TV-Series
Description
Ayumu Kadowaki is a second-year student at Honan Academy and a central member of its Stride Club, where he serves as a runner. He is known for his distinctive green hair and matching green eyes, which are framed by a pair of wide, silver-rimmed glasses. Standing at 170 centimeters tall, he is also the president of the school's Shogi Club, a role in which he proudly proclaims himself the "King".
Before becoming a runner, Ayumu originally acted as a relationer for the team, the strategist who guides the runners from a vantage point. His transition to being a runner is a reluctant one, as his physical abilities lag considerably behind those of his more athletically gifted teammates. He is often described as the worst runner on the team, struggling with the speed, agility, and technical parkour moves—known as "gimmicks"—that the sport demands. In races, he tends to avoid obstacles rather than vault over them, a clear sign of his lack of practical experience.
However, Ayumu compensates for his physical shortcomings with his greatest asset: his intellect. He possesses an encyclopedic theoretical knowledge of Stride, which has earned him the nicknames "Dr. Stride" and "Prime Minister of Trivia". He can name every type of vault jump required to clear an obstacle and excels at memorizing course details and opponent strategies, visualizing the ideal techniques even if he cannot perform them himself. This analytical mind is honed by his passion for shogi, a game of strategy and mental fortitude. He uses his frustration over being the weakest athlete as fuel for a strict personal improvement regimen, demonstrating a mental toughness that his physical form does not initially reflect.
Ayumu's role in the story is defined by his struggle to prove his worth on a team of natural-born runners. He is deeply insecure about letting his teammates down, a fear that drives him to extremes. His most significant moment of development occurs during a race against Mihashi High School. After seeing the lead his teammates built evaporate as his opponent easily overtakes him, Ayumu, unable to bear the thought of being responsible for a loss, makes a reckless decision. He takes an extremely dangerous shortcut that involves a high drop, a maneuver no one else anticipated. Although he successfully makes the final relation with his teammate Hozumi Kohinata, securing a narrow victory for Honan, the landing is disastrous. He suffers a broken right clavicle and is hospitalized, forcing him into an inactive status due to his injury.
His key relationships are primarily within the Honan Stride Club. He shares a particularly close bond with Hozumi Kohinata, a classmate who helps him train and is the first to rush to his side after his injurious fall. He also frequently interacts with Takeru Fujiwara, the team's fiercely competitive ace, who often finishes Ayumu's sentences or dismisses his verbose explanations. Despite his own lack of confidence, Ayumu contributes to the team dynamic by using his strategic mind to analyze opponents and, on one occasion, attempting to psych out a rival by claiming to run for a sick sister, a tactic that reflects his cunning if not his physical prowess.
Before becoming a runner, Ayumu originally acted as a relationer for the team, the strategist who guides the runners from a vantage point. His transition to being a runner is a reluctant one, as his physical abilities lag considerably behind those of his more athletically gifted teammates. He is often described as the worst runner on the team, struggling with the speed, agility, and technical parkour moves—known as "gimmicks"—that the sport demands. In races, he tends to avoid obstacles rather than vault over them, a clear sign of his lack of practical experience.
However, Ayumu compensates for his physical shortcomings with his greatest asset: his intellect. He possesses an encyclopedic theoretical knowledge of Stride, which has earned him the nicknames "Dr. Stride" and "Prime Minister of Trivia". He can name every type of vault jump required to clear an obstacle and excels at memorizing course details and opponent strategies, visualizing the ideal techniques even if he cannot perform them himself. This analytical mind is honed by his passion for shogi, a game of strategy and mental fortitude. He uses his frustration over being the weakest athlete as fuel for a strict personal improvement regimen, demonstrating a mental toughness that his physical form does not initially reflect.
Ayumu's role in the story is defined by his struggle to prove his worth on a team of natural-born runners. He is deeply insecure about letting his teammates down, a fear that drives him to extremes. His most significant moment of development occurs during a race against Mihashi High School. After seeing the lead his teammates built evaporate as his opponent easily overtakes him, Ayumu, unable to bear the thought of being responsible for a loss, makes a reckless decision. He takes an extremely dangerous shortcut that involves a high drop, a maneuver no one else anticipated. Although he successfully makes the final relation with his teammate Hozumi Kohinata, securing a narrow victory for Honan, the landing is disastrous. He suffers a broken right clavicle and is hospitalized, forcing him into an inactive status due to his injury.
His key relationships are primarily within the Honan Stride Club. He shares a particularly close bond with Hozumi Kohinata, a classmate who helps him train and is the first to rush to his side after his injurious fall. He also frequently interacts with Takeru Fujiwara, the team's fiercely competitive ace, who often finishes Ayumu's sentences or dismisses his verbose explanations. Despite his own lack of confidence, Ayumu contributes to the team dynamic by using his strategic mind to analyze opponents and, on one occasion, attempting to psych out a rival by claiming to run for a sick sister, a tactic that reflects his cunning if not his physical prowess.