| Haibane Renmei Episode 03 Temple — The Communicator — Pancakes | |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 寺院 — 話師 — パンケーキ |
| Rōmaji | Jiin — Washi — Pankēki |
| Production Staff | |
| Screenplay | Yoshitoshi ABe |
| Episode Director | Hiroshi Kimura |
| Episode Navigation | |
| Previous | Town and Wall — Toga — Haibane Renmei |
| Next | Trash Day — Clock Tower — Birds Flying Over the Walls |
Episode Summary[]
Rakka answers her summons to the Haibane Renmei Temple, and Hikari makes the journey with her in order to return the Halo mold. With a notebook in hand, all Rakka must do to become a fully functional haibane is to obtain a job. In order to choose which would be best for her, Rakka begins visiting locations in Glie that allow haibane employees. While sampling Reki's job as a caretaker for the young feathers, she is required to visit Hikari's bakery.
Plot Details[]
Old Home[]
Rakka walks the third floor of the west wing, looking for Reki's new room, though she finds the uninhabited area unsettling. Reki awakens from a nighmare and falls to the floor as Rakka approaches her room. She enters hastily to ensure Reki's safety, but feels awkward about letting herself in. Reki shares a few light-hearted moments with her, but when Rakka leaves for the Renmei temple, Reki is clearly still bothered and depressed.
Glie Roads[]
Nemu, Hikari, and Rakka walk together until they reach a crossroads. Nemu continues west into town, but Rakka and Hikari take the north path to the outskirts, where the Haibane Renmei Temple is located. The path there is somewhat dangerous; a thin strip of land is all the haibane have walk on between a cliff face and a straight drop, and they must cross a large, rope suspension bridge that Rakka is clearly apprehensive about traversing.
Haibane Renmei Temple[]
The temple gatekeeper attaches small bells to their wrists and wings. Hikari mentions to Rakka, too late for adequate warning, that they are not allowed to speak with the communicator and must signal their answers with simple wing gestures. Rakka, unable to voluntarily move her wings, is worried, but stays silent at that time.
Though she has trouble at first, she is able to force her wings to move. The communicator still scolds her for not making more effort to make them a functioning part of her body. He provides her with a Haibane Renmei notebook, which "guarantees her daily life," and informs her that the Renmei is there for them if they ever find themselves in trouble.
Glie Roads[]
Rakka vents on Hikari for not warning her about the need to control her wings, but Hikari dismisses it by saying that she performed well under pressure and, as a result, can now move them just fine. Rakka doesn't accept this excuse, but is distracted by seeing Kuu on the Hill of Winds. She calls out to her, but Kuu is now nowhere to be seen. At the fork, Hikari heads into town to go to work at the bakery, Rakka heads home to speak with Reki.
Old Home[]
As Rakka arrives, Reki is chasing down several young feathers who don't want to eat their breakfast, but they manage to escape. Rakka offers to help Reki and the housemother with the young feathers for the day, and Reki gladly accepts, telling Rakka her first assignment is to model how a good haibane eats their carrots. Midway through the lesson, one young feather claims that Rakka smells like cake, spurring the young feathers to rally for pancakes. The housemother agrees that all those who finish their carrots can do so - leading Reki to deduce that she herself was looking for an excuse to send the haibane for pancake supplies.
Rakka offers to travel to Hikari's bakery and pick them up, and on her way out Kuu offers to travel with her.
Glie[]
Arriving in Glie, Kuu confesses that she hoped for a younger sister, but after she realized that this would have placed Rakka as a young feather, she became glad Rakka was older. Rakka makes Kuu feel better by saying she's glad to have a superior like her. As they walk, they discuss the crows, agreeing that they are well intentioned and should be treated better.
Bakery[]
Important Quotations[]
Symbolism, Interpretation, and Theories[]
- Reki has moved into in the uninhabited area.
- Reki's retreat into the uninhabited area can be seen as a reflection of her own returning depression. Though few know of her sin-bound condition, she's been clinging to the hope that simply by caring for Rakka and being a "good haibane," that she would find salvation. The uninhabited area is actually a lot like Reki herself is feeling: neglected and falling apart in solitude. Rakka's search for her in this area, despite her discomfort at being there, can also be seen to foreshadow events to come late in the series.
- Kuu mentions that she believes it's possible for haibane to fly if they truly believe.
- A young feather accuses Rakka of smelling like cake.
- This is a throw-back to Episode 01, where it is hinted that Hikari knows that something is off about the halo. It is confirmed in this episode that she secretly used the halo mold as a baking pan, likely leading to its static properties and smelling of baked goods. Reki does deny that Rakka smells like cake, but this could be either a rouse to convince the young feathers to eat their carrots, or she simply may not notice due to chain-smoking desensitizing her sense of smell.