Where do I even begin? I like everything about it >.< This movie was like a breath of fresh air. You watch it and find yourself lost in the simplicity of it. Everything about it whispers serenity and calmness. Story - 9 It started with a boy seeming to while away the minutes before the start of the class by rocking himself in his chair. From here on, the background music was introduced and it sets the tone of the story and how his classmates (who were yep surprise surprise--animals) started talking about a magical being they call Matasaburou---child of the Wind God. No one canreally validate his existence and he's more like an urban legend than an actual entity. Then came in the teacher with a transfer student who happened to be a human girl.
No developments here whatsoever (because this is NOT a series) but like all stories, or for this matter, films, there is a conflict and climax. I don't want to spoil so let me just say that like the rest of the film, they were not so complicated but match the story very well.
Sound- 10
Okay, since it has Kaze in its title, there ought to be whooshing and blowing sounds here and there and yep, it didn't disappoint. Since the setting is in the countryside, there are more trees, more nature and more wind in here and the sound they make in the film seem real. Try to close your eyes for a sec and just listen to the music and it will tell you what I'm talking about. The story coupled with the background music will put you in a comforting mood that would make you not want to do anything but relax, savor it and enjoy it.
Character - 10
The characters were so cute let me just say! All adults (except for one) were humans in this film but most of them were animals. It's funny how they have animals in class and they speak and talk like humans too, welcoming the new girl on her first day. Being a girl hailing from the city though, she seemed not used to the company of animals and was rather aloof and weirded out by her "classmates". She has a worm for a classmate! I am deathly afraid of worms or any small crawling insects but the worm in the film was soooo cute hahaha you have to see it for yourself. And there's a tsundere moment for their rabbit classmate :3 super cute :3 :3
Art - 10
Oh gosh. The art is refreshing. It reminds me so much of The Tale of Princess Kaguya except that one has milder tones whereas the art outline for Kaze is more pronounced. I like it, like how the characters were made alive by the illustrator. The colors were great too. Very soothing to the eyes. Everything is soft and subtle.
Overall - 10/10
I enjoyed it so much and I like how it ended. It actually leaves the audience with a sense of having to think about how they want it to end. Did the girl just leave for the day and will come back after a few days or did she leave for good? It can be interpreted either way and even though there is a talk of leaving, it doesn't make you feel empty afterwards. To be honest, I kept thinking about the cute worm and tsun rabbit at this point.
So, if you are going to ask the question, 'Should I watch this anime?" My answer would be a resounding Yes. :) Have fun!
Mixed Feelings
Kaze no Matasaburou was one of 2016's young animator training projects. We've looked at these training projects before with 2014's Harmonie & 2015's Aki no Kanade. This one is a bit of a weird example because both of those projects had recognisable studios backing them. This one has the studio listed as Buemon. And, as far as I can tell, they just help other studios with CG scenes sometimes. Story: Basically, our story involves a girl moving out to the country where her classroom only has one other human and a bunch of animals. She meets a literal wind God and picks up a very special feather.Probably the one he uses for kinky foot stuff.
The biggest issue with the story telling is that the world building is kind of awkward. The idea of humans going to school with various creatures is a good one for a children's film, but then they throw in things that don't make a lot of sense. Our heroine, Takada, for example, seems startled by the fact that her class has talking animals in it and freaks out when a friendly worm tries to say hi. Which doesn't make a lot of sense in a world where talking animals is just an ordinary occurrence.
I also question how the carnivorous animals like cats and bears can get along with prey animals. Does the deer hold a grudge over the time the bear's family ate her dad, or is that just an expected circumstance? But this is a children's film so I can let that part slide.
I will say that the film does have a certain charm to it. It's ultimately an entertaining little story about a girl adjusting to a new school and having a magical experience in the process.
Characters:
This is one of those kid's works where the characters are completely basic. Which isn't an inherently bad thing, but it does mean the appeal is pretty limited. The best I can say for them is that some of their interactions are pretty endearing.
Art:
The art style is interesting. It looks a bit like an animated picture book. Which I can give them credit for. It's a pretty good style for this type of story even if it doesn't look amazing.
Sound:
The acting and music are both passable. This is one of those cases where the simplicity of the characters results in the actors not having anything to really work with. So, they do a decent job but it's not all that good. The music is pretty forgettable. It's not bad, but not good either. It just doesn't leave an impression.
Ho-yay:
There is none to be found. Which makes sense since only two students share a species and they aren't the same gender.
Areas of Improvement:
Have characters react in a way that's more genuine to the world. Being startled by talking animals doesn't work in a world where that's normal. Nor does being scared of worms when worms are just ordinary citizens.
Give Takada more to do with her magic feather. We only get to see her use this thing once to dispel some fog. I get that it's a very short film, but you could work something else out.
Give a reason for Takada to leave the feather. In the end, she leaves to return to the city and abandons the feather. Why would you leave behind a magic feather? I get that it only summons gusts of wind, but still.
Final Thoughts:
Kaze no Matasaburou is okay. It's not really good, but it was entertaining enough for a quick viewing. If you have a youngster to entertain for twenty minutes or you're just curious, go ahead and give it a watch. I give it a 6/10.
