Haibane Renmei

paizuri · Post by **paizuri** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:18 am

This is the official Haibane Renmei discussion thread.

Magicannpn · Post by **Magicannpn** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:55 pm

I have recently seen the entire series, and I think this is the best anime series that I know of. I found several excellent fansites for the series with very good theories. Because I cannot read Japanese, does anyone know what the Japanese fans have to say about this series? Particularly what theories they have.

Lovely Rei · Post by **Lovely Rei** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 11:16 pm

I have no idea what the Japanese think and personaly really don't care. This is mainly because I love the series and I don't think it should matter what the Japanese think. They may think the same way that the American audience does, it's not like we're THAT different.

SarahtheBoring · Post by **SarahtheBoring** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:46 am

Whoa. I think you need to relax a bit - Magicannpn just sounded curious. Nothing wrong with that. A fight on a Haibane thread would be so wrong as to unravel the fabric of the universe itself, you know.

Ahem.

I just bought this series after watching it all on rental, and hope to have something pseudo-intelligent to say after watching it again. I only remember that I loved the understated art style, human characterization, combination of mundane details and wider-scale backstory, and the fact that it doesn't need to overexplain itself while still being internally / thematically consistent (well, as far as I could tell after one viewing). Just lovely.

Scintilla · Post by **Scintilla** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:01 am

I've only seen it once through completely, but from what I remember, the little things are what make this series so endearing... like the invention of donuts. ^_^

It's just such a fascinating world to explore, and while there are plenty of unanswered questions, the series really doesn't seem too short (or too long).

The soundtrack's really nice too.

Willen · Post by **Willen** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 6:51 am

I think if the whole Haibane "thing" was explained, the series would lose it's charm. The whole thing really works because the reason for the Haibanes existence is a mystery.

It is like a magic show. If you were knew how they did the tricks you would enjoy it less because you'd be looking at the performance for its technical aspects instead of just being entertained.

Plus, the reason for their being is more background and setting than the main focus which is the relationships between the characters. And, I think people like to draw cute girls (and guys) with wings.

Scintilla · Post by **Scintilla** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 12:32 am

Willen wrote:And, I think people like to draw cute girls (and guys) with wings.

Well, if Evangelion fanart and Escaflowne (TV) are any indications, then I fully support that trend.

Lovely Rei · Post by **Lovely Rei** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 5:46 pm

[align=center]Spoilers!!!![/align]

Oh god do I wish they explained what the Haibane were and why they were stuck in the town. And I'd also like to know why the walls had power. There was so much unexplianed. I mean the inthe first part they kept questioning it but after Kuu died they focused more on character development and didn't really care about what was going on with the world and stuff. Oh well.

lilgumba · Post by **lilgumba** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 12:21 am

I don't know. I think that character building was part of how to understand their world. I've heard people say that the sinbound haibane might have been people who committed suicide in their past lives and so are trapped in sin until they find redemption as a haibane and leave to go to the outside world. Part of discovering their redemption is through knowing themselves and how they interact with each other. Those interactions effect their world. (Reiki is a good example of this and probably why she got a lot of focus later.) Well that's one theory anyway.

Regardless, it's a good show that you want to come back to eventually. By it being so open ended you can really let your imagination go wild with theories and what would happen to the ones that left and the ones that stayed. That's what makes the show so good.

SarahtheBoring · Post by **SarahtheBoring** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 7:36 pm

That was what I thought after I watched it, too. I also imagined that Rakka jumped to her death and that someone still loved her and tried to stop her, and that Reki was run over by a train. But I'm a morbid SOB, and made it up just musing about it, so don't take that as anything meaningful. :p

Though that leaves the question of what the other Haibane are or were. I can't take my idea with any more than a grain of salt, because it makes little sense when applied to the child Haibane.

Aaaand I like the open-endedness. Because I like meandering about ideas of what it could be, rather than nailing it down to one meaning. Like seeing pictures in clouds. Some series are really good for that sort of meta-entertainment.

On the cute people with wings front, this series is a different take on it than usual, which is interesting - they don't fly and they aren't majestic. It's a down-to-earth sort of otherworldliness.