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Haibane Renmei

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Haibane Renmei topic started 6/15/2004; 8:24:35 AM last post 9/3/2004; 3:39:04 PM

Doug Cummings - Haibane Renmei   6/15/2004; 7:24:35 AM (reads: 20833, responses: 37) My pal John Torvi up in Calgary keeps me up-to-date with the latest developments in the animation scene, and he has sent in this report concerning Pioneer's new DVD release of Haibane Renmei, a Japanese anime series that's getting rave reviews across the board. Here's John. --Doug * * * * By John Torvi I am fortunate in my volunteer work at the Quickdraw Animation Society to be able to peruse some of the stuff that is coming through our video library before it goes on the shelves for the membership. Found another gem--the Japanese TV series entitled Haibane Renmei (2002). Wow. A unique environment filled with mystery, beauty, betrayal, anguish, guilt, and redemption. You might as well check all your cultural references at the door though. You won’t need them. The story concerns itself with a walled city in which haibane (angel-like creatures) are born into this world via cocoons which appear in an abandoned dormitory, the living quarters of the haibane. Not much explanation is given as to what haibane actually are, but it is suggested that they once had another life outside the wall. Haibane experience dreams within their cocoons before they "hatch" and based upon the imagery of the dream they are given a name. The haibane that hatches in the first episode is called Rakka which means "falling" for she had a dream where she was falling. We see this strange world through her eyes and her experiences. The haibane live with humans within this walled area, and regularly help people. They are given jobs, for which they receive no pay but rather are given a notebook in which they record the amount of work they have done and use that amount to purchase items. They are only allowed second-hand items. There are many rules like this that haibane have to follow for their own protection, such as not going near or touching the outer wall, not approaching the "toga" (an outsider who trades goods with the people of the walled community), and not speaking unless permitted to when engaging the "communicators" (a group of wise priests who act like intermediaries, judicators, and council for the haibane). Much of why this is so is never explained--to the actual benefit of the story. There are a lot of holes, things left out in what I would call "appropriate" places. This really gives the story a sense of mystery and wonder. There’s a strong sense of an old civilization with a long history of co-existing with the haibane, and a deep undercurrent of meaning. All of the reasons why I like the Myst adventure game series, why I love Miyazaki movies, and why I enjoy Satoshi Kon's work is all here. There’s a magical mysteriousness to it all. Yet, there is also an original voice to this series. In the extras on the DVD, the series’ author, Yoshitoshi ABe, claims the story deals with redemption and his ideas of the divine: becoming human through relating with others; themes of acceptance, identity, forgiveness, closure, and wounds that are difficult to mend. The muted earth tones are understated and ethereal and really add to the dream-like quality of this series. The animation is on par with other higher quality anime TV series, and is complemented with excellent backgrounds and the subtle use of effects. It’s a deeply rich environment, handled maturely by a relatively young artist. The Western imagery is not a literal translation though--the angels in this piece are not guardians, they do not fly, or pronounce heavenly decrees. They struggle. They hurt. They experience. Rakka at one point rails against a human who considers the haibane as good luck charms for the human population, saying that they should "stay happy" for the humans' benefit. I think the reason why the Western angelic imagery is so successful here is because it gives a sacredness to the haibane experience, that what they are going through in this walled city is very important to them and those around them. It is suggested, though not directly, that the haibane are people who have died and have left things undone. The world they live in is a way station between two worlds. It gives them the opportunity to deal with the emotional issues that they have before moving on. In this way you might draw similarities from the series to Hirokazu Kore-eda’s After Life (1998). The series does ask for a little more time commitment than a two-hour movie would, but this gives a lot more room for character development. One might think that with all of the magicality this might be suitable for kids of all ages, something like Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. However, as a friend of mine put it, what appears to be a light story, really has some darker undercurrents to it. It’s a series that will inspire conversations with each viewing. Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: Haibane Renmei   6/15/2004; 5:32:01 PM (reads: 18136, responses: 0) Haibane Renmei is definitely my favorite animated series -- and the only animated full-length work that I love as much as the work of Isao Takahata (Only Yesterday, Grave of the Fireflies, Our Neighbors the Yamadas, Goshu the Cellist, Pom Poko). Yoshitoshi Abe, the creator of Haibane Renmei has a remarkable track record for someone so young .  His character designs pushed Serial Experiment Lain beyond mere cyber-trippiness.  His next project, Niea_7, was the first show he actually conceived himself.  Much of this series is wonderful (especially the last half) -- but other parts are just plain dumb (and even a bit offensive -- there is some seeming ethnic stereotyping that is a bit much). In his latest project, Texhnolyze, Abe has provided the entire visual foundation, not just character designs (based on an idea of his producer).  Not much sweetness and light to be found in Texhnolyze, but visually this seems to me to far surpass the work of Kon and Oshii.  Abe is actually outside the anime mainstream -- he has a classical art background -- and his influences include film makers such as Angelopoulos and Kore'eda (lots of bits and pieces of "After Life" show up in Haibane Renmei). Haibane Renmei has already generated an extremely sophisticated, almost scholarly at times, discussion forum: http://cff.ssw.net/forum/index.php I would suggest that Haibane Renmei might be the most spiritually (and even theologically) sophisticated show I've seen (and I include some Bresson when making this assertion). ;~}  One does not expect a Japanese "cartoon" to dramatize (in a non-sectarian fashion) issues such as the role of works and faith in salvation -- and the nature (and workings) of grace. I actually discovered Haibane Renmei months before its Japanese release, by surfing for news about Yoshitoshi Abe.  Based on the few visual bits and pieces available then, I guessed the show would be intriguing.  This is the first (and only, so far) show where our entire household waited for each new fansubbed episode as it appeared (and even tackled some unsubbed episodes, when we got desperate enough).  So far, I've bought 4 legitimate copies.  The original Japanese set, one US set for our family -- and two given away to a niece and nephew. Comments Doug Cummings - Re: Haibane Renmei   6/15/2004; 7:28:31 PM (reads: 18152, responses: 7) Wow, high praise indeed--Grave of the Fireflies is my favorite anime as well, so the two of you really have me psyched to check this out. (By the way, I haven't seen Only Yesterday, but I hear it's quite good?) And to compare its themes to Bresson...you've got me wanting to run to the local anime shop tonight. :) It's such a pleasure to have you around, Michael! Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: Haibane Renmei   6/16/2004; 3:35:15 AM (reads: 18129, responses: 6) Most of the animated shows churned out in Japan are pretty uninteresting, but because there are so many (and some of the junkiest are quite profitable), there is some room for prestige vehicles.  Yoshitoshi Abe is to Pioneer/Geneon what Ozu was to Shochiku -- someone who brings them artistic respect, yet on whose work, they at least break even. I tend to avoid the term anime for works I like -- following Takahata and Miyazaki (who insist they don't make anime but rather "animated films" or various other alternate terms). ;~} A couple of other extraordinary shows (besides Abe's) that have recently come out on DVD in the US (or are in the process of coming out): Azumanga Daioh is another series about a group of girls (including a pint-sized genius who skipped middle school) sharing an environment -- this time, all three years of high school.  Like Takahata's Yamadas, and unlike most anime, this is based on a comics strip -- and is, thus, highly episodic.  Nonetheless, like a school career, there is an overall sense of structure. As in HR, one of the strongest aspects of this (mostly very charming and funny) series are the inter-relationships of the girls (along with two of their teachers).  In addition to the little genius Chiyo-chan, the series brings us the utterly unique transfer student "Osaka" (a nickname bestowed on her due to her hometown), who brings spaciness to an utterly transcendent level. The tone of the show is captured brilliantly in the show's wonderful music, and especially in the loopily surreal opening and closing songs by "Oranges and Lemons" (Masumi Itou and Yoko Ueno). Kino no tabi (Kino's Journey) is the most unapologetically "literary" series one can imagine.  This is based on a series of novels about the travels of a young girl and her (talking) motor-bike in a sort of post-apocalypic world consisting of many small city-states, all of which seem to have at least one unusual feature.  The stories told in the series seem to evoke Borges, Marquez and Lem.  Visually (and, to a lesser extent, thematically), the series also owes a debt to Miyazaki's early (and never animated) one-off manga Shuna no tabi (Shuna's Journey).  This is directed by the same person who directed Lain -- and uses some of the same artistic crew that worked on Boogiepop Phantom.  The animation is "as good as it needs to be", but nowhere near the level of Abe or Ghibli. Some images are striking, others are just functional. Given the nature of the show, however, this is not really a problem. The lead role is voiced very well by Ai Maeda (the young star of Gamera 3). Speaking of  Gamera 3 reminds me that I have yet to sing the praises of the music of Haibane Renmei.  The composer of most of the incidsental music and opening credits is O'otani Kou (who also scored the neo-Gamera films of Shusuke Kaneko).  In HR, Kou surpasses himself.  There is a huge amount of music in the series, and only a few passages are less than superb. The closing song is by Masumi Itou, in a more lyrical vein than one she used in Azumanga Daioh (The US soundtrack CD omits this song, unfortunately -- due to some sort of contractual problem).  The Japanese DVD series included a whole extra CD of music as an extra -- and, even so, one finds quite a few musical sections that are not on either disc. Comments dirgeboy - Re: Haibane Renmei   6/16/2004; 6:32:48 AM (reads: 18741, responses: 5) Thanks for your comments Michael on this. I'll definitely have to check out Azumanga Daioh and Kino's Journey. We recently had an anime convention in Calgary and it was difficult to really find films that were worth watching. There is a lot of junk out there. I would have to agree with you that the music of HR is quite good, and that I'm definitely interested in picking up the CD for this series as well. Comments Doug Cummings - Re: Haibane Renmei   6/16/2004; 7:39:33 AM (reads: 18055, responses: 0) Okay, I managed to pick the series up at Borders last night while my bike was being stolen outside. :) Looking forward to discussing... I can imagine exactly what you mean by the word "anime" and its schlocky connotations. It reminds me of "sci-fi," which was a term invented by Forrest J. Ackerman in the '50s to refer to his collection of monsters, bugged-eyed aliens, and ray gun memorabilia. For everyone else, SF is the proper abbreviation for science fiction. Comments Per A J Andersson - Re: Haibane Renmei   7/15/2004; 11:50:08 AM (reads: 18914, responses: 4) Hi all! I can only second the note about the HR music. It's truly something special, even when compared to most of things made by other soundtrack veterans like Hisaishi of Miyazaki and Kitano fame). And it fits well in with the cultured - almost elevated - and pensive atmosphere in HR. Sorry to hear you had difficulty finding watchable films for your convention, though. This is maybe not the place for this, but I've made many valuable discoveries in the past few years, following in the trails of people like Takahata, Miyazaki, ABe and Kon. Even of the more light-weight material produced at studios such as Clamp or Gainax often deliver in terms of genuine entertainment. Not to mention the ever-present Takahashi Rumiko. There are things like the highly ambitious "A Tree of Palme", whose more or less artistic failure doesn't diminish its interest as being in a crossroads of influences. Or Kosakas "Nasu, the Summer of Andalucia", made in the best of Miyazaki traditions. Or the impressive one-man project "Voices from a Distant Star". Nuff said ;-) PS. I found this weblog via Google. However, once upon a time I got to know about HR via the Miyazaki mailing list - hi, Michael! Comments Per A J Andersson - "Only Yesterday"   7/15/2004; 12:26:12 PM (reads: 18380, responses: 6) This in response to the "Only Yesterday" mention by Doug Cummings. Well, this is _my_ favourite among animated movies. Besides the fact that it's a Studio Ghibli project, and thus a very beautiful thing to look at, it presents quite some other qualities. Takahata's choice of cleverly interacting two stories - one in the present and one from her childhood - brings a lot of added interest to the main character. The portrayal of this Okajima Taeko gives more depth to the character than in most similar "auteur" movies. To those accusing Takahata of presenting the countryside concept in a somewhat mundane and simplistic way, I can only point to the fact that this is _Taeko's_ own story. The apparent subjectivity in the treatise only enhances its credibility, in the light of Taeko's portrayal. People tend to view things differently. But if you are looking for a movie with an involving main character and you want to take a look at her world, this may really be for you. Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: "Only Yesterday"   7/15/2004; 2:42:31 PM (reads: 18777, responses: 5) My understanding is that the Region 3 DVD of "Only Yesterday" from HK is quite decent -- and this is priced much more reasonably than the (first-rate) R2  DVD from Japan that we have.  I guess this is currently scheduled for US release sometime next year (bumped back from late this year). There are a lot of wonderful live-action films from Japan that complement Takahata's work (and Abe's).  Several films from Shinji Somai (e.g. "Ohikkoshi" and "Typhoon Club"), films from Akihiko Shiota ("Don't Look Back" and "Gaichu"), Isomura's "Ganbatte ikimasshoi", the films of Kore-eda..... A creative anime convention programmer might want to pair up some of these with corresponding animated master works. ;~} Comments Doug Cummings - Re: "Only Yesterday"   7/16/2004; 6:03:22 AM (reads: 19196, responses: 4) I was really looking forward to seeing Only Yesterday, so I was quite disappointed the R1s were bumped. Thanks for the R3 tip, it sounds promising. My favorite recent live action film from Japan is Shinji Aoyama's Eureka. I'll keep my eyes peeled for some of these other titles. (By the way, I've watched the first four episodes of Haibane Renmei, and I'm really enjoying it so far.) Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: "Only Yesterday"   7/16/2004; 9:26:36 AM (reads: 19601, responses: 3) YesAsia has the HK version of "Only Yesterday" for around $25 (and the Japanese version for double that). ;~} I don't imagine any of the other recent Japanese films are likely to come out on DVD in the US.  Perhaps if Somai had not died too young, he would have eventually gotten enough attention for his films.  But Jun Ichikawa has been plugging away since the late 80s and still has not getten adequate attention (though they apparently didhave  a mini-retrospective of his work this year at the Udine Film Festival). Shiota's recent "Yomigaeri" was a popular success in Japan, but doesn't seem likely to make it across the Pacific.  If it had, we might have had an opportunity to see his other work (only the rather kinky "Midnight Whispers" is available here). Isomura's "Ganbatte ikimasshoi" was supposedly shown in the US when it was new (not that I recall) but doesn't seem to have US distribution anymore.  It has a very similar feel to Take Care of My Cat -- albeit with girls just a few years younger (the girls are just starting high school). re: Haibane Renmei: Watch out for ep. 6.  ;~} Comments Doug Cummings - Re: "Only Yesterday"   7/16/2004; 9:34:33 AM (reads: 20015, responses: 2) Michael, have you seen Naomi Kawase's Shara? A couple people here (amélie, J Robert) have been raving about it and it sounds great. I know there's a good Japanese DVD, but...no subtitles. I also have Kore-eda's Distance in my To See pile at home. Comments Michael Kerpan - Shara   7/16/2004; 10:19:19 AM (reads: 20449, responses: 1) I hadn't known the Japanese DVD of Shara was out yet.  I hope to see this sooner rather than later.  I have seen (via a VCD from HK) her "Suzaku", and liked that quite a bit. Kore-eda's "Distance" required two viewings (on two succeeding days, I recall) for me to really grasp (despite subtitles).  Many viewers seem to have flipped it off after a single watching.  I admire Kore'eda too much to not trust him more than that. ;~} Comments HarryTuttle - Re: Haibane Renmei   7/16/2004; 10:41:50 AM (reads: 17720, responses: 4) Add me to the raving crowd about Shara ;) Well actualy I have a few issues with the loose pace that'd benefit a tighter structure, but the film is essentialy built on long quasi-improvised plan-sequence. That story is haunting to say the least, even if largely underdevelopped. The atmosphere focuses on character interaction in a small district of  a Tokyo subrubs (I believe). There is a fabulous street dance sequence! (reminiscent of Zatoichi grand final). Obviously I wouldn't recommend watching it without subs (for the reasons I've developped in the next thread). In this case, even though, the characters here are mostly introvertly quiet  and the narration is essentialy diegetic (deliciously flowing contemplative cinematography), you'd miss a key background story involving family ties that are invisible on screen. I don't know, it skims all complexity and depth in the character study if you supress the words. But I gathered you understand japanese, Doug, right? Is it worth it to watch it without subs? This is a visual film and the plot is a bit weak in my opinion... so I guess there isn't much spoiler. Kore-eda's Distance, here's a good choice for DarrenHughes' debate club. (I'd like to hear theories about the puzzling last few scenes)   Comments Michael Kerpan - Shara and Distance   7/16/2004; 11:31:52 AM (reads: 18110, responses: 2) I'm not certain how well _I_ would have done on "Distance" without subtitles.  It is essential to understand as much said as possible in this I think. I believe I have pretty much have the end figured out.  It's fairly clear when you go back and check things out. Little bits and pieces that were floating around throughout the course of the film come together and help explain the end. Let me know when it is safe to have an unavoidably spoiler-laden discussion on this. ;~} Comments Doug Cummings - Re: Haibane Renmei   7/16/2004; 11:58:24 AM (reads: 18092, responses: 0) No, I don't know a word of Japanese. You might be thinking of Michael? I haven't bought the DVD because I'm hoping it will be released somewhere with subtitles! Comments Doug Cummings - Re: Shara   7/16/2004; 12:35:12 PM (reads: 20799, responses: 0) Here's the Japanese DVD for sale. I love movies that require multiple viewings, so I'm looking forward to Distance. :) Feel free to discuss these films as long as you identify spoiler headings. I'm not too worried about it. Comments HarryTuttle - Re: Shara and Distance   7/16/2004; 3:06:51 PM (reads: 18545, responses: 1) sorry I'm new here. Maybe I mixed up comments and posters talking about japanese language... (Actualy it might have been on the Cinemarati board) I'm afraid I won't have a chance to get a second viewing of Distance before a while, so please help me out Michael. I love the way the whole story is so open-ended, as well as open-minded toward the "criminals", leading the relatives and even us to admire their ideals. I felt it was Haynes' Safe (pretty similar in form and subject) from outside the new age sect, from the relatives point of view. The music-free soundtrack is heaven. The defficient/clumpsy cinematography is however quite annoying, even if it makes the whole trip like an intimate home video. The passive mise-en-scene is similar in Nobody Knows, with a much more careful and aesthetic cinematography, which makes it fully enjoyable.   SPOILERS : My issue is with the identity of the assumed brother, the sect guru, the old men at the hospital and their relation together.   Comments Michael Kerpan - Distance spoiler   7/16/2004; 5:11:40 PM (reads: 18964, responses: 0) spoiler I'm pretty certain that the "mystery brother" is actually the son of the cult leader.  You hear (if not see) an argument earlier between a man and wife (who have a couple of young children).  This ends with the man basically walking out on his family.  The people involved are not linked to any of the other characters.  You also see the mystery person interviewed by the police and hear a comment that suggests he was unlikely to have known much because he was "too young". You also see that he is burning what looks like family pictures. I can't give any motre details without watching the whole thing again. ;~} Comments HarryTuttle - Re: Distance spoilers   7/17/2004; 1:02:32 AM (reads: 17680, responses: 7) SPOILERS He seems to be the guru's son from the police interview, but then who is the old man he visits at the hospital, where the nurse tell he's not the legal son? Is that him who burns family pics? I thought this guy seen from behind was much older, and could have been the guru himself (as met in the restaurant when he's sitting next to the wife who leaves her husband) The scene of the man walking on his family is one of the sect recrue (you mean the one reading poetry and kicked out without his shoes in the middle of the night?), or do I misunderstand your statement? One more thing I find it odd the only surviving member of the sect who escaped, wouldn't know who the mystery brother is, since he was close to the girl apparently and we see them together at the lake. So was the guru son present or not? Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: Distance spoilers   7/17/2004; 6:01:09 AM (reads: 18058, responses: 6) I don't think the "mystery person" is shown interacting with any of the other cult members (or their relatives) in the scenes set in the past. I don't think you SEE the cult leader walk out.  You hear an argument and hear (and maybe see) a door close. (It's like a child eavesdropping on a parental conflict). I am pretty certain the person who does the photo burning is the "mystery person". The cult survivor doesn't know the "mystery person" because the boy lost track of his father and never re-connected with him after he grew up.  He probably kept up with his father's activities through newspaper reports etc. -- which is why he was expert enough on the cult to fool everyone but the survivor. MEK Comments HarryTuttle - Re: Distance spoilers   7/17/2004; 9:14:47 AM (reads: 18451, responses: 5) Ok I don't think I remember the off-screen argument scene you refer to. (is it summonned by the police interview, or like everyone else for each flashback portrait?) The scene I talked about was with the husbands who disappeared for a couple days and then comes back in the middle of the night at home, to read a book of a religious/philosoph poet like if it was a epiphany about the end of the world or something. However the mystery boy is shown with the young girl from the the sect, the one he claims to be the brother of. We see her with the survivor who loved her. But I thought we see her with her (alledged) brother by the water... Is it the survivor who tells her about the lonely bird who flies higher than the others in th sky, or is it the mystery boy? I agree on the last part. But since each character in the film gets a flashback with one of the person who was in that bungalow, who is the mystery boy shown with? He does pretend to be the "brother" of that girl, and asks the survivor question about his "sister", then this one replies they don't look alike at all. You mix up my memories now... ;) Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: Distance spoilers   7/17/2004; 9:27:58 AM (reads: 18870, responses: 4) The husband (we see) who disappears is the husband of the woman who goes on the memorial trip. I think the scene about the (unseen) argument and opening and closing door is associated with the mystery boy's police interview. I think we see the cult member "sister" with the cult survivor, not the claimed "brother".  The two young men look a bit alike (and the survivor looks a bit different in the flashback from the way he does in the present-day scenes). I suspect that the mystery boy picked the hospitalized person as a pretend relative due to hearing (by accident?) about that person's neglected situation.  We never get a clear answer on this. MEK Comments HarryTuttle - Re: Distance spoilers   7/19/2004; 9:33:57 AM (reads: 19247, responses: 3) I see. That's why it's confusing in my mind. Maybe I mixed up the 2 boys in the flashback... The hospital eldery subplot is quite puzzling... if it has nothing to do with the topic, why include  it in this already dense mystery? Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: Distance spoilers   7/19/2004; 11:12:42 AM (reads: 19628, responses: 2) The hospital subplot is another key to the character of the mystery boy.  He has been "robbed" of a parent -- so he has found a parent (could it be a victim of the cult's actions?) who has been completely neglected by his own children. In a sense, the young man also feels a sense of guilt over the loss of the father -- so he is trying to make up for this. Finally, he feels completely blocked from ever discussing his actual situation (due to shame), so he has dealt with it "symbolically". Comments HarryTuttle - Re: Distance spoilers   7/19/2004; 12:29:01 PM (reads: 19957, responses: 1) Your interpretation, if not accessible directly, is meaningful indeed. However I'd argue the way it is used in the film : as an opening position in the storyline edit, before anything else is exposed of the incident drama. I guess it was easy to instill few clues in this sequence to dissmiss any retrospective missinterpretations at the end of the film, even without a dialogue line telling about the condition of the old man, whether it was connected to the events... it would still remain an ambiguous element, without branching up a side deadend subplot. The complexity of the character has probably a lot to do with the hospital scenes, they would work even better if more focused. I forgot to ask about the apparent friendship between mystery boy and the didgeridoo player, as they arrive together by car. Mystery boy says his "sister" likes the wild lily best, and later finds a bouquet of dried flowers in the bungalow alledgly belonging to his "sister", which is proved by flashback footage (if I recall right). He seems to know a lot about her, and built an alternate persona over the years (this was not the first memorial anniversary right? I can't remember how long before the tragedy occured) Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: Distance spoilers   7/19/2004; 2:26:27 PM (reads: 20330, responses: 0) >I forgot to ask about the apparent friendship between mystery boy > and the digeridoo player I think this is the second or even third gathering of the group -- but can't remember which.  I wonder if they all just happened to meet accidentally on the first occasion -- or whether there had been some sort of survivors' counseling program that brought them together initially? (Not revealed, as far as I recollect). I really need to wattch "Distance" again one of these days. ;~" There's a new film out, directed by one of Kore'eda's assistant directors -- called "Wild Berries" ("Hebi ichigo").  It uses some of the ambiguous methods of "Distance", but has a much different (some rather biting humor, attacking assumptions about "normal" bourgeois family life).  Highly recommended, if you manage to run across it. Comments HarryTuttle - Re: Haibane Renmei   7/24/2004; 3:22:32 PM (reads: 17676, responses: 0) thanks for the reco. I'll keep it in mind as I really like the unique atmosphere of Distance. Comments dirgeboy - Re: Haibane Renmei   8/22/2004; 11:56:53 AM (reads: 19189, responses: 3) Wow.  I go away for a while and come back with so many responses about 'the distance'... er i mean 'haibane renmei' :-). I think that's good though as really great stuff usually generates a bunch of tangents, and it looks like i've got a lot of other films that i have to watch now. I've seen episodes of Kino's Journey where i usually shop for dvds, but haven't found *episode one* just yet. I checked out 'Neia 7' and 'serial experiments lain' a while back.  the first few episodes of lain i've enjoyed and i look forward to seeing the rest of the series.  i've seen some stuff from Gainax which i've enjoyed as well.  'Voices from a Distanct Star' was impressive in terms of production, but the story didn't grab my attention.           Comments Doug Cummings - Re: Haibane Renmei   8/24/2004; 7:34:39 AM (reads: 19519, responses: 2) So I finally finished episode 10 of Haibane Renmei, excited to chat about the series with y'all, and suddenly realized I was missing the fourth disc. :) So I rushed out and got it. Thanks so much for recommending this series, it's uncommonly intelligent and observant--I'm really enjoying it. Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: Haibane Renmei   8/24/2004; 8:50:21 AM (reads: 19860, responses: 1) I eagerly await your reaction to the conclusion of this wonderful series.  I expected the finale to be good, but I didn't expect to be overwhelmed by it. ;~} Now you need to check out "Kino's Travels" and "Azumanga Daioh".  And, if you are feeling brave, Abe's dire (but beautiful) Texhnolyze. Comments Doug Cummings - Re: Haibane Renmei   8/24/2004; 9:05:30 AM (reads: 20235, responses: 0) Thanks, Michael, I will keep an eye out. But first, I have to watch Distance so I can actually catch up on the posts here regarding the film. :) Comments Doug Cummings - Re: Haibane Renmei   8/27/2004; 8:06:11 AM (reads: 17513, responses: 0) Okay, I finally finished this series, and yes, I was very impressed. I loved its contemplative touches, "pillow shots" used like Ozu, space broken up into poetic details. I also thought it was a very well-told narrative withquite a bit thematic depth...my only quibble is that I would have preferred to axe the narrator at the end, who basically summarizes the underlying story just in case anyone missed it. I wish they had left it more mysterious and open to viewer engagement. Does anyone know if this was something imposed by distributors? It felt like it. I also loved the illustration, as "simple" as it was, the colors and compositions--particularly for the exterior landscapes and architecture--were glorious, even, again, in modest ways, such as windmills and rolling hills and green skies. I also wish Pioneer had done a better job with the transfer, which is fairly soft and even flickers at times, and maybe it's my cheap-o Cyber Home player, but nearly every time a new chapter occured, I had to reset the subs/dubbing option. I've already recommended the series to friends and I'm looking forward to reading up on the series in the discussion group you mentioned, Michael, and revisiting it again sometime. Very profound, sensitive animation. Thanks again for posting about it here. Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: Haibane Renmei   8/27/2004; 11:32:48 AM (reads: 17521, responses: 0) I think we have the narration at the end because it's our last "visit" with Rakka (and it helps confirm that she has indeed grown past her own problems).  Nothing was imposed here -- Abe had enough credit with his producer (etc.) that he was allowed to call all the shots (as long as he stayed on time and on budget). The softness was an aesthetic decision.  The other problems?  I've never noticed these on any DVD player I've used. Always glad to make new fans for my favorite animated  show. ;~} MEK Comments Doug Cummings - Re: Haibane Renmei   8/27/2004; 12:03:50 PM (reads: 17590, responses: 1) Oh I think you're right about the narration, I just thought it was a tad heavy-handed. Like I said, it's merely a quibble. So the very slightly blurred quality of the line art was intentional? That's good to know. I'm sure the subtitle problem was merely due to my player. But I haven't had any other problems with it, so I can't complain. Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: Haibane Renmei   8/27/2004; 4:22:57 PM (reads: 17939, responses: 0) Rakka could NEVER be heavy-handed!! ;~} The Japanese and US DVD releases look pretty much alike  -- and the fansubs captured from the original broadcasts looked pretty similar as well. MEK Comments Doug Cummings - Re: Haibane Renmei   9/3/2004; 1:32:16 PM (reads: 17541, responses: 1) So I'm going back through this series and I discovered that I had completely skipped over episode five! :p Fortunately, it mostly fleshes some things out rather than provides any critical info. But I really do love the series. (And you're right, Michael, Episode Six is when it really digs in to a new, deeper level.) Question: What was director Tomokazu Tokoro's role in the production? One of the things I like so much about the series is its pace and the way space is divided up piecemeal fashion, an accumulation of details, which I have a hard time attributing solely to Abe's writer/creator credit? Was Tokoro a major creative collaborator, or did he merely serve a technical function? Comments Michael Kerpan - Re: Haibane Renmei   9/3/2004; 2:39:04 PM (reads: 17833, responses: 0) I've wondered what Tokoro's role was also.  My guess is that he worked very much as implementer of Abe's overallvision -- cutting things down so they'd fit, setting up the pacing, etc.  So, I'd say he played an important role in making things work, but he didn't determine the content. Tokoro also directed the winning (to me) but chaotic "Niea_7". Comments