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Still, I do like that there is a bit of a respite before the big action happened. The part where Tsubaki wanted to treat the first years with more food but realized that the Sakaki twins kept scarfing down food was hilarious! Shizuka’s singing was so great. I didn’t expect her to sing in English, as Reina Ueda isn’t a native speaker, but she did a great job even though her pronunciation isn’t perfect. It gave jazz bar vibes so well and I think that was what the production staff was going for. There’s actually a profound meaning behind the lyrics of her song, but you’re going to have to wait next episode to see how it correlates.

The action scenes were great! It was nice to see what the main Roppo Ichiza members’ fighting styles are like and how Clover Works did a great job animating them all uniquely. I’m no martial arts expert, but Kanji fights like if Sakura was a heavy hitter. Miyoshi, the blond guy with the ponytail, fights in a more elegant manner, which was why he was paired up with Suo as they both mainly use their legs as opposed to Kanji and Sakura who focus more on punches. Hidaka fights in a way where he picks up someone and throws them. Otowa mainly kicks people, but uses the sound of the impact to match a pitch as he is a pianist. Gosh, if all of them are this well-animated, I honestly can’t wait for Tsubaki’s fight.

I did not expect Suzuri to show up at the end, but given the pacing, it was inevitable. I feel like the anime made him look even more unhinged. Also, I didn’t expect his voice actor to be Natsuki Hanae, but it suits him! It’s amusing how the major villains of each Wind Breaker arc are voiced by voice actors who are leads in Shounen Jump anime like Choji who shares a VA with Denji from Chainsaw Man, Natori who shares a VA with Yuuji Itadori from Jujutsu Kaisen and now Suzuri voiced by Natsuki Hanae who voiced Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer and Okarun from Dandadan.

Other than Suzuri, Otowa speaks in this episode and his voice actor is revealed to be Yuuki Shin who voices Takemichi from Tokyo Revengers. However, I never watched TR, but I mainly know Shin through Blue Lock when he voiced that one guy with Niko (also voiced by Hanae) and Yuki Yoshida from Given. To be honest, I didn’t expect Shin to have that voice since I’m more familiar with his deeper tone.

I seriously can’t wait for next week! It’s so fun to watch Wind Breaker, write a review about it and engage in discussions with people about it! Let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Sakura unusually develops a cold, subverting the saying that ‘idiots don’t develop colds’. He may not be super intelligent, but he’s still human enough to get sick. Perhaps, all the emotional turmoil he’s been having had been causing his body to break down. His living situation is revealed and it’s revealed that he lives alone despite only being 15 years old and his apartment is extremely worn down and ragged. With no adults in sight, it only makes one wonder how he came to Makochi and who’s providing his apartment bills. 

Sakura is also very inexperienced with the whole friendship thing due to his past; he also never had someone to rely on as he doesn’t know how to cook or use a smart phone, as mentioned by Kotoha, Suo and Nirei. He was someone who believed having friends and caring for others was a sign of weakness, but it was thanks to Suo, Nirei and Kotoha that he fully learns that depending on others is a good thing.

I really liked the private conversation Suo and Nirei had after leaving Sakura’s house. Suo knows that it will take time for Sakura to fully adjust to having people around him because he’s not used to him. Like what Suo said, Sakura being alone in a city where no one knows him is him being stuck on a deserted island and is equipped with a tool he doesn’t know how to use. Man, the metaphors for this story are immaculate…

Kotoha is still her blunt self in that she flat out says to Sakura’s face to man up and accept the love his friends are giving him. With how she tells him that since he can’t make the egg congee, he needs someone to make it for him and asking for help is okay. Kotoha is really an underrated character. She pulls no punches when it comes to brutal honesty, but also knows how to give wisdom. I’d like to learn her story of how she became so mature. All we know is that she’s an orphan like Umemiya and they were raised in the same shelter.

I do like that he goes to Kaji for advice. Let’s think of Sakura’s development as a long train ride. Small stops that the train takes is Sakura’s time for him to get off the train and take in the scenery. Each arc he’s in is like a town or a village that he stumbles upon and when the arc is done, he goes back onto the train to reach his ultimate destination However, he has two major cities to reach before he gets to his overall location. The first is the Kaji city. I consider Kaji to be Sakura with development. Let’s say that if Sakura were a Pokemon, he needs to evolve into Kaji before evolving into Umemiya. I think going to Kaji was the best choice because he’s been in Sakura’s shoes and is also still growing alongside him. I do like his metaphor of the coffee and the green tea. What Kaji was going for with that metaphor is that even if the label, or what’s on the outside changes, what’s inside doesn’t. It means that even if Sakura looks unusual, what’s inside matters most and his class understands that. Kaji wants him to understand that the best.

Okay, the highlight of the episode is definitely Kaji punching Umemiya square in the face out of embarrassment. They made it much more hilarious than in the manga. Like, I don’t know if replaying it three times and showing it from three different angles was necessary but it was a welcomed addition. My favorite part was Hiiragi’s expression when Umemiya got punched. The apathetic look was the selling point. He’s been through so much shit thanks to Umemiya, so he’s not even fazed at all.

All in all, Sakura’s journey to becoming the top is to take in the friends he made along the way. This episode was a respite from all the action, but it was a good one as it gave an introspection to Sakura’s character and how he still has a long way to go before his reaches his end goal. As a manga reader, I can say that there won’t be action for a few episodes but I do like that this type of story has slower, wholesome moments to show that it’s not an action slop story. Let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Anyways, I found this a very lovely episode. Sakura finally realizes that he likes being in Makochi and in Bofurin. If you noticed since episode 1, he has always been walking on a tightrope as a metaphor for his own life. However, in this episode, he finally jumped down from the rope and found a colorful place that accepts him for who he is. Sakura finally has a place to belong.

I do like that Anzai is the one lecturing Sakura as it befits him being the center focus of the Keel arc. I also like that the other members of Class 1-1 are revealing their own weaknesses and fears with Takanashi being terrified of bugs, Tsugeura afraid of ghosts to the point that he showers with his eyes open, even when showering, and Suo hating natto despite his denial. Suo does hate natto and he will deny it until his dying breath.

Other than the heartwarming moments with Sakura and his new found family, three new characters are formally introduced. The first being Tasuku Tsubakino. As Furin is a boys’ school, he is a guy. Despite that, Tsubaki is very beautiful and bubbly. I love how straightforward he is with him being a guy but loving to dress feminine as he’s the only one in the school wearing a skirt; also, props to Sakura for not being prejudiced about it—some men in real life need to learn from him (just saying). He wears his heart on his sleeve. Yes, he has a crush on Umemiya and he’s not denying it. Everyone can see it, but they’re not against it either.  I love how affectionate he is towards Sakura. My favorite part of the episode was when he hugged him so tight that his soul left his body but Tsubaki slipped it back in.

The next two characters are twins Seiryu and Uryu Sakaki. Despite looking identical, I do love that the author made them look different, but not to the point of being completely different. Seiryu is more talkative, has a sunny visage and his hair is straight while Uryu barely talks, is always seen with a frown and has wavy hair. I really like whenever a story makes twins not look completely identical from each other to show off that twins are their own people and not a collective.

The voice cast for these three is seriously high quality. Tsubaki is voiced by Ryota Osaka who is probably one of the most versatile voice actors of modern anime alongside a few others like Toshiyuki Toyonaga. I swear, Osaka comes with a different voice every time he is casted for a role. If you’re not familiar with Osaka, some of his roles includes Haruaki from A Terrified Teacher At Ghoul School, Gyutaro from Demon Slayer, Bennett from Genshin Impact and Akaashi from Haikyuu. The fact that Osaka is able to produce a voice that’s deep for a man, but not too baritone is good. I seriously anticipated what Tsubaki would sound like and I think it’s perfect! It’s a perfect blend of effeminate and masculine that doesn’t outdo one or the other!

I’m also excited about the twins’ voice actors as they got stellar ones. Seiryu is voiced by Soma Saito, who is one of my favorite voice actors ever. I just love the chipper tone of his voice. Though, I do admit that this is a little different from the roles he usually plays as he normally voices androgynous beauties like Chigiri from Blue Lock, beautiful cuties like Miyano from Sasaki and Miyano and Shion from Twilight Out of Focus, or just super silly characters like Honda from Skull-Faced Honda-ku. I don’t really know how to classify Seiryu amongst Saito’s usual roles, but as long as he’s in the cast, I’m pumped up! Uryu didn’t talk, but he does have a voice actor! He’s voiced by Kazuki Ura, who you might know as Isagi from Blue Lock, and is basically a current rising star in the voice acting industry. It does feel like a small waste that Ura’s lines are just grunts, but I don’t remember if he talks—please let me know.

But yes, I can’t wait to see Sakura’s “date” with Tsubaki animated next week. It’s one of my favorite parts in the manga as it’s a very emotional story that got me shedding a few tears because I am a sucker for them. I’m glad that Wind Breaker S2 is weekly because I get motivated to write whenever I finish an episode! I’ve been feeling a bit glum lately and it has been affecting my motivation to write, but watching Wind Breaker, writing episodic reviews and then uploading them onto my blog and Tumblr restores my writing powers like how a game character restores their MP. I feel like Sakura whenever I see familiar faces like and comment on my posts—it’s like my own little community in a way. Anyways, enough about me—let me know your thoughts on this episode!