"Haibane renmei" (2002) TV series

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

10 September 2002 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

A young girl is reborn as an angel-like creature called a haibane, with no memory of who she once was.

Plot Keywords:

Rebirth | Suicide | Crow | Flight | Self Mutilation

Cast

Ryô Hirohashi	...	Rakka (10 episodes, 2002)
Junko Noda	...	Reki (10 episodes, 2002)
Eri Miyajima	...	Kana (10 episodes, 2002)
Fumiko Orikasa	...	Hikari (10 episodes, 2002)
Kazusa Murai	...	Nemu (10 episodes, 2002)
Ami Higasayama	...	Child / ... (7 episodes, 2002)
Miyu Matsuki	...	Child / ... (7 episodes, 2002)
Chihiro Suzuki	...	Hyoko (6 episodes, 2002)
Kumiko Higa	...	Dai (6 episodes, 2002)
Ai Tokunaga	...	Hana (6 episodes, 2002)
Masumi Asano	...	Shorta / ... (5 episodes, 2002)
Manabi Mizuno	...	Midori (5 episodes, 2002)
Tamio Ôki	...	Communicator (5 episodes, 2002)

Runtime:

USA:25 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Australia:PG (DVD rating)

Company:

Radix

Quotes:

[Rakka is cleaning Kuu's room, after her "Day of Flight"... Rakka begins to speak out loud alone]
Rakka: Good morning, Kuu. It's already been a month since you left. Winter has finally come to this little town. But thanks to your advice, I didn't catch a cold. How are you doing Kuu? So what's it like where you are now? What do you do there? I hope people there are as nice as those in the town of Glie. In case you're wondering, everyone here at Old Home is doing fine. And I...
[drops her broom and begins to sob]
[...]

Intriguing, well-done, and of a higher meaning

Haibane is one of those shows that comes along, only every so often, and when it does, you take notice. I watched the first volume, and first was taken in by the brilliant animation, then by the musical score, and finally by the ever deepening world of the Haibane.

The story is deep. Like, a beach that is, at first shallow enough to wade through, and gradually gets to the point where you can only hope to swim on the surface.

The very idea of the show asks you to look into yourself, and consider things from a different way. That way is exactly what makes Haibane great, for the open minded.

If you are going into Haibane expecting it to be another wish wash of one dimensional characters that have no depth, then you're wrong. If you are going into it thinking it will be action packed, and have explosives, babes, and guns, then you are wrong again.

Go into Haibane looking for nothing but beautiful animation, and even story that goes somewhere, then you'll have the right idea.