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A great deal has been documented about the practice of running, a restorative movement with potential for cathartic release. In the sphere of competitive games, however, the strain of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this ultimate goal. Adapted from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime goes past prizes and accolades to explore the core impetus that drives an competitor’s aspiration.

Plot Overview

The 100-Meter Film traces Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose personal journeys separate when they go pro. Previously the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the twosome enter their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle worries and uncertainties. Covering more than 15 years, the story follows their internal hurdles, revealing the challenges of an competitor’s existence, locked in a cycle of media attention, result pressures and commercial obligations.

Creative Merits

Possibly it’s down to the source material, but the movie’s approach to these intricate issues is a bit simplistic; time and time again, a lead’s mental struggles quickly dissolve after a extended discussion with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the anime is deficient in story nuance and pacing, it compensates for in breathtaking graphics. Employing trace-over animation, in which animation is traced over filmed sequences, the movie generates stunningly detailed dash moments. The bodily strain of a sprint is visibly evident, and the suffering and elation of contests are imprinted on the characters’ bodies.

Impactful Sequences

One particularly momentous race ends in the downpour, with cascades of monochrome brushwork that overwhelm the frame. Beyond spoken words, these bursts of artistic excellence embody the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to provoke.

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