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May 23, 2015 9:45 AM

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Feb 2013
6196
Figured Kuu would die leave when her halo flickered.

Finally starting to move this along at least.
Oct 18, 2015 9:59 PM
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Nov 2014
26586
Goodbye Kuu.
Nov 16, 2015 11:56 PM

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Apr 2013
229
Best episode so far and I was already loving it before
Dec 2, 2015 6:48 PM

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Sep 2015
66
The first good episode for me. Was almost considering to drop this show after the one before, as I find the world/town rather intimidating (in a bad way) than compelling.

But now, finally something happened. I hope the introductions are over for good and this show will start to turn its mood a bit.
Dec 4, 2015 2:59 AM

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Mar 2010
5226
And so the mysteries have started. I doubt kuu is dead tho maybe shes taken somewhere? It prob involves those hoodie guys called communicators
Jan 14, 2016 2:31 AM

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Oct 2013
4358
harrowing and haunting... I don't feel this episode was about Kuu so much as it was about the revelation and departure. I wonder if haibane actually "fly away" at their "day of flight" or that is a delicate way of saying they die.

brilliant episode



Discord: the.path.to.pathos
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Jan 14, 2016 2:34 AM

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Jan 2014
4581
I think they maybe become haibane to fulfil something.
And once they do, they're free to go.
Not sure if they go back to their previous life or die, though :)
Jan 14, 2016 4:59 AM

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Jul 2013
7208
Oh boy what an episode. So this is the turning point eh? Can't wait!


╮ (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ╭

Jan 24, 2016 3:40 PM
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Jul 2014
602
The fight over a bell ringing reminds me a lot on heated discussion in my home town when those living in direct vicinity of the church lost their nerves and wanted it to stop via political decree for good, LOL!

Sad episode! I'm not so sure why it was presented in a sad way - this Kuu's coming of age and flight into the world?!? It would do the trick just the same, if everybody would be happy and celebrate! I didn't get it why the halo must be left behind? I hope will find out in future episodes or at least when Rakka does it! ...
Jan 27, 2016 12:30 AM

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Apr 2012
845
The light made me think they beam up to heaven or something.

Why do they wear fake halos? Are they angels in training?
(The story in the previous episode said God's first attempt at making angels sucked, so he made man).

Glad this moved on from the SoL anyway.
BlackoutingJan 27, 2016 12:33 AM
Sep 15, 2016 9:37 PM

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Dec 2014
819
Wow, that was really good. It was very different from all the other episodes so far. But now I feel like this can't really go back to being just a peaceful SoL anymore. I wonder where they're going to take this show from here on out.
Mar 2, 2017 4:54 AM

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Aug 2014
1867
I was getting bored, now this episode improved the flow of the show a bit.
Jun 20, 2017 9:41 AM

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Feb 2016
73
A WALL OF NOTES TO ADD TOWARDS THE COLLECTIVE DATABASE OF ANIME KNOWLEDGE THAT IS MYANIMELIST SPECIFICALLY PERTAINING TO EPISODE SIX OF THE CLASSIC SERIES, HAIBANE RENMEI


• It’s been a while since I’ve last watched an episode. Maybe a week. It’s good to be back.

• Back at it again with those highly expressive facial animations, Haibane Renmei. Rakka looked fucking adorable when she opened that closet door.

• Holy shit. That was a cute sneeze.

• Is this the Kuu episode?

• The way Kuu waved her hand in the background was erratic in an adorably fun way.

• MYSTERY INTRIGUE TIME!!! WHY THE HELL WAS KUU’S HALO FLICKERING!!??

• The pure joy in Kana’s voice when she fixed the clocktower was, again, adorable. I can’t exactly say the same with her character animation though. That was janky.

• Rakka’s face of surprise, when she went into the clock tower, was cute. (Didn’t say adorable this time).

• Kuu falling down the stairs looked fucking stupid.

• Rakka looking for a new room could be representative of searching for her own identity. Or it could just be nothing. Or maybe something else entirely. Who knows?

• I have mixed feelings on the cinematography when Kuu starts acting a bit weird, talks about the cup, and runs out. The halo is CGI, but it looks convincingly 2D. It adds a nice touch of movement. Kuu’s finger when she rubbed it against the window had an unnatural number of frames, adding strangeness to an already strange action which is good. Kuu running out seemed janky though. The length of her strides did not match the distance she was travelling. This is supposed to be basic animation, yet the show seems to consistently have a problem with this. The weird panning when we see Rakka trying to digest what just happened seems unnecessary and stupid. A wide shot of the door and Rakka, who is facing away from the door and is distant from the door, would have been a lot better.

• The rainwater pouring down Rakka’s face was a good shot though. Powerful, even. Nah. I won’t go THAT far.

• I bet Kana’s so gay for Kuu.

• Rakka helping Kana out, against Reki’s will, displays a lot of inner strength. Rakka is far from just cutesy and shy.

• What an ending line. “In the end, everyone leaves me”.

• Well, that was the wheels have finally started really turning this episode. The pacing’s faster than usual, following the usual “climax mountain” model. Kuu’s character wasn’t really explored this episode. Rather, she was used to introduce the Day of Flight, a core concept to the life of a Haibane. A lot of it parallels death in with its unexpectedness and it involving leaving. What’s interesting though is that it implies the Haibane is going to a better place. The Haibane clearly all have the latent desire to leave the walls, and the Day of Flight is exactly the fulfillment of that desire. Yet, it’s still very sad for the other Haibane. It’s interesting, especially when you consider Reki’s last line. Good episode.
"There’s no point in the world. But isn’t that wonderful? Because if there isn’t one, then you can decide what it is for yourself."
~ Filicia Heideman, Sora no Woto

"Senpai...please grow up."
~ Fumi Manjoume, Aoi Hana

"I wonder what tomorrow will bring."
~ Yunocchi, Hidamari Sketch: Sae and Hiro's Graduation Arc

Jun 24, 2017 2:07 PM

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Sep 2015
677
Well this show is getting dark pretty damn quick. What's the over/under that the Haibane leaving is something much worse than it sounds like? It was so unexpected to. I thought the halo shimmering meant Kuu was sad or something. And this would be her focus episode where Rakka finds out what's wrong with her. Not that her time is running out. My current theory. I've thought for awhile Old Town was some sort of afterlife. Seems a natural assumption. I think once they've come to terms with their lives (deaths?) and who they are they move on. Either permanently, to another afterlife or maybe they're reincarnated? Either way the introduction of something this sad and mysterious just does not bode well.

It started so light hearted and humorously too, with Kana bungling the clock chime. I was really surprised by the direction this particular episode took. Though not the series overall. Reki's quiet sadness was one of the things that caught my attention the most near the end. "Everyone I know leaves me." I wonder what spurred that on. And if as Kana implies Reki really does know more than she's letting on. I've been hooked from Episode 1 and now the series is reeling me in. My only complaint about this total emotional sucker punch. Is that when they were in the rain coats it was weirdly hard to tell Rakka and Kana apart.
Nov 10, 2017 8:19 AM

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Jun 2013
1245
I don't, either, think we were supposed to be sad specifically for Kuu. It's about the hole she left in the group, and how Rakka was able to get attached to the group so fast. Kuu never had an episode dedicated to her, so I wasn't particularly fond of her - she was just a good kid as far as I know, yet the sensation of grief hit me nonetheless when Rakka picked up the now faded halo. The fact that Rakka hasn't been able to stop wondering about the world beyond the wall may complicate the situation further.

Reki implied that this wasn't the first time she had to watch a fellow Feathers take off. Is it random chance, or does every Feather have to fulfill some sort of a condition, in order to qualify for the First Flight?


I got the impression of a psychiatric rehabilitation facility. The patients left behind may experience conflicting emotions: they are happy that the individual is ready for the outside world, but they also miss them dearly.
LeeTailorNov 10, 2017 8:55 AM
Jan 12, 2018 5:50 AM
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Nov 2016
15239
Although Kuu wasn't really a stand-out character, it was depressing all the same.



Mar 23, 2018 6:57 AM

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May 2017
194
I thought that Kana and Kuu are guys, especially Kuu. Decent episode, I wonder what the condition for the flight is?
Apr 7, 2018 7:07 AM

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Feb 2018
601
It seems that Angel Beats took a lot from this show. Figures.

Anyway, first great episode in the series after 5 (five!) pretty dull ones.
I figure that they all have a purpose to why they are there, to best their own flaws, and then they leave the place.

Hopefully the pace will continue this way.
Sep 6, 2018 6:54 AM

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Mar 2012
8059
Based on how Rakka was falling in ep 1 and now this, I wonder if the Haibane are people who committed suicide and once their regrets are gone they are able to move on to what awaits them in the after world (maybe heaven or reincarnation).



「あなたのためなら世界中を敵にしてもかまわない」
"If it was for your sake I wouldn't mind even if I had to turn the whole world into my enemy"
May 13, 2019 10:11 AM

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Jul 2016
7488
An ok episode, definitely better than the previous slow burners.
May 13, 2019 10:11 AM

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Jul 2016
7488
I liked the ending, but that Cou's development came out of nowhere.
Jun 22, 2019 5:31 AM

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Oct 2012
7188
The way Kuu say "sayonara" to the owner she worked at is pretty clear hint to me
It's a pretty rare word to say in Japanese to someone you meet everyday

It's kinda sad how Rakka didn't catch any obvious hints Kuu gave to her
It's the first time for Rakka but not for Reki
Rayl1ghtJun 22, 2019 5:35 AM
"Signature removed"
Jun 23, 2019 12:54 PM

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Mar 2018
449
I hope the rest of the series is as good as this episode. I loved it.
Mar 22, 2020 2:26 PM
Shalltear

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Apr 2018
34409
So there is a day where they must disappear ? fucking sad episode, poor Kuu
Jul 25, 2020 8:49 PM
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Aug 2019
63
why did it have to be kuu :((( i cried when rakka picked up the halo. i will always keep kuu close to my heart :((
Nov 22, 2020 8:09 AM

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Feb 2020
1300
Wow, that last scene was poignant. So if I understood correctly, this "Day of Flight" is basically death ? And it seems that Reki didn't tell the entire truth to the children in order to protect them, to prevent them from being too depressed. Plus, if that's really that then it means that every Haibane is doomed to a similar fate and they have no idea when it's gonna happen, and to whom. Wait, it's just like real life actually. More or less. I feel bad for those little angels.
There's something that particularly intrigues me, it's been mentionned that they didn't have a Day of Flight in years because there hasn't been a new cocoon in years, so does that mean that for each newborn, an Haibane has to die ? So Rakka is indirectly responsible for Kuu's death, wow, that's dark. There's also something I wanted to mention, we learned Kuu has been always trying to be like her "sisters", and now she's finally been able to be herself, should I assume that the Day of Flight happens when an Haibane finally accomplished wathever they wanted to accomplish ? There is something incredibly bittersweet about all this.
Oh and Reki, I feel so bad for her. She seems to have been through a lot and to have lost many dear ones.
Mar 16, 2021 8:45 AM

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Sep 2015
670
Most interesting episode so far for sure. Kuu's halo giving out was scary.
can dis sig fit
Mar 31, 2021 11:05 PM
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Jun 2017
298
So I was right, after all. That "something" did happen. I guess this is the turning point of the series.

I find it very interesting that some pointed out this world to be the Purgatory, but it doesn't seem to be true. Yes, they may be atoning for something, but what's the point of atonement if you don't know what are you atoning for?

I guess more about Reki's past will be revealed in the next episodes.

RIP Kuu, though I didn't feel any connection with her.

Her aura/halo/nimbus was lifeless. I wonder what they really are. Why do they need to be heated? Where do they come from? How do they get fixated above the Haibane's heads? What's their function? Why was it waning and not just simply losing its light?
May 2, 2021 6:01 AM

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Mar 2019
80
In my thoughts there is a drinking cup. A transparent cup, really beautiful. And inside it, tiny drops keep falling. Slowly, but steadily, day by day. And today I had the feeling that it was completely full.

Kuu's last words moved my heart, her words feel like on the edge of the abyss, like a warm hopelessness, feelings of depression expressed in a very subtle way.

Loved it </3
Jul 30, 2021 11:11 AM

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Jun 2020
1628
Amazing episode. The music played at the end was absolutely stunning. RIP Kuu.
Feb 6, 2022 8:25 PM

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Feb 2021
2347
not as bad bad as the first five eps, but still boring. why do ppl think this show is so symbolic? evangelion has better religious symbolism than this and even that's not saying much
Mar 19, 2022 10:41 PM

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Nov 2018
338
We never know when it might be the last time we speak or share a moment of grace with one of our friends or family. Take every moment as the most valuable one while you still can, life is unpredictable and full of moments where we will never be able to turn it back and only realize it until it's too late.
Mar 9, 2023 4:21 PM

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Dec 2022
5293
Feels more like a "Day of Light" than a Day of Flight, but I presume it's metaphorical.
The melancholy in this episode is pervasive, especially when you consider that many more of these disappearances are likely to occur in quick succession, following a lengthy spell without them.


╔⏤═⏤╝ ╚⏤═⏤╗
Shaded Horizon


Apr 8, 2023 12:41 PM

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Dec 2020
32
i only just found that kuu was actually a girl.. she was one of my favorites along with rakka and now it feels like it's going to be a little duller that she's gone. i wonder where she's actually gone to. did she fly over the walls, to possibly somewhere in the outer world? or does ''day of flight'' have some sort of symbolic meaning for the concept of death? i really don't want to believe that she's dead though.
Sep 12, 2023 5:00 PM

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Sep 2017
4065
So the awaited tragedy finally struck.
This episode felt so long yet short at the same time.
هیچوقت بهتر نمیشه
Jun 2, 3:15 PM

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Jan 2022
951
On that day, the Haibane received a grim reminder...
Jul 25, 8:40 AM

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Jul 2016
2375
The moment you realize the ringing of Kana's clock tower was a death knell all along. I get the whole episode was leading up to it but seeing Kuu's unlit halo was still heavy.
Aug 29, 3:16 AM
2nd Lieutenant

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Aug 2024
275
I love the interactions between the characters in this anime. It's all realistic unlike the new ones. Anyways, Kuu has achieved her Day of Flight. Farewell, Kuu!
Oct 19, 3:23 PM

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Jul 2020
90
Quite possibly the best episode so far. Drama, tension, emotion and worldbuilding in spades. "For whom the bell tolls"
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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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