Our first character introduction to the series is non other than the heroine to the series - Nana, who, after seeing the last year's Honan Academy Stride, inspired to join the school to become a manager of the Stride Club. Although she is quite plain (well and cute) with no strong personality or anything special, she does become the team's Relationer (a player who directs striders(?) whilst in competition. I did like this step-up from her just being a simple (encouraging) manager like she would've been in any other sports anime and that she plays somewhat of a part within any race.
The first half of the common "main sports duo" is introduced as a hyperactive boy who consistently wants to join as many sports clubs as possible - and although he isn't great at them, his speed instantly impresses each club and invites him to join their club (only if he would be allowed to join multiple. Like most, I absolutely loved Yagami Riku's character, which aside from his laid-back personality, reminded me a lot of myself in high school insisting on joining multiple sports clubs as possible.
Especially within the first few scenes of his introduction and his scenes with him trying out every sport and him just being - hyperactive(?) I guess can't help but love his personality.
We then meet Fujiwara Takeru, he's your usual sports anime "tall-black haired- already talented at the sport kid" who's basically a mix of , Free's Haru and Diamond no Ace's Furuya with a hint of Haikyuu!!'s Kageyama and Yowamushi Pedal's Imaizumi. That and he also has his fetish of looking and people's thighs - and he's not shy about it or anything.
Think the one things I liked about these two was that it was the stoic character trying to get the more energetic one to join the club. If this had been any other sports anime, Yagami would have been trying to get the talented and serious Takeru to join the club.
We then meet the current and only 3 members of the Stride team, setting up the typical "not enough members in the club" scene with the Shogi and Stride club sharing members so that the clubs wouldn't be disbanded from a lack of members. Right now can't really feel anything with the other members besides Hozumi (obvious sports mom in the anime while captain is dad). I absolutely love Hozumi in the 2v2 race - the little monkey he is.
Aside from Yagami wanting to join any club besides Stride, after pretty much getting forced into the team, they now have enough to compete.
Everyone be shipping all the gay
On-to the race. Idk it kinda bothered me that despite people not knowing if the Stride Club still existed (and are barely existing) that the announcement of the Stride Club having a race would gather so many people - even it is a popular thing in their city or whatever. That and also some artistic details and CGI within the audience (at the start of the race) was kinda meh.
Aside from that, the actual race was pretty epic!
Like I said, Hozumi being the trickster of Honan actually doing some pretty cool parkour stuff. Really hope we get to see more of these in the next coming episodes!
Loving some of the shots, the overall colour palette and just the whole race in general. Everything went kinda fast with that part and I really got into it.
