Wind Breaker Episode 9 played out almost exactly as we expected. Let's see what the episode is like in detail.
Wind Breaker Episode 8 Summary
This episode ends with a tense fight between Jo and Cherry Blossom. Previously, Jo passively took damage from Sakura, disappointing our protagonist. Initially cruel, Jo now appears defeated and apologetic, realizing that she had blindly followed her friend's ideologies without understanding them. Admitting that he no longer knows his purpose, Jo reveals that he was only imitating his captain, Choji, who had sapped his will.
Sakura, refusing to let Jo wallow in self-pity, scolds him and challenges him to a real fight. Unmoved by Jo's excuses, Sakura asserts that Jo is as scum as her teammate and decides to awaken him with a fierce battle. The fight was one of the best ever, with both fighters fully engaged, delivering a satisfying fight with no interruptions.
While this fight was a highlight, the real anticipation is for the upcoming clash between Choji and Ume. Ume, who hides her inner ferocity behind a gentle demeanor, promises an exciting showdown.
Wind Breaker episode 9 review
This episode begins with the increasingly serious fight between Ume and Choji. The confrontation was tense and both resorted to hand-to-hand combat without thinking about the consequences. This is by no means one-sided as both sides suffered losses, but at the same time, it was clear that Choji was more psychologically affected. While fighting, Choji uses an acrobatic-influenced technique in which he uses his entire body to perform combinations of strikes and kicks. Ume, on the other hand, is a traditional guy, relying on his powerful punches and extraordinary speed.
You could feel that Choji couldn't believe that he was defeated by someone, like always. is a person who beats people. No matter how Choji tried to move and no matter how much speed he increased, Ume was still able to land his heavy punches on Choji. Another interesting thing we saw was that Ume did not protect herself from the blows. On the contrary, he faced every attack without defending himself and only focused on exhausting Choji by constantly moving around.
Here, Choji's main problem is definitely a mental and psychological one, as we see him act almost like a child when he feels cornered. It was obvious how many beatings he had to endure to calm down and think like a human again. The fight itself doesn't last long, but Choji's inner turmoil pervades the second half of the episode. In this arc, we see Choji trying to understand the wrong decisions he has made in his life and realizing what a terrible leader he has been to his subordinates.
The ending is clearly a very clear ending. You can already see what's going to happen, and everything follows that very usual shounen route. Let's just say that in the end, the famous talk no jutsu wins once again and we get a good moment and a good ending.
Verdict
Today's episode was great. I wanted Choji to take a little more beating than what was shown, but Ume's final move was definitely a satisfactory one. It's annoying why Choji treats his friends so irrationally. But again, he redeemed himself until the end. Now, it's unclear how things will play out from now on for both Bofurin and Shishitoren.
Watch this series on Crunchyroll.
Also read: Wind Breaker episode 8 review: A long but brutal conversation