The thing about this show is that you just need to accept that its a cringy delinquent anime that is written for (imo) late middle schoolers / early highschoolers. The dialouge, some character designs, and some character arcs can be cringy, tacky, and somewhat overdone. There is no reality in the world building -- there are no teachers, police, or parents mentioned at all. It doesn't make sense why these kids are able to do what they do-- HOWEVER!!
If you just turn off your brain for a second and accept that you are about to watch a delinquent anime that is unafraid to rely on tropes, this show is unironically really good.
This show has the best hand-to-hand combat I've ever seen animated. The opening fight scene is worth looking up and watching on its own, even if you don't watch the show..
The friendships between the characters don't feel forced and actually feel quite healthy and strong, which I really enjoy. The MC's character flaws are handled quite well and are not super dragged out. The character design, although occasionally somewhat tacky and predictable, is generally solid. There are some surprisingly solid lessons about leadership that are delivered quickly and effectively.
Accept this show for what it is and the characters will grow on you. Sakura made me cringe a bit at the beginning, now I'm relentlessly endeared how he's really just an insecure kid figuring his stuff out.
Also, there is a gay character that presents as a woman that is handled quite well!!!!
Overall, once you accept its faults, Wind Breaker is well animated and has some great characters. I would reccomend it for a fun watch.
