It's a Wonderful Life?
In Haibane Renmei, a young teen arrives at a village. She is vaguely aware of her previous life, but it's like a dream she can't remember. She discovers she has become a Haibane, sprouting flightless wings and donning a glowing halo. The other Haibane embrace her with warmth and support and, although the village is new to her, it has a rhythm that seems familiar and welcoming. But this angel is not complete. While she cannot remember her former life, she slowly realizes it was not wonderful, and she must confront her inner demons. She is not alone. One of the other Haibane is coping with inner demons of her own. In a village full of mysteries, each of these Haibane find themselves trying to prepare the other for what is to come.
In some ways, this series reminded me of It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart. It's not that watching them is the same experience. Haibane Renmei is not particularly sentimental, and its scenes range from everyday to atmospheric. But...
I have the Pioneer set and bought this one as well.
First about this edition of Haibane Renmei. The video was apparently sourced from the Japanese BD master, and the lines are noticeably sharper and bitrate notably better overall. This is what convinced me to buy it, though from another source, sorry Amazon! In my opinion this is worth buying even if you already own the Pioneer release.
For those who do not own this series I can tell you that every year or so I find myself going back and watching this classic. This is the first 'slow paced' show I had ever seen and I find it to be deeply engrossing. The characterizations are so well done, and the pacing can be slow, but it is never lacking direction. I think it is possible that it has wrung more tears out of me than any show truly designed to do so.
This is not a show that arbitrarily is given five stars, truly it deserves every accolade it receives. Also, it is one of the earlier television shows in a 16:9 screen format, so it is less jarring on the screen...
This is one you should own ~
I have the older release, and I was started by the price (maybe I should sell mine?). But now Funimation is re-releasing this series for a $40 MSRP and current $30 Amazon price with Prime shipping. So I say BUY IT NOW.
This isn't action anime. Nothing close to action packed. This series is now 10 years old, and on large HDTVs it does show its age a bit. But the animation quality isn't the heart of this series, it's all about the story.
The Haibane are all 'dead' so to speak. They have a purpose yet to fulfill. And it is in fulfilling their purpose that they are able to ascend to the proper afterlife. There are some interesting interactions with various denizens of the mysterious town the Haibane exist in. The editorial review says that the original author was influenced by Murakami's Hard Boiled Wonderland, I could very well see this.
The story is slow moving, stately, and sad. In the end, despite being sad, there is a message of hope. The...
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