Haibane Renmei [a4e]

Author: Yoshitoshi Abe, Tomokazu Tokoro
Published by: RADIX
Ripped by a4e

Haibane Renmei ("Charcoal Feather Federation") follows the story of a girl named Rakka, beginning with her dream of falling through the sky and her subsequent birth out of a large cocoon. Rakka is a Haibane; she looks like a normal girl except for a halo and a pair of vestigial ash-grey wings. No one truly knows what the Haibane are. When they are born, they remember nothing of their previous life, and even their names come from the dream they had while in the cocoon ('Rakka,' for example, means 'falling' or 'descent').

Rakka lives in the Haibane Nest called Old Home, in the town of Guri. Guri is surrounded by a massive wall - no one is allowed to touch it or pass through its gates except traders from the outside known as the Touga. A mysterious organization known as the Haibane Renmei oversees and protects the Haibane and orchestrates their dealings with the townspeople. Haibane have specific rules which govern their lives:
- Haibane must find some sort of work. This is their way of giving back to the town, which pays for the heating and electricity costs at Old Home.
- Haibane are not allowed to use anything new. All their possessions, including clothes, must be used items which the townspeople no longer want.
- Haibane do not use money. All their transactions are marked down in their handbook, and presumably people are reimbursed by the Haibane Renmei at a later date.

The thirteen episodes of the series follow Rakka as she learns more and more about her surroundings, her fellow Haibane, and ultimately about herself. It is a dramatic, gripping show which will sometimes make you smile, and sometimes tear at your heart. It deals with serious issues of loss, grief, and self which keep you riveted and draw you close to the characters.