Anime Review: Wind Breaker

Whereas I’ve my foremost preferences with the forms of reveals I like to look at, one little style that doesn’t get a lot in the best way of mainstream consideration is considered one of my responsible pleasures and Wind Breaker matches into this class. That’s the delinquent style. Generally it’s hit and miss however when it hits, it hits fairly nicely. Moreover, who doesn’t like seeing a bunch of dudes simply beat the crap out of different dudes? That is the place Wind Breaker is available in. After being disillusioned in God of Excessive Faculty, I used to be saved by Tokyo Revengers. With Tokyo Revengers in a holding sample, I wanted one other present of this sort to scratch that itch.

Does it?

Let’s Jam!

The Story

Irrespective of the place Sakura went, he was belittled for the best way he seemed. He has one darkish grey eye and one amber eye… Plus, his hair is half-black / half-white. None of it’s dyed nor does he put on contacts. That’s simply the best way he appears to be like. Nonetheless, any who make enjoyable of him quickly study their lesson as he’s actually sturdy and a great fighter.

Sakura strikes to a city the place he appears to be like to attend Furin Excessive Faculty. He heard that the delinquents at Furin are the bottom of the low so he desires to make use of his power to rise to the highest and take over the gang. He claims that he doesn’t want anybody; nevertheless, there’s a human facet to him that he simply can’t let go of… the willingness to assist folks.

When a small café employee named Tachibana will get cornered by delinquents, Sakura jumps in and saves her. She thanks him and treats him to some omurice. Regardless of the type gestures, Sakura’s belief points kick in and he will get fairly defensive. When he leaves, these delinquents from earlier than are again with buddies. Sakura reveals off how a lot of a badass he’s by virtually soloing the gang all by himself till Tachibana will get taken hostage. He will get his ankle sliced by a knife attempting to guard her; nevertheless, 4 members of Furin present up and even up the chances.

Afterward, we study that Furin USED to be often known as the weakest two years in the past. In the present day, the city adores them as they’ve develop into often known as Bofurin… the city’s protectors. Sakura goals to develop into the chief in order that he can show that he’s not the weak and belittled child that he was. His journey causes him to study to lean on folks and belief others though he’s reluctant to take action. By battling Shishitoren, a neighboring gang; nevertheless, a few of these realizations start to settle in!

The Characters

As outlined above, Sakura has a tough time trusting folks on account of being ridiculed for his two-toned hair and heterochromia. Although he’s extraordinarily tough across the edges, Sakura has a softer facet to him that he will get embarrassed about at any time when he reveals it and it will get acknowledged. Although it’s a sluggish course of, he begins to discover ways to belief others round him. Although he’s like an emotional tumbleweed rumbling by a desert junkyard impediment course, he’s a really expert fighter. Maybe one with out as many flaws as I might have favored to have seen from him. The principle characters must be put into peril every so often; nevertheless, Sakura doesn’t appear to have that drawback as he wins each struggle he’s in. Whereas being sturdy and overpowered can have its deserves, I might really feel as if his character improvement may have benefitted from getting his rear kicked a time or two. Regardless of this, his improvement has been fairly stable because it’s extra of a present don’t inform strategy. Maybe, someday, he’ll lose an enormous struggle and are available again mentally stronger.

Subsequent, we’ve got Nirei who doesn’t struggle in any respect. As an alternative, he has a tremendous eidetic reminiscence and might memorize the names, faces, and stats of practically everybody he comes throughout. He carries round a pocket book with him which is crammed with helpful data. This might make him an unbelievable strategist if he wasn’t a bumbling weakling. He’s at all times apprehensive about moving into any kind of bodily confrontation, scared to talk as much as nearly anybody, and would somewhat tag alongside to gather knowledge whereas attempting to not get in the best way. Nonetheless, he admires Sakura for saving him someday and turns into his good friend with out Sakura’s permission, though Sakura doesn’t thoughts all of it an excessive amount of. Nirei is an efficient steadiness to Sakura. One would possibly say that he’s Sakura’s solar, metaphorically talking.

Whereas that’s it for the primary characters, there are a lot of supporting characters, a few of which bounce into the highlight and briefly act like foremost characters. It is a good factor as a result of it makes the supporting forged really feel essential!

With these, there may be Suo. He wears an eyepatch and appears very calm. In fact, he’s. Regardless of his insanely excessive and unorthodox combating abilities, he claims that he doesn’t take pleasure in confrontation. When he fights through the Shishitoren arc, that is proven by dodging most of his opponent’s assaults and utilizing their momentum to embarrass them. He’ll both journey them, knock them down, shove them away, and do the whole lot he can to eviscerate their masculinity with a smile on his face. Afterward, he stands again and lets the others deal with a struggle with some thugs all whereas defending a lady by guarding her. When it got here for his match through the “event” arc, he actually shined and stood out!

Umemiya is the chief of Furin Excessive and believes that fights are nothing greater than conversations. He says you can study and perceive quite a bit concerning the different particular person you’re combating simply from the struggle itself. Regardless of being highly effective, he has a delicate facet in the truth that he cares for everybody in school and needs nothing however the very best for him. He additionally has fairly a inexperienced thumb as he spends most of his time on the varsity roof tending to his private backyard. Umemiya is a bit odd and brainless at instances however his deep ardour for the folks he surrounds himself with coupled together with his willingness to assist anybody and everybody makes him a real benevolent chief that anybody might be proud to have!

Launched late into the season, Kiryu is thought to be one of many 5 strongest in his grade. He comes off as a womanizer; nevertheless, we rapidly study that he was simply defending one whereas attempting to make her really feel relaxed as a result of he was involved concerning the ordeal she simply went by. In fact, respect at all times comes first with him and when his fellow classmate, Taiga who’s into professional wrestling and even fights like a wrestler, is simply too loud and obnoxious, he will get in his face and calls for that he thoughts his manners. When he’s not pressuring folks into being respectful of others, he’s very light-voiced, jovial, and seemingly pleased on a regular basis. His abilities; nevertheless, are the direct reverse of his persona… fierce, exact, and scary! Although he was launched late, he rapidly grew to become considered one of my favorites within the present!

Lastly, so far as Furin goes, one I want to contact upon is Ren Kaji. He’s the chief of the second-year class and appears to be quite a bit like Sakura in a manner besides not like Sakura, he has already discovered to lean on others. He’s at all times listening to music through a pair of headphones; nevertheless, the amount is cranked up so loud, that he has to scream and shout with out realizing that everybody can hear him simply effective. Even his persona mirrors that of Sakura so it’s fairly apparent that he’s one which Sakura can study essentially the most from.

So far as Shishitoren, wow, there’s quite a bit to cowl right here however the primary theme behind their gang is that their chief Chouji desires to have enjoyable. When he was simply an underling, going round, beating folks up, and laughing together with his buddies gave him essentially the most enjoyable he had in his life. When he grew to become the chief, one thing modified inside him. He felt lonely on the high and if folks weren’t as sturdy as him, he wasn’t having enjoyable anymore so he turned Shishitoren right into a vicious gang the place should you can’t even win in a struggle, then you definitely’re crushed up and tossed out. Chouji felt that if he weeded by the weaklings and stored solely the strongest, they may develop into an unbeatable drive and, due to this fact, he may study to have enjoyable once more.

Alongside for the experience is Togame: Chouji’s good friend. At one level, he had the chance to cease Chouji from following a darkish path however he elected to face by his facet somewhat than betray his good friend. He rose to second in command and upheld Choiji’s new guidelines even when, deep down, he disagreed with him. Whereas there are different members of Shishitoren, it centered round these two and created one of the crucial compelling tales of the whole first season… in all probability as a result of the arc took up the vast majority of it!

Artwork, Animation, and Sound

I don’t put on a hat but when I did, it could be off for CloverWorks. Not solely had been the character designs top-notch, distinctive, and stood out however the animation on this sequence was *chef’s kiss*

Okay, so animation through the regular components of Wind Breaker was about as commonplace as it may well get however at any time when a struggle began, the price range was well-spent! The choreography, the digicam angles, the smoothness of the strikes, all of it was unbelievable! I might even dare say some scenes had been anime movie-level high quality. It was apparent that the crew put a ton of affection and energy into these fights. They knew that this sequence was about delinquents beating the crap out of one another and that it was one of many foremost promoting factors of the anime. In different phrases, they understood the project and delivered closely on expectations.

As for the sound? A banger soundtrack with some nice music that enhanced the fights plus some insert songs which you possibly can jam out to create an environment that helped immerse you into the whole lot that was taking place. Handy that the soundtrack was launched a day earlier than the ultimate episode and that is one I might advocate going out and changing some USD to YEN and selecting up! I do know that I’m going to (heck, I in all probability already did that by the point you end studying this overview!

General Ideas

As I mentioned, this style is a responsible pleasure of mine and I’m pleased to say this one delivered huge time. Earlier than the Shishitoren arc, I used to be on the fence about this present… not whether or not or not I favored it or discovered it fascinating… however whether or not or to not identify it my Anime of the Season. It was a three-way tie between two others however as soon as that arc kicked in, it bought me. What’s even higher is that after the ultimate episode aired, they dropped the information that Season 2 is coming in 2025 so we’re going to get extra Wind Breaker! I haven’t learn the manga however it ends on the very starting of the KEEL arc. Had there been no season two announcement, I might be destroying this present proper now for having a “to be continued” model ending with none affirmation of it persevering with. I’ve seen too many reveals tease us with extra after which simply disappear and by no means ship.

Regardless of having a big forged, they someway discovered a method to make each character stand out and really feel distinctive. That may be a actually exhausting factor to do. To not solely do that along with your Furin forged however with the casts of different gangs makes it even harder. It’s apparent that the mangaka took their time to flesh out the story arcs earlier than committing to them, giving folks a motive to care concerning the characters concerned. It by no means felt as if the highlighted characters had been inserted into the story only for the sake of being there. Everybody felt like they’d a goal and a narrative to inform. Some even had a historical past with one another which was touched upon, making you care much more.

Only a few sequence could be referred to as a masterclass of how you can deal with and develop characters and whereas I’m not going to say that Wind Breaker is considered one of them as of but (that’s exhausting to do after solely 13 episodes) I’ll say that it’s on the trail to changing into a type of sequence.

In order for you a character-driven present with distinctive struggle scenes, a banging soundtrack, and characters you can truly get behind that aren’t simply flat one-dimensional props to maneuver the story alongside, Wind Breaker is the present that you must watch. There’s a motive why it got here from out of nowhere and gained immense recognition on-line so rapidly. It’s a present about delinquents combating accomplished appropriately!

There are a number of minor nitpicks that I’ve with it, although. As well-designed because the characters are and pretty much as good because the struggle scenes had been, there have been some miscues in consistency with the characters’ faces all through the present. Among the shaping and proportions had been barely off at completely different angles. It wasn’t a obvious drawback however it was one thing that was simply noticeable every so often. One other nitpick, and this can be a private one, is Sakura’s response to simply about the whole lot. I don’t like characters screaming and yelling in an try to cross that off as humor and that’s the epitome of what Sakura is. Because it was simply restricted to him, I gave it a cross however with somebody like him that has a darkish backstory, I might have anticipated him to be just a little extra severe in his angle because it’s simply not my cup of tea.

However that’s all that I can actually discover unsuitable with this present. Regardless of me loving it, it doesn’t precisely reinvent the wheel in relation to delinquent gang sequence however, it takes that style and does it the correct manner, and that counts in my e-book.