An Angel Passing By: Haibane Renmei Simulwatch - ep 05 29/12

Episode 5

"A dream is beautiful because it remains a dream"

The expectant mother dreaming of escape from this dreamlike town where everyone is happily content in their existence living within their limitations (the biker gang with the more rowdy Haibane may have other ideas). The story of genesis that Rakka comes up with is very in keeping with her general demeanour being very quaint and sweet, with no conflict or negative forces in sight such as, for example, The Silmarillion is to The Hobbit and LOTR.

One of a few more interesting points around this was how she found various depictions of the beginning of the world having similarities within, which could be reflected in the themes and structures of most major religions - A common source? A shared instinctive coping mechanism for existential crises? Or the more sceptical view of a human construct for exercising control of the masses? All the usual theological discussions humanity eternally deals with that I don't have the acumen for. I now forget the second point I was going to make thanks to the constant distractions and chore allocations from family as usual heh.

Kuu maintains an air of mystery hidden behind his childish behaviour with a foreboding goodbye to the shopkeeper and "greeting" to a cat?? Probably overthinking him just learning greetings and goodbyes but he's certainly portrayed as having hidden depths.

1000026797.jpg

So new trapped humans are born the traditional way in this floaty world then and presumably therefore grow old and die as well? There are bad boy/biker boy/skater boy influences amongst the Haibane too, so much so that they're banned and segregated away if trying to cavort and spoil the well behaved ones. The skater boy's wings were hidden away -is he pretending to be human for whatever reason? Haibane can suffer ill health if he is worried about Reki smoking. Abandoned warehouse is co-ed, so then Kuu must be considered closer to the younger feathers in Old Home to have a place there still? I have now forgotten how many interruptions I've had whilst typing this, and with that any other points I may have had to make so shall shut it for now.
 
Episode 6
For whom the bell tolls.
Kuu has flown the nest after the hints in the last episode that she might be going somewhere. Although it was mentioned that the Haibane aren't supposed to mention it to anyone, which does seem harsh. I'm guessing she fulfilled whatever it was she needed to, to move on. It seems she needed to accept something about herself and helping Rakka seems to have been the final piece of the puzzle.
Reki seems to have gone through it more than once and is the oldest resident of Old Home, so I wonder what she's needs and why it's taking so long, especially as until Rakka showed up Kuu was the shortest in terms of length of stay.
Also I keep going back and forth as to whether they physically grow as it was mentioned that Kuu giving Rakka her jacket meant she'd given up on getting bigger, obviously Kuu knew she wouldn't need it for different reasons.
People have mentioned the music, I'm loving the ED. Here's the full version:
 
Episode 6
  • Rakka is looking for a suitable room and eventually, with Kuu's help, decides on her cocoon room, which feels like home.
  • Kuu leaves the nest, after her cup has filled up. Maybe she found some kind of inner peace. At first, she wanted to be like everyone else but with Rakka's arrival, she has found herself.
  • I guess you can't take doughnuts with you when your day of flight comes.
 
Episode 6

The biggest mystery for me has been answered - Kuu was a girl all along!! I had been so confused, assuming a female gender initially given her older contemporaries, but eventually settling incorrectly on her just being a boy. Well that clears up Old Home definitely not being co-ed.

The episode starts off with Kuu being cryptic and unsurprisingly thereafter flies the nest. An eventual day of flight for the Haibane is confirmed, and amongst them only poor Rakka is not clued in. The crows make an appearance, as they seem to at any events of significance (including bullying Kana heh). Glad to see the series is now touching on some of the mysteries, especially given that we're about half way through now.


D1tchd1gger said:
I'm guessing she fulfilled whatever it was she needed to, to move on. It seems she needed to accept something about herself and helping Rakka seems to have been the final piece of the puzzle.
Click to expand...
Birdie Num Num said:
Kuu leaves the nest, after her cup has filled up. Maybe she found some kind of inner peace. At first, she wanted to be like everyone else but with Rakka's arrival, she has found herself.
Click to expand...
Completely agree and the town continues to feel like limbo. I was reminded of other fascinating shows like Lost and Death Parade. Makes me feel for Reki and whatever inner demons she is yet, or struggling, to exorcise under her caring and maternal nature.
D1tchd1gger said:
Also I keep going back and forth as to whether they physically grow as it was mentioned that Kuu giving Rakka her jacket meant she'd given up on getting bigger, obviously Kuu knew she wouldn't need it for different reasons.
Click to expand...
Likewise, Rakka being born significantly older than the youngest feathers and the Haibane retaining their language and procedural memories could be for them potentially remaining static though wasn't there something earlier that implied that both Reki and Nemu has grown (or was it more about them having become more emotionally mature?). Even with the pregnant lady, with there actually being progress in her pregnancy (versus for example the static nature of that of the lady in the recent Maboroshi movie), we haven't had a clear indication of the humans growing and aging, though we don't have much info on them in general. I just remembered a point from the last episode from the library and how it was stocked by used books that were brought to the humans, making it seem that the Haibane aren't they only ones living in hand-me-downs.
 
Episode 7

Poor Rakka is really struggling with Kuu's departure a month on. The rest seemingly adapt more effortlessly, presumably as they are well versed in, and accepting of the fact that their Haibane forms are transient. Even the cafe owner (who also mixed up Kuu's gender!) is aware of this. Unless the Haibane is "sin-bound", as Reki states of herself being born with incomplete memory of her dream with black feathers, and as a result expected to be trapped in the town indefinitely?

Reki seems to have been ostracized due to this, except by her kind senpai, though eventually this notion seemed to have become a self-fulfilling prophecy with her acting out in her youth. Though, who doesn't act out in their youth and at present she seems to be most caring and kind just like her senpai was, as Rakka reminds her. Rakka's blackening feathers may be the "illness" in the episode title, whilst to Reki it's a punishment inflicted though for Rakka she feels it's surely in error. Or is Rakka's continued despondence viewed by the powers that be to be unbecoming of a Haibane and therefore warranting punishment?

Some other bits to note would be that the Haibane do grow physically, as Reki and Nemu are depicted in their child forms; the village is designed as a safe haven specifically for the Haibane, making the humans very much like NPCs; lastly why is tactless skater-lover boy so keen to hide his Haibane features, given their lofty-ish status, and who is exactly is he hiding from - himself from self-hatred, the humans or those in charge?? Hope we see a bit more of the rep and Toga folk soon, who've been missing since the initial tease.
 
Episode 7
Rakka is still suffering a month on from Kuu's flight. Seems everything reminds her of her friend, although it's probably not healthy to keep going to Kuu's bedroom. I had to rewind to double check, but the frog Rakka knocks over is the one with her name on it! Also seems the rest of them have just let her be! You would have thought someone would have had a word before it came to a head!
After Reki does try to reassure Rakka that she not sick, she tells her of the part of the dream she had in the cocoon that she remembers. Sounds like, if this some sort of pergatory, she might have been murdered!? Although no idea why she would be cursed.
Rakka last line is still to be fully answered: What are the Haibane?
 
D1tchd1gger said:
Sounds like, if this some sort of pergatory, she might have been murdered!? Although no idea why she would be cursed.
Click to expand...
That's a very interesting thought on its own, but also in relation to if this is an afterlife or purgatory then whether how, and at what age they may have died would affect them becoming our being chosen to become Haibane.
D1tchd1gger said:
On further rumination on this, does she blame herself for Kuu's flight and thus wishes she hadn't turned up to ruin things (in her own mind)? I remembered Kuu saying Rakka helped her "fill her cup" from the previous episode.
Click to expand...
I agree and definitely read this as her guilt at taking Kuu's place in the Old Home family, which is an additional reason she is struggling more than the others to reconcile with her departure.
 
Episode 7
  • Rakka is still dealing with Kuu's departure, a month has passed, cleaning her now vacant room to stay connected to her.
  • Rakka starts to develop black spots on her feathers. Are the feathers linked to her state of mind?
  • Reki was born with black spotted feathers, Sin Bound, and doesn't fully remember her dream in her cocoon.
  • Haibane do grow up.
  • What are the Haibane?
 
Episode 8
Rakka seems a bit brighter at the start, but still is questioning what the Haibane are and Reki answer doesn't seem to help much being pretty vague. Later on she seems to have a meltdown when offered free stuff and the tailor telling her that the Haibane have to be all smilies and then an over bearing tourist(? She doesn't seem to have seen a Haibane before?) sends her into panic mode.

Then after running away when she's decrying her existence the crows turn up to take her to a well where she finds a dead crow, unfortunately it's a very old well and she falls to the bottom from the final few rungs of the ladder when they give way. This seems to knock her out briefly and she remembers more of her dream including the part where the crow tried to save, this in turn seems to bring back memories of her real life in which she equally decried her existence leading to me speculating she may have committed suicide!

Back in Old Home the other Haibane set out to find her...
 
Back
Top