WIND BREAKER —Shishitoren Arc—

Note: This post is translated by AI. If you find any unnatural phrasing or errors, please feel free to contact me via email or other channels. Your feedback is appreciated!

Even though this work has high production, smooth fighting scenes, pleasing character design and full of masculinity, plot is just a group of delinquents fighting.

This is what I thought before watching episode 9 and 10 of anime.

Didn't expect it could present Choji's darkening, Togame's self-blame and Umemiya's broad-mindedness so well.

To me, Shishitoren Arc is about goal and process.

Why did Choji darken?

Because he stood on peak of Shishitoren.

Emptiness of standing on peak and happiness in process of working hard, strong contrast between these two led to Choji's darkening.

Why darkening after standing on peak? Because he never thought about things after that.

Happily working hard with companions, unknowingly became strongest, suddenly stood on position of leader. He and companions changed from equal relationship to upper and lower relationship. They no longer work hard together, but he has to take them forward.

He felt unfree in this responsibility. He thought "If everyone is as strong as me, standing on same horizontal line, can it be like before? Do I not have to bear whole Shishitoren alone?"

Besides responsibility, there is emptiness.

He had imagination about peak. Even though didn't know what would be there, but he indeed expected something there.

After actually standing up there he found everything is not different. And to rush to peak, he left companions halfway up mountain. He climbed to top of mountain at cost of process of working hard together with companions.

Therefore he distorted, taking "strength" as sole criterion, discarding weak ones. He only wanted members strong enough to help him share this responsibility. He wanted to force everyone to become strong, let him free from peak, return to freedom.

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Why did Togame feel guilty?

Because at moment Choji went astray he chickened out. He looked away. He didn't have courage to defend his inner thoughts, compromised to obey distorted Choji.

In confrontation with Sakura, he was awakened by Sakura's belief of "Not distorting oneself, always facing opponent squarely". He found answer to avoid things going like this -- he should have been the one to wake Choji up.

He should have reminded Choji, he didn't lose happiness they experienced together because of climbing to peak, also no need to bear everything alone.

However, he submitted, fulfilled Choji's distortion, helped him deal with not strong enough companions. Togame guiltily thought he should have redeemed at moment Choji took off companion's jacket for first time.

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How did Umemiya wake Choji up?

He found Choji was already on edge of collapse midway. Thus didn't use violence to counter violence, just like Sakura's reflection afterwards "Is this fighting?". Umemiya let Choji face that sense of discord in heart himself, didn't fight back from middle stage.

And Choji finally realized strangeness. Finally after being knocked down on ground by a headbutt, seeing Togame's expression after waking up, realized what Togame's true feelings were these days. Although Togame didn't wake Choji up on that day, he barely maintained Shishitoren through acting for Choji. Even though slightly distorted, companions are still there.

(I really like visualization of Choji's inner drama here, dried earth, feeling of treading on thin ice, Togame piecing together past happy times alone, empty treasure chest on top of mountain)

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Choji asked Umemiya, why you seem not empty like me after standing on peak?

Because for Umemiya, standing on peak is not his goal, but means. He has things can only do after standing on peak. This made Choji suddenly enlightened. He found Umemiya "climbed to peak only after understanding himself first".

Although Umemiya stands on peak bearing many things, he never forgot "There is peak only with support of everyone". Without support of companions, that is just a point, not peak. Therefore, he stood on peak with heart set on continuing to eat with everyone.

Finally, Choji felt empty, mainly because he was already happy originally. Happiness is so natural to him, just like humans won't feel grateful for oxygen when breathing. Therefore after he climbed to top started to complicate things, thus losing simple happiness.

Inspiration for me

"Always remember what you are working hard for. If forgot or started to get lost, might as well think clearly first or rely on others for help. And process is as important as result. Achieving a thing might be happy but also might be empty".

Literary drama of this work is far more profound than it looks. Characters in it all correspond to different stages of growth. Protagonist Sakura is still in stage of doing it alone due to growth background. Choji is going astray and returning to right path. Umemiya is experienced and broad-minded leader (looks like this currently). Looking forward to what kind of characters will appear later, what kind of changes, and how Sakura will deal with his own topics.

And theme of fighting, perhaps for this group of not frank boys, is really a good means of communication. (But don't beat people around under name of communication)