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 dont talk more about the plot points except in spoiler text. If you come to expect opinions from a very critical sense sorry but Im not your guy as we may have different tastes. Ill try my best to explain what are the things that worked for me and what doesnt in this review. Then youll 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 isnt always realistic. For me I just like to talk about anime I enjoy. And so this review is about such things. Sorry if this aint what youre looking for. Verdict Fuujin Monogatari or Windy Tales is a TV series released in Fall 2004 and produced by Production IG. Its 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. Its 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 inbetween some anime. The flaws of episodic anime is that its difficult to consistently keep up with it as the story is complete in one episode but for an anime like this thats to its benefits. For what it tries to offer its definitely worth ensuring you keep yourself ontrack and finish it. Even if you do take long breaks inbetween like I did you dont 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 didnt 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 its 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 its not a pretty background or longshot. The liveliness of this elevates the experience. Dont set unrealistic expectations of this animation its 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 daydreamlike. 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 Ill post my scale below. My Personal Ratings Scale Anime: 4 and below = I wouldve 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 wouldnt take the time to rewatch. 6 = This was meh and I wouldnt 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 wasnt 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 youll love this a lot. It aint lifechanging but god damn youll have one of the best experiences. 10 = This show resonated with me so hard chills and intense emotional catharsis. Background Im a huge fan of Iyashikei anime. Name anime in that genre and I wouldve 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. Havent been exposed to the rest of the staffs works on this anime. Before making this review I saw the DVD version and Ive only watched the TV in Japanese Audio English subtitles. The Review Now the review. Ill 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 its all selfcontained 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 Im really surprised to see just downtoearth unique and interesting people. It really complements the relaxing tone it goes for with these types of personalities. Of course theres 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 youre the type of individual that enjoys how anime sets up its cinematography then youll 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 shows unique identity. The simplicity of its visuals is what I think helps with the animation. It seems like theres always an urge to have something moving onscreen when appropriate. Makes the world feel more alive vs. a PowerPoint presentation. Dont assume its all sakuga or super impressive in every scene its 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 thats what lends to its charm. Its 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 aboveaverage and remarkable. I love this soundtrack and it really creates a daydreaming feeling when watching this show. Feels like Im 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. :