Episode 3: Washi, Pancakes, Confusing morality play involving carrots

Episode 3: Washi, Pancakes, Confusing morality play involving carrots


The show opens with the sound of footsteps in a hallway and the sight of Rakka looking around. It's possible that she's looking for whoever is playing the soundtrack at the moment. This building appears to have enough history and vacancies to house many backstory-filled episodes. Too bad there are only 13 of them, but it adds an aura.


Rakka: As I’m wandering around this mostly-vacant dormitory, I keep coming across pieces of foundation falling around me. I hope that’s not foreshadowing!


She turns and continues, but not before reminding people that her halo causes her hair to make funny noises and stand on end.


Rakka: If I don't get some resolution on this subplot soon I'm going to hit somebody.


Rakka continues to a door and contemplates knocking, which is the most tension-filled moment in the series thus far.


Reki screams


Rakka: That wasn't anywhere near as cool as my scream a few episodes back. You'll have to do better.


Reki is sitting on the floor, covered by a blanket and not paying attention to Rakka's taunts. She looks unnerved.


Rakka: Are you okay?


Reki: I'm fine. I fell out of bed. I fall out of my top bunk and scream all of the time. This is normal. Are you buying any of this?


Rakka: Not really, but how did you get the blanket off of you so fast?


Reki: Just chalk it up to a very rare continuity flaw.


Rakka: So, you paint?


Reki: I do, but there's no way I'm showing it to you now. It's too soon in the story for those revelations.


Rakka: Are they in here?


Reki shouts "Panic" and "Plot Point!" at the same time, but it just comes out as "Don't" when spoken aloud. Must be a translation error.


Reki: Sorry, but I'm a mess. Crap, I mean I'm a mess in that room. I mean...oh screw it, just hold off on that place until the last episode, okay?


Rakka: Sure enough. Breakfast is ready.


Reki: My smokes and I would like to eat alone this morning.


Rakka: I've also been called to the Hi, Bonny! Renmei temple. Who's she?


Reki: Just take a secondary character along and you'll be fine.


Rakka leaves Reki and her cigarette to themselves. Reki makes a deep sigh and soon as the door closes and kicks the bucket.


INTELLECTUAL ANIME FANS: WOW, that has to be symbolism! Did she just resign herself to her own eventual death?


Reki: Oh for the love of....would you just notice that I'm talking about my recurring dream that is apparently not pleasant? That's all I was going for.


Scene change: We're at the hill of windmills, and life is again simple and Rakka is agonizing over little things again.


Rakka: Should I worry that I burst in on her?


Hikari: Would you be the new and adorably shy character if you didn't?


Rakka: Understood.


Nemu: Reki and I used to room together and we used to fight a lot. That really doesn't have anything to do with what's going on in this episode, but keep it in your back pocket for future reference, okay?


Rakka: I guess. Are we not following Nemu into town?


Hikari: No, the temple is on the outskirts and nowhere near something familiar and safe. If it was, we could have mentioned it in the last episode, but there are different themes this time.


Rakka and Hikari head in one direction and Nemu in another.


Hikari: I noticed your halo is finally up on its own. I can sleep a little easier now.


Rakka: Why is that?


Hikari: No reason - hey look a bridge over a waterfall!


Hikari's misdirection works, as Rakka stares apprehensively at the bridge crossing the falls.


Rakka: You think I'm crossing this thing?


Hikari: Come on! I'll show you how safe it is by flailing around like a girl who often wants to be part of the action but ends up biting off more than she can chew!


Rakka: You'd never do that to my detriment, would you?


Hikari: Hold that thought, I'm slipping!


Rakka grabs Hikari's arm and runs to the other side.


Hikari: The reminds me, we're not going to be going through what names mean this episode, but I know there are some people who haven't caught on yet. Can you almost fall to your death after watching me almost fall to mine?


Rakka: Will do.


Rakka trips on a pebble and almost starts falling down the side of a cliff.


Rakka: Do you think the audience gets it yet?


Hikari: I hope so. I'm just glad Nemu isn't going through all of this, or this part of the episode would have dragged on for quite awhile.


The girls reach a rather ominous building. We're not told what it is yet, it could be a giant outhouse for all we know. Suddenly we see a sickle attached to a man wearing a straw hat, a robe, and a face mask. He says nothing, yet stares intently at the girls.


Rakka: Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be offering up my firstborn by the end of this series?


CREEPY ANIME FANS: Wow! That'd be a cool plot twist!


Hikari: Shh!


Hikari and Rakka silence themselves in front of the unnamed guy, who promptly puts bells on the tips of their wings. Hikari tries to give him the halo mold, but the mute man directs them inside.


ANNOYING ANIME FANS: I can't believe the stupid American dub removed a whole section of dialog, just because they couldn't figure out how to translate the Toga's commands. Next time I'm sticking to my fansubs instead of downloading the dubbed version!!


Hikari: You do that. We've got to go inside. Rakka, you can't talk in here. Flap your left wing for “yes,” and your right wing for “no.”


Rakka: The Haibane Renmei sound much too political for me.


They enter what appears to be the temple, and it's impressive. Inside is a garden with an open ceiling. There are trees, plants, and apparently a man who fancies himself as the next Wizard of Oz.


Communicator: Haibane, I hope my voice gives off enough fear and authority to keep you in your place.


Haikari flaps a wing, but Rakka's not paying attention. She could have been saying yes, no, or “I've got an inch right on that spot on my wing I can't scratch, please help me!” and Rakka would not have been able to know. They proceed.


Communicator: Your name is Rakka, correct? Of the Old Home nest, I believe you are Number 6.


Rakka almost pops a vein trying to get her right wing to go up on its own.


Communicator Please try to acclimate yourself to your new wings. Man, I can say anything in this voice and come off as assertive. I need to use this to keep the dog off the couch at home.


Rakka and Hikari, unable to say anything, just stare.


Communicator: Enjoy your stay. Remember to find a job and be a good Haibane. Those are probably obscure ideas for you at the moment, and I should probably tell you not to fret the “good Haibane” thing so much. It may just send you into a depression that lasts for years, but that's just a theory. Anything else?


Rakka and Hikari flap “no.”


Communicator: Be seeing you.


They both leave, and we fade to a new scene outside of the temple.


Rakka: That was nerve-wracking – I suspect that you withheld information in order to feel like you were in charge.


Hikari: But you got your wings to work.


Rakka: (ignoring her) Hi, Kuu!!


Hikari: Huh? I know this is a somewhat artsy Japanese show, but we largely refrain from poetry when simply conversing.


Rakka: No, I just saw Kuu over by the windmills.


Hikari: She's not there now. Must just be a random coincidence. I'm sure we'll explore that a little more later. I'm off to work.


Rakka: I'm off to Old Home to check in with Reki.


Hikari: You know, when chicks are first hatched they latch onto the first thing they see – it's called “imprinting.” I have no idea why I thought of that just now.


Rakka: Aren't you late for work?


Hikari moves on down the road, while Rakka turns and sees Reki chasing down a crew of unexplained children. She's got a frying pan in one hand and a spatula in the other. We are not hold what this ancient Haibane disciplinary ritual would entail, and it is perhaps rather disturbing since the children run off when Reki is sidetracked when she sees Rakka.


Reki: How'd it go?


Rakka: Hikari didn't tell me what the heck was going on, so I was freaked out by the old guy with the reverb box under his mask.


Reki: Don't listen to him to much – I never have and I turned out okay!


Rakka: I'm not touching that one – so I take it you cook?


Reki: I do, I'm basically the babysitter for the little feathers.


Rakka: Can I help? It feels like this episode is going to be rather laid back so I might as well contribute to the feel.


Reki: You do that, but while you do you're getting another info dump.


Rakka: Fire away, we've been pretty light on this so far today.


Reki: Here's the thing: There aren't a lot of places Haibane can work. Jobs are limited to things that fit this quaint setting.


Rakka: None of the Haibane work in a beer brewery or direct low-budget slasher films I take it.


Reki: Hardly.


Rakka: So in looking for a job, I should choose something fitting to the setting of the series, and thereby revealing a little bit of character development along the way?


Reki: Bingo. Maybe you can shadow each of us, and it'll fill up more episodes and establish characters and settings before any major conflict arises later.


Rakka: I see – so your job is to boss the little kids around, correct?


Reki: Not bad.


We enter a room full of unexplained children whining over bowls of carrots. Adding to the confusion is an old woman.


Old Woman: Did they get away?


Reki: For now. Why can't we get these little brats to eat their carrots?


Old Woman: Because they have a lousy teacher. Start shoveling!


Reki: Rakka, start earning your keep.


ANNOYING ANIME FANS: Wow, the animation just took a serious dive. What third-world country did they outsource their backgrounds to in this episode? That photograph of Hikari looks horrible!


Undeterred, Reki coaxes Rakka into eating the carrots.


Rakka: I hope cooked carrots are directly involved in the Haibane Renmei's plan for us, because this whole scene is kind of strange.


Reki: Just eat them, it's your first job as a good Haibane.


Rakka: The Renmei have some rather odd soteriology (*takes a bite*) mmm good! (to Reki) got a bucket handy?


Reki: Hold on, I've got to traumatize Hana here – hey, kid! Eat your carrots or a monster's going to come get you.


Hana is shocked by this revelation, and flees to Rakka's side only to get distracted.


Hana: You smell like cake!


The other kids surround her and take a smell. The kids start clamoring for pancakes. For whatever reason, everyone except Reki can smell it.


INTELLECTUAL ANIME FANS: I wonder if that's because her senses are so numb to those around her. She's such a tortured, complex individual that she can't even tell when her...


Reki: ...Or, it may be because I've got a cigarette in my mouth and can't smell anything faint anymore.


The Old Woman puts a stop to this, as she demands the kids finish their carrots in order to get pancakes.


Rakka: You know, this whole scene has been weird, so I'll volunteer to go get them so I can leave.


Rakka does so, and a number of prodigal unexplained children meet up with her. She offers them amnesty. After this bit of reconciliation, Kuu runs up to Rakka.


Rakka: Nice hat.


Kuu: Glad you noticed it, but it's just a hat. No, really.


Rakka: I believe you, and I'm sure it'll come off later on and simply be a rare wardrobe change. Can you tell me where Hikari's bakery is?


Kuu: Let's go now.


Rakka: Did I see you in the windmills a little while ago?


Kuu: Probably, I was going into town to buy this hat.


Rakka: That's not really what I asked, but it is cute.


Kuu: Ignoring that - Tally Ho!


Kuu's also finds out that it's easy to redirect the newbie as they continue to bike into town.


Rakka: I wish we could just fly there.


Kuu: We will someday, just trust me. And since I'm the youngest main character, I'm allowed to speak wisdom into a moment that may be misconstrued as simple child-like wishing.


Rakka: And since I'm new here, I have no idea how to take what you just said.


This short bout of foreshadowing is interrupted by scenes of the village. We have a montage of Kuu playing tour guide to Rakka, along with Kuu extending her arms out.


Rakka: Are you doing a sobriety test?


Kuu: No, it just kind of looks like I'm flying.


Rakka: But you already have wings.


Kuu: I'm just going to have to play the "youngest main character" card. Besides, it's cute!


Rakka: True, so since everyone has a job, what is yours?


Kuu: I clean tables and get sugar cubes.


Rakka: So Haibane are pretty much cheap labor for the townsfolk?


Kuu: Yeah, Nemu works at the library and tells me that all of the books about labor unions mysteriously vanished one night.


Rakka: Strange.


Kuu: Changing topics, I'm happy to be in a unique position where I get to act like both your superior and little sister at once.


Rakka: It's almost providential.

We see in the distance an older man speaking to a crow while waving a broom at him. This appears to not have the desired effect, since the crow is neither leaving nor talking back to the man.

Kuu: It must be the cubes, I can't keep on a single topic today, sorry. Aren't the crows interesting? You have been paying attention to them, right?

Rakka: They've been in every episode so far, so I'm guessing they're important.

Kuu: Like I'm going to say this early in the series. Just keep it in mind that as your superior that you hold in high regard, I kind of want to talk to them. If this gives off the notion of me as being intuitive regarding the world around me in ways others aren't -- or possibly even a little flighty -- my work is almost done here.

Rakka: Now that I'm lost in thought about the crows, what were we doing? Oh yeah, getting to Hikari's bakery.

Kuu and Rakka enter Hikari's Bakery, which likely has a different name than "Hikari's Bakery" given the Haibane's social stature.

Unnamed Women: You must be friends of Hikari's? She's in the back.

ANNOYING ANIME FANS: Why is the woman sitting at the counter forced to wear a head covering while none of the other females preparing the food are? I'm sick of all of these continuity issues! I'm off to another series....

Rakka: I give up – what is with them?


Kuu: How to explain this....do you see those trees over there? (points out the window)


Rakka: You mean the ones in the forest?


Kuu: Exactly. They can't. And if you can't see the trees everyone else can, it must be their fault.

Rakka: Sounds depressing.

Kuu and Rakka enter the kitchen and it's loud and busy -- as least as loud and busy as things get in this series. Hikari and a few older men are working and shouting bread types at each other.

Old Man: Are you friends of Hikari's?

Rakka: *Sighs* Yes we are. So much for sneaking in here and grabbing a few bear claws while going incognito.

Hikari: Hi guys!

Rakka: We're here to establish where you work, buy some treats for the unexplained children, and help with anything else you need to do.

Hikari: Great, I've been wanting to wrap up a minor subplot or two for awhile now, but hang on I'm kind of busy.

Old Man: She does great work here!

Hikari: I know it's rare of me to deflect credit or attention, but every one else does more.

Old Man: Not at all, in fact, we made a new pastry out of this ring-shaped mold that kind of looks like a halo. You know, like the ones on your heads. I wonder where she got it.

Rakka: Well, that wraps up two subplots at once! Still, I want to establish that I'm kind of cute when I'm angry at little things.

Hikari: And if I act sheepish, will that help?

Rakka: Maybe a little. I still want the last word in this argument as lead character.

INTELLECTUAL ANIME FANS: Does Hikari's use of such an important tool of The Renmei in this cavalier manner suggest that she is in fact a free-thinking Haibane, one that does not see uses for such archaic instruments that merely support a caste system among living individuals? Why is this series focusing so little on a defiant character wishing to subversively bring about change in a novel manner?

Kuu: We warned you last time. Too much more and we'll attack again.

The scene changes back to Reki and the Old Women watching the unexplained children chomp down on some sacrilegious doughnuts.

Reki: I guess we should somehow tie this all back to carrots.

Old Woman: I can one up you and tie your dislike of carrots to the fact that you're still a kid inside, despite all of the cigarettes and bossiness that attempt to hide it.

Reki: Ouch! That kind of stings for a throwaway line.

Old Woman: And what if I just causally mention that you ran away once? Would that solidify my arguments?

INTELLECTUAL ANIME FANS: So the carrots represent Reki's emotionally stunted psyche? Or do halo cakes represent her desire to go back to a time when she didn't have to worry about the life of an adult?

Reki: Huh? Seriously, sometimes a carrot is just a carrot. Don't knock yourselves out over it again.

Back in the dining room and Hikari is showing off her latest invention.

Kana: Wow, I forgot I was in this episode!

Nemu: Me too.

Kana: At least you got a few lines earlier!

Kuu: Don't worry, you'll get your turn. I don't even butt into your episode as much, Kana!

However, Rakka hears none of this. She's washing her halo under a sink in the other room. Apparently the halo comes off once it sticks. Who knew?

Hikari: I'm sorry. On the upside, my character is better established, right?

Rakka: Wait until I put my halo back on.

Hikari: It sounds like your hair is still making funny noises.

Rakka: Oh well, I guess if we end this episode with a laugh, people will think everything is cute and cheery from now on. I'll let them think that for now.