Wind Breaker (Anime)

Wind Breaker is an action, martial arts, and school life anime adapted from the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Satoru Nii. The first season of the production, developed by animation studio CloverWorks, was released between April and June 2024, while the second season premiered on 3 April 2025. The series has no narrative or universe connection to the South Korean manhwa (webtoon) of the same name, which focuses on cycling.

Plot and Background

The story centers on Haruka Sakura, a first-year high school student who was bullied and ostracized in the past due to his unusual physical features, such as two-toned hair and eyes of different colors. Determined to become the strongest student by relying on his fighting abilities, Sakura transfers to Furin High School, which is said to house the most dangerous students in the region.

However, upon arriving at the school, Sakura discovers that the students are not the violent bullies he expected. Instead, the students of Furin High have formed a defense group called Bofurin to protect the residents of Makochi town from other gangs and threats. The series objectively portrays Sakura’s journey as he learns the value of friendship, teamwork, and belonging through his interactions with the Bofurin members, who strive to safeguard their community rather than use force as a tool of domination.

Sakura (IMDb)

Characters and Groups

• Bofurin: A group composed of Furin High students that has earned the respect of the people of Makochi. The group is led by Hajime Umemiya. Below Umemiya in the hierarchy are the "Four Heavenly Kings" — Toma Hiragi, Saku Mizuki, Takumi Momose, and Tasuku Tsubakino — who each manage their own teams. Among the first-year students central to the story are Haruka Sakura, Hayato Suo, Akihiko Nirei, Kyotaro Sugishita, and Mitsuki Kiryu. Notable second-year students include Ren Kaji and Takeshi Enomoto.

• Shishitoren: A gang led by Choji Tomiyama that values strength alone and expels members who fail to meet its standards. Its second-in-command is Jo Togame.

• KEEL: A ruthless criminal organization led by Shingo Natori, based on violence, weapons, and intimidation.

• Roppo Ichiza: A small but skilled group led by Kanji Nakamura that protects the red-light district along Keisei Street and its surroundings.

• Gravel: A gang led by Shuhei Suzuri, composed of members from the impoverished district of Sunaba who take on jobs for money to meet their basic needs.

Sakura and Tachibana (IMDb)

Production and Broadcast Information

The series is directed by Toshifumi Akai, with screenplay supervision by Hiroshi Seko, character designs by Taishi Kawakami, and music composed by Ryo Takahashi. The anime consists of 25 episodes in total, with the first season comprising 13 episodes and the second season 12 episodes.

For the first season, the opening theme is "Absolute Zero" performed by natori, and the ending theme is "Muteki" by Young Kee. For the second season, the opening theme is "BOYZ" by SixTones, and the ending theme is "It's Myself" by Shytaupe. International licensing rights for the production are distributed by various platforms, including Crunchyroll.