Back to kellyneki's Profile kellyneki's Profile

After watching the first episode of this anime, I knew that I was likely to enjoy it for my own personal reasons, however, I did not expect it to be truly one of the most inspiring, heartbreaking, motivational and beautiful anime I have seen up until this day. Being the sports-anime loving fanatic that I am, I was excited for this anime to air because it involved the sport that I have dedicated my life to: running (long-distance running, specifically). I am a long-distance runner who ran cross country, indoor/outdoor track throughout high school and am currently continuing my running career at college. Needless to ... say, I love it, and this anime captures the pain, confusion, and desire to run perfectly all together in one place. My relatability to the character’s emotions, thought processes, and competitive spirit was all too real. Not only did the show capture beautifully the mystery behind “why we run”, it succeeds in telling a heart warming, moving story about ten characters, all fighting with their own personal struggles and coming together to run the Hakone Ekiden, finding their own reasons as to why they run in the process.

Story 10/10

Original and executed with hardly any flaws. The story was unique in comparison to other sports anime I’ve seen. For instance, it takes place at university while a majority of sports anime takes place in highschool. This is interesting in the sense that you get to see characters throughout the anime deal with more serious and relatable life issues (for example, King’s struggle to obtain a job) or characters dealing with the lack of communication they have with their parents. Other than this, the story flowed and never felt awkwardly or oddly paced. The gradual development from a team of characters who mostly have never ran before to running at the highly esteemed Hakone Ekiden was remarkable to watch. I was brought to tears, laughed, felt anger, and every emotion at several different points. This anime takes the concept of running and makes it complex and admirable simultaneously. Memorable and well-written, this is a story that you want to invest in.

Art 10/10

The character designs are all unique from one another and I feel that the art is really well done. With this, the animation is fluid, I loved watching the characters race, the way every member had their own running form and the different angles they showed made it interesting to watch.

Sound 10/10

The soundtrack for this anime is lovely. The music emphasizes certain scenes and pokes at your emotions as you watch certain moments. The soundtrack definitely has an impact in heightening every type of scene in the anime you could imagine whether it be intense, sad, anger, excitement, or even humorous.

Character 10/10

Probably one of if not the highlight of this anime. Every single character is incredibly unique and diverse. Even the twins, who may seem to be indistinguishable, have different desires and wants as revealed later on within the anime. I love how this anime made sure to showcase every character and their backstory. At first, you find yourself questioning why certain characters act in a certain way, but the anime makes sure to reveal the character's motivations in a seamless, beautiful way. Every character is likeable and I am able to empathize/sympathize with them. Seeing the character development, especially in the main character, Kakeru, made this anime all the more wonderful. With this, the characters are realistic, and this is especially noted in each of their backstories. Every character had a reason to run, and finding that reason lead to them confront their flaws and insecurities

Enjoyment 10/10

I was always at the edge of my seat by the end of every episode as it aired, wanting more and awaiting for Tuesday to come. I never felt bored or disinterested, the characters and plot line always kept the anime moving and I always found myself craving more. The excitement from watching the characters race and interact with one another brought a great deal of enjoyment to me.

Overall 10/10

One of if not the best anime I have watched. As mentioned beforehand, being a runner myself really connected me to this anime. I always ask myself the same questions: “why do I run?” “why am I making myself go through this pain when I don’t have to?” As Haji says within the anime “I’m still looking for that answer.” Running has changed my life for so many reasons, and in the anime, running does the same for the characters. Even if you despise running, Kaze Ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru will tear at your heart strings and make you want to experience and find your own reason as to why you may "run" too. Truly, I wish more people knew about this anime and how captivating it is, it is definitely worth watching.

So, this is my very first review. Whether it is enjoyment or disappointment that I experience, I feel that I do not need to review what I have read or watched with others. Contemplating the work itself and how I felt about it to myself is good enough for me. However, this manga in particular made me feel something I haven't felt in a long time, and when one feels so passionate about something, whatever that something may be, they feel the need to share it. They feel that it is absolutely necessary for everyone to know about it. That is how I feel ... about Doukyuusei. Only finishing this manga about 10 minutes ago, it has left me in a daze. I feel bubbly and happy, as if I were in the 3rd grade, playing in the back yard with my brother on a hot summer day.

Now, I have read a lot of BL manga before. I am not going to deny the fact that I enjoy this genre. However, very rarely, at least for me personally, do I stumble upon a BL that makes me cry and feel so attached to it's story and characters.

Firstly, I must address the art in this manga. At times while reading, I would simply stare at the art for minutes. The art is so unique and interesting. I have never seen a style like it ever before. Just viewing the art made me feel some sort of way. At times, there was no need for words to be spoken. The character's expression and body language would express whatever they needed to say clearly.

Story wise, I wouldn't say that I haven't seen some parts of this manga in other BL manga before. I think that at one point in the manga the author mentioned that they meant to include some cliches. So yes, the plot is not something that complex and the story is not something that I haven't seen before. However, for some reason, it was amazing to me. The two main character's developing relationship and love for one another was steady and gentle. The story although not extremely deep for some reason gave me a feeling of joy and warmness. I think the way it flowed and the author's portrayal of an imperfect, high school love is what made it worth reading.

Regarding the characters, I think they were elegant, quirky, but also realistic. I really enjoyed the contrast between the lovers. One being an outgoing musician while the other being a introverted scholar. The way their relationship clashed at times and also flourished was extremely fascinating to witness.

My enjoyment for this manga exceeds the bounds of just simply enjoying something. This manga made me feel like a kid, witnessing two lovers just being in love and searching for a way to reach one another. I myself felt love for the characters being together, rooting them on whenever they talked. Overall, I highly recommend this manga to anyone wishing for a sweet story about two high school students slowly falling in love. I hope that more people will see how truly outstanding this manga is.