| Wind: A Breath of Heart | |
Wind -A Breath of Heart- logo |
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| Genre | Drama, Romance |
|---|---|
| Game | |
| Developer | Minori (PC) HuneX (DC, PS2) |
| Publisher | Alchemist |
| Genre | Visual novel |
| Rating | 18+ (PC)
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| Platform | Windows Dreamcast PlayStation 2 |
| Released | April 19, 2002 (PC) January 30, 2003 (DC) December 18, 2003 (PS2) December 14, 2006 (PS2 re-release) |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Sata |
| Released | December 27, 2002 |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Tsuneo Tominaga |
| Studio | KSS |
| Released | May 28, 2004 |
| Episodes | 3 |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Mitsuhiro Tougou |
| Studio | Radix |
| Network | Bt-x |
| Original run | June 30, 2004 – September 22, 2004 |
| Episodes | 17 (13 regular and 4 special) |
Wind: A Breath of Heart is a visual novel by Japanese game studio Minori. It was first released for the PC on April 19, 2002 with adult content. It was later ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 by Alchemist in 2003 with the adult content removed. It features voiced dialog for all characters except for the protagonist. It has been adapted into an anime series with thirteen episodes and four special ones (9.5, 10.4, 10.8 and 12.5), four OVAs, and a manga. An English-language fan translation of the visual novel exists.[1]
Contents |
The PC version of the game went on sale on April 19, 2002. It was followed by the Soyokaze no Okurimono -Wind Pleasurable Box- on December 27, 2002 which featured a 16 minute OVA Christmas Special along with the game. In 2003, the game was released in two different versions with the Dreamcast version going on sale on January 30 and the PlayStation 2 version on December 18. June 2004 saw the first of 3 KSS OVA's go on sale on the 25th and on the 30th, the TV anime officially started to air. On November 5 of the same year, Wind - a breath of heart - Re:gratitude went on sale.
Makoto was born in Kazune city, but was forced to move away with his sister Hinata and Minamo’s family after his father’s death. As children, the three played together. When his family moves for the second time, he entrusted to Minamo a harmonica. The two pinky-swore to meet again and marry some day.
The game begins ten years later. Makoto and Hinata are returning to Kazune via train and enroll at High School where he is reunited with Minamo. He learns that many people of the city have special powers which only they can do. For example, Hinata can jump higher than most 2-story buildings, Minamo can control the wind, Nozomi can create shockwaves with edged weapons, and Wakaba can cure wounds and slow down diseases. The town is also home to a long series of murders and mysterious disappearances.
When Minamo’s father Professor Akihito tries to research the city’s mysteries to understand what caused these powers to develop, a chain of events begins and in the game it is the player’s goal to help Makoto uncover these mysteries while forging bonds with one of the five girls.
As the main protagonist, Makoto is impulsive but also compassionate towards the pain of others. He often acts without consideration for the consequences, which garners respect and bewilderment from the methodological Hikari.
She has practiced playing her harmonica for four years hoping for Makoto to return and keep his promise. Unlike Makoto, she takes their childhood promise seriously and wants to marry now that they are older. Throughout the game she is straightforward and assertive about her love for Makoto. Is the real sister of Hinata and Wakaba.
Makoto’s athletic younger sister. Being very active, she commonly follows her brother around or pulls pranks on him. She carries a pair of binoculars which she uses to spy on things, and is fascinated with the blimp that flies over the city each day. She is hyper, and when she gets hurt, angry or confused her favorite catch-phrase is, “Unyah~!” Is the real sister of Minamo and Wakaba.
Nozomi Fujimiya serves tables with her sister Wakaba. She is skilled at Kendo, although she has a weak heart and often needs Wakaba to heal her when she collapses. She loves her sister, but feels guilty that her poor health is a burden. She and Wakaba are adopted siblings.
Gifted with the ability to prophesize the future, she can also heal. Her ardent desire is to improve her abilities so that she can heal her sister’s heart condition. She has a shy and compassionate personality. She is the real sister of Minamo and Hinata. She has weak clairvoyance ability.
Hikari is the most knowledgeable person about all of the cities mysteries. In the game her route only opens after the four other girls’ routes have been cleared. She first forms a relationship with Makoto when he rescues a cat from a tree; although Hikari is content to observe the world from a distance, Makoto’s hands-on approach intrigues her.
Hikari is skilled with a katana, a good cook, and she enjoys painting the open sky. She tends to distances herself from other people because of a myriad of lies and given reasons; such as that she doesn’t want others to get hurt, or that strong people don’t need to rely on others. Yet in reality she longs for human interaction, but fears being rejected.
A friendly history professor. He is Minamo’s father and was a close friend to Makoto’s parents before they died. He is determined to research the city and apply his knowledge to stop the line of murders and save the city. He is also the true father of Hinata and Wakaba.
A schoolgirl often seen together with Tsutomu. She wears eye glasses to negate her ability to see one's true feelings, and she is fond of purchasing tea leaves from Hikari’s shop.
Makoto’s male friend. He is clumsy and will flirt with any woman.
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Melody of Reunion" | |
| 2 | "Memorable Promise" | |
| 3 | "A Girl Named Hikari" | |
| 4 | "Children Without Parents" | |
| 5 | "Light and Shadow" | |
| 6 | "Courage to Take the Step" | |
| 7 | "The Kindness of the Blue Sky" | |
| 8 | "Wind and Night Sky" | |
| 9 | "Roar of Kazune" | |
| 9.5 | "The Sorrow of the Wind" | |
| 10 | "Doukatai" | |
| 10.4 | "Tell Me Your Feelings..." | |
| 10.8 | "Uncertain Feelings" | |
| 11 | "Destiny from Ancient Times" | |
| Makoto finds Hikari at the temple and she decides to tell him everything when he says he wants to find a way for everyone to be happy. Apparently, in ancient times Hikari was just a normal priestess. When she saw the ritual sacrifice being done she could not handle it and so set the temple on fire. When she was about to kill the man she thought responsible (her own brother), he said he was free from the curse but that Hikari would have to take over. And so she has been killing to protect the town ever since. Makoto still believes everyone can be happy though and follows Hikari when she runs off. She asks him to save her and then jumps off the edge of a cliff, he follows her to catch her. | ||
| 12 | "Along with the Wind" | |
| Makoto and Hikari are saved somehow and now Hikari is remembering her meetings with Minamo's mother and the others. All the pieces are starting to fall into place. Makoto tells Hikari what he said to Minamo when they were kids and Hikari realizes what she needs to do. She tells Makoto how things have changed since she met all of them and then performs the Doukatai on herself. She disappears and the next day things seem to continue as normal. Makoto sees a girl that resembles Hikari (possibly the real Hikari herself), who later vanishes. | ||
| 12.5 | "Distant Feelings" | |
| It's the school festival that day and everyone has something going on. Makoto and Tsutomu are having fun together until Shikouin has Tsutomu help her pass out fliers. Nozomi is in a play, Hinata is running a maze, and Wakaba and Minamo are both doing cafes. Later on, Minamo and Makoto go to see a play and, while leaving, run into Hikari. Hikari is no longer herself, however, but is now Aya. Makoto and Hikari seem to recognize each other, but later, when talking to Minamo, Makoto says he can't remember Hikari's face. She seems to have faded not just from everyone's memories but also from pictures as well. She now lives on a new life. | ||
| 13 | "Affection all Around (Special Story)" | |
| This is a recap episode where Minamo remembers everything that happens up until the moment she finally confronts Makoto about her feelings for him. | ||
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Reunion" | |
| Makoto and Hinata move back to Kazune after being gone for ten years. They move because their mother has disappeared and that is the last thing she told Makoto to do. They reunite with only friends and meet new ones. Things seem to be going fine until Makoto encounters a strange girl on a train who seems to disappear into thin air. He also encounters an old friend he made a promise to long ago. | ||
| 2 | "Premonition" | |
| Everyone gathers for the reunion party at the One Day cafe and Makoto introduces everyone to Minamo. Minamo's father has a talk with Makoto later on and tells him a very strange tale about his parents. While walking to school later on, he comes across the girl from the train but is unable to speak to her as the others plan a trip to the beach. While at the ocean, the mysterious girl appears and uses magic to try to drown Hinata. She is saved by the others though. Afterwards, when Makoto is picking up fireworks, he comes across Minamo's father who is injured and disappears into the air. | ||
| 3 | "Hope" | |
| School gets canceled because of a typhoon but Makoto is worried about Minamo so he goes to find her. At the same time the others are worried about him and go to ask Hinata were he is. Makoto finds Minamo talking with the strange girl and protects her when the girl attacks. His friends arrive soon afterwards and they try to unravel the mystery of the town. When they finally track down the girl and confront her, they find out exactly why she is taking her revenge on the town. | ||
| 4 | "Soyokaze no Okurimono" | |
| It's Christmas time, several months after the events of the anime. Tsutomu organizes a last minute Christmas party with everyone at the One Day cafe and Minamo promises to bake a special cake which sends shivers down the spines of Makoto and Hinata. But suddenly they see the Zeppelin floating in the sky above the town once again and strange things begin to happen. | ||