Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru

Mar 26, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

SingleH (All reviews)

280 people found this review helpful

Watching Welcome to the Ballroom throughout it’s six month long two cour run was one of the most disheartening experiences I’ve yet to endure in all of my years. I watched as the industry titan Production I.G. themselves, those who’ve defined high-quality TV animation with the sports shows Kuroko no Basket and especially Haikyuu!, as they aired a similarly structured sports anime that panned over still frames and used basically constructed CG character models for background athletes like you’d expect from any other garbage studio. No matter how attractive and sharp the male designs were and no matter how shapely and sexy the female designs were, no matter how lively the color palette popped and setting design shined, no matter how elegant the soundtrack nor how powerful the dialogue, the show simply could not inspire, grip, or elate it’s audience in the same fashion it’s predecessors could for the stain that was it’s poor quality of animation. Call me a wishful thinker, but they’re back. Production I.G. is back in a big way with Run with the Wind.

Run with the Wind boasts such a splendidly lavish animation production which reminds you just how impressive this studio is at it’s best of times. The character designs are as clean, sharp, and attractive as those of Haikyuu and Welcome to the Ballroom, and they’re animated with a level of ornate detail which was incessantly impressive. The character designs of the main cast, as well as the voice actors chosen to play them, clearly had a lot of thinking behind them for you can see exactly why they dress the way they dress, why they walk the way they walk, why they accessorize they way they accessorize, and any other aspects of personality appearance you’d expect to notice on human beings in real life, and as you learn more about them as the show progresses you’ll slowly start noticing more and more of those little details that had been there the entire time. It’s amazing, and with the animation production and art design put aside, I’m just going to say it, Run with the Wind has hand-drawn backgrounds with Kyoto Animation’s level of detail, color design, researched setting references, perfect balance of finesse and flair, naturalistic beauty yet realistic subtlety, and general quality. I would go back through the episodes and take screenshots of the gorgeous backgrounds to add to my desktop’s background reel, because I felt it would be legitimately wasteful to let such beautiful pieces of artwork go unappreciated. On top of the impeccable visuals, the sound design and music stand just as tall and proud. The sound design is so detailed, nuanced, and ever-present, when I notice it I become so absorbed and distracted as to miss entire lines of dialogue and have to rewind. The soundtrack is an easy nine out of ten, and I can say that without hesitation. The composer did the monumentally epic and blood pumping OST for Haikyuu, the emotionally gripping and stylized Studio Trigger OST for Kiznaiver, and the OST for Death Parade which reached the heights of both contemplative character pieces and exciting psychological thriller pieces. I simply cannot praise the production of Run with the Wind any more without it coming across as hyperbole. It’s truly amazing.

As for the narrative and writing itself, while not being as breathtakingly perfect as the production, is still pretty damn good in it’s own right. The main cast of characters is one of the most realistic ensembles in all of anime, easily competing with shows like Durarara, Hajjime no Ippo, and Assassination Classroom who’re known for their enormous yet somehow well developed ensemble casts. Not to put them down, for those examples are all quite good shows, but unlike those shows Run with the Wind manages to mete out character development in a realistic, grounded, subtle, and emotionally resonant manner. At no point in the show is there anything that could be described as an “arc.” Never does the narrative take a break for drama, nor does it ever feel like one character in particular is being too overbearing or stealing the spotlight. The story sets itself up and goes, with any necessary character development or exploration sneaking it’s way into the narrative naturally and in a very down to earth fashion. This sensible pacing also works wonders for the dramatic conflict in the story because you can really see the build up to all the happenings. Nothing ever comes out of nowhere and is usually spawned from within the main character, Kakeru, who you know well enough to both sympathize and empathize with. One thing I could very well see people having a problem with is the straight-man who brings all the character conflict to the table is Kakeru himself. I certainly didn’t have a problem with it because, again, his motivations are so well written and deep-seated within his character I totally get where he’s coming from, but for someone who doesn’t get it, I can see how the main character being the vehicle for ALL the conflict in the show could annoy some people, so fair warning. I mean, it’s not just Kakeru, really. All the characters have insecurities and hangups which are so real and feel truly genuine. Most anime will have characters ranting and raving about a bunch of out-of-this-world garbage the viewer has no reason to care about, but Run with the Wind does nothing of the sort. The character Nico-chan (a play on the word “nicotine”) has difficulty running for his addiction to smoking and his unhealthy BMI. The character King has trouble being committed to the team because he has to find work to pay for college. The character Shindo has doubts about his involvement with the team because his girlfriend dumped him after feeling he had neglected her. All the characters are real, with real scripts, with real problems. It’s a seriously wonderful cast who brings the relatively straightforward story to life, and there were a number of times I had tears in my eyes watching them cross the finish line.

The final point I wanted to discuss before concluding is the villains. Sports anime, simply put, NEVER have committed villains. Seriously, just take a second and think about it. It’s ALL mutually understood competition wherein the opponents are never genuinely malicious and are only causing conflict for the sake of sportsmanship. The only time truly antagonist villains appear in sports anime is like Jabberwock from Kuroko no Basket, or Bryan Hawk from Hajime no Ippo, or the Blue Mars from One Outs, or any other one dimensional evil-for-the-sake-of-evil villains out there. Out of all the three thousand plus anime I’ve seen, I’ve yet to see a wholesale ill natured antagonists who truly wants to beat the protagonists solely out of hatred. Sakaki, the main villain in Run with the Wind, is the first character I’ve seen in a sports anime who truly earned the title of “villain.” His history with Kakeru makes for a heavy motivation for conflict, and his vindictive attitude comes across as being deserved. Again, Kakeru is a realistic flawed character, so the idea he has some skeletons in his closet isn’t all that far fetched. As you learn more about their pasts, and you get both sides of the story, you’re naturally emotionally invested. It’s just another really, really good aspect of the show which I wanted to make a point wasn’t under appreciated at all in my review.

Run with the Wind is a great show I highly recommend for everything I’ve mentioned and more I’ve probably overlooked, but it also has a really resonant psychological core to it, at least for me, and I thought it nice to see such a moving and powerful message portrayed from an otherwise unassuming sports anime. As I’ve said no shortage of times, the main character Kakeru is a really flawed person. He’s impulsive, irritable, and outright violent, and it’s not even anyone’s fault. It’s just who he is, thus he runs. He literally and metaphorically runs away from his problems and is constantly accused of doing so by many characters in the show. As said problems continue to pile up despite his speed, he realizes the problems are within and running simply won’t escape them. When he finally stops and turns around to see all the people he’s hurt along the way, all the mistakes he’s made and regrets he has, and all the people still trying to support him in spite of all this, he really sits down and confronts reality in a poignantly human fashion, and it’s this emotional courage that frees his spirt, so to speak, so he can truly move forward and run with the wind.

Thank you for reading.

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Nov 7, 2018

6 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

SkydiverRed (All reviews)

125 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

This is surely the best anime of this season.

Story:-9/10
Looks like the anime industry has finally acknowledged the existence of a mythical place known as 'college'. From the very first second you are drawn in due to the unique storyline.

Art:-10/10
The art style is so fluid that it easily sets this anime apart from others.Absolutely no inconsistencies/drop in quality anywhere.

Characters:-10/10
This is the USP of the show. We have 10 people,each studying in different majors and different years.Ample screentime is given to every character.Their interactions are highly realistic.

Enjoyment:-10/10
This show is a perfect mixture of drama,motivation and comedy.There is never a dull moment.It feels difficult to wait an entire read more

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Mar 26, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Stark700 (All reviews)

106 people found this review helpful

Is it just me or does it seem like we don’t get enough literature anime adaptations these days? Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru (also known as Run With the Wind) is an actual book adaptation and features competitive running as part of its plot. Like most competitive sports, the show delivers storytelling to feature the journey of characters to accomplish their goals. Thankfully, this show delivers a promise that won’t leave you disappointed.

To check off the bucket list, you should probably ask yourself if you enjoy a story driven by drama with sports elements. Because make no mistake, this anime contains a great deal of realism while selling drama at every chance it gets. It will try to evoke emotions out of the viewers and between the storytelling, you’ll experience a story with its insightful character cast.

Meet Kakeru Kurahara, the 1st year former elite runner at Kansei University. The first episode shows his daredevil actions as he is caught stealing. Thankfully, he is saved by 4th year student Haiji Kiyose who has an ambitious dream of competing in the Hakone Ekiden. The Hakone Ekiden is considered an important relay race taking place btween Tokyo and Hakone in Japan. Kakeru seems like a perfect candidate to be on the team. Upon being invited to the Kanse University Dorm, he quickly discovers it’s a place for the Track and Field team. The show sets up for huge amount of story and character development as we quickly realize how weak their team actually is.

Now I’ll say right off the bat that I am a sucker for an underdog story. It has potential to develop characters on many levels. The problem here is that Kakeru isn’t a noob compared to the rest of the team. He already has experience in running but lacks the enthusiasm. This is explained through some very complicated and dark background storytelling. Apparently, an incident from his former Track & Field team caused him to doubt himself. Nonetheless, I believe Kakeru’s personality to be one that people can understand after seeing what he’s been through. This is a sharp contrast to Haiji, who is always enthusiastic about the team and his dream. The main problem is that the team requires a lot of training and commitment to compete at the Hakone Ekiden level. Still, I appreciate the character bond of the team. As the show progresses, Kakeru begins to realize that he’s not running alone and that he has friends to run with. A main selling point about Kakeru’s own journey is how he conquers his personal demon and move beyond his past.

You better get used to seeing a lot of Kakeru and Haiji’s character bonding in this story. Interestingly, the rest of the cast get their spotlights too as they reinforce the show’s themes. Characters such as Takashi and Akane (aka Prince) are inspirational for their dedication and realization to succeed. Remember, most of the guys in Haiji’s team aren’t experienced or very athletic. It takes a strong will, determination, and attitude to become succesful. The show carries character development as its team members strives to be the best they can be. It’s a relatable concept that can be applied to real life with goals being accomplished through hard work. I personally find the show’s attitude to be very inspirational with many of its character cast conquering their fears and running toward their dreams.

As dramatic as the show can be, do also expect a decent amount of lighthearted moments and comedy. The Jo twins are a prime example of this with their playful personalities. The man service also adds in some cheek humor when the team have bonding moments while discussing about their goals. When the drama picks up though, definitely be prepare to experience the real deal. Teams such as the Rikudo University is no pushover for their reputation. Haiji’s push to get his team to succeed also comes at an immense amount of effort considering the requirements for this dream race. It’s revealed in the show that the team must rank into the top 10 teams and meet personal records. So by all means, it comes to no surprise the amount of pressure the team can feel while training. This is where the main amount of drama drops in with characters feeling how difficult is to reach their goals. Nonetheless, I confess to say that a show like this meets the satisfaction of “the journey is more important than the destination”. People may have hard this phrase many times before but as a driving force in the show, it suits for it perfectly. The amount of character development is expanded to most of the main character cast that you can easily recall their names and some of their memorable moments. No one is truly left out in favor of the main cast even as they seem featured more prominently at times.

As a Production I.G. show, this definitely reminds me a bit of their other sports projects. Haikyu especially comes to mind for its similar character designs and competitive atmosphere. More importantly, I felt the great deal of realism for its character designs. Throughout the show, the characters evolve physically and mentally. Their character expressions and reactions carries an emotional weight that can easily be felt throughout the show. It’s the type of feeling when you finally earn a sense of pride and accomplishment after all the hard work. And don’t forget, the team is consisted of cool guys so the man service can be a treat for the ladies.

With 23 episodes, I confess to say that it’s the perfect amount for this particular anime. Why? That’s because it managed to develop its character cast while staying consistent with the storytelling. The amount of realism made me realize how inspirational this show can be. With every episode, I felt compelled to see just how much the characters can succeed for their future. Honestly, we need more literature adaptations these days.

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Mar 26, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 4

Karhu (All reviews)

82 people found this review helpful

Anyone who has ever run knows that it sucks. Why waterboarding is a thing when treadmills exist is a complete mystery to me. I guess even the KGB had its limit on how fucked up their torture methods were. Anyhoo, Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru -- Run with the Wind -- is a story about people who are literally the epitome of masochism and, as weird as it may sound, actually enjoy running. I was expecting a psychological series going in depth with this pain = pleasure thing, but turns out our series relies on fujobaiting instead.

It should be warned already on the title page that every factor from story progression, seiyuu choices, male casting and slice of life-like approach yells out one thing loud and clear: homo undertones. While great many sports series have chosen this approach (Haikyuu, Kuroko, Wind Up, Free -- just to name a few), Kaze ga has very little charm outside its naked ecchi boys / manservice factors. Just to specify to what extent this exist and why it is a problem: there are 4 scenes of our young boys being naked already shown in the first episode before we even know their names. I don't mind male ecchi or bros bathing together washing each others dicks when it is manly and #no_homo, but when it becomes the first thing that stands out in a sports series that was told be filled with drama and comedy, and executed with cute boys who don't, in any way, act like genuine humans, we are off to a terrible start.

The selling point of sports series tends to be their cast for their stories can never truly work if the person(s) going thru the story are not worth of being followed. Kaze ga's cast and approach I'd like to describe with a short meme: y Tho? Our "club" of 10 boys are, outside few expectations, the exact same people. They have nearly invisible personalities, all they have are things that are common between all of them for there aren't such things that would separate them from each others -- outside their outlooks. And even this isn't entirely true since there are even twins among them. As a whole, the cast is fake and empty to a point that I wonder if this is what feminists see when watching CGDCT or ecchi anime. The cast doesn't have much appeal to me. I couldn't find any way to care about any of them. They have nothing that would make relate to them, they offer no entertaining personality traits, their behavior is dull and mainly reminds me of cardboard. None of them have any interesting past stories or current stories. None of them even says anything mildly interesting at any point during the run. The more they talked the more I came to go meh over them. How awfully boring must ones life be to hang out with any of them? A question I found myself asking several times.

Outside episode 16, the sports side is an absolute joke. Even tho I don't like running myself, I have seen series that focus on running and track&field and which I have liked. Kaze ga's take on this torture method is exactly as dull as the sports itself. Nothing stands out, nothing feels meaningful, there aren't even any fitting/atmospheric or agro songs used that could make these scenes better. Instead, same few songs are repeated over and over and none of them is very fitting. So often, there plays some supposedly emotional song whilst our cast members run and sweat, followed, for example, by a scene where they get scolded for being too slow. What the series is trying to deliver here never reached my end. And typically, these running scenes are very short and made in the exact same manner, only thing that differs is the aftermath. Watching the execution here feels like repeatedly hitting ones head in the wall with a force so light that you barely even feel the effect, but still know it is happening. There are even sports series centering around baseball and fighting sports which field work (AKA running) is more noteworthy than anything Kaze ga achieved. The best characters here are these one-dimensional 'evil' buttholes who just come around to mock our sports team for being a disgrace towards track'n field. Why? Because their phrases are truthful remarks. Especially towards the end, the melodrama Kaze ga mixes together with sports is nothing less than a disgrace towards all athletes.

In terms of actual story, one of the driving motions here are our boys interest to girls.. Literally "lets run for the are girls.. on the other side of the road." I am not sure who the writer is trying to fool with this since they only introduce one slightly relevant female cast member and she is more obviously filler than any other character. Also, she falls under the trope "every food she prepares turns poison" because apparently it is funny when women can't cook. She is totally adorable regardless. Yet it feels so unnecessary to insert such things here yet not deal with them accordingly. The outcome is just idiotic. The events itself are rather formulaic. Male x male interactions in fujobait manner, bathing together naked, and running. Some pseudo-psychological things going on since, apparently, running (for our mc) is the same as running away from problems, and the main dude seems to have some. Even so, there is no clear reason for the series to exist, story-wise. It's clear from early on that the mc's "insecurities" are just bullshit used as an excuse to work as some sort of ongoing cliffhanger to make people interested in what type of "mysterious" reasons he has for being such an angsty loner. Other sides of the "drama" are practically sitcom-tier since the cast acts like a bunch of drama queens instead of there being any "real" drama going on. Sometimes randomly asspulled and beyond fake event occurs, such as one character suddenly losing a consciousness at the end of an episode just to create a cliffhanger worth of 3 pennies. To talk more about these cliffhangers, they are used to some extent and every time they match the definition of "horse shit". False tension and not much more.

The production, outside the incredibly bland character models (their bodies look like spaghetti and have even weirder necks than people in Ballroom e (not exaggerating -- same studio, also) -- and worth-of-nothing sports scenes, is one more thing that is not making this thing any better. The naked men bathing -scenes seem to be the ones that have gone thru the most planning. Comedy moments are over-simplified to a point that it looks just cheap and it is practically the exact same execution every single time. Dude's doing 2 frame shaking when being cornered. Otherwise the series screams it is made by Production I.G with their modern standards (which have been going down and down rather consistently for years if someone hasn't noticed). The pacing is simply too slow during any part that is not related to running and too fast with anything that is. Obviously, because they wanted to save money when animating running masses. CGI is being used during track events and it's like 3fps when out zoomed. Often, people who run look like they are floating over the track rather than touching the ground with their feet. Looks so incredibly lame. Not that it couldn't be forgiven if there were some actually good things going on. Pros that out weighted the cons. To me, even the smallest of problems stood out for I couldn't achieve any level of immersion with the series, rather saw it as nothing but a soulless product.

All the criticism aside, I did quite enjoy moments around Akane "Prince" Kashiwazaki, who is the polar opposite of everyone else. Seems to hate running and is in really bad shape. His running form is so awkward and wrong that I managed to laugh at it few times, mainly reminding me of zombie movements from Resident Evil games. Even his posture while standing is advanced scoliosis, so I guess kudos for creating a dude like him. Other thing I have to drop here is the ending of episode 19 which was simply hilarious. If only there had been other good things I could praise than the rare few.

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Mar 26, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

ACasualViewer (All reviews)

67 people found this review helpful

This show is underrated and a true gem.

Story: 9

Run with the Wind is a really special show, it’s been a long time since any story has quite impacted me this strongly. The story is actually quite simple, a bunch of college students decide to run a marathon, and their journey to reaching it. The execution is where the anime shines, there is never a wasted moment at all, every episode either focuses on the growth of a character, the growth of the team, or a major cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more. The anime outside of some unrealistic dramatic scenes, felt very relatable and refreshing, read more

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Jan 7, 2019

11 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

cliffysenpai712 (All reviews)

39 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

Are you exhausted of seeing sports anime set in a generic high school setting and want something different ? Are you a college student like me who wants a sports anime they can relate to ? If any of those describes you then I welcome you to the world of Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteru. As an athlete in college, this show has given me the motivation and strength to practice hard everyday and not slack off. Why is that you ask? Well here are the reasons why.

Story : 9/10

The story like most people would say is pretty standard but what differs it from the read more

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Nov 6, 2018

6 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

wdakdkwVdwadwad (All reviews)

34 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

Story (7): The story is neither extremely unique nor really unoriginal, but it is pretty standard story for a sport anime.

Character (10):
There are various unique, interesting and lovable characters in this anime, and we get a deep-dive in the personality and development of the most important characters, making it really easy to relate to and feel with the characters, as well as making them more likeable and real.

Sound (9):
OP: Pretty fitting for the show. The opening is chill and all good but nothing outstanding.
ED: The ending is pretty neat, the beat is really relaxing.
OST: (the god) Yuuki Hayashi composed the soundtrack, read more

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Apr 2, 2020

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Ezekiel_01 (All reviews)

22 people found this review helpful

We, humans, are always an interesting bunch of creatures. The difference between us humans from animals is that we have dreams. Dreams we set as our goals with. We chase down our dreams in the road of life, hoping to reach self-satisfaction and eternal happiness. Sadly, not everybody has a solid resolve to chase down their dreams, while some don’t have an end goal in their life, making the destination of life confusing and frustrating. But even with those odds, we still continue to move and keep on running in different directions. We still chase down the unknown answer we seek. This is what Kaze read more

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Mar 26, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Xnovazero (All reviews)

28 people found this review helpful

Do you like running? So let's run together!
Road with the goal of Hakone is far. But aim for dream is good thing. They convinced it, and strive to practice training every day. Who is genuine runner? Where is college can reach the top? Those answers are there.

This show is ensemble cast by various characters. Basically, Kakeru Kurahara and Haiji Kiyose are protagonists. No problem if you focus them. At first, each characters development are completely well done. This is high point. Every characters are unique, attractive, likable. And cool. Especially Haiji is my favorite character in this show. I love his looking and personality so much. He is positive and cheerful. Ouji's bravery also wonderful. At the beginning, he is drained though, he grows gradually. This is the same goes for other teammate. While almost characters have all sorts of situation, they's trying their very best. Sometimes enjoyable. Sometimes strictly. Part of the family. One more thing is this show has many good-looking guys because this show is sports genre. In other words, almost guys. Nevertheless, please don't avoid. It's a waste. Hanako Katsuta. She is manager who give grace to teammate. Her turn is less though, Her cuteness burst pivotal points. Joji and Jota brothers fall in love her! On the other hand, Kazuma Fujioka. He is Haiji's friend. Although his turn is less the same as Hanako, really manly and good person. He has presence and charisma. Art and Animation are stunning and beautiful. Running animation is depicting finely. It has always sense of urgency. Background also wonderful. Music also very nice. OP songs of both cour are amazingly cool. ED songs are calm and quiet. In addition, voice acting is great. Satisfactory. As constitution of main story. Practice, Preliminary round, Actual play's repetitive. Seems repetition of the same thing, but the truth is different. Drama, Conflict, Growth among them are include. Kakeru has most complex in the team. He is suffering from cruel past and unbearable current. Sometimes he let his feelings out. However, Haiji helps him. Because of he is very thoughtful of Kakeru more than anyone. Haiji is leader of everyone. At the same time, he is companion with others equally. Since Haiji is thinking everyone like family, he lead the team. He hates lying against himself and people, and it has an effect in his past. Nevertheless, he don't look back. He just move forward. It is his motto. Otherwise, life itself feels boring. He is thinking it. I've ever also did experience similar to life. I thought I don't want to regret. Results aren't very fine though, I achieve sense of accomplishment. I agree with Kakeru and Haiji's way of life. Although the same goes for every field, if you give up once, become unable to understand yourself's reason of being. How do you solve? This show is depicting things like them delicately. Is throwing away the dream your long-cherished ambition? Or while you see eternity, do you aim for your true dream? Only you isn't lead role. Speaking objectively, I can say that you should broaden yours horizons. Rewarding for the sake of the future. In short, no matter what you are to be discouraged...KEEP RUNNING!

As noted above, there are many characters in this show. So face and name don't match. Their case is many. Well, it can't be helped honestly. Introduction looks like repetitive over and over again. It may be get tired depending on the person. Pacing is improve from 2-cour. Endure until there. I disagree with Kousuke Sakaki's behavior entirely. A lot of emotion theory. Or just bear a grudge. He isn't suitable as Kakeru's rival.

This show is hidden gem, and at the same time, make us think about philosophy of life. How it looks your present self? Is there something you want to do? I got various inspiration from this show. Intense, Joyful, moved. More than anything, this show is very interesting. Close to masterpiece. That's a shame to buried. If you're interested in this show, worth watching. Really underrated.

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Mar 26, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

FMmatron (All reviews)

23 people found this review helpful

There are various aspects which have to be considered and come into play if we are talking about how a good anime should generally be like. That said, values and priorities in regards to a story and technical features may differ dependent on whom you ask. Well thought out plot, compelling characters or perhaps a focus on visual storytelling-you name it, all of us have preferences whose omnipresence ultimatively dictates our viewing habits and the enjoyment we receive out of something. There's still one attribute I view as vital in order to appeal to the audience, namely heart and even more so when it comes to the sports anime. Kaze ga Tsuyuko Fuiteiru essentially embodies the spirit which made me such a big fan of the genre.

It is also a show that exceeded preexisting expectations. Expectations mainly based on a single name. Brought to us by Production I.G a studio renowned for their outstanding record regarding anime that revolve around physical activities. Ok not quite tbh, but if we take a look at some big hit's from this decade like Kuroko no Basket, Diamond no Ace, Haikyuu, Ballroom e Youkoso then it shouldn't really surprise that I.G has earned a certain reputation in this field and everyone familiar with their sports adaptations of this decade might fully agree.

The story revolves around Kakeru and Haiji who met by chance. One is an ex competive runner and a prodigy, the other a guy desperate enough to trick his dormmates with the objective of letting Kansei University enter the Hakone Ekiden. Sounds like a solid premise for this genre. Although there's a notable difference in direct comparison with the title I mentioned above. The show's in question used a narrative that rather focussed on the sport and elemental technicalities, Kaze ga Tsuyuko Fuiteiru on the other hand went more for a character and drama oriented approach. Running in a club served more or less as a catalyst to induce conflicts, trials and self-exploration on the steep road to reach the "top". Then there's the fact that it's setted in university. Good, that doesn't sound like a major change up at first , but it allowed to showcase harsh circumstances accompanied by sacrifices which can only occur if you're in one of the busiest stages of your life. Moreover, I thoroughly enjoyed the cosy ambience of a lively dorm and the seemingly deeper bond of the cast, similar to that of a family. Especially the first episodes capitalized on that aspect and it was easy to get warm with the characters.

Speaking of them, the easiest way to sum up the lot without spoiling much would be to describe them as a diverse bunch or if I take this a bit further maybe even as a group that consists of people whose personalities almost couldn't contrast more. While this made up for engaging character dynamics it was at the same time also the ideal breeding ground for several disputes which put the common goal at risk. There were times where it was hard for some viewers not to get aggravated by some actions or attitudes that were displayed. This doesn't sound very appealing, but rest assured. After a bit of patience you will get rewarded with amazing individual as well as collective development emotionally striking enough to wash away all unpleasant memories. However, conflicts weren't limited to be solely of external nature, each Kansei member had his own struggles to deal with and the show dedicated a decent amount of screen time on depicting those in a tangible manner. At this point I might fairly add that time spent on fleshing out characters wasn't alloted equally and this could've evoked the impression that some of them were lacking significant growth. Thankfully, this most definitely wasn't the case. The final batch of episodes in particular took care of that task. They presented a gratifying conclusion to each individual journey. The boys reflected on their past and the last months devoted to running . This ultimatively enabled them to become aware of how running, an activity most of them were initially indifferent about brought a change to their lifes. These moments truly hit close to home as they were able to convey a wide array of emotions along with a level of relatableness that surpassed everything I had expected. All this made the already enjoyable ride more than just worthwhile.

What struck me most besides the raw emotional impact I experienced while watching characters I've gotten fond of fight against the competiton and themselves was the technical finesse put to display. The running segments were beautifully composed, ranging from expressions of the runner, spectator reactions, inner monologue, animation and OST, everything was in tune. Regarding the overall animation and art quality, well it was mostly conistent throughout the entire course of the show. Some CGI here, some minor inconsistencies when it comes to the faces ther, but nothing that warranted major criticism in that area or took me out of the experience. It fulfilled the standards you would expect of I.G.
Outstanding in that department was how realistic the running motions looked and the effective use of imagery. The director did extremely well there and this became already apparent during the first episode. The first encounter of Kakeru and Haiji was without a doubt one of the strongest opening scenes I've ever scene and immediately captivated me.

Coming to the music department and I'm going to make this short. Fantastic! It always fitted to the scene, enhanced the mood and correspondingly the enjoyment by a large margin. The theme songs, especially the first ones, Catch up , latency and Reset were exceptionally good.

Now onto something, many, especially those who care about accurate depiction and realism when it comes to technical aspects would most likely take an issue with. Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru didn't put much emphasis on elaborating details of running nor did it provide a logical explanation how admittedly more or less fit novices were able to perform so well on a high level. Team Kansei surely put lots of effort into their training, but others must have done so as well. Potential viewers gotta ask themselves whether they can stomach a dose of idealism or not. Personally, I didn't have much trouble to overcome my disbelief due to plenty of other merits. Foremost, the sheer endless energy the whole story and characters emitted. Then also the fact that an anime about a solo sports had some of the best team chemistry is nothing short of praiseworthy.

Lastly, I'm gonna talk about my personal enjoyment. Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru was by far the most entertaining show I've seen from the last year and it turned out to be way more than I could've hoped for. I was totally invested in the characters, I laughed, I felt joy or cried with them. I even started to integrate running in my workout routine again. On top of that it managed to recreate the exact feelings of the times when I've seen my first sports and I hope everyone who's going to check this marvellous work will experience a similar sensation.

I gave it an overall rating of 9 due to the set rating system for reviews, but in my heart it gets without a doubt a full score.

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Dec 11, 2018

10 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

FreshOrange (All reviews)

17 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

First of all, unique in terms of other "outgoing MC" animes. If you slightly like sports or into it, this anime will make you wish that it never ends.

In my opinion, what makes an anime great is the ending and the desire to watch it one episode after another. BUT, i just realized that might not apply on all of them. Sometimes the process of waiting and building into a good story with a direct legit art, is all what it takes.

Beside when it comes to sport anime, you need to have faith in Production I.G, hope to see more of their works...

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Nov 12, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

literaturenerd (All reviews)

12 people found this review helpful

Time to review another one of the MAL top 100! At least at the time of this review it's in the top 100. Run with the Wind is being hailed as one of the greatest sports anime of all time. While I feel it got a little overhyped and overrated, it's certainly a good anime and well worth checking out!

Wind is the 2nd novel from author Shion Miura to be adapted into an anime. The first was The Great Passage back in 2016. Remember that one? It was about a 30 year old guy with autism that struggled with interpersonal skills, but found an ideal career editing a new edition of the Japanese dictionary. It was an extremely unique and ambitious anime, but my old buddy Zeph said it was boring and it got absolutely crucified here on MAL. Since Zeph is MIA, Miss Miura's 2nd novel got a much warmer reception here...despite actually being even slower and more boring than Great Passage!

So what is Wind about? This is an anime about a ragtag team of college misfits trying to enter into a marathon relay called the Hakone Ekiden. The H.E. requires 10 runners for each team, with each athlete needing to run between 18 and 23 kilometers. The guy trying to make all this happen is a literature major named Haiji. Haiji is in his senior year and only has one chance to assemble a team and try make this happen. His father was a great track athlete and Haiji himself was an incredible prodigy back in high school. However, he injured his leg and had to take a break from running. A mere injury couldn't kill his love of the sport though and now he's determined to gather a team no matter what...by pressuring and pestering his dorm mates.

The first 10 episodes go like this. Haiji: "Hey, you guys should run the marathon with me". Everyone: "No! We don't wan to run the marathon. We're out of shape!" Haiji: "Come on guys! It will be fun! At least practice with me!" Everyone: "Ok...we'll at least practice, but we still aren't running in the stupid marathon!"

That's literally all that happens for the first 5 hours. This is the slowest sports anime I've ever seen. To be fair, it's much more of a character study and drama than it is a traditional sports show. It's adapted from an actual novel after all, not a shonen manga.

One of the recurring themes of Wind is simply how daily exercise can improve your life. Each character has their own struggles and issues, but the seemingly simple task of running each day manages to help everyone. Daily exercise instills discipline and increases the ability to delay gratification. It also boosts self confidence and improves health.

Like any drama, Wind is heavily focused on character development. Sadly, I don't think Miss Miura wanted to actually write 10 characters. She just needed 10 to fill out the H.E. requirement. So we get 2 identical twins who just want to have sex. We get an otaku whose character is that he's an otaku. Some of the characters like King, Kakeru, and Haiji get wonderful character moments and development, but it's not evenly spread. To be fair, it's really hard to properly flesh out 10 characters in just 23 episodes.

The art by production IG is one of the highlights of the series. This anime looks absolutely GORGEOUS. Not only is it fluid and bright, but also very consistent. Another IG anime I've been watching is Vinland Saga, which looks great one minute and then you get smacked in the face with some AWFUL CG. Fortunately, Wind is a lot more consistent. Whoever was animation director really did their job. What's even more impressive was that this is an entire series about running, which is hard to animate. Walking in general is hard to animate. Why do you think cheap anime like to show characters from the waist up? It isn't just bad anime studios that fuck up walk cycles. Studio Madhouse back in the 1990s use to do it all the time. Watch an episode of Trigun and wait for any scene with a crowd. Random characters will be moving across the screen at a different pace than their footsteps, leading to what my offline buddy has dubbed "The Madhouse Moonwalk". Basically, Wind's animation is stellar. No complaints there.

Overall, this series starts out slow but grows into something pretty damn good! While I prefer Great Passage, Wind is still a great experience. I tried really hard to avoid any spoilers in this review, but just be prepared for one of the most random, out of nowhere romantic confessions I've seen in anime. I don't want to talk more about that and spoil it, but it REALLY should have had more time play out. Other than that, it's an anime I recommend. If you like Wind, be sure to support Miss Miura and also check out Great Passage.

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Mar 26, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

The-Observer95 (All reviews)

14 people found this review helpful

I never really enjoyed any sports anime ever before watching this anime. The reason I never liked any sports show was simple, you see all any sports anime ever did was just putting so much effort on the sports itself that they forget to develop the characters who are the essential part of the anime(looking at Haikyuu, yuri on ice and free).

I was really shocked to see a anime about running that does not show any character running until ep 5 or 6, I mean how sports anime do that these days. Rather then making us show the characters running from the start it takes read more

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Mar 26, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

CorkMars (All reviews)

13 people found this review helpful

"Haiji... this isn’t just your dream anymore... it’s our dream.
It’s a nice dream. So nice, I never want to wake up."
I too would never like to wake up from the dream that has been Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru, or Run with the wind. This is an anime that has touched my heart more than any other work of art I have ever experienced in my twenty years of life. I'm writing this review immediately after viewing the final episode, and I am truly grateful for this series.
The underlying theme of this series concerns youth. In college, we are pulled in so many directions, and have to focus on our futures and our careers more than ever. This series has taught me that these are the years of my life that I cannot allow to slip by. I must take full advantage of my youth, and live it to the fullest alongside my friends and my family. I believe that any college student, or soon to be college student, can learn much from this series and these brilliant characters, and I sincerely hope that my words will reach at least one person in this world.
I was a runner in high school, I loved it and I hated it. I love to run, but I don't love to race. I quit after two years, and didn't run once my entire senior year of high school, and freshman year of college. This series reintroduced me to the joy of running. Since episode 1 aired last October, I run almost every morning with the show's beautiful OST on repeat.
I vehemently recommend this series, and rate it 10/10; a masterpiece.
The Merriam- Webster dictionary defines a masterpiece as "a work done with extraordinary skill
especially : a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement.”
I cannot express enough with words how truly this defines Run with the Wind, a series that showed me in just 23 episodes the most interesting and inspiring character development I have ever come into contact with.
I laughed, I cried, and after 23 episodes I feel that this series will stay with me as long as I live. When watching a weekly series, I always used to wait, and let them stack, so that I am able to binge and more easily digest a show, but never could I do this for Run with the Wind. Never once could I wait even a second to watch the show that moves me more and more with each episode. The three week hiatus in the middle was so frustrating that when the series returned I cried uncontrollably, to my family's dismay and amusement.
"I finally understand. Whether I run or I don’t, it hurts just the same. Even if I fail, I want to do what my heart desires here."
Haiji, Kakeru, and the rest of the team feel like truly important people in my life, and amazingly I am able to deeply relate to all 10 of them. I think that any runner, that any college student, that any youth can relate to these masterfully written characters, and experience their triumphs and their misfortunes as one's own. Never have I enjoyed a cast of characters so much, and learned at least one valuable lesson from 10 individual characters in a work. Prince and Haiji will forever inspire me!

"This world is too beautiful.
But that’s okay.
My love hasn’t changed. Never has. Never will.
I like running.
I love it."
I like Run with the Wind, I love it, and I think both socially and philosophically it is one of the most important artworks of our generation.
Don't waste another second of your youth, get out there with your friends and strive for something greater than yourself. Never doubt yourself, and never act like someone you're not. These phrases are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the vital life lessons to be learned from Run with the Wind, but don't take my word for it. I insist that you view this series for yourself, and maybe, just maybe, you'll have the same beautiful experience as myself.
What is strength? What is running? What is living? Watch Run with the Wind and find out.

Edit: I forgot to mention the two EDs are my ranked two favorite EDs of all time! So great to fall asleep to :)

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Mar 26, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

icekoolkr (All reviews)

12 people found this review helpful

*Insert Stupid Quote" Reviews nowadays are either filled with people having unpopular opinions and people liking them a lot, or some guy who writes an entire essay on why the show is a "masterpiece." Personally, I try and watch for enjoyment instead of picking apart every little thing within an anime. Anime, in my opinion should be watched with enjoyment rather than be slammed down by little tiny flaws that lowers the overall "score."

Now I am going to tell you why I enjoyed this anime, instead of breaking down every detail.

I must admit, the synopsis is bad. However, if the synopsis is holding you read more

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Nov 11, 2018

6 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

staticreset (All reviews)

13 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

Fall 2018 has been a pretty good season, some might even say it's great. Among all of the shows I've seen so far, Kaze ga has got to be one of my favorites. And I'm surprised at how underrated this show is right now, considering how enjoyable and good it is. I haven't watched a lot of sports shows AND I'm only writing this after watching 6 eps (I'll probably update this when I have more things to say), so of course take my opinion with a grain of salt.

First, probably the weakest aspect of the show so far: the story. Now, I don't want you to think that the story is trash or anything like that. It's actually pretty good. The thing is that we're only getting started and taking things slowly, which is certainly not a bad decision since this show is gonna run (heh) for 24 episodes.

Moving on to the art and animation, I gotta say that this is one of the better looking shows of the season. The art style is very similar to another show adapted by Production I.G.: Haikyuu!!, but what really stands out to me is some of the shots and little scenes, like at the end of episode 1 and one of the scenes with Kurahara in episode 4.

The "sound" aspect is also pretty good, the OST fits nicely with the tone of the shows and the scenes and it's generally very pretty and calm. The OP by Unison Square Garden is one of the best (in my opinion of course) of the season, with some nice visuals too. The ED is also really good, with it's nice, catchy electronic/modern vibe.

And now, probably my favorite aspect of the show: the characters. Usually if you're not going to have a super flashy or original story, then I'm hoping you're going to show some good characters. It's hard to describe what exactly makes these characters so good, but one of my favorite things is how they interact with each other, especially Haiji with the rest of the members. Their personalities are also pretty distinct and good, matching some of their designs and shit. Plus, it's refreshing to see a sports story with characters that are on college and not on high-school.

Thanks to the characters, the show is very enjoyable and actually doesn't have a lot of dull or boring moments. I had a good time watching them practicing or doing every day stuff. The animation and OST also help to make some of the scenes more enjoyable and interesting. I could see the lack of really important events turning off some people though.

Overall, Kaze ga is one of the better shows of the season so far, thanks to it's large cast of characters and good technical aspects. While there's not a lot of exciting running stuff happening, the story is building up and could end up being really good. If you haven't watched this show, please give it a chance because it's one of the most underrated shows in the season and deserves some attention.

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Mar 29, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Dhvanit (All reviews)

8 people found this review helpful

Truly a masterpiece!

Story : 10/10
Art : 9/10
Sound : 10/10
Character : 10/10

This anime is one of the best sports and positive anime.
100% recommended for sports animes.

Story:-
(Spolier)
The story resloves around the main person Haiji who is a long distance runner suffered from leg injury but still wants to run at the national event.
He does fulfill his dream by convincing everyone in best possible and realistic way and they did reach to the Hakone Ekiden, by registering scores for all players and also securing 10th in the qualifying round

The best part is that the whole story goes ahead perfectly step by step like Prince's timings eventually reached to read more

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Mar 26, 2019

23 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

BabyGirl06301 (All reviews)

8 people found this review helpful

I'm not gonna lie to you guys okay? The ending was a bit rushed. Like, they could've pumped it to 25 episodes instead of 23. But maybe I'm only saying that because THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST ANIME I'VE EVER SEEN, AND I WANT MORE OF IT.

Okay, where do I start? The soundtrack is absolutely amazing. Not just the openings and endings, but the background tracks are so, immensely good at setting the mood for this anime. The art is GORGEOUS. It's hard to explain what exactly I love about this art style, but I'm hoping to find something similar to it in the read more

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Dec 21, 2018

11 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

bigmccreefan420 (All reviews)

8 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

kaze ga is the anime i didn't know i was missing. i've dabbled in some sports anime here and there, but only few capture my attention enough to keep me hooked for the whole series

story - 8/10
the story itself is nothing mind blowing, pretty standard for the sports genre. something that sets this series apart is that the characters are experiencing college/apartment life, something i feel we don't get to see enough in anime. outside of that, the story follows the passionate team captain trying, and struggling, to motivate the rest of his team. i do give props to any show that can take a read more

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Dec 9, 2018

10 of 23 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

chijeu (All reviews)

8 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

My favorite kinds of sports anime are those which are not sports anime, but more of a character drama. this show was one of those shows that i couldn't stop watching. i marathoned the first 8 episodes in one sitting. i then decided to go to sleep but the show invaded my thoughts to the point where i couldn't, and i needed to catch up fully and watch the other 2 released episodes at 4am :D
production I.G. always does such a good job with "sports" anime so it makes me upset that people are ignoring this show.
the character development in the first 10 episodes is read more

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Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru
Run with the Wind
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