Wind Breakerthe martial arts action series by Satoru Nii, is one of the biggest hits on Kodansha’s online Magazine Pocket platform. The manga’s popularity led to a 25-episode anime adaptation by CloverWorks, running from April 2024 to June 2025. A live-action film adaptation of the series was announced the same day as the anime’s final episode, scheduled to open in Japanese cinemas on December 5th. Warner Bros. Pictures Japan shared more trailers for the upcoming motion picture, unveiling new cast members for the film. The new cast members reveal will be playing Kotoha Tachibana, Choji Tomiyama, and Jo Togame.
The new trailers focus on Shishitoren, the rival gang to the protagonists’ team, Bofurin. Whereas Bofurin are clad in green jackets, the Shishitoren wear yellow in the film. Choji is the smiling leader of the Shishitoren, and Jo is his second-in-command. Kotoha serves as the big sister for the protagonists and the other students at Furin High School. She is one of the most prominent female characters in the series, with strong connections with several main characters. The new live-action trailers feature scenes lifted directly from the manga and anime, matching the show’s color-coded aesthetics and setting.
Who Are the New Cast Members for Wind Breaker?
Here are the three new actors joining the live-action Wind Breaker movie:
- Rikako Yagi as Kotoha Tachibana
- Koki Yamashita as Choji Tomiyayama
- Noritaka Hamao as Jo Togame
They are joined by the previously announced actors:
- Koshi Mizukami as Haruka Sakura
- Taisei Kido as Akihiko Nirei
- Keito Tsuna as Hayato Suo
- JUNON as Kyoto Sugishita
- Motoki Nakazawa as Toma Hiragi
- Shuhei Uesugi as Hajime Umemiya
One of the new trailers released by Warner Bros. Japan features Yamashita and Hamao talking about their roles. The film will cover the early arcs of the manga, where the Shishitoren are featured as prominent antagonists in several scenes. The live-action Wind Breaker motion picture will be directed by Kentaro Hagiwara, a veteran live-action adaptor who previously worked on the favorably received live-action versions of Tokyo Ghoul. The live-action Wind Breaker is currently scheduled to open only in Japanese cinemas. However, it is likely the motion picture will find its way overseas in either a limited period of screenings or on streaming, which has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Why You Should Care About Wind Breaker
Wind Breaker focuses on the exploits of Haruka Sakura, a headstrong young man ostracized because of his heterochromia hair and eye colors. He eventually joins a group of supposed delinquents from his new school to protect their town of Makochi from harm. The group takes part in extreme street brawls and fights off opposing enemy gangs. Haruka’s main goal is to fight his way to the top while learning about the importance of friendship.
The anime covered five arcs of the manga, lasting up until the Roppo-Ichiza/Gravel Arc, and can be streamed on Crunchyroll. Based on the teaser, the upcoming film adaptation appears to be a direct adaptation of the manga’s opening arcs, the Introduction and the Shishitoren Arc. It should be noted that the Wind Breaker manga shouldn’t be confused with the cyclist Webtoon comic of the same name, which recently faced controversy with plagiarism and was suddenly canceled.
H/T: Anime News Network
