Haibane Renmei
Volume 1: New Feathers
(MVM Region 2 PAL DVD)
(2005)
review by Blackgloves

The thirteen-part anime series "Haibane-Renmei" has rather strange and nebulous origins. But then, "Haibane-Renmei" is a very strange and, intrinsically, very nebulous series, rooted in the deeply mysterious drawings and paintings of artist, Yoshitoshi ABe. The artist entered the anime scene in 1999 when he became the character designer for "Serial Experiments Lain", later moving on to create the series "NieA Under 7" from his own original sketches. But, for many years, ABe had also been producing work which featured drawings and paintings of a group of mysterious young girls with halos and angel wings which he dubbed "The Charcoal-Feather Federation". After releasing a self-published comic book and a collection of art work titled "Essence" -- both based around this intriguing and evocative set of characters -- ABe was approached by anime producers, Studio RADIX with the idea of making an anime series based around them. Planning a show which does not have a clear plot or obvious focus to it may have been very difficult -- indeed, the show went into production with only two episodes scripted, the rest of the series remaining only a vague idea within its creator's mind -- but the result is an entrancing and thoroughly original series which is quite unlike anything else to have appeared on the anime scene for many years.

When we enter the world of "Haibane-Renmei" for the first time in episode one, we are in much the same situation as Rakka -- the lead character in the series. This is a world where lots of things look very familiar, but where nothing seems to work in quite the way we're used to! Actually, this "world" is somewhat restricted, since the town of Glie and the ancient dormitory building where Rakka was born, which sits high-up on a hill on the town's outskirts, are surrounded by a huge wall with only one gateway, through which no one is allowed to pass! The sparsely populated town is inhabited by a group of gentle humans who live simply and quietly in its old stone houses which surround the architecturally baroque, paved town square.

Warm pastures dotted with silent windmills and rolling green hills which stretch into the hazy golden horizon envelope the town, and the nearest hill is home to a charming, angelic race of beings called the Haibane! One day, a young woman called Rakka (or at least, this is the name the Haibane give to her -- she cannot remember any other) hatches, fully grown, from a cocoon in "Old Home": the abandoned stone school which is home to the Haibane.

Rakka is named after her "cocoon dream" -- the only thing she can remember before she hatched. All the Haibane are named after their last dream. Rakka dreamt of endlessly falling through a void, and so her Haibane brethren named her after a word which means "falling". All of the Haibane are female and hatch from their cocoons at varying ages; but all seem to be either young women or infants -- although this peculiar system means that some of the infants are more senior than the nominally older Haibane, because they hatched earlier! Nevertheless, it is the job of the more grown-up members of the group to look after and teach the younger infants. When Rakka emerges from her cocoon, she finds herself at once surrounded by her curious new friends. Many are of a similar age as she, but they all have golden halos hovering three inches above their heads and delicate, downy feathered, charcoal-grey wings protruding incongruously from their backs!

One of the more forward of the Haibane is called Reki -- a girl whose strangely kitsch angelic accoutrements contrast awkwardly with the nonchalant cigarette that is always seen hanging from the corner of her mouth! She takes responsibility for Rakka during her transformation -- for Rakka is also a Haibane, and must learn the rules of their society and get used to the painful, and sometimes awkward, bodily changes that all newly hatched Haibane experience. The first job is to forge a halo from a special mould for this "new feather". While the halos of the other Haibane seem easily fixed above their heads, Rakka finds that she cannot control hers -- which repeatedly wobbles and falls away from her! Controlling ones halo confidently is a knack which only comes with experience -- but in the meantime, Rakka has to wear a special wire halo "stabiliser" which makes her feel awkward and foolish! An even more traumatic experience is the sprouting of Rakka's new wings -- an experience which is accompanied by intense pain and a high fever. Reki nurses Rakka through this difficult time -- eventually showing her how to groom her feathers and to control the movement of her wings.

This series is much more concerned with creating a mood than developing a plot, and that mood is one of existential wonder at the strangeness of the experience of living -- and a certain amount of dreamy nostalgia for a lost, idyllic childhood. Each episode explores new facets of this wondrous new world, introducing us gradually, through the experiences of new inductee, Rakka to the intricate customs that govern the interactions between Human and Haibane and exploring the geography of the town where the Haibane go to work for their human "masters". The town and the old school house where the Haibane live separately, all seem very old -- but no one seems to know anything of their origin or who built them! The strict rules that all Haibane seem to unquestioningly obey have been put in place by the Charcoal-Feather Federation and are enforced by the Communicator: a robed and masked figure from the Haibane temple who is the only person allowed to speak to the group of traders called the Toga, who, in turn, are the only people allowed to enter the town for limited periods of time. The rules that Haibane live under seem unduly strict: they cannot possess money, but must instead rely on a notebook summery of their chores which can be exchanged for goods; they can only wear second-hand clothes given to them by humans. The humans have an ambivalent attitude to the Haibane: sometimes treating them with reverence and at others, appearing to discriminate against them. Either way, the Haibane seem to accept everything! There are many mysteries to be answered: what lies beyond the wall and why can't anyone leave? Rakka feels like she has half-formed memories of a life before her existence as a Haibane but neither she or the others can recall any details; and why does the outwardly cool Reki constantly have terrible nightmares?

This strange, surreal world with its bizarre and unfathomable social arrangements is beautifully realised and animated by studio RADIX and ably enhanced by Kô Ôtani's intoxicating, lilting score; both the Japanese and English audio tracks are very effective in making the characters seem real and interesting. The voice acting on both versions is very sympathetic to the ambience of the series. The DVD features an anamorphic widescreen transfer and minor extras in the form of alternative opening credit sequences and episode previews.

Both the English and Japanese audio tracks are Dolby Stereo 2.0 and there are four half-hour episodes featured on this first volume which are titled:
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.

This is a beautiful, mysterious and enchanting series which will quickly become addictive for those who are looking for something a little different from the usual anime fare.

Wonderful.