there is ONLY beautifully drawn ... characters and backgrounds, I am left feeling empty. I felt this same way towards Serial Experiments Lain, whole lotta talent, just not the most substance. When half of your anime is boring, not really plot relevant world building, and another fourth is confusing setup, you are left with literally 2 good episodes that save this show. 12 and 13 feel emphatic, worthwhile and serve as a great closure. By far the best part of the show. Don't even get me started on the themes/philosophies/imagery of this show. Christianity? Maturity/Coming of Age? Sinfulness and "Good Christians"? Death? COMMUNISM? Don't get me started I said. The sincerity it takes it's discussions around said themes are just excellent, even if they do operate on a bit of stubbornness and can sometimes feel like a church sermon. I feel like if this was in classic literature form I would love this and write a 20 page essay about it, but in anime form I am gravitated towards it's weaknesses and left with a sour, slightly melancholy taste in my mouth. There are great moments, and I am glad that Reki is happy, but the path to get there is filled with too much glass for my the soles of my feet to truly enjoy a stable, excellent ending.

This was a pretty good show that I thoroughly enjoyed, but it's far from any sort of masterpiece. The symbolism and theme's are very on the nose, but still thoughtful and interesting. I have an issue with the writing and cast of characters though; besides Rakka and Reki, they are all pretty forgettable and it baffles me why everyone is written like a sub 85 IQ airhead. The dialog is simple and not very engaging which fits with the tone, but doesn't make it any less of a slog to sit through. It's slow pacing could be considered part of the appeal, so I don't ... think that aspect is necessarily a negative, just don't watch it while you are sleepy.

"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 and ... fitting 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.

Haibane Renmei was a novel undertaking for me in that it was the first algorithmically recommended show I've watched. It appeared in my MAL suggested works and, having researched it a bit, I decided it was a good fit; I normally gush over the opportunity to watch mostly hand-drawn, slow-boil character pieces with big overarching themes.

Haibane Renmei features an absolutely sub-zero cold open, as our introduction to the main character literally occurs before she's born. This does set us up to receive exposition at the same rate Rakka does, however the stream of information still seems to come more as an intravenous drip than a ... solid flow. The concepts that get the main themes and story rolling don't even appear for quite a few episodes.

It's worth noting at this point that the cast we interact with for the most part has its own set of flaws. For one, the cast is almost entirely female, despite the fact that male haibanes exist in the universe. It's not done for a fanservice kind of reason at least and avoids any of the bonds between the main cast being shoehorned into romance plots, but I couldn't help but think it was a panty-shot and a filler episode away from being Gabriel Dropout: the sad version. As it is, the main cast is largely left out of the main themes of redemption and self-discovery; the main character and the Mary Sue, chainsmoking, Vespa-riding Reki share all the meaningful struggles in secret while most other haibanes get a pretty straightforward personality, an episode featuring them explaining what lies behind that, and then mostly simply follow the two more important characters around.

The atmosphere of the show is pretty decent, albeit made the more bland by the lack of action really occurring in it. The town of Grie is a pleasantly surreal mish-mash of time periods, hinting at deeper mysteries whilst giving off a sleepy exterior. The art and sound design do a good job of conveying this, though having more explicit displays of the world would have been welcome. Art and sound were similarly appealing though somewhat uninteresting, having all the boxes checked for things I normally like without having enough flair to make them distinct.

In summation, I didn't really go for Haibane Renmei. It simply did not cover enough ground or let its hair down enough to really break though a malaise of blandness it shrouded itself in. The world seems rich enough and the flourishes, where present, in the art seem to indicate that with a bit less prudish an approach to storytelling, a show in the Haibane Renmei universe could really take flight. From what was shown rather than hinted at though, I'd advise you to make like Nemu and sleep on this one.

This was a pretty decent anime. My few complaints are the ending and the slow beginning. Apart form that not much to really Say. I liked Raka as a character and how she interacted with the masked guy. The masked guy was cool and I like how Raka kept thinking about her past life. Im surprised that she didnt talk to Nemu that much. Since Nemus into books and knows a lot. I didnt like the 3 episodes where they were just focused on one character and their jobs, but then it got to the well and Raka getting into her job than it was ... super interesting. [SPOILERS]
Kous disappearance was super interesting and I liked it. The placement was good bc it was after the 3 boring character episodes. I also like the lore with Reki and how she felt more of a main character than Raka at the end. I really liked that bc it felt so different compared to other animes. The soundtrack was pretty good and unique too. The ending is so annoying though. I like how Reki said that her being nice to Raka was just for salvation and that it didnt matter who came out of cocoon, but than she asks for help, which she never wanted to do because others betrayed her? The only person that "betrayed her was the girl that left for her turn of flight which she didnt even purposely do, and being bullied by the other group of Haibanes for getting their friend hurt. Than Raka saves Reki (which she did good at) But I dont like how Reki gets a happy ending.
I also like how there are 2 different Haibanes in different districts which made the world feel a lot more open and bigger and full of characters. Apart form that not much to really talk about. one other thing I like a lot is how Kana during her job episode said that maybe the town feels bad for the haibana and give them free things. Which happens many times during the series. Which makes me think are the Haibane people that were mistreated in their past lives? but some haibaanes are sinful is that because theyre souls have been tainted by their past life. Which makes it super interesting because Kana was a tainted soul but she learned to acknowledge and forgive. And yeahh thats really it. This anime has some cool factors but apart from that not completely my taste in anime, but it was still super good especially for its time (It was made before I was born)

Story:
The first two or three episodes were actually very interesting because they essentially introduced me to the fantasy world in which the story takes place. I was eager to find out more about the world, hoping that the characters would eventually explore the world and find out more about it. Sadly, even after watching the last episode, most questions are still unanswered and you are left with a lot of vague symbolism. Apart from occasional hints of adventure or mystery, the entire series consisted mostly of mundane slice of life situations that were rather boring to watch.

Art:
While the quality wasn't the best (which is ... understandable for an older series like this one), I liked how the animation managed to create a dream-like atmosphere and the characters were drawn rather realistically (ignoring the additional non-human features obviously) which is a plus for me personally.

Sound:
The sound was appropriate for a quiet series like this and I especially liked the opening.

Characters:
The characters and their interactions with each other were rather bland. While I could sympathize with the main character, I would have preferred someone who doesn't fall every time they run. I almost never felt like any of the characters had a purpose for living. Many people in the real world have interests, goals and dreams, but the characters in this series were mostly just living for the sake of existing (that was my impression at least).

Enjoyment:
While I do enjoy some slow-paced shows, I do not enjoy shows that never pick up pace in the first place.

Overall:
If you like to watch shows that rely heavily on symbolism and open interpretation, or if you simply want to watch "something different", then this show might be something for you.