Reviews Anime / Haibane Renmei

A wonderful, touching story

I didn't expect much of this anime, beyond the interesting premise. What I got in the end soon became one of my favorite stories, all medium confounded.

Haibane Renmei has its issues. The opening few episodes have a slice of life, episodic quality to them that differs from the rest of the plot. The story is quite short, and only features two fully fleshed out characters. The animation can be a bit inconsistent at times, ruining a few moments.

Beyond this, however, is a touching story about loneliness, and the question of sin and redemption.

When the story went from slice of life to a more dramatic tone, the shift did not feel forced. There is a great feeling of pacing to the story. The 13 episodes build up to a very satisfying climax. It would have been easy for a series with such dark themes as sin, guilt, depression and isolation to slip into a bleak tone, but Haibane avoids that trap.

The plot takes place in a wonderful setting that leaves the viewer questionning all the way to the end. Nothing is ever explicitly stated, and yet the viewer can feel how this world works and over time there are juste enough clues about the world's mysteries.

In the end its difficult to reccomend such a personal stories. Haibane Renmei sacrifices quite a few things to build up its main story arc, and the impact of such a story might vary from viewer to viewer. However I'd give a strong reccomendation to anybody even intrigued by the setting to give it a spin. It is well worth the time spent watching.