Haibane Renmei is another masterpiece from Yoshitoshi Abe. Abe has his own unique style of storytelling, and in all honesty it doesn't appeal to everyone. The pacing is slow, relying heavily on metaphor, symbolism, and atmosphere. Haibane Renmei is a perfect example of this.
In Haibane Renmei you follow Rakka, a girl who dreams of falling from the sky and subsequently awakens in a cocoon remembering nothing of her previous life. She lives in an old, dusty building lovingly referred to as "Old Home" with several other charcoal feathers, called the haibane. I always tell people that the main character is not necessarily Rakka, but Reki. I've watched and re-watched this series a dozen times, and I still find myself crying every time I watch those last two episodes. They're unbelievably powerful.
While the show's style may not be for everyone I still strongly encourage giving it a watch. It's a very short anime and while the pacing may be slow you'll be surprised by just how quickly it goes by. Additionally, there are many things you can miss on a first watch, so if you find yourself loving Haibane Renmei—or if you've already seen it—another watch can bring to light things you might have missed. I know the first time I watched it I completely missed a lot of the symbolism, focusing more on the relationship between Rakka and Reki as well as the uniqueness of each side character.
There is no such thing as a perfect anime, and Haibane Renmei has its flaws. I think the one thing that may turn people off the most is the religious undertones sprinkled throughout the series. Especially once you hit the halfway mark. I personally feel it's to be expected, as it lends itself to the aesthetic.
Long story short, if you have the time and enough patience to give Haibane Renmei a watch you most-likely won't regret it. The art and soundtrack alone are gorgeous! My favorite song from the soundtrack is Ailes Grises.
I hesitate to rate animes 10/10, but Haibane Renmei is one of those animes that truly deserves it.
