"Wings of Sorrow" ends the introductory episodes and kicks off the main arc of the plot. The Haibanes' idyllic existance is deeply shadowed by its tragic impermanance, as Rakka learns to her sorrow. The very nature of their being is a puzzle, which somehow makes her loss worse. The half-answers she finds deal with the 'how' of matters, rather than the 'why'. The older Haibane seem to resigned themselves both to the inevitability of loss and the impossibility of insight. However, they have experience on their side. The harshness of this new, confusing world deeply injures the sensitive, delicate Rakka, who is still trying to find her feet.
Despite the unhappy parts of these three episodes, "Wings of Sorrow" is just as charming as the previous volume. Haibane Renmei is a wonderful work of art, as well as a moving story. There is no uneveness in the style, nor any false notes along the way.