Rating: 
Summary: Just one word ... Wow!
Review: Haibane Renmei lacks many of the characteristics that most people normally associate with anime, giant robots, bloody violence, gratuitous nudity, and over-the-edge slapstick humor, but it more than makes up for this in it's beautiful and immersive story. I don't find it boring as Charles Solomon has or kid stuff as one reviewer did but it will definitely pull you in and get you thinking. In the beginning things get off to a slow start but that gives the creator time to introduce the viewer to the world of the Haibane Renmei and to build depth into the very realistic characters. In the beginning the arcadian world of the Haibane Renmei seems so peaceful and almost perfect, but they along with the humans who reside in a small rustic town nearby, are confined within a fortress of sorts that only crows and a mysterious group of traders known as the "Toga" may freely enter and leave. This and one young Haibane's curiousity about the outside world seems to hint that things may take take a darker path in further installments of the series.Haibane Renmei is truely one of those unique anime series that must be viewed at least once. I highly recommend spending a little extra and buying the limited edition version as you get an extra pencil board and a very sturdy box to house the collection in or at least rent the first volume from your local video store, you might like it. Currently I am on the second of the four DVDs to this series and I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming releases of the final two installments. Very Highly Recommended. 9.5 out of 10
Rating:
Summary: Haibane is a Must See
Review: Haibane Renmei may not be as dark as Serial Experiments Lain or as action packed, but, nevertheless, it is another of Abe's must see animes. This story starts off slow, so you cannot dismiss it solely based on the first 3 or 4 episodes. The slow start allows you to learn in depth about the characters, come to feel for them, and come to better understand the world in which Abe has placed you. As happened in Lain and Niea, there is a lot we as viewers of this anime are not told. But your imagination and creativity allows you to participate in this anime. Also, the characters are unforgetable; they are so deep and round even though the series is only 13 episodes. And if the story does not intregue you, the music and animation will.
Rating: 
Summary: An Average Start to a Wonderful Series
Review: Haibane Renmei, from the people who gave us Lain and Niea under Seven, is an amazing, beautiful, and deep creation that is worth watching by any anime fan. While the first episode intrigues its viewer, however, the next four are horrifically dull. This unfortunate fact turns many patrons off the show, just before it because haunting and incredible starting at episode six. It's very dark from here to the end, though not quite to the extent of Lain. So please, give this series a chance - sit through the average first DVD so that you can enjoy this amazing show.
Rating:
Summary: Hauntingly Beautiful Anime for Grownups
Review: I find myself wondering whether the Amazon editorial reviewer watched the same series I saw as a fansub. Haibane Renmei is beautifully drawn, enigmatic and steeped in otherworldly mystery. No fights. No fanservice. No slapstick humor - although it has moments that make you laugh. Just an introspective, achingly beautiful story. Probably not appropriate for young kids, although not for the idiotic reasons cited above, but instead because the series examines issues that would be troubling for most pre-teens (betrayal, redemption, suicide, death). I can only assume that all this passed right over the head of the reviewer. I've preordered the disk, and anxiously await the rest of the series coming out.
Rating:
Summary: Worth watching again and again
Review: I have now viewed the entire 13 episodes of the Haibane Renmei. This story is one that you will treasure and, if you are like me, will want to see again and again. It is a story that you can share with others. It is a beautiful story of friendship, of sisterly love and service, of lost innocence, and, in the end, of redemption. The story takes the time and the care to bring the characters to life. You see a new, mysterious world through the eyes of a new Haibane (gray wing) who is born from a cocoon as a girl of 14 years, who receives a halo and gray wings, who is named Rakka (falling) based upon her cocoon dream of falling from the sky, and whose memory of her former life has been erased. Reki, an older Haibane, helps her to adapt to her new life. Rakka has many questions about the Haibane and the town, as the first episodes add layers to her knowledge of life in the town. These questions become more pressing as we reach the sixth episode and a major change in the plot. At the end, not all the questions are answered (as in real life.) The answers she does receive will restore hope and affirm life. Haibane Renmei will touch your heart.
Rating:
Summary: This one is NOT Sailor Moon
Review: I love Haibane Renmei. A lot. I didn't know what to think when I sat down to watch this in my college's anime club. Angels? As realistic, sympathetic characters? Was I surprised? You betcher boots. Picture this: a girl dreams of falling; when she wakes up, she's in a strange world where most of the people she meets have wings and halos. On top of that, nobody remembers their names, so they make new ones based on their dreams. They're not allowed to leave their village, and there are other restrictions. Top it off with a mysterious race of traders, the Toga, and you have a very cool, slow-paced, well-written series that will disappoint you if you think that Sailor Moon, DBZ and the like are the only anime worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: This one is NOT Sailor Moon
Review: I love Haibane Renmei. A lot. I didn't know what to think when I sat down to watch this in my college's anime club. Angels? As realistic, sympathetic characters? Was I surprised? You betcher boots. Picture this: a girl dreams of falling; when she wakes up, she's in a strange world where most of the people she meets have wings and halos. On top of that, nobody remembers their names, so they make new ones based on their dreams. They're not allowed to leave their village, and there are other restrictions. Top it off with a mysterious race of traders, the Toga, and you have a very cool, slow-paced, well-written series that will disappoint you if you think that Sailor Moon, DBZ and the like are the only anime worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent series
Review: i loved this story right from the first moment. it has a dreamlike quality that makes you feel relaxed and happy. there are some cute moments that made me wish i could live in old home. in fact, i watched this dvd several times right after i bought it, a very rare occurrence. i didn't find the characters passive or uninteresting (from charles solomon's review above) and i find myself very eager to purchase the next dvd in the series.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful Anime
Review: I originally picked up this anime because it had a unique story and the art looked beautiful, well, I was not disappointed! This is a beautiful story, even though it is slow at first, about the Haibane (a winged being who knows nothing of their past) Rakka, who learns about herself and her surroundings. Not to mention the air of mystery that the story presents. You can't wait to find out more! Why can't the Toga (the only people allowed in the town to trade) talk to others or be talked to; what is the purpose of the Haibane; how do you become a Haibane and why; what is the meaning of the crows; why can't you leave the town; and many more interesting questions are brought up.
Another point worth mentioning, is the music. The beginning song is beautiful, especially the violin in it.
Pretty much everything about this series is good. The music, the art, and the story. Please don't just listen to the review by Charles Solomon, this is a wonderful anime that should be on every Otaku's shelf! As many others have mentioned, this is not full of your action, fanservice, or other things expected in anime, but it is a great series in its own way, and is excellent if you are looking for a more mature kind of anime.
Highly recommended from a fellow Otaku ^_^ PS One more plus, it is only four DVDs long! You will not have to spend a fortune for a great series, and you won't have to wait forever for all the volumes to come out ^_~
Rating:
Summary: Saw awesome pre-release at Anime Expo
Review: I saw the first two episodes at Anime Expo 2003 in Anaheim. So I am reviewing only the anime content, not extras or dvd quality or anything.
I read about this anime, but was unsure whether or not I'd like it. I've seen Serial Experiments Lain and loved it, but was unsure whether I'd like this, since the story is so different. However, I fell in love with it right away.
The Haibane are a type of people with wings. They start out as regular people, then go into a cocoon stage. After they come out, they develop wings and forget everything about their previous lives. No one knows what the Haibane are or where they are from, but they all live together within the limits of a human city, which they are not allowed to leave.
Rekky, our main character ( I don't know if I spelled the name right) is just becoming a Haibane at the beginning of the series. Within the first two episodes, she grows her wings, learns about the Haibane, and starts to get used to her new surroundings. But I knew that from previews before I watched it. Actually watching it was what made me fall in love with the story. There are many different characters and the storyline has so much potential. I definitely look forward to watching more of this series!
| 
