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Plot Synopsis

No plot synopsis or other information available for Wind A Breath of Heart

Story & Characters

As you can guess from the score, I didn’t like this anime. It’s a romance/comedy series, consisting of 13 short episodes. The total playtime of just over 2 hours is sadly not enough for a decent plot to unfold.
The plot is simple, a boy makes a childhood-promise with a girl and when they later meet and she tries to confess. The creators intended to enrich the storyline with various sub-plots, but they don’t have enough time to explain or make you care about any of them. Supernatural elements are also included in the background, as usual, but they play such a minor role that it makes you wonder why they exist. Special abilities are forgotten so quickly that the whole plot has a disjointed Yumeria-like feel.
The most disappointing thing about the plot is that it actually does neither start nor end! The final scene leaves everything hanging in the air… and not in an “Evangelion� kind of way. It feels truly unfinished; as if the budget lasted only up to episode 13 or something. I’m currently waiting for the ovas to see if there is at least any conclusion to this story.
It is true that there are some fun or touching elements in the series. Even so, they are not enough though to keep you interested. If you watch it to the end it will be because it’s so short that you could as well sit for half an hour more in front of the screen.
Some of the characters are very interesting. Wind could be very good if only its story was better, or even complete.

Rating

3 (poor)

Art

Art is the strongest part of Wind, together with music. While it is not perfect, the series features some of the most pleasing graphics you can find in animes of this genre.
The series is computer-generated and it doesn’t try to hide this fact at all. You’ll find lots of fluid camera transitions and great visual effects, combined with above-average character design. The backdrops look too plastic and polygonal in some scenes, as is the case with many recent series. The colors used are very beautiful both on the characters and the environment.
Sadly though, in romance animes an immersing plot is more important than eye-candy.

Rating

8 (good)

Sound

Music is also very good in Wind. Both the opening theme and background music compliment the action very well. The melodies are mostly happy, keeping the mood light and playful. They are neither very memorable nor irritating. The songs serve their purpose very well but you probably won’t rush to get the soundtrack.
Character voices are also fitting, even if some almost cross the line of being annoying. The good, the (actually not so) bad and the crazy girls all have voices that don’t leave doubt about the character the actors are impersonating.
Sound effects are pleasing, provided that you don’t expect Dolby-digital explosions from a romance anime.

Rating

7 (above average)

Presentation

There are lots of funny elements added into Wind. Some of them reach their goal, while others don’t quite manage to get more than a polite smile to your face. Often what you see on the screen is not some kind of hilarious situation but simply a bunch of kids fighting among themselves.
Gory action sequences are not what you would expect from Wind, and are naturally not included. It does include some mystery and even melee action though. The main mystery-subplot is presented and resolved too quickly to intrigue.
The most obvious failure of Wind is having too many story-threads and forgetting that the whole series in no longer than a film. The main thread, the one that started the first episode, gets buried under the individual episodes, instead of being developed by them.
As browsing the net revealed, the anime seems to be based on a game. It could be an explanation for the lack of plot but it is not an excuse. As Shingetsutan Tsukihime showed, a great anime can be based on a (great) game.

Ultimately, this is not such a terribly bad anime. It’s just that there is no reason to watch it unless you are a devoted fan of the genre. If you want a romance anime of this kind watch Da Capo or Onegai Twins instead, or read the Love Hina mangas.

Rating

4 (below average)

Final Verdict

4.83 (moderate)

Reviewed by phaerax, 3y 24wk ago