A Wind Named Amnesia

About A Wind Named Amnesia

Here is what A Wind Named Amnesia (Kaze no Na wa Amnesia) is about, retold in plain terms: an action, sci-fi and drama anime by Madhouse (1990). At its core: Two years ago, an enigmatic wind swept over the Earth without warning, taking everyone's memories with it. Not knowing their names or even how to speak, cars crashed, planes dropped from the sky, and society crumbled in an instant.

Further in, one young man happens to wander into a military testing facility, where he runs into Johnny, a young boy who underwent experimental memory enhancement treatment and could, therefore, still remember who he was. Johnny names the young man Wataru and teaches him everything that he can before his frail body fails him. Wataru sets out on a quest to see if he can find other people like him, and in San Francisco, he meets an enigmatic silver-haired woman named Sophia, who refuses to speak about her past.

In an action series like this, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. This one is best suited to viewers who like fast, high-impact fights.

Production & Appeal

Animation is handled by Madhouse, so the studio's house style defines how A Wind Named Amnesia looks and moves on screen. The action focus matters here: fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. With a 6.4/10 score, it is more of a niche pick than a universal crowd-pleaser. Released in 1990, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.