Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing
Review: What attracted me to this series was the artistic connections to Serial Experiments - Lain, which was an outstanding example of what anime is capable of out of genre. What kept me from getting to it when it first came out was that, depending on the review I looked at, it either sounded humdrum or was painted as a 'magical girl' story. Now that I've seen this first DVD I can report that it is neither what I expected nor what the critics reported, but something quite unique.A young girl finds herself plummeting through the air only to wake up unexpectedly in a strange bed surrounded by people with wings. She discovers that, like her, each has awoken from a dream to find themselves in the Old Home with no memory of the past. And like them, she grows wings and acquires a halo. The remainder of these four episodes follow Rakka as she adjusts to her new like and discovers the world of the Haibane, the Old Home in which they live, and the town of Glie, which forms their boundaries. There are countless mysteries. Rakka and her friends like, Kuu, Hikari, Kana and Reku, only know the way things are, but have no idea how this came to be. Thus the origins of the Haibane (charcoal feathers) and their role are mysteries. They exist within the walls of Glie, where no one, Haibane or normal human is allowed to enter the outside world. Only birds and the masked Toga (traders) can to so, and the Toga may not speak. Amidst this, the Haibane themselves carry on, working in the town and living off its largess with surprising acceptance and a great deal of charm. And charm is what this series has a surfeit. The Haibane and the townsfolk all seem bounded together in a supportive fashion, which is almost, a model of what most of us would think of as a perfect community. It doesn't take long before the viewer becomes complete enchanted. Not just with the story, but the art, acting, and music as well. Despite all the signs that things are not really as they appear you will find yourself hoping that things will go on just as they are, that the glimmer of light here will prevail. What the future will bring, I can't say. But I hope we get add least a few more DVD's of the tranquility and almost Zen-like atmosphere that permeates these first episodes. This is a delicate story that unfolds in the pastel shades of some wonderful artwork and character design. In any case, I believe you will find the originality of the story and its characters refreshing and worth pursuing.
Rating:
Summary: Slow but satisfying
Review: Yoshitoshi ABe has been producing non-genre anime for several years now; his previous series _Serial Experiments Lain_ is a strange tale about a strange girl caught up in world-shattering events which she does not understand. In _Haibane Renmei_ he has revisited the same theme of loss and confusion but reduced it to a much smaller world, a world bounded literally by impassable walls, the world of the town of Glie and the Old Home. A girl, amnesiac but for a dream, wakes in a community of Haibane, the Grey Feathers. These are people, ordinary except for their origins similar to hers and the fact they all have small grey wings on their backs and halos above their heads. These are no angels though; they are people trying to get along with each other and sometimes failing and sometimes succeeding. The girl takes her name, Rakka, from her dream of falling, and sets out to discover her place in the world as the newest (but not the youngest) Haibane. This is not a dramatic series, or a romance. Nothing exciting happens; it is a voyage of personal discovery, and a tale of sin and redemption, and of love and community. It is also very funny in places -- Rakka's problems with static cling always brings a smile to my face. I especially like the child Haibane; they are real kids even with their wings and halos, and their behaviour will resonate with anyone who's ever attempted to get a six-year-old to eat their carrots. The animation artwork is not elaborate but it tells the story in a sparse manner, with the scenery playing an important part as in most of ABe's work. His trademark crows are major players in this series, occupying a more important role than they did in _Serial Experiments Lain_. The soundtrack fits the story well in many places, heavily acoustic with several pieces wrapped around a typically Japanese percussion track. The ending title song, _Blue Flow_ is sung evocatively, asking the questions Rakka is so desperate to find the answers to. This Pioneer release is in their traditional four-disc format, covering the thirteen episodes originally shown on Japanese television. The DVD extras are rather disappointing, with little new information about the making of this series, for example. The American-voiced dubbing grates after hearing the naturalistic-sounding Japanese soundtrack and I recommend the discerning viewer sticks with the subtitles. Anime has a low reputation among many people who have only seen the children's action series that are the bread and butter of the Japanese market for such. Among them though are works like Haibane Renmei and artists like ABe who strive to tell a story that people want to hear, in a way that delights the soul. Recommended.
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