Wind Breaker Episode 8 Review: A Long But Brutal Conversation

Wind Breaker Episode 8 was impressive and exciting. Scroll down to see how it went in detail.

Wind Breaker Episode 7 Recap 

In the previous episode, we saw Jo Togame and Sakura Haruka thrashing each other without any mercy. Fists were flying, and kicks were landing with blood splattering everywhere. But throughout the fight, you could see that Jo was not facing Sakura wholeheartedly, as there was a constant conflict within him.

We also get a long backstory on why Jo decided to support the unhinged demands of his captain Choji, and how Jo became ruthless himself so that Choji could smile without being tainted. This obviously was not a very good move as Choji becomes battle crazy after that, with only fighting in mind. He stopped caring about his teammates, let alone about his best friend, Jo.

Choji even outright tells Jo to leave his team if he does not agree with his views. And just to stay beside his friend, Jo agrees with Choji’s every demand and his treatment of others. However, towards the end of the fight with Sakura, it seemed like Jo realised his own follies, making him give up the idea of fighting Sakura altogether.

Wind Breaker Episode 8 Review

Today’s episode finally shows us the conclusion of the fight between Jo and Sakura. From the previous episodes, we know that Jo gives up on resisting the hits that he gets from Sakura, and this pisses our protagonist off for a very obvious reason. Jo, who came off as very merciless in the beginning, appeared defeated and almost apologetic because he went into a fight about which he actually knew nothing.  

Jo even admits that he does not know what is he fighting for and what he wants from the fight anymore. From his rambling, it was clear that Jo was just following his friend’s ideologies without even understanding them. He’s clearly not as nasty as his captain, and following Choji has drained him of his own will. Thankfully, Sakura did not let him continue his pity party and set him straight with some good scolds.

I liked Sakura even more in this episode, as he is not the kind who can be swayed by the infamous talk no jutsu. He gives his opponent a quick reality check and tells him to stop spouting crap, as he is as much of a scum as his teammates. And, to prove his point, Sakura decides to have a long real conversation with him with the help of his fists.

The fight that ensues between the two of them is one of the best that we have seen yet. It finally felt like they were fighting for real and not just getting lost in retrospection. Just like Ume wanted, their friendly convo lasted for a long time without any disturbances in between, and as an audience, it felt great to watch that.

Even though this could have been the highlight of the episode, it was not. The clash between Choji and Ume will make you anticipate the next episode more than ever. I will not spoil anything about their brawl, but I must mention that Ume really is a beast who perfectly masks his inner demon behind a gentle smile.

Today’s animation also felt very crisp, with the moves being finer and smoother. The background music that comes in between the fights pairs very well with the intense fight sequences as well.

Verdict

The previous few episodes were not as good as the beginning of this show, but thankfully, they picked up the pace in this episode. I’m eagerly waiting for the next week as things are about to go crazy between Ume and Choji. 

Just a heads-up, look out for the heartwarming interaction between Jo and Choji right after Jo’s fight with Sakura.

Watch this series on Crunchyroll.

Also Read: Wind Breaker Episode 7 Review: This Could Have Been Better