Rough Intro to Anime: Haibane Renmei

A young girl is dreaming of falling out of the sky. A black crow comes along side her and attempts to rescue, yet is unable to help. The girl thanks him, and suddenly realizes that she is flying over a walled city.

So begins Haibane Renmei, an anime series that came out in 2002 and is one of the best reviewed and highly regarded series that has made it to the Americas. The idea largely came from one man, ABe Yoshitoshi, who had been working on other series and busy creating self-made graphic novels (usually called “doujinshi” in the Japanese). The series began as a set of drawings of winged characters. As he continued creating additional scenarios and mythologies for these characters he was given the production order to create 13 episodes based on the initial premise alone.

The girl awakens in a cocoon and is able to hear voices. After she breaks free, she awakens in a bed and is quickly surrounded by girls who all have grey wings and halos. She quickly realizes that she has no memories before her dream and is given the name “Rakka” — a Japanese word for “Falling” — based on her dream. All of these people arrived in this strange place the same way: hatched from a cocoon, no memories or idea of who they are, and given names based on their dream. Like them, she will soon grow wings and be given a halo.

Once  the painful ordeal of sprouting wings is over, she begins to learn a little bit more about her surroundings. She lives in a place called “Old Home,” an abandoned dormitory in a walled city named Guri. These girls (called “Haibane” — although there are male Haibane introduced later in the series) live on the outskirts of the population and are not allowed outside of the walls. They take unglamorous jobs around the city, only wear used clothing and may only keep items others no longer want. All of this is a shock to new Rakka, and while she slowly adapts to the life of a Haibane she has the same pressing question: What are the Haibane?

Others in the group — Reki (“Small Stones”), Kuu (“Air”), Hikari (“Bright Light”), Kana (“River/Fish”), and Nemu (“Sleep”) — take her into town and show her their respective jobs and the way of the Haibane. As she visits the temple of The Renmei (a group of largely unseen people or beings that watch over and provide for the Haibane), she meets a man hidden behind a mask called a “Communicator” and is told to get used to her wings and make them an effective part of her body — even though none of the Haibane are able to fly. Over time she gradually grows in confidence in her surroundings and the people around her.

However, during all of this she still has a sense of unease. Some of it is due to her lack of memories, others center around her strange dreams about birds and the sense that they are trying to communicate with her in real life. Plus, she is very curious to find out what is beyond the walls. After suffering a devastating loss that affects the final outcome of the series, she ventures to the edge of the wall and becomes trapped. She runs into the Communicator (who seems to have known her predicament) and during a series of discussions and experiences is able to begin to see some reason behind her life in this new setting.

Going in to too much more detail would spoil a lot of the joy of this series. When it came out, it was not uncommon for reviewers (particularly in the US) to struggle for comparisons. Elements of the series have been seen before in numerous works of fiction, since the fish-out-of-water motif has worked as a narrative since the early days of story telling. Rules and traditions that confound both the newcomer and the veteran, even if the veteran has come to accept them aren’t exactly new, either. However, this story combines many of the elements that make it quite unique. Tradition is very important to the Haibane and those in the village, enough so that rules broken innocuously are still punished. Symbolism abounds, from the color of the wings to the changing of the seasons to the abandoned buildings the Haibane inhabit. Much like an old cathedral in the rural midwest there are multiple stories behind every stuck door, every Haibane who is briefly seen in a group shot, and every mountain of discarded items and paintings that surround Old Home. Dress, as might be expected from a group of people who may only keep unwanted items, is both unassuming and ordinary — yet each of the Haibane’s personality is shown through what they wear and what they collect.

With this love of tradition comes a rather spiritual feel to the series. The Communicator could easily be mistaken for a priest with his attire, standing, and advice for the Haibane. When a rule is broken he is the one who sternly, yet lovingly assigns a punishment. The Haibane stop to pray at a chapel and are seen with heads bowed at a somber time. Rakka and Nemu write a mythological story for a friend based on God’s creation of the Haibane. Forgiveness and sacrifice seem to be a major part of The Renmei’s mission. Understanding sin is an obstacle more than a few characters need to discover. However it is important to note that this is not a series done by a Christian (although a few of the English actors are Christians, some of which have spoken at length about their interpretation of the series), and is very much influenced by the Shinto and Buddhist traditions of Japan. The author has stated that he personally subscribes to no official religion, but it can be seen how the eastern views of enlightenment and The Four Noble Truths play a role. Yet this has not kept the series from being noticed by Christians for its decidedly spiritual feel. Churches have scheduled viewings, and the Cornerstone Music Festival viewed the entire series with considerably positive feedback. Since many of the main issues of the series are issues Christians struggle with, it’s not surprising.  One line spoken by a character in the final episode has been spoken many times by Christians and others seeking God throughout the ages.

The artwork is also rather unique. Devoid of bright colors and flashy characters, it takes its time pouring details into the Haibane’s surroundings. It’s fun to look at pictures and backgrounds in Old Home, and from the first few moments we are given foreshadowing of later plot points in the artistry and even in the way characters move. If Rakka and Kana are taking a beat-up bicycle into town — incidentally the closet thing we get to an “action” scene in the series — we’re along for the ride while the final destination will be there later.

How to find it: Unfortunately, Haibane Renmei is a series that was distributed in the US by a company that is no longer in business. It is rumored that its license has been transferred to another company and they have the rights to re-issue the series, but that is simply unknown at the moment. However, it is still not too difficult to find the series. Netflix and Blockbuster online have it, which are probably the easiest routes. Stores like RightStuf and Amazon have the whole series for sale, albeit at a somewhat steep price. Twin Cities dwellers should check out Video Universe in Robbinsdale, as they are known to have it.

In short, it is easy to talk about this series at length. It’s deceptively light at first, and even when the series takes a darker turn there is always hope. It is not a series where you expect everything to be wrapped up by the end — not all of the mysteries will be answered, and it surprises the creator that Western audiences want every part explained and nuance spelled out in detail. However, the story he wanted to tell is complete, even if parts are shrouded in mystery and ambiguity. It’s also certainly not one for those expecting an adrenaline rush or a massive number of plot twists, but for those who have the patience and time you might just find a favorite series.

Next time: a series about a man who can see invisible, living creatures and the effects they have on the humans they infest.