If
Haibane Renmei were adapted into a two-hour movie centred instead on a male middle-school senior, it would most probably turn out
Colorful like this.
Not impossible.
After all, both productions already share the same composer,
Kou Otani. And the character designs did vaguely resemble those of a much younger
Yoshitoshi ABe, especially the way Makoto looked towards the end of the movie — he reminded me heavily of
Lain.
Great movie. Thanks for highlighting an otherwise overlooked gem. It'll take a few more viewings for some of its subtleties to sink in, I suspect, covering as it does a broad range of issues, from bullying to existential angst, family breakdowns and redemption, framed in the context of Buddhist/Japanese society.