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REVIEW: Haibane Renmei DVD

Key wrote:

Moonsaber wrote: A question: How does this two disk version stack up quality wise against my current version? Is there anything to recommend it? I wouldn't mind owning two copies of this even if the subtitle font is better. The original disks had a fair amount of art and other extras, if I recall. We'll have to have someone else comment on that. This rerelease is the first time I've had a hard copy of the series; in fact, the first time I saw any of this series beyond the first episode was about three weeks ago, so I'm a very recent convert.

I'll take a weak stab at it, tho this isn't going to be all that comprehensive having only a very little time between work projects. (is Hissatsu still about?)
I have the original Pioneer set from way back, and also acquired the new release with the intention that one of the sets will be off to be brother, so for the moment I can look at both.

<<<SNIP>>>

The technical issues tho IMO are far outweighed by the quality of the program - glad to see it back in print, even if it never looks as good as it should (such may be the fate of many early DIP productions... )

Cyclograph wrote:

Key wrote: Moonsaber wrote: A question: How does this two disk version stack up quality wise against my current version? Is there anything to recommend it? I wouldn't mind owning two copies of this even if the subtitle font is better. The original disks had a fair amount of art and other extras, if I recall. We'll have to have someone else comment on that. This rerelease is the first time I've had a hard copy of the series; in fact, the first time I saw any of this series beyond the first episode was about three weeks ago, so I'm a very recent convert. I'll take a weak stab at it, tho this isn't going to be all that comprehensive having only a very little time between work projects. (is Hissatsu still about?) I have the original Pioneer set from way back, and also acquired the new release with the intention that one of the sets will be off to be brother, so for the moment I can look at both. <<<SNIP>>> The technical issues tho IMO are far outweighed by the quality of the program - glad to see it back in print, even if it never looks as good as it should (such may be the fate of many early DIP productions... )

Something's up. That is MUCH better quality. I remember being a little dissapointed last time I watched this and for the first time on a BIG modern Television and noticing it was very fuzzy.

Thank you for the time you put into showing everyone the upgraded quality on this release. I immediately went out and ordered myself a copy from the cheapest source (Rightstuf! Always!).

-M

Yet, as I wrote, this work is certainly unique -- even though I think it could have been done stronger to earn even higher marks from the type of viewers such as myself or Zac, which can not just take whatever happens at face value, who feel that symbols should not be thrown-in just to never work or even be contradicted to later in the story.

It seems I know some of the reasons why this anime did not become "masterpiece":

1) actual story only began from sixth episode. The first five series should have been made into just two introductory episodes.

2) the presented world itself is too artificial to allow users really submerge into the story: [spoiler tag removed because these details are all covered in the review] The city was created for the protection of the winged ones, but they all of sudden are only allowed to wear poor robes, they have no money, have some surrogates for that. If the idea for this city was such good, then why all of those nonsensical burdens?

Also, it is not clear why there are normal people in this closed city, if those people are not even engaged in protecting the winged ones. The winged ones work, supply and support themselves. And, by the way, it is not clear why the winged ones need "protection" in the first place. From whom?

Another mystery is why, according to the anime, all of sudden common people are not able to get over the wall and leave the city. They are not supposed to be affected by this limit of the city, the wall is not against them.

spoiler[As it turns out, the wall does not really mean anything even to the winged ones. Yes, one could get cold in winter, standing by that wall. However, one could catch a cold in any other place, too; it is not wall-specific phenomenon. And yes, one could fall from stairs and hurt his/her head. But this could happen at any place within the city however far from the wall. For touching the wall some "scary punishment" is promised, but it never comes even though the wall is touched in the series].

spoiler[The anime says that winged newcomer has to walk along with the older ones to choose appropriate job. However, no job is actually get chosen this way, and the newcomer gets her job appointed by others. Another nonsensical detail.]

Forests in the closed city are said to be very dangerous, but, as it turns out, no one really got harmed there because of forest. There is no any danger -- unless if someone will get lost and will get stuck in a well, which is not forest's doing.

spoiler[Yet there are monks wandering in those forests in any weather 24/7, according to the plot of this anime. No one knows why they do this. Maybe only for the occasion if any of the winged ones will come to this "dangerous" forest. As seen in this anime, the only "dangerous" thing is the forest could be those monks if some one of them would have sinister motives for wandering there, expecting his victims.]

spoiler[In the middle of the series ravens all of sudden decide to kill main heroine. They lured her, undressed, to that forest, to the well with metal cramp-like stairs during dark winter night. While wandering in the woods, monks usually check every forgotten well, hollow, burrow and pit. They obviously do it even in winters every night. Another weird plot routine.]

Closer to the end of the anime, spoiler[second main winged heroine is said to lose her nimbus and become normal person that destined to live alone until the death, losing her memory -- if she will not be able to get rid of her sins.

However, this turned out to be lie, since she was perfectly certain that if she will get under imagined train that is made of clay, she will simply disappear, not turning into some lonely person living without memory in a distant land.]

So if this anime would not dragged in the beginning and would not be so inconsistent and nonsensical in details (I agree with Zac's review on this), it could become truly unique. Even as it is now, it is certainly very unusual, but it lacks too much.

Boy, it is really myself who has to re-read Zac's review? He has put it very straightforward, blunt way: it has "confusing story".

Now, trying to play it down and saying that the inconsistencies do not matter makes no affect on the fact that the storytelling is not perfect, however much viewers want it to be.

Also, the fact that this project lacks in terms of consistency does not yet warrant overall negative view on this work. This show is good, and I rated it accordingly. If you would read what I wrote more closely, you could see that I was talking about that the show could earn even better marks if it would not be dragged in the beginning and had no those little nonsensical details. And I also stated that for most people it would not matter anyway (so I am not sure where I "generalized" anything). It just depends on how pedantic viewers are; and there are not many such as myself.

I saw more than enough moving pictures titles (thousands; even though just four hundred anime specifically) to see when it is done the right way. Even among anime there are plenty of atmospheric and contemplative works that feel perfectly seamless in terms of pace and event density, and this work is blatantly not one of such. Five episodes could be shrank into two, without losing its slow pace or any details that matter.

I never said that the story was not engaging; overall it was, though not in the first five episodes.
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