Oct 23, 2025
I must start off by saying I technically spoil this Doujinshi, but there's so little to these chapters there's not much to spoil. It's essentially a teaser for the anime.
If you are a fan of Yoshitoshi ABe's work, or can't get enough of Haibane Renmei, this is definitely worth reading. However, there's nothing new here that you will not get from the anime from these two chapters. It's essentially a detailed storyboard of the first episode before it became an anime series.
The panels are not always super clear as to how one thing led to the next, but if you've seen the anime, it's easy to
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know what's going on. The art truly is excellent. The characters are emotive, cute, detailed, and are very unique to each other. It could be the version I read, but the brown ink used to draw the pages rather than pure black and white like most manga really gives it a unique feel, and fits Haibane Renmei perfectly.
I can't say much about the story because after Rakka shows up and everyone introduces themselves, a couple slice of life scenes, and Rakka's wings sprout, it's already over. Still, the atmosphere, and art style really are top notch. It's worth reading just for that.
I would personally start with the anime, and if you can't get enough of Haibane Renmei, this would be a nice revisit. In a way, it's like listening to demo tracks of hit songs by popular bands. It's the same song, but you see the vision, feel the personal touch, can see the imperfections, and see the origin of where it came from to what it would eventually end up being. It's a unique experience, but it's not for everyone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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