The anime "Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru," which began airing in the fall of 2018, is set against the backdrop of the Hakone Ekiden marathon. It is based on the novel of the same name by Shion Miura. It has also been adapted into a manga by Sorata Umino, with a total of six volumes published. It has also become so popular that it has been adapted into a film, a stage play, and a radio drama. In this article, we will introduce some of the best quotes from "Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru," based on the manga, and rank them in our own way.
10th Place: "Would you like to join me in the Hakone Ekiden?"
Source: The Wind Rises © Shion Miura, Shinchosha / Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
Heidi Kiyose was searching for the final 10th person to run in the Hakone Ekiden. However, he was getting impatient as he struggled to find that last person. As she went about her days wondering if anyone was there, Heidi emerged from the public bath as usual when she saw someone pass by in front of her at an astonishing speed. That person was Kurahara Hashiru (Kakeru). Kakeru had lost all his money gambling and was starving, so he shoplifted some bread and ran away. So Heidi jumped on a nearby bicycle and chased after Kakeru. Catching up to him, Heidi stopped him and invited him to come to Chikusei-so if he was short of money, saying, "Why don't you join me in aiming for the Hakone Ekiden?" This famous line marks the beginning of the story of Heidi, who has found the last key person, Kakeru, and the 10th member she had been searching for throughout her university life.
No. 9: "Would you like to find the answer with me?"
Source: The Wind Rises © Shion Miura, Shinchosha / Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
Kakeru Kurahara and Haiji Kiyose made a bet that if Heidi won the 5000m race, they would run the Hakone Ekiden together. However, it was Kakeru who emerged victorious. Despite winning, Kakeru felt a sense of defeat when he competed against Heidi in a running race for the first time. Kakeru wanted to say something to Heidi, but wasn't sure what to say. Heidi then asked, "What do you think is the best compliment for a long-distance runner?" Kakeru replied, "Isn't it 'fast'?" To which Heidi replied, "It's 'strong'." Even after hearing her answer, Kakeru was still struggling to understand what "strong" meant, so he asked, "What does it mean to be strong?" Heidi seemed troubled, replying, "Hmm, that's difficult..." But she continued, "Well, how about it? Why don't you find the answer with me?" Hearing this, Kakeru thought he might be able to trust Heidi, and so he took a step toward his goal of competing in the Hakone Ekiden. This famous quote helped Kakeru, who had struggled to take that first step, take another step toward the Hakone Ekiden.
8th Place: "Do You Like Running?"
Source: The Wind is Strong © Shion Miura, Shinchosha / Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
Struggling for cash, Kakeru Kurahara is forced to move into the comfortable apartment complex, Aotake, but he seems determined not to run in the Hakone Ekiden. When Kakeru first moved in, most of the other students living in Aotake were amateurs and didn't seem to be practicing much, which left him dumbfounded. But Kakeru continued to run every morning, a remnant of his high school days. During one of his runs, he saw Kiyose Haiji (Heidi) and Aotake's landlord's dog, Nira, in the park. Kakeru told Heidi, "I can't do it." Heidi responded with a smile, "Do you like running, Kakeru? That's the answer." Something about this seemed to resonate with Kakeru. It's a famous quote that touched Kakeru's heart a little.
7th Place: "Go for it!!!"
Source: The Wind Rises © Shion Miura, Shinchosha / Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
At a track meet hosted by Tokyo University of Health and Sport Sciences, Kakeru Kurahara, known for his speed since high school, was surely attracting attention. The race, featuring fast runners including Kakeru and his friends, began. However, since it had been a while since Kakeru's last race, his instincts seemed to have dulled. Furthermore, the field was filled with top-class runners who had undergone extensive training, and he was gradually left behind. Kakeru's performance was not improving, and he began to feel anxious. Then, he heard the cheers of his Aotake teammates, who had already finished the previous race, cheer him on. They shouted, "Kakeru!!!" "Kakeru!! You're almost there!!!" "You can do better, Kakeru!!! This is it!" "Go for it!!!" Hearing their cheers, Kakeru seemed to feel something for the Aotake teammates he had never felt even with his middle school and high school teammates. Until now, Kakeru had insisted on running alone, but he feared that if he ran poorly, the Aotake members would be criticized, and he became determined to win. This quote seems to have changed the meaning of running for Kakeru.
6th Place: "Let's Do It"
Source: Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru © Shion Miura, Shinchosha / Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
It was after Kakeru Kurahara and Haiji Kiyose competed in the 5000m. Heidi suggested, "If I win, let's aim for Hakone together," and Kakeru agreed. The race ended with Kakeru's victory. However, despite his victory, Kakeru felt like he'd lost. Heidi then asked, "You're certainly 'fast,' but are you really 'strong?'" Kakeru seemed lost in thought. Yohei Sakaguchi (King) then chimed in, saying, "That's great. You'll win and you'll be able to get away with running the ekiden you wanted." Kakeru, however, remained lackluster. When asked if he really wanted to run in the Hakone Ekiden, he denied it, but insisted that if he dropped out, they wouldn't be able to run in the race. The other residents of Aotake remained silent, looking as if they thought the Hakone Ekiden was impossible. At that moment, Jotaro (Jota) and Jojiro (George) cheerfully tapped Kakeru on the shoulder and said, "Let's do it." King asks Jota and George if they still want to compete on the same level as Kakeru and Heidi after seeing their impressive run. To which Jota and George respond with "We honestly thought it was great! It looked like it felt amazing!!" and "You might say it's impossible, but if you could run like that... I'm sure everyone thought the same." Hearing Jota and George's words, the Aotake members gradually became more honest, and they were determined to aim for Hakone again together. These honest words from Jota and George were what motivated the other members to try again, making them great quotes.
5th Place: "I think I could do a little run."
Source: The Wind Rises © Shion Miura, Shinchosha / Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
Akane Kashiwazaki (Ouji) is the least athletic of the students at Aotake. This is what happened when Ouji and Kakeru Kurahara (Kakeru) happened to bump into each other on campus. Kakeru asks the prince if he's serious about running, to which the prince responds in a loud voice, "I have no choice but to run! My precious manga might get thrown away!" Because running is everything to Kakeru and manga is everything to the prince, they seem unable to understand each other. Despite this, the prince says he understands that just as he loves manga, Kakeru and Kiyose Haiji (Heidi) love running and think it's important to them. He continues, with a serious look in his eyes, "Of course I don't want to run. But if I'm the only one person who can crush the feelings of everyone at Aotake and Heidi, then maybe I can run a little." At first, the prince reluctantly runs for the sake of his manga, but this famous quote reveals that he's a kind person who cares not only about manga, but also about Heidi and Kakeru, who loves running.
3rd Place: "I'm Not Interested!!"
Source: The Wind Rises © Shion Miura, Shinchosha / Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
When Kakeru Kurahara participated in a track meet hosted by Tokyo University of Health and Sport Sciences, he didn't want to run into anyone he knew from high school, so he sneaked around trying not to attract attention. However, he immediately encounters the person he least wanted to see: Sakaki Kosuke. When Sakaki asks Kakeru why he's there, he replies that he's participating in a race. However, Kakeru was involved in an incident in high school that forced him to quit the club, and the remaining members were forced to refrain from activities until graduation. Sakaki, not convinced that Kakeru had returned despite this, meaningfully remarks to the Aotake members, "He's the kind of guy who easily betrays people." As the surrounding area becomes noisy and the Aotake members begin to distrust Kakeru, Musa Kamara covers her ears and says, "I'm not interested!" She then replies, "I don't know about your past, but after spending two weeks with you, I don't think you're a bad person!" The Aotake members seemed to agree, saying "That's true!", and decided to form a circle to get everyone fired up for the track meet. Just when the team's bond was about to be jeopardized, Musa's words settled the situation, making this a truly memorable quote.
3rd Place: "I'm determined to get serious and aim for the Hakone Ekiden with everyone!!"
Source: Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru © Shion Miura, Shinchosha / Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
Kiyose Haiji (Heidi) confronts Kakeru, who is anxious about this situation and is worried about his future. However, while he was trying to convince Kakeru of the importance of the team, he suddenly lost consciousness. A doctor diagnosed him with lack of sleep, fatigue, and overwork. Kakeru regained his composure and apologized to Akane Kashiwazaki (the Prince) for taking out his frustration on her when he was feeling anxious. The Prince responded, "It's okay," and happily explained that she must have stayed in his room with him when he collapsed from dehydration. The Aotake residents then proposed that they take turns preparing meals, to avoid placing a burden on Heidi, who was in charge of all the cooking and cleaning. Listening absentmindedly to this, Kakeru declared, "...Okay, I've decided!" He then declared for the first time that he was determined to compete in the Hakone Ekiden with everyone. The Aotake members seemed surprised and shocked that he hadn't been serious about it until now, and a lively, fun-filled argument began. Heidi wakes up in the middle of this argument and says with a smile, "Kakeru is a weird guy after all." This famous quote shows that Kakeru, who had been unable to take that final step, has finally taken it.
Second Place: "All we have to do is run as hard as we can without missing a single person."
Source: Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru © Shion Miura, Shinchosha/Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
The grueling summer training camp is over, and there's only one month left until the qualifying tournament. The Aotake members continued to train even more intensely, relieving summer fatigue while also pushing themselves to improve their running ability. However, as the actual race approached, the pressure and tension mounted. Finally, the day of the qualifying round arrived. Heading to the venue, manager Katsuta Hanako noticed that each university had 12 runners. Kiyose Haiji (Heidi) explained that the competition would be based on the combined time of the 10 runners, but only 12 could participate. He also explained that the Aotake team, with only 10 members, had to finish the race without missing a single member. Hearing this, the members' expressions clouded and their heads hung low. However, Heidi then addressed the team directly, saying, "All we have to do is run as hard as we can without missing a single person. Hasn't that been how we've been getting through the past six months together?" Hearing this, the members recalled past training sessions and seemed to be re-energized, saying, "Let's do Kansei University a favor!" The team was feeling a bit down before the qualifying round, which would determine whether they would be able to compete in the Hakone Ekiden, but Heidi's words gave them plenty of motivation.
1st Place: "We Are a Team!!"
Source: Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru © Shion Miura, Shinchosha / Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
Kakeru Kurahara was happy as his teammates at Aotake changed one after another. However, during his second Tokyo University of Health and Sport Sciences track meet, something happened. When Kakeru reunites with Sakaki Kosuke, he is told that everyone is still slow. Kakeru realizes that he is absolutely right and begins to panic. From then on, Kakeru spends his days running even more, and the Aotake members seem to have noticed the change. Kakeru eventually blames his own poor performance on Akane Kashiwazaki (Oji), the slowest runner in Aotake. Oji, who happens to overhear this, goes out for a run by himself. However, he collapses mid-run due to dehydration. Kakeru tells Oji, "You could have died if you hadn't done it properly. That's why you're running half-heartedly, isn't it!?" The Aotake members counter that this isn't the case. They then point out that Kakeru has been acting strange lately. Kakeru tells him to consult them if he needs anything, but he expresses his anger, saying that he has no idea what to ask the Aotake members, who are practically amateurs. At this point, Kiyose Haiji (Heidi) grabs Kakeru and says, "We've all been practicing together and spending time together, and we've noticed a change in you. We're worried about you. You need to respond to that!" He then adds, "We're a team! What are you all here for?! Please notice." Heidi, noticing the change in Kakeru, who was panicking on his own, confronts him head-on, making this a passionate quote that is one of the charms of sports manga.
Famous Quote Rankings, Summary!
Source: "Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru" © Shion Miura, Shinchosha / Kansei University Track and Field Club Supporters Association
This article introduces a unique ranking of famous quotes from "Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru," primarily based on the anime and manga. This work is filled with the kind of passionate quotes you'd expect from a sports manga. It's so captivating, it'll make you want to run while reading. Please check it out. Thank you for reading to the end.
