Run with the Wind - Reviews

Alt title: Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru

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captivus's avatar
Nov 8, 2018

Ok, so this is definitely my favorite series this season. That’s pretty hard to achieve with a show that is basically just about a bunch of weirdos trying competitive running but than … here we are. The show features beautiful animation that wouldn’t look off at a cinema theatre, well-developed characters that have great chemistry and a simple but emotionally engaging story that keeps You glued to the screen.

First - the story. 

The show is more of a character study of the protagonist and other characters than a typical sports anime. Sure, running is a big part of the show and glues the story and the characters together but it’s not as central to the plot as, let's say, dancing is for Welcome to the Ballroom (also a great series with beautiful animation by the way – check it out if You haven’t). That is not to its decrement though – it’s just a different type of story.

The plot revolves around participating in Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race or "Hakone Ekiden" (basically a very difficult marathon). The main characters, most of whom are not and never have been interested in running are more or less forced to participate.

The main theme of the anime is - as one might have guessed - running. The series does a good job showing what it means to each individual character and why they are interested (or start to get interested) in it.

As with all good slice of life anime, the story takes a back seat and the main dish of the show are the characters, their relationships with each other and character development overall. What can be said in the story part of the review is that the series takes enough time for them to develop organically and not feel forced.

Second: the animation.

The animation is beautiful. It truly does look on par with a movie. Character movements are fluid and natural, character expressions immediately capture attention and convey their emotions clearly. If I were to nitpick anything it’s the quality of the crowds but that's a problem for any anime that doesn't have a budget of a movie (and for a few of them that actually do).

The character design is quite interesting – each character has a unique style that captures his or her nature. That’s a pretty difficult job when you create both them and their environments as realistically as possible but the show pulls it off.

Third: the sound.

The sound is decent but nothing truly great or innovative. I liked the OP quite a bit though.

Fourth: the characters.

I’ve mentioned in many of my reviews that the characters make or break a slice of life anime and I feel Run with the Wind should be judged as one.

All the characters are realistic, different from each other and very likable. Each of them has a clear goal in life (or a clear need of one) and a motivation for running or trying to turn away from it.

Despite quite a large crowd of characters relationships between them are very well developed. The chemistry between them is great and feels more natural than in most shows (anime or otherwise) that I’ve seen recently.

If I were to force myself to find a flaw in the characters of the show it would be the protagonist. With all his ‘I’m running away from my past’ and ‘you can't do it, your just amateurs!’ attitude he shows at the beginning of the show, which (unsurprisingly) ends with him opening again to the sport he always loved he feels a little bland and predictable – especially when compared to other people in his group.

Verdict: I have trouble imagining anyone not enjoying this show. Maybe if You’re really young or just into one or two specific types of anime? Anyway: go try it out already!

8/10 story
9.5/10 animation
7/10 sound
9/10 characters
9/10 overall
Akishima's avatar
Apr 5, 2019

It's a testament to how good it is that Run With the Wind is one of the few sports anime I've actually finished. With its character-driven story and focus on how individuals, each with their own unique personalities and struggles can come together as a team and achieve something inspiring, it has a wider appeal than your typical underdog play-to-win team-spirit sports anime.

The coming-of-age aspect of the show was really nice- I appreciate character growth more than anything else, but the setting has to be appealing too, and it was handled pretty well through running. It's true that some of that growth was a bit rough around the edges, but I appreciated a story that happened more naturally, rather than being shoved in your face like a shonen anime might. The character development is less than I could have hoped for some of the characters, but still very satisfying for what we do get. With ten characters to cover, it managed to make them unique and not rush their stories.

I found the character growth in this series much more relatable than your average high school anime, because unlike how college often seems the endgame for most anime stories, it's actually just the beginning of adulthood, and figuring out who you are and what you want from the world is a challenging thing- something which this anime portrays really well. The characters are all different, and they don't give up their individuality for the good of the team. Most impressively, they're not all sports fanatics- they all run for different reasons, and running comes to mean something different to each of them.

I really enjoyed the music, and the show knew how to use it effectively. It's not anything bombastic, but in keeping with how the show chose to show rather than tell, it subtly set the mood. And that piano theme that plays during emotionally powerful moments is really delightful. Otherwise, the sound design was good and the voice acting was suitable for the characters.

For the most part the show has a very good sense of dramatic timing, and consequently the situational humor, while often subtle, is very well-done. While it gets more serious as the story progresses, the little humorous moments really help balance out and brighten what could otherwise become somewhat of a slog at times. The show goes at its own pace, which can seem rather slow at times, but I think it worked in this situation. The viewer gets to experience the endless practice and exhausting effort along with the characters, which gives the final outcomes more weight.

The art and backgrounds are very nice. All the characters look unique and move and act in different ways. However, the animation is probably the show's weakest point because it's not consistent. The characters are incredibly expressive, but it gets a bit off when it comes to the running at times. That said, many of the running sequences are absolutely beautifully animated.

In all, I'd recommend Run With The Wind to anyone who enjoys a nice mature coming of age story. If you like slice-of-life, sports, character drama or coming-of-age stories, this is likely to appeal to you.

8/10 story
7/10 animation
9/10 sound
8/10 characters
9/10 overall
Aniosophy's avatar
Mar 28, 2019

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Prefix:
So just like that, after 23 long weeks, we have finally reached the end of the road, and honestly guys, I couldn’t be any happier. This show, from beginning to end, was one of the most satisfying sport animes that I have seen in a long time. Like the last time I enjoyed a sports anime this much was probably Haikyuu, but unlike Haikyuu, this show actually has a satisfying ending, there are no cliffhangers, there are no little tease to the possibility of there being a continuation, the story is closed, and I am completely 100% OK with this fact. To me the most surprising thing about the conclusion to this show is the ##### ####### because they never tell you how far the team has progressed within the ###### that had passed in this ##### #######. Because even though one of the biggest moments in this final episode was showing that they ########, this show never was about the running itself, instead the show’s core theme was the friendship between each of its members. So, to me, this reaffirming of the show’s values at the very end where they focus on a ######## of the original team members, rather than the sport itself, really was a nice touch in my eyes.

Characters:
Honestly guys, there is really not enough nice things I could say about this series, because by the end of it, I cared about every single character on the team, even the characters I originally felt were annoying. For example, At the beginning I really didn’t like Prince as a character, he was lazy, always complained, never worked with anyone, and was just generally a black hole of motivation for the team. But by the end of the series, I couldn’t stop myself from rooting for him, because the progression of his character from beginning to end was just all inspiring. Prince, by the end, grew into a character that actively tried his hardest while running no matter what was going on around him, as well as always taking into consideration how his performance would affect the team, with you actually being able to feel all the heartache and emotional turmoil he went through to get to this stage. And this process is echoed in how the series approached every character within the main team.

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Pacing:
On top of this, the pacing in this show is phenomenal, there is not a single episode that I felt was drawn out unnecessarily or was just there to pat the runtime. From beginning to end every episode had a purpose to fulfill in progressing the story, and that’s the kind of pacing that I love to see within a series. In all honesty, it is genuinely amazing to me how well this story flows, the fact that the story started with members of the team being literally at square 0, and then by the end of it (within a single year) they are able to become a team that places where they do as a college long distant team in the nationals, that is just amazing. And I still haven’t even talked about the fantastic animation and the beautiful music in this series.

The Look And Feel:
Just so you guys can understand my experience, I watch this show on Tuesday, you know what else comes out on Tuesday… that’s right Black Clover, so what I usually do is watch Black Clover first and then I watch Run with the Wind right after, and honestly guys, (I know this is not a fair comparison) but the complete night and day between the animation quality for these two series is just insane. The only reason I bring this up, is just to highlight how incredible the animation for this series really is. Seeing scenes like Kakeru running through the universe while he describes how he feels literally like nothing, made me just without words because of how gorgeous these scenes are. Then there’s the music, and you know what guys, you already know that both the OP’s and ED’s are fantastic, with the rest of the soundtrack being on the same level, so I’m just going to leave it at that since we are all probably on the same page about this.

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Conclusion:
In the end guys, I honestly cannot see any way this show could be improved, which is why (unless someone can point out a flaw to me) I am going to give this show a 10 / 10. It has definitely been a while since I’ve handed one of these out, and I really do feel like this show deserves it. Everything about this series from the animation, the music, the characters, the plot progression, everything is fantastic, and does exactly what it set out to do from the beginning of this sports anime, so really it delivered on its vision, which is really all I ever want in a series. Then on top of all of this, it has a satisfying ending that closes the book on this story in an extremely satisfying way, so really what more can I ask for. So, there you guys go, those are my thoughts on Run with the Wind what did you guys think about it? let me know in the comments, I would love to hear your thoughts😁😁😁

10/10 story
10/10 animation
10/10 sound
10/10 characters
10/10 overall
JailBait707's avatar
Mar 10, 2021

Run with the Wind is definitely an anime someone who isn't exactly big on sports anime can enjoy. Not only does it offer points in the story where they focus on the sport, but it also has a slice of life and drama aspect to it. It's a wonderful depiction of a "weak to strong" story and shows a group of people coming together quite well. 

Throughout Run with the Wind it explores many topics that I haven't seen been explored in other sports animes which is what made the anime's story so compelling in the first place for me. The story starts out with a group of people who aren't exactly the keenest on running, but you watch them slowly grow as characters and become genuinely interested in the sport. It's a wonderful story that shows many different characters with different personalities come together for one goal. The story doesn't revolve around one character and their growth, but rather the whole team. You get to watch each of the characters grow and see how they add to the plot and the overall goal of the characters. One of the most remarkable things with Run with the Wind is how well they mix drama with the sport. The sport isn't cast aside to focus on the drama aspect of it, rather the sport itself is actually involved with each of the character's dramas/ personal arcs and you get to see at what point did running help them grow as characters. 

The animation throughout the anime is quite good. Each of the characters is expressive which is good for each of the personal arcs a character may go through. In little moments throughout the anime where the characters are running in huge groups, it's a bit choppy or can be seen as awkward. Although, the animation for most of the running is especially beautiful and is shown greatly through colors. 

Throughout both of the openings in the anime, it isn't something I'd exactly pinpoint as unique or outstanding. Although, the attention to detail to the sound that occurs throughout some points of the anime did extremely well in setting the tone. Each of the character's voice actors suited them and did well to represent what type of character they may be. 

Each of the characters on the team have a point to be there and is shown greatly through the anime. You get to learn about each of the characters, but at some points could the supporting been explored a lot more so the viewers can connect/understand them a lot more. The character's personality with how they act and how they may interact towards others is shown greatly through some of the character's backstories and actually connects back to each other. The characters in the anime don't lack depth, even the characters you expect to have the least amount of depth actually have some depth to them, they aren't one-sided. All of the characters of the main cast can be likable one way or another, and the journeys they go through can also be something someone can relate to. The chemistry between the characters and how they interact with each other, and what relationship they may have is great but can be explored a bit more. The personal arcs for each of the characters also allow character development to be beautifully shown. 

Overall, Run with the Wind is a beautifully animated anime that is something even those who don't enjoy sports animes can enjoy. It offers a likable cast that one can learn to love through their stories and personal arcs, as they watch them slowly grow as characters. The attention to detail is evident throughout all 23 episodes of the anime and is something a lot of people can enjoy. 

8.5/10 story
8/10 animation
8/10 sound
9/10 characters
9/10 overall
kikirikipeanut's avatar
Apr 22, 2020

Most underrated anime I have ever watched. As a long distance runner, this anime nailed everything when it cam to training, the struggles of not imporoving, hard work, and the desire to win. the charcters personalities and troubles were written excellently and no important details were skipped. Most importantly, the plot was not rushed, but instead, built up to create even more enthusiasm when the climax arrived. The race scenes are almost perfectly accurate and nothing seems to be left out.

Story: The plot of this anime itself is very creative and the first of its kind. Unlike reptitive story-plots like SAO and Log Horizon, this anime provides a new story filled with creativity and inspriation. The journies an dchallenges each character overcomes in this anime was really inspiring. If you have wanted to start for competition of your own health, this anime is the motivation you need. Also, the plot has a lot of depth. Though not too much (*cough* *cough* Naruto), this anime provides intricate back stories that twell a stroy to the watcher. These backstories helped me and proabbly helped others understand the lives of the characters and the challenges they have faced in the past and the ones they are currently facing. 

Animation:

The art style is nothing revolutionary but how each scene is portrayed is what makes this anime different and special in its own way. Each scene gives a different point of view from each character and yourself. The animation made it so many could relate, especially long-time runners.

Sound:

Again, nothing new in terms of dialogue and enviromental audio. Though one aspect of the sound helped me really feel like I was in the moment of some of the scenes in this anime. It was the thoughts of the runners as they were running and the different sounds of them catching their breath or breathing heavily. The breathing and despairing thoughts the runner shared throughut the race reminded me of my track meets and how I felt throughout the race. It was so accurate it was scary.

Characters:

Each character is fully developed with their own pasts and troubles. This anie does not waste time and is not lazy with charcter development. Each runner in the story had their own reasons to win and their own motivation. SPOILER AHEAD Examples of each motivation in this anime where the following: One charcter wanted to benefit his health and quit smoking int he process. One character had a dark past with running and suffered a terrible injury. Another was  atrack superstar and had mixed beliefs on what it was to truly run. Each of these backstories provided so much insight and charcter development. 

Overall:

Highly recommend, especially to long distance runners and first timers in the sport anime genre.

7/10 story
8/10 animation
8/10 sound
9/10 characters
8.5/10 overall