The first episode of Wind Breaker Season 2 was able to continue the first season’s legacy.
Wind Breaker, adapted from Satoru Nii’s manga of the same name, was undeniably one of the best action anime of 2024. Unlike other battle-focused shows like Dandadan and Solo Leveling which had supernatural fights, the delinquent anime had nothing but hand-to-hand combat. The 13th and final episode of season 1 ended on a cliffhanger with the protagonist Sakura and his friends going to the dangerous group KEEL’s base to rescue their classmate Anzai’s friend. The first episode of season 2 continued with the plot and put the Bofurin first years smack dab in the middle of the enemy lair. But just when they started overwhelming the opponent, some skilled fighters stopped Sakura and his friends from helping their classmates.
Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers from the anime.
Sakura and his friends face KEEL
With the help of Nirei, we learn that KEEL is a new but dangerous gang with activities that are borderline criminal. When the Bofurin first years reach their lair, they’re ambushed by over 100 KEEL guys with wooden planks and bats. Despite being outnumbered, Sakura, Sugishita, Suo, Tsuugeura, and Kiryū aren’t scared at all. Their courage inspires everyone else to fight back with everything they have, forcing KEEL to take a step back. But when Anzai tries to help his friend Nagato, he is kicked down the stairs by KEEL’s leader Shingo Natori and loses consciousness. The five main fighters of Bofurin are soon stopped by five skilled fighters from KEEL, effectively stopping them from helping their classmates who are vastly outnumbered.
The episode was perfectly able to express all the emotions felt by the characters. Anger and frustration from Sakura who can’t save his friends, perverted pleasure from Shingo who enjoys outnumbering and overpowering people, and shameful disappointment from Nirei who’s tired of having his friends protect him because he’s weak. The expression on Suo and Sakura’s face when Nirei gets hit on the head and loses consciousness was bone-chilling. Although the first part of the episode didn’t have any groundbreaking one-to-one battles, the several ongoing fights throughout the abandoned building were very well-animated. The five main fighters of Bofurin's first years were especially impressive.
Ren Kaji’s entrance is about to tip the scales again
Undoubtedly the coolest moment of the entire episode was second year grade captain Ren Kaji kicking down the abandoned warehouse’s door. His signature lollipop and headphones let the enemies know who he was and how dangerous he can be when angry. Kaji’s vice-captains Enomoto and Kusumi start helping the other kids while Sugishita, Suo, Tsugeura, and Kiryū focus on their opponents. When Kaji heads toward the top to face Shingo, Sakura says he wants to be the one to take him down. Kaji hits him over the head and reminds him of his duty to fight his current opponent and take care of his friends. It seems that Ren Kaji will be the one to pummel KEEL’s leader in the next episode.
I’m of course excited about Kaji and Shingo’s fight, but I would feel robbed if I don’t see detailed versions of Sakura and his friends’ fights. Especially Tsugeura and Kiryū because they didn’t get a lot of screentime in the last season. But I’m really glad they started the season so intensely, landing us straight into the thick of the action. Unlike the previous season’s opponent Shihitoren who were honourable fighters, KEEL members like to gang up on their enemies and use weapons. This means Sakura and his classmates will have an entirely different kind of fight.
As a Jujutsu Kaisen fan, it was fun to hear Junya Enoki, who voiced the sweet and kind Yuji Itadori as the vile and hateful Shingo. His verbal tiff with Sakura (voiced by Yuma Uchida, who also voiced Megumi Fushiguro) brought a sense of nostalgia. Overall, the inaugural episode of the series was extremely well animated and choreographed, which makes me hopeful for the rest of the series. And I really can’t wait to see Kaji beat Shingo into a pulp. Wind Breaker Season 2 episode 2 (Episode 15) is coming out on 10 April, 2025.
