“WIND BREAKER” destroys the concept of delinquency! The exhilarating feeling is just amazing, just like Hissatsu Shigotonin.

The spring 2024 anime season is packed with famous anime masterpieces, and a fierce battle for supremacy is unfolding. Among the popular works, there is one that is attracting more attention than others.

“WIND BREAKER”The title of this anime makes it impossible to guess what kind of anime it is. It may give the impression that it is a sports manga or something with characters wearing windbreakers, but in fact, it is a manga about delinquents.

From the official website of the TV anime “WIND BREAKER”

Even before it was made into an anime, this work hinted at the arrival of a new delinquent manga.

I watched it with anticipation to see what kind of work it would be, but it was far beyond my expectations and completely shattered my “conception” of a delinquent/yankee manga.

A magazine chain that gave birth to “ToriLibe.”

But what's the difference…?

The anime “WIND BREAKER” is based on the manga of the same name that is currently being serialized on “Magazine Pocket”, the web comic distribution site of “Shonen Magazine”.

“From now on, anyone who harms people, destroys things, or brings malice will be purged by Boufurin without exception.”

Sakura Haruka came to a certain town to get to the top of Furin High School, a super delinquent school with a rock-bottom deviation score. Fighting was the only way for him to prove his existence. Contrary to the rumors that Furin High School, where Sakura enrolled, is a super delinquent school, it is loved by the people of the town. In fact, the students of Furin High School are called “Boufuurin” and are like allies of justice who protect the town from evil…

“WIND BREAKER” Volume 1 (Kodansha)

“Shonen Magazine,” published by Kodansha, was once a manga magazine that specialized in delinquent and yankee manga.

Although they have produced many masterpieces such as “Chameleon,” the heyday of delinquent and yankee manga was the 1980s and 1990s. From then on, their popularity waned, and fewer people admired the delinquent and yankee characters who wore short pants, pompom pants, and ducktails.

The work that brought back the popularity of delinquent and yankee manga from “Shonen Magazine,” which was once at its peak, was, without a doubt,“Tokyo Revengers”I guess so.

Unlike the “Yakuza” delinquent manga that had been popular with male readers up until then, this manga was successful in attracting female readers thanks to its entertaining story development, which was heavily influenced by science fiction, with the protagonist traveling back in time to change history, and the popularity of its cool characters. The once-glorious delinquent/yankee manga was rekindled with a new look.

“WIND BREAKER” Volume 2 (Kodansha)

When you hear that “WIND BREAKER” is a new delinquent manga being serialized in the “Shonen Magazine” series, which has always been known for its delinquent and yankee manga, it's hard not to get excited, but there are probably many people who will be encountering this work for the first time through its anime adaptation.

I am one of those people, and from the beginning of the first episode of the anime series, I felt that the atmosphere was somehow different from other delinquent manga. Why could that be…?
The answer becomes clear as the story progresses.

It feels great to be a hero like in “Hissatsu Shigotonin”!

What makes this work decisively different from other delinquent/yankee manga is that, while the main characters are high school students who could be called delinquents, it functions as a “hero manga.” Many people may have had a question mark in their mind: “Delinquents, but heroes?” However, I feel that this work is a proper hero manga.

The protagonist Haruka Sakura attends Furin High School, which is notorious for being the lowest-ranking school in the country and the worst-off school in the country. The school building is overgrown with ivy and covered in graffiti. However, the people of the town call them “Boufuurin” and place great trust in them as the allies of justice who protect the town.

The students of Furin High School punish people who start fights in the city and even volunteer to paint back alleys. They play a role similar to that of “hissatsu assassins.”

DVD “WIND BREAKER” Volume 1 (Aniplex)

The impression I get so far is that, except for sports-related works, most of the works that have featured delinquents or yankees as protagonists have been bloody and gangster-themed. Intense conflicts, reckless driving through the city at full speed, fight scenes where punches break out anywhere… Even though they are fiction, these scenes are never pleasant to watch, and I think some may have felt a little disgusted.

For these reasons, it is true that many people have avoided delinquent and yankee manga up until now. However, this work contains very few depictions that would cause such disgust, and far from making you feel bad, there are even some parts that make you feel good.

These tough-looking, unapproachable young men are not looked at with suspicion by those around them, but rather are affectionately nicknamed “Boufuurin.” Their fights are not for “attacking,” but for “protecting.”

“WIND BREAKER Original Soundtrack” (Aniplex)

As can be seen from the line uttered by Umemiya Hajime, the head of the Boufurin gang, “Fighting is dialogue, fists are language,” the boys have an unwavering determination to fight not for themselves, but for others, which is probably why this has turned out to be such a satisfying manga about delinquents.

The fight scenes are surprisingly… snappy, like a fighting manga.

However, since this is a manga about delinquents, fights over territory and other such things are unavoidable. However, the fight scenes in this work are also a little different from other works.

Beyond the shopping district, at the end of a tunnel, there is a drinking district. When a conflict breaks out with the Shishigashira Ren, a group that claims the area as their territory and espouses absolute faith in power, there was a nerve-wracking moment, as we wondered whether a random brawl would break out and people would just start punching each other.

However, they end up fighting one-on-one in a sort of team battle.

I was really impressed by how sportsmanlike the way things were, with each man going up on stage and fighting one-on-one just like in a fighting manga.

It's common for important characters to come to terms with each other in the middle of a fight, but the depiction of a one-on-one fight while the other members look on is something you don't see very often in these kinds of delinquent manga, so I couldn't help but be moved.

Although it's a fight, the film's appeal is in the manly battles that unfold as fists clash. The powerful camerawork in the fight scenes is also noteworthy.

From outlaw to hero. The characters are also fascinating.

Furthermore, the characters have unique personalities and are very appealing.

The main character, Sakura Haruka, is a young man with black and white hair and black and gold heterochromatic eyes. He has led a life of oppression due to his appearance, but the story follows his journey as a member of “Boufuurin” and becomes a hero.

He is truly a protagonist, and it is very satisfying to see how he goes from being an outlaw to a hero, and how he, someone who cannot trust others, is accepted by the majority of people.

In addition, there are many handsome young men and beautiful young men, such as the one-eyed beautiful boy Su Fang Junfei, who has a fighting style that incorporates kung fu, and the strongest man in “Boufuurin”, Umemiya Hajime, etc., which is a little different from the old yankee stories. This may be the reason why it has strong support from women.

Delinquent and yankee manga is making a comeback in the Reiwa era. At the core of this is the new era delinquent manga “WIND BREAKER”. It's just a delinquent manga, but it's still a delinquent manga. If you think it's just another delinquent manga, you're wrong! The more you watch it, the more your concept will be shattered.

(Written by zash)