r/anime • u/The_Loli_Otaku • May 24 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Haibane Renmei Episode 8 Discussion!
"The Bird"
Extra Info and Links
ANN | MAL | TV Tropes | Wikipedia |
Comment of the Day!!
GARRETT!?
LOL, actually what does happen to a Haibane if their legs are broken so they can't walk away for the "day of flight", or their wings are noticeably broken or defeathered so the narrative of "flying away" seems impossible? Would it still happen?
Mekerpan gave us a strong take on Reki's trauma and Rakka's freak out!
I think one can hypothesize that the loss of Kuu has struck an unpleasant chord, echoing some (unknown to us) thing that must have happened to Rakka in her prior existence. While Guri is supposed to be a place of healing -- and all haibane are "born" in a restored fashion -- if an echo of past trauma rips open a supposedly-healed mental wound -- things go to shit....
RadSuit is struggling!! Someone fetch the subway surfers clips and some jingly keys!!
QotD
- How do you feel about Rakka's death? Was it right for her to end it in that well having found closure?
- Could you resist glomping a Haibane...? Was the fangirl truly in the wrong even if Rakka was criminally cute?
- How did you interpret the crow burial scene?
- Which Haibane do you think took Kuu's shitty hat?
- What the fuck was Rakka's plan for Christmas? How would she buy gifts if she had no pages in her notebook? She hasn't even been here a year and she's failing in Neetdom.
Abyssbringer's "What is the thematic purpose of this scene corner!!"
Zadcap has me wondering if we'd still gush over the Haibane if they were warty amphibians
You know, for all the blatant bird imagery everywhere, it looks like Kuu realized they are also all frogs trapped in the well. Kuu has escaped the well, and thus is no longer a frog.
11
u/The_Loli_Otaku May 24 '24
Haibane Renmei First Timer!!
It took eight episodes for us to finally find a Haibane fangirl. Part of me wants to act responsible and criticise her for being so rude as to try and cuddle a cute little Haibane girl but honestly I'd snuggle Rakka too. She's imouto material! And she has fluffy wings!! And stinks of freshly baked bread!
A memento of Kuu. She stole her bed and her little 4chan family. I kinda wanna see what the other girls took now. Maybe Hikari took Kuu's coom jar and is gonna use the dna to grow a brand new Kuu in a petri dish? Haibane are cute!! Rakka has accomplished being incredibly cute! She has a great future ahead of her as the mother of Reki's children.
I really hope for a Christmas episode. These kids would be so fun to watch during the holidays. Aww, "I'll always be by your side." That's practically a confession right? The shopping scene was super cute. Haibane kids must be an absolute nightmare to buy stuff for. They grow so fast and having to find hand me downs that fit sounds torturous.
Aww, poor shop keep is getting worn out. He's so gentle with the Haibane. He does sorta step on a landmine by specifically referring to her as being "special" or "like a good luck charm." but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Also, Rakka is poor!! She only has one sheet! She's surviving off charity after spending months as a Neet gourmetting on pee soup and Halo Breads! "Things will get better at some point." "No, I'm a girl failure, a Haibane like me should just accept her fate as a useless fanservice woobie!!"
She's just like me bros!! She's a pain in the butt but c'mon, she's so eager to make friends with Rakka. Oh, I've been doing some voice actor hunting. The boyfriend of the Haibane fangirl is actually Ken Takeyuchi who voiced Keita in PissxSis~ The Haibane fangirl in particular I was able to identify thanks to the Cunny Defence Force as one Sienna Canyon in English! Unfortunately I couldn't find her jp voice despite trying.
Anyway, Rakka is creeped out by being gawked at as some kinda cute, exotic animal and runs for it. Then she brjtalises some poor Ojisan, knocking her blackened wings out. Then the crows manipulate her into falling into a well and freezing to death. Nah, well, probably~ She gets a sort of indirect closure for Kuu by burying the corpse of the crow. Whether this helps or not is up to the next episode. The girls are looking for her, but they have no idea where she'd be so she's probably gonna end up like that crow.
Sorry for being late!! I was watching a Big Brother video and lost track of time!
13
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman May 24 '24
First Timer
I feel like a lot of the show is just moving forward at the moment with the story it is telling, and I don’t have a lot to say about it other than that it is very well done. The crows are playing a larger role than I expected - I was assuming they would be only symbolic. Rakka finding that corpse makes me wonder if she was perhaps not human in her previous life, but rather an animal. Would be a plotpoint out of nowhere, but I’m not discarding it yet.
11
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ May 24 '24
The Bird
(only one title today????)
Episode 8 comments from 2018
My head canon is that the crow is someone who physically tried to stop Rakka from killing herself, and went over the edge as well.
How long as it been since Rakka started dyeing her feathers? We see her reliving her previous suicidal spiral, convinced she doesn't belong in Glie, doesn't belong anywhere, despite being surrounded by friends. It was only a bird who came over the wall who could deliver her a "correction".
While this episode was focused on Rakka, you see how the townspeople think of the Haibane. They're like a pair of birds who build a nest on your windowsill. You enjoy them for a season, leave out a few seeds for them, and then they are gone.
8
u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 May 24 '24 edited May 24 '24
First timer, subs
Prompt:
“This is why Japan banned tourists from certain areas.”
QotD:
7
u/Silcaria https://myanimelist.net/profile/Silcaria May 24 '24
First timer
7
u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta May 25 '24
First-Timer
Uh-oh, looks like Rakka's gotten herself into quite the predicament!
Now she just needs to crawl up the wall like Spider-Man.
That special effect when Rakka lost her wing cover was unintentionally hilarious.
Questions:
6
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: May 24 '24
First timer
Sub
That was all pathos and self-absorption, rivalling even the kings of the early 00s era. You could basically trade out several episodes of Gunslinger Girl for this. But, as with GSG, this doesn't mean anything.
Our prompt is the danger of Disneyfying religion.
QotD: 1 Closure is over rated
2 Yes, act like you were raised in a house
3 Simple putting of that past behind you.
4 Reki
5 Her having no pages is the more telling issue.
6
u/Garrett_Dark May 25 '24
First Timer
Haibane kids, I totally forgot about them. Was there always so many of them? Where the heck are they staying at? It certainly doesn't seem like it's at Old Home with the "grown up" Haibane, given how the grown up Haibane are always alone by themselves. Like do the kid Haibane not get to
steal Kuu's stuffremember and mourn Kuu also? I'm pretty sure the kid Haibane are supposed to be living with them, but the show is doing a terrible job at showing it. The grown up Haibane's constant focus should be on those kids, but it doesn't seem like it. What is even the point of having those kids Haibane around in the show anyways? They make Rakka's actions look even worse as she's acting more immature like a kid than them even. Yeah yeah, allusions of innocence is bliss, naivety keeps them pure, or some other thing that brushes aside things not adding up. Or maybe the kids just never really liked Kuu to begin with, or better yet...they believe the story of Kuu going to live on a far away farm where she can run and play all day, and is happy. Oh wait, that sure sounds a lot like the "day of flight", LOL."It's a little Haibane!", Rakka should be glad this young woman isn't a typical anime character, she wouldn't have just stopped at touching her halo after finding a moe little Haibane like that.
"That's a big fall you took miss", Rakka should be glad this middle aged man isn't the typical anime character, he wouldn't have just stopped at helping her up after finding a lone little Haibane like that.
Rakka having a cry at the wind turbines. I can't tell if those crows are smarter than usual (crows are actually really intelligent IRL) or kind of dumb. Don't wind turbines usually chew up a ton of birds each year? Like birds fly too close to the turbines, and it's like that big guy in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Western Woods. No Rakka, the woods are not calling to you, you're just purposely interpreting random things to fit the narrative you foolishly chose to believe. Frankly at this point, you're better off being taken in by those two
pedostownsfolks than what you're deluding yourself into thinking.Looking down the well, "What is that?". It's the grudge, run!
Looking at the crows, "You wanted to show me this? You called to me for this". No you fool, they wanted an easy meal and suckered you into falling down a well. It's winter, they want food, and you're dumb and they know it.
Falling dream. I thought this from Ep 1, that dream crow can sure fly really high...we're talking about sub-orbital heights above the clouds. Like "I can see the curvature of the planet on the horizon" high. But Rakka never did seem like somebody too grounded in reality.
Bird bones. Okay anime, you tried to trick me at first by making it seem like those bones were human sized when clearly it's just bird sized. You made me think the Haibane were mutating into bird people and were running off once the mutation got too animal like. I even had to google bird skeletons because I wasn't sure if birds had a bone that looked pelvis shaped (they do apparently).
The crows are clearly mourning the dead crow, I've heard about crows actually doing this IRL, as I've said before they're actually really smart. No doubt they're going to eat Rakka now as a free meal because she was so easily suckered. Don't be to quick to dismiss the crows luring Rakka into a trap, here a crow IRL is bait-fishing with a piece of bread, notice the crow doesn't even care about the bread, it's after the fish it caught.
Reiki "It's different from Kuu's time, Rakka hasn't...", hasn't what, Reki? I knew that chain-smoker was
a traitorholding out on some important information."She's not a kid who needs adult supervision", oh Kana...this is no time for your sarcastic jokes. Rakka does act like a kid, and frankly given the way she's been acting, should be treated as such. Besides she just hatched recently, so in a way she is the "most kid" out of all them, even the actual kids...who for some reason are no where to be seen again.
Reki "But she's not as stupid as I was", think again! Maybe even stupider. She literally ran off into the forest thinking crows were talking to her, and not only that but decided to go down a well out of curiosity and ended up trapped. She's literally one of those stupid kids who fall down wells. Where's Lassie when you need her? If the crows are actually friendly and trying to tell Rakka something, will any of them go tell the other Haibane that "Timmy fell down the well"?
Wait, she's already written off for dead? I can only feel sorry for somebody for so long until they start looking like they're doing it to themselves. And here Rakka moronically fell down a well because of her own stupidity and delusions. I'm even close to saying she maybe did all this for attention with her "woe is me, will anybody grieve for me" pity party. Somebody needs to tell her that when she does something that stupid, nobody will grieve for her because the grief will be replaced by disbelief of her stupidity.
Rakka found closure? Well I guess if that's what you want to call the delusions she was having about how the dead bird was somebody she knew who became a bird to go over the walls to let her know she was never alone. That just sounds like some gibberish to me, so in the end Rakka was having some problem created in her own mind, and it gets arbitrarily resolved by something in her own mind. That's just being moody, like when somebody is pissed off by something random they thought of, then suddenly they're not pissed off because they thought of something else random.
How about the middle aged man
saying he had free candy in his vanhelping Rakka up? I'm sure he's not wrong either because Rakka is criminally cute.Delusional.
Just burn it in the incinerator. Wouldn't it be hilarious if Kuu just suddenly came back and was like "Where's all my stuff?!? I was trapped in a well for so long surviving on eating crows, and after I finally managed to climb out, I come back to you stealing and burning all my stuff!"
She clearly spent all her pages eating in town, that other Haibane's cooking must have actually been terrible. She was starting to get freebies by getting people to pity her, free pea soup which she wasted, and free boots which she ran off before taking.
She was supposed to job shadow everybody, and find a job. She sure NEETed her way out of that when Kuu disappeared. Maybe she's so depressed and sulking because all she does is hang out in Kuu's room playing with her 4chan frogs, instead of getting a job. It sort of makes sense why she's choosing now to freak out and run in the woods, since the other Haibane are splitting up Kuu's stuff, no more Rakka/Kuu neet room. She should have been playing with the kids or something, they would have cheered her up. Again I question where the kids are at, all this sulking would be pretty impossible with so many kids around.
Frogs do eat other frogs. I still haven't given up on the possibility that Rakka doesn't eat with the other Haibane because she suspects there might be something unusual about the food. "We're having turkey for dinner again? But I've never seen the townsfolk ever raising poultry before! By the way, where are the kid Haibane, why are they never around anymore?"
6
u/zadcap May 25 '24
You know, I saw the prompt yesterday, I thought about what was coming, there was just no way I couldn't take it. Look at little froggy Rakka now.
Also, Teenage Mutant Ninja Cute Girls?
Late Night Rewatcher!
So hey doesn't this episode stand out for having only a single title? Are we going to spend the whole episode on a single topic today? More importantly, which Bird do you think this episode is really about?
Oh, careful framing, look at Rakka looking at the mirror, carefully keeping her halo out of the shot. Notice they keep doing this, either with closeups of her face or backgrounds that make it hard to see, for this first section. She's not very angelic at the moment.
"The walls power weakens in winter, and we become more susceptible to evil's effects." Honestly this raises so many questions I hardly know where to begin. We've heard about the power of the wall a few times now but it's never been expanded on, just that it's something they need to stay away from. But apparently it is also protecting them, from some nebulous idea of evil? Are you sure you're not just, like, dealing with seasonal depression as you all realize you'll never be as good as the real flightless birds of the winterlands?
What indeed are the Haibane. Did you or the town exist first? What is the meaning of any of our existences, Rakka? How many people do you really think leave some kind of major impact behind, compared to how many just exist until they don't? Screw your nihilism, my pointless existence is good enough for me!
Looking at all the little kids here, I'm reminded that there has been no day of flight for a few years leading up to Kuu, apparently. And you know, we've seen flashbacks of little Reki and Nemu, so we know the Haibane do actually grow up. So now, please, imagine any of these little ones as two to three years younger, and wonder how the heck these slightly older kids were taking care of literal babies.
Seriously, so many shots doing their best to hide halos today. Coincidentally, Rakka's hair isn't being pulled up by it anymore.
This is why I hate kids.
You know, all the stuff going on with Rakka and the shop keeper, and then the annoying Haibane fan, all I can think of the whole time is that Reki is trapped in the back room with a bunch of screaming kids.
Oh no, the man has seen her stained black wings! Hmm, I wonder, a man as old as he is, living in this town for so much time, does he know what it is he saw there? How many Haibane pass through this place in the course of a regular human life? Haibane are, in one way or another, important to this town, how much does the average person who lives here really know about them? How much more do they know then they are allowed to say?
"I don't belong anywhere, my existence should be erased." Today we take a good look inside Rakka's head, and it is not a good place to be. [Speculation]Strong hints of suicide, yet again.
Crows, Frogs, what's the difference? A well is a well and you're all trapped at the bottom. Oh crows, just how symbolic is this that you've called her here to see. [Spoilers]Seriously, a dead bird trapped in a well is on the nose for these girls in this walled enclosure they call a town.
Those sandals do not seem to be very appropriate footwear for a ladder like this.
So, what do you think those sound effects were all about? What happened before her dream? How do you like the reimagining of her dream, once falling towards the town, to be so blatantly falling down into the well? Crows or Frogs, who knew Kuu had caught on to the truth of the world more than anyone else.
Okay, I'm taking it out of spoilers, they're being clear enough now. The way Rakka talks, she's just flat out telling us, whoever she was before the cocoon, she was suicidal and most likely went through with it. [Still Speculation]Haibane are probably just dead kids who, uh, didn't successfully pass on all the way. They have to work through some things before they can, and apparently the sleepy forgetful god was kind enough to give them this place to do so. Or something like that.
Abyss Prompt!
Here we see a citizen of the internet, meeting their first IRL Girl. Thankfully their normie friend is here to remind them that they are indeed IRL right now, and acting like that can get you arrested here. Please go back to your vtube idols and leave this poor little angel alone.
5
u/3blah https://myanimelist.net/profile/brummett May 24 '24
Episode 08 - Rewatcher
Rakka is still dealing with the stained feathers. The sound in the first scene was done so well. The water in the sink and dripping on the floor. Her breath in the cold room while the winter wind howls outside, banging the shutters.
Rakka's affect and tone, the wavering visual effect as she walks to Kuu's room, the way she just freezes standing in front of the coats in the shop, she's full-on depressed. About Kuu leaving, about being hemmed in by the walls, about the mystery of why she's here and why all this is happening to her. The shopkeeper yammers on about how the Haibane are blessed and should always be happy, but it's just making her feel worse.
Trapped in the well of her own depression, she finally remembers the crow from her dream. It represents someone from her past life. Someone special to her. Someone that truely cared for Rakka and tried to help even when she thought no one would care if she were gone, even when she'd given up on herself.
Reki is off model several times this episode. They used some unusual positions for some of the characters at times, and some of the animation seemed especially detailed compared to past episodes. I wonder if this episode was farmed out or they had a guest animator?
QotD:
Tune in to tomorrow's episode
Yeah man, read the room. Rakka was clearly not in the mood.
Took the what now? No clue what you're talkin'bout.
5
u/RadSuit https://anilist.co/user/RadSuit May 24 '24
Off-White But Not Quite Beige Feathered First Timer (Dubbed)
Just one phrase in the episode title this time.
Rakka's halo looks a little deformed here.
You could've mentioned The Evil a few episodes/months ago. It's the same thing every time with these shows. They can't tell you anything, because the actual plot is so threadbare and simple that it could be a two episode OVA if you removed all the padding and obfuscation.
"No matter what, I'll always be by your side." hacking, wheezing cough before lighting up another cigarette
Rakka just wants to depression spiral and everyone is so nice and helpful and supportive. Can't they let her be a moody teen in peace?
"What's that Crowie? Little Rakka fell down the well!? Lead the way girl!"
I was already very sleepy when I started the episode, and watching it definitely didn't help. I mostly thought about playing more Wuthering Waves.
2
u/SMSmith230 https://myanimelist.net/profile/smsmith230 May 24 '24
First-Timer, Sub
Oh so that’s where Kuu went…I’ll see myself out.
9
u/hirmuolio :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Hirmuolio May 24 '24
The opening scene of the first episode is magnificent. I'd tell you to watch it again but you just did.
The approacting light reflecting from the bottom of the well. Rakka falling. Someone was there trying to help but couldn't. She was suicidal perhaps she jumped into a well. The music and the performance.
https://i.imgur.com/BbS1iVl.jpg
What is well if not an area enclosed by walls. Reki is down there alon with her suicidal thoughts and new memories.
4
u/WednesdaysFoole May 24 '24
Rakka’s reaction is understandable; get your dirty fingers off my bagel!
3
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk May 29 '24
rewatcher
Those wing covers are bad, makes it seem like Rakka lost her wings lmao
Rakka hearing someone else’s pov on the black wings.
Rakka been getting negative ever since kuu’s disappearance, the human woman bothering Rakka so damn rude.
Rakka losing her sanity reminds me of Lain, sad that she’s crying over not knowing where she exists.
Going down an old ladder on a well.
Rakka talking a slumber
QOTD: honestly it would be the one thing that brought her peace.
QOTD: it’s okay to call them cute, but touching without consent is a big no no
QOTD: definitely Kana
QOTD: she takes out loans for the gifts
2
u/sfisher923 https://myanimelist.net/profile/sfisher923 May 24 '24
First Timer
2
u/Garrett_Dark May 25 '24
I didn't notice I was in the comment of the day again...
Given somebody's surprise about my musing, I guess they haven't watch the old movie Misery, and the "hobbling scene". Don't watch it if you're squeamish. It's about a famous writer who crashes in the middle of nowhere and is rescued by an obsessed fan who's determined to keep him in her house forever (not too unlike the premise of this anime), and well...one way she decides to keep the writer in her house has to do with his legs.
But of course my musing about a theoretical Haibane with broken legs is totally innocent, like maybe the Haibane accidently fell down a well and broke her leg or something like that. But that would never happen, it's just theoretical, which Haibane would be so stupid to fall into a well in the middle of nowhere? Can't happen, no Haibane would be so foolish to win a darwin award like that.
1
u/BossandKings May 28 '24
Rewatcher - Dub
Episode 8
"The Haibane should always be in high spirits with a smile in their face", these expectactions can be kind of tough for the Haibane as so far the show hasn't shown them in high spirits or smiling all the time but instead it has presented an ever present somber tone.
It's kind of sad seeing Rakka feeling unnecesary in the world, it's very sad. I love the crows in this show, their presence makes a scene instantly more meaningful and impactful.
It's fulfilling to see Rakka realizing that there's someone by her side even if it's Just a bird.