Rakka <3

Why is there a roll of tape over my head?

Not sure what to make of this one... XD

"It's raining, raining, on the streets of New York City.
It's raining, raining, raining deep in heaven..."

Hikari and Kana <3

More awesome Rakka images <3

Rakka is iPod-tan :o

Rakka and a young feather <3

Swimsuits aren't THAT NSFW, are they? :P

sigh I'm not a fan of yuri, I don't really support any couples, but this pic warms my heart for some reason. Does that make me bad? >>;

/r/ info on what this is crossed over with

Stellvia, I think. Could be wrong though, I haven't actually seen that series.

>>11
Um, last I checked, yuri wasn't bad. But then, that's a subjective thing, isn't it? :)

>>12
I also think it might be Stellvia, but I could also be wrong, since I only watched the first two episodes. It's not Evangelion, in any case...their plugsuits look too different.

Since we're on the topic of random images...have a Robo Reki.

>>11

The image is kind of shitty too...

>>1

with the static it has to be Rakka XD saved

>>11

while I'm a fan of yuri/shoujo-ai (and yaoi/shounen-ai) slash in many an anime, I don't care much to think about sexual/romantic activity of haibane (save an illicit affair between Reki and Hyouko since it seems to follow the plot). There whole purpose there is to atone for sins etc, it's not an actual full life, but a stepping stone. plus something in Haibane has an anti-aphrodesiac effect on me... I dunno, the whole show is just very platonic.

Anyways, those are my two cents and then some. I don't have anything against the picture or people who like it, just not my thing. But thanks for the pics.

>>18

Indeed. Haibane + sex/romance = no. But I just like the pic for some reason... o_o

>>15
most awesum random pic evar.

>>18

Although, I know this totally and completely unrelated and you're probably never going to read this, I have something to say about that.

I'm currently writing a visual novel (currently, most of the art swamps my homepage http://buttercupsaiyan.deviantart.com/) that is both writing and drawings ... and I have one avid fan that confuses me deeply.

The series is mostly kid-safe, save for adult themes of war and violence and some very gently implied things.

Yet, privately, I feel quite differently and write stories and art for myself that I do not distribute, knowing that it would trouble others.

What I can understand is this: how can a fan become more attached to the character than me? I've had one or two people just tell me that I was "wrong" about Yukina or Matthew's personality in regards to their sexuality, if the topic ever comes up! [sorry, I was trying to avoid mentioning specific names of characters, but it slipped in]

So, my question to you is, knowing that the creator of such a series probably considered these things but opted to leave them out to reach a wider audience .... would you still consider it platonic if you had access to the full range of their concept material and private doodles/deleted story chapters?

I don't dare compare myself to Abe Yoshitoshi, but it's just some food for thought ... please don't think badly of me ...

>>21
I like it when stories take you out of your comfort zone, but they shouldn't push it so much that it becomes excessively disturbing. (Although I still like that sometimes)

In my opinion a relationship between Rakka and Reki if done right could have been very tasteful, but push it too much it would ruin the series.

ps, I was thinking the other day how awesome a Haibane Renmei Visual Novel would be ^.^
pity I can't draw :(

>>21

Oh, hey BCS I remember you and your work from the shoujoai.com forums back when I used to post there (under '3_Libras' most of the time if you remember me).

Anyways, to answer your question, I honestly don't think Yoshitoshi really ever had the idea slip into his head (much less consider) that their relationship (or the relationship between Reki and Kuramori, which it reflects) would be anything more than sisterly. Of course this is pure speculation about what he actually thought. Still, Haibane Renmei is influenced by Buddhism and Catholicism - The former frowns upon unproductive sex within practicing followers, while the latter frowns upon sexuality altogether - and like I said it's not quite our world and life they are experiencing. In fact, I would generally frown upon the conforming that characters do as Haibane in almost any other scenario.

Sorry, I suppose that dodges the question. While my opinion still stands, I guess I'll admit that I would try and mentally block ideas that don't coincide with the way I like to think about Haibane when thinking about the series as a whole (even if I would find the idea interesting to explore). I've heard theories about how many of the Haibane might have just come from the town of Guri, rather than another world, and after I thought about it and decided it wasnt the way things were (because of a line in the first episode) I tried not to think about it for similar reasons.

I suppose I get to be as a rabid a fan as others...but fans with deep interest in their fandom have a lot of emotional investment in the artist's work as well. This sounds really weird, but it's a good example: I fell in love with Rakka in an almost fatherly sort of way (which isn't to say I would have a problem in the future if I had a daughter who was a lesbian). And while I NEVER think an artist should try and cater to their fanbase, I fully support the fans to diverge their own entity from the artist's creation (which is why while I have my own idea of that universe (and hope that it's also Yoshitoshi's intended message) I wouldn't actually bitch to anyone about Haibane slash unless it was just done in a horrid way). Holy crap, I wrote alot...oh well, you should see me with the Zelda series. But I don't think badly of you; I enjoy being challenged to think.

>>15

here's a few in a similar style

all reposts, mind you

This might not be a repost, but oddly enough I found it when I ventured onto a shoujo-ai haibane yahoo group :p too cute not to save

You don't have to assert the existence of sexual (or even just romantic) overtones in a series to enjoy something like yuri or shoujo-ai.

To make an analogy: there's lots of fanart suggesting a romantic and sexual relationship between Ed and Winry from Full Metal Alchemist, but if I recall correctly, there isn't so much as a kiss between the two in the actual series (much to my disappointment).

The point I'm trying to make is that there's a difference between believing that characters X and Y have a genuine relationship based on the contents of the series itself and enjoying doujinshi or fanart that assigns characters X and Y the same sort of relationship without regard to the way things "actually are." It amounts to either believing that a relationship is canon, or acknowledging that it isn't. Although clearly, it's not a terribly easy distinction to make in many cases.

>>11
Given the emotional territory these two characters have gone through, I could see this. Reki giving Rakka a quick kiss goodbye on her way out (to take flight) would seem reasonable.