Wind Breaker

Episode 11

With how long we spent away from Furin High, it's easy to forget that there were still some friendly faces for Sakura to meet back in class. After the lengthy and dramatic showdown with Shishitoren, you might think that ramping down to character introductions and low-stakes brawls with randos would be disappointing. Yet nearly everything in "New Classmates" feels fresh.

Mostly, that comes down to solid, endearing character dynamics. Neither Tsugeura nor Kiryu are particularly complicated, but they have strong personalities that mesh well with the rest of Sakura's crew. That means they can spend nearly a whole episode just hanging out, chatting, and getting to know each other while still making for an entertaining episode. There's a laid-back atmosphere even when fists start flying where we get glimpses of both new boys' fighting styles.

I love Tsugeura's wrestling specialty. It gives him distinct energy in action, and it's always nice to see a well-animated suplex. Kiryu's deceptively selfless attention to detail also suits him perfectly. At first, he looks like a slacker but reflects a much more considerate – and clever – personality beneath the aloof persona. It's exactly the kind of shonen-style characterization that made Wind Breaker compelling early on, and I'm glad to have it back.

I'm also glad to be gently dunking on Sakura again. Seeing this tough-as-nails edge lord freak out over Kiryu holding hands with a girl or shyly revealing his only phone contact is "weather" (how?) is comedy gold. I also deeply relate to him having trouble keeping up with his friends' group chat. Trust me, I'm all thumbs when it comes to texting too, but you'll get better with enough practice. The return to school also means Nirei contributes to conversations again, rather than standing on the sidelines in awe of everyone's strength. Even though his stat-obsessed fanboy personality is rather tired, he adds a helpful spark to conversations that makes for smooth watching.

There's not much else to this episode, but that's a boon. It's a pleasant reminder of what made Wind Breaker charming at the beginning and the most fun I've had with the show in weeks. I'm also excited to see how Sakura reacts to being made Grade Captain. It'll be his first taste of genuine leadership in his life, and there's a lot of comedic and dramatic potential. I'm glad to be looking forward to more of this show again.

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Wind Breaker is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.