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Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi is pretty much exactly what it presents itself as: a wholesome rom-com about a short girl and her senpai at work. Nothing it does is really that unique in of itself, everything plays out like you would expect for this kind of show, but everything was executed quite well to the point that the lack of real originality really didn't hamper my enjoyment.

The story is exactly what you would expect for a rom-com of this type: no story. It follows a basic will-they-won't-they romance SOL structure with a few progressively more romantic scenes in each episode. Pretty standard overall ... structure, with one or two short stories being told in each individual episode. It's a tried and true format, and one that was executed well in this instance.

The characters weren't really deep or too unique, but they all had their own charm that made me enjoy almost all of them. Futaba is cute despite how angry she can become over being called such a thing, Takeda's caring nature is pretty heartwarming, and his slight aloofness led to plenty of the shows jokes and scenes. None of the characters were really anything special if looked at critically, but I think they were all enjoyable, which is what's important in a rom-com.

The art used for Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi was colorful and bright, and fit the show pretty well. There are some rougher spots in the design of certain aspects, but overall I think the style and design of the show was pretty great.

This show isn't one that really blows me away or even really surprised me at all, but it was fairly entertaining, and was a refreshing break from all of the garbage that came out this season. I enjoyed watching it, but don't think I'd really recommend it. It's good, but there are plenty of things that are way better, but if this show sounds like your thing, it probably is. This show is exactly what it tries to be, and nothing more.

Deep Insanity: The Lost Child is the epitome of a "bad" show. It has a boring plot, looks ugly, and weird pacing and structure. Part of my dissatisfaction is likely due to the fact that the show was nothing like I thought it would be originally. The little synopsis given before the show aired sounded a lot more gritty and interesting. The actual show, was not. Whether that's the show's fault or mine, or if that even matters, is up to you.

If I was to sum up the story in one word it would just be "bad." It's really that simple, it starts out ... being a boring action story with some secret underground organization trying to do evil things, and then ends up strangely being a time loop show. I personally like time loop scenarios if done well, but one being introduced in the literal last 2 episodes is not usually a sign of a good one. This element was jarring and honestly should have been kept out of this show, all it really did was just make the plot slightly more complicated. The rest of the show was just really boring. The world it creates lacks any real believability, and could have really done with some extra fleshing out and world building. And the plot that takes place in that world isn't very good either. The first chunk mainly plays out like a really tame Slice-of-Life show, before devolving into generic action, that does have a few unique plot elements, but is honestly largely uninteresting.

The art is another one of my big problem areas. In all the aboveground scenes it looks ok. Nothing too special, maybe a nice background here and there, but really not that amazing by any stretch of the imagination. But belowground, in the mysterious "Asylum" everything looks like dog shit. The color palette switches to browns and sickly greens with a touch of faint purple. Everything looks ugly and disgusting in the Asylum, and instead of feeling like I'm looking into an alien world I feel like I'm gazing into a trash can that hasn't been emptied in a month. And don't even get me started on the CGI, which somehow looks WORSE than hilariously bad CGI shows like Ex-Arm or Tesla Note. Those shows were quite bad, but at least they were entertaining and didn't have CGI that looks as abhorrent as this awful show's.

The music ranged from ok to not present or forgettable, and was really not even worth mentioning in my opinion. The OP and ED were fine, but again, not really worth mentioning. Although I must say the OP has some of the most generic camera shots you can put in an OP, and a bit too much strobing for my tastes.

The characters were all pretty "ok." They were all pretty much tropes or archetypes that had been done before, with Shigure being the definition of a shounen protagonist (although this isn't a shounen, so I guess it's a little unique). The rest of the cast are a little bit more interesting, but none are really that deep. The one exception is Leslie, who was more interesting than the rest of the cast of cardboard cutouts. He also was a crossdresser, and not in like a femboy trope way, like a more representation-ey way. Whatever representation or empowerment this character could bring however, is kind of wasted by it being in this mess of a show.

This show suffered from a myriad of issues, but for me the biggest one was that it just wasn't even remotely interesting. And I don't think there is any greater sin an anime can commit than being boring. Because then, what's even the point?

Takt. Op Destiny seemed pretty intriguing when I was looking at the Fall 2021 lineup, but at the end of the day it was just a subpar anime promotion of a delayed gacha game. The concept seemed interesting enough and the art seemed good, but Madhouse is Madhouse, and they continue to disappoint. I personally don't give a damn about the game, but I do have plenty of thoughts on the anime.

The story of Takt. Op. Destiny was a swing and a miss. Well not really a swing, that implies a bit too much effort. It was overall pretty substandard, it started fine, peaked during ... the flashbacks, and just went downhill from there. It felt generic and simple, without too much uniqueness. Especially halfway through when it stops being about the journey to New York and instead goes for an evil bad guy plot that was much less intriguing.

The characters of Takt Op. Destiny were just incredibly mediocre. None of them were particularly interesting or even that original. This mediocrity contributed to the overall boringness the show has, which is less present in the first half. The fights themselves were decent enough to prevent the show from being a slog, but the story and characters really didn't help it in this regard.

The areas where Takt Op. Destiny actually succeeded were those of art and sound. This show was quite great visually, with some really nice colors at work. The soundtrack was also pretty nice, as it should have been for a show about music.

Overall this show was bland narratively and great visually and audially, all nicely rounding out to a mediocre 5. Making Takt Op. Destiny another example of Madhouses terrific trend of continuing to disappoint, except for the one absolute banger they churn out every once in a blue moon. Hopefully their next work is one of the greats, and not another pillar of mediocrity.

Tesla Note was a real piece of work, clearly evoking a similar feel to Ex-Arm from the previous winter. Which if you haven't seen, go grab your least serious friends and watch. But Tesla Note differs from Ex-Arm in the fact that honestly it isn't a horrible show. I do personally feel Ex-Arm could actually have been a really cool cyberpunk story with major revisions and changes, but Tesla Note has some enjoyment on its own, in addition to the really stupid stuff, which I think I'll cover first.

First of all, the visuals are absolutely horrendous. The models all look like they were made 10 ... years ago, the animations all feel strange, and sometimes the show cuts to 2D animation for a specific facial animation that was impossible to do with the model they had. The camera angles were also often awkward and strange, although there were a few times they took advantage of the 3D environment to do some neat passes. I will say that all of this was quite better than Ex-Arm, which didn't even have 3D models for a large majority of the lesser side characters. It also had like some actual weapons used in it, which was like neat if you know enough firearm names to pick them out but otherwise doesn't add too much. But as a whole the show looks hideous and strange.

But when it comes to the actual story, I think this show is actually pretty ok. The story and show as a whole is just so ridiculous and nonsensical that I think its actually kind of enjoyable. The show never really feels like its taking itself super seriously, and if I'm being honest, had a pretty decent twist. But even saying that, I wouldn't really recommend this show, at the end of the day it honestly sucks, and if you really want that "so bad its good" action, you should watch Ex-Arm instead for 10x the fun.

Mushoku Tensei, a series that plenty applaud for its fantastic worldbuilding and art, as well as being a pioneer of the isekai genre, while plenty of others decry it for its more questionable aspects. Part 2 picks up right where part 1 left off, sending Rudeus, Eris, and Ruijerd on their adventure to be reunited with their family. Everything I personally loved about the worldbuilding, art, and music stays true for the second part. I enjoyed where the story went and how it developed and all that. But what I think is really important in a review like this isn't all the things that were ... like the first part. What people actually care about is what's new and different.

Part 2 did a great job of developing and fleshing out characters and their relationships, more than I remember Part 1 doing at least. Rudeus and his father gain a deeper understanding of each other and Eris tries to deal with her own personal issues on her own. The latter half of this second part was especially exciting for this specific reason.

The plot of the second part was also pretty intriguing. Part 1 left us right after a massive plot development, and Part 2 was quick to pick things up and shift things into gear. Some parts were more boring than others, the demihuman arc being a personal example, but as a whole it was pretty damn good.

The only real complaint I had with Part 2 was the lack of Roxy and Sylphie action, although that is to be expected considering the larger scale of Mushoku Tensei's story. But it seems that my wishes will hopefully come true in the second season. Here's to another round of Mushoku Tensei, thanks Studio Blind for the great work you do.

To me, Jahy-sama wa Kujikenai! was a below average comedy that overstayed its welcome. I think that ratings for comedies can be a bit dumb since for some people, the jokes just won't land. I was one of those people when it comes to Jahy-Sama. Overall I thought it was a pretty average show, although the comedy brought it down to being subpar for me. But my main problem was how long the show was. I really think this show should have only ran for 1 cour. Things just feel way too repetitive by the end to really justify the extra half cour of episodes. ... The jokes start to feel more and more stale, and the slow pace of the plot really starts to annoy you as the episodes continue on. I mean it is a slice of life, so the plot pacing complaint is less relevant, but my point stands. This show was fine to begin with and just stayed for a little too long, leading to an overall "meh" experience.

Shiroi Suna no Aquatope was a show that honestly had some promise, but I think it tried to develop too many different ideas and ended up making the whole show feel half-assed. So may elements are introduced and then either not explained or not developed. I think if this show cut out 50% of its extra elements and instead focused on the best ones it could easily have been one of the shows I actually looked forward to seeing.

The art was one of the most consistently good parts of the show. The colors were vibrant and nice to look at, and the characters had nice, ... visually distinct designs. Occasionally a fish or something would look a bit strange in a scene, but otherwise the show was pretty visually appealing.

The characters were a bit more of a mixed bag. They were all fine on the surface, but some of them were kind of ruined by some weird developments or actions. These characters obviously being Fuuka and Kukuru, as not too many of the side characters really get any development. The worst of the problems are felt with Kukuru, who makes some downright idiotic choices towards the end of the show, making some decisions that make absolutely no sense for her character. The show also could have just used some character developments for some people other than the two leads, as none of them really get anything more than "I'm a single mom" or "My dad is sick."

The story is where my main problems lie, there are so many subplots or little elements introduced and very few of them are actually developed in a meaningful way. Here is a few I remember off the top of my head (Minor spoilers):
-The barely developed environmental message that really should have been explored more
-The fact that Kai likes Kukuru
-Those few times where it felt like a yuri anime but didn't go there (I'm serious I swear)
-Why Kukuru makes that weird decision at the end of the show that isn't justified at all
-The weird supernatural elements
-The weird twin subplot
-The weird god-thing that shows up every few episodes but is never really mentioned and doesn't do anything.

I could probably go on multiple small tangents about all of these small things, but they would all boil down to a few overarching messages. The element would either not be explained, not explored, or didn't feel necessary. And despite all these small elements that didn't go anywhere that were being introduced, the show still felt repetitive and boring.

The overall story was fine, it was about following your dreams and finding new ones if your original one sadly dies. This message is delivered pretty well, but falls apart as soon as the writers forced Kukuru to do something that makes absolutely no sense for her character and pretty much made me loose all faith in the show.

Because of all these problems I had, I really just didn't enjoy this show that much. I didn't hate it, but I certainly wasn't impressed. There were some neat elements that came from the aquarium setting, but the fish facts just weren't enough to save this show.

Tsuki to Laika no Nosferatu is an anime that I think could have really grabbed me, it had a unique concept to say the least, but it doesn't capitalize on that aspect and instead feels cliché and generic, amounting to a very 'ok' show.

The first thing I'll mention is what the show got right, which has got to undoubtedly be the little musical jingles they play before and after commercial breaks (just looked it up and they are called "commercial bumpers"). The little bit of music they play just screams the 60's. It meshes perfectly with the setting and I find it pretty neat. Other ... than the bumper and ED though, the music was pretty much average, barring a nice insert song they used once.

I also think there was definitely a good idea behind this project. A space race oriented anime is a pretty unique idea, and one I would have loved to see more realized. Vampires don't necessarily have to be a part of it, but I'm sure you could work them in somehow. Despite my praises of the concept, I think it really suffered in its execution, which I'll elaborate further later on in my review.

The art was honestly a mixed bag, I think the colors were pretty fine (the orange they used for the space suit really popped and was quite nice), and the characters didn't look horrendous, and the animation was fine. Nothing really wowed me all that much, and I feel they really missed an opportunity, because I'm sure you could do some cool aesthetics with a Soviet setting. There were a few details I noticed in the design of some elements being clearly based off of Soviet designs, such as the busses and rockets, but I don't think it went that deep.

The main thing I'd have to say about the characters is that they are just kind of cliché, which is a common theme throughout most of this show. Lev, the main character, is your average nice-guy protagonist, and other than being Russian and an astronaut has little actual backstory or character elements. He also doesn't really get any development, making him even more boring. Irina is slightly better, but only because she gets some development, because otherwise she just fits the "tsundere" archetype to a T. She also is given way more of a backstory, but none of it's really explored, so it doesn't add much to the show as a whole.

The next thing on my list of things is the story. It really wasn't that impressive, it's a storyline that has been told 1000x before, albeit in different circumstances. 2 people love each other but some force doesn't want them to be together. This plotline is pretty average, and only feels even remotely unique because of the backdrop of the Soviet Space Race. The romance itself isn't even that good, with it feeling kind of underdeveloped and rushed. Furthermore, they don't even kiss once in the whole show, so the relationship never really gets farther than the "I love you" stage.

Now on to my final point, which is both critique and speculation on what could have been. I feel one of my most prevalent feelings with Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu was how cliché everything felt. Their depiction of the Soviet Union is just really generic, and this setting never really ties into the story other than to say, "We are the evil government and we kill people we don't like." It really just feels like the most boring and surface level setting ever, barring a few specific details they include in a small number of scenes. I think this show would have been way better if they focused more on the unique setting and made a more historically-accurate show, that is more about exploring the USSR during this fascinating time. You could keep the vampire if you want to (she was cute after-all), but I think a more informational focus could have really made this show stand out as not just unique, but good too.

This show was disappointing, while I never really hated it, it was certainly far from being good. There were still some good ideas at play, but they we're outnumbered by the number of less good aspects, leading to an overall pretty mediocre experience.

Blue period was an interesting concept and a pretty engaging story, but I think it falters in some of its better aspects, making it fail to really be too noteworthy. It's by no means low quality, it just could have used a few changes to really fulfill its full potential.

Starting with its story and premise, which I think is overall pretty solid. It focuses around Yatora, a delinquent student who finds out how to express himself through art and decides to make that his mission in life. The show follows his journey up until his entrance exam into Tokyo University of the Arts. This concept ... was fairly original to me, and it definitely enlightened me on some of the more technical aspects of art. While not groundbreaking, this concept was overall pretty intriguing which was one of the main factors towards me liking it. The story itself is also executed quite well, with good overall pacing and a nice progression of events. But honestly, other than some more specific character-related scenes which I'll cover shortly, I don't think it was amazing, just 'good.' Which is plenty enough for me to be satisfied, so no complaints here.

So characters, this show has them, and they're honestly a mixed bag. None of them are really bad or anything, but a good portion of them don't really contribute or do much in the story. They could be replaced with someone else or removed completely without changing much. There are obviously plenty of exceptions, but a good chunk of the main side characters really don't serve much of a purpose. Most of the cram school crew doesn't do much other than just be present, and are a prime example of this problem. And then the rest of the cast lacks any real depth except for Yatora, who has some fine development, and Ayukawa, who honestly was the most interesting part of the show. Their story was serious and interesting, and was one of the things that grabbed me the most. Ayukawa's plotline was honestly Blue Period at best, and were definitely one of my favorite characters. Yatora also has his own developments, mainly about him struggling to become the great artist he wants to be and finding himself as a person, which was also fine. Just not as good as Ayukawa's.

The sound and music was honestly kind of unremarkable. The OP was one of the better ones of the season, although I am a person who can always get down to some funky piano tunes. But the rest of the soundtrack was honestly pretty forgettable, either that or it just wasn't present and I just don't remember the silence. Listening to it now it doesn't sound bad or anything, but it didn't really pique my interest, so it was just pretty average.

The art was a mixed bag just like the characters. I liked some aspects of the style and thought that it looked pretty nice. It's just that it had some pretty weird faces and character designs that just looked a tad bit off. And then finally, the artworks themselves were really a mixed bag. I mean yeah art is subjective yada yada, but I am writing a review of the show, and my entire opinion on the whole show is subjective anyway, so who cares. Most of the pieces look pretty fine, some of them were fairly interesting looking, but quite a few looked a bit strange. Overall the art was fine but not really that amazing.

In conclusion I think this show really just comes to a pretty fine show. By no means bad or even really mediocre. It just wasn't really amazing, and had quite a few areas that could have done with a little upgrade.

Haibane Renmei is my favorite work by Yoshitoshi ABe, it may not be as mainstream as SEL, but I think it offer so much more. Everything about it absolutely oozes passion and life, everything feels like it was done with love and care for the world, characters, and story. I've watched this work twice, and I think I really started to understand my true thoughts and came to love the show after I originally watched it. I originally wasn't really sure what it was exactly that I liked about the show, and my first review reflected that. But after rewatching and reflecting I am confident ... in my personal opinions and critique of this masterpiece.

I think I'll start with the shows strongest and most amazing attribute: its setting and world. Every single piece of this show is brimming with life, the town of Gille feels like a real and interesting place, making you 10x more invested in everything else. This feat is achieved through the depth of the world, things are explained and expanded upon with some of the best worldbuilding in any fictional work. Information about the world is given in a wonderful way where you get just enough information for things to make perfect sense and feel real, while still leaving so much space for speculation and curiosity. Some works fail to nail this balance, and end up either not giving enough explanation, and end up being confusing as a result, some others give too much, and are either average in this department or just plain boring. But Haibane Renmei is neither of these things, it nails this balance so perfectly that almost nothing else can compare, it leaves the viewer with plenty of questions about the world that don't end up clouding the story or detracting from events by being left unanswered. These half-facts half-questions not only establish the world, they also create the feeling of there being so much more going on in this world, creating depth and intrigue by not fully explaining everything. So many things in this show build the world in this way, each one of them making the world seem increasingly realistic and intriguing, keeping you fully immersed and interested the entire way through as the plot unfolds.

A perfect example of this is The Toga (this is a pretty minor spoiler but if you want to go in completely blind then skip this paragraph), they are introduced as a mysterious group of people who come by Gille to do trade with the town. They where strange clothing that covers most of their body and faces, the townspeople and Haibane aren't permitted to touch them, and they do not speak, only communicating with the Haibane Renmei's Grand Communicator in a type of sign language only they know. That's the extent of the information provided about them, and it leaves you with some intriguing questions: Where do they come from? Why can't the townspeople touch them? Why don't they speak? None of the answers are really given to you, which just makes you all the more curious about these strange people from outside the town.

This curiosity that every piece of lore the show gives you gives the whole show a slightly mysterious and magical vibe, which is just one of my absolute favorite vibes. This mysterious vibe is also greatly aided by the fact that Haibane Renmei just has inherently amazing and interesting concepts. Everything feels special and unique, because it honestly is, there really isn't a ton of anime out there with a similar premise to Haibane Renmei, and this originality combined with interesting elements and ideas just exemplifies the curious atmosphere of the show, immersing you in its world even more.

Another element that really helps the show establish its feel and setting is the music, which is done spectacularly. Each song uses soothing pianos and string instruments, with the occasional soft female voice being added for effect. The soundtrack provides perfect music that fits the world perfectly, and really adds to the scenes it is featured in. I'm usually never sure what counts as a 10/10 for music, as most shows often have pretty forgettable soundtracks outside of their OP's and ED's, but Haibane Renmei shows itself as a clear 10.

Speaking of OP's and ED's, how do Haibane Renmei's fare? Spectacularly.
First the ED, which perfectly encapsulates the feel of the entire show. It's a slightly melancholy sounding melody, with mysterious-sounding instruments used throughout, while still having a very soothing and calming feel to the whole thing. It's really a testament to how good an ED can be if done right, with my one minor problem being that it's visuals are a little bit too fly-me-to-the-moon-ey. The OP is also strong, although not as strong as the ED, and is a great way for me to talk about the show's overall feel from episode to episode. In addition to that nagging curiosity I mentioned earlier, courtesy of the fantastic worldbuilding, the show has a very pleasant and calming atmosphere, barring the more tense or emotional scenes. The calming and happy music, and the characters are really where this stems from, and the OP captures all of that quite well. The song used is cheery, utilizing a pleasant and soothing trio of violins in addition to a piano. This music is played over a pleasant collection of clips of the various characters going about their daily lives and looking towards the camera, the whole sequence has a very homey and comforting feel to it, perfectly capturing the show's energy.

This "homey" feel is something used through a large part of the show, in almost every single SOL-type scene everything feels comforting and pleasant in such a realistic and down-to-earth way. The main cast is filled with likeable and pleasant people who all make the viewer feel at home as they watch the daily endeavors of the Haibane of Old Home. The tracks in the OST really help build this feeling and make these scenes feel even more homey. They also have some stand out tracks during the more sad and emotional scenes, which also make those scenes even better. The music for this anime is really a work of art and is just another thing I love about it.

Another crucial part of any work is the art, which in a lot of anime can really fail to impress, being nothing more than just average or unremarkable. In this regard Haibane Renmei also succeeds with flying colors, although I will admit it isn't as spectacular as the other aspects. The show uses a rather soft color palate, which adds to that nice comforting feel. The characters themselves all have unique designs, designs more unique than a standard "different hair style and eye color" operation. The art style itself certainly looks like its 2 decades out of date (as of 2021) but does so in a good way, aging quite gracefully like Evangelion instead of turning into some ancient feeling art style. There are definitely aspects of the style that could be improved, but it still is able to make the show look appealing and also definitely contributes to the almost constant feeling of comfort this show brings in it's lighthearted scenes.

My praises for Haibane Renmei extend beyond the technical aspects and moods of the show however, and extend into the characters and story. The former being what I will discuss first. The characters of Haibane Renmei all hold a place in my heart, and some of them are easily favorites of mine. They each feel special, and all have their own personalities and distinct designs. Many a show is able to achieve this by following simple archetypes and by lazily changing small aspects of a character's design. Haibane Renmei's characters don't confirm to basic archetypes and don't feel like copy-pastes of each other with their hairstyle's swapped. Each one is clearly defined and set apart from the others. Some of the characters aren't necessarily super original, but none of them feel sloppy, and the ones that do have more cliched personalities always have some extra elements that make them more than a boring archetype. Kana is a great example, while she is a bit of a basic "tomboy" character, she has the unique aspect of being an armature clockmaker, and is quite passionate about her hobby. On top of them all being more unique then your average "I don't like hurting people" shounen protagonist, they also just seem and feel like wonderful people to be around. By the end of the show you just end up wishing they were all your friends, and that you could eat pancakes or halo-shaped pastries with them.

The wonderfulness of the characters extends beyond them simply being enjoyable and memorable characters, as the main characters Reki and Rakka each go on their own personal journeys as they come to terms with themselves and learn how to move on. Their journeys and developments are amazing, and are a great reason for the story and overall show's quality. The development and inner struggles they go through drive some of the best and most emotional parts of the show, making it just that much better.

And that story is truly a great one, and is probably the best SOL story I've ever experienced. Most dilly-dally without much actually happening, which can be fine, but Haibane Renmei goes that extra step and delivers a satisfying story. It has plenty of light hearted SOL segments that flesh out the world and characters, but also has a large amount of more serious, story focused segments, especially as the series goes on. The story itself isn't something I would like to deeply touch on, as I feel that it is really best experienced blind. So I won't really mention its contents other than to say they are great. I really think that Haibane Renmei does a fantastic job of blending these SOL elements with a more serious and emotional story, creating an experience that is both impactful and emotional while still feeling lighthearted. All while a cloud of mystery hangs over everything, creating a beautiful story and experience truly like no other.

This story is also the vehicle through which some of my favorite scenes ever were created, and this show has quite a few of these masterclass scenes. Everything about them is truly amazing, and aren't something I want to discuss with anyone who hasn't seen the anime. The music, art, and story all come together perfectly to create beautiful works of art that really defy all expectation. The climax is a wonderful example of this, and is truly amazing. It cultivates a complicated swirl of different emotions and delivers a strikingly moving and climactic emotional scene, before leaving you with a bittersweet and beautiful conclusion.

I also have one other scene that is a great example of this, and that I will break my no spoilers rule for. So I strongly caution you: IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED HAIBANE RENMEI, DO NOT READ THIS PARAGRAPH! As for everyone else that has already experienced one of the best things to ever grace this earth, I really want to talk about the wings scene. I've always found it to be such a powerful scene, despite the fact that it isn't really even that long. It draws you in, as the previous events of Rakka's birth into Old Home lead into her receiving her wings. The scene is tense and dramatic, with Rakka's pained cries echoing as 2 blood-stained wings shoot from her back in a most gruesome fashion. That reveal right as the wings emerge is probably my favorite moment in the entire show. Despite the aged art style and gruesome nature, that shot always struck me as truly beautiful. The whole scene is really a wonderful sight to behold, and is one of the best first episode sequences I've seen. It's then also followed by a much calmer scene as Reki cleans all the blood and grease from Rakka's wings as she sleeps, evoking a much more sentimental kind of beauty as the first episode ends and Rakka drifts off to sleep.

Haibane Renmei is really a work of fine art. Passion bleeds out of every corner, and it never ceases to interest me. Everything from the atmosphere, to the music, to the story and characters, is truly a sight to behold. It is hands down my favorite SOL anime, and is one I will likely return to in the future, to see Rakka, Reki, their friends, and Old Home once again. I highly recommend this anime to anyone, especially those who enjoys more serious stories. Haibane Renmei is truly a masterpiece, and one I think everyone should watch.