Beneath A Thousand Skies

Synopsis: From an early age, Haruka Sakura was made an outcast due to his unconventional appearance and lack of social skills. However, the rough treatment turned him into a proficient fighter, which is now the only thing he prides himself on. Starting at Furin High School, where it is rumored that strength is valued over academics, Sakura has only one goal—taking the top spot.

Involved in a street brawl the day before his enrollment, Sakura happens to meet a group of his future schoolmates. Instead of the usual rejection, they fight alongside him, demonstrating that what the school actually cares about is protecting the town of Makochi from any harm—hence why the students call themselves “Bofurin.” Surprised by the support and appreciation of the townspeople, Sakura has a hard time accepting their goodwill.

Though unfamiliar with kindness being shown to him, Sakura must learn to push past his discomfort when Bofurin is pitted against formidable enemies. After experiencing the feeling of acceptance, he finds himself fighting for the sake of others for the first time.

13 Episodes

Genre: Action

Wind Breaker was an anime I had seen around, loved the character design…and then not got around to watching for far too long, and more shame me, because I loved this first season, and I am already in countdown mode for the second season which is due 2025

Firstly, the animation is fantastic. CloverWorks as a studio is one whose works I consistently enjoy, and that it is very true here. The fight scenes are brilliantly choreographed and incredibly fluid, whether one-to-one fights, to group showdowns, each one was compelling to watch.

Now there has to be a teeny tiny suspension of belief for Wind Breaker, because there are apparently no teachers in this school (either that or they are hiding), or any police in town as Bofurin are the defenders of the town. However, beyond a tiny ‘oh’ at that realisation after a couple of episodes, I couldn’t care less, because Wind Breaker well and truly sucked me – and while an unusual set up for a school and town, it works here, and I think that even having a little more adult influence here would actually reduce the impact of the story.

What Wind Breaker does give me is all the vibes of a sports anime, without you know the sport.… unless we want to class fighting as a sport (and I am not sure that delinquents tussling in the street would count). But it’s got that MC and classmates (aka teammates) striving for the top theme and getting stronger and learning to work together to get there (and yes, the working together is absolutely a work in progress there, but the foundations are there). As well as the feeling of building up a succession from the younger students; and the almost found family aspect of building that team. And in a similar way, to my favourite sports anime, my interest in the sport/activity comes through the character’s passion and investment, and that is very much the case here.

The characters…

From the very epic introduction of our MC Sakura Haruka in episode one to the designs of the antagonists and the town people, they are all wonderfully memorable. Of course, we have our main cast – and Sakura is absolutely my favourite (there’s something about slightly block-headed but kind-hearted anime characters that hooks me any time); and I like that his growth and development in this season has been not so much about the fighting and strength, but more personal, learning to open up and accept that others have accepted him and coming to rely on others, and also that there is far more to fighting when it is done for a purpose. The introspection is broken up by stubbornness and lots of blushing, but it is very much there, and I can’t wait to see where it will go in season two.

Nerei and Suou are our main support characters, and I think Suou might have my favourite character design in the show so far. They are not blindly following Sakura either, and each bring valuable strengths and weaknesses to the table, that both strength and reflect of Sakura, and make for an interesting and versatile team. Nerei was a character that I initially thought I wasn’t going to like, but much as he has on Sakura – he grew on me, and is very much an excellent reminder of the power of different strengths and in many ways I think it can be argued he has more courage than most because he will go in even though he is not a fighter. Suou…Suou is interesting and I really hope he gets explored more, it feels like he has been pulled into Sakura’s orbit – being motivated by him, and ye it feels very much like a case of still waters and I want to know what lies underneath; but he has one of my favourite fighting styles in the anime so far.

My other standout character is Umemiya, the student who stands at the top of Furin school. He is nothing like what would be expected from someone at the top of a school of delinquents , and yet, he is precisely what the school and students like Sakura and the other need. Again, this is a still waters character, there is his dorky side obsessed with gardening, and messing up school announcements, and a gentle light-heartedness which draws people in – and then there is an underlying hint of steel that we were shown flashes of. I really hope at some point we get to see him be really serious, because I have a feeling that will make for a truly epic scene.

There were so many other characters I could shout about Kaji, Kiryuu and one of my other personal favourites was one of the antagonists Togame; who ended up having a development that I was absolutely not expecting but only enamoured me more.

But, it’s just an anime about delinquents fighting and protecting the town… absolutely not, and I think that is why Wind Breaker has hooked me so hard. Yes, it is very much about those things, and the ridiculous that can arise from that concept (which makes for very entertaining watching). But, Wind Breaker is also very much an anime about acceptance, from Sakura having to adapt to a place where he is accepted as he is after a history of being the outsider, to accepting that not everyone’s strengths are the same and learning to rely on others to fill the gaps in your own strengths. It’s there in the way the second years work with their Captain too – and I love the moment when Kaji is shouting at everyone, and one of his seconds steps up to remove his headphones so that he drops to a normal level, just knowing and accepting that’s how he is and how this works.

It’s also very much an anime about cooperation – with the idea that you can’t get to the top alone. That you shouldn’t fight alone, and that ultimately you don’t need to. It’s written throughout the anime, from Bofurin helping the townsfolk with everything from hunting for lost cats, painting over graffiti, to fighting off other gangs that terrorising people. To the fights with Shishitoren, which strip away the idea that power is everything, to show that what you need is others around you – whether to fight with or for, or just to have fun with, to make everything else worthwhile. To how the season has ended with the class mobilising to help one of their own, not because it’s what Bofurin does, but because he’s a friend.

I adored this anime, and if you like the vibes of sports anime but not necessarily the sports itself then this is a great one to pick up, and also if you want an anime filled with found family/ teammates, great action and some fantastic characters!