Wind Breaker s1e2: Oh, if only we knew then what we know now.
1. How giddy Sakura was when he thought he was speaking to a "foreigner". (read: "Ooh he's not from around here too like me!")
2. How Suo had (probably) already taken an interest in Sakura because he too is from out of town.
3. How Suo seemed fully locked in to prop Sakura up to be their Captain and rally the class behind him.
(Imagine Suo came to Furin with the intention to chill but noticed that the class was unruly and his instincts as the leader/peacekeeper of an entire community kicks in and he decided that this simply would not do, somebody's got to keep them in line but it can't be him doing it directly, and then he sees this ambitious guy come smashing in claiming he's going to be the top or whatever and Suo was like "oh" and thus immeditely nominates him to be captain).
4. How forward/fearless/close Nirei is already with Sakura (it's still the first day of class meaning they just met!!).
5. I've seen fans mention Suo was trying to "larp as Chinese" and we all fell for it and I thought it was an exaggeration, but omg, he really did lean into his "chuunibyou" to throw everyone off his scent. (It's hilarious that none of his classmates made fun of this edgelord but given they know what he's capable of, I think they'd be better off playing along.)
6. "Wasn't it from a past accident?"
You don't say, Nirei, YOU. DON'T. SAY!!!! (no, really, don't say it! )
Wind Breaker Chapter 218:
Is it really any surprise that Sakura would take news of Suo's betrayal much harder than the rest of the class? That's not to undermine Nirei's grief of course - we're not having a competition here - but it is quite understandable, because Nirei is mentally stronger than Sakura when it comes to dealing with feelings and it makes perfect sense, given what we know about these characters and the chapters that's played out so far.
In my opinion, Nirei was able to cope with more dignity because he got to confront Suo and hash it out with him. Unsuccessful as the attempt was, he did get some form of recourse and was able to vent his frustrations and land a punch on Suo, even receiving a proper goodbye from him. But most importantly, Nirei is still very much convinced that Suo's reason for leaving was circumstantial. Call it naivety or what have you, Nirei trusts his friends and hasn't given up on Suo, that's why he's able to pick himself up and keep going. Despite his timidity, Nirei has never retreated into his shell, perhaps in part due to his insatiable curiosity to know all there is to know about everyone and everything, and he's always doing his best to reach out to people because he wants to understand them. Nirei's bravery in facing his feelings and getting to the truth of the matter, even if he gets hurt or is rejected in the process, is irrefutable.
Sakura is not that brave.
He's been ghosted by Suo; no goodbyes, no texts. Not so much as an apology. And then finds out that Suo's been lying about other things and that he belonged to another group all along. The other classmates got ghosted the same way, yet Sakura took the news the hardest. But why? Was his trust for Suo so fragile that it could shatter that easily?
We can believe so.
Because for most of his life, Sakura had closed himself off to people. Suo and Nirei were among the first few he had allowed himself to be vulnerable with (they did force their way in when he was sick so he didn't really have a choice in that matter, but still). For the first time, he felt he could be honest with them and still be accepted for who he is. Yet suddenly, to learn that Suo was living a lie, what else could he be lying about? All those reassuring words Suo has spoken, all those times they've spent together, were they a lie too? Sakura can't help but cast doubt on everything. How else is he supposed to think when his distrust of people runs deep?
And there was no recourse to be had for all the hurt, frustration and anger to channel those negative thoughts. Only one thing was certain to Sakura: he had been rejected, by someone whom he thought he had formed a connection with, and the only way he knew how to cope is by shutting down his feelings and withdrawing into the darkness again. He's given up on others as much as he's given up on himself.
When you consider Sakura's trauma and how Suo's departure hits exactly where it hurts, is it any wonder his reaction to Suo's betrayal would be that more visceral? Sakura has deep-rooted abandonment issues that haven't completely healed. He's barely gotten used to regulating his feelings and it manifests in the way his body takes damage from it, and losing one of the main pillars that had supported him has dealt him the most devastating blow that would require some major force of nature to break down the walls he has put up again.
(And I think the one to do so will be Sugishita, but more thoughts on that in another tl;dr.)
My dear nirei, so caring and protective of your friends, you shouldered them all, and you cared so damn much about the both of them. Protecting sakura, holding on to suo, keeping it all together. I wonder if you’re okay.
Wouldn't it be funny if Nirei, the most timid of the class, is the only one among them who doesn't have some deep-rooted traumatic past and his timidity is just the result of him having come from an incredibly sheltered background (that and entering a delinquent school) 😭
Listen, much as I adore my wabi-sabi departures, the idea of Suo leaving Furin and it being a lesson in "letting go" just doesn't work for me, because it goes against the very message (and catharsis) this series has always tried to convey. Let me explain.
In Wind Breaker, the focus on learning to "let go" has always centered on a character's past trauma and the people who hold them back, memories that prevent them from healing and letting good things in.
Emphasis on the past.
An outcome with Suo choosing to stay behind with the Bankoku-gai, even after the dust has settled and The Big Bad is resolved - even IF Suo has made peace with himself on that matter - it simply does not fit the narrative of letting go of one's "past", let alone allow our characters to heal properly.
Imo, Suo's return would not grant its people the resolve to become stronger and more independent without him, but create a possible "out" if it chooses this route. Even if his community were to step up to relieve Suo of the burden of protecting the town on his own, Suo will always be someone his people revere and idolize; it would be hard to see him as just some normal delinquent high-schooler. His very presence could have everyone falling back into their old habits again because he is just that reliable (and Suo is a softie okay).
But also, there's simply not enough takeaway, not enough "moral of the story" good enough to justify Suo leaving Furin at this point in time, that could make up for the regret of his departure. Sakura, Nirei, and everyone at Furin would be heavily opposed to the idea, for one - that is why they even went in search of Suo when he ghosted them. Even if Suo decides his heart is with his people, and somehow manages to get the others to come around to it, it would be a reluctant parting of ways, a compromise Furin has to come to terms with because they respect Suo's decision, rather than a sincere send-off. And it would be an unsatisfactory end for us readers. Why?
Because Suo had never truly opened his heart to Furin, nor had the guys at Furin learned all there is to him yet. The potential for Suo to grow with Furin, to become more himself has not yet been achieved at this stage, he's bearly been with his class for a year, and would not have peaked by the end of this arc's resolution. His life at Furin - as his true self- has only just begun.
Furin is not his past, but his present... and, Nii-sensei willing, perhaps his foreseeable future and beyond. That is the healing, the soft catharsis that this series always circles back to. It doesn't want its characters to let go of a good thing, at least not until they're well and truly healed and ready, and I think we can all agree here that Furin is a good thing for Suo.
tldr:
Suo's return to the Bankoku-gai would be a step back for him narratively because it would mean remaining in. his. past, rather than moving forward. The chapter he needs to find closure with isn't with Furin but the Bankoku-gai - to allow himself to "let go" of his people - not abandon them, mind you - but to allow them to get stronger on their own, so they can help ease his burdens in the future. To rest easy knowing he can trust them to protect his home while he's away: just like the guys at Furin who get into trouble every two to three business days but can punch their way out of it just fine on their own.
And maybe someday in the years ahead - when the Furin boys are in their second or graduating year, and Suo's hometown is now thriving and Bankoku-gai's kids return to Furin to challenge the gang and fight for their "Sun Fei-nii" back, and Suo sees how strong they've gotten and gets homesick and decides it's time to return, then that would be a parting that will be bittersweet but at peace, a closure to his time in Furin and moving forward with a new chapter.
While all good things may come to an end someday - today is not that day.
Something to think about.
p.s: The only acceptable end that satisfies the best of both worlds is having Suo's departure from Furin played out and milked to the fullest extent, only for Suo to return to Furin the next day (it was a misunderstanding that Suo didn't bother to correct, muahaha).
Just saw one of those "Omake" clips where Sakura exclaims if Suo's "a foreigner" and Suo just waves it off and says "Nah, I'm Japanese." and it's very obviously a bold-faced lie (but also "bonus clips" usually fall under the "not actual canon to be taken seriously" canon), buuuuut I did have a moment where I entertained the thought of: What if Suo is Japanese by birth and then abandoned/orphaned and later brought into the Red Chanpuru fold, and adapted to the name "Sun Fei". Though ngl I definitely would much prefer Suo being the name that grew on him because it was the name Furin gave him that helped him to be "reborn again" and live as himself. Hush my feelings I am not ready to go there with you yet. Playing around with the idea of Suo always straddling between two worlds that are both him, and dealing with some low-key identity crisis and a sense of belonging.
It's a bit lost in the English translations, but Suo and his vice-generals Rakta and Bacchus speak English and Japanese amongst themselves and I think that's really neat! :3
Other nerdy thoughts: It's implied that everyone in this clan knows at LEAST two languages, of which one, I assume, would be Japanese by default, the other being their mother tongue from whichever part of the world they came from. So Rakta, presumably of Indian ethnicity, would have a third language under his belt on top of EN and JP. And I'm going to make an educated guess that Bacchus is likely of "English" heritage (although the name "Bacchus" sounds more Greek to me, he isn't likely from Germany or any other European/Scandinavian country I can think of, because otherwise he'd already be bilingual without knowing Japanese (right???), and we have established that's the only two languages he knows. Discuss!)
(p.s: He also doesn't "feel" American enough for the lack of a better thought, ahaha. But also *something* *something* not necessarily relevant to the Wind Breaker universe, but a guy from a "former colonial state" with a guy from a "former colonial power" having to work together and get along makes for an interesting combo and would fit thematically with the story of opposing factions coming together.)
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