REVIEW: ‘Wind Breaker’ Episode 11 — “New Classmates”

With the arc between Fuurin and Shishitoren finally completely at rest, Wind Breaker Episode 11 allows the rest of the world to expand further. Expanding means introducing a couple of new characters who will drive the plot forward. While both make solid introductions, it does bear the question of whether this part of the story would’ve been better suited towards the start of the series before launching into the Shishitoren fight. Because while the arc was entertaining, it lacked the established, foundational core necessary to make the most impactful arcs sing.

Essentially, we just needed to know a little more about Sakura (Yuma Uchida) and co., and by introducing Tsugeura (Kengo Kawanishi) and Kiryu (Toshiyuki Toyonaga), this happens. Sakura, Suo (Nobunaga Shimazaki), Sugishita (Koki Uchiyama), and even Nirei (Shōya Chiba) have built some notoriety after going after Shishitoren. Sakura, in particular, considered he went against and defeated one of their strongest members with Togame. Sakura is, as expected, less than thrilled by the sudden onslaught of attention, his blush a commonplace attribute throughout all of Wind Breaker Episode 11.

However, these are necessary additions to the storyline as they help flesh out the reality of Fuurin and the ensemble that continues to grow. Both Tsugeura and Kiryu go against expectations based on the first introductions. Tsugeura is sporty and obsessed with health and fitness but quickly apologizes when he’s being too loud or abrasive. He looks to champion others’ strengths rather than simply hone in on his own. And while Kiryu seems as if he’s going to go the snow route in comparison, his nature is simply subdued and polite.

Their personalities shine through, too, in their fighting styles. Tsugeura is into the big, flashy moves, idolizing wrestlers and their posturing. Meanwhile, Kiryu deflects, pushes, and derails attacks so assailants can fly toward Tsugeura and Sakura to deal with them. It’s a good match-up since it features supporting characters such as Suo and Nirei’s counterparts. Tsugeura shares Nirei’s passion and interest in health stats, while Suo and Kiryu observe and analyze their fights rather than jumping straight in.

These personal attributes help define the world of Wind Breaker more fully. At this point, we have to accept that these students are walking around a lawless high school with no teacher to be found. We also have to assume that they’re all suffering from some sort of constant head injury due to the fighting. However, these heightened elements are more accessible when we understand the characters, their motives, and their relationships with one another.

It stands to reason that this portion could’ve come before the Shishitoren showdown. It was ultimately fun but a little hollow because it tried to compress so much characterization into a short period. Wind Breaker is very much cut from the some cloth as Haikyu!!. One of the many reasons the latter works so well is because it patiently builds its characters and major showdowns. Wind Breaker Episode 11 demonstrates the manner in which it could assume a similar spirit.

Sakura, in particular, gets the highlight through some terrific visual gags and punchlines. He is an outlier in this town and his age group. The series has a lot of fun expressing his inept attitude towards technology. A chat thread overwhelms him to the point where we get a hilarious cut scene where he slams the phone upside down rather than face the onslaught of messages.

His inability to accept compliments or handle real friendships makes him lovable. Sure, he can handle a group of attackers, but standard niceties completely throw him off his game. Yuma Uchida is doing a fantastic job as the character, imbuing him with just the right amount of energy around the edges, which is undercut by his shaken demeanor.

With two episodes to go, Wind Breaker Episode 11 is a potent reminder of why the series is such an immediately compelling and fun watch. The action is fluid and cohesive, but the series knows that we must also be invested in the characters to care about the fight scenes. Further expanding the Fuurin team makes the drama and stakes even better, especially as Sakura, by episode end, is thrust into yet another new, unexpected development.

Wind Breaker Episode 11 is out now on Crunchyroll.