Summary -
On paper, Windbreakers sounds like many other shows you may have seen over the past few years. A kid obsessed with fighting, Hanura Sakura, shows up at a new school intending to become the top guy. It turns out the school itself is no longer the lawless delinquent-ridden school the stories told of, and instead, it is run by a group called Bofurin. They united together to keep their home safe. Sakura ends up joining with Bofurin and questions his desire to rise to the top.
Solid and Varied Cast -
So a show like this needs a cast you can get behind, and this is something it manages to deliver on. The development of Sakura from a fight-hungry loner to becoming one in the group feels a bit rushed I admit, but the group itself is full of some pretty fun characters. The first season does a great job setting up the heavy hitters of Bofurin, giving you the reason why everyone in the group is so loyal to Umemiya, the current top of the school. Each character is vibrant, and the various fighting styles you see are distinct enough to keep you interested in seeing different people fight.
I will say though, except for one antagonist, it's not a cast that feels all that special. It's the kind of cast that manages to help sell the premise of the show, but not a whole lot else. No real problem, but nothing about it stands out either.
A Great set to an intense climax
What sold me on the show, however, was the episode seven fight. I won't spoil what happens, but Sakura ends up in the first real serious fight the show has presented thus far. There were a few fights before it with other characters, doing a decent job at establishing the members of Bofurin, but none of them were really intense, and pretty one-sided in favor of our heroes.
But then Sakura fights the second in command of a rival group, and things get very real very fast. It is flashy and violent, and the show gives you exactly enough insight into the workings of Jo and the thoughts of Sakura that everything comes together perfectly. This is everything you could hope out of a climax, and helped pull what was turning out to be just an okay anime worth watching, to something really good.
But then...
Followed by three episodes that treat the audience like idiots
You get a fight between the leaders of both groups, and both in that fight and the following two episodes rather than the sheer intensity of the last battle I feel like the show is preaching at me. Not only that, but it goes into excruciating detail to explain why this enemy group was the way they are, the problems with that, and everything surrounding it. And frankly, you basically got all that in that one episode before this.
It's one of those things that piss me off, a show that gives you the impression they think the audience needs every little thing spelled out for them. It didn't take away from how great that episode was, but it is frustrating. It also kind of paints Bofurin's leader as just that much above everyone like some kind of saint. It kind of stretches the suspension of disbelief that this person is even real. It honestly gives me the impression they felt the need to extend the story longer than necessary as well. It's a frustrating moment.
Ends well, setting up the second season
Those episodes aside, we get a bit more story and a good setup for the next season. We are introduced to two more members of Bofurin who seem as though they are going to play a big part in Sakura's little group of friends, both of whom manage to garner a bit of interest in a short time. The season ends with the introduction of a new group of foes and the promise for things to escalate next season.
Overall
Those three episodes of unnecessary explanation are a huge downside to this show, but I enoyed enough of it that I can overlook it to a degree. There isn't a lot of action, but what we get is good overall with one absolute standout fight. All with some solid designs, and not many issues outside of the preaching.
I think the show has a lot of potential, though right now it's just a solid watch. I do recommend it, and look forward to the next season.