{"id":628014,"date":"2024-07-17T05:33:36","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T02:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/wind-breaker-is-fun-fighting-and-cute-tsundere-protagonist\/"},"modified":"2024-07-17T05:33:36","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T02:33:36","slug":"wind-breaker-is-fun-fighting-and-cute-tsundere-protagonist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wind-breaker-is-fun-fighting-and-cute-tsundere-protagonist\/","title":{"rendered":"#WIND BREAKER is Fun Fighting and Cute Tsundere Protagonist"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Season aired<\/b>: Spring 2024<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Number of episodes<\/b>: 13<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Watched on: <\/b>Crunchyroll<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Translated by: <\/b>?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Genres<\/b>: Action, Drama<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Thoughts<\/b>: I\u2019ve learned firsthand that I\u2019m not usually the right person for delinquent stories. The drama around boys punching themselves to death over conflicts that often feel simultaneously petty and dramatic doesn\u2019t lure me in. Yet, I can\u2019t help but still try every time I see a delinquent anime<\/a> come out, whether out of morbid curiosity or stubbornness to find one that I can enjoy. <\/span>Wind Breaker <\/span><\/i>was the newest delinquent anime for me to try, and while I wouldn\u2019t claim to love it, the anime successfully got me to enjoy the full season.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Haruka Sakura came to Furin High School for the sole purpose of punching his way to the top. Labeled a \u201ctroubled child\u201d his entire life, he believes his only potential future is to show how powerful he is when it comes to fighting. Upon arriving at Furin High School, however, Haruka finds not only empathy from his fellow classmates but also enthusiasm and kindness from the people in town. Turns out, Furin High School has changed from its Battle Royale days, thanks to a charismatic powerhouse fighter and leader named Umemiya. While Haruka intends to dethrone the current leader, he is also inexplicably pulled into the whims of a town and school that wants the best for him and wishes nothing more than for him to be happ<\/a>y.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"
Communication through fights<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wind Breaker<\/span><\/i> works for me because the fights are more about communication \u2014 an actual theme to the story that Umemiya says out loud. In a strange twist, I enjoyed seeing the fights and wanted <\/span>more <\/span><\/i>of them because they felt meaningful when punches were thrown. I\u2019m so used to seeing conflicts of the delinquent\u2019s girlfriend getting kidnapped, drugs being stolen, or a high schooler getting murdered that seeing two boys fight because of their feelings towards each other somehow feels more realistic and impactful.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It also helps because of the characters and how distinct their personalities are. Haruka is a broken boy with a broken childhood but ultimately wants to do good and deeply wishes for human connections and friendships. When he unexpectedly finds people who willingly offer their friendships and affection to him, his brain shuts down comically with a full-face blush so red that you even see steam coming out of his ears. His obvious underlying sweet personality makes him easy to root for, and it also endears him to the supporting characters in a realistic way.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the real star of the show is Umemiya. There was a lot of hype for his character, and he didn\u2019t show up until the middle of the series<\/a>. Constantly, we are reminded that the school changed because of him, that the delinquents in Furin help people out because he inspired them, and that the series would have immedia<\/a>tely failed if not for Umemiya\u2019s instant charisma. The way he acts, talks, and even looks lends an air of casual authority and a greater sense of responsibility that the audience quickly understands how a single person could change so much of the system where delinquents are more heroes than troublemakers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"
Star of the show<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is largely thanks to his voice actor, Nakamura Yuichi. Nakamura Yuichi is now mostly known for his role as Gojo Satoru from <\/span>JUJUTSU KAISEN<\/span><\/i>, and in many ways, I think his voicing Gojo helped with his performance of Umemiya. The two characters share many similarities \u2014 especially their charisma \u2014 and the biggest feat Nakamura Yuichi accomplishes is to not make Umemiya annoying during his goofy moments, but endearing instead. He\u2019s also excellent at voicing gaps, not to the point of sounding like different personalities but rather shifting the mood of the air. His voice is already naturally deep, but there\u2019s a particular intonation where he slightly deepens his voice and speaks in a slower manner that immediately feels more dangerous, serious, and intense \u2014 perfect for someone as powerful as Umemiya.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I did have some issues with <\/span>Wind Breaker<\/span><\/i>. While I laud the series for the theme of communication for fights, this does result in some awkward storytelling. Entire episodes are dedicated to character backstories that lead up to the fights, but it feels so disjointed from the present that I sometimes just want to watch the punches fly. Some of these backstories become repetitive throughout the season too. Ideally, <\/span>Wind Breaker <\/span><\/i>would weave the fights and the backstories together, similar to the famous Kakashi vs Obito scene with overlapping fight scenes from their childhood to the present. The backstories <\/span>are <\/span><\/i>important for the overall catharsis, but in <\/span>Wind Breaker<\/span><\/i>, they have definitely overstayed their welcome.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"
Backstories go on a LITTLE too long<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My desire for more fight sequences could also simply be because I\u2019ve been starved of grounded fight scenes. There are no weapons, magic, or super abilities in <\/span>Wind Breakers<\/span><\/i> \u2014 just boys taking advantage of their individual human speed, strength, and reflexes in a fluidly animated sequence. This is rare since so many other delinquent anime rely on supernatural gimmicks and end up having flashy sequences that do a poor job of hiding the horrendous animation production. <\/span>Wind Breaker <\/span><\/i>definitely breaks that curse with alternating camera angles and crisp animation that I suddenly find myself more immersed in the punches thrown.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Strangely enough, my conclusion of <\/span>Wind Breaker <\/span><\/i>is a critique I don\u2019t usually say \u2014 more fighting and less exposition! If the anime<\/span> could\u2019ve more successfully incorporated the backstories into the fights rather than dedicating so much time and narration, I would\u2019ve claimed <\/span>Wind Breaker <\/span><\/i>as my first beloved delinquent anime. As it is right now, it\u2019s one I found enjoyable and joins the rest of my anime lists as \u201cgood enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Rating<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Plot: 7 (Multiplier 3)<\/span><\/p>\n

Characters: 8 (Multiplier 3)<\/span><\/p>\n

Art\/Animation: 7 (Multiplier 2)<\/span><\/p>\n

Voice acting: 8<\/span><\/p>\n

Soundtrack: 7<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE: 74<\/i><\/b><\/span>\n <\/div>\n