Run with the Wind – Redefining Masculinity in the Context of Male Friendships

I’ll usually look less favourably upon an anime with no strong female characters (I get a real kick out of seeing my sex represented in a positive, significant way). And whilst Run with the Wind is one such show (with only one female character – and a minor one at that), I still adore the bare bones of it! It may be a bit of a sausage party, but, contrary to what you might expect, the way that our main characters interact with each other is completely and utterly devoid of any exaggerated masculinity. If anything, many of their interactions actually contain the hallmarks of, not male, but female friendships. These include intimacy, the tendency to encourage one another, vulnerability, and insight into each other’s characters…

Right from the very first episode Run with the Wind’s young men exhibited a closeness with each other that was a delight to behold! They enjoyed one another’s company, sharing, not just their home, but their meals together. They also genuinely cared for each other’s health and wellbeing. Haiji acts as the mother hen of the group, feeding them, mediating petty squabbles, and fussing when they aren’t eating enough. But when Haiji collapsed, the group rallied around him, doing their best to ensure that he got plenty of rest. They even tried cooking in his stead (though their repertoire consisted mainly of pasta). Their attempts at playing nurse may have been laughable, but to watch these young men gladly assume the role of caregiver was touching all the same!

These young men also go out of their way to encourage each other. Though there are many examples of them doing just this, even through off-hand compliments like Kakeru’s “cool” or Prince is “handsome”, my favourite would have to be when Prince, deadline looming, attempts to finally obtain an official record. The group encourage him to keep trying, inscribe words of encouragement on his arm, and scream themselves hoarse cheering for him. And when Prince (finally) succeeds in obtaining that record they went mental! Haiji even held back tears. It’s so nice to watch young men encourage and build one another up, as opposed to ripping into each other under the guise of “banter”!

Moreover, the group are also able to be honest and vulnerable with each other. After Kakeru lost his rag and tried to attack a former teammate (who, let’s face it, had it coming), the group held an intervention for him. During this they all sat in a circle, facing one another, and spoke their minds. Kakeru, who had always been somewhat of a closed book, finally opened up about his past and how certain events had made him feel: hurt, angry, and anxious. Immediately after he is done baring his soul, the group respond by accepting him, weakness and all, and building him up again. It’s a very touching scene. Even in 2019 some still believe that real men don’t cry, don’t show weakness, don’t express themselves… But during this scene, the young men of Run with the Wind did just that and became all the more strong, healed, and whole for it.

Finally, these young men possess remarkable insight into each other’s characters. They are knowledgeable of, not just one another’s weaknesses, including King’s concerns over his career prospects, Nico-chan-senpai’s reliance on nicotine, and the twins’ impressionability, but also their strengths, which they try to play to whenever possible. Haiji, who’s caring and conscientious, is entrusted with managing the group’s meals and schedules and Shindo, who’s naturally business-minded, is put to work designing their fan club website. Even Kakeru, who’s always been more inward-focused, considers and incorporates Prince’s greatest strength (his voracious appetite for manga) into a successful (if slightly ridiculous) tailor-made training regimen.

To conclude, the young men of Run with the Wind are strong, ambitious, and resilient. They are undeniably and irrevocably men. Yet their friendship is characterised by intimacy, vulnerability, and a deep understanding of who the other is. This group of friends challenges the notion that these qualities are paradoxical and cannot coexist with each other – that one set belongs to men, the other, to women. They may not be the first anime characters to do so, but they are one of the strongest examples to be sure!