Haibane Renmei Art Book English Translation
Cover
グリの
In the town of Guri, in the Garden of the Charcoal Feathers
Yoshitoshi ABe
Book of Haibane Renmei Paintings
Front Leaf
この
The author hopes that you will pick up this book, that this book will help you enjoy the Haibane Renmei animated show, and that Haibane Renmei becomes a special story for you.
2-3 Contents
Birth name／Pronuciation／age／Final Name
空＝sky, 宇＝roof, house, heaven
落下＝falling down, 絡＝entangle, entwine, involved 果=extreme, to the limit; nut
河=stream, river 魚＝fish
光＝ray, light
礫＝small stone
眠＝sleep
4-5 プロローグ Prologue
From a fluffy little seed, Haibane suddenly come into this world.
Before long, the seed becomes a cocoon. Tearing through this cocoon, the Haibane is born.
In the cocoon, Haibane have a dream. It is from this dream that Haibane get the name that they use while in this world.
Their wings spring forth, and once the Haibane become familiar with this world, they find work.
Not angels, not people, this is the life of a Haibane.
やがて
And before long, the day comes when it is time to leave the nest.
6-7
A girl falls headlong through charcoal-gray skies. She emerges from thick clouds as a green town spreads beneath her eyes.
8-9
On the outskirts of town is "Old Home."
Reki the Haibane found a large cocoon just before its hatching time.
10-11 チャコール・フェザー Charcoal Feathers
That evening, the girl born from the cocoon gets wings.
Moonlight shines on wet wings
The sound of a comb, running through blood-covered wings
「
They're real…
「きれいな
Such beautiful feathers. Not white, not black, but beautiful charcoal feathers.」
Overhead, a crowning halo. Borne on her back, small charcoal-gray wings.
And thus the girl comes into this world as a Haibane.
12-13
「
"I dreamt I was in a pure white light, so I'm called Hikari (light)."
「
"I dreamt I was drifting like a fish in a river, so I'm called Kana (river fish), ka from kawa (river), na from sakana (fish)."
I have only one memory left from my cocoon dream.
I dreamt of a girl falling through the sky.
「ほかにも
There's something else, too,…but I can't recall.
「じゃ、
"Well then, let's call you Rakka, after the characters for 'fall down.'
あなたの
Your name is Rakka."
14-15
「ようこそ、
"Welcome to our Old Home."
16-17
The five of us welcome you as one of our own.
Your gentle life begins here.
18-19 グレー・スカイズ Gray Skies
「カナ、あたしも
"Kana, give me a ride!"
「
"But it's a long way into town, geez!"
The Haibanes' nest is on the outskirts of town, so commuting to town is always a hassle.
Haibane and people share the town of Guri.
In town, Haibane do not pay for their things with money. They do services for the people.
それが
This is the life of a full-fledged Haibane.
20-21
Surrounded by walls, Guri has a large gate and plaza North of the town center.
When the Toga merchant caravan turns up at this closed town, the plaza suddenly comes alive.
The only person who understands the Toga's difficult sign language is the Haibane Renmei Communicator.
Nobody in town knows of the world outside the walls.
22-23
Deep inside the Western Woods sits the Temple of the Haibane Renmei, an enormous edifice made of stone.
「
"Kindred soul Rakka, from this day forward, we accept you as one of us."
The communicator then majestically recited:
「
"For you,
For your home,
お
A good Haibane
おらねばならない」
You must become
24-25
「この
"Somewhere outside this town, there is a town that I lived in until now…
そう
I know this because there is another world that I cannot recall.
アホか
Are you stupid?
イテテテテテ
Ouch ouch ouch
ねっこがるには
Wings sure make it hard to lie on your back
う〜〜〜
Ooh…
26-27
On her day off, she goes to town with everyone
「
"After you get accustomed to town, you need to search for work."
28-29
レキの
Reki's job is looking after the very young Haibane who are left in the care of Old Home.
30-31
クウはカフェでお
Kuu's job is helping at the cafe
ヒカリはパン
Hikari keeps busy at the bakery
32-33
カナは
Kana is the Clock Maker's apprentice
ネムは
Nemu is a librarian at the big library
この
These are the dreams and the whereabouts of the Haibane that live in this town.
34-35
Working, supporting each other,
この
this is their means of living in this town.
そんあ
Such a common sense thing, they had no knowledge of before coming here.
「いいのなら、
"It's just so nice, times like this make me so happy."
Once your body gets used to your wings, the discomfort passes.
36-37
Dark clouds quickly pass through Summer.
38-39 ブラック・マーク Black Mark
「
"My heart is like a cup"
Every day, drop by drop, my glass cup fills up a little more.
「それでね、
"And so today, it feels like my cup became full."
Suddenly, Kuu's face seemed like an adult's as her fingertips followed the raindrops on the window pane.
ラッカの
Somehow, Rakka's heart felt pierced
40-41
Outside the window, a bird's shadow
A pillar of light shines through a stormy sky
For Haibane, they look forward to the day when they leave the nest and pass over the walls, their Day of Flight.
「ほんとに
"It must be nice to really be able to fly"
いつかの
Some day, above the town roads
「
"If you believe, then some day you will certainly fly."
クウはまっすくな
With innocent eyes, Kuu flapped her small wings.
42-43
『ラッカも、私に
"Rakka, you also gave me some drops…. So thank you."
クウのこと
Kuu's words filled Rakka's heart.
「みんな、私を
"Everyone… eventually everyone leaves me," Reki murmurred, unheard.
44-45
Paintings on the wall
Figurines on the windowsill
クウの
Reminders of Kuu gradually fade
「
"I know I shouldn't cry…"
A feeble flap of wings, and a sickly feather falls to her feet.
46-47
みるみる
In a flash, the black area spread
Black feathers are a sign of being "sin bound"
Reki's unexpected revelation
A cocoon dream she cannot recall
What is this place?
どこにもない
Nowhere
48-49
「
"Me? … Is something calling me?"
A flock of birds calls from the forest
50-51
I've been entrusted with this body at the the bottom of the well.
This is a message from somebody dear to to me, somebody departed!
If my dream was real
I need to go back and apologize
いつしか
The falling snow piles up, unnoticed.
52-53
『
"On who knows their sin is without sin.
では、
So I ask thee,
Art thou a sinner?"
54-55
『レキ、
Reki, I found my dream at the bottom of the well…"
ラッカの
Rakka's back once again bore beautiful charcoal feathers.
ふたりだけの
Her black feathers remained a secret between just the two of them.
56-57 オールド…アッシュ Old Ash
『
"Don't worry about me.
Even if I'm alone
I'll be fine."
「えっ？」
"What?"
「
"I don't want to drag you down with me."
レキは
Reki's time as a Haibane was running out.
She hurried off, fille with impatience and unfulfilled promise.
58-59
Through all her days, she has been left behind by those Haibane who had been blessed.
Memories of 7 years' worth of this curse
そして
And this year again looks to be another winter just the others.
60-61
Alone, I keep searching for my dream
Give up
Or be determined, I'm filled with mixed feelings
「もう、
"Fine, let's finish this."
62-63
A red moon above
Steel rails below
A truth that jabs at her
This is the dark world of Reki (轢=killed by being run over)
Being wrung out
Again and again
A blocked doorway
64-65
『
"I found your cocoon all by myself!
I was so happy!
これはきっと
This is certainly a special gift.
This is a sign from God.
うんと
I will be kind to this one.
ずっと
I will be together with this one for a long time.
Now it is my turn
クラモリっみたいに
to be like Kuramori
and be a good Haibane."
It was as if the moonlit portrait of Kuramori,
ラッカを
wearing a warm smile, was calling out to Rakka.
66-67
「
I will save Reki
and help her towards her day of flight."
68-69
Signs of her being sin-bound vanished
It was as if the snow washed them away
70-71 スノウ・ホワイト Snow White
「…いつか、また
"Some day, we'll see be able to each other again."
「うん。そう…
"Yes…I believe so."
At the forest's edge, she waved back…
ーオールドホーム
…Old Home
72-73
「…レキは、
Reki found peace?
「…よかった」
I'm glad.
ゲストルームの
On the walls of the guest room
レキの
hung the paintings Reki left behind.
キャンバスの
Same as on the canvas
brighter days
もうそこまで
were coming.
74-75
「…私は、レキの
"Reki, I will never forget you."
76-77 エピローグ Epilogue
Cocoon dreams. Sin-bound. Leaving the nest.
Ring of sin. Bathed in light. True names.
Blessings.
Haibane who are not blessed, without such gifts, are left behind.
Haibane who are blessed, they acquire their true name
and fly over the walls that protected them while they were Haibane.
Kuu, Kana, Hikari, Nemu, Reki,…and now, Rakka.
They spent their days together.
またいつか、
One by one, they will each have their day of flight.
78-79
グリの
In the town of Guri, in the garden of the charcoal feathers
安倍 吉俊 Yoshitoshi ABe
１９７１
Born in Tokyo in 1971. Masters degree in painting from Tokyo University of Fine Arts.
『
Prizewinner in "Monthly Afternoon" 1994 Four Seasons summer contest. In 1998, worked on Gamesoft's "Backloader" while in college.
さらに同年(どうねん）ＴＶ
Furthermore, that same year started working on the original character design for the TV show "serial experiments lain."
アニメ
Published a serialized illustrated story of this same work "Omnipresence" in an anime magazine.
読いてオリジナルキャラクターデザインで
Worked on original character designs for serialization of "NieA_7" in "Monthly S NEXT."
Produced the "Haibane Renmei" books and also worked on scenarios for the complete animated series. Worked as a character designer and illustrator, and displayed his talent as a storyteller.
From his elaborate backgrounds that show his artistic skill and his subtle human forms come original worlds that attract numerous fans from overseas.
His work includes "serial experiments lain," "NieA_7," "Haibane Renmei," "TEXHNOLYZE," and more.
あとがき Postface
２００２年の５月２日、
If you want to be precise, Yoshitoshi ABe started to write the plot for the story "Haibane Renmei" on May 2, 2002 or the next morning.
その
He can still clearly recall the uplifting feeling of that time, the deep feelings as his fingertips struck the keyboard.
If I recall correctly, I plunged straight to the bottom my unconsciousness, which I usually keep tightly sealed away.
そこで見いだしたものは、
There I found signs which pointed me to the conclusion for this story.
In one way or another, all the elements of Haibane Renmei are connected in that way.
その
(At least to me,) I think that such a structure makes this story special.
この
The author hopes that you will pick up this book, that this book will help you enjoy the Haibane Renmei animated show, and that Haibane Renmei becomes a special story for you.