Every once in a while there is a show that comes around and defies all of your expectations in all of the best ways the first season of Wind Breaker was precisely that for me. What looked like just another generic action shounen with smooth animation and crisp art turned out to be a heartfelt story about community stigmatization and selfacceptance and Wind Breakers second season carries on right where the first left off. A couple disclaimers before I get into any details: I have read the manga up until chapter 182 and while Ill do my best to not spoil any major plot points I may make allusions to general character arcs secondly I will be spoiling the events of this season so this review is not spoilerfree. In addition I will be using he/him pronouns for Tsubakino since I believe that is what is used by the mangaka but my apologies if this is incorrect in any way. Starting with the production Cloverworks does not miss. While there were certainly times where it was evident that framesaving techniques were being used often in the form of still shots punctuated by a panning camera shot or action lines to imply movement without actually animating it the animation was everything it needed to be during all of the moments it counted most as fluid dynamic and overall flawless as it was during the first season. The choreography perhaps the standout aspect of the first seasons production does not falter in any aspect in season two either with the Sakaki twins fighting style by far being the standout here. Even from the manga I loved the creativity behind their fight in the Red Light District arc and the animated adaptation certainly did not disappoint. The soundtrack was also a particular standout with Stronger replaying at several crucial emotional moments usually involving protection or forgiveness Nagato and Shizuka respectively but a special shout out also needs to be made for Tsubakinos theme which was an unexpected but somehow very fitting choice for his character. The colouring and artistic decisions during Sakuras more introspective episodes particularly during the tightrope metaphor were very well done and communicated the messaging of that arc brilliantly. I think the pacing was also improved upon compared to last season especially where the tournament arc was weirdly in the middle of the season structurally leading off with the highaction KEEL arc before relaxing into Sakuras character arc and Tsubakinos introduction before ramping up the stakes with the Red Light District arc felt a lot more appropriate and fixed the biggest issue I had with the first season. Kaji Ren and Tsubakino Tasuku: the UpperYears It may be surprising but I didnt actually care much for Kajis story when I first read the manga. I thought that the evil split personality trope was overdone and probably a bit too onthenose when it came to the Tokyo Revengers 2.0 accusations especially for the more grounded nature of the remainder of the characterizations and fighting styles. However seeing it animated certainly changed my mind. Kaji is a very clear foil to Sakura someone who hated himself admittedly in different ways than Sakura did but someone who has faced the darkest parts of himself and has found himself much further down the path of selfacceptance and selfcare compared to Sakura. At first glance Kaji seems like a classic anger issues character with the VA casting of Okamoto Nobuhiko definitely contributing to this he really does just sound like Bakugo half the time but Kajis emotional depth breaks that mold. Kaji is clearly uncomfortable with socializing or with emotional vulnerability but he is a lot more emotionally intelligent than initially given credit for. Even though he has all the tact of a bulldozer he can see Sakuras fight with himself and he can see himself reflected in it and he tries his best to be the person Hiiragi was for him to Sakura. I feel like Kaji in this season is a very good example of Wind Breakers depiction of positive masculinity in a way that subverts its traditional association with violence. Kaji is violent but what makes him a beloved character both with respect to the rest of the cast and with fans of the series is not his ability to kick ass although Im sure that doesnt hurt its his genuine care for Sakura and the way his advice is framed as pure logic making it very hard for Sakura to refute. Putting another label on coffee wont make it tea no matter how good the label is. Sakura denying that he cares for his friends wont change the fact that he does or that he has to change the way that he approaches fights now that he is fighting for someone who isnt himself only accepting it will help him overcome freezing up when his friends are in danger and the blind rage that comes from one of his own being hurt. Kajis anger isnt a powerup or something to be celebrated its a side of him that he deeply fears and reviles it is anger and violence without control and that is something often glorified in other depictions of masculinity I have seen that Wind Breaker does not stand for. This season really did make me eat my words regarding my initial feelings on Kajis character Kaji isnt who he is because of his superpowered evil side Kaji is who he is because of the choices he makes to define himself beyond his blind violence the people he surrounds himself with to make that happen and the advice he gives knowing that he is the best person to do so even if it makes him uncomfortable. Tsubakino on the other hand is a more divisive character for obvious reasons: he likes wearing skirts doing makeup having long hair and looking pretty in the feminine sense of the word. And yet he is also a very good foil for Sakura. Both of them dont meet traditional beauty standards in society as cool as Sakuras character design looks in anime if a reallife person looked the way he did Im sure that he would face some serious stigmatization and both of them have been forced to in the past hide who they truly are due to societal pressure: Sakura was written off as a violent lost cause and Tsubakino as a freak. Tsubakino unlike Kaji however is at the end of that road to selfacceptance: he knows who he is he owns who he is and he loves who he is. His episodes with the elderly couple are very welldone and serve as a great emotional outlet to compliment the Keel arc which was relatively more actionpacked before heading into the Red Light District. In my opinion Tsubakino embodies everything that Wind Breaker as a series stands for. Tsubakino exemplifies chasing your own dreams and not hiding who you are because other people cannot accept you but he also understands the consequences of doing so. He isnt naive. He wouldnt pull his punches against Suzuri just because he feels sympathetic towards him he instead uses the fight as communication a la Umemiya to prove that dreams arent weak that dreams and acceptance are worth fighting for showing who he is using actions first and words second once Suzuri has been defeated. Tsubakino is bold and unapologetic having jumped from that tightrope long ago. Tsubakino is also very interesting in his sisterly relationship with Shizuka at which point gendered pronouns become slightly muddled since its made clear that their relationship is mutual sisterhood: he supports her dreams and he will fight for her dreams even if that means fighting her. I think this mindset is a brilliant reflection of Togame and Chojis relationship back in season 1 where sometimes saying no to someone is ultimately what is best for the other person even if that starts conflict. I think this reflects who Tsubakino is perfectly: brave kind but also emotionally intelligent enough to make the difficult choices and stand up to the very person he wants to protect. Final note: I love how Tsubakino as the most femininepresenting character is presented as an absolute beast pole dancing takes an incredible amount of strength those highheeled kicks could definitely kill someone. All of that to say people who drop the show or hate on Tsubakino because of how he looks have completely missed the point of the show entirely. Sakura Haruka the Sequel My review of season 1 was less of a review and more of a hastily cobbled together rant of why I love Wind Breaker and Sakura Haruka as a main character. I am pleased to report more of the same is coming. I still love Sakura Haruka and I still think he is a perfect main character for the series. Heres the thing: Wind Breaker often draws comparisons to Tokyo Revengers and probably for good reason. Theyre both modern delinquent series and Wind Breaker draws very clear inspiration from Tokyo Revengers especially in regards to the character designs and their oneword personality traits. However why I despise this comparison no hate to Tokyo Revengers here that series had a vastly different goal and by all regards left a lasting legacy in their own niche of delinquent media and why I love Wind Breaker more than a lot of its peers in the shounen genre is embodied in none other than Sakura himself. As previously mentioned Sakura is a character whose growth is hardly in terms of physical strength and almost wholly in terms of emotional development. He was a lonely person who internalized all of the hate he spent his childhood surrounded by and externalized that in the form of violence. We started to see hints of it in season 1 but all the stops are out in season 2. In the KEEL arc which is a lot more straightforward action than the tournament arc in season 1 we see the consequences of Sakuras worldview falling apart. Its not easy when something youve spent so long believing in is swept out from under you and I like that we get to see Sakura relapsing into old habits of fighting for his own desires avenge Nagato rather than protecting the rest of his classmates. I like that we get to see Sakuras penchant for selfisolation and for internalizing negative events as being his responsibility alone which was what his mindset was before joining Furin. In the KEEL arc Sakura slips but Kaji tells him that he has and his friends are waiting to catch him when he finally lets himself fall. Its startling vulnerability for a character who thus far has embraced fighting and violence a reminder of what he has to lose and what he is fighting for done very elegantly in the midst of a very well executed shounen fight. Sakuras illness plotline was perhaps what I was most looking forward to this season and the adaptation absolutely nailed it. I love the storytelling behind the entire thing how Sakura doesnt expect anyone to be there for him and how hes accepted that as well as the visual storytelling behind his empty desolate apartment which minor spoiler warning becomes more filled with personality as he accepts his friends into his life. I love his interactions with Suo and Nirei that show just how hard his life was before coming to Furin and how much every single adult in his life has let him down before this point and I love his talk with Kotoha. Theres a lot I could say here but I feel like Ill be repeating myself so Ill say this: I love how Sakuras arc lets him be vulnerable. As the main character in a delinquent series who is an absolute badass I love that Sakura is allowed to be emotionally vulnerable. Sakura is allowed to be just completely wrong about the people around him a trait which as Red of the YouTube channel Overly Sarcastic Productions pointed out in one of her trope talks is surprisingly rare for male lead characters that Kaji ultimately calls him out for. I love that Sakura is allowed to face his fears of isolation and abandonment and that we are shown that this isnt easy for him and that he is so heartbreakingly scared but that Sakura lets himself be vulnerable anyway and chooses to let go of that tightrope. Speaking of the adaptation of the tightrope scene was absolute perfection in every sense of the word especially his monologue about how he never even noticed the pain he was in until it was gone and he could breathe. Well done Cloverworks. All in all Sakura remains a very lovable main character who learns and grows from every single arc becoming a better leader and a better person whilst making strides to figure out what he wants and who he wants to be. Ill admit that I teared up a bit when he finally admitted that he loved it at Furin. Sakura is just so compassionate and kind but he is also a person with deep insecurities and fears but I love that no matter how scared he is of losing his friends or how much he struggles with that fear Sakura is never ever portrayed as weak. Endo Yamato Ill keep his section short to avoid spoiling too much so Ill focus on the fact that Endo is a great parallel to Sakura and in some ways is probably someone who Sakura would have wanted to be like if not for Furin. Endo believes that being alone makes him stronger and that the mindset of Umemiya will only drag him down. As I mentioned in my first review Umemiya defeating Choji was a great way to portray the strength of Furins communityfocused mindset but Endo provides a strong challenge against it and with it a strong challenge to Sakuras newfound resolution to stay with Furin and protect what the school stands for. Its a conflict in both the physical combatfocused regard but a conflict on the ideological level too. Overall I enjoyed Endo this season. I dont want to say too much because most of what I have to say about this character is reserved for the upcoming War arc but I think his introduction was done quite well and I hope to see his upcoming fight animated soon. Conclusion: Brotherhood and Acceptance Wind Breaker has always been a story of brotherhood and acceptance far more than it is a story of teenage gangs. I think this season especially is a powerful statement on the meaning and ramifications of acceptance particularly through the characters of Sakura Kaji Tsubakino and Suzuri. All of these children could have ended up as very twisted versions of themselves: violent and angry with the strength to back it up they could have done real damage to the community around them had they been written off and labelled as nothing more than worthless delinquents. Instead Umemiya and Furin saw past that facade of strength and saw who they really were and accepted them and helped them accept themselves. Sakura isnt an unnatural violent freak of nature hes someone who has only ever known loneliness but possibly has the biggest heart around. Kaji isnt a mindless fighter only good for violence hes awkward but wellmeaning and much more emotionally capable than he lets on. Tsubakino isnt weird or unnatural he just loves looking pretty. Suzuri isnt a heartless emotionless mercenary hes desperate to keep his friends alive and united. Wind Breaker shows the power of acceptance and community of looking past traditional societal values of being openminded to what masculinity means instead of ruling through fear like KEEL Wind Breaker chooses to embrace love and community. There is more I could say. I could talk about the symbolism of the storm in the opening and the wind chimes that remain long after the clouds have parted or the humour or Suo and Nireis relationship of mutual respect or the character writing for the side characters this season but this review is already long enough so Ill say this instead. Wind Breaker is a story that tells us that children arent lost causes to be discarded and given up on when they dont fit into a societal mold. Children deserve love and that doesnt mean freedom from consequences e.g. Natori not receiving forgiveness but it means that every child deserves a chance to accept who they are and to find out who they want to be even if they are violent or difficult. Wind Breaker is a story ultimately of love triumphing over hate and I think thats a story sorely needed in the apathetic digital age we find ourselves entering today.