Haibane Renmei

Haibane Renmei (灰羽連盟; lit. "Grey Feather Federation") is a 2002 Japanese anime television series based on an unfinished dōjinshi manga series by Yoshitoshi Abe, The Haibane of Old Home (オールドホームの灰羽達, Ōrudo-hōmu no Haibane-tachi). The 13-episode series was directed by Tomokazu Tokoro, animated by Radix, and produced by Yasuyuki Ueda. The soundtrack was composed by Kow Otani. It first aired on Fuji TV between October and December 2002.

The series follows Rakka, a newly hatched haibane (a being resembling an angel), as she navigates her new life in the city of Glie, a walled town with a single gate through which only a mysterious group, the Toga, are allowed to enter or exit.

Abe had previously worked with Ueda as the character designer for Serial Experiments Lain, which Ueda had co-produced and created. Ueda approached Abe with an offer to make The Haibane of Old Home into an anime; Abe agreed and wrote the screenplay for the anime, continuing the story that was outlined in the two-chapter dōjinshi. The story has been noted for its ambiguity and introspective nature, applying a range of spiritual symbols to convey themes of sin and redemption. Its setting and focus on lost memories have been compared to surrealist stories by Haruki Murakami, with Abe citing Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World as a specific influence.

Seen as a cult classic, Haibane Renmei has received positive critical reception, with specific praise for its orchestral soundtrack, atmosphere, and restrained color scheme. Assessments on its visuals have varied over time; initial reviews commended its dreamlike style, while later ones critiqued the lack of quality control and flatness of the art. It has been released on physical media several times. Originally licensed by Pioneer Entertainment (which was later acquired to form NBC Universal Entertainment Japan), the first English dub of the anime was released as 4 DVD volumes from 2003 to 2005. Its license is held by Crunchyroll in North America, MVM in Europe, and Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in Australia. In July 2010, a 6-disc HD remastered Blu-ray version was released in Japan.