Anime/Manga Prince of Stride: Alternative

[Skip Class]

Prince of Stride: Alternative​

The series is about an extreme form of sport known as "Stride." It involves 6 players on a team that runs relay races in towns. The story takes place at Honan Academy where first year high school students Takeru Fujiwara and Nana Sakurai try to recruit members for their "Stride" club. They request Riku Yagami to join with the help of Takeru and Nana. Their goal is to compete and win the "End of Summer," a top competition hosted in Japan alongside other schools.

Type: TV
Episodes: Unknown
Status: Not yet aired
Aired: Jan 5, 2016 to ?
Premiered: Winter 2016
Broadcast: Tuesdays at 23:00 (JST)
Producers: None found
Licensors: FUNimation Entertainment
Studios: Madhouse
Source: Visual novel
Genres: Sports
Duration: Unknown
Rating: None

Spoiler: Cast and Crew

Kana Hanazawa as Nana Sakurai
Nobuhiko Okamoto as Takeru Fujiwara
Ryohei Kimura as Riku Yagami

Daiki Hamano as Hisato Harigaya
Daiki Yamashita as Yuri Himemiya
Daisuke Hirakawa as Shizuma Mayuzumi
Daisuke Ono as Heath Hasekura
Hiro Shimono as Ayumu Kadowaki
Hiromichi Tezuka as Kiyoto Washimi
Ikuji Nose as Nampei Aoba
Itaru Yamamoto as Nobuhiko Nagatsuka
Junichi Suwabe as Kyosuke Kuga
Kaito Ishikawa as Shiki Dozono
Kengo Kawanishi as
Aoi Shima
Arata Samejima
Kensho Ono as Hozumi Kohinata
Mamoru Miyano as Reiji Suwa
Natsuki Hanae as
Ryo Izumino
Yu Kamoda
Ryota Ohsaka as Hajime Izumino
Ryotaro Okiayu as Yujiro Dan
Shouta Aoi as Toya Natsunagi
Taishi Murata as Takeshi Eifuku
Takahiro Sakurai as Tomoe Yagami
Takuya Eguchi as Bantaro Chiyomatsu
Tatsuhisa Suzuki as Tasuku Senoo
Tetsuya Kakihara as Amatsu Ida
Toshiyuki Toyonaga as Kaede Okumura
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as
Kei Kamoda
Tetsu Hachiya
Yūsuke Kobayashi as Kaoru Shishibara
Yuuki Ono as Asuma Mayuzumi


Japanese staff

Director: Atsuko Ishizuka
Series Composition: Taku Kishimoto
Original Character Design: Kanako Nono (FiFS)
Character Design: Kokunen Ou

Original Design Works: Shuji Sogabe (FiFS)
Original Graphic Design: Tomoyuki Uchikoga
Theme Song Performance:
Daisuke Hirakawa (ED)
Mamoru Miyano (ED)
Masayoshi Ōishi (OP)
Takuya Eguchi (ED)
Tatsuhisa Suzuki (ED)
Toshiyuki Toyonaga (ED)
Yuuki Ono (ED)

Animation Production: MADHOUSE
Broadcaster:
AT-X
KBS Kyoto
Nippon BS Broadcasting Corporation
Sun TV
Tokyo MX
TV Aichi
Production: Media Factory

TRAILERS

Spoiler:

 

[machomuu]

Testing for the concept.

Staying for the Madhouse.

 

[Skip Class]

First anime of the season approaching within the next 2 days! Super hyped since we're getting another edition to my favourite genre and a running/track anime no less - one which I've wanted for a while. Even better that it's gonna be done by Madhouse too - SO HYPED!

Just a note from some things I found on tumblr:

Reminder to everyone jumping on prince of stride, it's based on an otome game. Expect it to be Nana centric so please don't start hating her just because she gets in the way of your gay ships (｡-_-｡)

Though doesn't feel entirely Nana-centric from the PVs we have atm - though We'll have to see!

What's truly amazing about Prince of Stride is that:
1. You have 4/6 of Generation of Miracles on the same team (minus Atsushi and Akashi)
2. 3/5 of Style Five are on the same team (minus Haru and Nagisa)
3. The Izumino twins are actually Haruichi and Eijun from Team Seido (Daiya Ace)
4. THIS IS LITERALLY A GATHERING OF SPORTSANI SEIYUU (Yowapeda, Free, Knb, HQ, DnA, etc)

 

[machomuu]

I mean, if it does end up Nana-centric...all the better for Satoshi.

And hell, I'm in it for the Track/Madhouse goodness. I can't really see them getting involved in something where the concept is wholely second to the rabu, VN or no.

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

Oh yea, another of my important picks this season =D
This is actually one game I wanted to import so seeing it as anime will definitely help me in doing so =D

Kana + MADHOUSE, can it get better? =D

 

[Taemin]

FINALLY

I'm so excited for this one.

Only a couple more days..

 

[Skip Class]

FINALLY

I'm so excited for this one.

Only a couple more days..

Days? Lol more like hours haha! Just under 12 hours till it's released!

 

[Taemin]

Days? Lol more like hours haha! Just under 12 hours till it's released!

I meant more for the subs to come out, but yES HOURS. Maybe I'll cave and check out the RAW episode.. Unless we do actually have subs tomorrow. *^*

 

[Skip Class]

I meant more for the subs to come out, but yES HOURS. Maybe I'll cave and check out the RAW episode.. Unless we do actually have subs tomorrow. *^*

Considering Funimation has licenced it and are doing both Simulcast and Broadcast Dub, expect to see the first episode out and subbed on streaming sites at least 1 - 2 hours after it airs in Japan (if not, it will probably be out somewhere within 24 hours of airing). And since they're also doing the dubbing for it, expect that to be out a few weeks after the first episode has been released. Things don't take as much waiting time as they used to xD

 

[derozio]

I'm definitely looking forward to this one. Sports + Madhouse isn't a combination that I've seen earlier (I've only seen sports series by Production I.G heh) and as such that'll be something new. You usually can't go wrong with Madhouse though so yeah. XD;

 

[Kenchiin]

I just hope they don't run on a CG background because that would suck.

Also, this is a Visual Novel!? You got me there.

 

[derozio]

It is Madhouse. They generally don't spam CG much. :p I haven't seen them do so, actually.

The worst usage of CG I can remember from these guys would be some random passers by characters in Parasyte that looked like they were constipated haha. That's about it. :p

 

[Kenchiin]

The worst usage of CG I can remember from these guys would be some random passers by characters in Parasyte that looked like they were constipated haha. That's about it. :p

That was exactly what I was thinking of when I made my post above, lol. You kinda read my mind.

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

Also, this is a Visual Novel!? You got me there.

Well... what other base would you expect from otome anime? =D

 

[Taemin]

Well... what other base would you expect from otome anime? =D

I'm sure plenty of people are figuring they're getting into another shonen sports anime.

Kinda reminds me of the time one of my friends went to go see Brokeback Mountain, thinking that it was going to be a typical western cowboy movie.

 

[Skip Class]

RAW's out but according to FUNimation, the launch for PoS is delayed. Gaa every season FUNimation always gets delays... wish this could've been done by Crunchyroll instead since they're usually on time -.-

The opening is pretty cool though! You can really hear the Tom-H@ck in it - the guy who does all Diamond No Ace openings.



I think the one thing that's pretty cool about this that it isn't just a running anime that people were expecting, but is parkour too which you can see in the OP. Heard a lot of great things already coming from people who've watched the first episode RAW, but can't wait till the sub comes out - shouldn't take too long.

 

[Kenchiin]

Well... what other base would you expect from otome anime? =D

I'm sure plenty of people are figuring they're getting into another shonen sports anime.

I actually thought this was a shonen sports anime D:

The opening is pretty cool though! You can really hear the Tom-H@ck in it - the guy who does all Diamond No Ace openings.

I approve of this.

 

[Taemin]

I actually thought this was a shonen sports anime D:

It's an Otome game, however they could pull something with the anime to make it less otome love triangles and more sports, but I guess we'll see..

 

[Skip Class]

​

EPISODE 1: GENERAL FIRST IMPRESSION
Saying "thank god" for living in NZ since FUNimation was having their usual delay problems and AnimeLab (which shows anime for my region.) actually has the first episode up and subbed.

First episode of the season and first episode of Prince of Stride. Now as much as I did enjoy watching that first episode (maaan that race scene), it didn't quite give me the "wow" factor that I was expecting from Madhouse. That being said this is coming from someone who loves the sports anime while this of course is based of an Otome - so content wise, it wouldn't have been built up in the same way as all the sports anime that have utterly wowed me from the first episode.
Especially in terms of the animation (not as much in the first race scene), but there did feel a bit of a let down - especially with Madhouse just finishing One Punch Man. Even with artwise (I still do love the aesthetic, the colour palette and artstyle) things felt quite derpy and lazy).

That being said, this anime still has a lot of potential to develop over the next few episodes! Absolutely love the OP and the BGM felt pretty hype to listen to. The whole idea itself being more of a team-parkour based anime rather than just a track relay anime felt honestly refreshing to watch. Already loving a lot of the main characters, but I'll get into that a little later.

Spoiler: EPISODE 1

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.

​

Spoiler: Next Episode Preview

Considering their going for introducing a new team (the one where all the boys are also idols), I was hoping they'd have more time to go develop the characters a little more, but nope. Otome game time means we gotta find new man meat for Nana to glaze her eyes on. I did like the pacing of the first episode, but I just hope they won't throw every team at us at a fast pace since this is only a 12 episode anime - and more than one rivalling team (4 in fact) seem a lot for it.

That being said, we'll be seeing Captain talking to the long white haired dude and to hopefully get him back into the team.

​

got tired writing it in the middle haha

 

[Taemin]

That was some attractive running animation, right there.

They weren't kidding when they said "laps around the school". I was expecting a track anime, but the tracks are literally inside the school building and around the city. I think it'll be cool to see them do city races, the school setting was neat enough.

I got into episode one more than I thought I would, and I really love the animation. The characters kinda remind me of Persona 3/4 for some reason. Not that that's a bad thing. It also has less of an otome than I expected, which is also not a bad thing. I think this will end up being pretty cool, and I wasn't disappointed.