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CloverWorks is an animation studio, better known for its romantic comedies with gorgeous animation and amazing storylines. From Horimiya and the quirky Spy x Family, they never fail to deliver a great story and memorable characters. While the studio is very much used to catering towards a female audience, they went beyond their comfort zone and decided to take on Wind Breaker. This anime involves a lot more fight scenes and a predominantly male cast than CloverWorks is used to animating but they were up for the challenge.
Haruka Sakura, the protagonist of Wind Breaker. [Credit: CloverWorks]The studio seems determined to get rid of the perception that it’s an animation studio primarily catering for either gender too. By taking on Wind Breaker, CloverWorks is ready to tackle animating action and male characters but also to not box the anime into something catered to one gender. They want Wind Breaker to shine to any audience, even their loyal female audience, with its nuanced story and characters.
CloverWorks Animate Wind Breaker With an Open Mind
Mitsuki Kiryu and Taiga Tsugeura from Wind Breaker. [Credit: CloverWorks]Wind Breaker is all about being an outcast and fighting for your pride and survival. Haruka Sakura is a very headstrong character who has been shunned for his appearance but his skills as a fighter gives him purpose. Upon meeting his classmates who join him instead of shunning him after displaying his power, they protect the town against harm and call themselves “Bofurin.” It’s a very interesting premise that shows great promise for character growth.
Yuichi Fukushima, the executive officer and animation producer at CloverWorks, is also the genius behind Wind Breaker. He talks about why CloverWorks took on the project with Anime Trending and how they went into it with no set rule that it needs to be a boy’s anime:
The impetus of taking on WIND BREAKER, as we previously mentioned, almost came from anime shows that focused on girls. I didn’t want to go into WIND BREAKER by just saying, “This is an anime for boys!” But I was hoping that through our characters, they would express something that would entice our female fans too and not be a series that’s exclusively for boys.
The passion and hope with which he speaks about Wind Breakers promises that the character development will be done justice. Despite being a very martial arts-focused anime, it will appeal to its female audience for these nuanced characters who will speak for themselves with their development and growth throughout the plot.
The Future of CloverWorks and Wind Breaker
Wind Breaker features thrilling fight scenes. [Credit: CloverWorks]CloverWorks’ decision to animate Wind Breaker is a smart move on their part. It shows the studio wants to expand beyond its established identity and avoid being limited to a specific niche and a gendered audience. While it has already proven its power in crafting emotionally rich and visually stunning stories with strong female characters, Wind Breaker is an opportunity to showcase another side of its animation brilliance.
Wind Breaker is due to release its second season in April 2025. With new characters and even better fights, it’s going to be worth the wait. Animation studios work harder and longer than most companies so this season of Wind Breaker will definitely deliver something special.
Wind Breaker is available on Crunchyroll.
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