As long as I'm writing about anime DVDs (and whiling my way in the metaphor fringe), Haibane Renmei is one of my favorites. It's wonderfully chock full o' metaphor. Maybe. It's a lovely, pastoral anime that's more of a character study of a fantasy town; definitely not your usual anime fare.
It's about a group of beings called Haibane, born out of cocoons, and they curiously have wings and halos, but not religious icon, glow around the head halos. More like 5th grade Christmas pageant, ring floating above the head halos. The angelic reference is obvious, but although they live monk-like existences, they aren't angels, just ordinary beings. It seems their background is rooted more in some unknown, living mythology than an obvious spirituality.
The Haibane live with humans within a walled city from which neither humans nor Haibane are allowed to leave, all of this smacking with metaphor. They live harmoniously, with the humans tolerating the Haibane, whose existence and livelihood are guaranteed by a mysterious association called the Haibane Renmei. The Haibane "work" for humans but don't get paid, they don't use money, and the rule is that Haibane can only acquire things that have been discarded by humans.
A lot of anime that I like is either just darn silly eye-candy, or high-concept mind-fucks. I hate everything in between (just kidding, not really). "Haibane Renmei" is unique because it very simply deals with the life cycle, or sections of it, arcs. It covers things that are real to us, but it's strictly metaphor. Birth, death, change, beliefs, myth, harmony, conflict, salvation. It's a very idealized world, almost heavenly.
I love it in the same way I love that old TV show "Northern Exposure". It makes me feel, albeit superficially. But it's not everyone's cup of tea. There's no real plot, although it tries to scrounge one up for the end. If you don't like it from the first episode, you probably won't like the rest of the series. If you love the first episode, you'll love the rest of the series, with all its faults. If you're lukewarm about the first episode, I doubt that the rest of the series will pull most people in, but will some.
Haibane Renmei - Rakka getting her halo ^^
