When it comes to high school delinquents, the most popular franchise is the Crows franchise. Sorry, but not sorry Tokyo Revengers fans. For the 2000s kids, delinquency meant a walk down the nostalgia lane for all Suzuran enthusiasts.
I love Tokyo Revengers, and I love High & Low. But the king of all furyou/yankii live actions is Crows Zero and Crows Zero 2. nothing else ever made since 2007 and 2009 holds a candle to those 2 films with that particular cast directed specifically by Takashi Miike.
— 🔥 :: julia :: 🏴☠️ (@eternallyiulia) February 23, 2023
However, recently a manga of the same name as the cycling masterpiece has been making its rounds. Wind Breaker is a manga that tells the story of a peculiar set of delinquents. Have we missed an anime adaptation of our favorite 2000s delinquents, or is it something completely different? How about we find out?
The Crows Franchise
The Crows franchise is a trilogy that tells the story of two batches of Suzuran, who try to conquer the school. It starts with Genji Takiya, who promises his Yakuza father that he will conquer the school and prove to him that he is a worthy successor. Starting as a Freshman in the school, he has to face multiple factions currently at war. The most prominent one is Serizawa Tamao.
The story unfolds as various factors come into play for them to succeed each other and come out at the top. Alumni roll in, schools clash on, but the only thing that is left at the end is the unconquered Suzuran High. Watching the franchise will make you get up from your chair, shout Suzuran, and run out to find someone to brawl. A high-dose adrenaline-packed series of exhilarating characters.
Getting up from your chair shouting might seem an exaggeration, but that is exactly what this show is. And so is Spiel Anime’s Newsletter, where the exciting content twice a week will make you go WHAA-!
Wind Breaker
Haruta Sakura is obsessed with the strong. All he wants is to crush the strong and reach the top, becoming the strongest of them all. This reminds us of the Gotta Catch’em All attitude of Pokémon, but this manga clearly takes fights to the next level. Bashing heads and punching vigorously his opponents, he has made quite a first impression.
Joining Furin, the school that holds the lowest average scores, but the strongest fighters around, his dream is just a step away. Gearing up to mess with all who stand in his way, he is met with a reveal he never thought was possible in his wildest dreams.
Is Wind Breaker an official anime adaptation?
Unfortunately for Crows Fans, Wind Breaker will be a different show altogether. The show will have different elements, along with a totally different plot development. Here’s how different both the franchises are:
- Crows tells the story through Genji’s POV, who is the son of the Yakuza boss. While in Wind, the story is through Haruta’s POV, who is a normal guy.
- Suzuran is a delinquent-run school that creates trouble for the town they are in. While Furin is also run by delinquents, they are well-respected in the town they are in.
- Crows remain the story of delinquents clashing with each other to come out at the top, while Wind takes a different part and becomes a story where delinquents work together and develop positive relations with each other. The story is more focused on upholding the promise they made to the town than their own selfish agenda.
Conclusion
Although the premises are quite similar, with both protagonists aiming to reach the top of their respective schools and gain recognition, each story takes a completely different route. A sad conclusion to an innocent wish, fans will have to wait a little longer for our favorite delinquent story to take the screens again.