Haibane Renmei Simulwatch
- Thread starter ilmaestro
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Episode 3 - Temple, The Communicator, Pancakes.
I'm still kind of waiting for 'the bad thing' to happen as well, but I don't know. Maybe the show is just more chillaxed than that.
I rather thought that Hikari's evasiveness about having chosen to be 'the halo person' might be an indication of something, but no, just an amusing use for the halo pan.
I'm still kind of waiting for 'the bad thing' to happen as well, but I don't know. Maybe the show is just more chillaxed than that.
I rather thought that Hikari's evasiveness about having chosen to be 'the halo person' might be an indication of something, but no, just an amusing use for the halo pan.
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Episode 4
Dem crows, man.
The line about them retriving lost items amused me; I kind of want one of them to bring back a wooden starfish. If the crows and the Toga are the only ones who can leave the town, I take it the humans can't leave either? They're certainly building up an intricate world, even if I still don't know to what end.
Episode 5
Interesting to see a pregnant woman among the townsfolk. Not that it necessarily rules out any notions of the show being set in some sort of afterlife, but it wasn't a detail I'd expected. Neither was the scooter gang for that matter. Again, unfortunately, I just don't see what they're driving at with all this. The fact that they should discuss their creation myth like that is a nice idea well observed too, but I feel like the show's overall narrative just lacks a cental hook to drive it forward.
Dem crows, man.
The line about them retriving lost items amused me; I kind of want one of them to bring back a wooden starfish. If the crows and the Toga are the only ones who can leave the town, I take it the humans can't leave either? They're certainly building up an intricate world, even if I still don't know to what end.
Episode 5
Interesting to see a pregnant woman among the townsfolk. Not that it necessarily rules out any notions of the show being set in some sort of afterlife, but it wasn't a detail I'd expected. Neither was the scooter gang for that matter. Again, unfortunately, I just don't see what they're driving at with all this. The fact that they should discuss their creation myth like that is a nice idea well observed too, but I feel like the show's overall narrative just lacks a cental hook to drive it forward.
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ilmaestro
State Alchemist
Episode 4
I think this is where the slice-of-life nature of the show finally settled with me, viewed from that angle I can more easily digest the absurdly slow pace. I don't know if the super subtle "the Haibane have wings like the crows but they can't fly away outside the city" symbolism will come back to really mean something at some point, but I guess it might.
I think this is where the slice-of-life nature of the show finally settled with me, viewed from that angle I can more easily digest the absurdly slow pace. I don't know if the super subtle "the Haibane have wings like the crows but they can't fly away outside the city" symbolism will come back to really mean something at some point, but I guess it might.
Yes, it was only in this episode that this dawned on me, too. Slightly surprising.Professor Irony said:
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ilmaestro
State Alchemist
Episode 5
Is this... sort of like some actual story? I don't think any of the specifics relating to how they discussed "The beginning of the world" are relevant, but the fact that the characters are aware of the lack of real information relating to this might lead to some search for exposition later. Even if we don't actually get any answers. Also I think Nemu is really cool.
But I agree, Vash, jump on-board!
Is this... sort of like some actual story? I don't think any of the specifics relating to how they discussed "The beginning of the world" are relevant, but the fact that the characters are aware of the lack of real information relating to this might lead to some search for exposition later. Even if we don't actually get any answers. Also I think Nemu is really cool.
teonzo said:
But I agree, Vash, jump on-board!
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ilmaestro said:
Nice. Shockingly enough, that hadn't occurred to me.
Episode 6
And there it is. Kuu's departure certainly tugs at the old heartstrings a bit, but I still feel sort of detached from the whole thing. Maybe I would have appreciated it more if there was more context for it? I don't know. Approaching it as a short, sharp shock kind of works for me and I'm actually glad they didn't attempt any melodramatic emotional manipulation (cough, After Story).
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Episode 7
More crow metaphors with the black-wing disease. We certainly seem to be getting more story now, but... is it kind of a delinquent drama? Also if I had to hazard a guess, I reckon Rakka is marked because she killed herself by jumping from a building when she was alive.
More crow metaphors with the black-wing disease. We certainly seem to be getting more story now, but... is it kind of a delinquent drama? Also if I had to hazard a guess, I reckon Rakka is marked because she killed herself by jumping from a building when she was alive.
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ilmaestro
State Alchemist
Whoa, I'm falling behind on posts, fortunately Prof has provided me with some nice points to just follow up on.
Episode 6
100% agree, had the same reaction. I think the sense of detachment was intentional, and the viewer is being set-up more to feel empathy with Rakka's sadness, than to actually be sad themselves that Kuu has gone. She was very much the least focused on member of the group, I think, until this episode.
Episode 7
Overall I felt like this episode was a bit "Boy... that escalated quickly", but maybe it needed to be. The scenes with Rakka's withering feathers were quite disturbing. You could draw thematic analogs to a variety of things, so I think it's not worth speculating what they're going for at this stage.
Episode 6
Professor Irony said:
100% agree, had the same reaction. I think the sense of detachment was intentional, and the viewer is being set-up more to feel empathy with Rakka's sadness, than to actually be sad themselves that Kuu has gone. She was very much the least focused on member of the group, I think, until this episode.
Episode 7
Yup, I think this confirms that that is a concerted theme, and along with Rakka's theory that they were trying to communicate with her last episode, I'd be surprised if they didn't come back to it again.Professor Irony said:
Haha, maybe! They certainly came out with more "plot" in this episode than they had before, like they have to accelerate a little but to set up the second half. But for sure Reki's story feels almost absurdly down-to-Earth. The scene with the guy from the East side talking to Rakka felt a bit artificial for me due to his extremely brief screen time thus far, but I guess they want to weave him in a little more if Reki is going to take center stage for a couple of episodes somewhere.
Ooh, good shout.
Overall I felt like this episode was a bit "Boy... that escalated quickly", but maybe it needed to be. The scenes with Rakka's withering feathers were quite disturbing. You could draw thematic analogs to a variety of things, so I think it's not worth speculating what they're going for at this stage.
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ayase
State Alchemist
They're not the only ones. Clearly, a necromancer has worked his magic here (however 3:30am was really *not* a good time to command me to rise from my grave and catch up with the forum, I'll have to return to my coffin for a few hours).vashdaman said:
What a great show for a simulwatch. What a shame my DVDs are still in storage. Will still read intently.
ilmaestro
State Alchemist
Episode 8
Well, even I'm surprised at how significant the bird theme has become. I don't think I understand Rakka's dream any better, though, even with Prof's theory in the back of my mind. Although the idea of The Bird being "herself" might have some legs? I'm not sure.
Structurally, I just really like quirky things such as having this episode as a "whole" rather than three smaller parts. It's not a massive thing really, but I just think it's kind of cool.
Episode 9
Probably the most significant thing about this episode is the further positioning of Reki as arguably the main character, with Rakka's story just being an extended way of bringing out aspects of Reki's personality and history. The tone of the series has shifted so drastically at this stage, I am starting to see why it has a history of being a bit of a cult favorite. It is not quite "K-ON! with wings" as it felt for the first few episodes.
Episode 10
More and more of Reki in the central role, which I think I like more than focusing on Rakka too much. Although her part in the expansion of the Wall's lore was an excellent sequence, very atmospheric. I guess the visit to the other group of Haibane will set up the last couple of episodes of the show to deal more directly with Reki's past and future, but that's pretty tentative and the show has done a good job of leaving me not quite sure of what is going to happen next.
Well, even I'm surprised at how significant the bird theme has become. I don't think I understand Rakka's dream any better, though, even with Prof's theory in the back of my mind. Although the idea of The Bird being "herself" might have some legs? I'm not sure.
Structurally, I just really like quirky things such as having this episode as a "whole" rather than three smaller parts. It's not a massive thing really, but I just think it's kind of cool.
Episode 9
Probably the most significant thing about this episode is the further positioning of Reki as arguably the main character, with Rakka's story just being an extended way of bringing out aspects of Reki's personality and history. The tone of the series has shifted so drastically at this stage, I am starting to see why it has a history of being a bit of a cult favorite. It is not quite "K-ON! with wings" as it felt for the first few episodes.
Episode 10
More and more of Reki in the central role, which I think I like more than focusing on Rakka too much. Although her part in the expansion of the Wall's lore was an excellent sequence, very atmospheric. I guess the visit to the other group of Haibane will set up the last couple of episodes of the show to deal more directly with Reki's past and future, but that's pretty tentative and the show has done a good job of leaving me not quite sure of what is going to happen next.
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Episodes 8 & 9
That's an interesting idea. It would certainly give the crows a clear reason for being there, but I almost feel like it's too easy. I think Rakka's conversation with the dead crow in ep9 might undermine it too.
Hah, oh god. I hope it isn't that as I think it would be a silly way to end the story, but I would be amused if it was, as it would be a nice throwback to a certain German horror film.
I think you've hit the nail on the head there. It's an impressive bait and switch if that's the case, but it makes a lot of sense. Reki's character development definitely runs deeper than Rakka's now and, with the matter of wing disease now apparently out of the way, it looks like Rakka's story may have already been resolved.
On a more general note, I feel these two episodes were the strongest so far. Sticking to my guess that Rakka lept to her death too. Presumably her suicide was brought on by feelings of abandonment and the dead bird represents the (absent?) person who still cared about her, likely her mother or a sister.
Also calling it now. Reki drowned herself after discovering she was pregnant.
Lawrence said:
That's an interesting idea. It would certainly give the crows a clear reason for being there, but I almost feel like it's too easy. I think Rakka's conversation with the dead crow in ep9 might undermine it too.
Lawrence said:
Hah, oh god. I hope it isn't that as I think it would be a silly way to end the story, but I would be amused if it was, as it would be a nice throwback to a certain German horror film.
ilmaestro said:
I think you've hit the nail on the head there. It's an impressive bait and switch if that's the case, but it makes a lot of sense. Reki's character development definitely runs deeper than Rakka's now and, with the matter of wing disease now apparently out of the way, it looks like Rakka's story may have already been resolved.
On a more general note, I feel these two episodes were the strongest so far. Sticking to my guess that Rakka lept to her death too. Presumably her suicide was brought on by feelings of abandonment and the dead bird represents the (absent?) person who still cared about her, likely her mother or a sister.
Also calling it now. Reki drowned herself after discovering she was pregnant.
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ilmaestro
State Alchemist
Holy crap man, do you have the lotto numbers for this week too? Haha. That's a heck of a shout if accurate.
Also totally agree that 8&9 were better than anything that came before.
I'd forgotten Lawro had already commented on some episodes and the end of the show, I like coming at it from the angle of the "dangers" and indeed Rakka's "illness" being psychological in nature. I'm also not sure I would love it if they came out with the Caligari-esque ending, but I'm also happy with the idea that not everything we are seeing is "real".
Also totally agree that 8&9 were better than anything that came before.
I'd forgotten Lawro had already commented on some episodes and the end of the show, I like coming at it from the angle of the "dangers" and indeed Rakka's "illness" being psychological in nature. I'm also not sure I would love it if they came out with the Caligari-esque ending, but I'm also happy with the idea that not everything we are seeing is "real".
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