Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8: Shuhei Suzuri and GRAVEL debut as Sakura begins idolizing Kanji

Following Haruka Sakura and co’s fight in the previous episode, Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 was expected to reveal the enemy group behind this attack. Officially released on Thursday, May 22, 2025, the episode did indeed introduce the arc’s antagonistic group in GRAVEL but distinguished them from these previous attackers.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 also continued the previous episode’s focus on Roppo Ichiza, initially introduced in the last installment. Also receiving a continued focus from the previous installment was Tasuku Tsubakino’s relationship with them and Shizuku Narita, whom he met while working at the same bar.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 introduces a new enemy group and its leader

Brief episode recap

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Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 began with Tasuku Tsubakino treating Haruka Sakura, Akihiko Nirei, and Hayato Suo to a feast for helping to cheer up Ito. He also revealed that the effect on Ito was lasting and that he’s been going out to socialize a lot more. Seiryu and Uryu Sakaki were also shown to be present and mooching off Tsubakino’s generosity. The trio then complimented Tsubakino’s talent and dancing, with Nirei wanting to take down info about it.

Kanji Namakura then brought them more food, discussing Tsubakino’s origins for dancing at the bar. He then asked Kanji about the fight he and Sakura’s group got into, which he admitted to. The Sakaki twins praised Sakura and co, while Tsubakino told him to get his act together as Keisei Street’s guardian. Essentially, this meant Kanji and others stopped disputes and acted as bodyguards for the girls who worked there, which led to the formation of Roppo Ichiza.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 saw Sakura and co note the similarities to Furin, but Kanji argued they didn’t have as lofty goals and views as Hajime Umemiya did with the current Furin. Kanji then warned that the bigger an action is, the bigger its reaction is, hoping nothing else came of the recent fight in the future. Shizuka Narita then took the stage to sing, with Kanji noisily telling everyone else to be quiet and not interrupt her.

Sakura and Kanji quickly team up with incredible results in Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 (Image via CloverWorks)

After a beautiful performance, notably in English, she joined Tsubakino and the others at their table. He noticed her bandages there and asked what happened, but she told her not to worry. This led to a flashback that revealed Kanji asked Sakura and co to keep it quiet from Tsubakino due to his compassion for and relationship with her. Suddenly, someone burst in to let Kanji know that a massive group of thugs they’ve never seen before were causing trouble.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 saw this person suspect it to be the same group that Sakura and co stopped earlier. Tsubakino and the Sakaki twins tried to follow, but Kanji instead asked them to stay behind and protect Shizuka in case anything happened. In the silence after, Sakura stood up and went to fight, with Kanji arguing against this. However, Sakura said since he had already fought them earlier, it was also his problem, with Suo and Nirei joining him.

This caused Tsubakino to agree to stay behind on the condition that Kanji kept the first-years safe. They all went to fight after, with Kanji already clearly getting a read on Sakura’s personality and the true values that lie beneath it. They then came up on the fight, where the Roppo Ichiza members were already cleaning the house. Several members were introduced here in Shogo Hidaka, Ritsu Otawa, and Akihito Miyoshi.

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Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 saw the thugs demand that they hand over Shizuka, but Kanji refused while jumping into battle by himself. Miyoshi explained that this was typical behavior from him and that there was nothing to worry about. Kanji proved this after defeating several enemies and telling them not to make empty threats. Sakura commented on Kanji, reminding him of Umemiya as the Roppo Ichiza’s leader continued brawling with incredible ferocity.

Sakura and Suo discussed how impressive he was while fighting their battles. Sakura even ended up giving Kanji a hand, leading to the two fighting together with incredible synergy and cooperation. Miyoshi commented on how impressive this was, while Suo said it was nothing they didn’t expect of him. The two then had each other’s backs, similar to Kanji and Sakura, with Miyoshi saying Furin had a bright future before showing concern for Nirei.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 saw Suo show his confidence in Nirei, adding that he may not be impressive now, but his desire to become strong is higher than anyone else’s. Nirei then looked for an opportunity to contribute while Suo’s pre-fight words about not being defeated being more important than winning rang in his head. As he was amazed at Sakura and co’s performance, the enemy group's apparent leader, Shuhei Suzuri, appeared.

Suo and Miyoshi also show excellent synergy in Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 (Image via CloverWorks)

Suzuri also appeared with backup and recognized his group’s enemy as the Roppo Ichiza. He then clarified that they were different from the group Sakura and co. first fought, introducing themselves as GRAVEL from Sunaba district. Nirei described the area as one full of outlaws, distinguishing it from Furin by describing how poor the area was due to an ailing economy. Those living there make money as mercenaries for other teams, such as GRAVEL.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 8 saw Suzuri demand that they give up Shizuka, saying they didn’t come to fight. He added that with their tiredness, GRAVEL would surely win. Kanji clarified that winning or losing didn’t matter to them as long as Keisei Street was protected. His words profoundly resonated with Sakura, who further likened Kanji to Umemiya. The episode ended with each group preparing for a bloody battle over Shizuka.

Final thoughts

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With the introduction of Shuhei Suzuri and GRAVEL in episode 8, fans can expect the final leg of the hit television anime series’ second season to be packed to the brim with action.

Fans can particularly expect Kanji Nakamura and Haruka Sakura to shine as the respective leaders of their allied groups in this fight. Fans can also expect to learn more about Suzuri and GRAVEL in the process, as well as exactly who has hired them to kidnap Shizuka Narita.

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About the author

Joseph has been working as an anime content specialist for Sportskeeda since the past 2.5 years. Primarily covering his core genre, he also contributes to popular culture writing news stories and cult classic features on older series.

Joseph holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Delaware, United States. His love of anime, combined with his background in literature, influenced his interest in engaging readers through the written word. He maintains complete accuracy in his content by verifying each and every piece of information regardless of how long it takes, and ensure that the output is impartial and free of bias.

Chainsaw Man, One Piece, Berserk, Undead Unluck, Re:ZERO, Tower of God, Jujutsu Kaisen, Inuyasha, and Fire Punch are some of Joseph’s favorite animanga. His exposure to 4kids' Sonic X series, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Dragon Ball Z on Toonami fueled his enthusiasm for the medium.

When not dissecting anime plots, Joseph likes to cook, play games, work on cars, browse new music, and watch pro wrestling, especially AEW. He also enjoys ocean-based activities - beach trips, fishing, swimming and watersports.

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Edited by Joseph Brogan