[Categories: OAVs, Movies and Full Series]
Haibane Renmei and me
I’m trying a little experiment with this post. This won’t be my usual reviewing - outlining what’s good and what’s bad, basing the degree of how recommendable it is on that and so on. I want to add a bit of me-ness into this one even if the quality suffers - not just saying what I think about this series based on the usual criteria, but giving a more in-depth explanation as to why it’s so special. I’m adding a lot more lyric quotes too…just to see if I can do it.
I won’t dwell on the beauty of Kou Otani’s soundtrack here, nor talk too much at length about the otherworldly artistic style of the show, as much as they lend a lot to the its unique atmosphere. Interestingly though Yoshitoshi ABe was the screenplay writer as well as being behind the overall concept: unlike Texhnolyze and Lain, his input was thematic as well as artistic. Looking at how powerful Haibane Renmei’s messages are, I feel this to be significant: it really feels like he’s drawing inspiration from personal experience which gives the show much greater authenticity, although individual impressions will probably differ slightly from viewer to viewer.
“Angels with silver wings shouldn’t know suffering/I wish I could take the pain for you…”
The idea of the main cast being ‘reborn’ with no memories of their previous life is an important one to me: friendships, life experiences, everything apart from practical things such as walking and talking have to be re-learned in an environment that’s new to them, which means they start their lives again from scratch. This ‘blank canvas’ worldview is intended to feel like it’s ’somewhere else’ but little details such as clothes, furniture, mechanical and electrical items are the same as in our own, which offers small amounts of comfort and familiarity.
Initially I thought the central character was Rakka since she was a newborn whose experiences make up the first half of the series - it’s a typical growing-up story at that point. In a sense she’s the ‘tour guide’ to the series’ setting as we learn about the place and people along with her; Reki’s situation takes on greater importance towards the end though and Rakka becomes a very instrumental, but nevertheless supporting, character who helps bring closure.
For all its pretty backgrounds and hints of fantasy, this show is in the slice-of-life vein (an issue I’ve covered before) and concerns itself with a number of real-life issues and situations. What set it apart from similar series is how the particular issues addressed resonated so deeply: not just the concepts and symbols but the more tangible aspects spoke very clearly in a way that I’d never experienced before. Rakka’s encounter with the Circle of Sin for example is a great portrayal of how guilt and doubt can build up in one’s mind from the smallest beginnings - it’s a recurring sense I had that in this unfamiliar setting there are numerous moments that have parallels with our own world.
Her symbolic descent into the well in the search for answers, followed by the return to her friends and a new, more optimistic, chapter of her life, is drenched in meaning; it feels like a metaphor for overcoming depression and guilt which makes Evangelion’s take on emotional catharsis look heavy-handed in comparison. Dwelling on past events that you can’t change drains and hampers you like a sickness; sometimes though you have to be prepared to overcome your fears in order to put it all behind you and move on.
“Things get damaged, things get broken/I thought we’d manage but words left unspoken…”
The shift in focus towards Reki deals with interaction and relations as much as emotional angst: her stubbornness, pride and inability to let go of past events had caused problems with Hyouko and Midori for a long time. The funny thing is, they shared these foolish sentiments so all three are equally guilty: an all-too-common situation that keeps families and groups of friends the world over on bad terms with one another for months or even years. Another favourite moment of mine is the realisation and resolution when they finally reach an undertanding, being able to forgive one another for things that are best left in the past where they belong. Far from being downbeat, such moments are nothing short of inspirational - and no doubt many viewers can relate to similar events from their own lives.
“I pray you learn to trust, have faith in both of us/and keep room in your hearts for two…”
The finale of the series takes events into the darkest territory of all as Reki has to confront her past…and herself. The Circle of Sin crops up again but this time it deals with the difference between how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us; the old adage that a man is judged by his actions means that intentions make us feel a certain way but making a physical effort to change things for the better is even more important. For all her guilt and self-hatred, Reki’s lifelong attempts to compensate for her faults and to prevent Rakka repeating her own mistakes actually becomes her true nature, but naturally she is unaware of this. The final moments drag the viewer through the emotional wringer as she falls into a downward spiral of hopelessness and self-pity - only to be saved by a friend who believes in her, and ironically can see her true nature better than she can herself.
If you’ve had the patience to read this far you’ve probably picked up on the fact that this is a very special piece of anime for me. Thanks to the work of Hideaki Anno and Satoshi Kon, I was already aware of how the medium of animation can convey everything that conventional film and television can but in a much more inventive fashion: Haibane Renmei was another milestone in my viewing journal. It’s a series that may be lacking in resolving minor plot points but its core messages - or at least the messages I took from it - contain profound and eloquent observations of human nature. It also asks (but not necessarily answers!) fundamental life questions about who and why we are; an instance in which all this occurs is a Precious moment indeed.
Posted on September 7th, 2007 @ 5:12 am
I too just watched this series. I’m glad you liked it, but you’re giving it way too much credit. Rakka’s descent into the well and subsequent renewal is cardboard hero’s journey cliché. The same goes for the other character arcs (where an arc was attempted). Haibane Renmei is a slice-of-life series and not much more. It makes an attempt at sentimentality and mixes in a few oddball fantasy-culture rituals to add some mystery. I was entertained enough to watch the whole thing but it’s a stretch to claim it has much depth.
The characters seem to have resonated for you, which is cool. I suppose I found the series a bit lacking compared to how much it gets praised.
Posted on September 7th, 2007 @ 6:19 pm
@Reslez: It’s a show that gets a lot of acclaim from some critics but others point out the numerous loose ends and lack of closure - more often associated with the background details than the core themes - that hamper their enjoyment. I think ABe drew quite a lot of influence from Haruki Murakami’s novels…that could warrant a separate post on its own but as an example the well ties in with a similar incident in the Wind-up Bird Chronicle. So yeah, not all of its ideas are *completely* original.
As that joint blogging exercise the other week proved, ‘depth’ is very subjective so in that sense it’s a series that divides opinion. The sentimentality clicks with some viewers but not others I suppose, but I’m pretty sure it’s very much there. I’ll settle with ‘agreeing to disagree’ with you though since it’s a show that’s so open to interpretation there’s no way of proving that I’m right and you’re wrong!
Posted on September 11th, 2007 @ 4:59 am
This was an amazing show. Certainly in my top 15 list. I just remember having this very relaxed feeling every time I watched it. There was something soothing about this series, although I have no idea what that could be. Anyway, you provided a very good review, and I think I might blog about this show the next time I rewatch it.
Posted on September 11th, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
@BrikHaus: Cheers.
I think this is a show that has great ‘rewatchability’…it’s all too easy to get drawn in by the artistic side the first time around and miss the finer points of the characterisation.
We haven’t heard much from ABe, Ueda and their team recently though so I’m hoping they’re cooking up something new!
Posted on September 19th, 2007 @ 11:32 am
Hi, i just stumbled across this site.
Great writing here.
/me approves of the haibane renmei post which happens to be his favourite.
9.8/10 keep it up
Posted on September 19th, 2007 @ 9:32 pm
@Akai: Thanks!
I think this show either doesn’t ‘click’ with the viewer at all or they utterly love it. A show’s ability to polarise opinion like that is pretty special in itself.
Posted on December 27th, 2007 @ 8:53 pm
It’s closer to, well, the Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, which is probably the only Murakami Haruki I still like. It was pointed out in the community; the End of the World segment involves a walled city, birds that act as messengers to the external world, quasi-humans with an incomplete identity… so there’s a lot of borrowing.
Posted on October 4th, 2008 @ 11:32 pm
Haibane Renmei is currently no 5 on my all time top 15 Anime List.