User:Eruhildo/Haibane

Haibane
right|thumb|Rakka (sitting) and Reki as drawn by [[Yoshitoshi ABe.]]

Upon emerging from the cocoons in which they first appear in the world, Haibane appear to be normal human beings. Shortly afterwards, Haibane painfully grow feathered wings from their backs, and are given halos specially-forged for them by the Haibane Renmei, which may take a few days to float properly over their heads. They always have a sense that they used to live in another place and were someone else, but they cannot remember where or who they were. Haibane are generally young children or teenagers when they come into the world; no adult Haibane are shown or mentioned in the series.

Healthy Haibane wings are charcoal grey rather than white, and are too small to be functional. Although with wings and halos Haibane resemble the angels of traditional Christianity, creator Yoshitoshi ABe has said that this resemblance is not significant but is purely an aesthetic choice.

Haibane cocoons grow from small seeds like dandelion tufts that fall from the sky and land in places such as Old Home, usually depicted in the spring and always in indoor, uninhabited rooms. Once landed, these seeds dig into the floor and grow quickly to a very large size, bigger than a person, but somewhat dependent on the size of the person inside. Roots grow out of the cocoon into the surrounding surfaces to support it.

Inside, each new Haibane experiences a vivid dream, and then wakes up suspended within the cocoon. They are dressed in a plain white robe, surrounded by some sort of breathable liquid, and able to hear sound from outside. The walls are easily pulled apart, and each Haibane must dig his or her own way out. According to Reki, tradition holds that if hatchlings cannot break free themselves, they will not grow strong - much like chicks or butterflies.

Once awake in their new world known as the little town of Glie (they may sleep for some time after hatching), each Haibane is given a new name according to the dream they had while in the cocoon. They are all sure that they had a name and life prior to this one, but none are ever able to remember any details, and it is thought that even if they met their families, they would not recognize one another. Certain traces of emotion remain, however, and they remember practical things like how to talk or ride a bicycle. Some Haibane, born as young children, choose their own names based on dreams for the future, presumably ignoring the ones given to them at hatching.

After a Haibane has received a name, he or she is given a halo which floats over his or her head, "to be a guide for the future." The connection may be tenuous at first, but once the halo "sticks", it is almost like a part of the Haibane's body and can be used to drag him or her about or to support the weight of other objects. These halos glow brightly, and in the dōjinshi they spin rapidly as well. It is later revealed that they are forged from metallic flakes, called "light leaves" (光箔), which can be found in tunnels located within the wall that surrounds the city.

Wings are formed within the Haibane's body, first appearing as uncomfortable lumps on the back. Within a day or two of the hatching, these grow rapidly and put the Haibane into a state of fever, finally bursting through the skin in a painful and bloody manner. The pain and fever last for about a day before rapidly and completely subsiding. Meanwhile, the feathers of the wings must be cleaned, or else the blood and other fluids will stain them. Thorough cleaning can be a long procedure, and must be done by someone else, as the newly born Haibane is too weak and in too much pain. Once Haibane recover their health after this ordeal, they start to be able to move the wings, although it takes some time to gain complete control over them. After a week or more of involuntary twitching and quick exhaustion, each Haibane finally learns to control the wings like any other part of their body.

The Haibane in general are bound by certain rules set forth by the Haibane Renmei. They are only allowed possessions they make themselves, or which the townsfolk have cast aside, and thus must wear used clothing and live in abandoned buildings. They are also only allowed to work in the oldest buildings, and they are not allowed to handle money. Instead, they are each given a notebook by the Haibane Renmei, the pages of which they use as scrip to pay for food and used goods. They are also not allowed to linger near or touch the city walls.

Haibane's lives are eventually drawn toward their "Day of Leaving the Nest" (巣立ちの日), or in the English-language versions, "Day of Flight". This day approaches when the Haibane in question has overcome certain internal trials and is ready to move on. Their halo begins to flicker and dim, and finally they depart, alone and unannounced, for the Western Woods, where they pass over the city walls in a beam of light. Their halo is left behind on the ground and no longer glows. The other characters experience this much as they would an ordinary death - no one knows when it will happen, or what lies beyond the wall, and those left behind feel the loss of separation. Nevertheless, Leaving the Nest has a positive connotation, and most of the Haibane believe that life beyond the walls is somehow higher or better than life in Glie.

Sin-bound Haibane
Some Haibane do not remember their cocoon dream (繭の夢) properly and are called sin-bound (罪憑き). These Haibane can be recognized by the black stains that appear on their wings. Fans conjecture that these Haibane committed suicide in their past lives; this would definitely appear to be the case with Reki, as her cocoon dream seems to indicate this. Also supporting this theory is the observation that Rakka, whose name means falling, had a fear of heights. According to ABe, this wasn't the case, though he encourages fans to reach their own conclusions. Signs of being sin-bound do not always appear from birth. For example, Rakka's wings became discolored only after she became depressed over Kuu's departure.

Sin-bound Haibane cannot achieve their "Day of Flight" until they are no longer sin-bound. If they remain sin-bound, after a certain amount of time they cease to be Haibane. The Communicator tells Rakka that these Haibane lose their wings and halos, and are required to live apart from humans and Haibane. (The viewpoint at this moment shifts to the false wings that are a part of the Communicator's uniform, perhaps as a hint that the members of the Haibane Renmei are these "fallen Haibane". It's also possible that the Toga, the only people who can enter and leave the city of Glie, originate as fallen Haibane.) Despite this, Reki believed that when her time as a Haibane was over, she would simply vanish if she were still sin-bound.

The Haibane Renmei, however, may in time give the Haibane a new name (with the same onji) that is symbolic of their spiritual fate or the obstacles they have overcome. In Rakka's case, the Communicator notes that she had shed the feelings of abandonment and isolation of her previous life and bonded gregariously with others; he thus gives her the name Rakka (絡果). With Reki, the Communicator foresees a tragic fate and gives her the name Reki (轢), should she fail to escape it. If she overcomes her failures, she can remain Reki (礫) and be a stepping stone in a path for others to follow.

Sin-bound Haibane usually feel guilty about something they have done in their previous life, and until they can overcome this they cannot become a normal Haibane. The theory that Haibane, in general, are reincarnations of humans in a previous life is supported by clues in Reki's dream - in her dream, Reki steps in front of a moving train and presumably kills herself. Also, Rakka is helped by a bird whom she believes to represent someone she knew in her previous life.

Circuity
Circuity is an omake series based partially on the anime Haibane Renmei, and has left its readers with many different reactions, particularly because of its link to an anime. There are only three characters seen in the story, with a fourth mentioned. These characters hold parallels to four Megatokyo characters: Piro, Largo, Kimiko, and Erika. None of the characters have names, but their personalities and appearances are very similar.

This story is a small allegory about the broader plot of Megatokyo, specifically the relationship between Erika and Largo. Largo trying to push back the wind represents him trying to protect her but she refuses to allow him. An enhanced and extended version of Circuity entitled Circuity: rewound, has been released in the fourth volume of Megatokyo. It includes the character represented by Erika, who had not appeared in the web version.

Wikitokyo Circuity


Megatokyo Omake Theater: Circuity is a series of 10 strips from between July 6 and July 29, 2005. According to Fred Gallagher it was intended to be “…serious, and sombre…”, a counterpoint to the previous multi-strip omake Grand Theft Colo. It contained the first strips in Megatokyo to show serious injury and, probably, death.

Circuity:Rewound, an extended version of Circuity with additional pages, is included in Megatokyo 4. There is a DPD with some preview images.

Two Weeks is a series of four DPD strips from between March 20 and March 31, 2006.

The general setting and character design of “Circuity” are widely taken to be an homage to the anime Haibane Renmei by Yoshitoshi ABe. The online version is closer to Haibane Renmei than Circuity:Rewound, where all direct references were removed and more details on an original background story were added.

Several drawings on Fredart feature a female haibane identified as Memai that vaguely resembles the central character in “Circuity”. Because this unnamed character also shows many similarities to Kimiko it appears she is “playing” Memai's role in this omake. This was confirmed in the last strip in which Erika states: “At least you got screen time…”.

In the accompanying comments to the aforementioned drawings Fred also mentions his ideas for a short story set in the Haibane universe. Apparently these, after some rework, formed the core of this story.

See also: Strips

Relationship with Haibane Renmei
When Circuity was first introduced, it was met with a great deal of speculation that it would tie in closely with Haibane Renmei. As it turned out, much of that speculation was unfounded.

The setting for the story comes almost directly from the Haibane universe. The windmills, and Memai's wings, in particular, will be immediately familiar to anyone who has seen even a few minutes of Haibane Renmei. Other, more subtle or spoiler afflicted details also came up in places, but nothing so profound that the total feel of the story would be changed by having seen the original story or not.

The story itself had very little to do with the original story of Haibane Renmei, and understanding Circuity is certainly not dependent upon having seen the anime from which it was inspired. Despite Circuity's modest length, all of its characters were developed well enough that their relationships were as clear as they needed to be for the story to stand on its own. The emotional bonding necessary for feeling and understanding the full depth of the story could be perfectly well achieved from the ten strips alone.

For a more detailed analysis of the role of Haibane Renmei in Circuity, complete with the possibility of Haibane Renmei spoilers, see Haibane Renmei in Circuity.