Haibane Renmei

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Haibane Renmei

灰羽連盟 (Charcoal Feather Federation)
Genre	Drama, Fantasy
Dōjinshi
Created by Yoshitoshi ABe: Haibane Renmei (1998) The Haibane of Old Home: Chapter 1 (2001) The Haibane of Old Home: Chapter 2 (2002) Haibane Lifestyle Diary (2002) The Haibane of Old Home: Extra Edition (2002)
TV anime
Directed by	Tomokazu Tokoro
Studio	Radix
Network	Fuji Television Animax
Original run	9 October 2002 – 18 December 2002
No. of episodes	13

Haibane Renmei (灰羽連盟, Haibane Renmei^? translated by the author as Charcoal Feather Federation) is a 13-episode anime series based on the work of Yoshitoshi ABe. It began as an original dōjinshi comic series, The Haibane of Old Home, but this was quickly superseded by the anime and was never completed. The anime was broadcast by Animax in its respective networks around the world, including Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent, under the title Ailes Grises.

The series follows a young girl named Rakka, a newly arrived Haibane (an angelic-looking being), and other characters in the city of Glie (guri), a walled city with one entrance where no one is allowed to leave.

The music for the series is composed by Kō Ōtani.

1 Adaptation history
2 Characters
3 Plot summary
4 Haibane
- 4.1 Sin-bound Haibane
5 Context and interpretation
6 Episode list
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Adaptation history

The very first version of Haibane Renmei was a short dōjinshi of the same title by Yoshitoshi ABe. Released in 1998, it bore little resemblance to the final anime aside from being about people with halos and grey wings.

ABe later reworked his idea into The Haibane of Old Home, with completely new characters and story. The first issue, released in late 2001, was some 24 pages long and ends roughly two-thirds of the way through the story covered by the first anime episode. The second issue covers the end of the first episode and about a third of the second episode.

ABe next released two special dōjinshi: the "Lifestyle Diary" and the "Extra Edition". The former explains that the story has been licensed as an anime to be released later that year, and so he will not be continuing the doujinshi. The book's contents cover the specifics of character design, from personality to shoe-style, and lay out maps of the town and some of its buildings. It also features several four-panel comics depicting the lives and behaviors of the specific Haibane, and the protagonist Rakka's curiousity about her halo and wings. The Extra Edition is a flashback story to the character Reki's experiences as a young girl shortly after her mentor, Kuramori, left their home. This part of the story is covered in the anime, but the dōjinshi adds some additional detail. It was released after the completion of the anime series.

The anime series aired in Japan in late 2002 and was released on DVD the following year. It was quickly licensed by Geneon Entertainment and adapted into English-language dubbed and subtitled versions, which were released from mid-2003 to early 2004. It has also been released in Australia by Madman Entertainment and in Europe by MVM Films.^[1]

[edit] Characters

Senior residents of Old Home in the anime. Clockwise from top left: Hikari, Nemu, Kuu, Kana, Reki (middle).

Rakka (落下, falling^?): A new arrival to 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 that with Reki.

Reki (礫, pebble/small stone^?): A mother figure to the other Haibane, Reki—one of the most senior Haibane in the home—is troubled by her past and by her dreams. Reki has been a Haibane for seven years.

Kuu (空, air^?): The youngest of the "older" Haibane, Kuu overcame initial awkwardness to achieve a sense of peace. She develops a good friendship with Rakka and has been a Haibane for two years.

Nemu (眠, sleep^?): The oldest Haibane at the home, she is often teased for her habit of sleeping in. Nemu has been a Haibane for nine years.

Kana (河魚, river fish^?): A mechanically inclined tomboy, she works at the clock tower in the center of town. Kana has been a Haibane for four years.

Hikari (光, light^?): A serious, but occasionally mischievous Haibane. She works in a bakery in town and has been a Haibane for three years.

Hyouko (氷湖, ice lake^?): The leader of another group of Haibane in town (the mixed-gender Abandoned Factory nest). Has a history with Reki.

The Communicator (話郎, washi^?): A presiding official of the Haibane Renmei who gives spiritual advice and worldly assistance and—on occasion—doles out punishment to wayward Haibane.

Kuramori (暗森, dark forest^?): A Haibane who once took care of Nemu and Reki. Despite her delicate health, she was kind and helpful. She no longer lives in Old Home.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The series starts out with two parallel scenes. The first is of a girl falling from the sky, cradling a crow; it tries to stop her fall, but cannot. The other is of a group of Haibane finding a large cocoon growing in a storage room. When the cocoon breaks open, the teenage girl inside is brought to the guest room, where she is cared for by several Haibane, mostly one named Reki. All the girl can remember is her dream of falling. As Haibane are traditionally named based on their dreams within the cocoon, she is named Rakka ("falling"). Shortly after arriving, the Haibane present Rakka with a halo, and Reki helps Rakka go through the painful ordeal of having wings grow from her back.

As time progresses, Rakka learns her way around the Old Home, one of two places in the city where Haibane live. She learns about the town, in which the people are friendly and generous to the Haibane, but in which Haibane must work and are subject to restrictive rules with harsh penalties. Foremost of these is to not touch or even approach the wall that surrounds the town. These rules are enforced by the Haibane Renmei, who oversee the lives of the Haibane.

Rakka begins to bond with her friends, especially Reki and another Haibane named Kuu, and begins to search for a job. However, during this time, Kuu becomes pensive and distant and begins giving away her possessions. One day, Kuu disappears in the western forest near the wall. Rakka becomes distraught when she learns that Kuu has taken her Day of Flight, passed over the wall and will never return, as is the eventual fate of all Haibane who are not tied down by guilt.

Rakka becomes depressed, and notices her wings turning black. Despite Rakka's desperate attempts to curb and conceal it by cutting her feathers, Reki discovers this and shows Rakka how to hide and treat the spots. Rakka learns that she is "sin-bound", caught up in guilt for past deeds. Reki reveals that she was born with this condition, with black wings and a dark dream she could not fully remember, and has been hiding it ever since. Depressed and confused about her condition, Rakka later runs off in despair, then is led into the western woods by crows. There she finds a well, climbs to the bottom, sees her full dream, and buries a dead crow found at the bottom of the well. Somehow, she knows it was a person whom she had hurt and whom had loved her in her past life, who then passed over the wall as a bird to bring her a message of forgiveness. Her guilt is relieved and her wings turn gray again. However, she also learns that Reki's time is running out, and Rakka turns her focus towards helping her friend find her way.

Rakka works to get another group of Haibane from the other side of the city to forgive Reki for a long-past transgression in which she tried to pass over the wall which resulted in her friend being nearly killed and severely punished for damaging it. However, Reki is resigned to her fate; she refuses to trust anyone for fear of betrayal, and will not ask for or accept help. Her dream is revealed to her as a gift from the Haibane Renmei, but its destructive nature only serves to drive her into a self-loathing frenzy. As Rakka tries to shake her out of it, Reki reveals to Rakka that she never really cared for her, and was just taking care of her as a final effort to save herself.

Rakka leaves her, crushed, but finds and reads Reki's diary. From it, and from the forgotten memories it reveals, Rakka discovers that Reki spent so long performing good deeds for forgiveness that it has become her identity, even if she cannot see it. Realising that Reki truly did care and wanted someone to trust, Rakka's belief in Reki is restored, and she returns to save her friend from the dark fate of a sin-bound.

[edit] Haibane

Rakka (sitting) and Reki as drawn by Yoshitoshi ABe.

The Haibane are a race of people who emerge from cocoons, grow feathered wings from their backs, and are given halos upon their birth. They may be any age when they come into the world, and always have a sense that they used to live in another place and be someone else, but they cannot remember where or who.

Healthy Haibane wings are charcoal grey rather than white, and are too small to be functional. Furthermore, their halos are specially-forged for them by the Haibane Renmei, and may take a few days to float properly over their heads. Although they bear resemblence to the angels of tradional Christianity, creator Yoshitoshi ABe has said that this is purely an aesthetic choice.^[1]

Haibane cocoons grow from small seeds like dandelion tuft that land in places such as Old Home, usually depicted in the spring and always in indoor, uninhabited rooms. Once landed, these seeds dig into the floor and grow quickly to a very large size, bigger than a person, but somewhat dependent on the size of the person inside. Roots grow out of the cocoon into the surrounding surfaces to support it.

Inside, each new Haibane experiences a vivid dream, and then wakes up suspended within the cocoon. They are dressed in a plain white robe, surrounded by some sort of breathable liquid, and able to hear sound from outside. The walls are easily pulled apart, and each Haibane must dig his or her own way out; according to Reki, tradition holds that if hatchlings cannot break free themselves, they will not grow strong (much like chicks or butterflies).

Once awake in their new world (they may sleep for some time after hatching), each Haibane is given a new name according to the dream they had while in the cocoon. They are all sure that they had a name and life prior to this one, but none are ever able to remember any details, and it is thought that even if they met their families, they would not recognize one another. Certain traces of emotion remain, however, and they remember practical things like how to talk or ride a bicycle.^[2] Some Haibane, born as young children, choose their own names based on dreams for the future, presumably ignoring the ones given to them at hatching.^[3]

After a Haibane has received a name, he or she is given a halo which floats over his or her head, "to be a guide for the future."^[4] The connection may be tenuous at first, but once the halo "sticks", it is almost like a part of the Haibane's body and can be used to drag him or her about or to support the weight of other objects. These halos glow brightly, and in the doujinshi they spin rapidly as well.^[5] It is later revealed that they are made of metallic flakes, called "light leaves", which can be found in tunnels within the wall around the city.

Wings are formed within the Haibane's body, first appearing as uncomfortable lumps on the back. Within a day or two of the hatching, these grow rapidly and put the Haibane into a state of fever, finally bursting through the skin in a painful and bloody way. The pain and fever last for about a day before rapidly and completely subsiding. Meanwhile, the feathers of the wings must be cleaned, or else the blood and other fluids will stain them. Thorough cleaning can be a long procedure, and must be done by someone else, as the newly born Haibane is too weak and in too much pain. Once they have recovered, they start to be able to move the wings, although it takes some time to gain complete control over them. After a week or more of involuntary twitching and quick exhaustion, each Haibane finally learns to control the wings like any other part of their body.

The Haibane in general are bound by certain rules set forth by the Renmei. They must only own and use things that have been abandoned by ordinary humans, or which they make themselves—this includes wearing used clothing and living in old, empty buildings. They are also required to work, with certain limitations on where they can have jobs (which are not detailed in the story), and they may not use money. Instead, they are each given a notebook by the Haibane Renmei, in which they write down what they have earned from work and tear out pages (similar to cheques) to pay for things. They are also not allowed to linger near the city walls, or to touch them.

Haibane's lives are eventually drawn toward their "Day of Leaving the Nest" (巣立ちの日, sudachi no hi^?), or in the English-language versions, "Day of Flight." This day approaches when the Haibane in question has overcome certain internal trials and is ready to move on. Their halo begins to flicker and dim, and finally they depart, alone and unannounced, for the Western Woods, where they pass over the city walls in a beam of light. Their halo is left behind on the ground and no longer glows. The other characters experience this much as they would an ordinary death—no one knows when it will happen, or what lies beyond the wall, and those left behind feel the loss of separation. Nevertheless, Leaving the Nest has a positive connotation, and most of the Haibane believe that life beyond the walls is somehow higher or better than life in Glie.

[edit] Sin-bound Haibane

Some Haibane do not remember their cocoon dream properly and are called "sin-bound". These Haibane can be recognized by the black splotches that grow on their wings. Fans conjecture that these Haibane committed suicide in their past lives—this would definitely appear to be the case with Reki, and her incomplete dream seems to indicate this. Not all sin-bound Haibane are born that way. For example, Rakka became sin-bound only during her depression after Kuu's departure, though the means for her forgiveness was apparent from the beginning and she exhibited the other classic sign of a "sin-bound" Haibane, an incomplete cocoon dream.

Sin-bound Haibane cannot have their "day of flight" until they are no-longer sin-bound. If they do not achieve this within a certain amount of time, they cease to be Haibane. Rakka is told by the Washi that these Haibane lose their wings and halos, and are required to live apart from humans and Haibane. (The camera at this point focuses on the false wings that are a part of the communicator's uniform, perhaps indicating that the Haibane Renmei are these "fallen Haibane". It's also possible that these former Haibane are the Toga, the only people who can leave the city of Glie. The Toga never speak, save for communicating in sign language to the Haibane Renmei, and they never reveal their faces.) Despite this, Reki believed that when her time was up, she would simply vanish.

The Haibane Renmei, however, may in time give the Haibane a new name (with the same on) that is symbolic of their spiritual fate or the obstacles they have overcome. In Rakka's case, the Washi notes that she had shed the feelings of abandonment and isolation of her previous life and bonded gregariously with others; he thus gives her the name Rakka (絡果, connected nut^?). With Reki, the Washi foresees a tragic end and gives her the name Reki (轢, to be run over^?).

Sin-bound Haibane usually feel guilty about something they have done in their previous life, and until they can overcome this they cannot become a normal Haibane.

[edit] Context and interpretation

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Rakka in sunlight.

Some fans have made the conjecture that the Haibane are, actually, children who committed suicide and were reborn into the world of Glie to atone for their sin. Suicide is a particularly high-profile issue in Japanese society, and some facts could support this hypothesis, like Reki's hallucination in the last episode, or an interpretation of the characters names ("Sleep", sleeping pills or coma; "Light", died in a fire; "Ice Lake", frozen; "River fish", drowning; "Falling", suicide by jumping). ABe disagrees with this interpretation, but he encourages readers and viewers to come to their own conclusions.^{[citation needed]}

A common variation of the above interpretation is the idea that all Haibane were simply children who died before their time; in this case, their names may simply represent the cause of death. Reki and Rakka's black wings and the Washi's reference to their sins are then assumed to be ways of showing that they committed suicide in their past lives. Some proof of this was the trouble both Reki and Rakka had in remembering details of their cocoon dreams. None of the other Haibane mentioned similar troubles.

Both interpretations suggest that the Haibane exist in a world between Heaven and Hell, although other interpretations involving non-Christian concepts are fully possible. Though they bear wings and halos as per occidental angels, the wings are vestigial. The time between arrival and departure suggests that they are not ready to proceed to their destination due to something they have not learned, experienced, or atoned for. It is superficially similar to the Roman Catholic concept of Purgatory.

In an interview in the magazine Animerica, ABe stated that the series was inspired by Haruki Murakami's novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, half of which takes place in a walled city with no apparent outside. Some fans believe the series contains influence from another Murakami novel, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, in which the main character spends a large amount of time at the bottom of a well.

[edit] Episode list

Episode title^[6]	Air date^[7]	#
"Cocoon — Dream of Falling from the Sky — Old Home" "Mayu — Sora wo rakuchiru yume — Ōrudo Hōmu" (繭 — 空を落ちる夢 — オールドホーム)	October 9, 2002	1
A girl dreams she is falling, and semi-angelic beings discover a large cocoon in their home. The girl wakes up inside this cocoon and breaks out of it. The winged people introduce themselves as Haibane, name her "Rakka," and give her a forged halo. One of them, Reki, stays with her as ash-grey, feathered wings grow from her back in a painful way.
"Town and Wall — Toga — Haibane-Renmei" "Machi to kabe — Tōga — Haibane Renmei" (街?壁 — トーガ — 灰羽連盟)	October 9, 2002	2
Rakka's new companions take her into the town of Glie. She learns that most of the people here are not Haibane, that Haibane can only own things humans have stopped using, and that they are required to work. The wall around the city and countryside keeps everyone in; only the Toga can come and go freely, and only the Communicator can speak to them.
"Temple — The Communicator — Pancakes" "Jiin — Washi — Pankēki" (寺院 — 話郎 — パンケーキ)	October 23, 2002	3
Hikari takes Rakka to the temple of the Haibane Renmei, where the Communicator approves her as a Haibane and gives her the notebook with which she can make purchases. Later, she helps Reki with the children at Old Home, and spends time with Kuu, the youngest of the older Haibane. They walk around town and visit the bakery where Hikari works.
"Trash Day — Clock Tower — Birds Flying Over the Walls" "Gomi no hi — Tokeidō — Kabe wo koeru tori" (ゴミ?日 — 時計塔 — 壁を越える鳥)	November 6, 2002	4
Kana tells Rakka not to feed the crows, because they are the only creatures who can leave the city, and if they get too comfortable, they might stop doing so. To explore her own job options, Rakka accompanies Kana to work in a clock tower in the center of town. This, she learns, is the highest point in the city, but the walls around it are higher still.
"Library — Abandoned Factory — Beginning of the World" "Toshokan — Haikōba — Sekai no hajimari" (図書館 — 廃工場 — 世界のはじまり)	November 13, 2002	5
Rakka goes to work with Nemu at the library. There she meets Sumika, a kindly pregnant woman who is interested in Rakka's perspective as a newborn. Nemu tells Rakka about an old, unreadable book called The Beginning of the World. Rakka learns about another group of Haibane, both male and female, living in Abandoned Factory on the other side of town.
"End of Summer — Rain — Loss" "Natsu no owari — Ame — Sōjitsu" (夏の終わり — 雨 — 喪失)	November 27, 2002	6
With winter approaching, Kuu gives Rakka a coat and helps her choose a room to live in. Kuu thanks her for the influence she has been, and Rakka notices that Kuu's halo is flickering. The other Haibane tell Rakka about Kuu's history of trying to imitate her older companions. As night falls, it starts to rain, and Kuu is nowhere to be found.
"Scar — Illness — Arrival of Winter" "Kizuato — Yamai — Fuyu no tōrai" (傷跡 — 病 — 冬の到来)	November 27, 2002	7
Rakka refuses to believe Kuu will never return from her Day of Flight, and sickly black spots begin to appear on her own wings. Depressed, she goes to town alone and is approached by Hyouko, a Haibane from Abandoned Factory who asks about Reki. Reki gives Rakka medicine for her wings and tells her about the Sin-Bound Haibane and about her own past.
"The Bird" "Tori" (鳥)	December 4, 2002	8
Rakka continues to hide her wings from the others. Reki helps her move Kuu's bed into her room and they talk about the wall around the town. They take the children to buy winter clothes and a human girl tries to touch Rakka's wings. She flees into the Western Woods, led by the crows, who take her to an old well where she learns about her cocoon dream.
"Well — Rebirth — Riddle" "Ido — Kōsei — Nazokake" (井戸 — 更生 — 謎掛け)	December 4, 2002	9
Rakka realizes that the crow that died in the well represents someone who cared about her in her old life. The Toga find and rescue her from the well. Hearing a noise, she touches the wall. The Communicator leads her home and they talk about the bird, her wings, and a riddle he calls the Circle of Sin. Arriving home, Rakka becomes ill from having touched the wall.
"Kuramori — Haibane of Abandoned Factory — Rakka's Job" "Kuramori — Haikōba no Haibane — Rakka no shigoto" (クラモリ — 廃工場の灰羽連 — ラッカの仕事)	December 11, 2002	10
A flashback shows the kindly Kuramori, who promised to stay with Reki forever. In the present, Reki goes to the Haibane Renmei to ask for help for the ailing Rakka, and is told that Rakka is no longer Sin-Bound. Rakka is given her own job within the wall around the city, and the Haibane from Abandoned Factory offer a tentatively friendly gesture.
"Parting — Darkness in the Heart — Irreplaceable Thing" "Betsuri — Kokoro no yami — Kakegae no nai mono" (別離 — 心の闇 — かけがえのないもの)	December 11, 2002	11
Midori, from Abandoned Factory, gives more hints about Reki's past. The Communicator tells Rakka that while she had the birds to offer her forgiveness, Reki will not accept anyone's help, and has little time left. Rakka vows to try and help her. Visiting the library, she talks to Sumika about an old book. Resigned, Reki works on a secret painting.
"Bell Nuts — Passing of the Year Festival — Reconciliation" "Suzu no mi — sugigoshi no matsuri — Yūwa" (鈴の実 — 過ぎ越しの祭 — 融和)	December 18, 2002	12
The Haibane go into town to buy Bell Nuts, gifts of reconciliation for the Passing of the Year festival. Reki gives one to Hyouko, and he and Midori finally tell Rakka what happened. Rakka learns about the Renmei's sign language, and the Communicator gives her her true name. After the festival, the Haibane of Abandoned Factory send Reki a message.
"Reki's World — Prayer — Epilogue" "Reki no sekai — Inori — Shūshō" (レキの世界 — 祈り — 終章)	December 18, 2002	13
Rakka discovers that Reki's entire studio is painted like her cocoon dream. She gives Reki a box from the Communicator, containing her true name, which fills Reki with despair. She throws Rakka out of the room, confronts a manifestation of herself, and relives her dream. Rakka realizes the truth about Reki's struggle and goes back to save her.