Sakamichi Onoda


Otaku Sakamichi Onoda has just entered high school and plans to join the anime club. In middle school, Onoda didn’t have any friends with whom he could talk about anime, games, Akihabara and other otaku things, and he is hoping he can make such friends in the anime club, but he finds out it's been disbanded. In order to reestablish the club he tries to find 4 other people who would like to join. Since he was a little boy, Onoda has ridden his mamachari—a bulky bicycle with a step-through frame mainly used for short rides, such as for casual fun or to pick up groceries—to go to Akihabara every week to check out or buy otaku things. Fellow freshman Shunsuke Imaizumi and bicyclist, while training, notices a boy (Onoda) riding his mamchari up a steep road. Freshman and road racing cyclist, Shokichi Naruko visits Akihabara to get some Gundam plastic models for his younger brothers and meets Onoda who catches his attention because of the his cycling skill on the mamachari and later find out they go to the same school. Later on, both Naruko and Imaizumi try to convince him to join the bicycle racing club, but will he?
Onoda Sakamichi, a diehard anime fan, bikes 90 kilometers to and from Akiba to buy anime goods. Enrolled at Chiba Sohoku Public High School, he plans to join the anime club, hoping to make friends.
Imaizumi challenges Sakamichi to a race up the school's steep rear gate slope. To spice up the competition, Imaizumi agrees to join the anime club if he loses. Sakamichi gives it his all, hoping to reform the club.
The race between Sakamichi and Imaizumi continues. Imaizumi has passed Sakamichi, but thanks to a seat adjustment from Miki, Sakamichi has more power than ever before.
With the rear gate slope race over, Sakamichi returns to Akiba to buy some more anime goods. There, he runs into Naruko Shoukichi, a boy with a Kansai accent who's riding a bike.
Sakamichi returns to high school where he runs into Naruko at the school's store. Naruko encourages Sakamichi to join the cycling club with him, but Sakamichi doesn't want to give up on the anime club.
The welcoming race begins. Sakamichi is excited to, once again, race against Imaizumi and Naruko.
With his new road racer, Sakamichi quickly moves up from sixth to fourth place and makes up a five minute deficit. The captain sees Sakamichi's determination and decides to test his skills.
Sakamichi finally catches up to Imaizumi and Naruko, stoking their competitive natures.
Determined to become the King of the Mountain in Minegayama, Sakamichi raises his RPMs to catch up to Imaizumi.
With the welcoming race over, each of the first years is given special training by other members of the team.
One day has passed since special training. The freshmen are in class when they learn that the Inter-High Preliminaries have started.
The Sohoku High bicycle racing club holds a training camp to prepare for the Inter-High. As a carsick Sakamichi makes his way to camp, he encounters cyclist Manami Sangaku.
The first day of training is over. Imaizumi, Naruko, and Sugimoto have all managed to complete 200km while Onoda has only completed 165km.
The third day of camp. While riding alone in the early morning, Sakamichi runs into Manami, the boy he met on the first day of camp.
After his meeting with Manami, Sakamichi is more excited than ever to take part in the Inter-High. In order to participate, Sakamichi realizes he must first ride 1,000 kilometers and begins matching paces and laps with Imaizumi and Naruko.
Second years Teshima and Aoyagi stand between the first years and their goal to finish 1,000 kilometers. In order to protect their lead, the second years challenge the first years.
After Sakamichi breaks through Teshima's impregnable guard, Teshima loses his will to fight. Aoyagi's insistence that they go to the Inter-High together, however, gives Teshima the strength to carry on.
After falling to last place, Sakamichi catches up to Imaizumi, Naruko, Teshima, and Aoyagi. Admist their emotions, the five boys clash in an all out sprint to the finish line!
Having completed the difficult training camp, Sakamichi has grown, but lacks the experience and strength of the other members. Disillusioned, he begins to give up on his dream of going to the Inter-High.
As Sohoku's team eagerly awaits the upcoming Inter-High, the Hakone club holds individual elimination races and fills all but one remaining spot.