Delinquents, CloverWorks, Action!! Meet the Staff Behind 'WIND BREAKER'

CloverWorks has quickly established itself as a powerhouse in the anime industry, consistently delivering visually stunning and emotionally resonant series that captivate audiences worldwide. From the psychological thrills of Yakusoku no Neverland to the comedic romance of Horimiya, CloverWorks has demonstrated an impressive range and commitment to quality.

At Anime Expo 2024, MyAnimeList had the opportunity to sit down with CloverWorks executive officer and producer Yuuichi Fukushima, character designer and animator Taishi Kawakami, and general manager of production department and animation producer Toshikazu Tsuji to delve into the Spring 2024 anime WIND BREAKER. During the interview, we discussed the creative challenges and inspirations behind bringing this dynamic and adrenaline-fueled story to life on screen.


───Could you please give a brief explanation of your roles in animation production at CloverWorks?

Fukushima: At CloverWorks, I work as an animation producer. Recently I've worked as a producer on the production committee for SPY×FAMILY and WIND BREAKER. I also serve as an executive officer at the company, so I'm also in charge of running the company.

Kawakami: I'm an animator at CloverWorks. For WIND BREAKER, I'm in charge of the character design. Usually I work as a character animation director.

Tsuji: At CloverWorks, I am the head of the first production department, so I'm in charge of the progress and overall management of each anime. In terms of anime production, I am an animation producer, and recently I was in charge of WIND BREAKER together with Fukushima-san.


───Kawakami-san, how do you approach designing characters for an anime? For example, the character designs in WIND BREAKER are incredibly clean and detailed. Were you given any specific directions?

Kawakami: That's a difficult question. I didn't receive any specific instructions, but when I was designing the characters, I wanted to add something to the original design. For still frames [where only the eyes or mouth are moving] to look good on screen, I added more details to the design so that it would create a sense of impact on screen.



───As the chief animation director, did you encounter any challenges during the series?

Kawakami: It was my first time working as an animation director for an entire work, so I was often fumbling my way through it. To maintain quality, I arranged it so that I could revise any "decisive cuts" myself, and worked on as many as possible to balance the overall quality.

Fukushima: Were there any characters that were difficult to draw?

Kawakami: I suppose the most difficult character to draw was Umemiya. As the "Top" of Fuurin, he's a character that can't be overlooked. It wouldn't be good if he looked weak, so I was careful to make sure he appeared equally strong throughout the entire work.




───Since the three of you all recently worked on WIND BREAKER, could you tell us if there were any memorable moments for you during the production?

Tsuji: Personally, I was really impressed by the first episode screening. We all gathered to watch the first episode when it aired. There is a new screening room at the company office, so we invited a lot of people to come.

Fukushima: Some of the cast came, Nii-sensei also came, the director, Kawakami-kun and I were there, and we all watched the first episode together.

Tsuji: I've been in production for a long time, but I've never done anything like that before, so it left a big impression on me.

Fukushima: Everyone had smiles on their faces.

Tsuji: The broadcast started at 12:30 at night, so everyone gathered in the middle of the night, chatted until about 2am, and then went home. That's what I remember the most.




───Who is your favorite character in WIND BREAKER?

Kawakami: For me, it would be Togame. The reason for that, and this is a really personal reason, but I think that a character in a lower position, like second-in-command, who supports the group from behind the scenes, has more weight than a character at the very top.


───Were there any scenes in the WIND BREAKER anime, including the opening and ending, that left a big impression on you?

Fukushima: The ending animation was done by Atsuya Uki-san, who designed the characters for Cencoroll and Digimon. The strength of Uki-san's characters is in the illustration-like drawings he depicts in a single image, which I thought would suit WIND BREAKER very much. Also, a feeling of youth is brought out when Uki-san creates, which I thought would also fit this work. Those elements were combined in a great way to create the ending sequence, which left a lasting impression.


Tsuji: The opening left a lasting impression on me. I was able to ask Tomohisa Taguchi-san, who has recently been directing Bleach, to give instructions for the storyboard, and he controlled everything including the colors. Kawakami-san unified the designs, and I think Taguchi-san's strengths were incorporated successfully.

Kawakami: For me, it was the fight scene between Togame and Sakura in episode 8. When you talk about WIND BREAKER, you think about a lot of action and fight scenes, but the action in episode 8 left a lasting impression because it wasn't just about punching each other, they're each fighting with their own beliefs, and that really resonated with me.




───Fukushima-san and Tsuji-san, what factors do you consider when working as an animation producer on a project, whether it's an adaptation from a source or an original work?

Fukushima: Whether it's an adaptation or an original, while deciding on the director and staff, I simulate whether they are a good match for the work and what the outcome will be if they are involved. I want to give shape to what the staff and I discuss, so I think carefully about the necessary people and necessary processes. I'm acutely aware of how we can create it just as we imagine it, and spare no effort in doing so.

Tsuji: I completely agree with what Fukushima-san just said. In my case, since I often work on anime adaptations of original works, my focus is on bringing the adaptation to life so that the original fans can see it as they imagined it. To do that, we do our utmost best to avoid changing the scenes and dialogues that fans of the original work really want to see, while at the same time, adding depth to the adaptation where we can change it. These are the points I emphasize and keep in mind during the production.


───Fukushima-san, you have worked on many projects with great production value, like the Fate/Grand Order Memorial Movie 2023, Akebi-chan's Sailor Uniform, and Voy@ger from The iDOLM@STER. Could you share how you typically gather production staff for these projects?

Fukushima: How do I gather them?

Tsuji: I'd also really like to know.

Fukushima: For Akebi-chan and Voy@ger, I decided on the staff based on the idea that it would be interesting to create something like this with staff I've worked with and am familiar with. With FGO, Fate/Grand Order has a variety of media already, so I wanted to create something with a completely different approach, and I offered the memorial movie to Hiromatsu Shuu-san. You could say that I just asked him to do it (laughs).




───Tsuji-san, you were the production manager for the first season of UniteUp! Could you talk a little about what we can expect in the second season coming in Winter 2025?

Tsuji: For the second season of UniteUp!, we are creating a work centered around the same main members as the first season, and creating more scenes that delve deeper into each character than in the previous season. We are also continuing to produce live concert scenes that will meet everyone's expectations, so we hope you'll look forward to it.


───When CloverWorks was first established, Fukushima-san said that the studio didn't have a brand, and that he wanted CloverWorks to be a flexible studio that can handle any kind of project. Has this changed after 6 years?

Fukishima: It hasn't really changed. For example, we collaborated with WIT Studio on SPY×FAMILY, and also worked on titles like Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru and WIND BREAKER. We've spent the last six years without a brand, but I think we've been able to release works which have been well-received. From here on, "CloverWorks is like this" will remain the same, in the sense that we want to be a studio that can create a variety of works, without being too conscious about it.


───What are some of the recent trends in the animation industry that you find exciting or impactful?

Fukushima: Something exciting and impactful was that Frieren was produced with that quality level for two cours. Although it hasn't been released in America yet, Look Back was also simply amazing. It's a very impactful work, so it's worth seeing. Those were the two most shocking things to me recently.

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Interview was conducted through an interpreter and has been edited for clarity.

Visit the Official English site: https://en.cloverworks.co.jp/
Follow CloverWorks on X: https://twitter.com/CloverWorks
Watch WIND BREAKER: https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/G3KHEVDPE/wind-breaker

WIND BREAKER Main Trailer