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: Not Rated
: Geneon
: Anime, Fantasy Anime
: 100 min.
: English, Japanese
: English
see additional details...
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In a long-forgotten walled town, humans coexist with the haibane, angelic-like beings of unknown origin. Rakka becomes the newest Haibane, after she awakens from a strange dream and finds herself hatching from a massive cocoon. With no memories of her previous life, Rakka struggles to adjust to her new surroundings, however burning questions remain in the back of her mind. What is Haibane and what is their purpose? What lies beyond the huge, forbidden town walls? Thus, Rakka begins her wistful journey to self-discovery and wonderment.
Contains episodes 1-4:
- Cocoon - Dream of Falling From the Sky - Old Home
- Town and Wall - Toga - Haibane-Renmei
- Temple - Communicator - Pancakes
- Trash Day - Clock Tower - Birds Flying Over the Walls
Special Features:
- Clean opening animation
- Original Japanese Opening
- Art Gallery
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| Escape
by ppawelski
October 21, 2006 - 2:20 PM PDT
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2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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If a guy in his mid thirties mentions that he watches Shoujo Anime (anime for girls) many people immediately assume that he is some sort of pervert who is watching for the short skirts and nude transformation scenes of magical girls in their early teens. If this was true, then I would not be interested in Haibane Renmei. There is no fighting for truth, justice, and love in short skirts. There are no magical transformation scenes. It is mealy a story of some unique girls facing surprisingly mundane problems.
That is why the story works. It is calm, it is quiet, it slows you down to the storyteller's pace and puts you into a world where forgiveness comes from realizing that you weren't really a bad person to begin with. The characters are children who are not cranked up stereotypes but instead are portrayed in a manner that is more like watching your little sister and her friends at a girl scouts' meeting. They are nearly angles, but still clearly human.
This anime has appeal to people beyond its Shoujo target audience because each episode lets you escape into a walled town where your problems can not follow you. For twenty five minutes the world is simpler as you are warped up in the angst of some early teens facing problems which you would barely notice in your life outside the walls. That is why a guy in his mid-thirites watched this Shoujo series.
Forgiveness comes from knowing that you weren't really a bad person to begin with. |
| Leaves you wanting more...
by roadwarrior
September 28, 2004 - 3:23 PM PDT
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5 out of 6 members found this review helpful
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This is the story of a young girl, Rakka, born into a new world. A world of beauty, of strict rules and regulations, of self-discovery. And of others who, at least as of this first disc, accept and dare I say love her unconditionally.
Who are the Haibane? Are they angels-in-training? Why can't they fly? Who are the strange men in ceremonial masks who control just about every aspect of their lives? Where did Rakka come from?
Although it's clear they exist in our three-dimensional world, and that they've become accepted and even welcomed by the humans who surround them, the questions above are some of the many you'll find yourself asking as you watch this first disc. That's because the creators of this show have set a very deliberate, almost evolutionary pace for character development through one slice-of-life episode after another.
Some might complain that it is too slow, but to me it didn't matter. This is all about nuance.
Rakka is such a sweet, tender-hearted girl (think Kiki from "Kiki's Delivery Service") that you care about her immediately, especially after witnessing her first crisis after her "birth". As a matter of fact, everyone in her new "family" loves her in their own special way, helping us understand the subtle differences of their personalities.
Something must be happening, however, beneath all the love and sweetness, and we get glimpses of trials to come through the ever present crows, who are at once nuisance and harbinger, the only ones able to cross over the forbidden wall and return at will. What do they see and know that the villagers are not allowed to? I can't wait for disc 2 to continue this. My rating would have been even higher, but I want to see how certain plot elements are resolved in later discs. If they can at least equal this one in depth, beauty, and emotional impact, then the series is a keeper. |
| Brain Numbing - Anime Prozac
by DrVital
July 12, 2004 - 12:39 PM PDT
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4 out of 13 members found this review helpful
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While the art direction is beautiful, the show is slow paced almost to the point of absurdity.
The characters gasp and coo as often as they actually talk, and most of the conversations concern matters so trivial you may want to scream.
While it's nice to watch something that doesn't involve lasers or robots once in a while, this didn't do it for me. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 8.04)
357 Votes
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