is a 2002 Japanese anime television series based on an unfinished dōjinshi manga series by Yoshitoshi Abe, . The 13-episode series was directed by Tomokazu Tokoro, animated by Radix, and produced by Yasuyuki Ueda. The soundtrack was composed by Kow Otani. It first aired on Fuji TV between October and December 2002.
The series follows Rakka, a newly hatched haibane (a being resembling an angel), as she navigates her new life in the city of Glie, a walled town with a single gate through which only a mysterious group, the Toga, are allowed to enter or exit.
Abe had previously worked with Ueda as the character designer for Serial Experiments Lain, which Ueda had co-produced and created. Ueda approached Abe with an offer to make The Haibane of Old Home into an anime; Abe agreed and wrote the screenplay for the anime, continuing the story that was outlined in the two-chapter dōjinshi. The story has been noted for its ambiguity and introspective nature, applying a range of spiritual symbols to convey themes of sin and redemption. Its setting and focus on lost memories have been compared to surrealist stories by Haruki Murakami, with Abe citing Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World as a specific influence.
Seen as a cult classic, Haibane Renmei has received positive critical reception, with specific praise for its orchestral soundtrack, atmosphere, and restrained color scheme. Assessments of its visuals have varied over time; initial reviews commended its dreamlike style, while later ones critiqued the lack of quality control and flatness of the art. It has been released on physical media several times. Originally licensed by Pioneer Entertainment (which was later acquired to form NBC Universal Entertainment Japan), the first English dub of the anime was released as four DVD volumes from 2003 to 2005. Its license is held by Crunchyroll in North America, MVM in Europe, and Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in Australia. In July 2010, a six-disc HD remastered Blu-ray version was released in Japan.
Plot
A girl dreams of gently falling through the sky before waking up inside a giant cocoon. Upon breaking out, she is tended to by a group of winged and haloed young women who introduce themselves as haibane. Like her, none of them can remember anything before being born from cocoons, and many are named after an aspect of their dream. They name her , and ceremoniously strap a newly forged halo to her head. During the night, Rakka goes through the agonising process of growing wings, while Reki, a senior haibane, cares for her.
Rakka is introduced to Old Home, an abandoned boarding school that, along with the Abandoned Factory, serve as "nests" of the haibane. While visiting the human-populated town at the center of Glie, Rakka witnesses the Toga, a group of traders who are the only ones allowed to pass through the walls that surround the town. A masked figure known as the Communicator serves as the liaison between the town and the Toga. The next day, Rakka meets the Communicator at a temple, who explains that Rakka's livelihood is guaranteed by an organization called the Haibane Renmei, but she must also find work in return.
Working alongside other haibane at a bakery, clock tower, and library, Rakka grows closer to the residents of Glie, but considers herself undeserving of their kindness. Soon after, she receives a solemn goodbye from Kuu, one of the younger haibane; Kuu goes on to disappear during the night, leaving behind a grey halo in the Western Woods. Reki tells Rakka that Kuu may have taken her Day of Flight, in which a haibane is said to have gone beyond the walls. Rakka refuses to believe that Kuu is gone, and begins to develop black blemishes on her wings. She uses scissors to cut off her black feathers, but is caught by Reki, who gives her medicine to hide the blemishes and reveals that her own wings had black feathers from the day she hatched. Reki sees herself as permanently "sin-bound", but says that Rakka's blemishes were a fluke.
Rakka remains despondent, and finds more black spots after running away from a human who tries to touch her wings. She flees the central town, and follows a crow to a well in the Western Woods. After falling down, she finds the bones of another crow, and buries it, feeling that the crow was a protector in her past life. She remains trapped in the well until a group of Toga rescues her. Rakka follows the Toga, and the Communicator finds her after she touches the wall. After she returns to Old Home, Rakka is instructed by the Communicator to work inside the wall and collect light for future halos.
Determined to support Reki, Rakka learns from the Communicator that Reki blames herself for a failed attempt to climb the walls that nearly killed Hyōko, her friend from the Abandoned Factory. The Communicator gives Rakka a small tablet containing Reki's true name, which Rakka delivers after the New Year festival. The name causes Reki to remember her own dream, in which she stood in front of a moving train and was struck by it. After rejecting Rakka's offer to help, Reki is nearly run over by an apparition of the train, but asks to be saved at the last moment. Rakka saves Reki from the train, causing the name on the tablet to return to . Reki goes on to have her Day of Flight, and two new cocoons emerge in Old Home.
Characters
A new arrival at Old Home, Rakka struggles throughout the series to "find herself," and has trouble escaping from curiosity about her past. She forms many friendships, but her closest is with Reki. Rakka is very quiet and a bit on the withdrawn side. She spends a lot of time pondering her previous existence and the mysteries of what lies beyond the Walls, as well as the origin of the haibane.
Reki is a mother figure to the other haibane of Old Home. Reki cannot remember her "cocoon dream," is troubled by her past at Old Home and by vivid and horrible nightmares, which she then paints in an attempt to figure them out. She hatched from her cocoon with black feathers, which she hides with medicine, and has been a haibane for seven years, longer than the others except for Nemu. Her job is to take care of the junior haibane at Old Home, who are called Young Feathers. Reki had a close relationship with Kuramori, the previous caretaker figure at Old Home who was the first haibane to accept her.
The youngest of the older haibane and the first to take her Day of Flight during the series. Kuu overcame her initial awkwardness to achieve a sense of peace. She develops a close friendship with Rakka and has been a haibane for two years. Outgoing and energetic, Kuu demonstrates surprising knowledge of the town and serves as a good role model for Rakka. She undergoes her Day of Flight halfway into the series, which brings Rakka into emotional tumult.
The haibane who has lived longest at Old Home. Nemu's cocoon dream was of herself, sleeping, and her continued sleepiness is a source of teasing from the other haibane. She is an old friend of Reki, works at the library, and has been a haibane for nine years. Nemu is often the voice of reason and calm during times of trouble and, like Reki, holds back the secret of a troubled past. She is close with Sumika, the former senior librarian, and treats her like a younger relative.
A mechanically inclined tomboy, Kana works at the clock tower in the center of town. Kana has been a haibane for three years. Kana has a bit of a whimsical side to her as she reveals to Rakka that she wonders about the world outside the walls as well. She has an overeager personality, which causes friction with her grouchy master at the clock tower, but they have a shared passion for their line of work. Despite her confident attitude, Kana is sensitive and cares deeply for her friends, showing almost as much sadness as Rakka for Kuu's loss before grudgingly accepting it.
A serious haibane with a mischievous streak. She works in a bakery in town and has been a haibane for four years. Hikari has a tendency to be a bit forgetful, such as forgetting to tell Rakka to practice moving her wings before her trip to the Haibane Renmei Temple. She is depicted with an innovative side, such as experimenting at the bakery with the halo mold to make ring-shaped pastries. Austin, Hikari's English voice actor, described Hikari as "really shy, and always trying to help."
Prominent member of the second, co-ed group of haibane in Glie who live at the Abandoned Factory on the opposite side of town from Old Home. Was a friend of Reki in the past, and was severely injured when they tried to cross the wall together. Upon first meeting Rakka, he accidentally upsets her with a remark about Kuu's recent Day of Flight. Despite his tough exterior, he is shown to be very kind, such as sending Rakka pastries and an apology note for the incident.
A haibane from the Abandoned Factory and a close friend of Hyōko. Has an ongoing grudge against Reki for her past endangerment of Hyōko but is willing to talk with Rakka and others.
A presiding official of the Haibane Renmei who gives spiritual advice and worldly assistance and, occasionally, imposes punishments on haibane who break the rules. The Communicator is the only person who can speak with the Toga on their visits to the town. He wishes for the Day of Flight to come to all the haibane successfully and feels concerned that Reki refuses to heed his advice and attempts to help her. Analyses have raised the possibility of the Communicator being a failed haibane.
A haibane who cared for the young Nemu and Reki. Despite her delicate health, she was kind and helpful to them, especially to Reki in dealing with her black wings. Kuramori took her Day of Flight five years before the start of the series but remains vivid in the memories of Reki and Nemu, the only ones remaining to remember her. She is the oldest Haibane to be shown in the series.
The Toga are the only people who can enter and leave the city of Glie at will. The Toga never speak, save for communicating in sign language to the Communicator (who represents the link between the citizens of Glie and the Haibane Renmei), and they never reveal their faces. Human and haibane alike are told to keep their distance from the Toga.
A librarian, senior of Namu. When Rakka first worked at the library, she planned to leave four days later for maternity leave. However, she remained in the library during winter.
Young Feathers The youngest haibane at Old Home. Unlike their senior counterparts, their names are chosen based on aspirations.
A haibane who was originally from Abandoned Factory, but lives in Old Home most of the time.
A haibane whose name is short for shortcake.
A haibane who taught Rakka how to move her wings.
Background and production Dōjinshi Haibane Renmei is based on a of the same title by Yoshitoshi Abe. Set in a Shibuya-like city, it contains a series of vignettes about people with halos and grey wings. Abe stated that the dōjinshi inspired later Haibane works and his character designs in Niea 7.
In 2002, Abe released The Haibane of Old Home, a dōjinshi that featured new characters and a different setting. The first two issues depict Rakka's hatching, naming, and the emergence of her wings.