Fuujin Monogatari (Windy Tales)

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Alternative Titles

Japanese: 風人物語

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Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 13

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Sep 11, 2004 to Feb 26, 2005

Premiered: Fall 2004

Broadcast: Unknown

Producers: Tohokushinsha Film Corporation, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Sky Perfect Communications, Culture Publishers

Licensors: Sentai Filmworks

Studios: Production I.G

Source: Original

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Slice of Life, Supernatural

Themes: Iyashikei, School

Duration: 25 min. per ep.

Rating: G - All Ages

Statistics

Score: 7.23¹ (scored by 4,063 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #2867²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #4758

Members: 18,269

Favorites: 113

Available At

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AniDB

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Synopsis

Nao, an 8th grader, is one of the only two members of a Digital Camera Club, where she also serves as the manager. It's a mystery that she shoots nothing else but the skies and clouds. One day, she finds a cat on a rooftop where she usually shoots her camera. It's a cat that knows how to manipulate the flow of a wind. Shocked to find a strange animal, Nao loses her footing and falls off from the rooftop!

Miki is the other member of the club, and also Nao's best friend. Mr. Taiki is the teacher who's taught the cat how to manipulate the flow of a wind. Ryoko is a girl who has a huge crush on Mr. Taiki. And there's Jun, who helps Nao and Miki look for a cat that can fly. Then, there's Yukio, who is the widow of Mr. Taiki's deceased brother.

On the outskirts of this big city, a town off the "Wind Handlers," has been formed—and a mysterious Wind Festival is about to begin...

(Source: Production I.G)

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Background

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Characters & Voice Actors

Ueshima, Nao

Main

Nazuka, Kaori
Japanese

Kataoka, Miki

Main

Hanamura, Satomi
Japanese

Nomura, Jun

Main

Irino, Miyu
Japanese

The Wind Cat

Supporting

Karin

Supporting

Noto, Mamiko
Japanese

Yoshino, Ryouko

Supporting

Iwamura, Aiko
Japanese

Makino-sensei

Supporting

Nakamura, Akio
Japanese

Yukio

Supporting

Mizuno, Risa
Japanese

Mr. Taiki

Supporting

Sugiyama, Ooki
Japanese

Atsuko

Supporting

Ogasawara, Arisa
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Oshii, Mamoru

Producer

Tanaka, Shinsaku

Producer

Nishimura, Junji

Director, Episode Director, Script, Storyboard

Wakabayashi, Kazuhiro

Sound Director

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Opening Theme

"風の詩 (Kaze no Uta; Poem of the Wind) ~WINDY TALES~" by YuU

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Ending Theme

"夕陽の色だけ (Yuuhi no Iro dake; Only the Color of the Setting Sun)" by Windy-S

More reviews

Reviews

Apr 21, 2007

Kopanda

Recommended

First off I will admit that I am softy for Slice of Life series. My top five anime series are all about teenage girls exploring day to day life and Windy Tales (Fuujin Monogatari) is one of them.

Immediately the unique animation style struck me. Why is a story about a high school girl who likes to take pictures of clouds drawn in such an obscure way? The animation at times accentuates certain features we would not normally notice and obscures other features making the characters look a part of their environment. Whenever I see pictures of Windy Tales I get overjoyed, they satisfy ever corner ...

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Nov 9, 2014

Tien

Recommended

Fuujin Monogatari, or Windy Tales, was a real treat to watch.

It's a very experimental anime, which is a rarity in the slice of life genre. Right off the bat, one will notice that the art style is seemingly messy and hastily drawn. In fact, it could even be called ugly. However, I found that it complemented the wind element of the show and meshed quite nicely with the animation. What struck me most about the art were the character designs: those tiny hands and feet, as well as those angular eyes that give the characters a distinct Asian appearance. I was also impressed by how ... highly expressive the characters' faces were. Joy, surprise, and even fear were depicted very effectively, despite the rather simple facial features of the characters.

Wind is the primary element that drives Fuujin Monogatari. Or rather, it starts off that way. During the first few episodes, the characters learn how to control the wind, but by episode three, these wind powers sort of fade into the background as the show becomes more episodic in nature. A more conventional slice-of-life show would have probably shown the characters using their powers in everyday situations, but we don't really see this in Fuujin Monogatari. Although the concept of wind control is revisited occasionally throughout the show, it mainly serves as a motif and is often paralleled with the occurrences and themes in each episode. For instance, the act of controlling the wind is often likened to showing responsibility and taking control of one's life. Of course, this is never stated outright; it's up to the viewers to catch the subtle messages behind an event or a character's actions.

Although the show is soothing and even lighthearted at times, it's not afraid to show those darker moments in life. For example, one episode depicts the change in attitude of a character who was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Another episode contains a metaphorical scene in which the act of suicide is illustrated with haunting imagery. Fuujin Monogatari is honest in its portrayal of events — a refreshing trait in a genre full of optimism and carefreeness.

As with all slice of life shows, Fuujin Monogatari is driven by its cast, and fortunately the characters here are quite likeable and respectfully represented. The main character of the show is Nao. Observant and thoughtful, she is one of only two members of her middle school's photography club, the other being her best friend Miki, who is more assertive. They are eventually joined by a boy named Jun, who becomes Miki's love interest. He's a bit of an airhead and provides much of the comic relief in the show. Although the characters don't get too much development, their personalities do get fleshed out and they feel delightfully genuine. I mean, Nao considers Benjamin Franklin her idol! Even the adults in the show, such as Taiki and even Nao's parents, are well depicted and play meaningful roles in several episodes. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the flying cats, who have their own special moments.

Another aspect of the show I enjoyed was the dialogue. It's subdued and representative of what people would say in everyday situations. After all, Nao and everyone around her are just normal people living their lives, and it's great to see that the dialogue is driven by their characterization and not by drama or plot. For example, there's one episode in which Nao listens to two adults talking about traveling. The conversation is very matter-of-fact, almost boring, but it provides a lot of insight into the adults' personalities.

The music in Fuujin Monogatari is calm and very soothing, greatly enhancing the atmosphere of the show. There's the typical soft piano tracks, of course, but some songs incorporate bells and even the flute, which are very befitting for the show's wind motifs. In addition, the OP is incredible and captures the essence of the show very well. It's one of those OPs that you never skip.

With all that being said, Fuujin Monogatari is not a perfect show. The characters' wind control powers are never really explored in depth, which may be off-putting. Episodes vary in quality, which is to be expected of an episodic series. While I don't consider any of them "bad," there are undoubtedly some episodes that are weaker than others. Also, the concept of wind is not incorporated in every episode (and in some, it's very loosely connected at best), making those episodes seem thematically detached from the rest of the series.

From its unique art style to its down-to-earth nature, Fuujin Monogatari is worth a watch for anyone who's interested in something a little different from the typical slice of life fare.

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Jul 28, 2009

Sneha

Recommended

Wow, if ever an anime can leave me speechless, this would be it. The reviewer before me has done such a good job that I really don't stand a chance now do I? lol I'm just going to add that this anime has the most beautiful score I have ever heard. No it's not everyone's cup of tea (I know the animation style can put many people off; though personally, I find it cute and very interesting), but honestly, I could watch it without visuals or words - the music is just that captivating. So go on, if you're in the mood to watch something ...

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Fuujin Monogatari

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Characters & Voice Actors

Ueshima, Nao

Kataoka, Miki

Nomura, Jun

The Wind Cat

Karin

Yoshino, Ryouko

Makino-sensei

Yukio

Mr. Taiki

Atsuko

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

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Fuujin Monogatari

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Synopsis

Background

Visit MALxJapan MALxJapan -More than just anime-

Characters & Voice Actors

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

Interest Stacks

Recommendations

Recent News

Recent Forum Discussion

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

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