Haibane Renmei came highly recommended from the same person as one of the two guys through which I found out about Sugar, all those years ago. (Does two and a half years entitle me to use that phrase?)
And I do see similarities between the two. Neither one is a grand tale of heroes and villains, but simply people. As the series progress, we meet characters and get to know them. In my humble opinion though, Sugar was still a far greater masterpiece. But that’s not to say Haibane isn’t a great show, because it is a great show, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It just didn’t affect me nearly as much as Sugar had.
The Haibane look like angels, complete with wings and a halo. But what they are exactly, is unknown.
Rakka is a newcomer to Old Home, where the Haibane take up residence, and she tries to adapt to her new life there.
Reki is the go-to person in Old Home. If you’re hurt or sick, Reki is going to be the one to look after you.
Nemu is the oldest Haibane living at Old Home. She works as a librarian, and often takes naps. (Which everyone teases her about.)
Kuu is the youngest, aside from the small children. She’s energetic, and forms a close friendship with Rakka.
Kana is a mechanical engineer, and works in the town’s clock tower.
Hikari works as a baker. She’s probably my favorite character. Serious, but can do silly things at times.
The town of Gile here and the town of Muhlenburg in Sugar also bear some similarities, in that they both look like they came from Old Europe. I quite like that style, actually. Gile also has something else going for it: Windmills. My whole family has a particular fondness for windmills, you see.
Four DVD volumes of Haibane Renmei are available at Amazon.com.
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