Anime: Kaze o Mita Shounen

This is one of the few anime movies I got interested in just by browsing AniDB and reading an intelligent synopsis, as opposed to hearing about it by word of mouth or friends' recommendations. I suppose it just struck me as the sort of story I might like, so I picked it up and finally got around to watching it one day when I was feeling a bit down and inspired by the whole "standing up to fascism and dictatorship" idea. Although Kaze wo Mita Shounen is by no means a masterpiece among the anime I've seen, and although it seems to be largely overlooked, I found it enjoyable and heartwarming in a bittersweet sort of way.

Ghibli titles aside, usually I find anime movies rather bad. The sort of thing I like in anime is the extensive story and character development possible with 4-12 hours at the creators' disposal, and many of the movies I've seen feel rushed, flat, and empty in comparison. Kaze wo Mita Shounen is one of the few that managed to use its 97 minutes successfully, telling a story that felt like it should have taken much longer.

Technically I didn't find anything particularly outstanding about this film, but nothing was bad either. The animation was pleasing to watch, and the visual style of the character designs was appealing in giving the story a warm feeling, even though the subject matter was really violent. I don't especially remember the animation or the seiyuu's work, but it never got in the way. Usually I notice these aspects more on a second viewing, so I may later revise this review if I see it again.

The story of Kaze wo Mita Shounen reminds me in a way of Mononoke Hime. It's nowhere near as developed of course, nor is it so much about nature in the sense of the "natural world", but rather human nature. The brutal slaughter of indiginous peoples by "advanced" fascist nations. The desire to turn everything and everyone into a tool for war and power, even at the expense of one's own happiness. Torture. Genocide. Manipulation of people's motivations until they're forever trapped into doing something horrible and hating themselves for it. You can call this sort of thing manipulative if you like, and I'm sure some people reading my review will. On the other hand, I see the fact that we hide these things from children in schools, in history books, and in popular culture as just as much a form of manipulation, and I really like fiction that brings them to light and seeks to integrate them into our understanding of reality. In my mind, Kaze wo Mita Shounen does this in a way that's accessible to both children and adults.

I also find Kaze wo Mita Shounen also reminding me of Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku (mistranslated as Now and Then, Here and There, for the Japanese-impaired), were it not for this radical difference in accessibility, mood, and attitude. ISIB is probably my favorite work of this genre, in any medium. However, despite that I like it so much, ISIB is horribly depressing to watch, with the characters you come to love and care about suffering through unthinkable violence and being forced to participate in that very cruelty, Kaze wo Mita Shounen's characters are a different story entirely. Amon and Maria both possess a beautiful (unrealistic in many people's minds, but I'm not such a cynic) innocence and positivity that seems to be contagious, rubbing off upon and inspiring everyone around them. I feel like this stems largely from Amon's innate power with the wind, which makes his very existence something of a miracle for the people to behold.

Aside from the leads, the characters of Kaze wo Mita Shounen don't really get "developed", but that doesn't mean they're not memorable or inspiring. Don't expect in-depth backgrounds to explain people's actions or motivations; in something this length it just can't happen. Do expect characters that give you warm feelings or angry feelings that you won't immediately forget when you finish watching.

Overall I found this film not terribly deep, but sincere and enjoyable, and definitely worth my time to watch. Fans of anime dealing with the violent side of human nature and how we face and overcome oppression and fascism may appreciate this, but may also be disappointed that it doesn't really have anything new to say. On the other hand, if you haven't dealt with this genre before, Kaze wo Mita Shounen could make a really good introduction, since it won't leave you wanting to kill yourself afterwards.