Prince of Stride: Alternative Season 1 Episode 1 On Your Mark: The Beginning of Destiny

On Your Mark: The Beginning of Destiny is the first episode of Prince of Stride: Alternative season 1. The show is set in a world where "Stride," a high-speed relay race, is highly popular and competitive.

The episode starts with our protagonist, Nana Sakurai, a freshman who has just transferred to Honan Academy, a school known for its Stride Club. Even before she steps onto the school grounds, Nana witnesses a thrilling Stride race taking place. She is immediately drawn to the sport and decides to join the Stride Club.

In her first meeting with the club, Nana meets the team captain, Riku Yagami, and his teammates, Takeru Fujiwara, Heath Hasekura, Kyosuke Kuga, and Hozumi Kohinata. The team seems skeptical about Nana's lack of experience in Stride and her decision to join so late in the year.

To determine her capability, the team challenges Nana to a mini Stride race, where they can assess her skills. Nana accepts their challenge and gives it her all, but falls behind due to her inexperience. She feels discouraged and feels like she has let the team down.

However, Riku offers Nana another chance, acknowledging her determination. He decides to enter the entire team in the End of Summer Stride Festival, which takes place in three months, leaving only a small window to train. The festival is prestigious, and Honan Academy hasn't won it in over three years.

Nana and the team start their training, and Nana soon realizes that Stride is about more than just running; it requires teamwork, trust, and communication. The team conducts several training exercises, including practicing handoffs, running in formation, and building endurance, all while relying on each other.

As the training progresses, we learn more about the individual team members, their personalities, and motivations. Takeru, the team's vice-captain, is a natural-born leader, but gets too caught up in his desire to win. Kyosuke is the calm and collected member who has a lot of experience in Stride and is competitive. Heath is a cheerful and carefree member who loves Stride and wants to have fun with it. Hozumi is the team's "brain" and the one who comes up with strategies and tactics. And finally, Riku, the team captain, is the one who brings everyone together and keeps them motivated.

As the day of the End of Summer Stride Festival approaches, tensions rise, and the team faces several challenges, including finding a reliable Stride machine, and dealing with an injury to one of their team members. But with their hard work and determination, Honan Academy's Stride Club manages to pull through in the end.

On Your Mark: The Beginning of Destiny is a thrilling introduction to Prince of Stride: Alternative, with exciting Stride races, beautiful animation, and an excellent cast of characters. It's an entertaining sports anime with a great storyline and plenty of heart.