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Plenty has been documented about the practice of running, a restorative movement with ability for therapeutic unburdening. In the realm of professional sports, though, the stress of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this primary objective. Adapted from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime transcends prizes and accolades to examine the inner motivation that fuels an sports star’s dream.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose life paths separate when they turn professional. Previously the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the twosome progress into their youth and early maturity, Komiya consistently improves up the ranking of elite competitors, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both battle worries and uncertainties. Encompassing more than 15 years, the story documents their psychological barriers, revealing the challenges of an sports professional’s journey, locked in a cycle of media attention, result pressures and commercial obligations.

Creative Merits

Maybe it’s due to the original work, but the animation’s answer to these complex dilemmas is somewhat facile; repeatedly, a lead’s mental struggles just vanish after a lengthy conversation with a colleague or elder. But what the anime lacks in story nuance and pacing, it compensates for in stunning imagery. Using trace-over animation, in which animation is superimposed on real-life video, the movie creates remarkably precise sprinting scenes. The bodily strain of a race is visibly evident, and the suffering and elation of contests are engraved on the protagonists’ forms.

Impactful Sequences

One especially significant race ends in the storm, with cascades of charcoal lines that engulf the scene. More than any dialogue, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance capture the quasi-enlightened elation the film aims to inspire.

100 Meters is released in Britain from the 16th of November.