Wind Breaker is a new manga series by Satoru Nii. Fans of Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Yuyu Hakusho, Mightiest Disciple Kenichi,Tenjo Tenghe and so many more series that feature a plot where the main character seeks to test his mettle against others. The antagonist to friends trope is strong in these kinds of series but I love each and every series. In fact it is one of my favorite manga genres. Yes I am over 50 and a woman but I love Shonen series for the pure joy the characters have for life and adventure. Wind Breaker is a great example of this. There is fighting so it would be appropriate for older tweens to teens but I highly recommend it.

The pride these kids have in their town and school and the care they take to help people is something that we could use more of in today's society. Standing up for your neighbors and those weaker than you is an admirable quality. I can't wait to read more about these characters and find out more about the leader of Furin High. This is a unique and enjoyable beginning to a series with an adorably grumpy main character.

I'm not going to lie, I totally thought that WIND BREAKER Volume 1 would be a sports manga. Doesn't the cover sort of give that impression? But nope, this one is all about fighting and becoming the best.

Haruka Sakura has very strong opinions about what makes a person weak or strong, himself included. That's why he transferred over to Furin High School – to make himself stronger. Or more accurately, to test the strength of every other student there.

You see, Furin High School has a bit of a reputation. They're known for being the worst humanity has to offer, nothing but fighters and jerks. That's exactly what Haruka is looking for though, so it's perfect.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm feeling very ambivalent about WIND BREAKER Volume 1. It's okay, but it didn't blow me away either. Haruka's whole passion felt pretty shallow. I generally don't mind the whole concept of fighting to prove oneself. I think I just wish we had gotten to know his character (and reasoning) more before it all kicked off?

However, if you enjoy a manga that is absolutely full to the brim of fun fight sequences, then I have some good news for you. WIND BREAKER Volume 1 will not disappoint on that front. There are a lot of really good looking fights here, and that makes up for a lot of the lacking elements, at least in my book.

CW: violence

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha for a copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

Sakura is interested in being the strongest one around. He has looked forward to starting at Furin High school, a school that is known for their students who are degenerates - degenerates who use their brute strength to protect their town from any harm. But, he doesn't want any part of that, he just wants to be at the top.

The art throughout this was wonderful. I loved the fight scenes. They were well done and had excellent movement through them. I've read other manga where I felt like I was lost in fight scenes, but I didn't feel that in this one which was refreshing.

The plot is ridiculous which only caused me to laugh more often than not. The school being protectors of the town is so wild, but I absolutely love that these delinquents are now the protectors now.

Sakura has really gripped me as a character. His tsundere attitude leaves me eager to see more of him. I loved watching him determined that he wasn't doing anything for others, but finding himself getting close to some of the people in the town because of the actions. He has such ideas about the town and the school only to find out that nothing was as he imagined, but he's still determined to live the way he imagined it. As a lead, he has a lot of potential.

This volume really set up the series and I'm curious as to where this is going to go. There is so much in here that has me eager to read the next volume.

Sakura enrolls in Furin High School, a high school that has (what he believes) delinquents who fight each other. He enrolls in this school because he’s strong and he wants to be at the top of the school, the strongest of the strong. What he doesn’t know is that the schools “delinquents” actually help protect the town from gangs or other thugs/threats. They also help the people of the town with tasks that need a bit more strength. Watching Sakura be confronted with this reality was funny and entertaining. Also a bit emotional when the town started really appreciating him for helping saving a girl from a gang attack, his first real experience in his life of being appreciated or even seen as non threatening. He acts angry at this but the art and dialogue really shows that it means a lot to him. All in all I really enjoyed this manga. I can’t wait to read vol 2

I loved Sakura and how adorably clueless he is when it comes to everything that isn't fighting. And I totally get how that might not be the best way to hype up a manga about an entire high school worth of kids being in a gang that protects their part of town, but I seriously loved how well the sweet and funny elements got blended into this gritty story about a boy deciding he wants to be at the top and is willing to fight his way to it.
There's tons of really well-drawn action, just the right amount of comic relief, some mystery bits and omens, and a truckload of heart that pulls you in and doesn't let go. I'm excited to see what comes next for Sakura and the boys of Furin High School.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the introduction to such a great series!

[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for a copy of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]

Furin High School takes the lowest of the low and lets them brawl and clobber to their hearts’ content. Sakura has no time for the weak and has come to the school to put himself on top of the heap. Except Furin’s had a bit of a shift in its mission statement and Sakura might end up more of a hero than he ever wanted…

I’m a sucker for a very dumb manga premise and this one just hits the ground running, with the establishment of Furin High as this <i>Lord of the Flies</I> pit where the delinquents go to just randomly destroy. At least as far as Sakura knows.

The way this quickly gets upended and it turns out the students are the defenders of their little patch and the neighbourhood absolutely adores them is really clever, doubly so with Sakura wanting absolutely no part of it and getting swept up in it all by accident.

With Sakura both positively tsundere about it all and new to everything it makes him a great introduction for the audience to get into the meat of the premise, which admittedly doesn’t go any further than ‘a bunch of gangs try and beat each other up’. Which, hey, if you want a shonen action book, you could do worse.

I mean, make no mistake, this is a broad-ass story about a town that’s apparently trapped in the DMZ as far as hoodlums go. There’s an amusing paranoia that sort of pervades the whole thing as clearly fisticuffs could erupt at any second if somebody says the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Combined with Sakura constantly being forced to do the right thing, half the time by accident, and learn to be part of this misfit family, it’s pretty close to being enough and certainly makes a better case for itself than a lot of fighting stories do.

The action is reasonably well done, the story is absolutely preposterous, there are a few laughs (some unintentional - a lot of these kids are flat-out wearing costumes and some of the exposition feels like seeding boss fights down the road), and Sakura’s a hopelessly direct character caught up in a more nuanced world than intended and he makes for a really good lead.

So it’s enjoyable enough and worthwhile on those grounds. If you’re not into shonen manga this is not the book to change your mind, but if you have room in your heart for another fighting book with oddball characters, you could do worse than letting this one in.

3.5 stars - yeah, I would say this is above average and even if it’s utterly ridiculous it has its heart in the right place (even as its fists are flying). A unique enough idea that I’ll likely give it a second volume because Sakura’s got a lot of potential.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha, and Satoru Nii for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

Sakura has always wanted to go to Furin high school, a place where the top fighters go, and he wants to be top dog of them all. When he comes to the new city, he learns quickly that Furin isn't quite what he expected. The students of Furin are seen as heroes to the town and work together to keep the townspeople happy, whether that's fighting a rival team, helping out the elderly, or simply cleaning graffiti. It may not be quite what Sakura expected, but he still plans to fight his way to sit as top fighter of the school. He might just have to learn teamwork along the way.

This is a very Shounen (for boys) manga series with great art, a quirky lead character who knows what he wants, and an excellent setup for a possible tiered fight story...at some point. An enjoyable first volume with great promise!

I had mixed feelings about this book. The artwork is good and the story moves at the right pace but it wasn’t something that really interested me. Having said that it was certainly engaging and it would be good to see how this series develops.

This is a very silly battle concept, but you know what? It runs with it and it turns out to be pretty fun! The fights are dynamic, and the characters are entertaining so far. Gotta be the STRONGEST!

| WARNING: This digital A.R.C was kindly sent to me by the publisher via NetGalley after I requested it in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. |
This review is also available on Amazon.

This manga gave me strong Tokyo Revengers vibes and I liked it!
The MC is truly endearing and I love how the mangaka emphasised the importance of solidarity, belonging and being supported by our environment! I'll definitely buy it and pre-order the second volume.

I was not drawn into the storyline until half-way through vol. 1. I am curious to see how this story continues and the plot and characters develop further.

Thank you Kodansha and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of WIND BREAKER Volume 1 by Satoru Nii. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for providing an ARC to review.

Haruka Sakura wants nothing to do with weaklings—he's only interested in the strongest of the strong. He’s just started at Furin High School, a school of degenerates known only for their brawling strength—a strength they use to protect their town from anyone who wishes it ill. But Haruka’s not interested in being a hero or being part of any sort of team—he just wants to fight his way to the top!

I give this book a 3.75/5 with the expectation that the ratings will go up in future books. I am a fan of this style of Manga and was excited to get access to this ARC. The illustrations were well done, especially during the action sequences. The story started a bit slow for me, but once Haruka Sakura entered the school, I became more invested. I enjoyed the other school students and Haruka's new experience with teamwork. Whether he wanted to or not. My only complaint was volume 1 ended just as I was getting invested. This isn't a complaint since now I want to read Volume 2.

the manga is really very interesting, being the first volume introduces the story and the various characters well. I will definitely continue to read the next volumes, it intrigued me a lot!

Wind Breaker is a fun action manga with a character who appears one note where we meet but as the story progresses his layers start to show. Great action, great art and some really cool visuals for the fight scenes.

I really enjoyed this manga from start to finish. Haruka Sakura is an outsider who's just enrolled in Furin High School, a last-chance-high deal known for delinquents who constantly fight. Haruka is determined to brawl his way to the top, but when he arrives, things turn out to be very different from the rumors!

All around, Wind Breaker was a delight. I loved the art, the characters, the plot and twists, and I really can't wait to see where Haruka's journey through Furin takes him! This story also had a lot of dynamics I love that I can't talk about without giving too much away, but in short this story is all about not judging by appearances and the dangers of relying too much on your past and letting it determine how you accept your future. So if you're shying away because of the cover or the summary, give Wind Breaker a chance!

3.5 Stars

I did think this was a sports manga at first due to the cover and title but quickly the book sets a fast pace with an action packed art style. Its a simple plot of a kid who likes to fight going to a school in a town known to be full of gangsters so he can fight his way to the top. He doesnt care about any weak but there are several moments where we see that tough exterior is hiding a kind spirit.

Overall it was pretty good but not really my style of manga. The art is nice but I worry the story may not have much to offer longevity to the series.

I actually thought that Wind Breaker is a sports series, since the cover so looks like it, but it's not. Our protagonist is Haruka Sakura, a boy new in town. He wants to be the greatest fighter and thus has decided to attend Furin High School that's meant for power obsessed delinquents. Except the school has changed in a short period of time and now they call themselves Bofurin and protect the village by fighting. Haruka just doesn't want to be a hero, but the top. Now it seems he's on his way to become the hero though... This first volume is quite packed, but manages to explain the situation and actually sets the story nicely. Haruka is sightly annoying as he's a tsundere it seems, but I hope he'll grow eventually. I do like the side characters and how we haven't met all the key players yet. Perhaps I wanted to get to know Haruka better though, since now he seems childish and full of himself, which doesn't make me want to support him as a character.

The art looks great and the movement too, which is nice. We get to see a lot of fighting, so movement is important. There are a lot of mysteries and that makes this interesting. I also like Haruka's hair and eyes, I wonder why they look the way they do not to forget why he wants to be the top. A steady shounen series with an interesting angle.

The artwork was very busy which is normal for a manga which features violence and fighting however it did distract from the plot of the manga. The main character seems complex and it will be interesting to follow his story in the next volume. It was refreshing to see that the underlying message is about teamwork and protecting the town from bad / pain. However it is a bit odd that there is no focus on school and teachings when these characters are meant to be first year high schoolers but maybe we will see a bit more of that in the next volume and lesser violence scenes so we see more plot.

Thank to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy

I really like the first volume, The MC is really funny. The art is great, and the story is funny. I can't wait to see more

"I can't stand weakling, expecially the one who have their heads up their assess, thinking they are strong."

Well, very strong first impression from our MC Haruka Sakura from Furin High School isn't. His backstory maybe not unique one, his physical look make him got unpleasant reactions from people. He wish his days in Furin will make him earn the respect he want for his strength and fight skills. But he will got surprises...

Oh it is long time since last time I read manly manga. I love the premise and plotline since first chapter. The artwork is clean and rich with details but eyepleasing. I found the characters arc from Sakura will become interesting journey of self acceptance. I found my self so excite to find the next books from the series.

Thank you so much for providing me with this precious copy. I love it.