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A great deal has been documented about the art of running, a restorative movement with ability for cathartic release. Within the context of competitive games, though, the stress of rivalry can make people lose sight of this fundamental aim. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime transcends prizes and accolades to examine the existential drive that fuels an athlete’s ambition.

Narrative Summary

The 100-Meter Film traces Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose life paths diverge when they enter elite competition. Formerly the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi helps the less self-assured Komiya with the essentials. As the pair enter their teens and their 20s, Komiya progressively advances up the standings of elite competitors, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle fears and doubts. Covering more than 15 years, the story tracks their psychological barriers, exposing the struggles of an sports professional’s journey, trapped in a loop of media attention, result pressures and endorsement requirements.

Visual Highlights

Perhaps it’s because of the base story, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is rather superficial; frequently, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a colleague or elder. But what the anime is deficient in story nuance and tempo, it redeems itself with in stunning imagery. Utilizing rotoscoping, in which cartooning is traced over filmed sequences, the film generates remarkably precise dash moments. The bodily strain of a race is visibly evident, and the pain and the joy of contests are etched on the protagonists’ forms.

Unforgettable Scenes

One especially significant race concludes in the storm, with sheets of grey strokes that engulf the scene. Beyond spoken words, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance embody the almost spiritual high the film aims to provoke.

100 Meters is showing in the United Kingdom from the 16th of November.