風人物語

FUUJIN MONOGATARI

ANIME

STATUS
COMPLETE
EPISODES
13
RELEASE
February 26, 2005
LENGTH
24 min

DESCRIPTION

Nao, an 8th grader, is one of the only two members of a Digital Camera Club, where she also serves as the manager. It's a mystery that she shoots nothing else but the skies and clouds. One day, she finds a cat on a rooftop where she usually shoots her camera. It's a cat that knows how to manipulate the flow of a wind. Shocked to find a strange animal, Nao loses her footing and falls off from the rooftop!

Miki is the other member of the club, and also Nao's best friend. Taiki is the teacher who taught the cat how to manipulate the flow of a wind. Ryoko is a girl who has a huge crush on Taiki. And there's Jun, who helps Nao and Miki look for a cat that can fly. Then, there's Yukio, who is the widow of Taiki's deceased brother.

On the outskirts of this big city, a town off the "Wind Handlers," has been formed - and a mysterious Wind Festival is about to begin...

(Source: Production I.G)

CAST

Nao Ueshima
Kaori Nazuka
Miki Kataoka
Satomi Hanamura
Jun Nomura
Miyu Irino
The Wind Cat
Karin
Mamiko Noto
Atsuko
Arisa Ogasawara
Yukio
Risa Mizuno
Taiki
Ooki Sugiyama
Ryouko Yoshino
Aiko Iwamura

EPISODES

Dubbed

| | |

Not available on crunchyroll

REVIEWS

FestivalsOfComf
85/100
An Iyashikei-style slice of life with simple stories and a day-dreamlike soundtrack that’s both relaxing & entertaining
Setting expectations:
- This review is being written under a subjective lens and mainly enjoyment.
- The amount of spoilers will be as minimal as possible to none. I don’t talk more about the plot points except in spoiler text.
- If you come to expect opinions from a very critical sense, sorry, but I’m not your guy as we may have different tastes.
- I’ll try my best to explain what are the things that worked for me and what doesn’t in this review. Then you’ll hopefully be able to understand my point of view and maybe come to your own conclusion about what this movie will be like for you.
I preface because a lot of people online come to expect reviews to fit a mold of what they want which isn’t always realistic. For me, I just like to talk about anime I enjoy. And so this review is about such things. Sorry if this ain't what you're looking for.

Verdict

Fuujin Monogatari or Windy Tales is a TV series released in Fall 2004 and produced by Production IG. It’s directed by Junji Nishimura (True Tears), with an original story and script from Hiroaki Jinno, and a soundtrack from Kenji Kawai (Barakamon, Patlabor, Mob Psycho 2).

It’s an episodic anime and something I would recommend not binging. Its usage of the same soundtracks makes binging it a diminishing returns experience. So, I would recommend watching this anime after a long day or in-between some anime. The flaws of episodic anime is that it’s difficult to consistently keep up with it as the story is complete in one episode but for an anime like this, that’s to its benefits. For what it tries to offer, it’s definitely worth ensuring you keep yourself on-track and finish it. Even if you do take long breaks in-between like I did, you don’t miss out on too much from its story and characters which I like.

The simple stories it tells with its story and how it presents these stories to the viewers is in the vein of trying to tell an entertaining good story. It felt original and didn’t feel like it had to borrow tropes from somewhere. This made the stories feel fresh and pleasant to watch for me. I was able to immerse myself in wherever it tried to take me.

Its artstyle initially takes some getting used to for its characters and backgrounds but once you get used to its aesthetic. It feels like its very own which I appreciate. The style makes it Fuujin Monogatari - it’s going to be hard to see something similar copied in other anime. There also has been a consistent objective of attempting to move characters within the frame if it’s not a pretty background or longshot. The liveliness of this elevates the experience. Don’t set unrealistic expectations of this animation, it’s more of a nice minor touch from the animators in the show.

Audio is pretty standard but I do appreciate the little nice touches with its diegetic sounds like when characters move around or interact with objects. What makes this show Iyashikei and honestly a huge blessing is its soundtrack. Kenji Kawai has knocked it out of the park with all of the soundtracks. Its usage from the TV team really brings out the necessary emotion for its certain scenes and making the whole atmosphere feel so day-dream-like.

Your enjoyment of this anime will depend on how much you appreciate/like the soundtrack, the artstyle, the storyboarding, the story, and its characters.

For me, this TV anime is 8.5/10. It was definitely a great experience overall and I loved what I got out of it.

If you would like to understand more about the rating and reasonings, read the sections below.

Explaining my Rating Scale

I think the common mistake with ratings is that we all tend to judge and associate each rating on our own personal scale. When people see an average anime - they see that as a 5, some do 6 and others do 7. As you all know, we all have different tastes hence different rating scales. Hence why I’ll post my scale below.

My Personal Ratings Scale (Anime):

4 and below = I would've dropped this show already but made myself suffer through it for some reason. Regardless, this is the drop zone generally.
5 = This was really meh and I wouldn't take the time to rewatch.
6 = This was meh and I wouldn't watch it again unless I was forced to.
7 = It was okay and acceptable, it was good entertainment and you enjoyed the ride.
8 = This was a great story and you enjoyed the show/movie but it wasn't considered one of the best experiences. Just a great time overall!

8.5 is between these two scores.

9 = If you watched this show/movie for the first time, you'll love this a lot. It ain't life-changing but god damn you'll have one of the best experiences.
10 = This show resonated with me so hard - chills and intense emotional catharsis.

Background

I’m a huge fan of Iyashikei anime. Name anime in that genre and I would’ve seen it most likely. So, getting exposed to any iyashikei anime was definitely a blessing when I was watching this.

The only thing I knew about this anime was a recommendation that it was very enjoyable and after seeing Kenji Kawai make the soundtrack, it piqued my interest more. Haven’t been exposed to the rest of the staff’s works on this anime.

Before making this review, I saw the DVD version and I’ve only watched the TV in Japanese Audio, English subtitles.

The Review

Now the review. I’ll be talking about the anime in the following categories:

1) Story / Plot / Characters

The stories it tries to tell are simple but it has a supernatural element to it. It makes the mundane elements definitely feel more lively in some respects. As a slice of life, it focuses on the daily lives of the characters and combines that with some supernatural, it makes some scenarios fantastical to watch and experience. In terms of its story structures, it’s all self-contained stories and episodic but they do affect stories down the road because it introduces new concepts and characters slowly as part of its world. Every time I turn on a new episode, it is always refreshing to see what these characters are up to in this world.

Speaking of characters, wow, I’m really surprised to see just down-to-earth unique and interesting people. It really complements the relaxing tone it goes for with these types of personalities. Of course, there’s different types of personalities but nobody felt super overbearing or the like.

2) Visuals / Animation

There have been some episodes where the storyboarder was able to create amazing looking shots that just blew me away. If you’re the type of individual that enjoys how anime sets up its cinematography then you’ll be able to enjoy some episodes where certain storyboarders do a great job conveying a scene.

As for the visuals, its artstyle is unique for the entire show in terms of characters and background. It was hard to get used to at first but it ended up being so unique and made the show have its charm. Once you get used to it, it becomes part of the show’s unique identity. The simplicity of its visuals is what I think helps with the animation. It seems like there’s always an urge to have something moving on-screen when appropriate. Makes the world feel more alive vs. a PowerPoint presentation. Don’t assume it’s all sakuga or super impressive in every scene, it’s more of a nice cherry on top of seeing the lively movements of the characters and world. It adds more to the atmosphere it tries to convey which I appreciate.

By the way, the character designs are definitely realistic and standard but I think that’s what lends to its charm. It’s watching ordinary people go about their day.

3) Audio / Soundtrack / Voice Acting

The audio design is standard but it definitely has nice touches with the diegetic sounds here and there.

Soundtrack was above-average and remarkable. I love this soundtrack and it really creates a day-dreaming feeling when watching this show. Feels like I’m in a dream while experiencing this show. Just adds onto the supernatural elements and comfy feeling it tries to emit. Also, holy crap is it hard to find. Good luck if you enjoy the soundtrack as much as me.

Voice acting is realistic and not exaggerated, it really grounds the people in life from their expression.

4) Overall

This was a fun and relaxing anime to watch in the night. Definitely an enjoyable experience for those that click with this anime. Such a nice treat for a comfy night.

For those wanting a different unique slice of life experience, this is definitely worth checking out.

Thanks for reading my review. :)
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Zoester
90/100
Atmospheric, well-presented iyashikei with a cast of grounded characters [Spoiler Free]
So, to let the (wind) cat out of the bag: this show is an episodic slice-of-life iyashikei with a weird art-style. If you don't like episodic shows, slice-of-life makes you snooze or the art is a huge turn off, that's all valid, but this show just isn't for you. With that disclaimer out of the way, allow me to gush about one of my favorite shows for the next ~800 words.

Let's start with the story, or rather, the lack thereof. As mentioned above, Windy Tales is primarily an episodic show, with the vast majority of episodes being mostly unrelated to the others. I say 'mostly' because there is some continuity, sometimes more subtle, sometimes more explicit, it's just not the core focus of most episodes. What really carries the show's story isn't the plot, but rather the characters. One of the most impressive feats Windy Tales manages to pull off, in my opinion, is creating a cast of characters that are simultaneously very grounded yet still interesting to watch and very memorable. None of them fall into the roles of traditional anime-tropes, nor do any of them get dramatic backstories, they're just ordinary people whose lives we get to peek into, yet they stick with you. The chemistry between each member of the main cast is great, and while humor in this show is somewhat rare and understated, the banter between them occasionally leads to some organic comedy.

Another thing the anime excels at, and maybe even its main draw, is its sense of atmosphere. This is by far the hardest part of the show to describe, yet also its most powerful feature. An unfamiliar city on a hot summer day, a serene night in an abandoned building, the dark of the seating-area of a movie theater, a snowy day as well as the cold and gray day before it, this show gives each of these moments, these points in time and space, a simultaneous feeling of realism and exaggeration. The best way I can describe it is that it's like riding a bike against a moderately strong wind. What you're literally doing isn't all too impressive or special, but when you're on that bike, it sure feels like you're battling the god of wind himself. It's that subjective experience of time and place, not necessarily how it actually is but rather how it feels, that Windy Tales manages to portray so vividly. It manages to evoke these feelings primarily through its visuals. Changes in color-pallete, interesting framing, backgrounds that move in interesting and weird ways, and many, many unique ways of animating various weather phenomena are all used and tied together by the already pretty abstract art-style. I really can't overstate how much I love how creative this show gets in depicting its story.

The music is no slouch either when it comes to setting the tone. The opening is a gentle song that instantly puts you in the mood for the relaxing episode to come, whereas the ending is an upbeat jam capturing the excitement of youth. The main attraction, however, is the OST written by none other than Kenji Kawai, with a bunch of catchy little tunes that I find myself involuntarily humming a little too often. It manages to both capture the energy and fun of the more down to earth segments as well as the dreamlike magic of the more surreal, ethereal segments, all while keeping the core palette of instruments relatively consistent.

All of this is still just surface level stuff, however. At heart, this show is about growing up, each episode showing us a new angle on this central theme. 'Wind', the primary concept the show is built around, is really a metaphor for the fleetingness and restlessness of youth (and is also possibly related to the role of wind in Japanese Buddhism, which gives the anime a slightly melancholic aftertaste.

All these aspects being individually strong is already plenty impressive, but the final strength this show has that I want to mention is just how well everything fits together. It's very holistic, a trait I look for in all the media I consume. Nothing about this show feels like it was simply taking convention for granted, each part feels deliberate. I imagine the creative process for Windy Tales started with the central themes of 'wind' and 'growing up', then expanded outward and made every subsequent decision, from character design to music, based around these concepts. Even things that at first glance may seem like tropes, like for example the main characters being high school students, are there for a purpose. In the end, all of these different aspects come clashing together in the finale, providing a beautiful and satisfying end.

If I had to critique one aspect of the show, it would be episodes 3 and 4. They are the weakest of the series, and them being right after the two introductory episodes means that first time watchers coming into the anime may be turned off quickly. Still, this show is a deeply atmospheric coming-of-age story, filled with grounded characters and presented with stellar visuals and music.

Also it has flying cats. What more do you want?
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KaiSeinen
50/100
Uma história sobre o velejo das experiências da vida.
Ao nos deparar com Aria, temos um anime focado no mono no aware que busca elementos em sua encenação mais lúdicos ao transformar àquela cidade aos olhos da protagonista, utilizando muito de uma fotografia que, mesmo mágica em algum sentido, com a paleta de cores em contraste e elementos diegéticos que uma cidade portuária comumente tem como as gaivotas e os takes nos córregos de neo-veneza correndo em calmaria ao som das ondas se quebrando.

Fuujin Monogatari procura olhar para essa realização mágica e afável num mais explícito. Tudo está em prol de como o vento transmuta o espaço e ressoa com o coração dos personagens. O design dos personagens e dos elementos ordinários acompanha a fluidez e dinamismo das enxurradas de vento com suas escolhas disformes e planas, ao mesmo tempo em que o cenário se encorpa de mais potência conforme o anime transporta os locais e a passagem de tempo. A cidade dos dos dominadores possui um contraste verde muito intenso em seus elementos bucólios, assim como a primavera é recheada de rosa das folhas de cerejeira ou a intensidade do luar tomando conta do urbanismo em cenas decupadas nos becos.

Essa intensidade dos cenários ganham força ao lado dos personagens planos e visualmente simples. Todo o sentimento transbordado que rodeia o vento e sua capacidade de viajar o mundo ao mesmo tempo em que se mostra uma metáfora da continuidade da vida é externado para essas escolhas intensas.

A protagonista se vê em constante mudança, não só do viajar do tempo, mas do rearranjar de seus sentimentos, à medida em que a metáfora de sua dominação aumenta ou diminui conforme seu coração está afável ou conturbado. A experimentação que está sempre a sofrer ao se parar com as ocasiões da vida e como sempre está contemplando cada momento com sua câmera, quase como se quisesse captar seu sentimento aos céus em cada foto tirada parte de um incessante apreço pelo momento presente que se esvai, à medida em que também tem contato com histórias alheias e paixões que moveram pessoas diferentes para lugares diferentes, onde todo sentimento é válido, seja uma senhora nostálgica com seu passado amoroso que reverbera ao entrar em contato com a primavera, com crianças aproveitando a ingenuidade de sua infância ao brincar na rua, com casais que se amam mas estão mal resolvidos ou professores que percorreram o mundo.

Nessa imensidão de observação em poucas distâncias, mas muitos cenários, que o elenco principal viaja, diferente dos outros personagens que encontram um lugar em comum, um lar, em que seus corações se estabelecem e podem contemplar as mudanças que o vento (também de forma metafórica) proporcionada, as crianças da escola não possuem esse lugar, mas entendem a vastidão de possibilidades e se colocam apreciadores de toda essa transformação da vida ao se deixar levar por todos os estímulos e situações em que podem ser expostos.

E dessa forma tudo se encaminha. Assim como o vento não despersa em um lugar em específico, a protagonista termina contemplando o céu, depois de ciclos se fecharem e outros retornarem. Numa visão mais alegórica de todas essas experiências, não é exatamente um fim, mas uma continuidade, assim como a infinitude de novas experiências, de momentos, querendo ou não, finitos.
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