(This post is spoiler free.)
I've heard so many good things about Haibane Renmei that I've been angling to watch it for a while now. I didn't know much about it though, so I didn't know exactly what to expect. But it was indeed as great as I've heard.
Twelve Moments in Anime 2009: #9 – A loss of a friend
CCY has thrown down his Twelve Moments of Anime gauntlet, inviting others to join him everyday until Christmas in recalling their 12 favorite anime-related things of the year. NOTE: There's a significant Haibane Renmei spoiler in this moment, so tread carefully.