Review of Haibane Renmei: Vol. 3

Introduction

If you want something different from your anime, something other than the usual clichés about giant robots, girls with guns, hapless teenaged boys surrounded by a harem of lovelies, in other words something unique, then you could do worse then look up the work of Yoshitoshi ABe. I first noticed his work with the mind-bending Serial Experiments Lain. This journey into a young girl`s mind as she explored the net and found another plane of existence was by turns confusing, chilling, and inspiring. Surreal visuals combined with a complex narrative that invites repeated viewing. Next was the dystopian vision of Texhnolyze, with a prizefighter`s existence in a literal underworld in the midst of a three-way battle for supremacy revealing a dark and foreboding vision of humanity. And with Haibane-Renmei, his attention turns to… angels?

The Haibane are indeed angelic in appearance. They are reborn, with no memory of their previous lives into a mysteriously structured society, and they do indeed have wings and haloes. Their haloes are provided by the Haibane-Renmei, a group that regulates all aspects of their existence, and they live side by side with humans in an isolated town, trading work for goods. We explore this world through the eyes of Rakka, the newest addition to the community of Haibane. The third volume from MVM subtitled Free Bird contains the next three episodes.

8. The Bird
Rakka is still disconsolate, and as a result, the Sin Bound blight is spreading across her wings. She`s trying hard to come to terms with her existence as a Haibane, and what her place is in this world, but it isn`t made easy by how others view her. When she sees a crow that appears to call her to the forbidden forest, she is reminded strongly of her cocoon dream.

9. Well • Rebirth • Riddle
Winter has truly come, and snow begins to fall. Rakka is missing, and the other Haibane search for her. Rakka has ventured close to the walls of the town, where as a Haibane she is forbidden to go. The Communicator of the Haibane-Renmei, who has some advice and enigmatic words of comfort, finds her. When she returns to Old Home, her encounter with the town walls has made her ill, but Reki is oddly disappointed to learn that she is no longer Sin Bound.

10. Kuramori • Haibane Of Abandoned Factory • Rakka`s Job
Watching over Rakka, Reki reflects on her own troubled birth as a Haibane. Alone and Sin Bound, it was only the kind ministrations of Kuramori that made her early life bearable. When Rakka shows some improvement, the order comes from the Haibane-Renmei to report to the temple for punishment, after committing the crime of touching the town wall.

Video

Haibane-Renmei gets a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer, which is clear if a little soft. The animation is lush with a suitably ethereal feel to it, the palette consists mostly of pastels, and the use of light is delicately but effectively done. The CGI blends well with the 2D animation, and it`s hard to spot the seams.

Audio

You get a choice between DD 2.0 English and Japanese, accompanied by translated English subtitles or signs. Everything is clear and in order for both dialogue tracks. The incidental music suits the story well, and the theme songs are really quite special.

Features

In amongst the extras, you will find a 3-minute promotional trailer, a 15 second commercial, the Art Gallery containing 40 images, three episode previews and the trailers for Paranoia Agent and Full Metal Alchemist.

Conclusion

The third volume of Haibane-Renmei maintains the high standard of the series with three more captivating episodes. The same leisurely pace, the same ethereal art design and the same engaging characters simply highlight what anime can accomplish when it`s at its best. With this third volume however, it becomes apparent that there is more to the show than simply exploring this strange world, and living vicariously through these charming characters. The story takes a dark ominous turn here, and there is even a hint of suspense injected into proceedings.

Rakka is having a hard time coming to terms with her loss, although it`s just a symptom of her deeper anxiety. The first episode focuses on resolving that, and we see that the first step in removing her Sin Bound curse is to remember her dream in its entirety. We also learn that the Haibane-Renmei are far from the stern and silent taskmasters that they appeared to be early on, when the Communicator finds Rakka, and offers her some sage advice. The symbology of a Haibane`s cocoon dream turns out to be related to her past life, and given what Rakka recalls, it raises the question of who she was, and what she did that entailed being born into this new life. It`s a question that probably isn`t in the show`s purview to answer, but it`s fun to speculate.

Rakka`s recovery leads to some hard decisions for Reki, as we learn that a Haibane`s time in this world is limited, and Reki`s is coming to an end. She has to resolve her own issues with being Sin Bound by then, or she will forever be cursed. But for seven years, she has been unable to recall her own cocoon dream.

What makes Haibane-Renmei so appealing is the strength of the characterisations. These are all people that you wind up caring about, and hoping for the best. Of all the Yoshitoshi ABe works, this is the most personal, and that comes through with every frame of the animation.

I`ve already said this, but make a space on your shelf for this series. Outstanding anime.