Ren Kaji pummels Shingo Natori’s smug face into the ground.
After the amazing buildup in Season 2 Episode 14 ‘RAGE’, the 15th episode ‘CONCLUSION’ brought things to a high-tension climax. Not only did Sakura finally overcome his own muddled thoughts, but his friends also took care of their notorious opponents with ease. But the coolest of them all was their senior Ren Kaji—who took down the KEEL leader without being goaded into unleashing his inner monster he’s worked so hard to suppress. But it’s not just the action that makes Wind Breaker anime such a great delinquent story.
Spoiler alert: Major plot points ahead
Tsugeura, Sugishita, and Kiryū manage to overshadow Sakura in his own show
When you have a protagonist as driven and as powerful as Sakura, it’s hard to look anywhere else. In this episode, Sakura once again proved his worth by taking down the cocky blond KEEL guy who tried to gang up on him. His easy win against multiple armed goons was incredibly smooth and cool. Despite this, the attention was stolen away by Sugishita, Tsugeura, and Kiryū—whose distinct fighting styles made them the center of attention in the first half of the episode. I have nothing to say about CloverWorks’ mind-blowing animation. The fight between the short KEEL guy and Sugishita was extremely satisfying.
On the other hand, Tsugeura allowing his opponent to land punches on him so he could ‘atone’ for not being able to protect his friends felt extremely on-brand. The scene switching between the two fights made it even more engrossing, highlighting their difference in style while also proving how similar they are. Kiryū, on the other hand, was infuriating for his opponent. Even before he actually hit the guy—he tore down his confidence to shreds by stating how he mustn’t get any girls with that nasty attitude. Granted, the boy deserved it for being a hater and calling Kiryū a girl for his style. But I couldn’t help but wince at the verbal smackdown before the physical one even arrived.
Ren Kaji is a monster who can control himself—and we love him for it
The central attraction of the episode was of course the fight between KEEL leader Shingo Natori and Bofurin second year grade captain Ren Kaji. Before the fight, Kaji’s backstory was revealed. We learned how people used to gang up on him and awaken his monstrous side that had no limit. Once Kaji came back to his senses, he would see unconscious bodies of his enemies all around him without any recollection. Natori says that it’s perfect because it means he’s strong. But Kaji absolutely hated the feeling of being a monster and is eternally thankful towards Hiragi who helped him overcome his own strength.
Their fight was incredibly cool, especially the part where Kaji lands a kick on Natori’s face after swinging from a chain. He then pummels Natori to the ground with his bare fist while the other guy keeps creepily smiling until the end. But just when I thought the highlights were done, Hayato Suo then enters the building to shake things up. It was satisfying to see him punch and kick the guy who hurt Nirei, but the fact that Sakura was the one who stopped him from going too far made it even better. Thanks to the second years’ help, Bofurin secured a landslide victory.
Although the action was over, the emotions were not. The scene where Nagato cries and asks Anzai and the others why they came to save him brought tears to my eyes. But Sakura telling him about how he should look up at them and say why he doesn’t deserve to be rescued proved how much the protagonist has matured. After seeing Sakura always angry and ready to pick a fight in season 1, this character development was like a soothing balm to my soul. I can’t wait to see the boys get together and talk it out with Nagato in the upcoming episode. Wind Breaker Episode 16 is coming out on Thursday, 17 April, 2025.
