With a strong base to build upon, Kaze no Yojimbo starts off as an intriguing series, with a cast of characters that feel human and fleshed out. The show has an over-arching plot that connects nearly all episodes, doing so with sensible pacing, where the stakes slowly get higher in a natural way. There are a few filler episodes, yet smaller things that are established in these episodes are brought up again later, making the series strong as a whole despite some weak individual moments.
The soundtrack consists of guitars and harmonicas that would fit any western, creating a mood of being stuck out in a desolate town in the middle of nowhere. Add in some melancholic trumpets for down-time, along with some icy violins to signal danger, and you have a solid soundtrack. The series does well in that it knows when to let the sounds of the environment set the tone, from windy snowfields, to cramped up bars and wild marshes.
There is a list of things that hold the show back, the most striking thing being its animation. From the start it is apparent that it suffers from a low budget. Combine this with some strange visual quirks and bad editing, and you will end up with a lackluster presentation, making it hard to get fully immersed. Examples include scenes that lack timing or drag things out to fill the running-time, plus a bunch of distracting pixelated static in the background. This is a weakness that makes it hard to recommend Kaze no Yojimbo as an action-series, considering the low number of action-scenes that actually look good.
The main thing that will either make or break the series however is the mystery. The town and its characters hold many secrets, which the main character wishes to dig up. Even the main character’s motivation for doing this is hidden for a majority of the show. A masterful mystery will still be good on a second viewing even when you know the answers. This is where Kaze no Yojimbo has me conflicted. Several mysteries are unearthed throughout the plot, some revelations being interesting, others less so. When the majority of the story revolves around the two crime families struggling for power, the true goal of our main character gets shoved to the side until the latter parts of the show, making the final revelation feel less meaningful. Despite this, the destinies of everyone else caught up in the conflict come to stronger conclusions throughout the series.
Overall, Kaze no Yojimbo is a diamond in the rough, a crime-thriller with great atmosphere but lackluster production-values. With more polish to the animation, perhaps a tighter script and fewer episodes, this could have been worth more than one watch. If you can look beyond some sloppy art, this series will serve you a perfectly alright adventure.
